Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Bino harnesses

What harness do you recommend and why? I want one that encloses the binocular....

Any input positive and negative about what you use.

I like the Alaska Guide Creations.

It protects your optics really well, as well as can cary license/tags, wind checker, spare ammunition, GPS, lens cleaner , etc.

Badlands is what I used to recommend, but their prices have gotten outrageous.

Most are way too bulky and cumbersome for my taste so I use the
Rick Young Outdoors harness and cover......very minimalist!

The AKG is well built, but it is too bulky for me. I just couldn't get used to it.

I switched to the FHF and am really happy with it.

I like the FHF too

Me 2. I have two on my binos

The simple s4 has worked well for me

I have been using an FHF. Just put a RYO harness in some lightweight 8x binos and think that’s a nice combo. I’m going to have my pack with me so I don’t need extra pockets, bulk, etc. that a full harness brings.

Three of us go along with your recommendation. Like their lifetime warranty should you need repairs or replacement.

I started using a heavier pair of binos this year than I was used to so decided to try a bino pack harness. I didn’t want anything too bulky or with too many pockets and gadgets. I ordered a BinoBro Prohunter from Oregon Pack Works, and one from Muley Freak.

I really like the BinoBro Prohunter because it’s simple and the harness is very comfortable with my Leica Geovid HD-B binos. The Muley Freak is very nice as well but the size I ordered was a little too tight for my Geovids. I gave it to my brother and he uses it for his Minox HG 8x43.

The BinoBro is designed to use a regular neck strap when you take the binocular out of the pouch, so I sewed on a couple small straps to connect the binocular directly to the harness with small release buckles, so it’s the same setup as the Muley Freak and some others. A very cheap and easy modification if you want to do it.

First trip we used them on was a 2 week backpack hunt for stone sheep and we both thought they were a huge improvement over what we’d been using for years, which was butler Creek bino caddy and similar Swarovski harness.

We both agreed that we didn’t even notice the binoculars with the new harnesses. I’m sure there are others that are just as nice or better, but these are the only two I’ve tried.

I've never seen any disadvantage to a good strap and never wished for a harness. However, a harness may have an advantage if used with a heavy binocular. Using only a strap, if one is conscious of a binocular's weight or the weight causes fatigue at any point, a harness might be the way to go.

Rick Young convert here. Minimalist and can be used for front of chest or slung to the side.

That is what I have been using since they came out for my hunting harness. If I am taking them in the SxS I use my badlands to protect them.

Which FHF works best with Geovid HD-B 10x42’s?

Kimber7man, the chart on BlackOvis site says large.

I’ve used a FHF for several years and really like it. Switched to KUIU this year for Swaro 10x42 EL Range and it worked great too.

Thanks! Will look them up and try to find a cyber Monday deal....

Rick Young for me and my girls too.

With the Rick Young harness, does it stretch when you're on all fours, and allow the binos to drop away from your chest and bounce on the ground, or does it keep them tight against your chest? It looks like it would droop like granny titties, especially with heavier binos, but I have never tried one.

That's the main reason I went to a full on chest harness. I got tired of thousands of dollars worth of optics hanging down and bouncing on rocks when I was crawling around the rocks to get a shot at something.

I also got tired of external lens covers, which were always breaking when they get cold and brittle, or falling off and getting lost when hiking through the brush. The full sized harnesses that completely cover the binos keep every bit of snow and rain off of the lenses.

I admittedly use full bino pacs (AGC for me) with heavier binos like the Geovids. However, the RY harness allows you to cram one barrel of the bino between your chest and one of the cords and it will stay tight and not sag at all. Like you, when serious hunting takes place I ditch the lens covers and just use the bino "nekkid" in the AGC pack, tethered to the shoulder straps of course, for quick access and usability.

Or the dreaded muddy tits.




Old pic, 2012 and a stretched out Crooked Creek(?) harness.



The Nikons are still going strong in the main feed pickup, love those Monarch III's!



I haven't hunted deer much in the last few years but do like the KUIU harness/case setup. Can't comment on durability but it works well to protect from rain/snow/dust.

