Innovation in climbing equipment almost always leads to better and more
effective gear. But it also leads to problems. This is why it is
important for every climber to educate themselves about new equipment
and gear as it comes out.
I recently was shocked to find a somewhat major problem with my brand
new harness. I bought a harness with “fast-buckle” systems. These
systems have been around for five years or so, but are becoming an
increasingly popular system on harnesses. The fast-buckle is
essentially a system that allows you climb into your harness and
tighten it up. You don’t need to double it back or anything, once it’s
been tightened, it’s supposedly good.
I’ve always been concerned that these harnesses might cause people to
forget to double themselves back if they use a “normal” harness after
using a fast-buckle for a period of time. But such a concern is
nowhere near as disturbing as what I found when playing with my new
fast-buckle harness.
I discovered that the leg-loop can actually unbuckle itself if you clip
your rappel back-up friction-hitch directly into it near the buckle.
See the following picture for what not to do with your carabiner on
your leg-loop.
–Jason D. Martin