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Chockstone Forum - Gear Lust / Lost & Found

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Author

Edelrid Neo Harness

Sabu

11/08/2010
10:38:25 PM

My partner recently bought one of these new harnesses by Edelrid. They look really cool and have a fairly lightweight construction. They also include this new gear loop system whereby the gear loops attach via a slide rail system. This allows one to move them around or even take the loops off completely.
Check it out here:
http://www.edelrid.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=561&Itemid=748&lang=en

Tonight we found a problem with this system. She was route setting at our school wall with a bucket carrying holds, bolt etc clipped to the gear loop. Not overly heavy but slightly cumbersome. Anyway under the strain the gear loop completely detached sending the bucket of holds crashing to the ground.
This poses a problem seeing as we bought this harness for predominantly trad. While it is not a harness designed purely for trad (a lightweight harness better rated for sport, alpine etc.) it should be able to carry a standard climbing rack without any sweat.
At home we racked up and sure enough the attachment points were beginning to come away from the rail system with the weight of a normal trad rack. All it would take is for a piece of gear to catch on a rock and the entire gear loop with everything on it could come off (picture your set of cams dropping into oblivion). Not a comforting thought at all.
Even if one were to use it with only a few quickdraws the same event could occur if something were to catch as the climber moved up.
Anyway we are bitterly disappointed and I will contact the supplier (and maybe the manufacturer) to see if any similar feedback has occurred.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

12/08/2010
8:30:47 AM

I am sorry to hear of your (& S's) experience here Sabu.

Edelrid make good ropes, but that doesn't necessarily mean it translates to other products.

Having been in the game a while, I noticed a period when getting a harness with plenty of robust gearloops for trad (and aid), was difficult due to manufacturers marketing the new 'sport' flavour of minimal and plastic style gearloops. It is one of the reasons I bought a harness at that time from a company that supplied the gearloop pieces that one could tie on separately, and hence individualise them to suit ones need.

Regarding a rail system, it seems to me that the 'kiss' (keep it simple system), ie a non-rail system, is more user friendly because there is less that can go wrong.

Good luck with you’re following up of the company, and if they give you feedback, please post an update to this thread.

DanMac

12/08/2010
9:49:00 AM

I recently tried out one of these harnesses, and had similar concerns! The gear loops do seem very flimsy, especially when inverted. It doesnt take much upwards movement to have the loop starting to come away from the rail.

maxdacat

12/08/2010
12:12:32 PM

I'm guessing a bucket full of holds weighs a bit more than the gear loops were designed to take. I'm also suprised, given the paranoid nature of aussie gyms they would let somebody perform an industrial task (route setting) in a sport climbing harness.

Anyway for trad....bandoliers are the bees knees.

citationx

12/08/2010
12:32:34 PM

On 12/08/2010 maxdacat wrote:

>Anyway for trad....bandoliers are the bees knees.

Mmm, I know I just love it when an entire trad rack chokes me the second i go through a small rooflet, or it throwing off my centre of balance when i'm trying to do a delicate "iron-cross" move, or the best scene, when you do a relatively dynamic sideways move and your entire rack swings around your body to slam forcefully into your... "package".
Such a wonderful invention!

steph

12/08/2010
1:36:23 PM

On 12/08/2010 maxdacat wrote:
>I'm guessing a bucket full of holds weighs a bit more than the gear loops
>were designed to take. I'm also suprised, given the paranoid nature of
>aussie gyms they would let somebody perform an industrial task (route setting)
>in a sport climbing harness.
>
>Anyway for trad....bandoliers are the bees knees.

Hi all - it's my Neo harness, and yeah am pretty shattered about the gear loops. What I'm most annoyed about is that all the product information states suitability for sport, alpine, mountaineering, etc as a very high quality and suitable harness. I knew the gear loop design was rather new but I never in a million years would have guessed they'd pop off under a small amount of leverage.

Even if you claim that it's a purely sport harness (which the ratings don't), we discovered that a single quickdraw caught was enough to rip off the whole loop of quickdraws. The only thing I'd rate it for is top-roping and basic mountaineering.

If worst comes to worst here, I will have just bought quite an expensive indoor & mountaineering harness and will need a new trad/sport one. Am happy to live with that and hopefully this info is useful to others in the market!

(Re Routesetting: FYI, the bucket was almost empty as most of the setting had been done on the scaffold - not that heavy at all at the time.)

ajfclark

12/08/2010
1:39:12 PM

Did you buy it in AU? Could you argue to the supplier that the harness is not fit for the purpose it was sold and get a refund? I know you can't return safety gear, but surely they must take things back that are faulty?

steph

12/08/2010
1:42:27 PM

On 12/08/2010 ajfclark wrote:
>Did you buy it in AU? Could you argue to the supplier that the harness
>is not fit for the purpose it was sold and get a refund?

