FHF Chest Pack with New Accessories

ChrisAU

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Jan 12, 2018
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Really think I’m going to like this setup. Been trying to find the ultimate bino harness, and I’ve liked a bunch of harnesses but always failed to find a RF setup I really liked.

Then FHF released their Spartan bipod holster a few weeks ago and I had an idea to use their chest rig. I got the chest rig, bino bucket, 5 rifle round holder, and Spartan holster.

When I got it I grabbed a couple spare N2 the Wild lanyards and ran some pieces of Kifaru one wrap through them to help eliminate slop of lanyards filling up the pouch.

Today I got the Kuiu HL RF holder to give the RF its own pouch - it has a Velcro back just like the FHF bino bucket. I easily tucked the lid of the Kuiu RF holder into one of the rear most pockets of the rig. I also got the new FHF E4 pouch today and put it on.

This will be used primarily for whitetail stand hunting but will get its first use on a WY mule deer hunt in a couple weeks. Now have the ability to sit with easy access to binos and RF without messing with any flaps but can also completely enclose them when I want to.

Also no question where my bipod will ride now, super easy and fast access on the bottom of the rig.

I also have quick access to 5 rifle rounds if needed, and have my headlamp, knife, multi tool, and a gun oil wipe in the rig, as well as an open pocket for my phone behind the binos that will stay warm on my chest to help preserve battery life in cold weather. In the E4 pocket I have phone chargers and cords, a lighter, ibuprofen, eye drops, some WySi wipes, and a small stick of sunscreen. And there is plenty of more room both in the rig and and the pocket for a lot more stuff.

I know the first thought is it’s big and bulky - the footprint on my chest is no bigger than my Marsupial small with a separate RF holder, and it sticks out no further than my AGC Kodiak CUB Max.

I do wish the zipper was quieter, but expect it will quieten down with use.

Pictured is all the junk I talked about above, with Zeiss SFL 8x40’s and a Sig Kilo 8K.

919C2938-F2BE-4F8A-B152-512CFFC73107.jpegC3FFE90F-B23D-4445-A0D7-41006958449B.jpegAFC2AF6B-BD72-46E4-9723-9E3BF286D168.jpeg7ED0F0EF-C35F-4321-8D41-B6020D3072A9.jpegAA1EDF31-DB60-498E-A5EA-FF553B9DA7D3.jpeg
 

TN2shot07

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Dec 19, 2020
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572
That looks like a nice set up, I was considering trying one of the little joeys (Using a small marsupial now) but the FHF looks like it has a lot more flexibility built in. That’s a nice find with the rf pouch. Looking forward to a follow up once you’ve used it in the field some!
 
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ChrisAU

ChrisAU

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SE Alabama
Would love to see a pic of it worn, with pistol attached to get an idea of size/profile/layout. thanks

I’ll model it tomorrow lol. I purposely have gravitated to letting my bino harness ride a little lower than most here because I found it to interfere with my rifle/shotgun when sitting on the ground against a tree whitetail or turkey hunting when I had it nearly under my chin.
 

Marbles

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Nice setup. Makes me want to spend some money. Not sure my 8x42 binoculars would fit though. Looking forward to hearing more about how you like it.
 
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ChrisAU

ChrisAU

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Nice setup. Makes me want to spend some money. Not sure my 8x42 binoculars would fit though. Looking forward to hearing more about how you like it.

I tried it with some 10x42 Diamondback I have and they fit fine as well. Plenty of room for most 42’s.
 
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ChrisAU

ChrisAU

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Have you weighed it, ready to hunt? Looks like you've got about 10 lbs in there.

It’s got some weight to it, but it’s all stuff I’d be taking anyway. Doubt it’s over 5 lbs. I’m thinking of it as a counterweight for my pack lol
 
Joined
Dec 29, 2019
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I want to love this but I don’t think I can deal with the zipper. Too much bow hunting voodoo in my head.


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ChrisAU

ChrisAU

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I want to love this but I don’t think I can deal with the zipper. Too much bow hunting voodoo in my head.


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Yeah for a run and gun archery setup I don't think it'd be ideal. For treestand archery, you can just leave it unzipped after you get in the tree.
 
