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Bino Harness...Do You Use One or No? If So, What Do You Like? (1 Viewer)

M

MUHerd

Well-known member
Hey all,

I have a terrible neck and back. In fact I have an autoimmune disease that caused all of my vertebrae to fuse together. As a result I have to do things a bit differently than others.
I am pretty sure I wouldn't be comfortable with binoculars hanging around my neck for an extended period of time, especially my 30 ounce Pentax DCF HRII 10x42. I think I would be much better off, and more comfortable, if I use a harness to hold my binos.

I'd like to know how many of you use a harness and whether they are really helpful or not. Do they take some of the weight off of your neck and upper back? Please post your thoughts and experiences with bino harnesses over the years.

Also, would you mind recommending a harness that you think would work well for me and help me be as comfortable as I could be under the circumstances? I sure would apreciate it if you would give me some info on what's out there and what works well.

Thank you all for your time and help.
Larry
 
I have, and do use a harness for my binoculars. I started off with the simple ones from Crooked Horn with the wide elastic straps and they work fine, especially if you still like to use the objective and ocular covers that come with the binocular. If I still want that type of setup, I have started using the Rick Young harness that uses small elastic bands instead and it works great. You would think it would cut into your shoulders by the looks of it, but it does not. It is very comfortable and easy to adjust.

If I want more protection, and often times I do, I use the Alaska Guides Creation (AGC) bino pack that has some extra pockets on it for lens cleaners, rangefinders, glasses, etc. I also use one by FHF gear that is a little less bulky (no pockets), especially for smaller 8x32 class glass. These bino pack systems do not use elastic and they work really well too IMO.
 
Hi MUHerd,

Sorry to hear about your back issues. You are surely wise to avoid hanging anything around your neck.
A harness is a good option, I used one from Coleman for several years.
That unit, the Mad Dog Pro Series Bino Manager, now unfortunately discontinued, unless your Google-Fu is strong, offered two advantages.
First, it included a half shell cover to protect the glass when not in use. Second, the lower retainer straps could be slipped around the belt and clipped together, forming a Y suspender for the binoculars. The neck remains free, the shoulders carry the weight and the belt attachment keeps everything in the right place. I much preferred that, even though that made the cover useless, because that arrangement does not chafe, unlike the standard X style harness such as Swaro or Zeiss offer.
So a strong vote for a suspender harness, even if you have to modify something to get it. Vero Vellini offered a Y style suspender for binoculars, but it was an EBay item: Vero Vellini Bino-Pal Binocular Harness V20024.

The downside of a harness is that it is a chore to put on or to remove. Putting on coats or backpacks or even simply sharing the glass all become rituals. So I finally shifted to a shoulder strap and carry my glass diagonally across the body. The strap I use is the Op-Tech utility strap, with XL uni-loops to connect my glass to the strap. It is easier to put on or remove than the harness and in the field my small Nikon ED50 scope carried on the other side balances the weight nicely. Again the neck never gets involved.
My normal glass in a Canon 10x42ISL, it weighs about 2.5 pounds. Prior to that I used a Docter 12x50BGA, listed as 2 pounds 15 ounces.
 
I've tried numerous different straps/slings/harnesses. My favorite far and away is the Rick Young Outdoors Ultra-Light bino harness. I have several along with extra clips. Super compact and super simple. Wrap it around your binocular and it will all fit back in your OEM binocular case. Great product! :t:
 
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I'm giving another vote for the rick young ultralight.

Things I like about it:
-Comfortable, slim, lightweight.

-Incredibly easy to adjust the length.

-You can quickly snap on and off the binocular with the clips. I like this because if someone else is on the trail and asks what I'm looking at, I can quickly take the binocular off the harness and hand it to them so they can have a look--no need to take the harness off my body.

-My binoculars tend to bounce less with this harness than others with thicker webbing.
 
I tried an elasticated harness and went back to a traditional neck strap because it vibrated in windy conditions. I don't know if that's a common problem with these.
 
