Parts of a Climbing Harness

A sit harness from the front and from the back, every loop and buckle named.

Parts of a Climbing Harness

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Waist belt
  2. Leg loops
  3. Belay loop
  4. Buckle
  5. Tie-in points
  6. Leg-loop buckles
  7. Gear loops
  8. Elastic straps

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

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All 8 parts on the diagram

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  1. Waist belt A sit harness is a waist belt and two leg loops.
  2. Leg loops Some are one fixed size; others adjust with a buckle.
  3. Belay loop A permanent loop of webbing, and a very strong one.
  4. Buckle The end of the waist belt threads through it.
  5. Tie-in points One on the waist belt, one on the strap between leg loops.
  6. Leg-loop buckles Not every harness has them.
  7. Gear loops They carry equipment such as carabiners.
  8. Elastic straps They keep the leg loops from slipping down.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two of these use it: (1) Wikipedia, Climbing harness, text only (waist belt, leg loops, belay loop, tie-in loops, gear loops, the elastic cords that hold up the leg loops); (2) US Department of the Army, FM 3-97.61, Military Mountaineering (2002), full text at https://archive.org/details/FM_3_97_61_M_M_2002, and TC 3-97.61 at https://archive.org/details/military-mountaineering-tc-3-97.61 (waist belt, buckle, leg loops and their buckles, gear loops, belay loop, tie-in point); (3) REI Expert Advice, How to Choose a Climbing Harness, section Parts of a Climbing Harness, archived copy at https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/climbing-harness.html (waistbelt, buckles, leg loops, gear loops, belay loop, tie-in points, elastic straps); (4) Mountain Equipment Co-op, Choosing a Harness, archived copy of 2012 at https://web.archive.org/web/20120517005149/http://www.mec.ca/AST/ContentPrimary/Learn/Climbing/HarnessesAndHelmets/ChoosingAHarness.jsp (belay loop, leg loops, gear loops, buckles). Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's harness, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

A climbing sit harness is a waist belt and two leg loops, joined at the front by the belay loop. This page names the parts only; fitting and use are for an instructor and the maker's instructions.

Read the full guide

Front first, then the back

Numbers 1 to 6 are on the front view. The waist belt closes with a buckle. Below it hang the two leg loops, each with a small buckle of its own on this harness. The upright loop in the middle is the belay loop, and the tab at each end of it is a tie-in point. Numbers 7 and 8 are on the back view: the gear loops that hang from the belt, and the two elastic straps that run from the belt down to the leg loops.

  • Belay loop or tie-in point? The belay loop is the one upright loop; the tie-in points are the two tabs it passes through.
  • Gear loops hang from the belt. The elastic straps are the two thin ones that go down to the leg loops.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a climbing harness?

A waist belt with its buckle, two leg loops, the belay loop that joins them at the front, two tie-in points, gear loops on the belt, and elastic straps at the back. Many harnesses also have a buckle on each leg loop.

What is the belay loop on a harness?

The loop of webbing sewn at the front and center of the harness. It joins the waist belt to the leg loops, and it is where a belay device is attached.

What are the tie-in points on a climbing harness?

Two loops at the front of the harness, one on the waist belt and one on the strap between the leg loops. They sit above and below the belay loop, and the rope is threaded through both.

What are the gear loops on a harness for?

Carrying equipment such as carabiners on the waist belt. The number of gear loops varies from one harness to another.

What are the elastic straps on the back of a harness?

Two thin straps from the back of the waist belt to the leg loops. They keep the leg loops from slipping down when the harness is not under load.

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