How to Choose the Right Size Rock Climbing Harness

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Bill with Zoar Outdoor here on behalf of expertvillage.com. Today we're at Chapel Ledges in Ashville, Massachusetts, Trustees of the Reservation Property and in this series I'm going to be talking about rock climbing gear. A harness is a piece of equipment you need if you're going to be climbing using a rope for protection. You need it to attach the rope to you in a way that's going to be comfortable and that's going to be solid. A couple of variations that I brought with me today, this one is more of a program or a school type of harness that's very adjustable made of all webbing no padding to it, it has adjustment buckles on both leg loops and a waist band and fits a wide range of sizes. Another option that you're more likely to end up with if you end up buying your own is a harness that's built out of a foam laminate construction. It's got some padding to it, it's very light weight, this harness in particular does not have adjustments to the leg loops, many of them do and a single buckle at the waist that's going to let it adjust to your size and be comfortable. It also includes these handy loops on the side that you can use for attaching any of your equipment to while you're out climbing. So this sort of harness you're probably going to be looking for at a gear store and with any of the gear really helps to get comfortable with a store in your area, know the people that work there, they're going to give you the best advice about the equipment and you're going to be able to try it on and make sure that it works."