Don't let a harness limit the kind of climbing you can do. With the fully adjustable, all-around Arc'teryx R320a harness you can spend the spring on glacier, the summer on rock and the winter on ice.
Weight (see spec chart) based on size Medium.
Size ranges are guidelines only and will vary with the type of clothing worn during measurement. Harnesses fit differently on different individuals even when measurements are the same. Sizes are based on actual body dimensions.
Imported.
Support and Cushioning:
- Large belt and leg loops have Wrap Strength Technology that evenly supports your weight across the entire harness
- Warp Strength® Technology (WST) allows the harness to be shaped and contoured to the climber's body for excellent support and comfort
- WST™ load is evenly supported across entire harness structure
Weather and Wind:
- Shaped for forward racking, 4 polyurethane gear loops are reversible and removable; loops remain flexible in extreme cold
Comfort:
- Wrap Strength Technology reduces the overall weight of the harness without compromising comfort
Fabric:
- 7075-T6 aluminum anodized buckles, Burly Double Weave four way stretch fabric, type nylon 6,6 webbing, polyurethane gear loops, Spacermesh
- Vapor Mesh fabric improves breathability and keeps you more comfortable while you send
- 4-way stretch fabric on the exterior is lightweight and highly abrasion resistant; spacermesh on inner face is soft and breathable
Lining and Layers:
- Adjustable leg loops let you add layers for cool-weather climbing and are droppable for quick entry/exit while wearing crampons, plastic boots or skis
- Fully adjustable, completely removable leg loops easily handle changes in layers and open bivies
Fit:
- Fully-adjustable lightweight WST leg loops fit a variety of leg widths
Padding:
- WST eliminates the need for excessive padding by uniformly spreading the load across the entire harness
Webbing:
- Core of tie-in points and belay loop feature Wear Safety Markers; when the sheath is worn, bright orange will show to indicate that abrasion to structural webbing may occur
Features:
- Four reversible / removable gear loops and a non-structural haul loop
- Large width WST™ (Warp Strength Technology™) swami belt
- Two drop seat buckles
- Wear safety markers on belay loop and tie-in points let you know when it's time to retire this harness
- Drop seat makes it easy to answer nature's call while remaining tied in to the rope
- Four gear loops hold everything you need for multi-pitch routes
- The Arc'teryx R320a harness includes a non-structural haul loop in back
- Self-locking 7075 T6 aluminum buckle at the waist provides an extra margin of safety by allowing adjustments while maintaining the proper double-back configuration
- Stretchy mesh storage bag
- Buckles can be completely separated when needed
The Arcteryx R-320a Harness. The most comfortable fully-adjustable all round rock harness available. The improved, wider Warp Strength Technology (WST) swami belt and leg loops offer supple comfort while hanging on the wall or belaying. A beefier tie-in point adds more strength to a critical area of the harness.
Wrap Strength Technology gives the Arc'teryx R320a Harness a level of comfort that far surpasses nearly any other harness while reducing weight to about half that of a similarly sized harness. This unique construction spreads your weight over the entire surface area of the harness to support and cushion your body without the need for heavy, bulky padding. Not only are the leg loops adjustable, but they're also completely removable so you can take them off and have a little more comfort if you end up at a bivy. All of the buckles are self-locking and quick-adjust so you can't forget to double back and can make quick tweaks to the fit whenever you'd like. Take all of this into consideration, and you're going to have a hard time finding a better harness for long, hard free routes.
The most comfortable fully adjustable all around rock climbing harness available. New, wider Warp Strength Technology (WST) swami belt and fully-adjustable conical leg loops provide supple comfort while hanging on the wall or belaying. A stronger tie-in point adds more strength to a critical area of the harness.
You've probably heard the saying "less is more," and in some ways that's what the Arc'Teryx R 320a harness is about. But a more accurate description might be "less and more" - less weight and less bulk, yet more strength and more comfort. It sounds like the usual marketing mumbo-jumbo, but take one look at the Warp Strength Technology swami belt on this harness and you'll see that it goes beyond the ordinary. It seems alarmingly thin, and yet it's incredibly strong thanks to the usual design excellence of Arc'Teryx, who have engineered the belt and leg loops to evenly distribute pressure across the entire harness. Take that premium design and pair it up with premium materials, and you get a barely-there harness that still offers supple comfort and the highest degree of safety.
