Adjustment Issue with Petzl Corax

Hello.

My spouse and I are new to climbing and have been using the wall at a gym. She is really getting into it, so I bought her a Petzl Corax harness as part of a starter kit from backcountrygear.com. The harness arrived and has two sets of buckles, one on each side of the belay loop, to adjust the waistbelt. The issue is that the buckles on one side are substantially tighter than the other side and she can't adjust/tighten that side while wearing it. Is that normal?

I would appreciate any advise because they will not exchange it and want me to pay shipping to return it (I plan on ordering her the same kit if I return it and do not want to make her wait if the buckles are going to be like that on all of the Corax harnesses).

Thank you.

Pics would help. Never heard of that issue

So you can’t just slide the webbing through the buckle?  Back when I went through a Corax every year the larger size, size 2, had the two buckle system but size 1 had a single buckle.  Webbing stiffness has varied over the years which impacts how easy it is to adjust 

Shijune Khan wrote:

The issue is that the buckles on one side are substantially tighter than the other side and she can't adjust/tighten that side while wearing it. Is that normal?

There is nothing wrong with your harness. After the initial setup where you center belay loop adjusting both buckles, you only need to loosen one buckle to put the harness on or to take it off. 

I would appreciate any advise because they will not exchange it and want me to pay shipping to return it (I plan on ordering her the same kit if I return it and do not want to make her wait if the buckles are going to be like that on all of the Corax harnesses).

A side note - even though it is always tempting to search for the best deal using internet, personal fitment issues are best resolved in a mortar store. This is especially true for items like harnesses, helmets, climbing shoes. Add to the fact that pretty much all safety gear - harnesses in this example, are going to be destroyed if you choose to return them. 

The double-buckle design of some harnesses allows one to get both the right tightness AND have all the gear loops and belay loop nice and centered (on single buckle harnesses, unless you're the exact right size, the gear loops are a bit asymmetric).

I recommend she figure out the correct tightness she wants, set the stiff buckle at that point, and permanently leave it there.  Use the easier-to-adjust buckle to get in and out of the harness (provided that allows her enough slack to loosen it enough to slip in and out).

If that doesn't work, return it/get a different harness.

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/120299233/adjustment-issue-with-petzl-corax

Different user, word for word post.

Something odd here.

Tom R wrote:

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/120299233/adjustment-issue-with-petzl-corax

Different user, word for word post.

Something odd here.

Agreed. Need to see photo of second poster's wife to figure this out.