Dunno, the suppliers were very helpful and I'm sure they weren't aware of any flaws either. I mean, until you rack it up and catch it on something, you'd never know. Will def get in touch with supplier to have a chat though!

ajfclark

12/08/2010
1:45:11 PM

From http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/8818#h2_52 :

I sell goods...
What are my obligations?

When you sell goods you must make certain that they fulfil certain conditions and warranties that are implied under the TPA.

You must be sure that goods:

* are of merchantable quality—that is, goods need to reach a basic level of quality given the price of the goods and any description that is provided with the goods
* are fit for the purpose or job that the consumer described to you or that are self-evident
* match any description or sample given to the consumer whether in promotional material, over the phone, in person, on a website or on labelling or packaging
* are free from defects and faults.

You must also be sure that any goods you sell have no debt or financing owed on them so the consumer can have free title to the goods.

If the goods you have sold do not fulfil any of these conditions then the consumer may be entitled to a refund from you on return of the goods. If the goods have been partially consumed the consumer may be entitled to a refund depending on the circumstances and the extent to which the goods have been consumed.

Consumers can choose an alternative remedy to a refund. In these circumstances you may want to offer an exchange, a credit note or to repair the goods.

If the goods being returned have had a fair amount of use then you may be entitled to provide a partial refund only or to repair the product instead. This will depend on the circumstances of the sale and return and if the use of the goods has affected the fault.

You have the right to ask for proof of purchase from the consumer, for example, a receipt or credit record.

You are not obliged to provide a refund, credit or exchange if a consumer has:

* changed their mind, decided they no longer want the goods or just don’t like them, or found that goods are the wrong size or colour
* found they can buy the same or similar goods elsewhere for a cheaper price
* examined goods before buying them and should have seen any fault at that time
* had a defect drawn to their attention before they purchased goods, for example, when goods are clearly labelled as seconds or faulty.

maxdacat

12/08/2010
2:44:36 PM

On 12/08/2010 steph wrote:
>On 12/08/2010 maxdacat wrote:
>
>(Re Routesetting: FYI, the bucket was almost empty as most of the setting
>had been done on the scaffold - not that heavy at all at the time.)

OIC now....anyway thanks for the feedback since I had considered getting one of the edelrid models because i really love the plastic gear forward loops on my petzel corax which have now been discontinued in their infinite wisdom.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

12/08/2010
3:03:33 PM

On 12/08/2010 maxdacat wrote:
>i really love the plastic gear forward loops on my petzel corax which have now been discontinued in their infinite wisdom.

That is an excellent feature.
I am stuffed why more manufacturers don't follow suit, as it is highly practical in my opinion.
I have my own modified, cord enclosed in plastic gearloops, connected from both sides, to the centre of my harness, as a result...
They work really well.

gfdonc

12/08/2010
3:25:16 PM

I've got an Edelrid harness with those slidey gear loopy things. I don't know what model it is but I'm assuming a Neo.

The gear loops do concern me, although I've only had one detach once and only one side of the loop came off - meaning no gear escaped. The problem was exacerbated by the loop sitting on my hip where the harness went through a bend.

I carry a gear sling for the heavy stuff. If I carried cams on my harness loops I'd be very concerned. Otherwise, I'm happy with the harness.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

12/08/2010
3:36:45 PM

On 12/08/2010 gfdonc wrote:
>If I carried cams on my harness loops I'd be very concerned. Otherwise, I'm happy with the harness.
>
Yeah, yeah... But is it good for grit?
Heh, heh, heh.

Duncan

12/08/2010
6:50:07 PM

So what harness do people recommend for tradding? I have skinny little long distance runners legs, so I'm fine with fixed leg loops, I just want comfy to hang in and lots of easy to access gear loops. My current harness is about 8 years old, so it's probably time for an upgrade. Hit me.

gfdonc

13/08/2010
2:04:27 PM

BD Big Gun, can't go wrong.

nmonteith

13/08/2010
2:19:50 PM

On 13/08/2010 gfdonc wrote:
>BD Big Gun, can't go wrong.

Yep. I'm on my 2nd one and they rock my world.

ajfclark

13/08/2010
2:21:12 PM

How are the adjustable gear loops?

nmonteith

13/08/2010
2:34:33 PM

On 13/08/2010 ajfclark wrote:
>How are the adjustable gear loops?

They aren't adjustable as far as i know. There are however 6 of them! I think there might be a 7th at the back as well when i think about it.

ajfclark

13/08/2010
2:36:51 PM

From http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/climb/harnesses/big-gun/ :

* Thermoformed foam bullhorn waistbelt with trad buckle
* Adjustable, removable leg loops
* 7 color-coded customizable gear loops
* 2 color-coded belay loops and 12 kN-rated haul loop
* Left or right holster slots with one hammer holster included

There are 19 messages in this topic.