Power Kite Forum

Climbing Harness?

f0rgiv3n - 27-6-2008 at 01:59 PM

http://www.steepandcheap.com/?CMP_ID=ODAL_FFP001&mv_pc=r...

Steep and cheap is selling a harness and i'm looking for a harness anyone use a climbing harness for kiting? is it worth it? It's only $36

acampbell - 27-6-2008 at 02:05 PM

Most people who try a climbing harness for kiting quickly realize why kiting harnesses are made, it seems. You are missing a hook with this rig, and that is not something you want to do an amatuer adaptation of.
Kite harness have spreader bars to put the load out to the hips and distribute the forces rather than pulling from the center like a draw string and squeezing you.

f0rgiv3n - 27-6-2008 at 02:08 PM

Ah, i see. :) . I get stoked about cheap deals and i'm glad i didn't impulse buy that bad boy. haha. Better money spent on a true kite harness. Thanks for the response acampbell.

NPWfever - 27-6-2008 at 03:41 PM

Yeah, it will work, but it will smash your nads, and give you a wedgie, and is just uncomfortable in general. If you want something with a climbing harness feel, get a seat harness, or the Ozone rock harness.

kiteNH - 27-6-2008 at 03:52 PM

I have a piece of advice regarding harnesses as well. After wearing my waist harness during warm weather and completely saturating it with sweat I would recommend buying new. Yes, they can probably be washed to some degree but they are a tight fit and they get absolutely soaked with sweat. And that's only a waist harness. I can't imagine slipping into someone else's used seat harness. :megan:

I suppose if they are used on water they are probably soaked with enough sea water to keep them sanitary but on land.......yuk. If you wouldn't buy someone's used gym shorts then you may not want their used seat harness either.

I've been meaning to write this for a while but didn't want to post it in anyone's "for sale" thread and screw them over.

2stix - 27-6-2008 at 04:18 PM

How do you put a quick release on the Ozone Access XC harness? All it seems to have is a D ring and doesn't look like you could retro a spreader bar on it.
I have a HQ bar with a loop and a quick release (not to great in my opinion) and a couple of handle kites that I want to strop. Any advice?
PS, I am in Canada and cannot find the release that has been referred to buy the UK people.
I was thinking of the Dakine Fusion harness, but I don't have a retailer near me to try it on first. I do like the concept of the Ozone, but need those questions answered first.

Bladerunner - 27-6-2008 at 09:18 PM

Slingshot's "surefire" spreader and whatever mine is called from Liquid Force have a Q.R. as part of the hammer head !

Not cheap but a good way to go if you are going to use strops as well as a chicken loop !

NPWfever - 27-6-2008 at 10:15 PM

But that requires a harness that can take a spreader bar, the Ozone Access XC harness does not, in which case you would need a seperate whichard release, or a caribeaner and a QR chicken loop, like the Snowkite bar has.

dylanj423 - 28-6-2008 at 07:54 AM

My first harness purchase was a radsails seat harness. I think I got it from cobrakites, and paid about 50 bucks for it. If price is an issue, this is the best price I have found. I have used it many times, and it is a good buy. One thing you may want to consider is a spreader bar pad for it, though. On one really windy session, the kite pulled the bar up into my diaphram over and over, and it was quite sore for several days.

f0rgiv3n - 28-6-2008 at 10:46 PM

hmmm what kind of spreader bar/pad would work with this?

nhlrule56 - 29-6-2008 at 04:01 PM

I would give the AccessXC harness a try. Especially if you use the Wichard/HA setup. I really like the comfort and the very little resistance/friction you get with the strop running in a pulley. It is just pretty expensive setup if you find that it is not to your liking. The Wichard/HA setup is pretty expensive. There are some pretty good examples on the PKF for examples.

I particularly liked the idea of taking out the pin of the HA and replacing it with a different screw. It reduces about 2" off the over all length. Nice pic and thanks for the idea.