This document claims priority from AU2022901713 entitled harness filed on 22 June 2022; and AU 2022902131 filed on 29 July 2022 the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Technical field

The present invention relates to a harness for use during climbing. In particular, the invention relates to a weightbearing chest harness associable with a sit harness that can be used e.g., by an arborist who uses heavy tools.

Background

Climbing can be for recreation or for commercial purposes. Commercial reasons to climb include cleaning the outside of windows of a building, attending to overhead wiring or cables, or maintaining or treating trees and overhanging foliage. An arborist is a professional that maintains trees and can sometimes be referred to as a tree surgeon. Some trees are very tall and require attention at their tops, which means the arborist will need to climb up the tree to do the work. Arborists that climb can use a variety of techniques to ascend into a tree. The least invasive, and most popular technique used is to ascend on rope. Rope climbing requires the use of a harness which the arborist wears to secure themselves during climbing. Due to the heights involved, it is common for the sit harness worn around the waist and legs to include a chest harness. A chest harness moves the centre of gravity of the user and can prevent the arborist from tipping over while elevated; this increases comfort and overall safety.

Once ascended and tending to a tree, the arborist can be there for some time waiting for others to attend to their part of the overall process or tending to multiple locations in the tree span. On hot days, the arborist can become dehydrated in the sun due to exposure and exertion. However, having items such as a water bottle at a great height is not ideal. There is a risk that any item taken up while climbing could be dropped which poses a hazard to persons on the ground. Furthermore, there is a limit to how much can be easily carried and manipulated while suspended from the user’s harness.

Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved harness that in some embodiments is useful for an arborist while performing their professional work.

Summary of invention

In a first aspect there is provided a weightbearing chest harness configured to be reversibly attachable to a sit harness, the weightbearing chest harness comprising: a back portion for locating at the back of a user in use; a pair of shoulder straps extending from the back portion and configured to be worn over the shoulders, each shoulder strap having a top end for the shoulder, and a bottom end remote from the top end extending over the front of the user; an elongate weightbearing webbing extending between at least the top end and the bottom end of each shoulder strap, wherein the harness provides: suspenders located towards the bottom end of at least each shoulder strap, each suspender associated with the elongate weight bearing webbing, and configured to reversibly attach each shoulder strap of the chest harness to a sit harness; a belay loop for use in climbing.

In an embodiment there is at least one weight bearing loop associated with the elongate weightbearing webbing material. In use, a pair of the weight bearing loops can be used together as the belay loop. In an alternative embodiment, the belay loop is formed as a separate piece on the harness.

The harness is a chest harness because it is around the chest of the user. The ability of the harness to bear weight is due to the configuration in which elongate weightbearing webbing is integrated into the harness. Despite being weightbearing, the harness can in embodiments also be a hydration pack by inclusion of a bladder which allows for the provision of fluid to the user while in use. The harness can therefore be referred to in some embodiments as a weightbearing chest harness hydration pack.

The present harness comprises a chest harness, harness suspenders, and a optionally a hydration system into one complete product. All three of these items can exist individually, but no one product on the market combines all of these elements together. It is not straightforward to combine these components together. Typically, a chest harness has a central sternum attachment point. A chest harness with a central sternum attachment point has a load-bearing point for the front suspender centrally located on the user’s body. This design does not support the load of the sit harness in a very comfortable way. It also makes the climbing harness difficult to put on and take off. The present invention, in embodiments, does not have a central sternum attachment point. Instead, there are suspenders located at the bottom ends of separated shoulder straps, and optionally a suspender at the bottom of the back portion. This may allow for a more even distribution of weight around the user’s body and in embodiments is more comfortable and practical.

