Gear Review: Black Diamond Couloir Harness
Stay comfortable and safe with this easy on and off harness.
Lightweight, easy on and off, and comfortable under a backpack. The Couloir hits the harness basics, and then some. “The gear loops—indispensable for ice screws and crevasse rescue equipment—are flat, so they don’t rub under a pack hipbelt,” said one tester after a Mt. Rainier attempt. “And the sturdy rear haul loop let me short-rope my climbing partner when he got sick.” Adjustable leg loops—with clips—easily drop out of the way when nature calls. In addition to standard gear loops, four ultralight ice-clipper attachments (the orange loops on the waistbelt, above, for holding tools or screws) make this harness ready for vertical ice and more technical mountaineering. Bonus: It packs to the size of a grapefruit. Bummer: Old-style buckles need doubling back and are hard to tighten with gloves. $50; 8 oz. (M/L); S/M, M/L, L/XL; bdel.com