ROY bino harness reviews

WhiteOak

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Oct 17, 2016
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New Mexico
RYO bino harness reviews

HI all after pouring over all options for bino harnesses and bino protection I believe I have narrowed it down to the Rick Young Outdoors ultralight bino harness and neoprene bino cover.
Basic Ultra-light Bino Harness - Rick Young Outdoors - Ultralight Bino Harness
Neoprene Binocular Cover - Rick Young Outdoors - Ultralight Bino Harness

Does anyone have any reviews positive or negative about the RYO harness? Does the adjustment point ride under a pack nice?

My criteria were to have a secure harness that keeps its position while being low profile offering bino protection. Also i dont want a harness that I have to fight with or feel like another layer. Also I use a magnetic compass so magnets are a big no.
I really think that the kuiu harness would be perfect except for the damn shoulder straps I can see that being a huge PITA. Why cant they just add little loops on the shoulder straps and back of the bino pouch just for the option to connect the 2 is beyone me. I still want one but have a hard time paying almost 100 bucks for something I know I have to dick around with to get it right

The OV bino harness looks great expect for the magnets. I really like the acg kiss pouch but the harness is a little too substantial and I run hot as it is. I think I would hate wearing that on hot days and I live in the desert.

The RYO harness looks to keep binos in place while adding almost no extra fabric to cover you. The neoprene sleeve seems to fit the bill for protection and can still be installed while using the binos.

Does anyone have an opinion on that set up?
Thanks for any feeback
 
Last edited:

Squirrels

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Dec 29, 2016
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I like my RY for whitetail hunting very much but prefer the OV for out west. Since you don't want magnets you seem to be on the right track. I don't have the neoprene cover so I can't speak to it. The harness itself is simple, light, and very breathable...obviously.
 
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WhiteOak

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Besides the OV offering bino protection the RY without bino cover lacks, Are there other reasons you prefer th OV for out west. Does the RY bounce when hiking. They showed the RY with the straps configured to wrap back over the objective were of the binos to hold them in place. Not sure how well that actually works.
 

Squirrels

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Dec 29, 2016
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Besides the OV offering bino protection the RY without bino cover lacks, Are there other reasons you prefer th OV for out west. Does the RY bounce when hiking. They showed the RY with the straps configured to wrap back over the objective were of the binos to hold them in place. Not sure how well that actually works.

It works okay that way but yes you still get some bounce, which is why I prefer the OV, but I'm tempted to throw the RT in the pack and try it. Why don't you give the RY a try and if it's to much bounce go for the OV. I'm not sure what I think of the RY cover. I'd have to have hands on it to give an opinion.


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I have the RYO and love it for whitetail and turkey hunting - love the simplicity of it, and when I don't need protection for my binos, its awesome. I don't get much bounce while walking either..not enough to bother me anyways.

I have the neoprene cover (figured it would be good for rain/snow), but have never used while hunting. I've messed around with it in the house a little, and maybe I got too small of a size, but the cover is kinda a pain to get on and off. Definitely not a 1 handed thing, and not as quick and I would like it to be. If you only keep it hanging off the eyecups and dont hook it over your objectives, its much easier, but that defeats 1/2 the purpose.

I tried out the Kuiu harness and had the same complaint as you. As soon as you take the binos out, the harness kinda falls off your chest..and it takes 2 hands to put your binos back in.

I have the marsupial, but since you mentioned no magnets, that option wont work for you.
 

fngTony

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No complaints. Pretty slick item. Worst case is you only use it when going to the ball game and run a bino pack for hunting. I really see no risk in it being wasted money.
 
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WhiteOak

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Appreciate the feedback. I am going to try out the RY ultralight and neoprene cover to mess around with. The two pieces together are still about half the price of the other harness systems.

I haven't put my hands on the OV but it looks to me that it is pretty much the kuiu harness only done right with the shoulder straps to the bino pouch and an extra spot for bino tethers. The only thing is the magnets. Can those magnets be easily removed and will the pouch still function with out them?
 

Fjelljeger

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My binos are always in the RYO harness. Just plain simple and awesome. Only when actually hunting does the FHF harness get used. All my scouting, hiking, birding, traveling, etc. gets the nod from the RYO!
 
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Do the buckles on the ov harness sit on your collar bones or shoulders? I had trouble with the kuiu sitting like that and couldn’t adjust them to fit better, and with my pack on they were grinding into my skin making my collar bones raw. Trying to find new water proof comfortable harness and cover. Live in Oregon so lots of water.
 

Eric4

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I use both a marsupial pack, as well as a RYO. They both operate well with my 8x30 habicht bins, but there are differences in the way they hang/move. If you're scrambling up hills, or crawling often, the RYO may not be the best bet. Perks of the RYO are simplicity and the fact it's near silent. The rangefinder attachment is also simple and effective.

What size/weight binoculars are you using? If they're heavy, ~42mm binoculars, the shock cord may start to get old on long hunts.
 
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HI all after pouring over all options for bino harnesses and bino protection I believe I have narrowed it down to the Rick Young Outdoors ultralight bino harness and neoprene bino cover.
Basic Ultra-light Bino Harness - Rick Young Outdoors - Ultralight Bino Harness
Neoprene Binocular Cover - Rick Young Outdoors - Ultralight Bino Harness

Does anyone have any reviews positive or negative about the RYO harness? Does the adjustment point ride under a pack nice?

My criteria were to have a secure harness that keeps its position while being low profile offering bino protection. Also i dont want a harness that I have to fight with or feel like another layer. Also I use a magnetic compass so magnets are a big no.
I really think that the kuiu harness would be perfect except for the damn shoulder straps I can see that being a huge PITA. Why cant they just add little loops on the shoulder straps and back of the bino pouch just for the option to connect the 2 is beyone me. I still want one but have a hard time paying almost 100 bucks for something I know I have to dick around with to get it right

The OV bino harness looks great expect for the magnets. I really like the acg kiss pouch but the harness is a little too substantial and I run hot as it is. I think I would hate wearing that on hot days and I live in the desert.

The RYO harness looks to keep binos in place while adding almost no extra fabric to cover you. The neoprene sleeve seems to fit the bill for protection and can still be installed while using the binos.

Does anyone have an opinion on that set up?
Thanks for any feeback

You really ought to give the KUIU harness a shot. I thought the attachment system was stupid, to the point that I didn’t even try it as they intended first. I cut two small slits in the back of the harness and ran the upper straps through there, but it ended up sagging forward away from my body. I then tried it as designed and found it actually works really well.

I ran it for a week on an elk hunt this year and had zero issues with comfort, getting them in and out, disconnecting and running them on a tripod, with and without a pack on, etc. The only time I took them off outside of camp was when we packed meat out.

I do wish they would come out with a small “basement” type pouch, especially since they have added the Velcro bottom that their other accessories can attach to. It would be nice to carry a lighter, fire starter, water tablets, and emergency blanket in there for bad conditions where you might want to drop your pack on a stalk.
 

MattB

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Sep 29, 2012
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5,415
The Rick Young is nice for what it is, but the Kuiu is my personal preference (over AGC and OV).
 
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