Courant Top Koala Harness

The Courant Top Koala is a chest harness designed to pair with the Courant Koala saddle, adding shoulder support and a place to attach chest-mounted gear. Climbers running SRS often add a chest harness to keep upright on long ascents and to hold a chest ascender in position.

Why add a chest harness

On a long SRS ascent, a chest harness keeps your upper body close to the rope and holds a chest ascender in the right position, so each stroke moves you up efficiently. It also helps carry the weight of gear hung from the saddle by sharing it with your shoulders.

The Top Koala is built to work with the Koala saddle so the attachment points line up properly. Compare other saddle parts and shoulder harnesses if you climb in a different saddle.

A chest harness also gives you a place to clip tools and keeps gear from pulling the back of the saddle down, which many climbers notice on long days. It can make a frog-style or rope-walking ascent feel noticeably smoother.

Fit and inspection

Adjust the straps so the harness sits snug without restricting your breathing or arm movement, and follow Courant's instructions for how it connects to the saddle.

A chest harness used to position ascent gear is part of your climbing system. Inspect webbing, stitching, and buckles before every climb. Life-support gear must meet the applicable standard and the manufacturer's instructions, be inspected before every climb, and be used only by trained climbers working to ANSI Z133.