Chest Harness

[SamT]

So, time to move on from a trusty simple tape, get with the times and look at a bra style chest harness.

Will be in conjunction with a Petzl Avanti and normal Croll on an Omni.

AV Spelshoulder or MTDE Garma?

Garma has more of a H look and the AV has a cross at the back.
Garma looks like the krab loops at the front are better 'defined' for want of a better word.

Leaning towards the AV on the grounds that 'diagonal' tapes across the back and under the arms are everso slightly less prone to snagging in tight vertical pitches, such as the narrows in nettle ???

Share your 2pence...

 

[pwhole]

I've only ever used the Garma, but I've always liked it - very solid and comfortable. I added one extra strap at the back to attach it to the waist strap of my sit harness which helps keep it all together and comfy. I found connecting it with an upside-down Cordes Courant 'Moka' krab was the best for me, as it then gives a very handy additional clipping point for a drill lanyard or similar, and is neat and relatively unobtrusive.

 

[cavetroll]

Garma is nearly twice the price. Unless you're often bolt climbing the AV is perfectly sufficient. Either will feel massively better than tape!

 

[Rob]

I use a Petzl Torse, have done for years.

Do the clip up at the back once and leave it done up forever. Then have a small krab running at the front, to clip into the top of the croll when ascending and then onto my gear loop afterwards.

Adjustable, v lightweight and pretty cheap.

 

[Max bowen]

I’ve got a rock empire speleo. It’s comfy but the webbing/sling on the ascender loop goes fluffy and it’s hard to pull though the buckle. It’s a bit of a pain really

 

[underground]

AV for me. Tried a Garma, disliked it. Personally prefer the cheaper of the two AV ones as I find the few tape loops easier to access than the one with actual gear loops (but not as many tape loops)

 

[BigDyl]

I have used the AV branded one for over a year and it’s a massive improvement over the torse. However, the buckle has started to slip on it which can be annoying :/.

 

[Ian Ball]

Alp Design Doma for me.

 

[BigDyl]

I have used the AV branded one for over a year and it’s a massive improvement over the torse. However, the buckle has started to slip on it which can be annoying :/.

^ apologies Alp design not AV

 

[SamT]

Thanks all, Think I'll settle for the basic AV one.

 

[Katie]

Nah, just stick with a tape one. Mine is still doing the job at 22 years old
And they double up as a belt when you've lost your actual caving belt......

 

[andrewmcleod]

The Torse works great for some people - generally thin people who aren't very tall.
It is rubbish for top-heavy people and it doesn't fit very tall people.
An old-fashioned caving chest harness tape works a lot better than a Torse at actually providing support; it's just a massive faff to put on and get in the right place to tighten etc.
I've never used a Garma (is it actually a rated chest harness? It needs a connector like one I think) but the AV ones are great, and often work better for non-racing snakes than some alternatives. Plus you get a lot more gear loops which is always good (I really like the little tiny front gear loops which are useful for clipping carabiners to when rigging) - how many you get depends on exactly which version you get.

 

[Katie]

It is rubbish for top-heavy people and it doesn't fit very tall people

Sounds perfect for Sam then

 

[caving_fox]

The Torse works great for some people - generally thin people who aren't very tall.
It is rubbish for top-heavy people and it doesn't fit very tall people.
An old-fashioned caving chest harness tape works a lot better than a Torse at actually providing support; it's just a massive faff to put on and get in the right place to tighten etc.
I've never used a Garma (is it actually a rated chest harness? It needs a connector like one I think) but the AV ones are great, and often work better for non-racing snakes than some alternatives. Plus you get a lot more gear loops which is always good (I really like the little tiny front gear loops which are useful for clipping carabiners to when rigging) - how many you get depends on exactly which version you get.

Don't know if I class as 'very; tall at 6'2" - but Torse fits me well. I do have my croll on a maillon so slightly higher up my chest cf directly on the harness.

I clip and unclip it each time I put it on - but like the sound of the post above to add a link in front of you to make it easier to remove/cave with.
@Rob what karabiner do you use for this? Does it push on your chest? or twist the torse?

 

[Rob]

@Rob what karabiner do you use for this? Does it push on your chest? or twist the torse?

Just a small screw gate. Super quick and doesn't twist. A maillon would also work, just a bit slower....

Agree gear loops could be nice, but I just clip krabs straight into the straps.

 

[andrewmcleod]

Don't know if I class as 'very; tall at 6'2" - but Torse fits me well. I do have my croll on a maillon so slightly higher up my chest cf directly on the harness.

Apparently you are about the 95% percentile tall of UK men, so quite tall?
The only issue I've seen with the Torse and tall people is just it not reaching the Croll when it's not tightened down because the strap is only so long. As you say, extending your Croll (or extending the strap) will probably fix this for the vast majority of 'tall enough' people.
(Petzl may also have made it longer/shorter at times, of course!)

 

[underground]

Just a small screw gate. Super quick and doesn't twist. A maillon would also work, just a bit slower....

Agree gear loops could be nice, but I just clip krabs straight into the straps.

I use a wire gate DMM XSRE. (Still use a Torse on my lightweight kit you see)

 

[Babyhagrid]

At 6"3 the torse did not fit me well at all. (I think it may have been a secur instead?) I had to bend over to get it done up at all. AV speleoshoulder has done me well but it does wear through on the back where the 2 sets of webbing cross over time. Wonder if sewing some seatbelt or tape to it would help

 

[Ian Ball]

I'm 6' and massively inflexible, the Doma is longer than the torse.

 

[alanw]

6'2", I need a couple of maillons to extend my Torse.