Unbiased Outdoor Vision Bino Harness Review / Continued Bino Harness Search

[treillw]

So I ordered up an OV bino harness. Customer service was excellent. I like everything about the harness, except I do have one complaint. The magnets are louder than I expected them to be. I tried to close and open it quietly, but it is difficult to do because there are eight magnets which are spread out in different locations (four total located on the corners of the lid to hold it in both the open and closed positions).

Closing the harness one handed, you can effectively get your hand between one pair of magnets and muffle their sound, but it is challenging to muffle both of the pairs on the left and right sides of the harness at the same time with one hand.

Opening the harness one handed is a little more difficult. It has the same challenges mentioned above for closing, but there are an extra set of magnets that come into play when opening. The magnets which are used for closing the harness will sometimes get attracted to the ones that are supposed to hold it in the open position and it sucks the part of the harness that covers up your eyepieces flat. This is the most annoying to me because it is unpredictable and happens randomly - this makes it much louder because you're not doing anything to quiet it.

If some pictures of this would help clarify exactly what I'm talking about, let me know and I'll throw some together. I tried to describe things the best I could, but a picture is worth a thousand words.

All the noise is somewhat quiet, but it bothers me. I do think that if it was calm and there was an elk standing nearby and it happened they would hear it and look at you. For me it's not worth risking all my hard work and time finding animals for the chance of them hearing magnets.

IMO, it is louder than the badlands harness I have used. The badlands harness is easier to close quietly because is has the rigid lid that you can get your fingers between better to let it down slowly and muffle the sound. The OV is soft, so it kinda goes where it wants to.

Another small issue is that the harness wants to open if you run with it on. The magnets aren't strong enough to stop the forward momentum of the binoculars when running and it opens part way and snaps shut.

I think I am going to return the harness. IMO, the OV would be perfect if it had what I'll call a bungee style closure - it would eliminate the noise from opening and closing and stop the harness from opening if you run with it on. Problems solved.

Does anybody know of a similar harness that doesn't have the magnetic closure that they would recommend trying?
* forward opening
* quiet material
* compact size for Swaro EL 10x42
* windicator pocket
* no big pockets
* fully enclosed sides to protect binos

Thanks for the suggestions and I hope this helps somebody!

 

[Lawnboi]

Sitka Bino bivy fits all of what you have asked

 

[twall13]

The Oregon Pack Works Bino Bro might fit your needs. It's one of the few I know of that is forward opening without magnets. My only complaint with it was that it doesn't have much structure to it so getting binos back in the pouch often takes two hands. It does have a minimalist setup, no magnets, forward opening, quiet fabric, not large pockets, etc. You may have to look at the binobro prohunter for a windchecker pocket though, I can't remember for sure.

I've always steered away from the magnetic closures for multiple reasons which lead me to AGC. If you can get over the non-forward opening AGC's are awesome and they have everything from loads of pockets to minimal pockets as options. Once I got used to it I found it's not a problem for me to use one handed.

 

[LandYacht]

I too run the bino bro and wished it had more body. I cut in half one of those plastic containers that holds little lunch meats and then cut the bottom of of one side. I sewed the plastic with the bottom into the lower part of my harness and the part that I cut the bottom out above it. It fit perfect for the width and gave it the perfect amount of stiffness to keep the body from folding when I put my binos in one handed. I then sewed a lens cloth over true plastic just anchoring it at the top and it provides protection from the plastic and then pulls out to be a lens cloth too.

I then sewed the bottom of the container that I had cut off from the one side onto the under side of the harness lid to stiffen up the lid for one handed opening. It works better than I hoped it would. I was worried about running a harness with magnets and really wanted to buy that OV harness, but having my GPS on my harness made me worried that it would mess with the compass on it. Just testing it out with a magnet near the GPS proved this would be the case.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[treillw]

Thanks guys. Keep the suggestions coming

 

[odin0226]

I would like to see someone "company" make a nav board on top of a bino harness. I have experimented with it , using a garmin 401 and marine compass beside it: but nothing sexy , with only ok results

 

[dotman]

Thanks guys. Keep the suggestions coming

If your interested I have a OPW bino bro pro I’d sell for $40 tyd. After trying out a few different options I just prefer the AGC.

 

[GPATTI]

[video=youtube_share;uCJksA-6l14]https://youtu.be/uCJksA-6l14[/video]

With respect to treillw's opinion, I'm providing an actual video of the harness opening and closing, while on stand, so you can have some more objective evidence. I encourage you to please turn up your volume all the way, so you can hear the sound. It is very subtle as you will see/hear in the video. Further, not sure who is glassing elk or other animals that are within spitting distance. In COMPLETE honesty and transparency, to date, out of the hundreds of units sold, we have had just 2 returns based on similar opinion of treillw. One's comment was "if a deer was directly under my stand, it might hear it close". Again, not sure why one would be using their bino's at that time. Either way, you can judge for yourself. For anyone reading this, PM me If interested and I will send you a discount code.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for the write-up treillw.

