Broken Harness

my climbing partner was leading an overhung jug fest 5.8 and took a lead fall around the 4th clip. Spooked, she didn't finish the pitch, was lowered and the route was put up. When we went to get on the next route where she was the belay, this break was noticed in her harness as we did double checks.

(The harness was purchased at REI 3 months ago. The REI sales clerk profusely apologized and gladly exchanged the harness for a new BD)

I know it's not technically unsafe due to where it broke but things should NOT break on a harness. Anyone else with this harness, please be advised and everyone check your gear everytime!

Double checks!

Discuss. 

Close up 

I would venture to guess your partner miss threaded the rope so it went around the buckle. And when they fell, the impact broke it. User error.

Not sure why there is buckle there in the first place. Most have just a keeper. Bad design.

Oh and if there are plastic bits on a harness they will break.

Allen Sanderson wrote: 

Not sure why there is buckle there in the first place. Most have just keeper. Bad design.

Not a huge issue. That thing on my harness  broke this past fall, and it wouldn't be a big deal except that it allows the tie in to slide around. Not a big deal except whenever it slides too far to either side it makes this popping sound when it passes over the heavy stitching and the noise is spooky. I would just take some webbing and glue it back on there since that harness has a plastic thing to protect the webbing. 

Pointless piece on the harness. The only piece less important is probably the clips that go from the back of the leg loop to the waist belt.

that piece is 100% non-structural.... who cares that it broke

I have the same harness and it broke on mine as well. I took off the plastic piece, its fine except the leg loops can slide around now which can be annoying

ViperScale . wrote: Pointless piece on the harness. The only piece less important is probably the clips that go from the back of the leg loop to the waist belt.

Neither are pointless and both serve a function. If they were truly so pointless harnesses wouldn’t have them, yet I cant think off the top of my head any harness made in the last 15 years that doesn’t have both. The rope locator prevents the leg loops from falling off or otherwise moving when the harness is not in use (e.g. in your pack) and the leg loop suspenders in the back prevent the leg loops from riding down your legs when the harness is not weighted. It might seem pointless, but if you walk around in a loose harness the leg loops can easily travel down your legs to the point that it starts to interfere with walking and it becomes uncomfortable. The leg loop suspenders eliminate that from happening.

Woah... after a close call like that one, it makes you think.  I won't say it - but I am sure somebody else will.  ygd

Mark E Dixon wrote: It would allow you to swap out the leg loops. 

Why? They are adjustable, unlike some which are not.

Maybe it makes them easier to assemble?

Just guessing. 

I actually had a friend break one of these on an awkward overhanging TR fall, if one leg is much higher than the other, the rope locater can be loaded and break easily

OrganicChemistry wrote:

Close up

See that little strap that broke? A woman somehow managed to put a locking biner through only that non-load bearing piece while canyoneering and did several rappels before it snapped. Metolius makes that load bearing on their Safe Tech harness and it would be good if everyone that makes harnesses would at least beef it up to take more wear.

Tim Stich wrote:

See that little strap that broke? A woman somehow managed to put a locking biner through only that non-load bearing piece while canyoneering and did several rappels before it snapped. Metolius makes that load bearing on their Safe Tech harness and it would be good if everyone that makes harnesses would at least beef it up to take more wear.

Or quit adding them. It does nothing. The belay loop connects the leg loops at the tie in and when loaded in a fall the rope will always find center of the reinforced area of the loop.

This is a designed feature to compensate for people who don't know how to keep their tie in the same size as their belay loop.

I have the same harness. This strap that broke does not affect the safety of the harness one bit. I'd add to the discussion that it is because of confusion like this that non-functional pieces should not be part of harnesses. Or maybe we should all understand our gear better, i.e. read up, yada yada yada.

Tim Stich wrote:

See that little strap that broke? A woman somehow managed to put a locking biner through only that non-load bearing piece while canyoneering and did several rappels before it snapped. Metolius makes that load bearing on their Safe Tech harness and it would be good if everyone that makes harnesses would at least beef it up to take more wear.

I would venture to say that a non-load-bearing accessory that can hold body weight for several rappels is beefy enough. People should learn to properly use their life-saving equipment before using it in life-threatening situations.