The Arc’teryx harness range has recently been given a highly anticipated overhaul using their new "Warp Technology" (WST). When Rock + Run asked me to put the R–320 model through its paces I jumped at the chance to see if it lived up to the hype…

The brand Arc’teryx is synonymous with cutting edge design, fabrics and technology but, given the prominence of their illustrious range of outerwear, you may be surprised to learn that they started out making harnesses, back in 1989.



Their ‘vapour’ range pioneered a new heat laminate technology which radically changed construction. Implications of this meant that harnesses could be built stronger, lighter and more comfortable than before.

The company went on to innovate in other areas; waterproof zips, rucksacks and the above mentioned range of clothing, but it’s a relief to find that they have not lost their touch when it comes to the humble climbing harness.


The amount of research and development that must go on at Arc’teryx HQ is staggering, although being owned by corporate giants Salomon probably helps - I expect the budget for R & D is extraordinary.

The R–320 is an ‘all-round’ harness and sits alongside the lighter S–240, for sport climbing, and the A–300a for mountaineering, and the X-350a for ice climbing. A women’s all-round model, the R–280 is also available.

Construction
In a nutshell, ‘warp strength technology’ eliminates the need for padding altogether. Yes, that’s right, this harness has no padding. Your immediate reaction to this revelation may be to stop reading, but if you give me a chance I’ll explain...

The traditional method for building comfort into the harness has always been to sew the narrow webbing belt (which gives the strength) onto a wide band of padding. The padding softens the pressure from the webbing and spreads the load, which means that you feel less like you’re being sliced in half at the waist after a few hours of hanging at belays.

Arcteryx have come up with a more efficient way of spreading the load, by making the webbing belt wider. The webbing belt on the R-320 is as wide as the waist belt, in fact, besides the softshell fabric it’s wrapped in the webbing is pretty much all the waist belt is – just like those old troll ‘centre’ harnesses really, but different...


By working their magic on the structure of the webbing - something to do with removing the vertical fibres and stretching the horizontal ones, the designers have made a thin, contoured, and very strong, waist belt that distributes the load evenly and negates the need for padding.

Comfort
OK, all this sounds very impressive but does it work? I guess that’s the million dollar question.

Comfort is probably my top requirement in a harness, so I decided that a thorough examination was necessary – what better testing ground than the South of France – a sport climber’s paradise.

When working sport routes comfort is paramount, so I was nearly tempted to thrown my old harness in just in case, I was so sceptical that a harness this thin could possibly be comfortable! In fact, on seeing the R-320 for the first time, my friend Tom asked “is that the only harness you brought?!” with an unconvinced look on his face!

Image: Dave Westlake on No Man's Land F7b (Buoux, France)


After spending a couple of sessions working the moves of a route at Buoux I did begin to wonder whether a more padded harness would be better. Although, the R-320 was very comfortable on the whole, I would say that the repeated frigging around involved in this style of climbing might mean I end up using my old harness next time and save the R-320 for when I go for the redpoint. My main reason for this is so my main harness doesn’t get trashed as quickly, rather than any lack of comfort, and all the weight benefits less important in this instance.

This is probably what most dedicated redpointers would do anyway, as it will increase the life of the main harness.

However, for onsighting I thought the R-320 was unparalleled. The range of movement was excellent and I hardly noticed I was wearing a harness. Sitting in the harness and lowering off was also a pleasure, so long periods spent at belays/ abseiling will also be well within its wide remit.

Interestingly, in some ways the lack of padding seems to actually increase comfort. If I’m wearing a harness at all it usually means that it’s fairly warm (being from the South, I don’t like the cold!) so I often find that the padding in other harnesses both insulates and impedes breathability.

I cannot really claim to have tested this theory out yet (it was ‘red-pointing’ weather in Buoux - chilly!), but I imagine hanging out on a sea cliff in the August sun will be a far less clammy experience!

Of course, this also means that the harness takes up considerably less space in your pack – a feature I was grateful of when mine looked like it was going to burst on the way to the airport!

