Front bag Harness in Africa

At home when I’m reliant on myself I use the original Kuiu bino harness which is quite a bit smaller than what is shown and love it. I wear it a lot. Turkeys, deer, scouting, elk, etc

In Africa I haven’t found it necessary. Last two hunts I just used a simple strap and wore it over a shoulder above my hip. And I kept extra contacts, and a dose of painkiller and muscle relaxer in my pocket in a ziplock.

I’m headed to Matetsi 2 in August and I did buy a small belt pouch. $9.99 on Amazon and big enough for my extra contacts and a dose of meds. Plus a small flashlight and a headlamp.

I’ll bet money I ditch it by day 3 and carry my contacts and meds in a pocket again. I like simple.

I should note. I will have a bigger bag to leave in the car with sunscreen, baby wipes, and ibuprofen. But it will stay with the car

Not for me, binos go on a strap across my chest.

Spare ammo (four rounds), folder, camera and flashlight on my belt

The rest in small pack in the bakkie.

Too cumbersome. For me, the less the better. If I am stalking I don't want all that battle rattle on me. Bino harness, belt clip to hold extra rounds, knife on my side.

I ran one on my safari. I liked it, was nice having the RF/binos/pocket knife/lense wipe/flashilght with me. I took it with me in every hunt, but only wore it when the terrain opened up a bit on distance. I was only after plains game, I also hate carrying stuff in my pockets.

I’d hate that much on my chest. On my first safari (DG), I used a small day pack. It had a hydration pouch, and a few odds and ends, but was mostly empty. My belt had a knife and ammo. I had a pair of 10x30 binos and a pair of 8x20 mini binos. My PH told me to worry about shooting and he’d do the glassing. So the 10x stayed on the truck and the 8x were in my shirt pocket.
I also took a fanny pack and used it one morning and after that, it was left in the hut.
On my second hunt (PG), I once again used a day pack but found that I left it on the truck more often than not. I also took a sling pack that hung on one side and held a water bottle and a few odds and ends. I really didn’t care for it, but need to give it another shot.
Bottom line, I don’t carry much “stuff”, but I do like to always have water on me.

I’ll jump in and be one of the few voices that goes against the grain on this one lol. I’d say it depends on how you hunt. If you use a bino harness on all of your normal hunts, then I’d say use it in Africa as well.

My first buffalo hunt, I used a Kuiu enclosed bino harness. It worked well enough, but I’ve now switched over to a marsupial bio harness. I wear it for everything I Hunt, excluding Upland birds lol. For me, the marsupial harness is the way to go.

I’ve worn mine for Buffalo hunts, plains game, and elephant. I could hunt without it, but I wouldn’t want to. I run 10 x 30 Zulu 6, sig rangefinder to the right of the binos, and a cell phone pouch to the left. I also have a microfiber lens towel, some lens cleaning wipes, extra batteries for scope/rangefinder/Binos, Chapstick, and a mini sharpie tucked in to the harness as well.
On my belt I carry 6 rounds ammo and a zippered sunglasses pouch.

The way I hunt, I like to be involved and know as much info as possible. A very very small part of your entire trip is going to be squeezing the trigger. The rest is going to be seeing a ton of amazing things. I like the ability to quickly access my bios and rangefinder or phone all on my chest. Rangefinder isn’t necessary, but I do find it really interesting and sometimes helpful. It’s also really nice to be able to range when hunting with my buddy and call out the yardage so all he has to do is dial and shoot.

At the end of the day, there’s a lot of ways to skin a cat. So if you like hunting with a chest rig bino harness, then I’d say take it to Africa, use it, and have a blast!

And a couple pics of harness in the field.

chase0109 said:

I’ll jump in and be one of the few voices that goes against the grain on this one lol. I’d say it depends on how you hunt. If you use a bino harness on all of your normal hunts, then I’d say use it in Africa as well.

