harness questions...

**ulty_guy** · 11-10-2006, 07:31 AM

i need a harness for beginner rock climbing (in a gym), but i also want to be able to use it for skiing/touring on glaciers, etc. i'm thinking a black diamond bod would do the trick (light, but still some padding). any other ideas?

thanks!

**Arno** · 11-10-2006, 07:47 AM

that should be fine but try a few on and see what fits. you won't need much padding unless you're planning to dangle on a rope for long periods of time

the only one i'd recommend you avoid is the alpine bod - fine for touring and nice and light but some climbing walls get a bit uptight about it loading a carabiner 3 ways. you can get round it but it's a bit fiddly

btw - still interested in those denalis? they're sitting by my desk waiting for you

**mnflyfish** · 11-10-2006, 08:04 AM

I just bought my first harness, spent a little time at REI trying on a few, messing around with them tomake sure they would meet my requirements (both chairlift evac for ski patrol, and light climbing and a trip or two bc each year).

Good Luck,
Jay

**ulty_guy** · 11-10-2006, 08:21 AM

hey arno, check pm about dodgy rendezvous in public places involving baby blue boots.

**hemas** · 11-10-2006, 08:53 AM

I'd get a "real" harness (like BD Blizzard, or what ever they are now making) with adjustable leg-loops... Sure it's gonna be bulky and heavier than Bod, but also kazillion times more comfortable when you're hangdogging in the gym (or booking airtime when you beging to lead)... With adjustable legloops the same harness will work with shorts in the gym and in the glaciers with insulated troos...

If you're getting really anal about weight and glaciers/ski-touring, you can always get a cheap really light ski-touring harness (Rock Empre, Camp etc. make such harnesses, basicly like BD Alpine Bod sans paddin, plus they are often really cheap ~20 to 30£ or less).

**ulty_guy** · 11-10-2006, 08:54 AM

nah, i think comfort is up there as long as it's still easy to ski in and can be taken off w/out removing skis/crampons etc.

**Treepinner** · 11-10-2006, 09:06 AM

Avoid the Bod (and its clones) like the plague...an antique design that has no merits. Get a harness with adjustable leg loops and a belay loop. CAMP and Petzl are particularly good but the best bet is to try them on and hang on a rope in the store to check for fit and comfort.

**wilcox510** · 11-10-2006, 09:19 AM

The bod and its clones do have one big advantage if you are using them for skiing. They are very easy to get on and off with ski boots on. You can do this with other harnesses with adjustable leg loops, but its not as easy as it is with a bod style. I totally agree with everyone about comfort, I wouldnt choose a bod for my main climbing harness.

**jonski** · 11-10-2006, 04:24 PM

Hey Ulty, I just had the same decision to make - went with the Focus AL from BD.
Bit more cash, but heaps comfy for sitting in when you're learning in the gym and looking at the wall going 'WTF??' trying to figure the move, and the leg loops are easy enough for over big boots or snow pants - after all, you gonna bother taking it off before the day is over? Don't think I would, so is maybe less of a factor really than comfort....

If you're in the Borough still, head over the river and up to Covent Garden EB. Go speak to Sherman if you can. Does the climbing stuff in there, but is originally from Patagonia Argentina and has done a shit load of mountaineering on the big peaks down there, knows his stuff. Oh, and sign up for their climbers club too, gets you some discount which helps, as I'm finding climbing more gear obsessed than skiing!

**Will** · 11-10-2006, 04:37 PM

You want a harness with adjustable leg loops. That way you can put on the harness over ski boots, or even over skis. It is easier to do this with Bods and similar models, but it is possible with any harness that has adjustable leg loops.

Note: certain harnesses (petzl) with "autolocking" buckles on the waist and legs might harder to "re-thread." If you have to completely undo the waist and leg loops in order to put the harness on over skis/ski boots then you might have a bitch of a time putting everything back together correctly.
In contrast, I use an old-style alpine bod for mountaineering that I can put on while wearing gloves.

Okay, so you think you have an idea of what kind of harness you want - what features and such. Here's the important stuff:

1) Go to climbing shop.

2) Grab a selection of harnesses

3) Hang in harness (feet off the ground) for 5-10 minutes each.

4) The one that doesn't hurt is right for you.

It doesn't matter what the harness is "designed" for (two friends have take Bod harnesses up El Cap), what fancy name the harness has, what the rep of the harness manufacturer is .... all of that is bullshit.

In the end what matters is whether the harness is comfortable and whether it has the features you need.

