Bino Chest Harness - Dump

Dsnow9

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 29, 2019
Messages
3,453
Location
Colorado
Show us your chest harness setup/gear dump. Open to critiques, recommendations, and just overall thoughts. Not necessarily looking for a brand vs brand but what do you keep in it and how do you use it.

You all may think the amount of gear in my chest harness is crazy but I like to be able to leave the pack at camp or drop it for a stall and not worry about what happens if the stalk goes long or something happens.

CECD9126-4CA5-423D-B49D-3AA250F6CD4D.jpeg

AGC CUB MAXX
Vortex Fury Binos
Vortex Razor 4000 Range finder
InReach
Black diamond spot (headlamp)
Petzl e lite
Wind Checker (electrical tape/Leuko tape)
Fire start kit (storm proof matches, lighter, fuel cube, more tape)
Venom nitrile gloves
Tyto knife (2 blades)
Gerber big game vital
Tag/space pen
Space blanket
Battery (works in range finder and binos)
Extra magazine(when rifle hunting)
Vortex cleaning pen, optics rag (Cabelas)
Custom ear plugs
Quick clot
40 ft New England dynaglide (1000lb breaking strength)
Rock exotica rocx accessory carabiner (1000lb working load)
HME skinning tool
 
Last edited:
I have the same harness as you, just all tan. I thought I carried a lot in mine until I saw yours. I also sewed a section of a cheap, stretchy cartridge belt onto the right side pocket of the harness (my right side as I'm wearing it) that holds 4 rounds for quick load/reload but still allows use of the pocket.

In my bino harness I carry:

Vortex 10x42 binos
Leupold Rangefinder w/ case
About 10 rounds of ammo
Tags and maps
Cleaning cloth
Headlamp
Extra batteries for rangefinder
 
Nice... I prefer the slimmer KISS harness and then just to carry my bag, but that's a preference. In my harness I just have chapstick, a lighter, tags, earplugs, and wind checker. Knife, headlamp, extra ammo, are in my pocket. The rest is in a waterproof bag in my pack that holds my med kit + batteries, fire stuff, nitrile gloves, etc.

After a few "incidents" I now am a firm subscriber to the never leave your pack doctrine. With the only exception being if your partner stays behind while you make an archery stalk and they stay with your pack and bring it up to you.

I hadn't seen the Tyto before, I like the design much better than the havalon (PIA to clean), but holy smokes that's expensive... especially since you can get a standard stainless scalpel handle out of a taxidermy supply or medical mag for $5-10.

All and all solid list, you probably carry them in your pack but I've started carrying katadyn micropur tabs in addition to whatever else I'm using to deal with water (filter if it's a big group and summer, tabs if alone or hunting 2nd season onward)
 
Binocs, rangefinder, windchecker, bear spray if in griz country, calls if they are not in my mouth. I rarely drop my pack and if so, it is for very short intervals. But I understand where you may want to for longer periods. I am super careful where I drop it if I do.
 
When hunting, I generally just run binos, calls, wind checker, and a lens pen in an FHF or T&K bino pouch. You might check out these guys' chest rigs though. I have several and really like them for carrying more gear. I just generally don't want that much stuff on my chest when hunting, and I get anxious to the point of distraction if I'm more than a couple feet away from my backpack. Personal preference.

 
Nice... I prefer the slimmer KISS harness and then just to carry my bag, but that's a preference. In my harness I just have chapstick, a lighter, tags, earplugs, and wind checker. Knife, headlamp, extra ammo, are in my pocket. The rest is in a waterproof bag in my pack that holds my med kit + batteries, fire stuff, nitrile gloves, etc.

After a few "incidents" I now am a firm subscriber to the never leave your pack doctrine. With the only exception being if your partner stays behind while you make an archery stalk and they stay with your pack and bring it up to you.

I hadn't seen the Tyto before, I like the design much better than the havalon (PIA to clean), but holy smokes that's expensive... especially since you can get a standard stainless scalpel handle out of a taxidermy supply or medical mag for $5-10.

All and all solid list, you probably carry them in your pack but I've started carrying katadyn micropur tabs in addition to whatever else I'm using to deal with water (filter if it's a big group and summer, tabs if alone or hunting 2nd season onward)

The chap stick is clutch too, I carry that too. 🤦‍♂️ Definitely going to adopt the don’t leave the pack behind strategy and lighten up the bino harness.

I am still fine tuning the setup for sure and I’m sure I will pull things out and not add anymore to it.
 
Looks like you got about a 2500cu ft pack you just dumped out. Haha, I switched my setup to the newer Outdoor Vision setup. Binos, Wind check, extra 3 rounds if rifle season, mouth calls if september, rangefinder with pouch. I have honestly never seen anything like your harness dump....... not knocking it by any means. That's your program run with it my friend.
 
I got no problems with the volume if you can carry it comfortably. I would load mine up too, but I’m a never drop my bag guy as well. So I carry most of my extras in the pack.
 
I'm curious why you carry the rangefinder and the range finding binos?

Good question! I have found the binos are great if you are spotting for someone or checking longer distances, but if you need to get a quick range the binos are a little cumbersome to pull out to get a quick range or a close quarters range. They are both great pieces of equipment and have their advantages and disadvantages. I find the advantages of carrying both outweigh the disadvantages of only carrying one.
 
I agree with a few others that I only leave my pack under very rare or controlled circumstances. My favorite example of this was the first time I hunted out west. My buddies said let’s glass over this hill. I was the only one to dig my pack out of truck. Of course we saw deer and bailed off that hill as fast as possible. After about 10 hrs of hiking, 4 dead deer and 13 miles of walking, I was in pretty good spirits. I can’t say as much for my buddies.
 
Sitka Gear Turkey Tool Belt

Forum statistics

Threads
110,805
Messages
1,935,071
Members
34,883
Latest member
clamwc
Back
Top