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ChrisAU

ChrisAU

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Update on this, used in on my Wyoming mule deer hunt a couple weeks ago. Loved having everything right in front of me and easily accessible. Moved around a lot with it zipped open which worked fine, but I was wary of how loud the zipper was. When I got home I put some zipper lube/wax on it and it didn't seem to help very much. I think for western hunting when I want a chest "pack" because I'll be glassing all day and moving a lot between spots it will be great, but for Eastern whitetail I'm likely going to use a more traditional bino harness just to not have to mess with the zipper. We'll see, hope to test it out this weekend in a tree with my bow for whitetail.
 

Bendejo

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 3, 2021
Messages
165
I've used the fhf chest pack for bino/utility pouch on a few trips. One thing I noticed is that there's a super strong rare earth magnet in the bottom of the pouch (sewn into the fabric). I cut it out, because it could interfere with my inreach mini that fits pretty well in the front elastic pouch.

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CV335

Lil-Rokslider
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Oct 25, 2020
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Western KY
Update on this, used in on my Wyoming mule deer hunt a couple weeks ago. Loved having everything right in front of me and easily accessible. Moved around a lot with it zipped open which worked fine, but I was wary of how loud the zipper was. When I got home I put some zipper lube/wax on it and it didn't seem to help very much. I think for western hunting when I want a chest "pack" because I'll be glassing all day and moving a lot between spots it will be great, but for Eastern whitetail I'm likely going to use a more traditional bino harness just to not have to mess with the zipper. We'll see, hope to test it out this weekend in a tree with my bow for whitetail.
How did it perform for the whitetail hunt? I am very interested in this setup due to flexibility of configuration depending on the activity. I primarily hunt whitetail (tree stand and bow) and turkey, but also go out west once or twice a year to hunt and fish. I have a traditional bino harness, but this one is very intriguing.
 
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ChrisAU

ChrisAU

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How did it perform for the whitetail hunt? I am very interested in this setup due to flexibility of configuration depending on the activity. I primarily hunt whitetail (tree stand and bow) and turkey, but also go out west once or twice a year to hunt and fish. I have a traditional bino harness, but this one is very intriguing.

I wound up just using my Marsupial no-mag this weekend. I think the zipper is just a non-starter for whitetail hunting in the woods - over fields in shooting houses would be fine IMO, but where I hunt in wooded areas I am doing my best to be 100% silent.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2022
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I do choose to run the FHF Gear Chest Rig as my primary whitetail setup, sometimes in conjunction with a pack, dependent on what I need. I would say that it's too loud in a close-quarters spot-and-stalk or treestand situation... However, I use mine as a workstation, leave it open, and I've never had any issues. I personally love the modularity and functionality of this. This may not be perfect, but it's the best that I have owned to date, although I keep sneaking looks at the Kifaru Steelhead.
 

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ChrisAU

ChrisAU

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Location
SE Alabama
I do choose to run the FHF Gear Chest Rig as my primary whitetail setup, sometimes in conjunction with a pack, dependent on what I need. I would say that it's too loud in a close-quarters spot-and-stalk or treestand situation... However, I use mine as a workstation, leave it open, and I've never had any issues. I personally love the modularity and functionality of this. This may not be perfect, but it's the best that I have owned to date, although I keep sneaking looks at the Kifaru Steelhead.

Very nice. I do like the FHF over the Kifaru for the modularity of it. I still may go back, it sure is nice having all that stuff right there. I am actually going to try a FHF Nav Pouch with their little ammo pouch on front on my Marsupial no-mag to see if that accomplishes my goal of having headlamps, ibuprofen, chapstick, ammo, phone charger, etc on my chest.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2022
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Location
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Very nice. I do like the FHF over the Kifaru for the modularity of it. I still may go back, it sure is nice having all that stuff right there. I am actually going to try a FHF Nav Pouch with their little ammo pouch on front on my Marsupial no-mag to see if that accomplishes my goal of having headlamps, ibuprofen, chapstick, ammo, phone charger, etc on my chest.
I would love to run their pouch off the front, as you do, but I don't know if it would stick out too far for me... I'm going to find out though. I will receive a few of their pouches today! Gonna try them on both my pack and my chest rig...
 
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