Mountain Optics Harness Reviews

Not H.

Sep 7, 2021

3/5

Researched many cases and this

Researched many cases and this one was the best. So I thought, I ordered and when it arrived my binoculars did not fit. I have the Bushnell trophy 10x50 binoculars, I am returning them and will look to another manufacturer.

Verified Buyer

Zachary A.

Aug 27, 2021

5/5

I find the straps outstanding

I find the straps outstanding and simple to use: head in one hole, one arm in each of the other, strap around the waist. SIMPLE. The straps are a nice thickness/firmness that do not tangle or twist easily. I compared my binocular specs to the main pouch spec of this harness so therefore my Vortex Viper 12x50 and my Leopuld RX1400i rangefinder fits in the main & side pouch. I use windchecker/milkweed and fruit snacks/elk jerky in the 3rd side pouch. Theres two compartments behind the main pouch that I put my tags in the smaller zip pouch and phone in the big one, respectively. I use this harness for turkey hunting too, as the main pouch will fit my box call, side pouches for slate & striker. The halfway/partial open capability of the main pouch with the magnets and seamed hinges is a nice feature. All 3 pouches open with a stretch & clasp (SILENT) mechanism. This is my first Stika gear item and will definitely continue to browse their inventory when I need things in the future, for this harness is 100/100. Thanks Sitka, and good luck to all hunters!

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Jon L.

Aug 11, 2021

3/5

Well, I love the design

Well, I love the design on this product. It is an incredible balance of feature richness and simplicity. The side pouches are generous and extremely well designed, down to the stretchy pockets on the fronts of them. The dual pockets behind the main pouch (one zippered and one wide open) allow for separate tag and sidearm storage (I can comfortably fit a full sized Glock in there). I was pessimistic about the strap system at first, but it is very comfortable. This would be a 5 star review except for the size of the main pouch. It's a flat out deal killer, if you run anything over a short 10x42. My Maven B2 (7.1' with eye cups down) won't fit at all and the Maven C series 12x50 and Vortex Razor 12x50 only fit with the cups down. Ideally I'd like to be able to close the cover over a Maven B2 sized optic with a closure that keeps rain out from the side.

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Matt

Jul 23, 2021

5/5

This harness is great and

This harness is great and even stable enough to mount a pistol. I like the strap system a lot better than the old harness. It is easy to adjust, little foot print to not cause heat spots, and stays put. If they get twisted it doesn't bother me. The pouches are even big enough to hold your beer.

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Radek

Jul 3, 2021

4/5

Very nice product, but only

Very nice product, but only for small binoculars. I have Swarovski EL Range - is impossible close cover. I believe that Sitka makes a model for other than small binoculars.

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Robert T.

Jun 26, 2021

4/5

I love this harness so

I love this harness so much! It is awesome, I like that you can take the side pouches off if you'd like and they fit my binos very well (Leupold BX-5 Santiam HD 10x42) I really like the lens cloth that is attached to the inside, because I'd loose or forget it if it wasn't, the little pockets on the side for my lense pen. The side pouches work really well for range finder and small gear such as eye wear and hearing protection. Only thing I don't get is why the bino harness lid opens towards you. Makes it a little annoying on the stock opening it to grab your binos everytime you need em, but isn't that big a deal. It is very comfortable, breathable, quite, and functional.

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Bobby

Jun 15, 2021

5/5

Great so far, you can

Great so far, you can even fit a full size 1911 in the rear slip behind the binocular pouch!

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Nick P.

Jun 14, 2021

5/5

Bought this bingo harness expecting

Bought this bingo harness expecting great quality and I wasn't disappointed at all. it fits nicely and has tons of room for everything you need on you. I use it with my vortex 12x50 bins and they fit snuggly. I definitely recommend these to anyone looking to get it.

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Driston L.

