Kite Lab: Ozone AccessXC D-Ring Harness
Overview
The Ozone AccessXC D-Ring Harness is a comfortable and excellent snowkiting harness that is perfectly suited for kiters looking for a secure harness that excels at big mountain, exploration or cruising while kiting.
Drift Snowkite Magazine Certified Product
Details
The Ozone AccessXC D-Ring Harness is built like a very comfortable climbing harness with very wide padded leg loops and back band. Well built and thoughtfully designed, the AccessXC harness is nearly perfect for snowkiters. Available also as a more common spreaderbar and hook harness, the Ozone AccessXC harness offers a harness for snowkiting of any type.
The harness is built on a framework of inch and a half flat webbing that circles the waist and each leg meeting in the front in a “A” connection with a D-ring at the top of the “A”. This serves as the attachment point to the chickenloop of your kite efficiently transferring pressure from the pull of the kite to the entire harness. Adjustability of the harness is achieved by two large adjustment buckles for the waistband and one each for the leg loops. Adjustment of the harness requires a little strength, but offers a very large range allowing a comfortable fit for nearly anyone. The padding on the AccessXC has been revised from last season to make it less prone to picking up snow.
The AccessXC harness will take a little getting used to if you are switching from a kiteboarding waist harness or seat harness. The first thing people report after switching from a waist harness is the ability to breath comfortably. No more harness riding up, crushing ribs and squishing your diaphram. The biggest change most people have reported is getting used to using leg loops. Since the harness is designed to spread the weight across the back and the legs, it is important to tighten the leg loops so they are snug enough to bear weight. Failing to do so will put much of the weight on the back band and can get uncomfortable.
Nearly perfect, after spending much of the season in mine, there are a few things I would like to see changed on the harness. The biggest one is the plastic buckles for the waist band. Although very strong (I’ve not heard of any issues with them) I would like to see a more secure connection and adjustment option, especially with kiters soaring to great heights in the AccessXC harness. The legloop design is better with a complete ring of webbing and a secondary piece of webbing that runs through the buckles allowing for adjustment. If the buckle fails, the ring of webbing remains intact.
The harness could also use an accessory loop or two. I have rigged a carabiner and a line knife through the two tiny webbing loops in the waist band, but without the biner, there is no place to attach a kite leash. Beyond that, this is definitely the best snowkiting harness I have ever used.
Specs
Manufacturer: Ozone Kites
Model: AccessXC D-Ring (Also available with a spreader bar)
Size: One size fits everyone but the micro waifs and the obscenely obese.
Weight: Very light compared to a waist harness
Colors: Black with white and red trim.
Online Info: Flyozone.com
MSRP: $99.95
Buy Now: Tahoe Mountain Sports
Ratings
Durability Rating: 
Built to stand up to a bunch of snowkite seasons, my only concern are the plastic buckles on the waist harness. If you are soaring, make sure you have a secondary system.
Function Rating:
With a huge adjustment range and a clean design, this harness does what it is supposed to do… connect the kiter to the kite comfortably and securely.
Quality Rating: 
Very well built with just the right amount of padding, this harness is top quality like everything Ozone makes.
Appearance Rating:
Good looking, but not flashy, you’ll probably want to take it off before going into the bar, but if you forget, it isn’t a big deal.
Packaging/Environmental Responsibility Rating: 
The AccessXC harness comes in a mesh bag that I have kept and reused to store the harness. The red top of the harness bag helps locate it in the depths of my pack.
Overall Overall Rating:
The Ozone AccessXC D-ring Harness is comfortable, adjustable, lightweight stylish and secure. If only everything could be this good!
Conclusion
The Ozone AccessXC D-ring harness changes the game in snowkite harnesses. Well built and much more comfortable than a waist harness, I can’t imagine ever going back! Drift Certified!
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