Ya, the mud is bad enough as is loosing the covers....but the last straw for me with the Crooked Horn harnesses was the objective lenses on my granny titty Steiner Peregrine's getting gouged, from pogo sticking on the rocks. To Steiner's credit, they replaced the binos, but it put me over the edge and into the next canyon, known as Full Harness Canyon.

What JG said. You can loop the RY cords over the bino barrels to hold them snug against your chest. The neoprene cover they sell also works to protect the lenses instead of BC’s.

Like JG’, I found you can wrap one barrel and they don’t bounce around as much but still a pain in the ass to me.

Gave the Crooked Horn and RY to some local kids and have never looked back.

The other problem I continually had with the Crooked horn and other flat strapped harnesses was the oscillating of the straps in wind. Holy hell that would be annoying while trying to glass. I am guessing it isn't an issue with the Rick Young though, with the smaller round cord.

Thanks you guys. I tried wrapping one barrel around the strap of the Crooked Horn, but it would only hold there momentarily, then fall out. Kinda like granny boobies.

Nope, not an issue at all

2:15

I like the Badlands other than the magnets are noisy when they click shut. Been demo-ing a Kuiu this year and it sucks. The marsupial pouch thing seems a lot better.

Wow, that does look handy. I think I'll get one and try it out.

thanks!

Kuiu harness is the best there is,light weight,convenient,quiet and protects while being comfortable.I use the Kuiu with my Geovids

With the RYO contraption, you'll either need to trim the ends or deal with a big dangly hunk of crap hanging off your back, which will get tangled in door handles and trees when you lean against them. It's been suggested to just tuck the end under the other straps, but that just creates another loop to further entangle oneself. The FHF is the best I've found for medium to large binos.

AGC

I’ve got a small one for the Ultravids and a big one for the Geovids.

They’ve got a few super handy little pockets for stuff like lens wipes, ear plugs, a 44 mag speed loader, etc. There’s no fumbling with caps or worries about schmegma, spritz, and schmutz.




*******The locking buckle kit AGC sells is the cat’s ass!

The thing I hate about most of the pouch-type harnesses, is they hang down around your belly-button like granny's sagging tiddies. Nobody seems willing to re-do a harness for me, one-size-fits-all bullchit. I want them high and tight, so have to chop and fix them my very own self.

Ha! You're right about most of the harnesses. My FHF harness can be cinched up so it sits at pert 21 year old breast height.

Pretty easy to shorten it, if a guy desires.

I've been using the RYO for years, on a few different sets of binos. Most of my hunting buddies and family have been switching to them over the years as well. Dead simple, weighs next to nothing and works great. Inexpensive too.

kingston, another great pic and thanks again for the info on the AGC's. Received my Kodiak CUB MAX harness and really like it.

I shortened mine, but found that they no longer worked to throw over one shoulder and tuck under the opposite arm, which was a desired option for using the RYO harness to begin with. So, I moved on to a better protected setup.

Fair enough. Different strokes for different folks

Another AGC user here. I don't mind the bulkiness and am willing to trade it for the increased protection from the elements, plus it gives me extra storage for and easy access to my rangefinder, lens pen, extra ammo, etc.

Which pouch type harnesses are you referring to?

The AGC and FHF have strap systems that suck the entire unit right up tight to your chest, well above your stomach, and it stays there. No granny titties involved☹. I wish Kifaru would make one. I'd try it in a heartbeat.

AGC and Marsupial. The AGC harness was the worse, and top straps needed to be raised to above the second little strap keeper thingy and the frigging strap 'tail' on back had to be cut off and raised.

Never had that problem hunts’, you must wear it a lot higher than I do.

Odd. I wonder if Hunts had a real early version, before they worked the bugs out. I like how my FHF rides high up on my chest. Literally right on my rock hard pecks and above my washboard abs. Secure and out of the way. One of several reasons I went away from the Crooked Horn (besides what I wrote above) was that the binos constantly were sliding down near my crotch, regardless of how I adjusted the harness.

I think we're thin enough that we have to cut the excess tail off of any strap that is used to secure something to us (uh....forget I said that).

I need to keep mine up off the beergut.....

Ya, I probably wear it a little lower than some but haven’t had any problems with running out of room.

Surprised they could slide down past your beer gut with the CH.

Laffin’, we were posting beer gut at the same time.

You wear yours a lot higher then I do.

I like mine up that high, or maybe just a touch lower.

