A poor fitting harness is a really uncomfortable item, and can be dangerous too. Take a few minutes to get it right before you head off.
Choose the Right Harness Type
For indoor roped climbing, a sit harness will be the correct type of harness. A sit harness consists of a waist belt and two leg loops that sit around the upper thigh. These are usually tied together and form a loop around the waist and thighs of the wearer. Most indoor climbing walls offer hire of these types of harnesses at the reception desk of the climbing wall.
Check the Waist Belt
Pull the waist belt up so it sits just above the hip bones. Make sure it is not pulling around your stomach. You can test it by seeing how many fingers you can fit under the strap. You should be able to fit 2 fingers under the harness but no more. If you can fit the whole of your hand under the harness then it is too big and you will need to go down a size.
Test the Leg Loops
Each leg loop of your harness should be sitting around the upper part of your thigh, and be of a snug enough nature to not be able to slip down. However, it should not be so tight that it is beginning to cut off circulation to your legs. To check your harness for climbing, wiggle each leg and crouch down to check for any discomfort.
If you are looking for Climbing Walls, see https://www.270climbing.com/climbing/.
Double-Back Every Buckle
Most climbing harnesses have a single buckle that has a threaded webbing strap. The strap needs to be doubled back through the buckle. Therefore, after you have pulled the webbing tight, the webbing needs to be doubled back through the buckle so that the strap can feed back on itself. Pull each buckle tight to check that it is locked.
Do a Final Tug Test
Before you attach yourself to the rope, give the belay loop a sharp downward pull. There should be no movement, no slipping and nothing that feels unusual. If there is, make the necessary adjustments and recheck before you start to climb.
It’s all part of a simple climbing session.
