In addition to the weight bearing parts of the harness, there are parts of the harness that are not designed to be part of the safety system. These include the gear loops, used for carrying equipment e.g. protection devices, carabiners, etc., and the elastic cords which pass behind the buttocks for the purpose of keeping the leg loops from slipping down while not under load. Any attempt to tie the safety system into these components could lead to failure and an unprotected fall. It is acceptable to attach the rope to a leg loop via a Prusik knot and carabiner, but this should only be done with the brake end of the rope in an abseil system in order to keep the Prusik clear of the belay plate. This end of the rope experiences considerably lower forces than the "live" end, due to the action of the belay device.