Expert Advice > Caring for your Climbing Harness

Caring for your Climbing Harness

General Care

Protect your harness as much as possible from direct sunlight and heat (both of which can break down nylon). Also keep it away from nylon-damaging substances such as acids, alkalis, oxidizing agents and bleach. Keep your harness as clean as possible and store it in a dry spot out of the sun.

Cleaning

When your harness gets dirty, try rinsing first. If this doesn't remove the dirt particles, hand wash in cool water with mild soap, then rinse. Allow it to dry in a shaded area. After each cleaning, check your harness carefully to make sure the stitching is intact.

Inspection

Inspect your climbing harness regularly for signs of wear. Pay special attention to the harness stitching and to the tie-in points. Retire your climbing harness when it shows visible signs of wear such as fading or abrasion, or after it has held a severe fall. Over time, your harness webbing may get slightly fuzzy at the tie-in points. This is okay. Significant wear to the stitching or excessive wear to the tie-in points is not.

A harness should last about two years under normal weekend use. You can extend the life of your harness by working the rope back through the tie-in points gently when untying. Forceful pulling causes these points to abrade quickly.