Nevertheless, in an embodiment, the pair of shoulder straps are configured to overlap at the sternum. Each shoulder strap can pass over the user’s shoulder and then be configured to pass along the sternum. A first shoulder strap can substantially overlap with a second shoulder strap, so that the bottom ends of each shoulder strap are substantially co-terminal. By co-terminal it is meant that the end part of each shoulder strap is at approximately the same location so that the suspenders are attached around the same location at the user’s body. It should be understood that there can be some variation in how the shoulder straps end to accommodate for the user’s body shape and preference. Each of the overlapping shoulder straps can attach to one another such as by clipping or other tying means to hold them in place down the front of the user’s body. There can be one suspender at the co-terminal bottom end. Preferably, there are two suspenders one at each of the ends of the shoulder straps. In embodiments, there are more than two suspenders per shoulder strap.

The back portion of the harness can be any piece that is located on the back of the user in use. The back portion can comprise extensions of the shoulder straps. Alternatively, the back portion can be in one whole panel or formed from separate panels joined to one another optionally with spacing between each panel. To assist with comfort, the part of the back portion that rests on the users back can be modified with a soft and or absorbent material. The material used in the back portion can be similar to the type of material used at the rear of a backpack. The back portion can be a substantially flat piece of material. The back portion can comprise a layer of reinforced webbing material. The back portion can form a pocket. The pocket can be accessible by an opening. The back portion can have a top end located near the user’s head/neck in use. The back portion can have a bottom end located near the user’s waist in use. The opening in the back portion can be located at the top of the back portion.

The back portion can house one or more bladders. While there can be more than one bladder, for ease of description, one bladder is described below. The bladder is a watertight pocket formed from a flexible material. The bladder can be formed from a flexible plastic material known in the art to be approved for holding e.g. water for consumption. The bladder can have a capacity of at least about 500, 800, 1000 ml. If there is more than one bladder, the bladders can have different capacities. The bladder can hold any liquid including water. If there is more than one bladder, they can be used to hold more than one type of liquid respectively. The bladder can be secured to the back portion by any means. In some embodiments, the bladder is secured to the back portion by straps and is visible in use. Alternatively, and preferably, the bladder can be located in a pocket in the back portion. Locating the bladder in a pocket is more aesthetically pleasing and can provide some protection to the bladder which could be punctured if it were exposed and then snagged or spiked during a climbing event.

In an embodiment, the bladder is integrated into the back potion and is not removable. In an alternative embodiment, the bladder is reversibly removable from the back portion. The bladder can be retrofit to the back portion. This will give the user the option to use either the chest harness and suspenders, the chest harness and hydration pack, or just the chest harness by itself, or all the items combined. The removable bladder portion can be attached or removed by means of clips or other tying means. There can be an inlet for filling the bladder. There can be an outlet for emptying the bladder. In some embodiments, the inlet and outlet are the same opening. In other embodiments, there is a separate outlet to permit faster draining when the liquid is desired to be emptied. There is a hose extending from the bladder which can be attached to the inlet or the outlet or some further opening in the bladder. The hose can be an elongate piece of tubing which in use should reach at least the user’s mouth. If the bladder is in a pocket in the back portion, there can be an opening in the back portion to allow egress of the hose. The hose can have a mouthpiece on one end for insertion into the user’s mouth. There can be a valve located at the mouthpiece or some other location available for manipulation by the user which allows liquid to be dispensed on demand. When climbing using the harness, the user can draw the liquid from the bladder on demand to remain hydrated.

In an embodiment, the back portion can have at least a pair of shoulder straps extending therefrom, each of which are configured to extend over the user’s shoulders in use so as to allow the chest harness to be wearable. Two shoulder straps are preferred, but more could be provided if desirable. In some embodiments, the bladder can be located in the back portion and in the upper part of the shoulder straps as they form from the back portion. The back portion can be scoop-shaped at the top end so that the back portion and shoulder straps do not obstruct the user’s neck movement in use. The pair of shoulder straps can comprise a first shoulder strap and a second shoulder strap. The shoulder straps can each be 5 to 10 cm wide to ensure that the weight that they bear is evenly distributed over the user’s shoulders. If the shoulder straps are not very wide, they will dig into the user’s muscle and or skin at the shoulder bearing parts and be uncomfortable. If the shoulder straps are too wide, they will impede the neck and generally be a nuisance as they extend further from the user’s body. Straps about 6cm wide may be optimal in some embodiments. However, it should be understood that the width of the shoulder straps is relative to the size of the user. Each strap can be reinforced along the strap edge using known techniques to reinforce the material for both comfort and longevity of the materials used.

