Whether you’re firing a hard sport route or humping cams up a wall, an uncomfortable harness is a deal-breaker. This clearly influenced the new, comfort-minded WILD COUNTRY ELITE ZIPLOCK HARNESS ($69, wildcountry.co.uk). Available in men’s and women’s versions, the harness has smooth-adjusting Ziplock waist and leg buckles, allowing for layering and a dialed, chafefree fit. Built for strength, the Elite Ziplock offers a 25kN belay loop and 15kN haul loop, plus a 10kN accessory loop. The women’s Elite has a more contoured “batwing” waistbelt. The result: when I wore mine onroute, the next move was the only thing on my mind.

—Amanda Fox

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