Petzl Sama

Performance: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” was not the mantra of the Petzl designers. With significant waistbelt, buckle, and gear-loop upgrades, Petzl took our bolt-minded testers’ old favorite and made it hall-of-fame worthy. With wider sides and a narrower back, the new waistbelt scored top marks for comfort and freedom of movement. “The padded sides protected the sensitive parts of my stomach during falls at Shelf Road, Colorado, but I felt unencumbered when I needed to do twisting cross-through moves,” one tester said. Another favorite was the new waist adjustment system. “The wider webbing was easy to grab and pull, even when my fingers were torched, and the new DoubleBack Light buckle is the quickest auto-doubled-back buckle I’ve ever used,” he said. The front gear loops are rigid and stick out from the harness, which was great for quick, fumble-free clips; the rear loops are more flexible, so they lay flat and stay out of the way—perfect for wearing with a pack on long routes. Petzl updated four harnesses for both men and women with all these same features: Sama/Selena with fixed leg loops, and Adjama/Luna with adjustable leg loops for mountaineering.
Cons: A bit stiff at first, but broke in after a few wears. Although it is lined with wicking mesh on the inside, testers found the quarterinch- thick foam less breathable than others.
Conclusion: Built for working sport projects, this harness has the comfort for all-day wear in the waistbelt and the svelteness of a “sending only” rig with the fixed leg loops.