Misty Mountain Cadillac Climbing Harness Review
The good, bad, and the ugly of this burly harness
by Chris Sisneros Last updated October 30, 2021
Cadillacs are known for being conspicuous, big, and have a bad turning radius. The Cadillac harness from Misty Mountain is definitely distinct, admittedly bulky, but surprisingly agile. So far I’ve taken this harness out on granite, quartz, sandstone and limestone; single and multipitch, and have even done a bit of ice climbing. Whatever else can (and will) be said about this harness, I’ll start with this, it is the most comfortable harness I have ever worn. I’ve worn the Cadillac at hanging belays, taken a few hard whips on it, and even used it while working an overhanging route well above my pay grade. While I cannot say that cliché that “I forgot I was wearing it”, I can say that any and every time I relied on the Cadillac it performed with exceptional comfort. That comfort does come at a price, the Cadillac is not the lightest or least bulky harness out there, but it doesn’t try to be. Instead it tries, and I would argue succeeds, at standing out from the pack of lighter is better harnesses. Proving that there is still a place for a burly, well cushioned harness that can stand up to day after day use.
Technical Specs
Weight: 18.7 oz
Materials: 300 x 400D diamond pattern reinforced Cordura
nylon with 500D overlay in high wear areas
Features:
– Dual adjust double-back waist buckles (quick adjust optional)
– Full strength haul loop
– Ice clipper slots
– 6 gear loops
Initial Impressions
My first time using this harness was doing a little sport cragging at Albion Basin in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. One of the first things that grabbed my attention was how unique the gear loops were. Their upward orientation took some getting used to, but once loaded with a set of quickdraws, or even better a full multipitch trad rack, I recognized the genius. When loaded up, the gear loops sit at a great height for easily grabbing gear. That may not make the difference between falling or sending, but it sure is nice when your pumped and don’t want to spend any extra time fiddling with gear.
While there is a version of the Cadillac with quick-adjust buckles, I’m one of those oddballs that still prefers the old fashioned double-back buckles for most situations. Double-back buckles give me those warm and fuzzies, but they also provide for a more secure fit, especially when loaded down with a double rack. The buckles on this harness, like pretty much everything else on it, are bulky and confidence inspiring. With the dual adjust feature on both version of the harness it can be nice to leave one side in place and only loosen or tighten the other side. However, if you do that (and I do) I would caution you to frequently undo both buckles and mix up which one you’re adjusting and where so that you don’t put too much wear on one spot, and as always, inspect your gear constantly!
Another thing that I noticed early on was how stiff the harness feels. At first the straps on the waist are pretty difficult to thread through the buckles smoothly. However, I’ve been assured by a good buddy who has had a Cadillac for years that it will soften up. And after a few months of use, I can say that I have noticed the harness become more supple and the straps easier to use, even with gloves on.
One more feature that I think is worth mentioning is that this harness, and all of the gear from Misty Mountain, is made right in the mountains of North Carolina, good ole’ USA. Buying a harness that’s made in America has many advantages, not least of which is knowing that the environmental cost of that shiny new harness is a little less since it wasn’t shipped halfway across the world. Also, it’s a lot easier to stop by and give the folks who built that shiny new harness a high five after it saves your flailing ass, or maybe even buy them a beer!
Performance
I did my best to put this harness through the paces and used it in a diverse array of climbing. I rubbed it up against the rough granite of City of Rocks and Little Cottonwood and took it up laps on the lichen covered southern sandstone of T-Wall, and even dodged some flying ice chunks all over the Wasatch. As may be obvious by now, this harness excels at traditional climbing, especially the kind that requires plenty of groveling. The 500D fabric stands up to plenty of abuse and the ample gear loops (all six of them) provide great storage for a multipitch rack. The Cadillac has been my go-to for both long moderates and harder trad routes. After months of hard use it really does still look pretty much like it did when I got it.
I have used this harness for working a few routes at or above my limit. It’s definitely not the ideal harness for projecting hard routes, but I can’t say that it got in the way of me sending, at least not more than my own ability. (For the record, Misty Mountain does make other harnesses that they say would work better for those routes involving Sharma screams.) Also, while the Cadillac does work decently for ice cragging, the ice clipper slots are in a somewhat awkward position, either getting in the way of the front gear loops or being too far back to be very useful, and getting to gear on the rear gear loops can be difficult with a lot of layers on.
Back to where it really stands out from the pack, aside from the durability, is the comfort. I realize that comfort is a highly personal thing, but I’ve used a variety of different harnesses and can say that the Cadillac is by far the most comfortable I’ve ever worn. It stood up to every challenge, including the dreaded hanging belay, and left me with legs that weren’t numb, no back pain, and a renewed love for the Cadillac’s plush design. It’s obvious that this high level of comfort comes at the cost of weight and bulk, but that also brings us to the point of all this, what is the Cadillac really for?
Who Is This For?
The Misty Mountain Cadillac frequently sells out of stock. You can usually find it here at Moosejaw.com
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