I’ve been in the market for a bino harness for a while, with my first stalk coming up later this month (now that I can walk again) I did a bit of searching for a bit more of a modular setup. I came across the Sabre Pathfinder and the smaller cousin the Pathfinder Compact.
Sabre Tactical Pathfinder Compact
After a bit of a back and forth with them over in NZ I bit the bullet and ordered a Pathfinder Compact. It arrived yesterday so I thought I’d share my initial thoughts.
The layout:
Storage - One large zippered pocket, with a removable bino cradle which attaches to the internal Velcro panel on the body side. On the external side there are two pockets sewn on to a zippered pocket. Externally there is another zippered pocket, which houses a carabiner.
Externals - “Ranger Green” water resistant Cordura. Large weatherproofed zips. Body side is padded with foam contained within a mesh to help with sweating. There’s also a nice secure mobile phone pouch to keep that safe. All the clips are heavy duty, they’re not branded but they feel solid and are nice and stiff.
MOLLE - I think the MOLLE is laser cut, the front has a 4x4 panel and on the bottom of the pouch there is a 4x1 panel as well. The yoke has a 6x1 panel on both sides, although the holes are a slightly different shape, probably so you can get clips though them if you’re not attaching stuff using MOLLE.
My thoughts……
Pros:
- Fantastic quality, there isn’t a pulled stitch anywhere and the workmanship is top notch
- Lightweight and compact - as expected given the name
- Modularity - plenty of MOLLE real estate, although you’re not going into battle so I doubt you need it. There is also a backpack system that it clicks into which I’ve seen a few of the NZ lads use when they take off into the bush for a weekend. Probably not needed in the UK!
- Weatherproof - Anyone that’s been to NZ knows that it’s UK weather on steroids at times. The fabric is backed with some sort of weatherproof membrane and all the zips are taped
- Fasteners - all the clips are heavy duty and feel substantial. The pockets have small eyelets for lanyards etc
Cons:
- Compact - although I wanted compact, it is exactly that. It does have some give in it so you could stuff it full if you wanted. Also add MOLLE pouches if desired.
- Zips - The zips themselves are great, really heavy duty and taped to keep water out, but they do make a bit of noise.
- No UK importers - they do have to come all the way from Waikato unfortunately
- External pocket is tight to get into with binos in.
- Maybe slightly “Tacticool” for the UK market, although these type of things seem to be becoming more popular.
In summary, I’m dead please with it! Sabre couldn’t be easier to deal with and the quality is fantastic. The biggest drawback is having to get it shipped from NZ, although it arrived via DPD in 2 DAYS!!!! I think it’s a slightly sleeker and more modern design than some of the offerings common in the UK and for the price, £120 delivered, I think it’s a pretty decent bit of it. Just have to get it out in the field and see what it’s like.
Sabre Tactical Pathfinder Compact
After a bit of a back and forth with them over in NZ I bit the bullet and ordered a Pathfinder Compact. It arrived yesterday so I thought I’d share my initial thoughts.
The layout:
Storage - One large zippered pocket, with a removable bino cradle which attaches to the internal Velcro panel on the body side. On the external side there are two pockets sewn on to a zippered pocket. Externally there is another zippered pocket, which houses a carabiner.
Externals - “Ranger Green” water resistant Cordura. Large weatherproofed zips. Body side is padded with foam contained within a mesh to help with sweating. There’s also a nice secure mobile phone pouch to keep that safe. All the clips are heavy duty, they’re not branded but they feel solid and are nice and stiff.
MOLLE - I think the MOLLE is laser cut, the front has a 4x4 panel and on the bottom of the pouch there is a 4x1 panel as well. The yoke has a 6x1 panel on both sides, although the holes are a slightly different shape, probably so you can get clips though them if you’re not attaching stuff using MOLLE.
My thoughts……
Pros:
- Fantastic quality, there isn’t a pulled stitch anywhere and the workmanship is top notch
- Lightweight and compact - as expected given the name
- Modularity - plenty of MOLLE real estate, although you’re not going into battle so I doubt you need it. There is also a backpack system that it clicks into which I’ve seen a few of the NZ lads use when they take off into the bush for a weekend. Probably not needed in the UK!
- Weatherproof - Anyone that’s been to NZ knows that it’s UK weather on steroids at times. The fabric is backed with some sort of weatherproof membrane and all the zips are taped
- Fasteners - all the clips are heavy duty and feel substantial. The pockets have small eyelets for lanyards etc
Cons:
- Compact - although I wanted compact, it is exactly that. It does have some give in it so you could stuff it full if you wanted. Also add MOLLE pouches if desired.
- Zips - The zips themselves are great, really heavy duty and taped to keep water out, but they do make a bit of noise.
- No UK importers - they do have to come all the way from Waikato unfortunately
- External pocket is tight to get into with binos in.
- Maybe slightly “Tacticool” for the UK market, although these type of things seem to be becoming more popular.
In summary, I’m dead please with it! Sabre couldn’t be easier to deal with and the quality is fantastic. The biggest drawback is having to get it shipped from NZ, although it arrived via DPD in 2 DAYS!!!! I think it’s a slightly sleeker and more modern design than some of the offerings common in the UK and for the price, £120 delivered, I think it’s a pretty decent bit of it. Just have to get it out in the field and see what it’s like.
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