The shoulder straps can each extend from the back portion, optionally the top part of the back portion, over the shoulders at a top end, and down the front of the user’s body to a bottom end. The shoulder straps can be spaced apart from one another at the bottom ends. The shoulder straps can be co-terminal at the bottom ends. The bottom end of each shoulder strap is typically near or above the user’s waist. At the bottom end, each shoulder strap can be connectable by waist straps around the back of the user’s body which travel to the bottom end of the back portion. This connection of the shoulder straps to the back portion at the top and bottom ends can create a backpack like design where the chest harness can be worn like a backpack and will easily not fall off during use. The waist straps can adjust the harness to the shape and size of the user’s body as is known in the art. In an embodiment, the waist straps are not load bearing and have no function other than to complete the closed loop of the harness. There can also be a non-weight bearing chest strap located between the front parts of each shoulder strap to further hold the chest harness to the user’s body. The chest strap can also be adjustable to the shape and size of the user’s body. A chest strap is common in backpack design to assist in somewhat bearing the load of the contents of the backpack. In an embodiment, each side strap is weight bearing. This can be particularly useful for further distributing forces through the chest harness. In order for each side strap to be weight bearing, it can comprise further elongate weightbearing webbing. The weight bearing side strap can be useful in the chest harness where the ends of the shoulder straps are substantially co-terminal.

A sit harness is a harness that a climber wears around their waist and legs. The sit harness typically has an adjustable waist band and two leg loops. The sit harness typically has a belay loop located along the waist band in the middle-front of the user’s body. It is possible to top rope climb using only a sit harness. In order to connect the chest harness to a sit harness there can be a plurality of suspenders arranged around the chest harness. Each suspender can be securely attached to the chest harness and then securely attached to the sit harness. The suspenders can be removably attachable to the chest harness. The suspenders can be removably attachable to the sit harness. The removable attachment of the suspenders to the chest harness can be by means of clips that can slide into hooks integrated into the material of the chest harness. Each clip can have a suspender attached thereto. In use, there can be a at least one first suspender at the bottom end of the first shoulder strap. There can be at least one second suspender at the bottom end of the second shoulder strap. There can be more than one suspender at the bottom end of each shoulder strap. In some embodiments there can be a third suspender at the bottom end of the back portion. In other embodiments there can be more than one suspender at the bottom end of the back portion for securing to the sit harness. The suspenders can be attached to the sit harness by means of clips and or by securing tying or other means.

Once attached to the sit harness, the weightbearing chest harness can be different from a full body harness in that the chest harness portion is only acting as a progress device for the climber’s rope management system. By progress device it is meant that the harness allows the rope to move along with the harness but does not provide any means of supporting the user climber. However, the chest harness is able to support any weight in the lower harness when the lower harness gets heavy. The lower harness can increase in weight and become heavy when the user clips things to the lower harness. Items that might be clipped to the lower harness by e.g. an arborist include chain saw, hand saw, hammer, other tools.

