Thoughts on ... The comfort in a harness
Paragliding offers an extraordinary experience, allowing us to escape and soar through the sky. Whether it's for a peaceful, contemplative flight, to descend from mountain peaks, or to attempt to break distance records, we sit comfortably in our harnesses a few minutes to several hours. In all cases, it is essential to have an optimal and comfortable position to fully enjoy these magical moments without suffering.
It is therefore essential to have a harness to fully enjoy these moments of flight and prevent them from turning into an uncomfortable and painful experience.
But what exactly is the comfort of a harness? How can it be defined?
Comfort, in general, refers to situations where the movements and positions of the human body are perceived as pleasant, providing a state of well-being, or eliminating any unpleasant sensations. When we are in our harnesses, it is the support provided to the body that creates this feeling of comfort. This support must be uniform and distributed over a large surface area. It is important to avoid pressure points that could cause discomfort or even pain. Comfort depends on the pressure exerted. For a given weight, the larger the contact surface, the lower the pressure applied.
SETTINGS
When trying on a harness, it is essential to position yourself correctly and experiment with the different adjustments available in order to adapt it to your unique body shape. Some models may seem complex at first glance, but it is precisely these harnesses will offer you real comfort for enjoyable flights.
The main adjustments on harnesses as follows:
Back adjustment: allows you to find a sitting or lying position. Each position will have a different influence on comfort, and we'll look at this in more detail later.
Lumbar adjustment: this is essential for adjusting the support of the lumbar area according to your position in the harness. This adjustment is crucial because it allows you to adapt the back of the harness closely harness possible to your body shape.
Length of the cocoon or footrest (if equipped): adjusting the length of the support optimizes leg support during flight. Incorrect adjustment can make the harness , even if the other adjustments are correct.
It is important to take the time to remain in the harness a while in order to detect any discomfort that may arise over time. Sometimes, a strap that is slightly too tight may not be noticeable for the first 5 minutes, but may become completely unacceptable later on due to the relaxation of the tissues or the body. It is therefore essential to be patient and attentive in order to assess comfort over a longer period of time.
We will look at the various factors that can influence the comfort of a harness.
CONSTRUCTION
The comfort of a harness depends harness only on the adjustments, but also and above all on the meticulous work carried out by the manufacturer. The choice of materials, the shaping, the use of foam, and the placement of seams all contribute to making it comfortable. The human body has many curves that are difficult to model with 2D pieces of fabric. Under the weight of the pilot, these pieces can become deformed, resulting in uneven pressure and marked contact points. Different sewing techniques can be used to break down the shape and model it in 3D, and the quality of the designer plays a key role here.
The comfort of a harness necessarily related to its weight, but it is certain that a complex combination of well-made materials will offer better support (and therefore greater comfort) than a harness with little fabric.
FLIGHT POSITION
(Sitting / lying)
The comfort felt when using a harness directly related to the pressure exerted on the pilot's body. Comfort is therefore closely linked to the pilot's weight and the contact surfaces on which the body rests. For a given weight, a larger contact surface will reduce the pressure felt by the body. By increasing these contact surfaces, it is therefore possible to improve the comfort of the harness. For example, moving from a very seated position to a more reclined position increases the contact surface, as illustrated in the diagram where the green contact area in the seated position is smaller than the red area in the reclined position. Since the pilot's weight remains the same, the pressure exerted on these contact areas will be reduced, thus improving overall comfort.
This is why the harnesses at the beginning are generally of the seated type, as the flight time is not usually very long (in addition to other parameters related to learning). Of course, they do not prevent you from flying for long periods of time, but comfort will be reduced after several hours compared to a harness .
If you want to improve the comfort of your harness without necessarily buying a new one, it is often possible to install a footrest. This allows harness to stretch your legs and adopt a semi-reclined position if the back adjustment of your harness .
PILOT EXPERIENCE
(Straight flight / Turn)
With experience, the position in the harness to change. Pilots who are still learning, seeking to find updrafts and stay in the air as long as possible to enjoy the sky, spend about 70% of their flight turning and 30% flying straight to move around. On the other hand, more experienced pilots, who are more efficient in thermals, do not try to stay in them longer than necessary and accelerate in a straight line as soon as possible to cover as many kilometers as possible, spending 70% of their flight flying straight and 30% turning (unlike beginners).
The diagram shows the difference in weight distribution between a straight flight position (shown in blue) and a banked turn position (shown in green). Consequently, it is essential to seek comfort in the position where you are likely to spend most of your flying time. When testing equipment, especially on a gantry, it's important to be able to simulate roll in order to check lateral support and comfort in this position. Don't settle for a straight, balanced position, which may not necessarily be the one in which you'll spend most of your flying time.
The comfort sought in a harness therefore also harness on the type of flights planned and the skill level of each pilot.
CONCLUSION
The comfort of a harness on several important criteria that must be taken into account when choosing a model that will serve you for many years:
Adjustments: A harness numerous adjustments will allow you to fine-tune its geometry and feel securely supported. Although it may seem complicated at first, a harness adjustment options offers greater flexibility to resolve any potential discomfort issues.
Construction: The experience accumulated by a manufacturer over the years can guarantee unquestionable know-how and expertise in harness construction. The design techniques developed through this experience generally enable the company to offer high-performance solutions in terms of comfort.
Flying position: Your flying position will influence your comfort, especially over longer periods. A reclining position will naturally be more comfortable than a seated position for longer flights.
Level of experience: There is no point in choosing a harness for 10-hour flights if you are still a beginner or if you are only planning to go on hiking flights. When you opt for an harness for mountain flights, it is obvious that it will not offer the same level of comfort as a harness after several hours of flight. However, it is not designed for that purpose either.
By taking these criteria into account, you will be able to choose a harness meets your specific needs in terms of comfort, depending on your level of experience and the types of flights you plan to make.