Mammut Ophir 3 Slide Review

Climbing harnesses are the most necessary piece of equipment when climbing. It will affect pretty much every area of your climb, the main one being actually holding you aloft on the side of the cliff face. 

Even if you are a beginner, you will definitely want to know as many details about a particular climbing harness as you possibly can. Experience is definitely going to be the best teacher, however you will want to have a foundational knowledge first and that is why we bring you Mammut Ophir 3 Slide Review. 

Not only will this foundational knowledge save you from harm since you will know a majority of the pitfalls before getting your climbing harness, but you will also be able to enjoy your climb a whole lot more since you know the experience was catered by you and the knowledge that you found out.

If you are a more experienced climber, you may not have done a whole lot of research and mostly learned from experience. However, now is a good time to go back and look over some specifics of either a climbing harness that you have you are looking to get. This way you will know why exactly you liked other climbing harnesses in the past, or why particularly you did not like a certain one. This will refine your selection process, which is already tempered by experience, and just make that much more of a more discretionary climber.

Below is a guide to help you look at the details of the Mammut Ophir 3 Slide Review and really consider the pros and cons of this particular climbing harness. 

Mammut Ophir 3 Slide Review Climbing Harness Score

Mammut Ophir 3 Slide Review

Standard comfort rating-Seven out of Ten

Hanging comfort rating-Five out of Ten

Features rating-Six out of Ten

Mobility Rating-Seven out of Ten

Versatility Rating-Six  out of Ten

Adjustability Rating-Six out of Ten

How Well Does the Mammut Ophir 3 Climbing Harness Actually Perform?

Great for Gym and Crag Climbing

Despite its somewhat bland performance, this harness will serve you well whether you are climbing at the gym or if you are crag climbing. 

It’s Comfortable

A good feature of the Mammut is its two part webbing construction. This just means that in between the webbing on the harness is foam and mesh packed inside of it. It’s pretty breathable design and also adds a good bit of comfort to your harness. 

Though the design does add comfort, when compared to other climbing harnesses, the Mammut just doesn’t really compare. It will still serve you well in the comfort area, just not as well as other harnesses.

However, there is padding in the waist area, which is a bonus. This is a little counteracted by the at times uncomfortably narrow leg holes. They cut into your legs somewhat after a while of hanging. 

This isn’t a huge problem if you are simply descending to a specific point. However, if you are with a buddy and attempt to belay with them, it may affect your comfort more than is tolerable. 

The Foam is Still a Little Thin

Also, the foam that sits in between the webbing is at best pretty thin. This is another reason that its comfort level is slightly low, there just isn’t a lot of padding there to help support you while you are hanging for a longer period of time.

 After a while it may start to feel like there isn’t any padding at all. The design is meant to be breathable much more than it is to be very comfortable. 

Another comparable climbing harness that isn’t too much better than the Mammut 3 Slide is the Black Diamond Momentum. It has a couple of features that are enhanced above the Mammut. It is definitely a good one to compare to because it is not way out of range in terms of the quality of the harness and the price. This is good because it’s a whole lot easier to compare harnesses of similar construction and price so that you can know exactly what the better features are. 

What is the Mammut Ophir 3 Climbing Harness Most Often Used for?

Its Meant for Traditional Climbing

Again, this harness doesn’t really stand out from many others. That being said, you can use this harness for either traditional climbing, where you are attempting to set your own anchors and find the best possible route as you climb, or you can use it for sport climbing where there are already pre-set anchors and you’re just attempting to complete a harsh physical challenge.

Not Great for Sport Climbing

Gear loops are mostly standard placement compared to other climbing harnesses so there isn’t much to note about them. However, they don’t stick out to the sides as much as you would prefer, especially for sport climbing where you want to quickly and efficiently grab the tools that you need. 

When you are sport climbing, speed and efficiency are key when trying to complete feats of time trial or length. You want to save every effort of energy and time in order to complete your climbing route. 

You Can Carry A Good Amount of Gear

But the available loops are definitely large enough to accommodate your gear very well. The loops can definitely carry a large number of carabiners, which is a big bonus when doing a traditional climb where you need as many anchors as possible. 

There is a spot at the back of the harness to hang a chalk bag, but if you are wanting to do an ice climb with this harness you are out of luck. 

Also, if you are using this for traditional climbing where you need a large amount of equipment, you will be able to tell that your harness is really being weighed down by the equipment.

Though most harnesses have this, it’s worth noting that there are red indicator straps underneath the nylon on the upper tie-in points. This way, if your straps begin to wear down, you will notice the red parts coming through and you will know it is time to replace your climbing harness. 

To prevent wear and tear at the most stressful points, the Mammut features a guard made out of plastic, that way the material rubs up against the plastic and not other more abrasive surfaces. 

Does the Mammut Ophir 3 Climbing Harness Let You Be Mobile?

