Sorry for yet another bino harness thread, but I hope this one's a little bit different!
I'm currently considering upgrading to a pair of Leica Geovid Pro 10x42s which means replacing my current Marsupial Enclosed harness (size small) at the same time. I've been very happy with the Marsupial overall, but the small won't fit the Geovids and I've never found the side attachment options ideal for carrying my HikMicro Condor 2.0 CQ35 thermal, which currently lives in its factory pouch attached via cable ties to the harness buckles. If I use the MOLLE on the rear of the thermal pouch and mount it directly to the harness strap it sits too low to be practical, so I've never really found a neat solution.
As the small won't accommodate the Geovids anyway, it seemed like a good opportunity to look at what other options are out there before simply ordering a medium Marsupial.
One of the things I'm struggling with is harness fitment for the Geovid Pro. Marsupial recommend their medium Enclosed, but looking at the published dimensions some of these harnesses appear incredibly tight on paper. For example, the Geovid Pro is listed at 2.8" deep and the Marsupial medium is quoted at 2.75" internal depth, so it already looks slightly oversized on paper. I also intend to store mine with the eye cups extended which will add to the length. Yet plenty of people seem to run Geovids in harnesses that look too small on paper, so I'd be very interested to hear from anyone with real-world experience of fitting Geovids into these systems.
The other thing I'm trying to get my head around is the magnet vs non-magnet debate. My primary use will be ranging and ballistic solutions rather than ProTrack, which utilises the compass feature, but equally I don't want to buy a magnetic harness only to discover I'm constantly recalibrating the compass if/when I try to use ProTrack. That said, I do really like how the magnetic lid stays open and allows easy one-handed operation. On the flip side, I've read a fair number of comments suggesting some of the no-mag options don't stay open as well and can be a bit more awkward to use one-handed, so I'd be keen to hear from anyone who's used both systems in the field with compass-equipped binos.
In an ideal world I'd like a forward-opening harness with MOLLE wings or similar attachment points so I can securely mount the Condor pouch on one side and perhaps another utility pouch on the other. Rear-opening designs such as the Sitka or Alaska Guide aren't really what I'm looking for.
I appreciate there are other ways of carrying a thermal, such as running it on a lanyard or clipping it directly to the side of a harness. However, I'd ideally like to keep it in an enclosed pouch. One of the things I like about the factory Condor pouch is that I can put the thermal away and close the lid when moving between locations or if the weather turns, so weather protection is quite important to me.
Current shortlist:
- Marsupial Enclosed (Medium)
- Marsupial No-Mag
- Eberlestock Recon
- Eberlestock Bravo
I'm happy to import from outside the UK if the cost is reasonable. I bought my current Marsupial direct from them without any issues. That said, if there's a strong UK-available option I've overlooked I'd be glad to hear about it.
So my questions are:
- What harness are Geovid Pro owners actually using?
- Have you experienced any issues with magnetic closures and the built-in compass/LRF electronics?
- Has anyone found a good solution for carrying a thermal alongside their binos?
Any feedback gratefully received. Thanks!
