The Advance Easiness 3 is a very high quality mainstream 'hike and fly' harness that's also suitable for beginners, and those with more general flying experience but new to the hike & fly genre. It also provides a myriad of other possibilities, for "travel and fly" or cycling to sites, for example. If you're interested in this sort of harness, read on…
The Wani Light 2 is a reversible airbag harness with integrated reserve, designed to help you get your kit really compact and still have certified back protection. In this class are the Supair ALTIRANDO LITE and Gin Gingo Airlite 4. Although the Skywalk BREEZE and Advance EASINESS 3 are similar, they are split-leg designs with no seatboard. The Wani Light 2 has a broad lightweight seatplate that helps to improve the minimalistic crash protection and provides maximum weightshift control and feedback.
The Supair ALTIRANDO LITE is aimed at Progression Class pilots (typically flying EN A or EN B) who want the security and simplicity of a traditional upright harness but are wanting to make their kit light and compact. It features a split-leg support system and a seat plate. The harness reverses to form a backpack, and it inflates in the air to give you certified airbag back protection that appears large and effective.
The Supair SKYPPER 2 has everything else you’d expect from a top of the range harness: two reserve containers, thick 18cm back protection, generous storage pockets, a wide instrument cockpit and removable panel, and drogue chute pockets on both sides. It is a slightly different take on the competition harness that makes it more appealing to a broad range of experienced XC pilots.
The Supair DELIGHT 3 is a lightweight pod harness with a fairly upright seating position which makes it easy to transition to for pilots unfamiliar with the reclined style of harness. With the traditional rear position for a reserve parachute and a simple ‘get-up’ leg strap design it is easy to get into and prepare for launching. It has a well-finished look and eye-catching style, but what is it really like in the air?
Skywalk is clear in their marketing that the RANGE X-ALPS2 is for top level performance: “for pilots who want to go to the limit in competitions or who insist on extremely light gear”. If you’re a podium contender for an upcoming hike and fly race, it looks like the one to have. But is it a practical option for general XC pilots wanting a lighter comfortable pod? Let’s find out.
We inspect the latest creation from Advance: the STRAPLESS is an minimalist mountaineering harness for alpine purists.
The Advance LIGHTNESS 2 is a lightweight harness for paragliding cross country enthusiasts. Having tested ours for a full season, we're ready to report on the pros and cons of this exceptional pod harness.
Weighing just 2.95kg in the medium size, it offers a significant weight-saving when compared to most full-featured cocoon-style harnesses, yet it retains all of the functionality.
We consider its suitability for hike-and-fly explorers and inspect the durability displayed by our frequently flown test unit.
The RANGE X-ALPS is an ultralight competition harness designed for the Red Bull X-Alps 2015. It has an eye-catching aerodynamic rear fin and a narrow fit, offering maximum performance through reduced drag. Pilots competing in hike-and-fly races will be excited by the news, but is it suitable for the wider adventure-flying market, or even as a regular harness for experienced XC pilots wanting to minimise? As such it competes with our current favourite for bivi pilots, the Kortel Kolibri. In this review we compare the two and highlight advantages to help you decide which one is right for you.