Features:
Materials:
| Activity: | Climbing |
|---|---|
| Adjustable leg loops: | Yes |
| Belay loop: | 31 - 34.5 inches |
| Droppable leg loops: | Yes |
| Fits waist: | Climbing |
| Gear Loop: | yes |
| Gear loops: | 28.5 - 31.5 inches |
| Harness Class: | Rock Climbing |
| Harness Gender: | Mens |
| Haul Loop: | Yes |
| Leg loop size: | 34 - 38 inches |
| Material: | 7075 T6 aluminum anodized buckle, Burly™ Double Weave four-way stretch fabric, Vapor Mesh Type 66 nylon webbing, Polyurethane gear loops, Spacermesh™ |
| Materials: | [harness] double weave four-way stretch fabric, type 66 nylon webbing, Spacermesh; [buckle] 7075 T6 anodized aluminum; [gear loops] polyurethane |
| Padded leg loops: | Yes |
| Padded waist: | Climbing |
| Type: | Waist |
| Waist/Leg Sizes: | Adjustable Leg Loops |
| Weight: | 11.5 oz / 325 g |
Arc'teryx R320a Harness Reviews:
Positive Reviews:
Is my harness on?
Yes the harness is expensive and it will not be someones first harness purchase, but if you are looking a lightweight comfortable all around harness then this is a top contender.
Thanks to REI's awesome return policy (returned my old BD Momentum SA) and 20% for members and the REI dividend, I didn't pay full price for this harness.
If you are at REI or at another store. Try on an Arc'teryx harness and hang on it....you will see for yourself. If you don't want to buy this harness then I would strongly recommend you NOT try on the harness. You will have difficulty not buying it and leaving the storing knowing that there is a harness like that out there.
I will start by saying I am a moderately experienced climber, I have owned a few different harnesses and so far this is my favorite. It is extremely lightweight but as far as Strength goes it seems as though it holds up well. I have owned it for about a month and have made about a dozen Rappels with it. I am 6'4" and weigh 235 lbs. with this being said The harness fits very well (men's XL) It is snug where it needs to be in the waist and thighs but has a lot of room in the pelvis and groin for an extremely comfortable fit. There is no pulling or binding even while locked in. The gear loops have held up though I have not used the rear loop due to it being made of plastic. I understand that High Impact Plastics can handle weight, I just had no desire to learn by chasing after any equipment if it failed in the field. I absolutely recommend this harness to anyone looking for a great feel and comfort while climbing. Being taller I dig rig a chest harness to ensure that I stayed upright until I can test it out more. I have read reviews stating that they were concerned with how incredibly thin it is, bottom line is know your equipment and always inspect it before you use it. Enjoy!
I had the old 320, this one is an improvement imo. I got a large, Im 6'1" bout 200, I have large quads. The only problem with this is that when I tighten the waist belt it like bottoms out almost, (I have a 34-35" waist). and leaves an incredibly long tail to tuck away, will prob trim it. On the other side due to my quads, There is very little extra length on the leg adjustment straps. Not even long enough to tuck away under the keepers on the leg loops. So yeah its made for skinny guys with smaller thighs I suppose. I may have been able to squeeze in a medium but the leg loops wouldnt be long enough I think. I overlook these issues because this is the most comfortable and stable feeling harness Ive worn. I love it. Also doesn't constrict me in the crotch like my old 320.
Great Harness
Some people fault this harness for not being able to hold gear. If that's a problem you're wearing it too loose. I got a set of: BD cams from C3 0 to C4 4 with some doubles + 14 slings/ draws + atc guide and grigri + cordalette + 6 lockers + some self rescue stuff. NO slipping.
It'd be cool if they could ditch the silly plastic D ring for the tag line attachment and use nylon webbing like Black Diamond.
The sizing runs larger than Black Diamond Harnesses. I am in between a small and medium in BD harnesses, but a medium for this guy is too big.
Awesome! But go with a larger size!
OK, I was iffy about shelling out the dough for this harness, but I was not disappointed. This thing is amazing. The Warp Strength tech on the leg loops and waist belt allow the harness to be super minimal, breathable, and extremely comfortable. But don't let the minimalism of the harness make you weary of it's safety or support capabilities, I am a beginner and fell on this thing a number of times; the conical leg loops really hold your weight nicely and if you get hot and sweaty when climbing like me, the breathable mesh is a great feature. ArcTeryx has done it once again and jumped ahead of the pack in new, innovative gear tech. Try this thing on in a store and you'll feel the difference immediately.
