How to Make a Climbing Harness Out of Rope

Getting caught at the edge of a cliff with a damaged harness is a dangerous situation. Because equipment can often be lost or broken, you should always know how to improvise new pieces from other materials. A climbing harness made out of rope or webbing can save your life in an emergency situation.Be sure to know the basic climbing knots, and practice making a harness out of rope regularly.

Things You'll Need

• 12 to 15 feet climbing rope
• Locking carabiner

Instructions

1. Tie a 5- or 6-foot piece of rope back on itself to create a loop, and tie another piece around your waist. Use double fisherman's knots to make both loops.

2. Lay the larger loop on the ground and put one twist in the middle to create a figure eight.

3. Step into both loops of the figure eight and pull it up till it is seated against the bottom of your hips.

4. Thread a locking carabiner through both leg loops and the waist loop.

Tips & Warnings

• This design can also be used with webbing, making it more comfortable to wear. Use water knots instead of double fisherman's knots to tie off the webbing.

• While this harness should be sufficient to carry you down a rappel, it should not be used in a difficult climbing situation. If you're stuck without a harness facing a tough climb, try to find a way around rather than using an improvised harness, particularly if you must lead the climb.

• This harness should not be used in place of a commercial seat harness except in emergency situations.