Hanging around my belly just didn't feel right, and it was swaying all over the place. The closer to my nips, the more secure mine feels.

I could make so many jokes about what I just typed.....

Dude, blue jeans? Seriously?

You're putting your life on the line. Cotton kills ya know?

I wear mine where the top is just below my nipples.

I know the mention of my nipples excites you but control yourself.

one thing I do like about the pouch style harness', is you can unclip the lower left buckle and swing it over to use it for a rear bag when shooting prone off a bipod...

Another thing I did, was to add a pair of buckles to my daypack shoulder straps. Toss the harness in the pack and attach the binoc pouch direct to the pack, less the lower buckles. When you shuck yer pack, all ya gotta do is release one side and it all stays together.....

I was both curious (not about your nips or my sexuality) and bored so I put my FHF on, and I guess I don't wear it near as high up as I thought. The top of the harness is just an inch or so below my nips. That's where it seems to feel the most secure, with no movement, so I guess Hunts' is wearing his quite a bit higher than I do.

Never thought about using one for a rear rest like that Hunts...that's a damn good idea. I always thought a bino harness looked gayer than a rainbow flag up the ass, but they are nice to have.

You’re always Macgyvering.

I like the AGC cause I can drop the pac on a final stalk and have the binocs, muzzle loader vials, wind checker etc but going to have to try your idea.

I've been using the Marsupial since they came out and continue to be very happy with their product.

Maybe where you hunt they work but in the desert they SUCK. The flap that covers is open constantly, dust just pools in the case. I tried one for this season because I said I would but will not use it after the first of the year. I think it is a really stupid design which is not the norm for Kuiu.

I know a lot of full-time hunters and NONE of them use this pouch and most of them wear Kuiu clothes. That says something.

I have tried the S4, crooked horn, Allen, FHF & Agc so far. The FHF is nice but I’ve gone with the Big AGC and it carries tags, knife, Leica rangefinder, wind checker, extra ammo, lens cleaner, pen & zip tie so it is all I need if I shoot something and can drop my pack if I’m in a huge hurry running to the top of the ridge or just taking a short scout with a rifle it has everything to be legal as well.

Simple is best for me. Tried several pouch versions and it is just too much crap in the wrong places.

This is exactly what I plan to do for my AGC pack. Seems like a smart idea.

One thing I like about the FHF is, it is compact enough I wear it between my shirt and coat

It took a hunt or two to break-in so my bino's go in and out with ease but I love the Badlands

The Rick Young harness does it all.

I’ve got lots of hunters that see mine, and trash their clunky bino bra case for the Rick Young.

Simple. Sturdy. Reliable. Affordable.

I don't get to hunt in places where binocs are really useful, so I don't know a damned thing about what works and what doesn't...but should I ever need such gear there is one story I have been told that I will not forget...

It seems this hunter was using some type of binocular harness, or strap, or whatever during a hunt and found himself entangled with a barbwire fence. It was actually his binocular harness that had snagged, and certain parts of it were elastic. He did not realize it was his harness that had snagged the barbwire, and kept pulling and resisting in frustration until the strap finally came loose from the barbwire, at which time the binoculars accelerated appreciably and hit him square in the mouth, splitting lips and loosening teeth. There was much blood and sorrow in that instant.

It's funny, but it's not.

After using a bino pouch last year, and before that elastic harnesses over a HPG Chest pouch, this spring I got the RYO setup for all the binos. Initially I went to the first chest pouch last year because I was tired of all the straps with separate harness and chest pouch, and the elastic harnesses sucking. But that bino pouch was made for work stuff and was too big for normal 10x40’ish binos. So I snagged the RYO harness and used them solely since March. Probably 2.5 months of wearing the RYO and HPG chest pouch in dessert, snow, mountains, and swamps.... I went back to a bino pouch. If I didn’t hunt the way I do, I would love the RYO. But in varied weather I decided I HATE objective and eyepiece covers and having to screw with them while stalking.


I went to the ACG Cub. The harness sucks, but can be worked. And after an upgrade, I like the design.

Did you try the RYO neoprene bino cover?

I have and can't like repeatedly unwrapping and rewrapping.

