Understanding the structure of rappelling harnesses is vital to your safety while descending a face. Your straps and buckles are core components that many rock climbers know intimately through daily use. Elastic backstays often feel almost like an afterthought. Their function is more supportive, out of the spotlight, but they are still useful.
Location
Elastic backstays are not essential, but they are convenient. You won't find them on basic, low-end harnesses. Higher-end harnesses usually include an elastic backstay unit. You'll find it on the back of your harness: a Y-shaped attached to the center back of the waist and to the backs of both leg belts.
Structure
An elastic backstay consists of three types of component: elastic straps, adjustment buckle and attachment points. The elastic straps are the Y-shape of the backstay, the structure that connects the leg belts to the waist belt. You'll find an adjustment buckle near the point where the two legs of the Y meet, or one buckle each on the two legs of the Y. This is a plastic loop used to adjust the length of the backstays. Attachment points come in one of two kinds. In less-expensive models, the elastic straps are sewn directly to the harness. Pricier models use a plastic buckle arrangement so you can remove the backstays if you want to.
Purpose
Elastic backstays keep your gear aligned. The strap-and-belt arrangement of most rappelling harnesses is prone to twisting and tangling. This can make getting your gear squared away and time consuming. Worse, a novice rappeller can become confused and put his harness on in a way that's painful or dangerous. Squared-away harnesses also wear out more slowly than those stored in a tangle.
Safety
Elastic backstays do wrap around the buttocks of the rappeller, but they do nothing to help keep a rappeller directly in the harness. They are neither strong enough nor positioned properly to be of any help in this regard. Climbers who are too thin or small to trust a standard waist-belt harness should instead use a harness that includes a chest rig.
References
- Matt Zanger; Rock Climber (retired); Dayton, Wash.
- Utah Canyoneering: Gear Basics
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