Found UL rapid adjustment binocular harness only 1 oz

cool! thanks for posting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XBe6_0zK8s&spfreload=10

2 key rings and some cord. $.75

Why not just attach your camera/bino to the pack' shoulder straps with cords? Shoulder straps often have D rings.

My fancy binoculars (that I don't take backpacking) weigh 2 lbs., and even the heavy-duty, wide strap that I have ends up making my neck sore after the end of a long day in the field. I don't think there's any way that a flimsy little strap like that will be comfortable with heavy bins.

As for lightweight options, my mini bins from Zeiss (~ 6 oz. iirc) use a tiny piece of string as the strap, and that works fine. But for anything heavy, I'd want a real strap.

Never used one.

How would You use it? How much do your binocs weigh? Poro or roof?

While backpacking? While specifically birding? While observing on field trips?

For all-day birding a wider strap is the way to go. You'll have the binocs "in hand", constantly up and down. I'd hate anything that restricted ease of use.

For hikes where birds and wildlife are not the priority but probable, I like the the binocs accessible. A hipbelt pocket, or a "belt loop case" works for me.

Edit to Add: My binocs are "collapsible", and in a 2"x3.25"x5.5" soft case, 11 oz.

EJ,

Very clever.

I may buy one just to reinforce the guy's efforts.

Good concept plus it looks like he has matched up the fittings to make things work well.

Looks like it would work well for carrying other things too (e.g. bear spray).

The link I posted above is from one of our own. He recently posted in a thread here. Will post a link to that when I get back to a real computer.

Edit: Found it Dave P.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=99406&startat=60

Ken, thank you for posting. I knew this could be MYOGed, but nice to find a video for it. I posted in Dave P's other thread asking how the one-handed rapid adjustment works for him.

My wife and I will be using these straps with fairly lightweight 18-19 oz 8 x 32 binoculars – I think the weight will be fine with comfortable 4mm paracord. I wouldn't carry anything heavier for backpacking and hiking – quality 8 x 32 optics will work very well, especially with how much optics and optical coatings have improved in the last decade.

I want something that we can wear without our packs on.

Greg when not planning to use them frequently I usually carry them in a pouch (Dana Design Wet Rib). But I want these straps when using them frequently, and have some trips coming up which will offer very nice animal and bird viewing.

If you're comparing to Rick Young's, I just used a basic knot; besides there are tons of adjustable knots out there like the Double Fisherman's. Can't get any simpler than that. I lose parts easily in the woods, so it's better to have as few moving parts as possible. Just a personal preference.

But to be frank, the cord-locks are really cheap… about .15 to .50 USD and weighs next to nothing. I have tons of them around cannibalized from old backpacks from when I was a kid. If I wanted to, then I could add the cord-lock for the rapid adjustment.

Plus, it's a valuable skill for me to learn because– like I said, I lose parts all the time. So if I lose a harness, not a big deal, I can make a new one out of shoe-laces or some cords off the pack that I don't use.

The binocular I am using is about 700 g or so, and it's rather comfortable with the straps on considering mine are made of 4 mm paracords that is. But to be honest, the only reason why I trimmed weights here is for backpack hunting where every ounce translates to pain on the way out of the bush with meat on my back.

A wider strap is more comfortable, and much more preferred for casual outings. I would only carry an ultralight harness for more extreme expeditions.

Funny thing is that my harness is only about .2 oz lighter than the listed weight for Rick Young's; most likely because I use the knot.