The chest harness can support the weight of the sit harness by means of the elongate weightbearing webbing portions of material. The elongate weight bearing webbing portions comprise a portion of material that is provided in addition to the wide soft material of the shoulder straps. The elongate weight bearing webbing portions can be associated with the shoulder straps. In an embodiment there is no connection between the elongate weight bearing webbing and the shoulder straps other than guide loops which substantially ensure that the two components remain associated with each other. In an alternative embodiment, the loadbearing webbing in the shoulder straps can have one or more attachment points between the elongate weight bearing webbing and the shoulder straps. The one or more attachment points along the shoulder strap between pieces of different materials can be strong attachment points that will not rip easily upon application of pulling forces. The attachment points can be a series of stitches. The stitching can be X stitching. The stitching can be in rows sometimes referred to as a bartack. The one or more attachment points can be at least towards the bottom end of each shoulder strap. The webbing can extend then upwards from the bottom end of the shoulder strap over the user’s shoulders. There can be one continuous piece of elongate weightbearing webbing associated with each shoulder strap. There can be multiple pieces of elongate weight bearing webbing. In an embodiment, the webbing runs over the outside surface of the shoulder strap. In an embodiment, the webbing runs internally to the outer fabric of the shoulder straps, traveling up through the straps, reinforced in multiple locations, and connects up over the climber's shoulders to the back portion which is the body of the harness/hydration pack.

The elongate weightbearing webbing of the shoulder straps extends between at least the first end (or top end which goes over the shoulders) and the second end of each shoulder strap of the harness. The elongate weight bearing webbing can extend down the back portion. For additional strength, the elongate weight bearing webbing material that extends down the back portion can cross over at the back and each separate part can be connected to the other at the cross. In an embodiment, each elongate weight bearing webbing can extend down the back portion, cross over with the other piece of webbing, and then extend around through the waist strap, passing back up into the shoulder strap. In this arrangement there is a continuous loop of elongate weight bearing webbing that does not have any interruption. The elongate weight bearing webbing and further elongate weight bearing webbing are continuous. The distribution of force around the harness in a continuous piece of webbing can be optimal. The elongate weightbearing webbing can be a strong material known for use in climbing products. In an embodiment, the elongate weightbearing webbing is a nylon material.

The attachment points of the elongate webbing along the shoulder straps can be configured to cause the elongate webbing to form one or more loops. Each loop can be weight bearing. Alternatively, a separate piece of material can be associated with the elongate webbing to provide the loops. There can be one loop on the chest harness. There can be multiple loops along the shoulder straps of the chest harness. In an embodiment, a pair of loops (one from each shoulder strap) can be used together to provide an attachment point to the climbing rope. In order to form a belay loop between the attachment points, a smaller belay rope can be passed through each loop with a carabiner in the centre location of the rope for belay technique. In an alternative embodiment, a strap can be provided between each shoulder strap configured to support a belay loop. In an embodiment, the waist straps and shoulder straps converge around a central belay loop.

The suspenders at the lower end of the shoulder straps of the harness are associated with the elongate weightbearing webbing. By associated with the elongate weightbearing webbing it is meant that the forces applied to the suspender are directly distributable through the elongate weightbearing webbing material and into the harness. The suspender can be a free end of the elongate webbing material of the shoulder straps. Alternatively, the suspender can be a separate piece of material that forms an extension of the elongate webbing. In this embodiment, the extension is like the suspender is a free end there but there is an interruption provided by an obstacle such as a joint or clip. The extension of the elongate webbing by a separate piece of material can be by secure attachment of the suspender to the elongate webbing. The secure attachment of the suspender to the elongate webbing can be by a clip that is used in harnesses with straps, where the straps are weaved into and out of the clip. The secure attachment of the suspender to the elongate weightbearing webbing can be by means of a ladder lock buckle which has two main components: a male buckle and a female buckle. The male buckle has a series of parallel horizontal bars or rungs, while the female buckle has corresponding openings or slots. The webbing strap intended for use with the buckle can be threaded through the buckles, and by pulling the strap, the rungs of the male buckle can be tightened or loosened within the slots of the female buckle. To secure the ladder lock buckle, the strap can be pulled tight, and the rungs of the male buckle are engaged with the slots of the female buckle. The design allows for easy adjustment of the strap length and provides a secure lock when tension is applied. It can be released by simply lifting the rungs of the male buckle, allowing the strap to be loosened or removed.