It Has Good Mobility

A relatively low profile is a solid feature to this climbing harness. It sits very close to the waist and crotch area and doesn’t protrude much farther in either direction, which is a big deal. Usually a good test of mobility is being able to reach both your feet and a high up crag or step without the harness biting into your stomach or putting stress near your crotch area. 

The Gear Loops Slope Forward

The only real flaw found when talking about mobility is that two of the front gear loops have a slight slope forward when climbing. This slope isn’t a huge deviation, but it is enough to be annoying when you are trying to stabilize yourself. Most of the time you won’t be having to lean forward, however, because you will be going straight up, down, or side to side. But even small shifts in your balance, especially if more weight is distributed in one direction, can frustrate your balance. This is not a hug issue, but it is something to be considered.

Is the Mammut Ophir 3 Climbing Harness Versatile?

Limited Versatility

Since these harnesses straps don’t stick out far enough, and since the harness doesn’t have slots for ice clippers, it’s not really the most versatile climbing harness out there. That being said, this harness is pretty flexible.

 If you are on climbs you have to spread your legs very wide or where the outcroppings are far apart and you have to stretch a good ways to reach them, you will appreciate the low profile of this harness. Also, even though the gear loops aren’t the most practical, they are pretty limp, so they won’t cause you to be too uncomfortable.

Is the Mammut Ophir 3 Climbing Harness Versatile?

3-Buckle System 

The Mammut features a larger than average buckle system. It has three different buckles that can be used to adjust the harness. This higher level of buckles makes the harness very adjustable and more precise when adjusting it. 

The only problem is the placement of the buckle on the waist. It sits on the right side, which will make it a little difficult for right handed climbers to adjust. Typically, it’s just easier to adjust a buckle on the opposite side from your dominant hand. 

There are also buckles on the leg loops which makes adjusting even better, even though the leg loops are pretty small to begin with, you can definitely still get a pretty good adjustment from the system even so.

Self-Locking Buckle

Self-locking buckles are a pretty handy feature to the buckles as well. The buckles on the legs and the buckle at the waist all automatically lock into place when strain is put on them. 

This is very good if you ever fall farther on the line than you thought that you would, and also for keeping a continuous rigid fix to your entire harness. Also since the buckles are self-locking, clasps stay in place unlike other harnesses whose clasp may jangle around annoyingly. 

A really cool feature when talking about adjustability and also fit is the placement of the actual gear loops themselves. Most climbing harnesses put their gear loops directly across from each other, which ends up making the loops slightly off center.

However, with this particular climbing harness, the actual gear loops are offset from each other instead of directly across from each other so that no matter what size you have you will mostly get the belay and haul loop in the center of your harness. 

What is the Best Application for the Mammut Ophir 3 Climbing Harness Versatile?

Gym or Single-Pitch Climbs

Your best bet for the use of this climbing harness is probably going to be as a gym harness or a single pitch rock climbing harness. 

This is because of the average weight of the harness, not nice and light but also not too heavy, and also because of its average comfort level. 

However, though not a stand out and shout feature, if you are looking for a harness that has middling fit and pretty good adjustability, this is probably the harness for you. 

Does the Mammut Ophir 3 Climbing Harness Have Good Value?

Great Value For Money 

Even with all of this climbing harnesses mediocrity, the value for the money is actually pretty high. It doesn’t really underperform, but more so does not outperform most other climbing harnesses.

At $55 dollars, it’s a really good buy, especially for beginners who are just starting out and need a baseline to learn about climbing harnesses, or it is great for someone who climbs infrequently either at the gym or in a single pitch scenario. 

Pros and Cons of the Mammut Ophir 3 Climbing Harness

Pros 

  • Wear and tear is decreased by the guard made of plastic around pressure points
  • Breathable construction
  • Good fit due to the gear loops being offset

Cons

  • Not very comfortable for long periods of time
  • Right handed people may have trouble with buckle location
  • Gear loops not as functional as other harnesses

What’s the Verdict on Mammut Ophir 3 Climbing Harness?

Breathable and Inexpensive

Looking for a breathable harness? One that warns you when the straps are frayed and is also inexpensive? This is the harness for you. It may not be a break out climbing harness that ticks off lots of boxes in terms of features, comfort, or weight, but it will get the job done for sure. 

The Mammut Ophir 3 Slide definitely isn’t the most world class climbing harness, but it is still a pretty good option if you are going to be traditional or even sport climbing.  Also if you are going to be alpine climbing this will also be an acceptable harness to use. 

Middle of the Road Features

One of the main reasons that it isn’t a particularly great climbing harness is because the features on it don’t necessarily stand out from any other climbing harnesses. It also lacked some features that other climbing harnesses have. 

The main attention grabbing feature is honestly the fit of this harness. Fit is really the biggest thing to consider when choosing a climbing harness. It will affect pretty much every area of your climbing experience. So if that is your biggest concern then the Mammut is not a bad choice for you.