Jun 7, 2021

5/5

Really enjoy this Bino Harness,

Really enjoy this Bino Harness, love the modularity and the storage, I've been in situations where I could leave my pack and still have everything I need, fit my binos perfectly and my rangefinder as well. I actually enjoy the strap system, it's very comfortable of you know how to set it up properly, it's not hard to figure out. I do wish that Sitka would make a Bino Harness that was a little slimmer for warmer times of the year, something similar to the Leupold Bino Harness with a separate pouch for a rangefinder, other than that, totally recommend this Bino Harness!

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Mateo

May 12, 2021

4/5

Super pumped about this. Been

Super pumped about this. Been rocking my unit issued chest rig and this one is nearly identical. It works perfectly for when I've got my tree stand/climbing sticks on my back.

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Brian

May 12, 2021

4/5

Great product. The only issue

Great product. The only issue is that when I’m rifle hunting, this must be worn on the outside of my gear which covers my hunter orange vest. This would be a perfect harness if it was made in hunter orange.

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Southern R.

May 5, 2021

5/5

One of the best products

One of the best products yet!!!

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Chris

Feb 22, 2021

3/5

Very nice product, I agree

Very nice product, I agree with everyone else, the straps get tangled and make it not so easy to use. Would like to see them make a strap system for them like the old bino bivy system.

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Tim H.

Feb 12, 2021

4/5

I do really like this

I do really like this harness but there are a couple of issues. It does not fit either pair (two different brands) of my 10x42’s without pulling and stretching. It is a two handed operation to get it closed and latched. I hope it stretches enough over time to accommodate the binos’s. I do like the additional side pockets a lot. The narrow straps had concerned me but they work fine. It’s a great idea that needs a little improvement.

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Mt H.

Dec 10, 2020

5/5

I love this harness. I

I love this harness. I struggled finding one that was quiet, comfortable and functional that could keep all my 'stuff' easy to access but secure. This does the job perfectly.

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Casey S.

Dec 8, 2020

5/5

The mountain harness is without

The mountain harness is without a doubt the best bino caddy system i have ever used. Incredibly comfortable, super light, and well thought out. Since i have to pick something to criticize literally the only thing i can think of would be to have the two accessory pouches open from the front rather than the rear but that’s 100% personal preference.

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Greg M.

Nov 20, 2020

3/5

Well made but too small

Well made but too small for our 10x50 Binos which are taller than the case so the cover won’t close.

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Justin E.

Oct 29, 2020

5/5

Great Bino harness and my

Great Bino harness and my favorite to date. Very quiet, fits everything I need and the material has a nice water repellent to it. Only thing I would like to see for improvement is the ranger finder pockets lid. It would be nice if once you open it there was a way to keep it open, I cut the lid off one so I can pull my range finder out quicker and don’t have to fumble with the lid or make noise opening it. Other than the pocket lids I love this harness and fits all my needs.

Verified Buyer

Nick O.

Oct 25, 2020

3/5

Overall the harness is ok.

Overall the harness is ok. What I like about the harness is the amount of items I can have in the different compartments. It fits my 10x42 leupolds nicely but I wouldn’t go much bigger. Comfort of the harness is decent and the large surface area of the front of the harness gives a very comfortable and stable feel to the hunter. The strap system is not very user friendly and can easily get tangled up/ twisted especially when layering up. The soft fleece type material on the very front of the harness that makes up the small side pouches on the main compartment and the outer pouches on the two side compartments is incredibly susceptible to snow and ice build up. It holds onto the elements and requires constant cleaning. If these things are not an issue for you then I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it. It will serve me well for archery seasons but I will be using another option for rifle seasons here in Montana.

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Brandon

Oct 10, 2020

2/5

Really wanted to like this

Really wanted to like this harness but the strap system is quite poor. Not having a central back attachment causes the straps to move around too much and create uneven stress points. For the price I really would have expected a much better design.

