Black Diamond Technician Harness Review

The Black Diamond Solution is the most comfortable harness I’ve ever worn. The Petzl Sitta is a close second, but for me and my bony, skinny hips, the Solution is king. Given that, I was excited about the Technician, which was billed as a more trad/ice focused harness that was based on the same Fusion Comfort Technology used in the Solution.

After using it for almost a year, there are some things I really like about it, and one thing that leaves me scratching my head a bit. More about that later, let’s start with the good.

The waist belt has the same design as the Solution (wider at the hips, narrower at the front and back), but with less surface area. I found the comfort to be adequate, though it doesn’t quite feel as plush as the Solution. That being said, this was the harness that I repeatedly grabbed for trad adventures over others in my quiver. I’ve taken the Technician up long routes in the Black Canyon, scruffy corners in Indian Creek, and elegant lines in Red Rocks. Even after a fair bit of use (abuse?) it’s no worse for the wear, other than an ill-placed label on the leg loop that has fallen off. Oh and if you want to take it ice climbing (is winter even a thing anymore?) it’s got four ice clipper slots, which is nice.

Now, I’ve seen some folks complaining about the size of the gear loops. Personally, I thought they were perfectly adequate for all the climbing I did with this, including cragging in Indian Creek with a larger rack. Aid climbers will probably want to look elsewhere, but everyone else should be happy. Also, instead of a haul loop, there is a haul cord across the back, which makes it easy to clip things like a tag line and any extra gear you don’t use often, and I used this space to free up room on the main loops.

Really there was only one thing I didn’t love about the Technician. The leg loops are too big for me, and I have to wonder at some of these harnesses, where size medium is perfect for my waist, but the leg loops open up to gargantuan size. Who are these people with size 32 waists that have legs the size of tree trunks? Definitely not sport climbers. Even with the adjustable leg loops cinched all the way down, they felt a little baggy on my legs. They also would invariably loosen up a little bit, even after I tried using Gorilla tape to keep them in place.

Bottom Line: If Black Diamond harnesses fit you well, this is worth checking out. It’s comfortable, durable and ideal for all flavors of trad climbing. Plus if you have a skinny waist but huge legs, you’ll love the adjustable leg loops!

Retail: $79.95
Weight: 376 g (13.3 oz)
Sizes: S – XL
Ideal use: Trad Multipitch & Cragging

More info and specs on the Black Diamond website.

Disclaimer: Wait! Before you go handing over your credit card number, ask yourself, do you really need to buy more new stuff? If so, this product is worth a look. In the spirit of full disclosure, it was provided to SplitterChoss.com for the purpose of reviewing. Don’t worry, though, our integrity can’t be bought!