Moosedrool I agree. I don't know what the fuss is about carrying binos. With the bino strap there not at all a big deal. I carry 16x50 all day and it doesn't bother me in the least. Admittinly, during bow season I scale down to 12x compacts, which are a non-factor to carry. About back packs, now there is a better argument. The only thing I carry during bow seasons is: water, calls, scents, and a sidearm, with binos around neck. Usually I were tennis shoes. One of the down sides to Montana is that at nights, in the mountains during September, it can get down to 30 degrees, by 10AM it can be 80 degrees.