As noted above, each suspender can be removably attached to the chest harness by associating it with a loop that is integrated into the material of the chest harness. In order to be weight bearing, the loop is formed from a reinforced material. The reinforced material that forms the loop can be formed from the elongate webbing. In order to from the loop, the elongate webbing can be folded back on itself at a free end so that there is a first layer of elongate webbing and then a second layer of elongate webbing forming at least one loop at the bottom of the shoulder strap. Alternatively, a reinforced material that forms each loop can be attached to the underlying elongate weight bearing webbing of each of the shoulder straps.

The reinforced material that forms the loop at the bottom end of the back portion of the harness can be attached to the underlying material of the back portion. The underlying material of the back portion can be a reinforced webbing or mesh material that distributes any pull force experiences by the loop across all or part of the area of the back portion. Thus, any one of the shoulder straps or back portion parts of the chest harness might comprises layers of material including one or more of a layer that contacts the user’s body (bare skin or clothes) a layer of reinforced material (elongate weight bearing webbing), an outer layer that might be a mesh or other aesthetic and or hardwearing material.

It should be understood therefore that the chest harness comprises reinforced shoulder straps formed at least in part by elongate weightbearing webbing. The elongate weight bearing webbing can comprise at least one loop at the bottom end to which a suspender can be engaged (bottom loop). The elongate weight bearing webbing can comprise at least one loop towards the top end to which a carabiner can be engaged (top loop). The at least one top loop can be weight bearing. The weight bearing loops can be formed from a reinforced material joined to the elongate webbing material. The bottom loop can be formed from a reinforced material joined to the elongate webbing material. The top loop can be formed by folding the elongate webbing over on itself and joining it to itself with reinforced stitching. The bottom loop can be formed by folding the elongate webbing over on itself and joining it to itself with reinforced stitching.

In an embodiment, as described above, each loop is formed from a piece of material that forms a loop. The material can be joined at two locations to form a loop therebetween. Alternatively, the material can have a single join with a loop formed by the anchor point at the join point. There can be more than one loop formed in the material. Each suspender can engage with a loop. The engagement of the suspender with a loop can be by passing the suspender though the loop. The engagement can be provided via a clip provided on the suspender which can engage with the loop. In an embodiment, a different form of engagement between the suspender and the chest harness can be provided that provides for a strong connection between the two. In one embodiment, the suspender is integral with the chest harness.

The chest harness and the sit harness are weight bearing. The requirement to be weightbearing can be necessary when the harness is used by e.g. an arborist that uses heavy machinery such as a chain saw. Each suspender point can bear at least about 10, 15 or 20kg of weight. The chest harness can bear this weight in the absence of the sit harness, but it would be dangerous for the climber to bear this much weight without a sit harness to properly distribute the weight about the body. Accordingly, typically the chest harness is used together with a sit harness. The ability to weight bear is provide by the elongate weight bearing webbing which distributes the applied forces through the harness.

There can be multiple other attachment points on the harness for medical kits, pouches, and other accessories.

Brief Description of the Figures

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which are not drawn to scale, and which are exemplary only and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the weightbearing chest harness hydration pack.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the chest harness of Figure 1 .

Figure 3 is a front view of an embodiment of the chest harness in use on a user.

Figure 4 is a side view of an embodiment of the chest harness in use on a user.

Figure 5 is a front view of an embodiment of the chest harness in use on a user with a rope located in a pair of loops.

Figure 6 is a rear view of an embodiment of the chest harness in use on a user.

Figure 7 is a side cross section close up of one shoulder strap showing the elongate strap.

Figure 8 is a close-up view of the suspender at the bottom end of the back portion.

Figure 9 is the chest harness in use with a sit harness showing the weight that can be carried in use.

Figure 10 shows the chest harness being used as a hydration pack.

Figure 11 is an embodiment of the chest harness bearing weight.

Figure 12 is an alternative embodiment of the chest harness.