My first buffalo hunt, I used a Kuiu enclosed bino harness. It worked well enough, but I’ve now switched over to a marsupial bio harness. I wear it for everything I Hunt, excluding Upland birds lol. For me, the marsupial harness is the way to go.

I’ve worn mine for Buffalo hunts, plains game, and elephant. I could hunt without it, but I wouldn’t want to. I run 10 x 30 Zulu 6, sig rangefinder to the right of the binos, and a cell phone pouch to the left. I also have a microfiber lens towel, some lens cleaning wipes, extra batteries for scope/rangefinder/Binos, Chapstick, and a mini sharpie tucked in to the harness as well.
On my belt I carry 6 rounds ammo and a zippered sunglasses pouch.

The way I hunt, I like to be involved and know as much info as possible. A very very small part of your entire trip is going to be squeezing the trigger. The rest is going to be seeing a ton of amazing things. I like the ability to quickly access my bios and rangefinder or phone all on my chest. Rangefinder isn’t necessary, but I do find it really interesting and sometimes helpful. It’s also really nice to be able to range when hunting with my buddy and call out the yardage so all he has to do is dial and shoot.

At the end of the day, there’s a lot of ways to skin a cat. So if you like hunting with a chest rig bino harness, then I’d say take it to Africa, use it, and have a blast!

And a couple pics of harness in the field.
View attachment 748842View attachment 748843View attachment 748844View attachment 748845View attachment 748846

Click to expand...

I’d still not use it, but I love real pictures of a successful hunter geared up and showing off success! Kudos!

I also don't want anything strapped to my chest. Even in cold weather I need to be able to control ventilation by unzipping layers. If I carry anything it's in a small daypack on my back. No zippers or buttons in the layers back there.

I have a belt holster for my binoculars if I decide to bring them, which is rare. Extra ammo for 30-06 goes in my pocket. For 404 I have a 5-round ammo slide plus a couple in pants pocket.

I would be worried that someone would assume I am an import that lives in Bozeman or Missoula, MT, only thing missing is a pouch to hold your bear spray. I agree with a simple strap or bino harness for Africa and a simple pouch for the mountains to protect your glass in case of a spill.

I am not a hunter. I have never been to Africa. I would never wear a chest harness system regardless of the circumstances. Depending on what I had to carry, I would choose a waist pack and weak side binoc carry over the central chest carry. Ideally, I wouldn't carry anything except the essentials that could reside on my hunting belt, which would be spare carts and multi tool. PH should take care of everything else. No matter what, if I ever decide I can go to Africa, I'm not wearing a binoc bra.

But look at @chase0109; how you gonna argue with that? Some things you have to figure out on your own.

I bought a similar harness before my first safari but in the end, left it home. I have a simple bino harness that I used once but when hunting (with a guide), I often can glass faster and better with my rifle scope instead of fumbling with the binos. PH glasses, and if he thinks we have a good one, I look thru the rifle. When alone this is different, sometimes.

My go to set up is a fanny pack worn on the front with only the essentials. Range finder, para cord, knife, snake bite kit, and a few others like flashlight. Then a day pack with extra ammo, and the might need items. The pack stays on the Bakkie unless we are hiking to a pan for a long sit. I carry five extra rounds in loops on my hunting vest. Twice, I have needed 4 of the five.

chase0109 said:

I’ll jump in and be one of the few voices that goes against the grain on this one lol. I’d say it depends on how you hunt. If you use a bino harness on all of your normal hunts, then I’d say use it in Africa as well.

My first buffalo hunt, I used a Kuiu enclosed bino harness. It worked well enough, but I’ve now switched over to a marsupial bio harness. I wear it for everything I Hunt, excluding Upland birds lol. For me, the marsupial harness is the way to go.

