GEAR JUNKIE: DMM Renegade 2

There are quite literally hundreds of harnesses on the market, so what sets this one apart from the rest?

Credit: Tiffany Hensley

THE WORD
DMM's Renegade 2 is an upgrade to the previous version in both aesthetics and functionality. They ditched the plastic gear loops for the better handling fabric ones, changed the color from a dismal grey to a fresh looking red trim and added a floating waist belt to allow a more adjustable fit, whatever your body shape. Harness don't really have a huge amount of room for drastic innovation but DMM have managed to come up with some neat features that certainly make it more versatile.

Separate elasticated leg bands may not sound very interesting, but when you need to go the bathroom on a big wall, you'll soon see the beauty in them. Adding a little extra padding also sounds a little mundane, but after sitting in a harness for 5 hours or taking the same whip 30 or 40 times in a day, you'll appreciate the little things that go into making this possibly the best all round harness our there.

Cost: $$$
At close to $100 RRP, this harness needs to provide a lot and to compete with the competition and I feel it delivers in both performance and versatility. Being designed as an all rounder, it's certainly not the lightest harness but it is comfortable and loaded with neat features.

Performance: 4/5
I've used this harness in a ton of scenarios from overhanging sport climbs, to bolting big walls and trad multi-pitch, each time performing better than I expected. The 7 gear loops make organising gear a breeze and due to its thick padded waist, you don't suffer from the dreaded harness sag whether i'm loaded up with my bolting gear or a big wall rack. The only downside to this harness is that it doesn't have a dedicated haul line attachment which although isn't very useful for the majority, It's a huge advantage when climbing big routes.

Value: 5/5
DMM are world renowned for producing the very best quality gear, created to a meticulously high standard and this is no exception. I've put this harness through hell and back and it has no signs of wear or tear.

DMM Renegade from DMM Climbing on Vimeo.