Figure 13 shows a removable hydration pack for use with the chest harness of claims 12.

Figure 14 shows the hydration pack of Figure 13 in place on the chest harness of Figure 12.

Figure 15 is an alternative view of the harness of Figure 14.

Figure 16 shows the back portion of an embodiment of the chest harness with a suspender at the back portion attached to the sit harness. Figure 17 is an embodiment of the chest harness in which the shoulder straps overlap so that their bottom ends are co-terminal.

Figure 18 shows the chest harness of Figure 17 attached to a sit harness.

Figures 19 and 20 show how the shoulder straps can be attached together.

Figure 21 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a harness with a belay loop in the chest area.

Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention

Figure 1 shows the weightbearing chest harness hydration pack 10 associated with a sit harness 20. The sit harness 20 has a waist belt 22 and leg loops 24.

An embodiment of the back portion 12 of the harness 10 is located on the back of the user in use. A back portion 12 is shown clearly in Figure 3 where the user 30 is wearing the chest harness 10; another embodiment is shown in Figure 12 and Figure 16.

The back portion 12 in e.g. Figure 3 is shown in the form of a pocket. The pocket can be accessible by an opening 16. In Figure 2, the opening is shown as a zip in the body of the back portion 12. The back portion can have a top end 12a located near the user’s head/neck in use. The back portion can have a bottom end 12b located near the user’s waist in use. The back portion 12 can be scoop-shaped at the top end 12a as shown in e.g. Figure 2 so that the back portion 12 and shoulder straps 14 do not obstruct the user’s neck movement in use. In an embodiment, the back portion comprises straps 12c, 12d as shown in Figure 16. A removable packet 12’ can be attached to the straps 12c and 12c using clips 13. The removable packet

The back portion 12 or 12’ can house one or more bladders 18. The bladder 18 can be located in a pocket in the back portion 12. There is a hose 26 extending from the bladder. The hose 26 is an elongate piece of tubing which in use reaches the user’s 30 mouth (see Figure 10). The hose can have a mouthpiece 28 on one end for insertion into the user’s mouth. There is a valve located at the mouthpiece for manipulation by the user to allow liquid to be dispensed on demand. When climbing using the harness, the user can draw the liquid from the bladder 18 on demand to remain hydrated.

In an embodiment, the bladder 18 is integrated into the back potion 12 and is not removable. In an alternative embodiment, as shown in Figures 12 to Figure 15 the bladder 18 and its housing 12’ is reversibly removable from the back portion 12. The bladder 18 can therefore be retrofit to the back portion 12. The housing is optional and can provide protection to the bladder 18 to reduce a likelihood of puncturing or other damage.

The back portion 12 can have a pair of shoulder straps 14a, 14b extending therefrom, each of which are configured to extend over the user’s shoulders in use so as to allow the chest harness 10 to be wearable. The pair of shoulder straps 14 can comprise a first shoulder strap 14a and a second shoulder strap 14b. The shoulder straps 14 are shown about 6 cm wide to ensure that the weight that they bear is evenly distributed over the user’s shoulders.

The shoulder straps 14 can each extend from the top part 12a of the back portion 12, over the shoulders at a top end, and down the front of the user’s body to a bottom end. The bottom end is typically near or above the user’s waist in use. At the bottom end, each shoulder strap 14 can be connectable by waist straps 32. The waist straps 32 can be from the shoulder straps 14 to the back portion 12 around the back of the user’s body. The waist straps can be seen in e.g., Figure 3. In Figure 3 each waist strap 32 is not weight bearing. In e.g. Figure 17 an alternative embodiment shows that each side strap 32 is weight bearing. This can be particularly useful for further distributing forces through the chest harness. In order for each side strap 32 to be weight bearing, it can comprise further elongate weightbearing webbing. The weight bearing side strap can be useful in the chest harness where the bottom ends of the shoulder straps 14a, 14b are substantially co-terminal (location 100 in Figure 17). In some embodiments, there can be a chest strap 34 located between the front parts of each shoulder strap 14 to further hold the chest harness 10 to the user’s body. The chest strap 34 is not required in the harness of e.g. Figure 17.