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Nick

Sep 20, 2020

5/5

I ordered the Sitka Mountain

I ordered the Sitka Mountain Optics Harness in Subalpine. First off, this harness is amazing. I have held and compared many other bino harnesses, and it's clearly superior. Lighter, modular design, quiet and everything else that you'd want in a bino harness. Prior to purchasing this I read many reviews and the size of binocular that it fits was very contradicting. So, here is the down low on fitting binoculars in it. I am currently using a pair of Vortex Viper HD 12x50's and have ZERO issues with using this harness. Despite what other reviews state, the Viper 12x50 binoculars fit like a glove. The dimension of this binocular is 6.5' x 5.2'. If you're on the fence about buying this harness, do it! Thanks for the quality Sitka!

Verified Buyer

Ben M.

Sep 13, 2020

4/5

Pros: Quiet opening and closing

Pros: Quiet opening and closing if you move slowly. Great design and build quality. Cons: Bino opening should be a bit bigger, it's very tight on my 10x42s. The side modules open from the rear which is awkward to open but I could get used to it. The compartment grab tabs needs to be bigger as trying to open the lid with winter gloves on is very difficult. The back webbing design is not as good as the gen1 design because when throwing the harness on over a winter jacket the webbing gets twisted up nearly overtime, which is frustrating. The two side modules make it the best bino harness out there. Great purchase but could use some improvement!

Verified Buyer

Brad M.

Aug 29, 2020

5/5

Best system I have ever

Best system I have ever used. Innovative and typical amazing Sitka quality. No other harness competes in versatility so far.

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Dave

Aug 15, 2020

2/5

Great build quality as expected.

Great build quality as expected. Huge negative- Zeiss Victory 10x42s do not fit without jamming them in. Getting them out is a struggle. Forget about leaving the eye cups Extended. Hugely disappointed in Sitka for making the harness to small to fit 10x42 binos without a struggle. Returning and looking elsewhere.

Verified Buyer

Andy B.

Aug 14, 2020

2/5

Bought this harness hoping it

Bought this harness hoping it would solve all of my extra issues. range finder, GPS, etc. It did that, But have to say the strap system is the worst I've ever dealt with. For once i wish these guys who think their hunters would ask a professional for some advise. These common mistakes would never happen.

Verified Buyer

Carter R.

Jul 5, 2020

5/5

This bino harness is legit.

This bino harness is legit. All the right pockets in all the right spots. Absolutely love it! Do be aware that it will not fit 15x binos... I intentionally bought it for my new 15x Leupold Santiams and they will not fit... I would say 12x or smaller for this harness.

Verified Buyer

Taylor C.

Jun 27, 2020

5/5

This harness is genius. It’s

This harness is genius. It’s lightweight, well built and super functional. The bino compartment is a little snug with my vortex razor uhd 10x42’s but they do fit. All in all it’s a stellar harness. I’ll be using it for the 3D season as well and it’s got great room for a range finder and a couple different releases. Nice job.

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Brian

Jun 26, 2020

1/5

Why would you not make

Why would you not make this in a EV2 pattern?

Verified Buyer

Joel S.

Jun 23, 2020

5/5

I really like the layout

I really like the layout and fit compared to the last Sitka bino harness and the extra pockets are super accessible. My only complaint is it barely fits my Zeiss Victory SF 10x42's, this would seem to be a standard bino along with Swaro ELs and Leica Noctovids to confirm fit (can't confirm if the last two fit). The lid will not close with the eyecups raised.

