Outdoor Vision Ridgetop Bino Harness and Sightline Rangefinder Pouch Review
By Brock Akers, Rokslide Prostaff
If you are hunting out West, chances are glassing will be an important part of your game. And the more you hunt out West, the more you realize that quality glass is worth the price tag. That tool strapped to your chest can quickly become one of your bigger investments. The market today seems to have plenty of options for binocular harnesses. I’ve tried several, so when I saw the Ridgetop Harness from Outdoor Vision, my interest peaked. Outdoor Vision is a Rokslide sponsor, so I arranged a review and received my Ridgetop just as my 2017 fall season kicked off.
First impression is extremely important to me. If a good first impression is made, typically that is a good sign for a quality product. Right out of the packaging, I could tell this harness and rangefinder pouch were top notch. Made with SilentHyde material, the harness and pouch have taken a beating without failure while remaining quiet (something that is crucial for bowhunters making a stalk) and the Ridgetop is water resistant.
The harness is also reinforced with foam padding to add some protection to the optics. There are two mesh side pockets, perfect for wind checker and calls. There is also a front zippered pocket that will hold a good amount of things (tags, small knife, lighter, etc). Built into the bottom of the harness is a waterproof cover that easily slips over the harness, giving you complete protection from mother nature’s wettest conditions. The harness and pouch both are held open/closed by quality magnets (more on that below). The huge upside of the no-zipper design is it allows for one-handed access to optics. There is a well designed but basic first aid kid that comes in the front pouch pocket (view contents here).
I hiked a lot of miles in October while wearing the Ridgetop. The harness set up kept my binoculars and rangefinder well protected in all types of weather. The way the top lid closes, it protects your ocular lenses very well. The slim design of the pouch makes it comfortable to wear. There is no bounce if moving quickly and the weight is distributed evenly. It’s user friendly to adjust properly and the rangefinder pouch attaches easily. The rangefinder pouch rides slightly lower than I am used to so make sure you test fit the set up. I would recommend drawing your bow while wearing the harness and pouch to see if it makes any changes to your typical shooting routine.
The magnet closing system is a great idea, but there are two potential issues to be aware of. First, on the rangefinder pouch, if you have it held open for easy, one-handed use while on a stalk, it could catch on something and it will make a muffled “snap” noise when it closes on the opposite magnet. Not a huge issue, but it’s a small thing that could potentially happen. Also some compass users have reported interference from magnets on bino harnesses. I didn’t run a compass, so can’t comment, but if you navigate traditionally, be aware.
If you are going to be looking at new binocular harness for the upcoming season, you should definitely consider the Outdoor Vision Ridgetop set up. It’s a well-built product that is made here in America. Outdoor Vision has many other great products up on their website, including gaiters and a GPS pouch.
You can comment or ask Brock questions about this article here.
SIDEBAR:
Rokslide Member UtahJimmy also did his own trials on the Outdoor Vision Ridgetop Harness. See his review (along with a few other member’s thoughts) on our forums here