In order to connect the chest harness 10 to a sit harness 20 there can be a plurality of suspenders 40 arranged around the chest harness 10. Each suspender 40 can be securely attached to the chest harness 10 and then securely attached to the sit harness 20. In use, there can be a at least one first suspender 40a at the bottom end of the first shoulder strap 14a. There can be at least one second suspender 40b at the bottom end of the second shoulder strap 14b. In some embodiments there can be a third suspender 40c at the bottom end 12b of the back portion 12. This can be seen in e.g. Figure 8 and another embodiment in Figure 16. The suspender 40c is joined to the back portion by a secure attachment point in Figure 8. A layer of underlying high strength vinyl material is attached to the back portion 12 of the harness 10. A webbing connection point 58 that forms a loop 58 in elongate material is then sandwiched between two portions of outer material 60a and 60b. As can be seen in Figure 8, effectively the reinforced material that forms the loop 58 at the bottom end 12b of the back portion 12 can be attached to the underlying material of the back portion 12. The underlying material of the back portion 12 can be the reinforced high strength vinyl material across all or part of the back portion 12 that distributes any pull force experiences by the loop 58 across all or part of the area of the back portion 12. In Figure 16, the suspender joins to the harness at a loop formed between the converging back parts of the shoulder straps 14a, 14b.

The chest harness 10 can support the weight of the sit harness 20 by means of elongate weightbearing webbing 51 . The loadbearing webbing 51 has an attachment point towards the bottom end of each shoulder strap 50a (Figure 7). At the bottom end, the loadbearing webbing 51 can fold over on itself to form a loop 62’. This loop can be for association with a suspender 40. The webbing 51 extends then upwards from the bottom end of the shoulder strap 14 over the user’s shoulders. In the embodiment shown, the webbing 51 runs internally to the outer fabric of the shoulder straps 14, traveling up through the straps 14, and connects over the climber's shoulders to the back portion 12 which is the body of the hydration pack. For aesthetics and or additional reinforcement, a piece 50b can be provided on the front of the harness.

The elongate weightbearing webbing 51 extends between at least the first end (bottom end) and the second end (top end) of each shoulder strap of the harness 10. In an embodiment, as shown partially in Figure 16, each elongate weight bearing webbing 51 a, 51 b can extend down the back portion 12, cross over with the other piece of webbing (51 a crosses 51 b), and then extend around through the waist strap 32, passing back up into the shoulder strap 14a, 14b. In this arrangement there is a continuous loop of elongate weight bearing webbing 51 that does not have any interruption. The elongate weightbearing webbing 51 can be a strong material known for use in climbing products. In an embodiment, the elongate weightbearing webbing 51 is a nylon material.

The elongate weightbearing webbing 51 is associated with the shoulder strap 14. Some of the attachment points are numbered in Figure 1 as 52. In Figure 7, an embodiment is shown in which a separate piece of reinforced material 50c overlies the webbing 51. This reinforced material 50a forms the loops 54. The underside of the attachment points 52 can be seen in Figure 2 i.e., the attachment is through all layers of material. It should be understood that each of the attachment points 52 is a strong attachment point such as a bartack that will not rip easily upon application of pulling forces. In an embodiment, the stitching is provided by a multifilament, bonded polyester with the following features; Chemical Resistant, Indoor/Outdoor Use, Mould Resistant, Strength, UV Resistant Bonded Polyester T135 (M20) - Strength: 9.36kg.

The suspenders 40 at the lower end of the shoulder straps 14a, 14b of the harness 10 are associated with the elongate weightbearing webbing. Each suspender 40 can be a separate piece of material that forms an extension of the elongate webbing 51 . The secure attachment of the suspender 40 to the elongate webbing 51 can be by a clip or buckle 64 that is used in harnesses with straps, where the straps are weaved into and out of the clip or buckle 64.

