Firstly, make sure the harness is correctly assembled and not tangled. Buckles should be loosely fastened to make the harness easier to handle. Then step through the waist belt and into the leg loops, pulling the harness up holding both the waist belt and the leg loops on each side. Pull the waist belt over the hips.

To tighten the waist strap, form a loop of webbing with one finger against the buckle and pull the strap through the buckle. When it is fully tightened, thread the end of the strap back through the buckle to lock it off. The waist belt should be tight to ensure a snug fit.

Warning – there must be at least 10cm of webbing left as a tail after the strap is re-threaded.

When fitted correctly the harness should feel snug at the waist and leg loops, but not overly tight. All rethreaded straps should have a tail of no less than 10cm of webbing after the buckle is tightened. If the tail is shorter than this the size is too small and a larger size should be tried. On the other hand if the harness will not adjust tighter, yet still feels loose, try a smaller size.

Warning – unless the strap is rethreaded it may slip in use and during a fall.

Fitting is a personal matter, and the comfort of the harness depends on the fit as much as other aspects, such as whether the harness is padded or not.

Often one part of the harness – the leg loops or waist belt – will fit perfectly but the other is too loose or too tight. We’re all different, so this is not surprising.