Petzl Core

Best uses

Most climbing harnesses are versatile enough for indoor climbing or outdoor multi-pitch routes, while some are more specialized for mountaineering or ice climbing.

• Sport or indoor climbing: Stripped down for fast travel and feature minimal gear loops.
• Trad climbing: More gear loops since climbers place their own protection. Comfort and padding are key, as you may spend hours on a route or hanging in your harness.
• Mountaineering: Designed for long approaches and all-season versatility
• Ice climbing: Designed to perform in winter conditions

Key features:

• Padded waist: Thicker padding or a broader surface area helps distributes pressure
• Adjustable leg loops: Fit different body types and clothing layers
• Gear loops: Typically two to five loops for racking gear
• Droppable leg loops: Leg loops unclip at the back for easier bathroom breaks

Women-specific harnesses

• These typically feature a higher rise, a larger leg-to-waist ratio and a shaped waistbelt
• Choose a women-specific harness if it better matches your body type.

Locking vs. Non-locking 

Locking carabiners: Gates lock to prevent accidental openings during falls; essential for belaying or critical protection placements

• Screw-lock: Requires manual twisting to close
• Auto-locking (twist lock): Automatically locks when the gate closes

Non-locking carabiners: Lighter, quicker to clip or unclip but can accidentally open; ideal for racking gear or for quickdraws

Carabiner shape

• D shape: Strongest shape, excellent for most kinds of climbing
• Asymmetric D: Lighter than D shape with a larger gate for easy clipping; use for belaying, rappelling, general climbing  
• Pear shape: Designed for belaying, rappelling and anchor points; heavier and more expensive
• Oval shape: Smaller gate opening, affordable but not as strong or light as others; ideal for aid climbing or racking trad gear

Gate Types 

• Straight-gate: Durable, easy to use; common for clipping gear to harnesses
• Bent-gate: Makes rope clipping easier; generally used for quickdraws  
• Wire-gate: Lightweight, less likely to freeze or vibrate open during a fall
• Locking: Most secure; essential for anchors or belaying

Brightness  

Typically, the higher the number of lumens, the brighter the light.   

• A headlamp with a high lumens count will consume energy at a higher rate than one with a lower lumens number. 
• Most headlamps offer several brightness levels like low, mid and high (max). Others may offer an emergency strobe or red-light mode for nighttime vision. 

Consider the power source 

• Lithium battery–powered headlamps are a good choice for cold-weather use, since lithium batteries outperform alkaline batteries in cold conditions.
• Rechargeable batteries can be used repeatedly but tend to lose power when sitting idle.  

Understand headlamp beam type and distance 

• Flood (or wide): This spreads the beam wider and is for general, close tasks like cooking dinner or reading. 
• Spot (or focused or narrow). A tight beam for longer-distance viewing, such as navigating a trail at night. 
• Flood and spot: Adjustable headlamps are the most versatile.