The attachment points 52 can be configured to cause the webbing to form loops 54 as shown in e.g. Figures 1 and Figure 7. The attachment point webbing can be a high-strength stiff nylon webbing, with an average tensile strength of 12 kN (1200 kg). There are multiple loops 54 shown along the shoulder straps of the chest harness. In Figure 7 there are six loops with only one of them being labelled for clarity. A pair of loops 54 (one from each shoulder strap 14) can be used together to provide an attachment location to the climbing rope or a belay loop 104. This is shown clearly in Figure 5, where rope 56 passes through loop 54 in strap 14a and 54 in strap 14b. There is a carabiner 59 on the rope for association with a climbing rope. An alternative belay loop 104 is seen in Figure 18 where the loop 104 is formed in the sternum part of the overlapping shoulder straps 14a and 14b. In Figure 21 , the belay loop 104 is formed by a strap 106 that extends between shoulder straps 14a and 14b. In an alternative embodiment not shown, but similar to the arrangement in Figure 21 , the shoulder straps 14a, 14b and waist straps 32 converge together so that strap 106 is no longer required. The location of converging can comprise the belay loop.

As can be seen in e.g. Figure 7 the material forming the loop 58, 62 to which suspenders will be attached can be joined at two locations to form the loop 62’ therebetween. Alternatively, the elongate material 51 can have a single join with a loop 62” formed by the anchor point at the join point. Whilst one loop 62 and 58 is shown, there can be more than one loop formed in the material. Each suspender 40 can engage with a respective loop 58 or 62. Each suspender 40 can be removably attached to the chest harness 10 by associating it with a loop 58, 62 that is integrated with the material of the chest harness 10. In order to be weight bearing, each loop 58, 62 is formed from a reinforced material. A buckle such as a ladder lock buckle can be provided on each loop 58, 62. The ladder lock buckle can be configured to receive a suspender 40. The engagement of the suspender 40 with a loop 58 or 60 can be by passing the suspender though the loop, through a buckle 64. The buckle 64 can be seen in e.g., Figure 6 and in side view in Figure 7.

The chest harness and the sit harness are weight bearing as shown by Figures 9 to 11 . The requirement to be weightbearing can be necessary when the harness is used by e.g. an arborist that uses heavy machinery such as a chain saw. Each suspender point 40 can bear at least about 10, 15 or 20kg of weight as shown in front and back view in Figure 11 . The chest harness can bear this weight in the absence of the sit harness as shown, but it would be dangerous for the climber to bear this much weight without a sit harness to properly distribute the weight about the body. Accordingly, typically the chest harness is used together with a sit harness as shown in Figure 10. In Figure 10, the user is drinking from the hydration pack.

In an embodiment shown in Figures 17, 18, the pair of shoulder straps are configured to overlap. Each shoulder strap 14a, 14b passes over the user’s shoulder and is then configured to pass along the sternum. A first shoulder strap 14a substantially overlaps with a second shoulder strap 14b. The bottom ends of each shoulder strap are substantially co-terminal at location X. Each of the overlapping shoulder straps 14a, 14b can attach to one another such as by clipping studs 102 to hold each strap in place down the front of the user’s body. In Figure 18 there are shown two suspenders 40a and 40b, one at each of the ends of the shoulder straps 14a and 14b respectively. A close up of the stud parts 102a and 102b is shown in Figures 19 and 20. A cross section showing the structure of the suspender attachment loop is provided. The stud parts 102a, 102b can be pressed together to reversibly lock them to one another.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e., to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Any promises made in the present description should be understood to relate to some embodiments of the invention and are not intended to be promises made about the invention as a whole. Where there are promises that are deemed to apply to all embodiments of the invention, the applicant/patentee reserves the right to later delete them from the description and does not rely on these promises for the acceptance or subsequent grant of a patent in any country.