A look at the updates Kifaru has made to their new binocular harness
A recent spring bear hunt testing the new Kifaru Mesa Bino Harness.
A look at the new Kifaru Mesa Bino Harness System on the left and the old version on the right.
Shim example (two are included in the bino harness).
This spring, I tested the new-for-2026 Kifaru Mesa Bino Harness System on a bear hunt. I used their Deluxe Bino Harness on the majority of my hunts in 2025, so what follows are my thoughts on the updates they made.
For starters, I love gear, and I'm very fortunate to get to test and use a variety of products from brands. Which is why I wanted to try out their Deluxe Bino Harness last year. And now I'm glad I did, as I can directly compare the changes they made and how they improved Kifaru's bino harness.
Before we dive deep into the new harness, I will say that I'm impressed with the changes. And if you're in the market for a new binocular harness, Kifaru has everything you need.
Right off the bat, you'll notice the Kifaru Mesa Bino Harness has more structure to the bucket area where the binoculars go. You can easily see this in photos, but more importantly, when you put one in your hand or toss a pair of binos in it, these differences are immediately appreciated.
More structure and some changes in the hood together make it easier to access and remove your binoculars. Note: if you want to adjust the tension of your binocular hood, you will need to open the lid, remove the spacer at the bottom of the harness, and locate the tension cord below it.
The binocular harness is offered in two colors: Ranger Green and Black. Also, there are two other options when purchasing. You can order the "standard," which includes the Mesa Bino Chest Pack and Harness, or the "deluxe," which is the Mesa Bino Chest Pack, Harness, and adds the Mesa Rangefinder Pouch and Accessory Pouch. So the standard doesn't have accessories, and the deluxe does.
The inner material of the harness has improved. They have moved away from a mesh-type material to a softer one for the binoculars, and the inside hood is now made of Cordura.
I'm so glad they kept the front interior pocket! This was one of my favorite features in the old model, as I would place my phone in that spot at random times throughout the day. They did add a velcro-friendly material to part of that interior pocket, which will work with Kifaru's rifle cartridge holder.
The harness still uses a fully enclosed magnet-free hood, which I know some people love because it can be quieter than magnets. And there is more structure in the hood, which helps keep it out of the way when you open the harness. Great if you're a bowhunter. And you can still wrap the hood down around the bottom of the harness to fully secure it and keep it out of the way.
Staying with the front area, the front molle section from the previous model has been removed and replaced with a zippered pocket. I like this a lot, as I like to keep my tag in my bino harness in a ziplock bag, along with an extra set of eye contacts.
Wider side wings were another change. Now the side pocket and rangefinder have less chance of moving around.
I greatly appreciated the new side pockets, as they now have a little more room and some rubber grip-type material at the top. And as a guy who typically places my Kestrel 5700 Elite there, I found this to be a great improvement in the slightly increased size.
Also, the bottom now has laser-cut MOLLE.
The Mesa harness strap is now the only option. I still will stand behind this, as I really like that harness strap after using it on the older bino pack! It's comfortable, and you don't notice it under a backpack.
According to Kifaru, it's pretty much a one-size-fits-all, and they have used binoculars ranging from 8x32 to 18x56 in the harness. Personally, I've used my SIG SAUER HDX Pro 16x50 Image Stabilized Binoculars in the harness, as well as smaller optics, with zero problems.
Kifaru includes two half-inch shims to adjust your harness to fit your binoculars. So if you have larger binoculars, you might need to remove a shim and just use one, and really tall binoculars, you'll probably need to remove both shims. Or you can customize it to fit how you want your binoculars to sit if you prefer them at a certain height.
For my SIG SAUER HDX Pro 16x50's, I used the harness with only one shim.
An optional shim kit is available if you're using SIG SAUER ZULU6 HDX stabilized binos in the 42mm
A better hood design that seems to allow more coverage, and easier opening and closing. Plus, the hood is now adjustable with two tension cords, rather than the single pull cord that looped around the top of the rangefinder hood. Also, the rangefinder holder still has the small hidden internal pocket. And the size is slightly larger to fit more compact rangefinders.
The zipper has been moved to the center of the Accessory Pouch, and it also has a little more added structure. And you can also attach velcro accessories on the inside if you'd like.
Overall, I really enjoy this binocular harness and greatly appreciate their changes. There are many great binocular harnesses on the market, and this one would work well for any hunter.
More structure
Redesigned hood
Zippered front pocket
Bigger wings on the side for better attachment of accessories
Included two .5" padded shims
An optional shim kit available if you're using SIG SAUER ZULU6 HDX stabilized binos in the 42mm
The front interior pocket will hold a phone or Kifaru's rifle cartridge holder via velcro
Bigger side pocket
Laser cut MOLLE on the bottom of the bino harness
