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Light Weight Harness


still_climbin

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The number one critera for me for a harness is that it must stay off the jewels. I even have been know to cut back portions of the inside of the leg loops to keep the jewels happy. Ever talk to an old dude who has taken a winger in a Whillans harness?

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I don't think I'd wear it on a nontrivial rock route. The Camp XLH doesn't have much in terms of gear loops. Just two thin straps that fit no more than two neutrinos each. And not the quickest access either. That, and there's no powerpoint for belaying. Clipping through both tie-in points would tri-load the carabiner. I suppose you could clip the carabiner to the loop of rope. Though a fig-8 really isn't designed for that sort of loading.

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gary,

i've used mine 5x since tuesday last. i'm not sure that i like it at all. i know that i don't like the:

sideways biner & cross loading on belay;

difficulty in unclpping from belay biner when hanging at stations; and

when i gave up on that, and decided to belay off my figure 8 tie-in, i promptly forgot that my belay biner was clipped to it. so each time I untied on scrambling pitches i dropped my device several times...something i've never done before.

 

can someone 'splain to me how to use this better. or do i get nothing and like it.

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I dunno if the harness is designed to take a carabiner through the two tie-in points. It certainly seems like bad loading to me. But for me it fits well, that is the two tie-in points can become pretty much on top of each other. I'd certainly feel comfortable rapping off a biner clipped through both in that configuration. But for belaying, I'd probably belay through the loop of rope.

 

I'm mainly thinking of the harness being used on glacier slogs and stuff w/ a little rock, like Olympus and Challenger.

 

Perhaps you could belay off of a second biner that's clipped just through one tie-in point? But I dunno how it was designed. The instructions are very unclear regarding its usage.

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it fits me well too. and i also don't mind rapping off in the manner you described. for belaying off the fig.8 i finally resorted to cliping the belay biner to one of the tie in points with a nano, so that i wouldn't keep dropping it after untying - fussy & requires extra gear.

 

i'm glad i've taken the time to test discover the idiosyncracies of this harness.

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I have this CAMP harness (XLH 130)

http://www.progearzone.com/Camp-XLH-130-Climbing-Harness-p/125-14702.htm

 

I bought it when it was the lightest out there. It is 130 grams (about 4 wiregate biners) and I have worn it on every every alpine rock route i've done over the last two summers, which has been quite a few. I also go cragging in it with no problems. It's great. I think it is actually more comfy than my BD alpine bod.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Maybe get the harness that works with your primary alpine pack...

 

For years I used a harness with gear racks that faced downward from the bottom. It worked great with hipbelts that seat above or well below the harness. Right now I have two packs that have hipbelts that cover the bottom third of a harness. Those racks don't work. An Alpine bod with its centrally placed racks cured the problem. Don't just think of comfort or weight, but rather the interrelationship between your harness and the rest of your gear.

 

That said, a belay loop is a nice to have when harness visibility is an issue.

 

GB

Edited by fishstick
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