I have used the Ravus, Stone Glacier, and Sitka this year. Have used the Sitka and Stone Glacier extensively before (several hundred days apiece). Right off, how I/we use bino pouches doesn’t seem to be how most do. Primarily we use them rifle hunting, and rifle hunting in late seasons with snow. I carry in my bino pouch a LRF Bino, extra magazine, weather meter, small emergency kit, fixed knife, dope cards, license, aqua tabs, lighter and fire starter, headlamp, chapstick, small knife sharpener. Sounds like a lot, it isn’t really
The AGC Ravus seemed to have addressed some issues with the original AGC bino pouches, namely- forward opening lid and potential for side pockets. However ACG harness has always sucked for chest versus stomach carry. Their low profile one was much better. After talking with AGC they assured that the new harness doesn’t ride up on the back of your neck, and doesn’t dig into the side.
It arrived, and right off I knew that the harness would both ride up and rub your neck when pulled high. Mounted the included front pocket, loaded it up and sized it. The harness sucks. It attaches below the lip of the lid, which means the top isn’t supported and makes the pouch want to tip forward. The pocket flops like all molle based systems do, and and the tethers blocked the lid from closing without using both hands. Nowhere to put the extra mag, so grabbed the side pouch from the Sitka. Used it for a couple of weeks backpack hunting. Carried it a lot- more than a hundred miles.
The good
1). Forward opening lid
2) Stretchy sleeves on top of good for dope cards.
3). I think that’s it.
The Bad:
1). Harness has the same problems that almost all do- rides up the back of neck, straps rub sides of neck. Bino pouch manufactures really, truly need to look and see how companies that make chest rigs designed to carry comfortably design the strap and harness systems.
This pic shows how narrow the straps sit. Also shows point #2 below.
2). The whole pouch want to tip forward. The attachment points for the harness attach below the lid on the back, that means the pouch is constantly leaning forward and when you bend over the whole thing tips.
You can kind of see it in these pictures compared to the Sitka that sits flat-
The Ravus compared to the Sitka-
The Ravus is sitting 2-3 inches off my chest at the top, touching at the bottom. It swings like a dead cat tied around your neck-
3). The tethers. WTF. I actually had to ask the guys I was with, if they actually used this before selling it. They’re constantly in the way and a two handed method to return the binos to the pouch had to be developed- pull the tethers to my chest with left hand, put binos in, judo chop tethers down to semi clear the lid.
4). MOLLE. This is not the way. In that last picture you can see how bad the pouch flops. That is regardless of it being on the front or side.
Overall I prefer the Original AGC bino pouch with max pocket and low profile harness over the Ravus by a substantial margin.
