The Calidris is the most comforable harness I have worn and it still offers good freedom of movement. It is much more comfortable than the arcteyx targa I had before. The double-back buckles are great and so easy to use. Some have complained about the lack of haul-loop, but it doesn't bother me...

The Hirundo is a great indoor or sport-climbing/red-point harness. This is not a good all-around or beginner harness. It does not offer great comfort while hanging or belaying. It is a minimalist, light-weight rig design to optimize freedom of movement. While climbing, I don't even notice that it is on. I would give this product a 5 if it was a little cheaper and more comfortable when hanging/belaying (even though I know it was not designed with comfort in mind). Also, keep in mind that it is sized on the small side... I usually wear a medium harness, but the sewn leg-loops on the medium Hirundo were just too small for my legs.

I borrowed a friends Master for a 2 week trip down to Bishop. It was a good pad, but not great.

Pros - the size is great and the pockets are nice. The suspension (shoulder harness and hipbelt) is the most comfortable of any pad I have ever worn and made carrying loads a breeze. The foam seemed to be good - soft, but not too soft for higher falls.

Cons - It is 3-fold burrito pad and it is quite bulky - a consideration for road-trips in a smaller car. The buckles were a pain to thread each time - I had to sit on the pad, compress the load, and yard on the straps to get them through the buckles. I ended up replacing the buckles after a few days with ones from metolius. Also, the shell seemed to be a little big - or the foam inside seemed to be a little small. The top layer of dense foam kept sliding off-center and, while I never really noticed this while landing on the pad, it did give me cause for concern regarding overall quality.

I would still recommend this pad, but I think the above issues need to be considered.

This is a nice pad and is a good size. I purchased an older model with the plastic buckles (which worked fine) but replaced it with a metolius pad. It seems like the quality has gone downhill a bit with newer cordless models. The foam is on the softer side, which is nice for shorter falls and falling onto your back, but I found it did not compare in terms of durability with the metolius. I like the carpet and the size is just right, if only the quality of materials and construction was a little higher...

I have owned a Metolius Large Pad now for over 4 years. It is still going strong after numerous trips to Bishop, Yosemite, Leavenworth, Squamish, etc. The materials and construction are top-notch: the foam is still stiff and the shell is still looking good.

Naysayers said to watch the fold (my pad is the older version without the 45-hinge) but I have never even noticed that it was there, except in how the pad packs up flat in my trunk.

The stiff foam has held up very well after countless falls and nights of sleeping on the pad. It does not conform to contours as well (because it is soo stiff), but works great to even out areas with sketchy landings and when stacking with other pads.