Aspect 2011

Trying to get your gear room under control? Try a single harness that does it all. The Aspect is comfortable enough for working a route or belaying at a hanging station, light enough (14 oz.) for fairly serious sending, and tricked out for ice and alpine routes. “The waistbelt fit without pinching, even when I was hangdogging on my first mixed routes,” reported one tester after a winter trip to Utah’s Provo Canyon. Black Diamond uses two thin bands of webbing on the perimeter of its waistbelt and leg loops to distribute load, and EVA foam to dissipate pressure. The Aspect has four molded gear loops (plus a bonus gear loop in the back), four slots for ice screw carabiners, and a burly haul loop tested to 12kN. A pre-threaded waist buckle and leg-loop buckles accommodate a range of clothing layers— and reduce possible user error. Testers’ conclusion: “Rugged and versatile.”