The core piece of a rock climber’s gear is the rock climbing harness. The harness is what attaches a climber to the rope; it’s the center piece of a person’s rock climbing gear. There are different rock climbing harnesses out there – each type provides different advantages.
There are basically three types of rock climbing harnesses out there to choose from. The first, and most common, is the sit harness. This harness straps around your lower body and waist – it has holes that you put your legs through. You are basically “sitting” in the harness. This harness provides a person will full, unhindered mobility when you climb. However, due to the sit harness design, you may flip around.
The chest harness stapes around your chest and around your shoulders. It provides more stability than does the sit harness and you won’t flip around when you wear it. However, the disadvantage to this type of rock climbing harness is that you may have slightly less mobility.
The full body harness is basically a combination of the chest harness and the sit harness, covering a person’s full body. Beginners prefer this type of harness because it proves a feeling of security. However, intermediate and advanced rock climbers don’t like the full body harness because it really hinders a person’s mobility.
Harnesses are connected to the mountain climbing rope the though Karabiner. The karabiner is basically a latch that attaches to one of the harness rings connected to the harness. You can then easily latch and unlatch the harness to the rope.
Before you put on your mountain climbing harness, you should always do a through visual inspection of it. Look for any frayed edges or cuts in the harness. While a small cut might not look like a big deal, it can be a fatal mistake. Remember, if you slip and fall, the force of your body weight will be magnified many times when you fall. The harness and rope, when your fall is broken by the safety equipment, will endure a short period of incredible strain. If there is any weakness in the material of the harness, it could break and you could end out falling out of the harness to your death! So make sure your harness is in perfect condition before putting it on.
You should always make sure the actual harness fits you snugly. A harness that’s too big might break your back during a fall break. You could even fall out of the harness.
If you want to buy a rock climbing harness, you can start your search online. There are plenty of online retailers that specialize in harness equipment – you are likely to get a good deal.