I’ve worn mine for Buffalo hunts, plains game, and elephant. I could hunt without it, but I wouldn’t want to. I run 10 x 30 Zulu 6, sig rangefinder to the right of the binos, and a cell phone pouch to the left. I also have a microfiber lens towel, some lens cleaning wipes, extra batteries for scope/rangefinder/Binos, Chapstick, and a mini sharpie tucked in to the harness as well.
On my belt I carry 6 rounds ammo and a zippered sunglasses pouch.

The way I hunt, I like to be involved and know as much info as possible. A very very small part of your entire trip is going to be squeezing the trigger. The rest is going to be seeing a ton of amazing things. I like the ability to quickly access my bios and rangefinder or phone all on my chest. Rangefinder isn’t necessary, but I do find it really interesting and sometimes helpful. It’s also really nice to be able to range when hunting with my buddy and call out the yardage so all he has to do is dial and shoot.

At the end of the day, there’s a lot of ways to skin a cat. So if you like hunting with a chest rig bino harness, then I’d say take it to Africa, use it, and have a blast!

And a couple pics of harness in the field.
View attachment 748842View attachment 748843View attachment 748844View attachment 748845View attachment 748846

Click to expand...

I too strongly believe in participating in every aspect of the hunt, and binos are critical in achieving that goal. I use mine constantly. That said, I can't imagine wearing that kind of thing on my chest, But if it works for you, great.

I have no frame of reference as my hunting season is usually cold and often snowy. I generally hunt in thick cover which negates much of the advantages of binoculars. My hunting coat has a game bag on the back where I carry a thermos of hot coffee , a knife and a first aid kit as well as hand wipes. Spare cartridges in my front pockets. That’s it, all I have need for.

That would be too hot for hunting in the latter parts of the season. I prefer this look. Binos, ammo, folding knife, ear protectors and that's it. If it is late afternoon and going into the jess, I also carry a light just in case. I have a daypack that I leave in the truck.

I think a fanny pack is as big but more out of the way. but I already beep when I back up.

OP: Lots of great responses in the thread. The one common denominator you’ll find, is we all hunt differently, and all value different items. There’s an entire range from nothing but what you can fit in your pockets, fanny packs, backpacks, culling belts with accessories, strap bino harnesses, all the way up to full modular bino harnesses.

At the end of the day, it’ll boil down to what fits your style and comfort level. What gear you need and how you want to carry it depending upon temperature, cover/terrain, distance from truck, etc.

So none of us probably answered your question of, is your bino harness to much lol. But hopefully everybody gave you some options to think about.

My advice would be if you like your bio harness then take it with you to Africa. Wear it the first day on your hunt. If you find you don’t like it then ditch it and leave it at camp or in the truck. Nothing says that you have to use it. But you won’t know if you don’t try.

The only thing that I can’t wrap my head around is hunters who don’t carry binos. I’d sooner leave my rifle in the truck and grab my PH’s rifle to shoot something then leave my bios in the truck lol. But again to each their own!

Chase

Tanks said:

That would be too hot for hunting in the latter parts of the season. I prefer this look. Binos, ammo, folding knife, ear protectors and that's it. If it is late afternoon and going into the jess, I also carry a light just in case. I have a daypack that I leave in the truck.

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Very similar to what I wear/pack
1) Ammo Belt - w/ multitool & fixed blade
2) Binos slung under the support arm
3) Ball Cap
4) Water bottles in the pockets (back for me)

That said, stateside I typically use an Alaska Guide Creations Chest Pouch. In Africa I use one when I’m Bowhunting because it lets me carry a Rangefinder, Spare Release, Wind Checker, headlamp, matches/lighter, etc. Many times, I’ll keep this pouch in the truck on the dash.

The Bino/Rangefinder/PLB/folding knife/GPS harness combo's are extremely popular here in NZ.
Great for having everything handy when in our mountains with minimal movement.

However, they are worn over our rain gear, and with our crappy weather (We can measure our annual rainfall in metres) often get wet, which is why I prefer a belt kit that will fit under my raincoat (or shoved in my pack when it's pouring), and a separate bino harness.