**NieveSurfeador** · 11-10-2006, 04:44 PM

get a petzl harness...

ive been climbing since i was a kid and the past 4 years or so ive been using a petzl calidris... most comfortable thing ever (the double back is even more comfortable, but prolly too much for skiing)

note: ive never used a harness skiing though

EDIT: IMHO... also, i imagine it would be very comfortable to ski in too

**Sphinx** · 11-10-2006, 05:02 PM

Why all the hate for the Bod? It's the best all-around harness on the market IMO.

I've climbed in the gym for hundreds of hours, redpointed 5.12, done 200' free rappels, climbed ice and skied glaciers, all in my Bod. It's as comfortable as the expensive harnesses, and being able to put it on without threading your legs through legloops is wonderful. With the recent addition of a belay loop, the Bod is close to perfect. And show me another harness that you can easily put on while wearing skis.

It's pretty heavy and not very sexy, but it's extremely functional.

**cj001f** · 11-10-2006, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by Treepinner

Avoid the Bod (and its clones) like the plague...an antique design that has no merits.

Aside from being really easy to put on when wearing crampons or ski boots or skis. That and being simple and cheap and durable.

It's a bloody harness.

**kingby** · 11-10-2006, 11:56 PM

BD mementum with adjustable legs. $45 Cad from MEC.ca. Cheap and functional for any type rope work. Has some padding as well.

**shirk** · 11-11-2006, 01:37 AM

I have an almost brand new DB Momentum size XL for sale if you want it.

I had to get it for my trip to Chamonix last year, only used to rope up for the arete off the Midi once. I have another older harness that I prefer, but it was packed away as I was moving cross country at the time.

**Crass3000** · 11-15-2006, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by Will

1) Go to climbing shop.

2) Grab a selection of harnesses

3) Hang in harness (feet off the ground) for 5-10 minutes each.

4) The one that doesn't hurt is right for you.

It doesn't matter what the harness is "designed" for (two friends have take Bod harnesses up El Cap), what fancy name the harness has, what the rep of the harness manufacturer is .... all of that is bullshit.

In the end what matters is whether the harness is comfortable and whether it has the features you need.

I couldn't agree more. The big name harnesses are not necessarily going to feel or fit better. I thought Arcteryx or BD would work good but when I went to REI and tried to hang in a bunch of them I found an REI harness was the most comfortable. Don't just buy it because of name recognition. Definately hang in the harness. You will be glad you did.

**flip** · 11-15-2006, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by Treepinner

Avoid the Bod (and its clones) like the plague...an antique design that has no merits. Get a harness with adjustable leg loops and a belay loop. CAMP and Petzl are particularly good but the best bet is to try them on and hang on a rope in the store to check for fit and comfort.

Get a climbing harness with real padding for climbing, but the alpine bod is still the best thing out there for mountaineering, especially ski touring. Takes up minimal space in the pack. Really easy to get on and off. For $30 it's money well spent, rather than trying to get one harness that does it all.

**edg** · 11-15-2006, 02:09 PM

I use a DMM Alpine for everything, it's comfortable enough and I believe fairly reasonable... I could just be lucky with the fit though (Use it for Indoor, Sport, Trad, Mountaineering, Ski Touring, etc.)

edg

**72Twenty** · 11-15-2006, 02:49 PM

I used an Alpine Bod for like 5 years - skiing and climbing. I loved it.

**wilcox510** · 11-15-2006, 03:34 PM

Camp makes a harness called the STH 245 that is just about the same as the Bod harness, but half the weight. Probably ideal for ski mountaineering, maybe not so comfy for hanging out in while working your project at the crag.

**kellen** · 11-15-2006, 07:05 PM

I know lots of people love the bod, but go take some medium lead falls on one and come back here. Now, if all you are using it for is skiing/rappelling and glacier, it's great, but for more than easy alpine climbing where you usually don't plan on falling, it's going to come up short in the support arena.

**Sphinx** · 11-15-2006, 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by kellen

I know lots of people love the bod, but go take some medium lead falls on one and come back here. Now, if all you are using it for is skiing/rappelling and glacier, it's great, but for more than easy alpine climbing where you usually don't plan on falling, it's going to come up short in the support arena.

I disagree. Like I said above, I've done a LOT of sport climbing in my Bod. And while I'm a pussy with respect to falling, that includes a handful of whippers and lots of dogging. Bod works fine.

**lexpowers** · 11-15-2006, 08:42 PM

Long live the BOD. It's stripped variant, the alpine BOD, is still the definitive harness for tackling 8000m giants, so I'm sure it's good enough for us mere mortals. It's light, cheap and proven. Who's gonna wanna go bc touring and then send a big wall in the same harness? You don't need tons of bulky padding, you just need something that'll pack to nothing, weigh nothing and keep your ass from decking. Want comfort? Loosen slightly and climb!