Review: Beal Rebel Harness

“This harness looked too svelte to offer any real comfort on hanging belays and big falls, but when I weighted it for the first time, I forgot I even had it on,” one tester said, after a weekend of projecting Wind and Rattlesnakes (5.12a) in Wild Iris, Wyoming. “That’s the sign of an easy-to-wear harness.” Beal is using what they call Web Core technology, which bar-tacks two smaller pieces of webbing (the straps you pull to adjust) on either side of a wider, mesh-lined, laser-cut piece of webbing (the part that wraps around your torso). This simple process keeps the manufacturing costs cheap, the price tag low, and the weight and bulk of the harness to a minimum. Testers found the Rebel had enough comfort for hangdogging on sport projects and wearing all day on long trad climbs. The four large, articulated gear loops racked pro neatly and kept it organized, so finding the right piece wasn’t a struggle, and the two buckles in the front allowed testers to fine-tune fit—no more climbing with the belay loop off to the side because the harness doesn’t fit just right.