Compact Bino Harness

[prm]

Looking for a Bino Harness that will work well with my Swaro 8-30 CL. I have an FHF I’ve used with some Vortex 10x42s but looking for something smaller.

I’d like to not have the binos rattling around inside. Some small pockets would be useful, but I’d not want it to be bulky. Though not a ‘must have’, I’d prefer it cover the binos on the side unlike the FHF.

The OV Ridgetop in Medium looks promising. How would that work with compact binos? And does the large portion of the harness cause the back to not move moisture? I think I’d like it if it were more of a mesh, but that’s just speculation.

The Kuiu looks ok, though no pockets. The AGC Cub looks nice, but perhaps a bit bulky?

If I were to skip pockets, except for cow call and wind checker, the Sitka Bino Bivy looks nice. Light, low profile.

I do have a Rick Young harness, but for days in the back country with unknown weather I’m leaning towards more protection.

 

[StopMakingSense]

I like the Marsupial, here's a picture, this is a medium but I would image you'd want a small

 

[prm]

The Marsupials look very good. Perhaps the OV Ridgetop also.

Can you easily place a small phone in the back pocket of the Marsupial? That would be handy as I often use my iPhone SE for nav.

Looking closer at the Kuiu, I don’t think I’d like not having the straps attached to the top of the bag when the binos are pulled out.

I’m concerned the AGC will feel too bulky. Perhaps a KISS without the Cub pocket, but with the Max pocket would work well. Maybe even place rangefinfpder in the max pocket.

 

[mocohunter85]

Adak or Sitka.

 

[StopMakingSense]

You can definitely place a small phone in the back pocket, I put my phone and the rain cover in there

 

[prm]

My Marsupial arrived today. Initial impressions are positive. Fit is good. Possibly taller than it needs to be for 8x30 binos. The rear pocket is handy, but it is low so getting the phone in can be a two hand task and you do have to pay attention to make sure it didn’t just end up against your chest. It is low profile overall which I like. The way it sits open is very nice. I could see just leaving it open while stalking in the woods or even using from a stand.

 

[prm]

I did play with a compass while wearing the Marsupial. If facing west, the compass is roughly 20deg off if held 12” from the front of the harness. By 6” the needle is facing the magnet. In this case 90deg off.
If facing roughly North, it swings it 20-30deg off by about 9”, and the full 180deg off by 6”.

Not a fan of that. Though, knowing it, and how to avoid issues, means it’s not a show stopper just something to consider. Having had electronic systems die in the field, I keep a compass tied to my pack on a long string at all times and it’s what I use throughout the day if anything. I always know the bearing to travel to camp, or a prominent feature, trail, etc.

 

[prm]

I did finally receive my AGC harness. It’s the KISS with MAX pocket.

A note on delivery. I ordered it from BlackOvis on 3/22, it shipped on 3/26 and arrived yesterday. FedEx must have handed it to a dude on a bicycle. In comparison, I ordered my Marsupial on 3/23, it shipped on the 24th and arrived on 3/28.

The AGC seems well built. The harness adjusts nicely and is held very securely. There is quite a bit more bulk to the straps. Not sure how I feel about that as they do ride under the pack straps. I think I prefer just the strap without the extra mesh material, at least on a small, light harness like this and carrying compact binos. The top opens towards the chest so you do have to bump it out of the way when putting binos back in. Not quite as handy as the Marsupial, but I didn’t find it to be a problem at all. The lid and top design does provide complete protection from the elements and debris, unlike the Marsupial or FHF. The elastic pockets on the top are a nice feature. Maybe a small concern my phone could slip out without me noticing? Not likely though. Though the top elastic is much easier to use than the rear pocket of the Marsupial. The Max pocket on the bottom is so close to being able to hold a rangefinder. With very little redesign it would work. Remove the zipper, extend the opening, add some elastic to the ends of the opening and then add the same style hook as used for the top, placed so you pull up from the bottom to hook it to a hook placed above the opening. That would be fantastic! Physically, the AGC does stick out quite a bit more than the Marsupial. The flat top of the lid makes it appear even bulkier. If I had the version if the AGC with the rangefinder pocket on the front it would be much too bulky for my taste. The small Marsupial is really very compact and svelte. For now I have an FHF rangefinder pocket on the lower strap.

