The Harness

I used the new Arc’Teryx for a few hours at the wall yesterday, and I have to say I’m impressed.  It’s light, so light I forgot I was wearing it a couple of times.  It’s comfortable, but not to such an extent that it will change what people expect from a harness.  Hanging for a long time still sucks, and big whippers can still hurt your groin, but overall it’s definitely more comfortable than any other harness I’ve worn with the exception of some pretty beefy big-wall harnesses.

Where you really notice the difference isn’t in the waist belt, but in the leg loops.  This harness has the most comfortable leg loops I’ve ever been in.  I also noticed that while hanging in the harness I could easily rock my body a little bit forward or back to shift and distribute pressure between the waist belt and the leg loops.  This contributed to it’s hanging comfort a great deal.  Like I said before, hanging in this harness for long periods isn’t comfortable, but hanging in any harness for long periods tends to be pretty rough.  This one is better than most.

Normally after a few good hours my lower back will be soaked with sweat, but the R320 must breathe quite a bit better than other harnesses.  I was dry and cool the entire day.  Of course, heat isn’t too much of an issue in Northern Minnesota, but I imagine the breathablity would be pretty welcome at Joshua Tree or Red Rocks.

The large harness was a bit big for me, so I’ll be trading it in for a medium.  I could get the waist plenty tight, but there wasn’t a whole lot of room left for me to shrink.  I’d hate to drop $125 on a harness and be unable to wear it because I dropped five or six pounds.

Is the R320 the greatest thing that ever happened to harnesses?  No.  But it’s pretty damn sweet, and I don’t think it will disappoint.

New Gear

So, I went ahead and bought the Arc’Teryx harness.  I decided to hold back on the shoes until I could get to the Twin Cities and stop somewhere that I can actually try them on.  I could probably get within a half-size of the perfect fit just guessing, but I know I’ll be heading south in the next couple of weeks, so I’d rather just get it right the first time.

I did purchase a rope, however.  It was a decent deal.  Sixty meters, red, 10.5mm, and about $150.  We’ll see how I like it.

G.A.S.

I have a horrible case of G.A.S. aka Gear Acquisition Syndrome.  My current harness is a little large for me now that I’ve dropped a few pounds, and tightened down as far as it goes I can still get a fist between my waist and the swami belt, so I’ve decided it’ll be a winter ice-climbing/skijoring harness, and I will be purchasing a new harness.  I’m taking a good hard look at the Arc’Teryx R320.  It’s supposed to be light, comfortable, and small.  Pretty much everything anyone ever wanted from a harness.  It’s also expensive. at $125.  Still, you buy one harness and it lasts at least two years if it’s durable.  You have to love it, so you might as well get the best you can afford.

I also need new shoes.  My La Sportiva Cliffs have stretched to the point that they’ve become…comfortable.  This is simply unacceptable.  Your feet should hurt when you climb for crying out loud!  I really dig La Sportiva shoes and will probably snag a pair of Mythos.  A friend loaned me a busted pair of the old style Mythos, and if they are any indication of what the newer ones are like then they are without a doubt the shoe for me.  Still at $130 they aren’t cheap.

There’s still enough season left that if I buy the gear I’ll have time to enjoy it outdoors, and I can always climb on it inside.  These are the decisions that keep me up at night.