Figure 8 Harness

A rear view of a person in a white bodysuit wearing a figure 8 shoulder harness. There is a knot in the center of their back at about the height of their armpits. Four lengths of rope exit the knot, making an X shape. One length goes under the right armpit, up the front of the right shoulder, and then back over the right shoulder to return to the knot. The same thing happens on the left side. The end of the rope hangs loosely down the person’s back.

The figure 8 shoulder harness is an alternative to the chest harness. It’s particularly useful for the hogtie because it provides an attachment point higher up on the chest than the standard chest harness.

This harness works well for some people but is very uncomfortable for others. Make sure to dress it carefully to remove any pressure points.

Step by step

A rear view of a person in a white bodysuit with their arms straight and slightly raised to their sides. The bight of a doubled blue rope crosses diagonally from left to right up their back, and goes under their right armpit. The bight is held above and in front of the right shoulder by the rigger’s index finger.

1Pass the rope under your partner’s right armpit.

It is important that your lines are smooth, flat, and even throughout this tie.

The bight crosses behind the person’s neck, moving to the left.

2Go behind the neck.

The rope comes down and goes back under the person’s left armpit.

3Go under the left armpit.

The bight of the rope is directly over the spine, slightly above the level of the armpits. The tail of the rope comes up through the bight, over and then under the rope behind the neck, and is then pulled out of frame to the right. The rope behind the neck is pulled down into a vee shape. The bight and the tail of the rope are pulled up into an inverted vee shape. The points of the two vee shapes are separated by three inches.

4Pass the long end through the bight and over then under the line behind the neck.

The tail of the rope ties a half hitch, securing the whole harness together. To do this, it first crosses over the rope in the lower right quadrant, making a small circle of rope at the center point of the harness. It then goes under the rope in the lower right quadrant and then up through the circle before being pulled taut.

5Adjust the harness so that all the lines come together in an X shape in the middle of the back.

Finish with a half hitch by going over then under the right armpit line, exiting in the middle of the X.

6Snug the knot.

Reinforcement

We are looking at the front of a person in a white bodysuit wearing a figure 8 shoulder harness. One blue rope comes up under their left armpit, up over the left shoulder, and vanishes behind the neck. Another rope does the same thing on the right side. A new rope has been added, coming from under the left shoulder and crossing diagonally up across the chest.

1If you want to add reinforcement to the figure 8 harness, begin by passing the rope just under the left armpit and across the upper chest.

Make sure to find the shortest path so there is no slack in the rope.

The rope goes under the right shoulder line and doubles back across it, travelling horizontally across the chest toward the left shoulder.

2Pass the rope under the right shoulder line and double back toward the left shoulder.

To avoid creating a pressure point, don’t use a half hitch or Munter here.

The rope goes under the left shoulder line and doubles back across it, travelling diagonally down and to the left. It crosses over the diagonal rope from step 1 and moves toward the right armpit.

3Pass the rope under the left shoulder line and double back to the right armpit.

The rope passes under the right armpit, just underneath the original right armpit rope. The rope now makes an X in the center of the upper chest.

4Pass the rope under the right armpit and tie off with a half hitch in the center of the back.

The harness should be snug and symmetrical in front.

A person with breasts in a white bodysuit. They have a blue shoulder line on each side. A new rope comes under the left shoulder and tucks directly under the left breast before going up to the right shoulder line and doubling back around it.

OPTION If your partner has breasts, you can use them to anchor the lower part of the harness. In step 1, pass the rope underneath the left breast rather than directly under the armpit.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License