Would like to get the thoughts from those of you who use binocular chest rigs. Have used a harness for years and have been happy, but am intrigued by the potential utility of these.
Any specific recommendations would be appreciated. Saw a link on here about a week ago for a product made by a guy in AK, but have had no luck with internet searches without the name of the product.

Badlands Makes a really good 1 with water bladder built into the rear straps, yet tucks away if not needed.
http://badlandspacks.com/bino.php

I've been using a Crooked Horn Bino system for 6 or 7 years. I love it. I don't even know the binocs are there most of the time. I wear it under my pack, but fasten the sternum strap under the top bino straps so I have full use of them when wearing the pack.

I have a very good day pack with built bino straps but they're a PIA. You have to unclip the binocs every time you take the pack off. I just wear the Crooked Horn and forget the straps on the pack.

This photo from Crooked Horn shows the guy holding the binocs with the straps stretched out. Put the sternum strap through the V against your chest. And don't waste the extra $5 getting the camo version.

chopperjockey, the bino system you are referring to is the Bino Chest Pack made by Alaska Guide Creations: http://alaskaguidecreations.com/

I like the way it looks, and might give it a try. I've been using something called a Binocsock for a few years and really like it. Apparently they have stopped making them, though.

Has anyone tried this Alaska Guide Bino pack? I tried making my own, but am not satisfied with how it hangs. It constantly slips down no matter what I try. If the Alaska guide works as well as it looks, it would be well worth $50.

Have you tried this one? The strapping attaches very much the way I designed mine. It doesn't work for me. Just wondering if you found it to work?

crooked horn is great for a heavy set, I like how the binosock protects the glass, but if you want simple and light a piece of surgical tubing tied around your back works well to keep them from bouncing around and still allows holding them up to your eyes

I use a Coaxsher radio chest harness. It holds my radio, GPS, and SPOT on the front and in the main compartment holds a pistol or a pair of binoculars. It's not a hunting specific rig, it's for search and rescue (SAR), but it works well for what I need.

I use the Alaskaguidecreations, and that's the one chopperjockey is looking for. It is USA made by a regular guy like us, badlands isn't, the AGC is much better anyway. Badlands made the AGC then changed it just enough to get off the patent and sell their own. If you like stuff like that, ok.

The AGC can be worn with a pack and works great, I wear mine with my MR nice frame no problems. Holds alot of electonics right where you can get to them.

I know others that post here do the same, will probably chime in.

Kent

Very nice!

Allen also make a BinoBuddy that works well. I like the clips better on their set-up. I rufuse to dangle $600+ glass on 30 cent clips.

I also use a BinoHide from Cabelas to keep the crap out of the eyecups.

Like Kent, another current user here of the AGC bino pack. No bounce or swing with the 10+15 Duovids inside. Leica LRF 1200 fits in the front pocket. Side pocket carries a lens pen for the brush and a few lens wipes. I have not attached the bino to the harness, so the Leicas are quick and easy to put on a tripod.

Before that I had the IPI Bino Manager (now by Mad Dog/Coleman). It too stopped bounce and swing.
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/detail.asp?CategoryID=25531&product_id=COLEH651

Is the AGC setup slim enough to have chest clearance for shooting a bow?

Anyone actually use of the Badlands Bino pack?

For me it sits low enough that the string doesn't come back behind the pouch, the pouch sits below the angle of the string from axle to release. I bought mine after archery Lope hunting, trying to crawl up on animals with your binos dragging in the dirt or trying to keep them out of the way was terrible, live and learn.

I only have one crappy picture of me wearing it with a pack, while on a quick spring trip with my family. The same trip with the first pic I posted of the contents.



Kent

Thanks for the info. The AGC system was what I had seen earlier and looks to be the closest to what I'm looking for. Glad to hear those that have tried it, like it.

I had seen the Badlands, but the straps are so big, it doesn't look to be very comfortable when worn underneath a backpack.
Eberlestock makes one that looks pretty nice, but it attaches to your pack straps. I'm not sure if a strap system could be rigged so that if you shed the pack to low crawl, you could still have your glass with you (might be able to make current harness work so that it could be worn under a pack).
Thanks again for the links and feedback.

I have the Badlands Bino Pack and I love it. I have been using it for almost a year. I think it is very well made and very comfortable. I wear it with a day pack and an Eberlestock 107 with no problems at all.

I recently used it on a WY antelope hunt. It was raining and muddy as could be. My glass was always clean and not foggy. A few times we ended up belly crawling through mud and I was sure glad I had it. One of the guys I was hunting with was carrying Swaro ELs that he paid almost $2k for that were wet, foggy and dirty the whole time.

