Paragliding harnesses : the right equipment for flying

When choosing a paragliding harness, there are a number of important criteria to consider:

- The type of flying you'll be doing. Ultra-light paragliding harnesses are preferable for rando flying, cocoon harnesses for long-distance flights at different flying sites, a harness with double reserve pocket for acrobatics, harnesses with leg spread for tandem flying, or board harnesses for thermal flying. There are a whole host of criteria depending on your flying objective. The position in the harness, being comfortable in it, the size and adjustment of the harness. All these criteria can also be different in relation to the piloting and the pilot.

- The presence or absence of PPE on the harness. This is a question of whether or not you want to fly with protection (airbag, foam bag koroyd permair etc...). For example, those wishing to fly ultra-light will prefer to take off and fly with an airbag or inflatable Bump, or even without protection to optimize the weight of the equipment. Other pilots prefer to use airbags, which offer a good compromise between weight and volume, while providing excellent protection.

- Weight and volume. These two criteria are generally taken into account to avoid bulky equipment and maintain maximum comfort. Here's a general idea of the weight and volume of a pack including wing, harness, reserve plus some equipment for standard practice or rando flying:

Standard equipment : 12 to 15 kg (harness between 3 and 5 kilos) for 130 to 160 liters of bag volume

Light equipment : 7 to 10 kg (harness between 2 and 3 kilos) for 60 to 110 liters of bag volume

Ultra Light equipment : less than 7 kilos (a few hundred grams to 2 kilos) for a bag volume of between 30 and 60 liters.