Thread: Carrying thermal monocular in the bush

Thanks to the other thread, I've ordered a Sytong thermal monocular for bush hunting. Just wondered how you guys are carrying yours. Pouch on belt, pocket, bino chest case or something cleverer? Needs to be easy/quiet to get out, but not flopping all over the place.

What model did you get?

Sytong XS03-25. The cheapest! It's primarily for bush hunting and I don't need a range finder 95% of the time.

I put a lanyard on mine and wear that around my neck and poke it in my chest pocket, easy to pull out and hard to loose

One of my customers that I sold one of these to informed me that he ordered a small pouch from Twin needle that attaches to his bino chest pack. Works real good.

Twin needles or Bushlife will have what you need.

Originally Posted by MB

Sytong XS03-25. The cheapest! It's primarily for bush hunting and I don't need a range finder 95% of the time.

I would be interested in some feedback on your thoughts of this, especially as you see more real world jungle than most here.

Mainly can you make out an image through and beyond the undergrowth even if only partial image. where the eye could not make out in a normal situation.

I second the above. A review would be great if you can spare the time. If your busy a simple yeah or nah would do

Sure. It hasn't arrived yet and I don't have a trip planned, but when I do, I'll report back on the usefulness in the jungle.

Here's a few things to ponder. No advice as such, but just an experience.
I was using mine yesterday morning, shooting hares. Not in bush, but out in the open, in drizzle that turned to rain. The thermal comes with a front lens cover, but not one for the rear. I have a pouch for mine, on a chest harness, that sits vertically, front lens pointing down. I ended up putting it in my pocket as in the chest pouch the rear lens was getting water on it, as I leave it open when in use as I'm always taking it in and out (it has a zip closure). I think in this situation it would have been better to have it mounted horizontally, sliding in/out from the side with a flap closure, so you can get it out without having rain falling on the lens. Or somehow make and attach a rear lens cover, though then its something else to do before using it.

I haven't alot of experience hunting in close bush (except with a mate with a dog, which made it MUCH easier!), but yesterday I was in rolling terrain, with tussock and matagouri, so I was often taking a few steps, then scanning, then taking a few more steps, scanning, looking through the rifle scope, so the thermal was continually being taken out and put away. I ended up ditching the chest harness into my pack (I wasn't using the binos much anyway) and just using the "belly" pocket on my fleece swandri for the thermal.

Incidentally, there were 4 times that I could see what I could identify as a hare through the thermal, in part cover (tussock/matagouri) that I could not for the life of me see through the scope.