Jon H Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 (edited) Heading to Chamonix next month. Will be climbing TD to ED routes, rock routes up to 6c or 7a if I can get in some real good training. I'll be starting to gather beta in the coming days (feel free to send me good info for an Amerikaner to have in Cham/Grindelwald!) but for now I know I need a new harness. Here's what I'm looking for: -Must pack up nice and small -Don't want to spend too much... Maybe $80 max? -Must have a drop seat with a fastex buckle -Must have speed buckles -Nice large gear loops (I'm a pansy. I carry extra gear and sew it up) I've been looking at the WC Syncro Ultralight. It looks like it fits all the above criteria. Only thing is that I can't confirm the attachment for the drop seat - they photoshopped the buckle out of all the advertising pics!! Happy to hear any input, reviews, or suggestions for another harness to look at. Oh, and don't bother recommending Arcteryx... it sure is pretty, but I'm not gonna buy a $125-$150 harness with an 11 pound haul loop. A harness has to have a full strength haul loop and give me a happy ending before I'll consider forking over $150 for it. Edited March 1, 2011 by Jon H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon H Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 Oh, and for reference, here's what I've got now: I've wound up with 3 harnesses over the years but none of them cut it. -Mammut something-or-other: Comfortable but too bulky and the drop seat has an EXTREMELY fiddly hook that is impossible to replace without taking off the whole harness, even worse cause it has a tendency to pop out on long hikes. -Petzl Calidris: Actually pretty good, but I don't find it comfortable, I again don't like the hook on the drop seat, and I'm not crazy about the position and size of the gear loops. -Mad Rock Neptune: ultralight, packs up TINY, only problem is that it's painful to hang in for extended periods like rappelling, AKA no good for Chamonix. That having been said, I use it frequently for anything backcountry with a long approach and a walk-off. It's perfect for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldfinger Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Petzl Hirundos, pretty surprised by how much I like it, great for sport climbing, even better for ice/alpine. Really can't absorb much water at all, so great for powder or running ice, great gear loops and most importantly for racking, takes a Caritool perfectly for screws. Used to only use adjustable leg loops but never again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Piston Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I don't know if it is still available, but I have used the CAMP STH 245 for many years in the Cascades, Alps, and Canadian Rockies. It weighs 9 oz. and meets most, if not all of your specifications...I've really liked it for alpine climbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinB Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Here's one of the recent CAMP harnesses that I really like: http://www.camp-usa.com/products/harnesses/air-cr.asp Not huge gear loops, but it gets the job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YocumRidge Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 No ice clipper slots on it? http://www.camp-usa.com/products/harnesses/air-cr.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastCoastBastard Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I'm pretty happy with my BD Ascent - it's comfy, got a full strength haul loop, some gear loops, clipper slots, speed buckles. pretty nice for the price. Not the lightest, or the smallest-packing, but it'll do the job. See you soon Jon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.