I think the Badlands product is great and I cant recommend it enough. But I am kind of anal about looking through clean glass.

krp

I am on an a iphone right now but if you could post the pic of me with the bing pouch on while sporting the MR pack hauling on my boy it might show how it rides better.

Is it possible to swap the straps on the Badlands Bino to incorporate it into a 2200 or Monster Fanny? Some of the older packs you could mix and match straps, packs and bladders. Now that I think about it I sent some stuff back and they custom stitched clips for what I was wanting at the time. Anyway, do you see any opportunity to attach it to the front of a 2200 and when you ditch the pack use the intended straps?

Thanks, KRP. I like the looks of the AGC rig a little better than the Badlands. If it works with a bow I may give it a try.

alaska lanche, he may not hike 50 miles in 9, but I won't bet against him on getting there first with a load of 'Bou. Well, his wife might beat him.





Kent

Dan, I'm not familiar with the Cabelas BinoHide so I tried to find it on their site and didn't come up with anything. Have you got any more info? Here's why I'm interested: We've never come up with an ideal way to carry and use binos in heavy rain, and we hunt in rain a LOT. I've used the Crooked Horn bino harness in recent years, good, but doesn't solve the wet problem.

I carry my binos with a cover on the eyepiece end, which is up as they hang on the harness. To use, I lift them tight up under the broad long brim of my cap and take the eyecovers off under the cap brim close to my eyes, protected from rain. When finished, I reverse that, replacing eyepiece cover while the binos are under the cap brim before exposing them to rain again. We usually carry binos inside outer rain shell.

http://www.shootnhunt.com/scopes_sights_and_optics/scope_optic_accessories/0922204.html

Best I could come up with... You're right Cabelas doesn't show it anymore.

I bought mine at Stateline store in Idaho at their grand opening. Best 15 dollar piece of gear on the planet.

I have the Alaska Guide Bino Pouch and have been using it for a little over a year now and love it. Prior to purchasing it I was using the Crooked Horn system and it did not work for me. The bino pouch holds binos perfectly plus allows me to carry a few other items in the zippered pockets(range finder, hunting license and tags , etc). This pouch helps protect my lenses while walking through brush and rain/snow which is a major plus for me. The pouch also lets me remove the binos from it and have no attachments so no tugging on my neck or straps getting caught up under my pack when wearing it.

Dan, thank you for the link!

I always hate it when these "binocular chest rig" threads appear on various boards. It reminds me that I invented/designed it for my own use approximately ten years prior to seeing them on the market. I call it one of my three missed millionaire opportunities. It's a good thing I am comfortable being on the outside looking in.

Interesting, not much info on the site yet, any idea how big the water bladder is?

So the binos are just tucked into the pouch not attached at all to the strap system?

You're telling me

I invented the Bumper Dumper....... About 6 mo's too late


Hell, the list of things I invented 6 months too late is more impressive that Lee24's

Heres a link to some pics. Should help out quite a bit.

http://www.sagecreekforums.com/phpf...postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Boy I really like that, I can think of a lot of uses in addition to hiking and hunting. Just emailed him, sure enough he had a few left in black, so I committed. Ball games, motorcycling, airshows, I can see a lot of uses.

The beauty of an 8x32 is you donnne neeed no steenking chest harnesss

Yes the binos just sit in the pouch with nothing attaching them. The pouch itself is attached to you.

I've tried several of these rigs. Recently I've been using the badlands.

Pros:

I love how tight it holds the binos to the chest. No elastic. Firm and no bouncing!

I love the extra space for other things. Calls, cell phone, license, whatever.

I love that the system is completely sealed. No snow or dirt gets in.

Cons:

Somewhat bulky. It doesnt really bother me, and I've used it with the MR crew cab and the badlands hypervent, but the straps and the back mini-pack might bother some.

The magnetic closure. This is a love/hate thing. I love the ease of use, but it's noisy when closed. It makes an audible snap unless you slowly and deliberately close it. The snap of the magnet closing ruined one stalk on a big muley for me this year. The deer were fine with the breaking branches and crunching leaves, and when that bino magnet slammed shut, the deer blew out.

The lanyards that connect the bino to the chest pack. They are too small. I'm looking to rig something different in it. I'd like to come up with a quick swap system for my different binos using small clips of some kind. Anybody have any suggestions? The ones I've found at REI and such are all too big.


Overall: The best one out yet, but still not perfect. We're getting closer, though.

Has anyone used the Nimrod bino harness? The over the sholder straps are webbing instead of elastic. I was thinking that would definitely reduce sagging when using heavy binos.

