How do you carry your binoculars? (1 Viewer)

[Zedster]

I have some fieldwork experience (roughly, latitudinally from the Arctic circle to East Antarctica, and Longitudinally from US to Australia). Yes, I have scratched both bin and camera glasses. I have actually smash an Swarovski glass that had to be replaced, a pair of zeiss Jena that are now just part of decoration, and a couple of cameras that ended up in the bin. I also broke a swaro STS80HD on fieldwork in Heard and Mcdonald island.
Shit happens, it is a matter how much you use a thing, how intense, and of course, bad luck.

Wow, that's amazing. I've never even scratched a pair. Worked in dense PNW US forests to Eastern Sierra dry lake beds to scrub steppe and more. I have done a number to rubber armor on my Swarovski SLCs though. That sage brush is brutal on stuff. Though I did once break a pair of Nikons that might have been left on the roof of my car.

 

[Trinovid]

I've never even scratched a pair. Worked in dense PNW US forests to Eastern Sierra dry lake beds to scrub steppe and more.

There’s more to potential damages than just what one does, as opposed to how, and some of us are able to work in harsh environments without destroying our gear.

 

[murmeltier]

While looking for a green midlayer I found these, they might be useful.

 

[Fimmus]

I recently bought the Härkila Deer Stalker bino strap, couldn't be more happy whit the purchase.

You can take out one layer inside if you need more room for bigger bins, see the last picture.

 

[Georgebirds]

I read this thread with interest while waiting for my binoculars to arrive, wondering which method I'd end up choosing once I had a pair to carry, hah!

When they got here, the original strap had a surprisingly horrible design feature - oversized sharp plastic fake-leather patches sewn on where the wider web met the narrow, so scratchy they were bothering my arm and snagging on my shirt when I was focusing the binos! So I swapped it for a basic but soft camera strap I had spare.

This weekend, I took them for my first birding day - six miles walked, a little under five hours out, so plenty of time to figure out what worked for me, and long enough that I'd have had neck-ache or building annoyance if I couldn't get them comfortable!

The binoculars were around my neck for all of twenty seconds before deciding no, that's not comfy at all, I'd rather carry them in my hand all day than hang them off the back of my neck!

On one shoulder, ladies-handbag style, and after a few minutes no that's not nice either. I've got multiple old injuries to shoulders, collarbone, ribs, and spine (inflicted by horses directly, or the ground shortly after parting company with horses - either way it's one species to blame for all my broken/misplaced bones, hah!) So the posture/weight change for carrying anything on one shoulder or the other, twinges various aches and pains.

So I tried bandolier style, which was a massive improvement comfort-wise, the weight vanished and they're 10x50s so they're not tiny.
But I found it a bit awkward wriggling out of the strap to use them, so I had to adjust it to full length so I could easily slip my arm through. The binos then tucked down comfortably by my hip, didn't swing around while walking, didn't start fights with my camera, and I could trap them even more secure with my arm if I wanted to sit down or bend forward, so they felt very out-of-the-way and stable there. Still just as comfortable at the end of a long day as at the start, so it looks like this is my method from now on.

 

[Trinovid]

I tried bandolier style, which was a massive improvement comfort-wise, the weight vanished and they're 10x50s so they're not tiny.
But I found it a bit awkward wriggling out of the strap to use them, so I had to adjust it to full length so I could easily slip my arm through. The binos then tucked down comfortably by my hip, didn't swing around while walking, didn't start fights with my camera, and I could trap them even more secure with my arm if I wanted to sit down or bend forward, so they felt very out-of-the-way and stable there. Still just as comfortable at the end of a long day as at the start, so it looks like this is my method from now on.

That's the only way I'll wear binoculars and since I prefer them on a fairly short leash, only slippery nylon straps for me, which allows them to swing around to the front much more easily.