This was the first harness I bought when I got back into climbing. I bought it without trying it on and have used it for two years for both gym and multi-pitch trad at the Gunks. It think this is a well designed and thought out product. I like the red belay loop and the upturned gear loops sheathed in plastic tubing. There was a Velcro closure that made it easier to put on the harness when it was laden with pro. But I cut it off as a safety precaution. The problem I have with the harness is the fit. I have a short waist and thick legs. Yet I can’t seem to get the adjustable legs tight enough for the leg loops to take my weight. Or maybe it’s just the rise of the harness is longer than my short waist. The upshot is that it’s uncomfortable for me to fall in and for hanging belays. So I now use it just for the gym - use a Yates Shield on the rock. If you can get a good fit in this harness, it would be a good product.

I got the Shield because I found hanging belays in my BD very uncomfortable. The Shield has solved that - it's incredibly cush. The racking system is great as well with more options and alternatives than the standard harness. I was a little worried that free climbing in this monster would be problematic. But so far, I’ve had no problem on the moderate routes that I do. There are some problems with the harness – the buckle is really awful. It’s really difficult to thread and hard to get tight enough. You have to really work on it. Also the sizing is odd. According to the sizing chart, I should take a large, but I couldn’t get the Medium tight enough without modifying the standard setup – a solution recommended by Yates customer service. Customer service has been really helpful. I bought my harness used and CS has treated me just like I was the original owner.

Real Big Wall Rats will give you a more reliable review - I'm just a beginner. My partner and I bought this harness to carry all the gear as we learned to aid. Try carrying 50ish pounds on your waist: your harness ends up around your knees. This harness is big enough and has enough separate gear loops to arrange everything in a logical manner. It also has quick tabs on the shoulder straps for those things that you'll need next. The full strength chest ring allows you to fifi in at the chest on overhangs. And not only that, but it's really, really comfortable. I've gotten so attached to it, I'm using in on multi-pitch trad. What a geek! Just wished they offered an optional small pack that could hold a hydration bladder on the back. (Hint, hint Yates).

I looked at this tool and decided not to buy it. It just didn’t feel good in my hand. It was also thicker than other nut tools – I was afraid that might be a disadvantage. One cool thing is that you can open it like a gravity knife by holding on to the handle and flipping it. Good for knife fights! My current nut tool has a clip on it. I find I use that clip to clip it somewhere without having to have a biner. I think I’d miss that feature. So I passed and bought the new Trango Piranha instead.

I’ve been looking a long time for T.H.E. knife to carry on my harness for multi-pitch trad routes. This tiny, weightless knife is not good for fighting off bears or chopping wood, but it’s perfect for cutting off the birds nest of slings that accumulate at rap points, spreading peanut putter, opening cans, or picking out the odd splinter. You can open, lock, unlock and close it one handed – easy with your right hand, doable with your left: good for those Aron Ralston moments. The serrated stainless steel blade is very sharp and cuts webbing with ease. When clipped to a carabiner the knife CANNOT be opened. It has a serviceable bottle opener. Trango advertises a screwdriver feature, but the one that’s on the tool is ridiculous. I like this tool a lot: the engineering on it is very sound. One possible downside, however, is an ergonomic one: it’s small enough that it might be easily dropped. Clipping it back onto a biner, while opened, makes the handle functionally longer and gives you a place to wrap your fingers around.