Big wall harness recommendation?

So I tried the Yates BW harness and didn't like the webbing buckle. And I tried the Yates Shield harness and - call me a weakling - but it took me forever to thread and unthread the stupid buckles they were so darn tight. And to tighten it snugly I had to take a leather man to the webbing it was such a tight fit through the buckle.

Anyone have a recommendation for other big wall harnesses they like that doesn't require as much effort as the ones above?

Andy, I wouldn't worry about how much effort it takes to put the sucker on/off, so long as it's comfortable. Keep in mind that you are going to be wearing it for days. One friend of mine doesn't even use the buckles---he ties his harness on himself with webbing, then cuts the webbing off at the end of the climb. More important is how well it fits, and how comfortable it is.

Andy, your description of waging battle with the Yates Shield dug up old memories of when I was in the same boat with the same harness. I remember first trying it on at the store with this serious "You've-got-to-be-kidding-me" expression on my face while trying to get that webbing to thread smoothly. But once on, the harness just fit so damn well that I knew it was the one. I re-melted the ends of the webbing to make that melted terminus more tapered (I don't mean reshaping the webbing itself, but instead just the melted nylon on the every end - it seems when they originally cut it they used a luke warm hot-knife, because the melted end was fat and spread out.... so I just heated that melted end and flattened it better). Made the initial thread into the buckle much easier, although the stiffness of the webbing still made it a pain to cinch tight. But after a couple days climbing, putting the harness off and on, everything became more supple and soon buckling up was simple as can be.

That's my experience with the Shield, for what it's worth. I love the fit and function of that harness above all others I've tried. I used to have the Yates Big Wall before the Shield and I really didn't like how it performed under heavy loads - the lack of a single continuous piece of padding caused the waist webbing to crease/fold a bit at hip bone area (just maybe a 1/3 inch) while under heavy load resulting in heinous battle wounds by top-out day. The Shield's continuous and firmer padding doesn't have that issue at all.

I actually use my Shield harness for 50-75% of my regular trad climbing days. I have a bum back, so for me it's worth the extra weight to have the added support for hanging belays here in Eldo. The harness free climbs great.

As for the other makes out there, I've heard good feedback from friends who have the Big Gun and friends who have the Misty Mountain. As Bobby H mentioned above, what's most important is how well it fits. In addition to the hanging test at the store and seeing how well it protects your kidneys, clip a couple of those 5 lb bean-bags they use for backpack testing onto the gear loops and just stand around for some time. Put some serious weight on that harness to mimic the tonnage of gear big walls demand and see how it pulls down at your hips. Lastly, clip one of the store's aiders to the belay loop and while standing on the ground, find just the right step such that when you put one foot in it and stand straight it mimics the downward pull on the front of your harness as felt when going for a top step while aiding. Give it some time on this test, it's an eye-opener for sure. Those are my recommendations for finding the winner harness for your body type.

Good luck on the search.

I think Misty makes the best harness out there. I have used the Cadillac for years and swear by it. It is padded enough to spend hours hanging either on aid or when working a sport route.

I really wanted to like the BD Big Gun when it first came out, but when I tried it on I found that the right size waist for me had leg loops that were way too small, I had only 2 inches of tail left after buckling them. Too bad, because it seemed like a really comfy harness.

I went with the Yates Shield. Amazing harness for aid climbing, but I'm still not sure If I could free climb very well in mine (kudos to Erik W)

Yates shield. Use it a bit and the webbing issue gets better, and it's worth the struggle cause its such a great wallin' rig. Gear loops are great, a nice hammer holster and padding and support that makes a hanging belay almost comfortable. I've also done a few walls in the misty, and it worked but my yates is just a whole other level. If you absolutly can't deal with the buckles then try the misty, which free climbs much better.

yates shield I use it for everything but ice

the misty is also a great harness

After buying that pos black diamond blizzard harness I will never buy another harness from black garbage

The metolius Waldo with the leg loop modification (so you can take them off) sounds like a nice option. Metolius will do the mod. Fit is still the main thing.

Also get a fish Rumpsak for long hanging belays to relieve stress on the hips and legs.

RUMPSAK: After receiving tons of calls from people looking for a butt bag, we decided to start making them again. A three point design gives relative comfort to the situation, Oxford cloth main body, and a "self stuffing" feature makes for a nice small package. Assorted colors. $23.00 ea.

I spent six days on Mescalito in a sport climbing harness with no padding on the legs or hip belt. My sides were bloody by the end of the wall! Anything with some padding should suffice.

Andy,

Check out the Petzl Calidris.

good ventilation

wide support

low profile, very naaiiiice

We dropped our butt-seat on pitch 3 of Mescalito in push style and My nads survived in said Calidris.

Happy walling

anybody use the wild country synchro, similar in stats to the bd gun.
???

I use a Metolius Waldo - most comfortable harness ever for hanging in for long periods.

I have a Metolius Waldo that is pretty dang comfy. I like the double belay loops also.

Andy Laakmann If you are having trouble with the buckle let me give some advise.
To thread these buckles what you do is grab the metal buckle at the top and twist it HARD to the side and THEN then webbing will slip right in. You have to practice a little with it, but after a while it will be a lot more easy than you did it the fist time.

I've since changed to a Yates Shield and love It. It is hard to get into but, for me, it's comfortable. If it fits you and it's comfortable is all that matters. I also re-melted the webbing ends into a thinner, sharper point.
I don't know what the hell people are talking about when they say they can't free climb very well with it. It goes around your waist and it goes around your legs. WTF? I wouldn't want to climb Astroman in mine, but I'm sure I could.

I went away from my Yates Shield. For me the buckles kept creeping, and were a major pain to tighten. Most annoying to be mid-pitch and constantly hiking your harness up. Trying to re-tighten at a hanging belay for the second or third time in a day just sucks.

I'm pretty happy with my BD Big Gun. Not overly comfy, but comfy enough. Not overly heavy as well. My only real gripe is that the leg loop keeper strap sucks to re-thread in the morning.

But as Mark says, if it fits and works for you, what else can you ask for?

First, everyone realizes this thread was started 7 years ago right? But, since the discussion is still relevant, I thought I'd add my 2 cents.

I climbed the Nose last Sep. in the Cassin (Camp) Warden harness and it was really great. Nice gear loops, plenty of width and padding on the waist and legs to make all of the hanging and tiny stance belays comfortable. It was comfy to sleep in as well, some harnesses are padded a bit too much to make sleeping in them comfortable. Leg loops are easy to drop when you have to drop your drawers when nature really calls.

Only things I didn't like were, the daisy loops on each side of the harness are kind of dumb. I used them on a little training jaunt up Kingfisher and found out I don't like them because hanging from one side that is offset is uncomfortable. I also wished for a little more room for ropes and daisies through the waist and leg loops, but it was doable, even with the bulkier Petzl Connect Adjust daisies.

All in all I would heartily recommend the Cassin (Camp) Warden to anyone for aid/big wall climbing. I'd even say it's good for regular old trad climbing, the big rear loop is awesome for anchor/emergency gear.

Anyone ever see or try the Singing Rock Dome?

Yates Big Wall Harness all the way!

James T wrote:Anyone ever see or try the Singing Rock Dome? Above all else it has an attractive price point