 

[hflier]

I have tried every one of the major harnesses over the past 5-6 years. They all had some nagging issue that I did not like. This is the first one that I have really liked. Range finder holster is great too. Also, they just did something for me in customer service that I guarantee probably no one else would have done. Give this one a try and I think you will be surprised. Sturdy, quiet and all functions work without complications. Maybe in week or two after I finish moving to a new home I will do a review contrasting this one with some of the others popular with folks here.

Ron


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Kotaman]

I have tried every one of the major harnesses over the past 5-6 years. They all had some nagging issue that I did not like. This is the first one that I have really liked. Range finder holster is great too. Also, they just did something for me in customer service that I guarantee probably no one else would have done. Give this one a try and I think you will be surprised. Sturdy, quiet and all functions work without complications. Maybe in week or two after I finish moving to a new home I will do a review contrasting this one with some of the others popular with folks here.

Ron


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree. I used a Outdoor Vision Gear harness pretty extensively this fall. The magnets don’t bother me at all on this one. I’ve used at least 12 harnesses the last few years and this one is my favorite. The newest Sitka offering is right up there as well, but I don’t like their tether system. (Flexible bungees)

 

[dotman]

I would like to see/hear more about the bottom and front zip pockets, what can fit into them. I really like the AGC and have zero issue using one hand to insert and remove binos. The basement and lid pockets of the AGC are my favorite features.


Is there a rokslide discount code?

 

[chuck.u.farley]

The OV harness is great. I've used FHF and AGC and I prefer the OV by a wide margin. I don't think I would agree with any of the OP's criticisms. Also, customer service is amazing. I won't publish what they did to take care of me because I would hate for that to be an expectation of them. I'll just say that it was unprecedented, and to be honest, probably unnecessary.

 

[aron]

I used the OV harness this year and did not think the magnet noise was an issue. For the full coverage harness, it is very "streamlined". I can't stand a bulky harness. The mesh side pockets fit a wind checker bottle perfect. The front pocket sizing is good as well. I could run my Samsung S5 (w/ no cover) in the front pocket for OnX and some diaphragm calls no problem. Never did use the bottom pocket as I just don't store much stuff in my bino harness.

 

[Idaboy]

I am looking at the Eberlestock scout.... It's really small and compact... I am just trying to figure out how to attach to my non eberlestock pack vs if the harness straps don't rub.... I have tried them in stores recently and they are pretty quiet. You have to "pull" the flap over top to close but there is a magnet to keep it closed. Much smaller than the nose gunner... Will post with review if I purchase

 

[trom2k]

Do the magnets in the OV harness interfere with a compass? I don’t use one as primary nav but always have one as backup.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GPATTI]

trom2K - We tested this and it will affect the compass if you hold it right next to it. If you extend your arm out straight, it does not affect it. Any other questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[trom2k]

Thanks for the info GPATTI. you guys going to be at the Western Expo in Salt Lake? Wouldn’t mind taking a look at your setup.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[calico pig]

I used the OV harness this year and did not think the magnet noise was an issue. For the full coverage harness, it is very "streamlined". I can't stand a bulky harness. The mesh side pockets fit a wind checker bottle perfect. The front pocket sizing is good as well. I could run my Samsung S5 (w/ no cover) in the front pocket for OnX and some diaphragm calls no problem. Never did use the bottom pocket as I just don't store much stuff in my bino harness.

Just got one. Love this harness. Fixes all the things I don’t like about my fhf and kuiu.

 

[RustyHazen]

I love my OV vision harness. I found if you let the shoulder length adjustment straps just hang down in to the bino compartment where they naturally do, the extra thickness of the webbing deadens the strength and sound of the magnets, if that makes sense. This thing is similar in design to the Kuiu, but is more secure. Also, the harness holds itself up, as it does not need to be connected to the binos themselves. Having them free makes switching back sand forth between binos and spotter on a tripod easier. It also eliminates the "sagging" of the harness while the binos are out, which was my own, and most other people's, complaint with the Kuiu harness.

 

[GPATTI]

trom2K - We will not be at the Western Expo in SLC. Maybe next year. We will however, be at the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, PA from 2/3 - 2/11. Our booth # is 3710. I will be there beginning at noon on 2/8 through 2/11. Would love to meet some fellow Roksliders!