I just bought a pair of Cabella's Euros 12x50s...... Im hoping they will fit inside the Badlands?????

For Christmas my son got me one of the AGC carriers along with one of the Crooked Horn setups and told me to keep the one I settled on. I decided the AGC setup was right for me. It doesn't interfere in any way with my pack harness (MR CrewCab) and it protects the binoculars completely. I have left the regular strap on the binoculars and that seems like a good idea when you are just using them near your vehicle or walking out from camp to look at things.

A Garmin 60CSx will just fit in the front pocket but I'll continue to carry mine tethered through a button hole and in my shirt pocket. Probably use the pockets for my headlight, spare compass, binocular cleaning items such as a small squeeze bottle of distilled water, lens pen, lens cloth and so forth.

DJR

Thought I would share with you the bino system my daughters bought me for Christmas.

It works with the same principle as other bino harnesses, however this one keeps your expensive glass protected from the elements and banging around, rather it stays snug against your chest.

The side pockets are a tad bit small, but after talking with the maker, he intends to redesign with larger side pockets. After thinking about it, I did think of a few uses for the small pockets. They are about the perfect size for four AA batteries on one side, and my glass cleaner on the other (which consists of a lens rag, a twist brush, and two Zeiss towelettes).

the front pocket does fit my Brunton and Etrex Vista, but it is tight, and I'll probablly just run with one of those inside of that pocket. Ballgames it will hold a camera.

Although the maker also makes the camo version, I opted for black so that I could use this bag at ballgames and motorcycle trips, I just might get the camo version after the new larger side pocket version comes along.

Good craftsmanship, and dealing with this guy is a pleasure..there is not a doubt in my mind that if something goes wrong with this pack, or comes un-stitched, this guy will make good.

I like this and feel better about hiking around with $1200 Ultravids covered up, instead of banging around.

Five stars!

www.alaskaguidecreations.com

With the Badlands Bino vault system you can remove the bino straps and use it conjunction with the factory sternum straps on a Badlands pack.

I have an extra one if someone is interested. I guess the wife has enough bouncing in that general area.

I too like the thought of the binocs in a "pouch". I stated before the Coaxsher does the same thing, a pouch for the binocs. It also has a place for a GPS, a radio (or two) and a SPOT. Seems not to catch on though. I guess they need to make a "camo" package and call it the "Outdoorsman" or something. I've never used or found online a better "system" than the Coaxsher I posted about, but for some reason it doesn't catch on except in fire suppression or SAR (search and rescue), and it's made in Washington state (USA made). Oh well, I'll keep using it, and keep getting told, "Wow, that's cool, where'd you get it" (knowing the guy asking isn't going to buy one until it's made in "snow camo" or "realtree"

I picked up one of Jarets (Alaska Guide Creations) Bino Chest Packs a few weeks ago. I used it this past weekend on a hog hunt. It was a miserable weather hunt that tested it well. I covered about 15 miles in constant drizzle at 32 -36 deg. weather on Saturday. The pack work out great. It fits snug and doesn't flop arround. Everything in the pack was dry at the end of the days hunt. I used it often glassing an area I had never hunted. I had no problems and am very happy with the pack.
It carried my binos, wipes, GPS, rangefinder, and my maps, with ease.

Here is an option Kifaru is coming out with. It also has a quick access concealed pistol panel:
Kifaru Koala

That's on the large side. A bit bulky for what I was looking for.

I agree Lunarphase. Bigger than I want to carry on my chest. A slimmer version on the other hand...

That looks decent for general packing and getting to camp, I like the idea of carrying weight in the front to balance the pack in back. Wouldn't work for hunting with a bow or crawling after lopes, that's where the AGC shines. Still I like that idea for other purposes.

Kent

Agreed. It may be well made, but too big. Although I would carry it if I was in enemy territory.
I received from from Jaret, (AGC) today. So far it looks good.

Did your rangefinder and GPS both fit in that front pocket at the same time? What size glass were you carrying?

Rangefinder fit in front pouch, Binos, maps and GPS fit in main pouch, (1)side pouch held multi tool and lighter the other held head mini lamp, back zipper pocket held tags, permit and ID. Binos I was using were Nikon compact size (4.5"x4.5" I think) but larger would also fit with GPS in main pouch.
If you carry large binos check with Jaret, I think he makes a larger size also. He asked me what size binos I use and we went from there.

Same here,It lets you tuck them in you jacket when you are not wearing the pack. Added precaution in the event your in a hurry and you "Miss" the pack or take a tumble.