But what makes a women's climbing harness so special?

While most climbing equipment is gender neutral (rope, carabiner, chalk bag), there are pretty good reasons for having gender-specific harnesses. Men and women have such different physiques that it is only logical to make harnesses that are comfortable for both sexes. Generally, women have a narrower, higher waist than men. In addition, women have a lower center of gravity than their male counterparts. The ratio of hip belt to leg loops is also different from that of climbing harnesses for men. Women's specific harnesses take all these things into account and sometimes look more ladylike.

As a result, women's harnesses usually have a greater distance between the hip belt and the leg loops, so that they sit comfortably around the waist and not on the hip bones as in men's models. A belt that fits optimally around the waist also prevents the risk of a head-on fall in the event of a fall due to the lower body centre of gravity.

Climbing harnesses for women usually have wider leg loops, but a narrower hip belt than men's harnesses to accommodate the curvilinear shape of the body. Another useful detail that also almost all men's harnesses have is the detachable leg loops, which can be used in an "emergency".

However, the body shapes of women differ significantly more than those of men. In this respect this means that only because you are a woman you do not have to wear a woman's harness by default.

 

Rather, you should choose a harness that best fits your body shape. Depending on your body shape, this can also be a unisex or men's model. If in doubt, always choose the belt that feels comfortable and secure.

(1) 20 mm Slide Block buckle on the waist belt and 15 mm Slide Block buckles on the leg loops can be fully opened to make the harness easier to put on when wearing skis or crampons.

(2) The harness features the innovative Soft Frame construction. Internal load-bearing straps facilitate a wide force distribution without being too noticeable. The combination of the 3D mesh padding and soft harness edges provides excellent comfort even when hangdogging.

(3) An additional plus in safety comes from the robust Dyneema® abrasion protection with integrated wear indicator. With increased abrasion, red threads become visible, signaling to the user that it is time to replace the harness.

And in terms of equipment the AUTANA leaves nothing to be desired. Thanks to five gear loops and two attachment points for ice screw clips, the harness offers plenty of options to store climbing accessories. A longer leg loop base enables optimal positioning above the hip bones at all times.

The extended leg loop foot allows an always optimal fit above the hip bone and is therefore perfect for the female anatomy. Another big advantage of the ladies performance belt is its comfortable and, above all, lightweight features.

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