Recommended Binocular Carry Methods

[Nhoro]

I carry Nikon 8x 42 binos on the strap that came from the manufacturer. It has a rubber side and a canvas side. Canvas slides easily and the rubber keeps it in place just by flipping the strap. The binos sit just under my ribs. I can run without the binos bouncing, slide them to the back when pushing through thick bush and they are out of the way of my rifle-carried in my right hand. The rubber side slippery side is very useful depending on whether you want the binos to be quickly accessible or out of the way.

 

[mdwest]

Another big fan of the Rick Young option..

The versatility is what sold me on them.. Can wear them over he shoulder.. can wear them loose across the chest.. can secure them against the chest for crawling.. etc..etc..

I've worn them everywhere from hunting hogs in a blind in South TX, to buff hunting in South Africa, to spotting elk and deer in the mountains of Colorado.. and never had a single issue..

Literally every pair of binos in my house wear a Rick Young harness with the exception of a single set of pocket binos which get no harness at all (they get shoved in a cargo pocket whenever I take them to the field)..

 

[JimP]

You just need to find what works best for you.

I have used just the binoculars strap and tucked them into my shirt. I've used a open harness with quick release clips and now I am using a enclosed harness which keeps them dry and dirt free. They all have a place.

On a side note, when I was using the strap and just a harness I got a couple of Butlercreek scope covers to go over the lens. They work a lot better than the factory covers and I have never lost one of them like the factory covers

 

[Red Leg]

I use poles a ton and can see my foot placement very good. We must be built differently

View attachment 356666

For alpine hunting where a fall can really damage a fine optical instrument, I agree. Though you look prepared for three-days on the mountain! But in Africa, trying to walk down a buffalo - shorts, a belt (ammo and blade), and minimalist strap is all I care to carry. You would lose three-quarters of that gear twenty minutes into the Caprivi or Mozambique's Zambezi Delta and the bino-bra would be the first thing to go..

 

[tedthorn]

I suppose you boy's never have to run....

BTW....we hunt in all kinds of weather

Hot and cold

Walking.....yeah just a little

 

[Velo Dog]

I use a Rick Young for most hunting. For chasing buffalo, there is nothing better than a smooth leather strap that puts the Binoculars on the left hip (for a right hand shooter). Smooth leather is much better than rough or any man-made material because it allows the glass to come up quickly and noiselessly. The only time I ever use a padded harness is for alpine hunting.

Joe,

In regards to your above described / preferred method of carrying your binoculars while hunting buffaloes, I totally agree.
Furthermore, myself having tried the harness type, plus the harness with a cordura “binocular bag” on it as well, I’ve gone back to the simple leather, shoulder strap.
I use exactly that same method, for all my hunting excursions and even just for tourism and simply sight seeing as well.

Also worth mentioning, the first time I hunted in the thick riverine foliage of Limpopo District, South Africa, I brought only compact (9x25 Leupold) binoculars.
That proved a mistake.
Africa has so much natural beauty that I want to see as much of it as possible.
Full size glass is the way to go for me.
Therefore, now I will bring nothing smaller than 8x30 when hunting, no matter what part of the world it may be in.
And, 10x42 are not too much, IMO.
Anyway, carrying my binoculars on a simple leather strap, over one shoulder, leaving binos on my opposite hip is what suits me best.

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[Nyati]

No harnesses for me, just a simple strap.

 

[IvW]

This is a small video comercial for something else but watch the binoculars.

This type of movement can't be done with anything that dangles or is held in place by bouncy elastic

How do you get the rifle into action with that?

 

[IvW]

I use poles a ton and can see my foot placement very good. We must be built differently

View attachment 356666

30 minutes in the valley and half that will be with the trackers..binos in a bra strap assembly and in a cover do not work in most of the African hunting environments...

 

[TN Traveler]

Thanks for all the helpful feedback. Suggestions on where to get a smooth leather strap for my binoculars?

 

[Red Leg]

Thanks for all the helpful feedback. Suggestions on where to get a smooth leather strap for my binoculars?

Had a saddle maker make me a couple.

 

[Cam Moon]

Thanks to this thread I have now ordered a Rick Young harness!

 

[Jeffrey]

For most hunting areas in Africa, its hard to beat quality 8X30s in a Rick Young harness.

 

[BenKK]

For hot weather and dangerous game situations it’s hard to beat the simple strap that carries the binocular to one side (opposite shooting side). Any recommendations for this style? I can see a nice one from Els & Co.

 

[Tanks]

Thanks for all the helpful feedback. Suggestions on where to get a smooth leather strap for my binoculars?

If you are not hung up on leather I'd recommend the camera strap from Peak Design. Very comfortable, configurable and adjustable.

https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/straps/products/slide

 

[BeeMaa]

I'm a fan of carrying them under the weak side arm on a simple sling.
Currently it's a piece of 550 cord because it slides easily over my clothing.
Have another member making me a 550 cord sling and will see how that works out.

@Red Leg I like the idea of using a leather strap and have some saddle leather I could use.

 

[AB2506]

I use poles a ton and can see my foot placement very good. We must be built differently

View attachment 356666

I have an Alaskan Guide Pouch. My rangefinder rides in the pocket in front of the binoculars, so it sticks out a little further. I also have the pouch up on my chest and being barrel chested, it does create a visibility problem in Africa in the Eastern Cape, at the least the area I've hunted. I've never seen so many baseball/softball sized rocks in my life, some areas you would be hard pressed to place your foot without touching a rock. I found I couldn't see well enough with my pouch on.

 

[Martin77]

I use a Rick Young for most hunting. For chasing buffalo, there is nothing better than a smooth leather strap that puts the Binoculars on the left hip (for a right hand shooter). Smooth leather is much better than rough or any man-made material because it allows the glass to come up quickly and noiselessly. The only time I ever use a padded harness is for alpine hunting.

Which leather strap are you using for Buffalo?

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Anything excess on a trudge can become a pain. I have been carrying a pair of vintage Zeiss 8x30 B's on a strap, horrible. Then looked at various pocket models and the Swarovski 8x 25's were so clear, so compact, so light that there is nothing left to decide and as soon as I can travel to Jhb to collect them its job done. No more running with stuff clanging around.

 

[Red Leg]

Which leather strap are you using for Buffalo?

Mine were made for me by a saddle maker. When using a strap, I like it to ride behind on the left hip. Most commercial ones that I have seen are too short, and the binocular rides much too high.