Richard Scott said:
I tried an elasticated harness and went back to a traditional neck strap because it vibrated in windy conditions. I don't know if that's a common problem with these.
Click to expand...

Think it depends on the harness as well as the binocular attachment.
Harnesses using just solid straps are available as well, usually at a higher cost because there need to be adjustable fittings.
 
I'd like to try one of these Rick Young harnesses. I looked at it and you all are right, it looks like it would be uncomfortable as can be. I take your word on it though.
If anyone has an extra they aren't using, I'd be interested in it if you want to lighten your load....so to speak.
:cool:

Thanks for your advice.
LRW
 
etudiant said:
Hi MUHerd,

Sorry to hear about your back issues. You are surely wise to avoid hanging anything around your neck.
Click to expand...
I very much agree with that.
etudiant said:
A harness is a good option [...] The downside of a harness is that it is a chore to put on or to remove. Putting on coats or backpacks or even simply sharing the glass all become rituals. So I finally shifted to a shoulder strap and carry my glass diagonally across the body. The strap I use is the Op-Tech utility strap, with XL uni-loops to connect my glass to the strap. It is easier to put on or remove than the harness and in the field my small Nikon ED50 scope carried on the other side balances the weight nicely. Again the neck never gets involved.
Click to expand...
I also frequently use a longer strap carried diagonally across the body - but for some of my bins (my 10x56 FLs in particular) I sometimes like to use a harness instead. So I use Op-Tech uni-loops for attachment to the bins then use Op-Tech straps, with or without extenders depending on how long I want the strap. Or, when I'd prefer a harness, I un-snap the strap and snap the bins into the equivalent attachment points on an Op-Tech harness (which, also, is easier to get into and out of with the bins un-snapped). The Op-Tech strap attachments (plus extenders etc.) make it easy to mix and match between my harness and any length of strap I want to construct for a particular use. And easy to un-snap the strap if, say, I want to put the bins on a tripod (where the strap gets in the way) - as I frequently do with those big 10x56s.

I currently have Op-Tech uni-loops on my 10x56 FLs for exactly this use, on my Toric 8x42s (because I didn't like the strap it came with) and my 6x30 Mavens (because they shipped with Op-Tech-compatible attachments and strap). I'll likely add other bins to the list (I have additional attachments) as and when I want to change from the straps they have on them or use them with the harness. I find it a most convenient system, allowing easy mixing and matching between harness, long strap, short strap or no strap at all.

...Mike
 
oldfortyfive said:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/290904/badlands-mag-binocular-case-nylon-badlands-approach-camo

Pretty hard to beat one of these when the weather or dust gets bad. And since it's camo no one will know you are carrying binos ;)
Click to expand...

Thank you for this very interesting link.
It looks like an upgraded version of the Bino Manager, albeit at a 5x higher price. The wider shoulder straps are a plus, and the water bladder is something entirely new.
A video showing how the binocs go into and out of the case would be useful.
The Bino Manager had just a half cover, so the glass could be removed or stowed very quickly with one hand. This seems a little more involved, which may be an issue for birders. Of course, it sure would be appreciated in rotten weather.
 
I use the Rick Young ultralight on my massive and very expensive Canon 18x50 IS binoculars. I have no worries about it holding and it is very comfortable, and allows me to switch it to a shoulder harness when I am carrying them as a scope replacement (with smaller binos for regular use). It seems such a simple harness but I have to agree it works very well.

This topic is making me think about getting another one for my Conquest 8x42.
 
I am another fan of the Rick Young Outdoors harness.

I have two harnesses as well as several spare sets of connector clips so that I can switch up harnesses and straps with any binocular I like. I keep one harness in the house (usually on a 33 oz 9x45 binocular) and one in the car (usually on an 18 oz 8x32 binocular). I've used it with binoculars weighing from one to three pounds (16-48 oz). Three pounds is pushing it imo. At that weight the harness works, but the binoculars want to move a bit more than I like because the elastic is that much more stretched.

