Connecting the reserve to the harness
The reserve bridle and the harness connection must be connected to
each other by the means of a suitable quicklink of at least 2400 daN
safe load (fig. 1). These two lines must be stabilised at the maillon, for
example by using rubber O rings, to prevent the webbings slipping
round and cross-loading the maillon during a reserve deployment.
In collaboration with the PMA (Paraglider Manufacturer’s Association)
and German climbing rope manufacturer Edelrid, ADVANCE carri-
ed out an exhaustive series of tests in 2017 to investigate the strength
of the direct loop-in-loop method of connecting these two webbing
items (fig. 2). This involved a series of material combinations of harness
V-lines and reserve bridles, such are as used in ADVANCE harnesses
with COMPANION reserves. Compared with a Maillon Rapide connec-
tion the strength of this arrangement was slightly reduced, but not to
an extent that would compromise its function.
For this reason the direct looping of ADVANCE products is reliable
and safe, provided certain basic precautionary measures are obser-
ved, such as the centering of the connection position on both loops,
and then pulling the line junction as tight as possible. We cannot ma-
ke a definitive statement about the strength of such a connection of
ADVANCE harnesses with other reserve.
Caution:
don‘t use sticky tape instead of O rings for locating the
loops on the maillon!
Info:
when looping a COMPANION reserve to the PROGRESS 3
the V-line Neoprene protector must finally be pulled over the
connection.
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
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