DAKITEZ - 12-6-2009 at 10:55 PM
I had a customer ask me if they could use a climbing harness for de-power. I could not figure out a reason why not. Does anyone have a reason why this
would not work?
ripsessionkites - 12-6-2009 at 11:11 PM
can you add a spreader bar w/ hook to the climbing harness he/she wants to buy.
i cant see a captive pulley system working well with a chicken loop. however with the creative people on this forum, they will come up with something.
f0rgiv3n - 12-6-2009 at 11:12 PM
From what i've heard it really rides up on ya in the crotch area.... I can imagine so cuz the kite is lifting you up and forward when you are climbing
you are mainly leaning back so that usually isn't a problem? Iono, that's what i've heard.
nwsurfwakeskate - 12-6-2009 at 11:13 PM
it works. a friend of mine used to use one with his 6m Blade.
you just need to have a good climbing quality carabiner on the harness to clip your chickenloop on to.
I think climbing harnesses are a little more awkward to run in and probably have less padding then a kiting harness. but if its all you've got I think
it should work fine until you get something better.
Kamikuza - 13-6-2009 at 04:08 AM
I remember reading someone said it pulled sideways on them in the buggy, and bruised their ribs ...
Right tool for the job :dunno: I wouldn't use kite line to go climbing, why are they messing about with a climbing harness for kites?
BeamerBob - 13-6-2009 at 05:28 AM
Mine worked satisfactorily when I connected the crotch/leg loop to the waist loop with a caribiner between the leg loop and the D ring. That kept it
from crowding things. In the end, you still don't have a spreader bar. My Ozone access xc has all the comfort of a climbing harness but comes with a
spreader bar and doesn't do any crushing down there.
acampbell - 13-6-2009 at 06:19 AM
Everybody I know who has tried a climbing harness, except for maybe KiteDog, has caved and bought a kite harness, but I'm not sure I can point out a
common reason. Might be because a climbing harness is built for strain from pretty much straight up and in front, where a kite harness has to
distribute load from all over the wind window, often to the side of course.
That said, the Ozone XC harness, essentially a climbing harness, offers a center D-ring option without the spreader bar. So far the only person I
have heard that prefers the D-ring option is female. Coincidence?
kitedog - 13-6-2009 at 06:59 AM
I really like my climbing harness for the bug. It's really light and doesn't bind. I use a wichard and holt pulley block with handles or just clip
the wichard straight to the chicken loop. Even though serious pros like Glen Butcher (check out his videos) like it for landboarding, I wasn't really
fond of it due to the binding and whatnot. I prefer a waist harness for boarding.
macboy - 13-6-2009 at 10:23 AM
I started with a climbing harness and Wichard release setup. Nothing wrong with it IMO but you lose the ability to hook/unhook at will.
johnnylaing - 13-6-2009 at 11:51 AM
I LOVE my Ozone XC!!! I like Kitedog's setup, but I like to hook and unhook easily...
DAKITEZ - 13-6-2009 at 12:09 PM
Thanks all. The guy is going on a expedition and needs to pack as light as possible. So the climbing harness will be able to do double duty. He will
be using it on a de-power with a chicken loop so hooking in and out is not an issue ... and no need for the shackels and blocks. Just a good carabiner
I figured is all he needs and if he is going to be using the harness for climbing he should all ready have that. 
I will recommend he tries it and if things don't fit right (the jewels) than he will have to try something different.
Luke S. - 15-6-2009 at 06:22 PM
Climbing harness will be ok if your not freestyling, they do not have the padding the Ozone harness has and starts to bite after a while.
I prefer the Ozone harness, use a carabiner, flying depower kites.
Luke S.
lad - 15-6-2009 at 09:00 PM
Maybe just get some gel cushion pads to pad the straps more?
piku303 - 16-6-2009 at 10:33 AM
even if the load on the climbing harness is pulling up, like its designed, its so uncomfortable to wear for a full kiting session. kiting sessions
are almost always longer than climbing sessions...a belay down something doesn't usually take that long. climbing harnesses are also designed to keep
them unrestrictive, which makes them really uncomfortable cause the straps are thin. ive used one and my crotch was raw at the end of my session.
they work just fine but just be ready for a little chafeage.