How to Tie a Rope Harness

The climbing harness is a critical part of your climbing gear system. In most cases you can and should use a harness professionally made for rock climbing --- these are commercially available in any store that carries climbing gear. If you find yourself in an emergency or other unexpected situation, however, it's possible to tie your own harness out of climbing rope. It's critically important that the rope you use is intended for climbing. If you use other types of rope, like tow ropes or parachute cord, they might not be able to withstand the extreme dynamic forces that can be put on a climbing harness. In this case they might break and cause death or serious injury.

Things You'll Need

  • 20 feet or more of climbing rope
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Locate the middle of the rope and tie two loops on either side, using an overhand knot on a bight to create each loop. The loops are to support your legs and each should be a little larger around than your thigh. They should be between 4 and 6 inches apart.

    • 2

      Step into the leg loops. Pull them all the way up to your hip joint with the knots and extra rope in front of you.

    • 3

      Pass each piece of extra rope down through the opposite leg loop. The left-hand strand of extra rope will go across the front of your hips and down through the right leg loop, while the right-hand strand of extra rope goes down through the left leg loop.

    • 4

      Wrap the rope around the back of your waist, with each free end of the rope going around the outside of your body in opposite directions. The ropes should cross at the back of your waist. Then continue wrapping them around to the front of your waist, cross them again, and around your back again. Keep wrapping until you have between 8 and 12 inches of rope left in each loose end.

    • 5

      Tie the remaining rope into a double overhand bend or fisherman's knot to secure it. Leave as much rope as possible in the tails of the knot. If you tie the knot with very short tails it might come untied.

    • 6

      Check to make sure that your rope harness is tight enough. You should be able to slip your hand between any loop of the harness and your body, but if there is enough laxity in those loops for you to rotate the hand that you slipped underneath them, they're too loose. Retie the harness.