Verified Buyer

Austin

May 7, 2020

3/5

There are some great things

There are some great things and not so great things I’ve found with this harness after taking it out on some summer scouting trips. Pros: >excellent modular design that allows you to customize the layout and what you want to carry. I hope sitka thinks about making their own side arm holster for this. >typical Sitka build quality that shows me this will take a beating and keep going. >intelligent mapping of brushed fabrics to keep noise down on the exterior side compartments. >ridgid enough construction to ensure that your binos shouldn’t slip out when open. >the first rear opening lid design on the binocular portion that I trust won’t open when I don’t want it to and stows out of the way nicely with the hood magnet. Cons: >almost impossible to latch with a 12x50 binocular. I’m using some Swarovski EL 12x50s and you have to stretch the bungee latch to its full extent and pull the top plastic receiver clip past a normal tension. Even then, it’s seems like it’s ready to pop at any second. I even tried a buddy’s 10x42s in there and it was even very snug. This is absolutely not a one size fits all or even most harness. Sitka would be wise to post internal dimensions for perspective buyers. Nitpicks: > I’m not overly fond of the strap retention bands for the excess amount Of your shoulder straps. You could obviously modify this with cutting and burning the amount you don’t need, sewing down the ends, or zip tying, but it would be much better if they used some sort of a Velcro strap or pliable, notched, strap. >the removable side compartments are not as easy in and out as I would like for a rangefinder. They are also a little louder than I would like if you need to drop something in there quickly in a hunting situation. There is definitely a pretty resonant thud. You could fix this by cutting a little piece of foam or something to put in the bottom to dampen or I would be cautious. In conclusion: This harness has so many good ideas going for it, but is not at all designed for larger binoculars. They could fix this by either 1) deepening the bino compartment in an “XL” version 2) increasing the length of the bungee latch or 3) adding one more plastic receiver clip up higher to accommodate taller binocular profiles. I also hope they continue to iterate on it in regards to modular accessories.

Verified Buyer

Patrick

Apr 5, 2020

2/5

Hunters sweat on their back

Hunters sweat on their back while hiking with a pack because of the contact surface area. Your design will make every persons chest sweat similar to their back by covering their entire chest with this harness, with or without the side pockets being worn. My opinion... this product needs to go back to the drawing board. You can still place molle loops in the side straps for additional module pockets if desired instead of covering the entire chest with thick fabric.

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Aaron

Mar 10, 2020

3/5

Case needs to be adjustable,

Case needs to be adjustable, doesn’t fit my 12x42 Leupolds; my Ziess Victory RFs 10x42s come next week and it sounds like those won’t fit either... my 10x42 Leupolds fit snugly... would be nice to see an expansion option for large optics... especially the Victory RFs - I would suggest that most of the people buying Sitka gear are premium gear junkies and that means RF binos and probably the ziess victory set... Other that that this harness is perfect, dead quiet materials, snug fit, no heavy straps to make you hot....

Verified Buyer

John M.

Mar 9, 2020

3/5

well made but does not

well made but does not fit the Swarovski EL Range 10x42, had to return

Verified Buyer

Josh

Jan 11, 2020

4/5

Overall, I love this harness.

Overall, I love this harness. I agree with other reviews that the straps can get a bit tangled at times, but so far hasn't really been an issue for me. I think the only real improvement needed is some sort of velcro tab to manage the excess straps, rather than cheap elastic bands. That would be a wonderful addition in my opinion. Otherwise, it's a great and well thought out design, especially when you consider what you would pay for a GPS pouch and rangefinder pouch in addition to a different harness.

Verified Buyer

Lee

Jan 10, 2020

3/5

Leica 10x42 rangefinder binos barely

Leica 10x42 rangefinder binos barely fit. Requires both hands to put back in harness and have to really stretch the clasp and use both hands to get closed. Storage on either side is too small for iPhone 8. Would not recommend or purchase again without some changes.

Verified Buyer

Leland P.

Oct 18, 2024

5/5

Harness

I think it works very good love it so far

Verified Buyer

Height: 6' - 6'2'' · Weight: 251 lbs - 280lbs

Fit: True to size

John M.

Jan 12, 2024

5/5

Well thought out. The design

Well thought out. The design permits the consolidation of Binos, range finder and assorted other items. Another excellent Sitka design.

Verified Buyer

Height: 6'3'' - 6'5'' · Weight: 221 lbs - 250lbs

Fit: True to size

Ethan S.

Dec 17, 2023

5/5

Another Great product!

Great and very comfortable Bino Harness Absolutely love it!

Verified Buyer

Height: 5'9'' - 5'11'' · Weight: 161 lbs - 190lbs

Fit: True to size

Dan M.

Dec 13, 2023

5/5

Functional

Great piece of gear. Holds binocs, rangefinder and cell phone in easy to get to and out of the way spots.

