Quiet Bino Harness???
Equipment
Ive owned several that are great but when it comes to hunting whitetails in the cold when sound is critical, they just don't cut it. Is there a harness out there that isn't noisy???
I've never been busted using my Rick Young. Not much there to make noise.
I find that most all Bono harnesses are noisy, and can’t stand them, which make them pretty much useless, to me. I went back and use a string tether, to my Binos. Tether over my left shoulder, and the binos hang under my right arm pit. No muss, no fuss.
The Rick Young X2
Amazingly comfortable, light, And adjustable for different levels of insulation.
Just need good quiet lens covers for weather and debris protection.
My Kuiu, Sitka, and multiple other noisy kangaroo pouch style systems are all laying in a pile. :^)
I don't like them for stand hunting. Either around the neck and under arm pit with neck strap, or hanging from a branch or peg. You won't find a harness quiet enough IMO. You want a harness to be durable and have some weather resistance. Which than makes material needs opposite of what I'd want in the tree stand. So it all makes sense. You'd need it to be made out of fleece.
I agree. Have yet to see one that was really quiet. As many brands as there are, they still have a ton of room for improvement. Most manufacturers will say it's hard to build one that's quiet and durable. I'm sure this is true. For whitetails, I would sacrifice durability for stealth.
Rick Young x3. Love that thing for all hunting.
My Adak harness is extremely quiet... for stand hunting I just open the lid and leave it open in its correct position.. then I can pull out and put in the binos with ease and absolutely no noise then your own movement doing so. And I’m. I am not affiliated with Adak either. It’s a good product.
I've been using the Adak harness this year and find it very quiet. Comes with a rangefinder pouch which was a must have for me
I keep it simple and use a S4 lockdown. It's quiet and efficient.
I've used the Rick Young harness for years. Chose it for it's extreme light weight, quiet, low-profile, and speed of access.
I actually find my AGC KISS pretty quiet. It is not a harsh cordura material but almost like saddle cloth, no magnet closure or zipper. I like simple, and it took me a long time to try a chest harness, but I do like how well they protect my binos.
I had high hopes for the new kuiu pro harness, but it isn’t going to work out either. Leaning towards using that harness, but once in the stand I will remove the binos and use the harness strap to hang them from a hook. Glass will be protected into and leaving the stand, but just hung on a hook in the stand.
I love the new Kuiu harness. But it's not whitetail quiet. The outer shell makes noise when brushed w/ your sleeve or anything else. Other than that, I like it. I don't recommed the their rangefinder harness. It's small, not easy access.
Sivart, That was my issue with the Kuiu and Sitka covers. I’m half deaf and just rubbing against the outside material is too noisy. Let alone pulling Binos in and out. Rick Young for me.
I have an Outdoor Vision. Haven't spooked any deer so far.
Another vote for Rick Young.
Rick Young straps work very well. I like his bino covers as well. Covers are neoprene for silence and protection. Covers protect from weather until needed. Quick and quiet to use.
Dave,
Is art nailed it. The harness itself is good and an improvement, but it is just not quiet at all. Also my binos are a bit tight in it, so there is no one handed operation.
I use the Crooked Horn harness with a Wilderness bino rain wrap. I think OP/TECH USA makes the rain wrap now. Not sure it is the same quality. I love my set up. Stays out of the way until I need them and virtually mindless to use.
Yes I keep going back to the crooked horn harness. Quiet, quick, easy.
I'll keep buying and selling bino harnesses until I find one quiet.
You mean like this Ground hunter?
I've used this simple system for years; tight to the chest and out of the way for bow hunting and it doesn't make a sound. It doesn't provide a cover for the eye pieces but even in bad weather it hasn't been a problem (tends to be sheltered by my body while sitting on stand).
Pouches provide great protection but it's an added movement and added noise.
Of the covered style harnesses, the original Kuiu is the best that I have used (incl. AGC, OR and the new Kuiu). I recently used the new style Kuiu for a hunt and the material is louder and it is quite a bit more difficult to get the binos out of because the full back coverage than the original. I found myself in situations where I wanted to use my bino but didn't because of the extra noise. Not good...
A Rick Young-style harness with a quiet rain cover would also be a good option.
Less is more when it comes to being ultra quiet in a treestand for Whitetails. That Rick Young shock-cord unit is the best design I’ve ever seen as far as a “harness” goes. I am ordering one as well. Thanks to those above for your input on this item, always love finding a better mousetrap...
And it comes in other colors besides fluorescent orange. Amazon offers it in black, olive...
Here’s a link to a video demo of the Rick Young unit.
You won’t be disappointed
The Adak is really quiet. And it’s one-handable.
Does anyone use the Rick Young harness with a pair of Swarovski 10x42s? I'm just wondering if the weight of the Swaros causes any problems. I just ordered a set, so I guess I'll find out in a few days.
Matt
I used the new kuiu on a caribou hunt this fall. I liked it until I had to crawl across the tundra. It was ok until I got into some tundra bush and the box got noisy. Probably should have taken it off before beginning the stalk but didn’t want to take a chance of losing my swaros . I am going to look at the Rick Young harness.
Grey ghost. Yes I do.
And also my heavier Vortex Razors
Believe it or not. They hold very tight. No bouncing or sagging.
You would also Think by looking at them that the small cord would be uncomfortable.
But it holds the bino to your body so that compression holds the bino. Not downward suspension weight around your neck.
Watch the demo video. It shows how to use it while belly crawling.
After I started using them I realized that all you need to protect are the lenses. Unless you use glass that isn’t waterproof. Rain won’t hurt them.
If getting them wet bothers you. You can where the rig under a jacket.
They adjust to clothes thickness layering in seconds.
If your crawling in the mud it’s pretty easy to keep them from sagging into the dirt and mud.
Zero noise when in bow range of a bedded animal
Update on the Rick Young Harness. I received mine yesterday (in Olive) from Amazon less than 24 hrs after placing the order (still don't know how they do that?). Jumped in a stand yesterday afternoon for a couple hours so I got to try it. I wish I had one of these things 30 years ago. It's just so simple. I use an old pair of Zeiss 8x30 Classic's and clip a Vortex Ranger rangefinder on my right side and the harness held both tightly with no sagging. The only issue I had was they were not totally silent. As I raised the binos to my eyes, the friction between the shock cord and the plastic connectors did make some noise. I was able to minimize it by increasing pressure on the shock cord by pushing the binos away from my body slightly, which quieted them down a bit. The real test will be in cold, still weather when every sound is amplified. I really hope they are quiet enough because I've been searching for the perfect way to suspend my binos and rangefinder for decades and this is the closest thing I've ever found!
Very Cold, Clear, Calm Morning when every noise is amplified. Second whitetail of the morning.
Very Cold, Clear, Calm Morning when every noise is amplified. Second whitetail of the morning.
Warm Spring Day
Warm Spring Day
I've never noticed noise between the connectors and cord but I've had mine so long maybe that goes away with use as the cord gets some wear on it and softens the sheath.
Most guys look at it and ask if it's uncomfortable because it looks like that small cord would dig in to your skin. I seriously forget I'm wearing it at times regardless if I'm wearing bulky cold weather clothing or a merino first layer shirt.
Busta…..will it be Jim Hole approved? ;-)
Maybe with a little hockey tape!
Little project I worked on. I hate having the rangefinder in a pouch hanging low on the harness. Designed and 3D printed a holster. Clips on the vertical straps and I riveted it to the top of the harness.
This setup is minimalist yet gives the binocular lenses a little protection. Also meets my requirement for minimizing movement and maximizing access to the rangefinder.
