Brian R from United States, OR Public Profile

This is a summary of my findings testing the Badlands Bino XR harness. I was also testing two other brands (Sitka Gear and FHF) at the same time, so my review was a side by side comparison with a maximum of five points available to each of the following categories: Fit, Comfort, Operation, Function and Protection. I also gave a negative point if there was compass interference (a concern with models with magnetic closures).

I really had high hopes for this model, as it is an all-in-one kind of bino harness. I was hoping I would like the rangefinder section in particular, as having the all-in-one setup was appealing. Weight wise, it is the heaviest of the models I tested, weighing in at 21.92 oz (1.37 lb). The following are my findings:

FIT: The only negative in this category was the actual fit of the binos inside of the pouch. It was much tighter than I expected, and I was using my Vortex 10X42’s, which is what this system was designed for. Therefore, I dropped a point here.

COMFORT: Even though I knew this harness was over one pound, I thought it would still be quite comfortable, based on the nice harness strap design. However, I found that this system is a bit bulky up front and I do feel it when it is on. It’s like having a small pack up front, compared to the other slimmer models I was testing.

OPERATION: I was pretty disappointed here. Getting my binos in and out of the thing was a little challenging compared to the other two. The narrow opening contrib