The Arc'teryx is the worst harness made since tying a static rope around your rib cage

I have the AR395a and I like it alot, for ice and rock climbing. The big gear loops are great. My only complaint is that it’s not the most comfortable to hang in due to its minimal construction. Also, I don’t think the price is warranted. Overall I give it an 8/10 and really like it.

Basically everything that Read Januskiewiecz said but also the elastic attachment is a godsent when putting on the harness and keeping your feet on the ground I.E with crampons. So much easier than other designs

Sounds like OP’s biggest issue was that he wasn’t carrying his harness in this jokishly oversized Jansport-looking daypack as he moved through the mountains.

B Donovan wrote:

"this jokishly oversized Jansport-looking daypack"

ohh price is right rules.. I'm going to guess $600 for that lump of lard. 

Still climbing on an R-320 from 2008, the first year they intro'd their new line. Best harness I've ever owned. Thousands of pitches. Hundreds of mountains. It just keeps on trucking.

The leg loop belay reinforcement is fraying to an alarming degree and the thing probably should have been retired five years ago, but I can't bring myself to do it. It's just too comfortable. Especially since these new Arcteryx harnesses seem like POS in comparison. 

Anyone like the new Sitta? I'm worried I'll be riding my R-320 all the way to Skinner-dom.

The Blue Ice Halo has been the answer, for me, to ARC’TERYX’s continued harness failures.

Mike Larson wrote:

'm worried I'll be riding my R-320 all the way to Skinner-dom.

I would take a wild guess that Todd's harness was much newer than 16 years old. Do you still use your old hemp ropes too?

OPs post reads like a hit piece by a competing manufacturer! My hot take, the ar395 is the best harness of all time. I use it for everything from gym, single pitch, multi pitch trad, and ice climbing. Never had a problem unclipping gear at a crux, but for context I don’t think I have ever led a route with much more than a double rack. I love how thin it is which makes movement feel super organic to me. It’s also nice to pack it down tight for traveling. 

So I got a 395a in medium. The harness is completely cinched and still loose on me. I wear a 32 inch waist jeans and my waist is more like 31 when I'm skinny. Is a size small gonna work or am I just in between sizes? No shops stock it where I live to try on.

earl mcalister wrote:

So I got a 395a in medium. The harness is completely cinched and still loose on me. I wear a 32 inch waist jeans and my waist is more like 31 when I'm skinny. Is a size small gonna work or am I just in between sizes? No shops stock it where I live to try on.

I have both a medium and a small and it sounds like we're built approx. the same. The medium is cinched down tight - so I use it for the gym. The small fits pretty well but I like my harness to be a bit snug. I would prefer something in the middle but both harnesses seem to be fine. I prefer the small for outdoor climbing and would probably get a small if I had to buy another. To me, if the medium fits when fully cinched down, then maybe that's the one, unless you plan to lose an inch or two...

Mike Larson wrote:

Still climbing on an R-320 from 2008, the first year they intro'd their new line. Best harness I've ever owned. Thousands of pitches. Hundreds of mountains. It just keeps on trucking.

The leg loop belay reinforcement is fraying to an alarming degree and the thing probably should have been retired five years ago, but I can't bring myself to do it. It's just too comfortable. Especially since these new Arcteryx harnesses seem like POS in comparison. 

Anyone like the new Sitta? I'm worried I'll be riding my R-320 all the way to Skinner-dom.

How is that possible? I loved my R 320, also bought in 2008 and it was the most comfortable harness I've ever used but those tie ins were thin and wore through super fast, I think mine lasted a year.  

earl mcalister wrote:

So I got a 395a in medium. The harness is completely cinched and still loose on me. I wear a 32 inch waist jeans and my waist is more like 31 when I'm skinny. Is a size small gonna work or am I just in between sizes? No shops stock it where I live to try on.

Maybe the feeling of the fit depends a little on what you use the harness for. I'm apparently about the same girth as you, but I wear my 395A exclusively for ice climbing, which means it's got a few more layers of clothing under it, and it doesn't feel loose. It's my favorite ice harness ever, because of the lack of water-absorbing materials and the size of the gear loops. And it cost a lot, so I don't want it getting worn out by rock.

Still cheaper than the Sitta

Dave Stallard wrote:

How is that possible? I loved my R 320, also bought in 2008 and it was the most comfortable harness I've ever used but those tie ins were thin and wore through super fast, I think mine lasted a year.  

Wow! I guess I lucked out. Granted, I saved mine primarily for ice and alpine. But it still saw hundreds if not thousands of rock pitches, including a couple walls. For me, that harness was the epitome of "they don't make em like they used to."

earl mcalister wrote:

So I got a 395a in medium. The harness is completely cinched and still loose on me. I wear a 32 inch waist jeans and my waist is more like 31 when I'm skinny. Is a size small gonna work or am I just in between sizes? No shops stock it where I live to try on.

No choice but to fatten up.

I actually own both M and S. And I'm fatter than you. My guess is you would fit a small better. 

Buyer's remorse.  Happens.  Buy one of the other brands you mentioned and sell the one you hate that a lot of other people love.  Or make another thread about the hoodie you bought that doesn't fit.