Choosing a harness

[Murdakah]

Hey guys, I'm new here. Didn't even know SA had an online Climbing community
Ok, so I'm planning on buying a harness, but I'm a bit torn between the Petzl Sama, Adjama and Caldaris, maybe even the Corax, but primarily those 3.
Any tips or experience with either of the gear? (I plan on doing all sorts of climbing, not just climbing walls)

[Justin]

Welcome

All good models that you mention in your post, if you're starting out then a harness with adjustable leg loops is recommended - what other sorts of climbing have you got in mind?
Be sure to hang/sit in your harnesses before you buy i.e. make sure its comfortable.

I have an Adjama and a Sama. For someone starting out I would recommend the Adjama.

[Murdakah]

Thanks for the quick reply
I plan on doing on doing Trad, Sports, bottom-rope and indoor. Pretty much, I want a harness that can do all that.

[Justin]

Correction, I meant to say that I have a Corax (not an Adjama - I did have one once) - and based on what you are saying I would recommend the Corax.

[Murdakah]

Cool, thanks a lot man.
Just curious, why do you recommend the Corax? And what do you use the Sama for (Apparently the Adjama is just a Sama with adjustable leg loops)?

[proze]

I've had all the above-mentioned harnesses, albeit from different "generations". You won't go wrong with an Adjama. More comfy and better made than the Corax, with a better guaranteed fit than the Sama. If the Sama fits you perfectly, go for it by all means, but the Adjama will be that little bit more versatile.

[Justin]

The Corax is more comfortable (padded), more versatile (because of the adjustable leg loops). Advantages are that your friends can use it (more comfortably), you can wear thicker pants when trad climbing in Winter. The gear loops are designed for trad (the Sama not so much).

I use my Sama (which is designed specifically for Sport climbing) for hardcore sports climbing (where the 150g less weight makes all the difference on my grade 18 redpoint It also doesn't absorb sweat as much as the Corax!

[Murdakah]

Cool. Thanks guys. I guess that at least narrows it down to 2 harnesses haha.
I'll see what fits me best

[tygereye]

Go for comfort, hey!
Toni swears by her BD (not sure what model) and I think it sucks. The most comfy harness I've had, was the Beal Aero Classic. Only drawback was that it was just that little too big for me, even on the smallest adjustments.
I do sport and trad, no indoor.
I now have my second Corax.

[Nic Le Maitre]

Tygereye is right, comfort is the most important thing! Personally I find the BD harnesses to be much more comfortable than the Petzl harnesses but that's not true for all my friends. People are all built differently and so different harness will suit different people better. Justin is spot on with the adjustable leg loops, make it much nicer. The new BD Momentum has the easiest to adjust leg loops I've encountered yet.

By the way, what is

bottom-rope

? Lead climbing? Upside-down top ropeing?

[Murdakah]

Haha. Some people call it top rope. The one you commonly use in climbing gyms, where the rope goes through the pulley at the top and the belayer stands at the bottom. But i guys it doesnt matter. Any harness would actually work for that.

[Mark]

I had a corax but later bought a bd... Can't remember the model name but it's designed for longer routes. many manufactures are focused on weight which is useful for the serious pros but when your trying to work a route and you're hanging in it comfort is what you really want. Buy something with good padding

[proze]

Haha. Some people call it top rope.

Everyone calls it toprope!

[Gustav]

We (in the shop) generally insist that climbers hang in the harness first - a harness that is good for one is not necessarily good for another.

Justin wrote:

The Corax is more comfortable (padded), more versatile (because of the adjustable leg loops). Advantages are that your friends can use it (more comfortably)...

Friends using your harness ... no way in my case.

And if you get one that fits without adjustable leg loops, it should be more comfy in the long run.

[Murdakah]

Will do that. Does anyone know where I can buy gear in PTA, at prices fit for a student haha?

[Gustav]

Take a trip to Waterval Boven (http://www.climbing.co.za/wiki/Waterval_Boven), swing past the shop and do some half-decent climbing whilst you are here!

[Justin]

Does anyone know where I can buy gear in PTA, at prices fit for a student haha?

Check out the stores listed in our directory - http://www.climbing.co.za/directory_cat/outdoor-stores/

[Murdakah]

Thanks guys, much appreciated!

[mountainmailorder]

we stock about 20 different harnesses from Petzl, BD, Mammut, Beal, Singing Rock and Wild Country.
But personally I always recommend the Corax.
Its by far our # 1 seller because of it's wide adjustment range (it only comes in 2 sizes, #1 and #2. so it fits a wide variety of people);
good price and very comfortable.
yes you can hang in all of them in our shop. but you won't feel the difference between brand A and B when you hang in it for just 2 minutes.
i currently own 3 different harnesses from 3 different manufacturers and i can't really tell the difference after hanging in them for 8 hours in a multipitch trad route.
the differences are often subtle like gear loops and for a beginner that's not really going to matter.
- robert

https://www.mountainmailorder.co.za/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=307

[Gustav]

8 hours of hanging? You should really climb more & hang less

[Murdakah]

Are there any other harnesses you guys would recommend? Apparently the Adjama wears really fast, and I dont like the idea of prematurely retiring the harness. What about Black diamond or some other makes?
***EDIT***
Otherwise, if the Corax is very durable, I might as well buy that one.

[smityb]

My corax has been pretty durable. Haven't had too many issues with it. Except that the gear loops aren't so great for trad.

[Thermophage]

wearing "quickly" likely means 5 years instead of 6 or 7
At some point you WANT your stuff to need replacing...buying gear is awesome ... except with the current exchange rate