Page 46 - 2017 AMA Summer

Wild Country Syncro Harness
RRP £75.00
This is a piece of kit with an enormous amount of features (many of them rev- olutionary). The swiss army knife of harnesses.
The most striking feature is the design. The harness is made with a weave technology that is breathable and comfortable. The weave should contour itself to your body as it is significantly more flexible in construction than most other harness types. I took a small trad fall on it a few weeks ago and found very little shock was transferred through me and it was very comfortable to land in. This weave does allow an amount of air to move through the broad waist belt and it didn’t become sweaty or clammy after a long hot day. This can’t be said for the laminate coated waist belts, which while they repel water, also holds heat.
This weave is both a blessing and a curse as I found it does fold at the front between the two adjustable buckles and was a little frustrating. You did have to sit in a fairly bunched position for a while to get this to happen though.
It has six gear loops and capacity to add ice screw clippers for winter scenarios. This gives the wearer some serious options for racking. While I like the two extra gear loops as a storage solution the positioning is less than ideal. The middle loop is situated higher and over laps the lower two. While this looks like a completely rational space for them, it causes a bit of a jumble and prevents you finding the piece of critical gear quickly. I have subsequently chopped them off...
Value for moneyt Weight
Fit and comfort Racking
All round abilityt)
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
A heavy workhorse for regular trad climbers.
Summary
Please remember these are my opinions and the best way to make up your mind is to go out and try them on for yourself. In the final score there is very little between them and therefore you should make up your own opinion on what you want. I
would not buy a harness, pair of rock shoes or a helmet until I had tried on, compared and fondled them in a shop to see which best suits me and my needs. I advise everyone to do the same.
44 ARMY MOUNTAINEER