Donning a Harness Correctly

Firstly ensure that all of the straps are fully loosened. Now locate the back ‘D’ ring and lift the harness up. This will now allow all of the components to drop into what will be a recognisable shape. Make sure any tangles are set correctly at this point.

Now place an arm through a strap to the side of the rear ‘D’. The ‘D’ should now be on the shoulder of the arm through the strap. Now put your other arm through the second shoulder strap and the rear ‘D’ should now be somewhere between the shoulder blades.

Now do up the chest strap which may also be a secondary attachment point. The leg straps should now be hanging down behind you.

Pull one of the leg straps through from the back to the front from between your legs and connect it to its connection point, ensuring that it is not twisted. Now do the same for the other leg strap. Make sure that the left strap stays on the left and the right stays on the right. Now start to take up the slack using the adjusters on the legs and shoulder.

Make sure that all delicate body parts are not located under any straps so that if a fall takes place they will not be torn away.

You want the back ‘D’ to be in the middle of your shoulder blades and at their top. You may need to adjust the ‘D’ by feeding the straps through the ‘D’ support in either direction to get the perfect height. All straps need to be well fitted but comfortable as does the chest strap.

When the harness is correctly fitted you should be able to stand up straight without feeling the harness pulling you into a stoop and be able to slide your flat hand in under the shoulder, chest and leg straps but not be able to raise it. This will ensure that you have sufficient room to move correctly but that your harness will spread the load through your torso in the event of a fall.

Get your team mate to check you over and do the same for them, that’s what makes a good team.