Wild Country Mosquito Pro Harness Review

In 2006, the legendary Todd Skinner died when his harness’ belay loop failed. It was needless and tragic. In climbing, more than most sports, it’s worth stressing: if your gear is worn and questionable, replace it. No specific pitch here. Get the gear that meets your needs, but get the gear, and don’t delay on it. If you’re wondering what’s acceptable wear or lifespan, bring what you’ve got into a local shop or guide agency. They can steer you true. Now, if you are looking for a harness that works well for sport, trad, or mountaineering, a number of good options exist out there. Lately, I’ve been enjoying the Wild Country Mosquito Pro harness.

Wild Country Mosquito Pro Harness Features:

• 3 webbing belt construction, wide waistbelt and leg loops design for maximum support, comfort and pressure distribution
• Abrasion-resistant stretch ripstop fabric is treated with PFC-free DWR
• Lightweight padding and breathable mesh
• 3 lightweight aluminum buckles for full adjustability with layers
• 5 gear loops for multiple racking options and 2 ice tool holder slots
• Integrated wear indicator at lower tie-in point
• Front wide TPU injection-molded loops for easier gear retrieval
• Fifth gear loop for backup/ haul line
• 16 mm Dyneema belay loop
• Weight: 340g (stated, size Medium)
• MSRP: $130

A Comfortable All-Rounder

Over 16 years of climbing, I’ve developed a pretty strong preference for certain attributes in a harness. I like them to be lightweight with minimal, if any, padding. I like them to have a wide waistband for more even distribution of force and increased comfort in hanging belays. Finally, I like them to have plenty of easy-access storage on large gear loops. In all my time climbing, I always hailed the Arcteryx AR395 as the epitome of these holy principles. When the Wild Country Mosquito Pro harness launched though, I saw many of the same design decisions and characteristics. I was enticed.

Let’s start from the top. The Mosquito Pro is light enough, clocking in 340 grams in size Medium. That’s not insanely light, but it’s certainly not heavy either. For reference, it clocks in at the exact same weight as the Edelrid Sendero, 10 grams heavier than the Black Diamond Solution, 45 grams lighter than the Arcteryx AR395, and 65 grams heavier than the Petzl Sitta, all harnesses that I’d put into the same class. Weight isn’t everything in a harness, but it’s a consideration, and I’d say that Mosquito Pro puts itself in the right ballpark. Grams could be shaved, yes, but it’s a respectable position to be in. As for padding, it’s there, but it isn’t excessive. After all, it doesn’t need to be, because the harness is designed well.

That all comes down to the wide waist belt and leg loops, which make both climbing and sitting at hanging belays fairly comfortable. While climbing, nothing about the design rubbed me the wrong way. No chafing and no odd pressure means no problems and no complaints. It worked just the way that I’d want it to. Similarly, for longer days in the harness, hanging out at multiple hanging belays, I was as comfortable as I’ve ever been. I can be sensitive with hanging belays in particular, and truly hate the pressure that some harnesses put on my hips, but the Mosquito Pro was wide enough to disburse the load of my weight and keep things comfy the whole time.

Weight is a starting point and comfort is important, but the heart and soul of a harness is in how it holds gear. I consider no point more critical. Let’s start with the positives here. The Mosquito Pro has tons of space for gear. 4 gear loops on the side and a generous hoop in the back give you all the real estate you could ask for. I found it very easy to wear a double rack of cams to 4”, 10 alpine draws, anchor materials, bail materials, extra lockers, and a belay device. That’s a lot of stuff. The Mosquito Pro has the space for it. To add to it, the harness has a couple ice clipper loops, so it can hold things conveniently on mountaineering and light-rack ice outings.

It’s also pretty dang easy to get to. I know I’m about to sound like an old man here, but one complaint I had about my beloved Arcteryx AR395 of years past was that it took too much effort to stretch out and reach the rear gear loops. I wish I could say that I never cramped up trying to get stuff from back there, but I did. Several times, in fact. The Mosquito Pro was easier in that regard. Never once did I cramp up trying to get anchor material, awkwardly grunting on the rock in a category of pain I never knew in my 20s. Nope. Just easy access the whole time.

Now, let’s address the less positive gear loop notes. For one, Wild Country built this harness with 3 different types of gear loops (lighter cord in the back, webbing covered by a polymer tube in the rear sides, and webbing covered by injection-molded plastic in the front sides). It’s an odd choice, and I can’t say I understand it, but it’s not necessarily bad.

What I can conclusively say that I didn’t like was the performance of the front side gear loops. They tilt forward slightly, and the injection-molded plastic has very low friction against a carabiner. What’s the  result? Everything on the front side gear loops crowds towards the front of the harness, making retrieval of any single piece of gear more challenging. I would have been much happier if all of the gear loops were the standard polymer tube over webbing, or if Wild Country had chosen a more rubbery wrap for the front gear loops.

Regardless, it’s easy to look at the various qualities of the Mosquito Pro and come to one conclusion: it’s versatile. Over the past couple months of testing, I’d taken it cragging many times, taken it out on several big multipitch days in BC and the Cascades, and taken it out on a handful of glaciated mountaineering outings. It handles each well because it’s light enough, comfortable enough, and has enough storage (for both rock and light ice). It’s just a solid harness, regardless of circumstance.

Fit: I’m 5’11” and a lean 170 pounds with a 31” waist. I tested a size Medium, which I just cinched down to my size.

Buy Now: Available at Backcountry.com