I was a bit shocked at first that is was comfortable even with a heavy binocular. I usually have more than one layer between me and binocular e.g., long sleeve shirt with tee shirt under and/or light jacket over it, but even with one thin layer and carrying the 33 oz binocular I have been out for 4 hours and only adjusted the harness once for comfort when I stopped for a drink. I never felt that the straps were digging in; the adjustment was more about where the straps were hugging my side (sweating?). At 16-18 oz binoculars seem to disappear until you reach for them.

I like the placement of the binocular--it stays tighter to the body and doesn't swing around if you bend over or are trudging up and down over rough terrain. It also seems like it helps me get on target quicker because I am never hunting for the bino.

I wear the harness over top layer and under backpack or other shoulder straps/bags. It seems not to interfere with how harness works, and the binoculars stay put while it is easy to unload other things.

Alan
 
Yet another vote for the Rick Young Outdoors. The fact that it's shock cord rather than any neoprene set-up makes it a lot more discreet, and i've often forgotten i've still got it on when i've got home.
Two small adaptions i made, following bits and pieces of advice on BF.
First, i put Op/Tech 'Adapt-its' through the binocular's 'harness eyes' (forgotten the proper word for them...). These are tough, rubber loops which anchor tightly through the eyes. I then replaced the metal rings on ends of the RY harness with Nite Ize S-Biner double, lockable carabiner clips. These are the smallest ones, if you're looking for them.
Along with some others, i didn't like the idea of the steel rings of the harness rubbing against the metal of the lanyard 'eye' (still can't remember what it's really called...it'll come back after i press 'submit' on this i reckon)
These are Adapt-its:
https://optechusa.com/adapt-its.html
 
etudiant said:
Hi MUHerd,
I used one from Coleman for several years.
That unit, the Mad Dog Pro Series Bino Manager, now unfortunately discontinued, unless your Google-Fu is strong, offered two advantages.
First, it included a half shell cover to protect the glass when not in use. Second, the lower retainer straps could be slipped around the belt and clipped together, forming a Y suspender for the binoculars. The neck remains free, the shoulders carry the weight and the belt attachment keeps everything in the right place. I much preferred that, even though that made the cover useless, because that arrangement does not chafe, unlike the standard X style harness such as Swaro or Zeiss offer.
Click to expand...

+1. An old thread in this forum recommended the Mad Dog's. Ordered one and liked so much I ordered another two. I use them without the half shell cover. Works for me. :) And yes quite unfortunate that they've been discontinued.

As an aside over the years I've tried numerous straps and harnesses ranging from leather to nylon web to padded stuff even including a Vero Vellini thick orange foam flotation strap! Like I said the Mag Dog's checked all the right boxes for me.
 
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Dear MUHerd:

I want to second the earlier post regarding the benefits of the Alaska Guides Creation bino carrier. I researched a variety of options a few years ago - with a bit of a different purpose than your's but still relevant to your needs. In short, I looked at a variety of ways to carry binoculars - from just the elastic chest supported straps (which I used for quite a few years) to a number of cases. In the end I decided on the Alaskan Guide Creations (AGC) bino cover after reading a review in the Western Hunter/Elk Hunter magazine that compared a number of options. All have different advantages but the Alaska Guide model offered me a safe way to carry my binos (fully protected) plus the ability to carry my Leica Rangefinder and elk calls. I went between the KUIU, FHF and AGC and personally talked to the owners of FHF and AGC...both great guys. Quality construction, quiet materials, multi-function capability and reasonable price point all contributed. Oh, and it really isn't difficult to put on at all - simply put the harness over your head and clip one side clasp...done. There are a number of pockets for other items but these would all increase the weight on your shoulders. Hope this helps....God bless.

Note: Another case similar to the AGC is a new one that just came out - Muley Freak. Worth considering as well.
 
I'm going to pick up strap that is longer so I can carry it across my chest and do it that way until I can get one of the really nice chest packs like you all mentioned.
I tried it the other day with my strap and it is much more comfy carrying that way. My strap is way too short though.

Thanks
Larry
 
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