While both are quite good, neither of these are exactly what I want. I’m leaning towards keeping the Marsupial. It’s a more compact design. All I want to carry in the harness are things I need regularly. Binos, rangefinder, phone (nav/camera), call, and wind checker. Everything else goes in my main pack, which, when in day mode has thousands of cu/in of empty space. I’d rather not have to add a rangefinder pocket, but neither has a compact solution.

 

[Eric4]

I've owned both of your purchased bino harnesses, and kept the Marsupial for a few reasons. It's more streamlined with the thinner straps, and less bulky pockets. The locking buckles on the Marsupial hold adjustments much better as well. The ability to lock the harness open is also a nice feature.

The magnet issue is something of note. If you like to keep a phone with GPS apps in the harness, the magnet ruins tracking features. To accurately read onX maps in compass mode, I've got to hold my phone out in front of me. It's an easy solution - cary my phone in my front pocket, far enough from the magnet and it tracks just fine.

 

[AZ SpotStalker]

I have the OV and love it for my 8x42s. I’m not sure what you mean by “move moisture”?

 

[prm]

I have the OV and love it for my 8x42s. I’m not sure what you mean by “move moisture”?

Just referring to sweat. Covering a large area with the straps could in theory prevent sweat from moving out of the base layer and evaporating.

I’ll stick with Marsupial. It’s really compact which I like.

 

[JD619er]

I've owned both of your purchased bino harnesses, and kept the Marsupial for a few reasons. It's more streamlined with the thinner straps, and less bulky pockets. The locking buckles on the Marsupial hold adjustments much better as well. The ability to lock the harness open is also a nice feature.

The magnet issue is something of note. If you like to keep a phone with GPS apps in the harness, the magnet ruins tracking features. To accurately read onX maps in compass mode, I've got to hold my phone out in front of me. It's an easy solution - cary my phone in my front pocket, far enough from the magnet and it tracks just fine.

Does it ruin the tracking features on an app permanently or can you run your phone in the harness then when you want to start a track just move the phone to your pocket?

 

[Eric4]

Does it ruin the tracking features on an app permanently or can you run your phone in the harness then when you want to start a track just move the phone to your pocket?

In my experience, it only effects the tracking when a track has been started and running. Switching the phone to your pocket and starting a track should work fine.

 

[JD619er]

Cool thanks, I was aware of the magnets affect on the compass but not of the tracking. I literally just order a new harness a couple days ago

 

[Tower]

I have Maven B3’s 10x30 and last year ran them in the AGC cub max. I had never used a bino pack before so wasn’t sure how I’d like all of that right up front. It actually wasn’t too noticeable for me and was nice to have the extra storage and the rangefinder in the front pocket.

You might have figured it out by now but the 8x30’s (at least the mavens) sit pretty deep in the CUB. I found myself having to grab the Eyecups to remove them which often resulted in movement of the cup which required adjusting again. Other than that I didn’t mind the extra space around the Binos. I thought of it later but it’s possible you could put something in the bottom of the CUB to help raise up the Binos.

The new AGC straps were too wide for my taste as well so I called them up and asked if I could exchange them for the older narrower style which they did no problem. I did like the trim around the straps to make them more comfortable against bare skin.

I just received the FHF in a Compact size and the 8x30 fits much better, if even on the snug side. Other than around the house, I haven’t really tried them out yet. But I don’t think the upward opening flap is going to be an issue for me given the size of the Compact - there’s just not a lot of flap material. I could definitely see the issue with larger Binos. I would like for the sides to be fully enclosed but then there is an accessibility trade-off. Will have to get the rangefinder pouch, and I like the option of adding a holster or bear spray to the bottom. The closure method will take a little getting used to.

The new Adak from Black Ovis looks interesting but only comes in one size right now and I didn’t think the 8x30 would fit well. It looks to be very similar in design and even material to the Muley Freak.