Gear Loops
For me, gear loops are a very important aspect of any harness. I once owned a very nice Petzl harness. The fit was great, it was comfortable and light, but I developed a real dislike for the slanted gear loops.

Although these are OK for sport climbing, I tend to climb more trad routes and I found that gear would get ‘bunched’ at the front. This made it difficult to access and allowed carabiners to get up to all sorts of mischief (clipping to each other mainly).

I disliked this so much that in the end I chopped them off altogether and replaced them with a home made alternative!

Since Petzl introduced them, other companies seem to have moved towards this slanted design (some people obviously like them!). Although the loops on the R–320 have a slight slant, I found them much more useable. The angle is less steep and the shape seems to avoid too much bunching.

The great thing about the gear loops is the fact they are reversible. The loops themselves are fixed, but the thick plastic sheath is removable so if you fancy having the slant going backwards, or want to shave a bit more weight off, it’s not a problem.

Image: Dave reversing the gear loops on his R320


The only slight downside I can see is that they may wear out quicker if you change them regularly, but I think most people would only need to change/ remove them occasionally. Besides, I’m sure they could be replaced if they did wear out or get lost. Actually removing them is a bit ‘fiddly’, but I suppose that gives you confidence that they are unlikely to fall off on their own accord!

Buckles
One thing I did really like about my old Petzl harness was the buckle. As far as I’m aware, Petzl were the first brand to use the kind of ‘threaded’ buckles that you can adjust without needing to unthread. They proved so good that other companies followed. Wild Country are a notable example – their original effort was rubbish but their current range have very nice threaded buckles that are smooth and hassle free.

Needless to say, Arc’teryx have got in on the act and installed their own version of threaded buckle on the WST range. These are about as good as they can be – smooth and easy to use without the ‘clunky’ operation found with some examples.


Perhaps I’m just lazy, but having buckles that can be tightened quickly without having to fiddle about threading makes life much easier!

The R–320 has fixed leg loops and only one buckle on the waist, like the female and sport models. This is all you need and further ensures weight is kept to an absolute minimum. As you would expect the Ice and mountaineering harnesses have adjustable legs.

I’m glad Arc’teryx opted for fixed loops (on their all-round harness) as I think too many harnesses have adjustable legs when they don’t really need to – I certainly never adjusted the legs of my old harness, and unnecessary buckles mean extra weight.


Safety Stuff
All harnesses sold in the UK conform to the relevant safety standards so the issue here is the ‘extra’ features that go beyond simple load strength and give added peace of mind.

Over the past year, it seems both manufacturers and users have had a heightened awareness of safety issues surrounding harnesses. Various high profile accidents have sadly highlighted this issue, and I think people are particularly conscious of the lifetime of their equipment.

A nice touch throughout the new Arcteryx harness range is the addition of a layer of orange fabric inside the tie in loop. This becomes visible at the point when the fabric is worn and alerts the climber that the harness needs to be replaced.

Durability
It’s difficult to comment on durability at this stage but I was encouraged by the lack of wear after climbing perhaps (hopefully) the most hideous chimney pitch I ever will at Seynes (see image below). After scraping my back (and the harness) up the inside of this limestone horror I half expected to find the softshell fabric full of holes, but I was pleasantly surprised to find no apparent wear at all. This is in stark contrast to the way I felt at the end of the ordeal!


Concluding Remarks
So, overall the R-320 gets the thumbs up. It’s definitely the best harness I’ve come across and well worth the £85 price tag.

In certain quarters, Arc’teryx have acquired a reputation for being a rather expensive, ‘poser’ brand and the reasons for this are fairly obvious. The prices of some of their outerwear range are frankly alarming! Indeed, £85 for a harness may seem a little steep, but when you are going to pay around £60 for any other premium model it makes more sense. In my opinion the technology is worth the extra £25 considering how important a harness is to overall climbing comfort.

It’s important to remember that this is a technology driven company, operating at the cutting edge of design. Their new harness range is a celebration of this design which demonstrates that they remain a grass roots climbing brand, who are very much at the top of their game... oh yeah, and they come in a snazzy tin!

Purchase Arc'Teryx Harnesses here.