Video: How To Fit A Climbing Harness

A good climbing harness is probably the most important part of your climbing equipment. It is essential that this piece of gear fits well and is worn properly. Reuben from Next Adventure shows you how to get the best fit and adjustment to keep you safe as well as comfortable at the crag. Check out our harness selection online. It's important that you have a harness that fits well, not only so that it fits comfortably while you're wearing it around the crag, but so that it’s comfortable and stays in place in the event of a fall. If you have a poorly fitting harness, there is a small possibility that you could slip out of it or, more likely, that it will be very uncomfortable during a fall. We carry a variety of brands and models of harnesses here at Next Adventure. It's important that you get a good fit when purchasing a new harness and this video will walk you through that process. Understand, the process of fitting a climbing harness is going to be similar across brands and models so this information can be applied to harnesses not shown here. You'll want to start by having a sales associate from our climbing department help you select what they think is going to be the right sized harness for your body type. You may need to try on several styles to get the right fit. Begin by stepping into the left and right leg loops, then pull up the harness by the waist-belt like a pair of pants. Next, tighten the waist belt ABOVE your hips. Though harnesses may buckle differently, the most common type of system it the two-plate auto-locking buckle. The main piece of webbing must be threaded from below through both plates and then back down through the larger one on the bottom. You'll want to get the harness as tight as you comfortably can. It's important that the hip belt sits above the hip bone and not on or below them. You'll also want to try to keep the belay loop and the top hard-point centered above the waist. If the harness has adjustable leg loops, you'll want to tighten them as well. Again, as tight as they can comfortably be. Check that there are no twists in the leg loops and that everything is oriented properly. Ensure that the two rear straps are connected to the hip belt of the harness. Next, you'll want to test the harness by hanging in it. You do this for two reasons. One, to get a feel for how the harness supports you. It’s good to understand exactly how your harness should feel when hanging after a fall or working on a route. And two, to make sure that the harness isn't too big. You want to make sure that you can’t fit more than a fist between your stomach and the harness while it is supporting your weight. If there is more than a fist-width between the stomach and the hip-belt the harness is probably too big or needs to be tightened more. It's important to have someone help you fit your harness and to make sure that you try it on before you buy it. Stop by the store, try on harnesses, hang in them, get a sense of how they really feel and how they really fit. As always, for more information check out our website at https://nextadventure.net/ or stop by the store to come have a chat with us. We’ll see you at the crag. Check out our harness selection online.