Wulf Guardian Binocular Harness

Let’s start off a little differently and kick things off with my conclusion. In my humble opinion, the Wulf Guardian is easily the best bino harness on the market. It’s not perfect, but it comes pretty close.

The USPs for any harness are storage, comfort, weight distribution, convenience, and protection—not necessarily in that order. It’s about guarding against clanking binos or a thermal device against farm gates, pickup trucks, or indeed anything that might cause harm.

The Guardian ships with a nicely padded four-point harness that spreads the weight across your shoulders, which is very handy considering the amount of kit you can pack into this multifunctional Cordura creation.

The real eye-catching feature is the quick-release system, a concept appropriated from the photographic world. It was originally employed to holster a second DSLR, either on a belt or perhaps strapped to a backpack—much loved by reportage-style photojournalists and nature photographers looking for portability, and perhaps to enhance their ‘I’m a pro’ personas.

You may already be envisioning ‘a thermal fast draw’ when stalking deer or chasing Charlie. Admittedly, it works very well for that, but convenience does come at a cost. In this case, that cost is some metal-on-metal noise, alongside an audible click as the device locks into place—not ideal in a close-quarter hunting situation.

The would-be quick draw system does work well, especially during the day, as it’s easy to align the QR plate with the MOLLE-attached clamp it sits in. At night, it’s a slightly fiddlier business, often requiring both hands to bring the two elements into alignment. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great addition, but not quite the uber-cool quick-draw feature you might imagine.

Deer stalkers and rough shooters who need safe, hands-free, and easily accessible storage will love it, but if you’re constantly switching between storing and scanning, the main magnetically latched compartment may be a better option, with the external QR plate perhaps best employed for an LRF or another accessory that gets used a little less frequently.

For deer stalkers, it’s a great addition. Detect a deer at a distance, holster the thermal, and then swap to your binos stored in the central compartment to identify a potential target.

In terms of overall design, it’s inspired. The main compartment can house the largest thermals and traditional binos easily, and there’s removable padding to ensure a secure fit. The outside of the harness is festooned with MOLLE loops, with three additional zipped compartments large enough to store a smaller thermal, your bolt, extra ammunition—basically anything you’re likely to need in the field.

The extra zipped compartment at the bottom is detachable, so you can mix and match things a little. There are also extra zipped and mesh storage compartments at the back, plus a front zipped pocket for range cards, phones, batteries, your licence, and so on.

One of the best and worst things about hunting attire is the myriad of pockets. I often seen frisking myself for less frequently used items. Now, I have a ‘grab and go’ storage solution that’s a permanent home for all those odds and ends, as well as big ticket items such as thermals and binos. More importantly, I know exactly where to find them should the need arise. Overall, it’s a great addition to my collection of shooting essentials. Highly recommended.

Supplier: Elite Optical
Web: www.eliteoptical.co.uk
Price: £109.99