Yeah, there's no perfectly convenient system that is not bulky and heavy, and that protects your bino and keeps it at the ready. They all have trade-offs, and IMO the wrapping and unwrapping is a pretty minor inconvenience considering all the advantages to the system. But, the trade-offs that I prefer may not be the same that another guy prefers, and that's alright with me.

I’ve used a variety of bino harnesses over the past years. The Outdoor Vision harness is an awesome setup and highly recommend it. Built in rain pouch, magnetic open and closed position and great harness straps.
For anyone running a badlands harness with the annoying built in hydration pouch I cut mine out the first day I got it and was way more comfy after.

For those familiar with the FHF pieces, their site specifies sizes by bino height measurements. They list the small as being good for binos up to 6.75".

I have a 10x40mm bino that measures exactly 6.75" with the eye cups fully extended. Any one know if it'll fit or will I need to step up to the medium?

Not theirs, but another that works nearly identical. The issue is I will have a chest pouch on regardless, so having two sets of straps and the binos being on top of the chest pouch wasn’t helping. Without a chest pouch I would be quite happy with the RYO, with a chest pouch, it works better to just combine them.

I use a HPG pouch with the RYO setup, as well, and I have other stuff in the pockets of the pouch, like granola bars, headlamp, etc, so the combined system works well for me.

War Eagle, My binos are 6.5 inches with eye cups extended. I bought the small fhf, and they did fit, but the lid barely closed past the pouch. I also run it with the lid tucked behind the harness quite often, and did not like how the binos seemed like they were going to fall out when I bent over. They never did fall, but it made me uneasy. I got the medium harness and it is perfect. I use the small for my 8x30.

Any info on the upgrade? I like the actual pouch of my AGC, but feel the harness could probably be less bulky with the same or greater comfort.

Kuiu holding 8x42 Geovids

Sorry to drag this up from the depths, but having just received a set I found them to be constrictive (loose or firm), a pain in the arse to adjust (the flappy bit is also annoying), and doesn't play well with a pack.

I have dumped them back into the packet and will give them to someone I do not like very much.






Note that they may be ideal in a clime where one routinely wears more clothing...but here it sucks.

Sorry they didn’t work for you. I’ve found the total 180 opposite: easy to adjust, non constructive, and super easy to wear with a daypack. As for clothing, I wear mine with a t-shirt all the time. Either side slung or worn in center of chest, right below sternum.

Guess my fav thing is having such a minimalist way to wear binos, with lots of diff options on how to wear them.

Sorry it didn’t work. PM me and maybe I can find a home for them.

+1

Unlikely you would be paying postage from Australia to America.

I know a couple of deserving souls locally who could do with a bit of torment, just got to figure out which is annoying me the most at this moment in time.

What I do like is the clips...they are a very good idea and would go well with the original strap. I shall see if I can source similar that will accomodate a flat strap on ebay

+2

+3, have (2) sets and love them.

Good to have options....not everybody likes the same things. I'm still loving the RYO after a couple of months being worn 2-3 days each week.

True, if we all liked the same things there would be a lot of people out of business.

Below the sternum ain't 'center of chest'..... Center of chest IS center of sternum, and the RYO don't let the glass ride there.....

RYO does let glass ride that high. Would you like a photo?

It’s not where I want to wear glass, but RYO does it if you’d like.

Sure. Mine wouldn't....

Mine will ride from right up underneath my neck, center of chest, below sternum, wherever. I love 'em.

I like the Alaska guide creations. Wind checker in the one pouch, hand held predator call in the other. Several ziess wipes and license and tags in the top sleeve area

That's what I use 95% of the time.

AGC with cub for me and my geovids. Usually has a wind checker, license, head lamp, spare batters for the binos and head lamp, small knife sharpener, some flagging tape, a reload for whatever rifle I’m carrying and a small 2.5” fixed blade knife in the top. Yep it’s a bit big but carries everything I need if I have to drop my pack or jump out of the truck if I find something that needs shooting.

Momma has my old badlands bino pack for her Leupold 10x42’s and a sig range finder strapped to the side and it works fine as well.

I used Kuiu for several seasons and never really liked the case falling down towards your waist when using the binoculars

Just picked up a Marsupial Gear bino pack and rangefinder case a couple weeks back and like it a lot so far

rick young outdoors

Mine doesn't ?