Homemade Climbing Harness

Climbing harnesses are used for a wide variety of activities--rock climbing, rappelling, aid climbing, ski mountaineering and high or low angle rescue situations--and come in a wide variety of styles. However, the most basic type of harness, and the one with the longest history of use, is a simple homemade climbing harness such as a Swiss seat. Properly done, a homemade climbing harness is strong, light and safe.

  1. Caution

    • A brief overview article like this is not meant to teach how to make a climbing harness. If you are interested in making a harness, seek guidance from a knowledgeable person who has experience using homemade harnesses. Books like "Freedom of the Hills" and online references such as www.animatedknots.com are also good resources.

    Safety

    • Properly made, homemade harnesses are just as safe as commercial harnesses. However, if done incorrectly, they can be dangerous. Pick one type of harness and practice making it it while at home. Make sure that you know how to tie a proper knot. Water knots are often used because they are strong, simple and lie flat.
      Since homemade harnesses do not have an adjustable waist belt, using a chest harness in conjunction with a seat will also increase safety. If you turn upside down, the chest harness will prevent you from falling out of your seat harness.
      Perhaps most importantly, find someone who is experienced making harnesses to check your work until you are comfortable and confident doing it on your own.

    Comfort

    • Probably the most common complaint of homemade harnesses is the lack of comfort. They often are missing the wider straps, padding and adjustability offered by commercial harnesses. Using tubular webbing (as opposed to rope) will give you wider straps that do not cut into your legs as much. Taking extra time to select a piece of webbing that is the right length will also prevent you from having a harness that is a little too small or large. If you plan on doing a lot of hanging or sitting in your harness, experiment with a full body harness, which will give you more positions to hang in as well as shift some weight from your thighs to other parts of your body. You can make a full body harness by combining a seat harness, such as the Swiss seat, with an upper body harness. Using water knots will also help improve comfort by eliminating bulky knots that could cause discomfort.