How to Make a Rope Safety Harness

The thrill of climbing and rappelling is an adrenaline rush that some just cannot live without. Once you have felt the exhilaration of standing at the base of a towering waterfall, or looked over the edge of a precipice you have just ascended, you know the unmatched feeling of excitement surging through your veins. However, when there is an opportunity for a great feat, there is also the opportunity for great peril: therefore, when enjoying yourself with the excitement of heights, make sure to be well acquainted with the necessary precautions for a successful outing such as the ability to create a safety harness.

Things You'll Need

  • 20 feet of rope
  • Carabiner
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Instructions

    • 1

      Center a piece of rope around your lower back. Depending on your height, the rope you use should be roughly 20 feet in length. Make sure that the rope is an equal length on either side of your body. This will ensure that the you safety harness will be proportionate on both sides of your body.

    • 2

      Grab both lengths of rope coming from either side of your body and cross them in front of your chest. Now connect both side or rope with a double-overhand knot. This is the same knot that you would use to double-knot a shoelace.

    • 3

      Run each remaining length of rope between and then under you legs. This means that your left length of rope will go between your legs and under you left leg immediately below your buttocks. Do the same with your right length of rope and your right leg. Tighten both sides by pulling them out away from your body rather than up towards you and simultaneously squatting down slowly. This tightens your harness in a way that ensures your rope safety harness will evenly distribute your weight.

    • 4

      Complete the loops around your legs. Run the length of rope around your left leg under the rope which is now lining your groin. When doing this, make sure to run the rope on the inside(against your leg) of the rope nearest your groin and then pull it back over towards your body. If you do this correctly, the rope will create a perfect circle around your upper thigh with the two ends of rope at the center of your body.

    • 5

      Wrap both ends of rope around your waist. Take the length of rope coming from your left leg and wrap it around your waist starting from the left side. Do the same with the length of rope from your right leg, wrapping it around your waist starting from the right side. This will leave you with the two remaining lengths of rope in front of your waist.

    • 6

      Finish your rope harness. This is done by tying a square knot with the two remaining sides of your rope. Although the square knot is secure, it is best to tie another double knot after your square knot for further security.

    • 7

      Attach your carabiner. Take your carabiner and attach it to all the rope running width-wise along your waist. By doing this, the tension drawn from the carabiner will not be concentrated on any particular portion of your body but evenly distributed around your core.