Verified Buyer

Height: 5'9'' - 5'11'' · Weight: 191 lbs - 220lbs

Fit: True to size

mike n.

Dec 6, 2023

5/5

Quality gear

As always top notch gear from Sitka. Have only used a few times but it is easy to use and quiet.

Verified Buyer

Height: 5'9'' - 5'11'' · Weight: 161 lbs - 190lbs

Fit: True to size

Matt

Jan 28, 2023

3/5

The straps leave a little

The straps leave a little to be desired. I used it all deer season and really enjoyed the pocket diversity. Was very nice to grab it and have lots of stuff in it, saves time to get to stand. I packed it in my tool bucket and put it on in the stand. The straps, using the Fanatic jacket and Fanatic lite jacket, constantly got lost putting it on. 15 minutes after in the stand I'd find one dangling and then trying to figure out which to clip appropriately. I didn't think the straps were uncomfortable, just how you undo them and clip them was difficult in the stand. Am looking/considering a second in subalpine or brown, but will consider other brands for convenience.

Verified Buyer

Nick

Apr 18, 2021

4/5

I actually run this for

I actually run this for spring turkey. Instead of binos, I keep my pot call in the main pouch which gives me quick and easy access so I can tuck it away quickly and easily if I get a response. Love the knife and mouth call storage area, and the smaller storage pieces are great for phones, GPS, gloves or whatever the hell you want to throw in them. Zipper pocket in the back keeps your license and tags. My only complaint is the strap system; it takes a bit of work to get it balanced and the ends come loose from the elastic a little too easily. I’m going to add velcro to mine to ensure I don’t have it hanging loose. Overall, I much preferred this to a pack as I don’t run decoys and the harness lets you keep it on while leaning against a tree.

Verified Buyer

Dbowman

Jun 29, 2020

5/5

I love the modularity of

I love the modularity of this product. It reminds me of when I was on active duty and changing load out for mission set. Great product. I cannot get the lid to close well on my vortex 10x50s. They are tall enough to keep the flap up high enough to really strain the closing. My 8x42s fit great. I love the pockets and stash places that are built in. I will get years of use from this bino rig I am sure.

Verified Buyer

George R.

May 22, 2024

5/5

Very well put together

Very well put together

Verified Buyer

Height: 6'3'' - 6'5'' · Weight: 221 lbs - 250lbs

Fit: True to size

Jay F.

May 21, 2024

5/5

Mountain optics harness

Comfortable practicable & durable

Verified Buyer

Height: 6' - 6'2'' · Weight: 161 lbs - 190lbs

Fit: True to size

Mark A.

May 20, 2024

5/5

high quality product. this harness

high quality product. this harness keeps the binoculars tight to your boy when moving around and the harness in surprisingly comfortable.

Verified Buyer

Height: 5'9'' - 5'11'' · Weight: 191 lbs - 220lbs

Fit: True to size

Nazir M.

May 20, 2024

5/5

Quality

Very good product

Verified Buyer

Height: 5'6'' - 5'8'' · Weight: 161 lbs - 190lbs

Fit: Runs small

Sam D.

May 20, 2024

5/5

This is a good rig.

This is a good rig. It only fits smaller sized binoculars.

Verified Buyer

Height: 5'9'' - 5'11'' · Weight: 191 lbs - 220lbs

Fit: True to size

Dan V.

May 18, 2024

5/5

This is a must for

This is a must for any outfitter or guide. This is all I need to carry my essentials when guiding whitetail hunts here in Texas. Super light weight fits right and doesn’t get in the way.

Verified Buyer

Height: 5'9'' - 5'11'' · Weight: 161 lbs - 190lbs

Fit: True to size

Jeremiah B.

May 15, 2024

5/5

Great Harness

Great product, durable and made well. Pouches are sturdy and hold all sizes of binos. Pouch straps are easy tighten and loosen.

Verified Buyer

Height: 5'9'' - 5'11'' · Weight: 191 lbs - 220lbs

Fit: True to size