CAN'T BELIEVE I EVER CLIMBED WITHOUT IT
Cheerio,
BRAFF
Picked this up one year ago and never looked back. This thing is sick. By far the most comfortable harness I've ever worn in terms of all-day comfort, and then it folds up to half the size of other harnesses. Also, a smaller detail, but the gear loops feel much easier to clip than either BD or Petzl.
Leg loops might be a little tight for those with bigger thighs, but overall sizing actually felt large. I'm usually a medium, and I fit into a small cinched as tight as it can go.
Pros:
-Harness is light and fits snug and smooth which is great for gymnastic sport climbing and chimney climbing alike
-Adjustable leg loops fit over extra layers
-Warranty replacement program is outstanding
Cons
- overloading gear loops with trad gear can create permanent folds that pinch skin
-Thin material needs to be washed delicately and regularly by hand to maintain suppleness
- material on harness waist strap eventually wore through after extensive chimney climbing/off width
Would be 5 stars if it wasn't for all 3 of mine developing folds that pinch and are uncomfortable.
I love this harness. I received it as a gift about 4 months ago and have been using it four times a week since. It has held up awesome and is a dream to climb in. Probably the comfiest harness I've ever worn. I use it primarily in sport climbing but also do some trad in it. I couldnt ask for anything else and love it so much that my girlfriend wears the ladies version of it.
Negative Reviews:
I was excited to get this harness, but I found it so uncomfortable that I had to return it. Basically, this harness has two major flaws.
First, the leg loops develop creases along the inside of the thighs. These creases become hard edges and dig into your skin. The creases developed in mine on the second day of use after working a sport route. After that, they were there to stay, and even belaying a partner who was working a route was painful.
The second problem is that the leg loops sit unevenly when hanging. This is caused when the leg loop tie-in point gets pinched off of center underneath the waist belt tie-in point. This results in an uncomfortable hang and the climber must unweight the harness in order to center the leg loops. This takes effort if you're hanging on a steep route, which is when most people are more likely to hang. This flaw was especially bad on my harness because the leg loop tie-in protector was not centered on the leg loops, but I've noticed my climbing partner has the same problem with his R300, which I assume has a centered tie-in protector.
I climbed in this harness for two sessions before it developed the creases in the leg loops, and even though the harness was a perfect and snug fit for me, I expect that the waist belt would have developed the same creases at some point in the near future.
Arc'teryx has some work to do on their harnesses, because this Warp Strength design is poor. Given the exorbitant cost, a major design flaw with the creasing material and the poor workmanship evident in the off-center tie-in protector, this harness barely gets two stars.
I would get a BD Chaos if you can wear fixed gear loops. I can't, so I bought the Petzl Adjama II, which is much more comfortable than this rather weak and overpriced offering from Arc'teryx.
So I've had the harness for 3 months now and wear it for climbing at least 2-4 times per week. The sizing isn't true, as one reviewer stated. I wear size 31 pants and bought the medium. I have to extend the waist loop the entire diameter to get the harness on, and I still struggle a little doing so.
My biggest gripe are the leg loops. I don't know what it is, but they sit differently than my other harnesses. I've tried adjusting them, but I can't for the life of me get a comfortable fit. The loops really ride up on the inside of your leg, and it's easy to not have all the goods in the middle. That really sucks, as you probably know. I had the most uncomfortable hanging belays when I climbed yesterday. This is not a fall friendly harness, either. I guess you get that with the more minimalist ones.
Another reviewer discussed the issues with keeping lots of trad gear on a gear loop. I've noticed one fold, and it was pretty painful on my side where I carry my cams. I am going to return the harness because I'm that unhappy with it. I'd wear my adjama any day over this thing.
Neutral Reviews:
I purchased this harness in Men's Large and found that the waist belt and leg loops were not true to the sizing chart; both were 2" smaller than advertised.
In the end, I went with the Arc'teryx 350a All-Around harness instead which fit closer to the sizing chart, but also has adjustable leg loops. The R320 is admittedly lighter than the 350a, and seems very comfortable. In particular, I can see the benefit of removing the buckles from the leg loops to save on weight, instead relying on heavy-duty elastic to make the loops dynamic in their sizing.
