Cotton Carrier Skout G2 Camera Harness Review

The Cotton Carrier Skout G2 is a lightweight camera harness that allows instant, silent camera deployment, enabling you to capture fleeting moments while moving. A thickly padded shoulder strap and fixed-position chest mount keep your camera stable and close to your core during active outdoor pursuits. In this review, I’ll discuss my experiences with the Skout G2 and compare it to its predecessor, the original Skout, and Cotton Carrier’s larger G3 harness.

Disclaimer: Cotton Carrier provided the Skout G2 camera harness for this review. No money changed hands, and they did not see the review before it was published. I may make a small commission if you purchase a harness from one of the links on this page.

Cotton Carrier Skout G2 Specifications

The Skout G2 is available in Realtree Xtra Camo or Charcoal Grey
  • Weight: 7.52 oz / 213 g
  • Strap Length: 26 to 57″ / 66 to 144.8 cm
  • Materials: Kodra Synthetic canvas with DWR coding and Nylon 6
  • Camera attachment: 1/4″ 20 screw
  • Available Colors: Realtree Xtra Camo or Charcoal Grey
  • Sizing: 26″ to 57″ chest size
  • Available Versions: “For Camera” and “For Binoculars”
  • Includes: Safety tether and waterproof cover
  • Price: $99 at review time. Check the current price.

Design and Features

Camera Hub

The whole point of a camera harness is to make your camera easily accessible for those fleeting moments you’d otherwise miss if it were buried in a backpack. At other times, the constant presence of your camera encourages you to take more photos. We’ve all been in that position–camera tucked away in our bag–where our internal monologue convinces us that it’s probably not worth stopping to take a shot because it’s too much trouble to get to your camera, or you don’t want to slow your group down while you hike. A camera harness like the Skout G2 gets you over that hurdle.

The harness uses a patented Twist-and-Lock mechanism to attach and detach your camera with a 45-degree twist while inserting or removing it from the nylon channel. The system requires you to attach an included anodized aluminum hub to the 1/4″ 20 thread on the base of your camera or lens foot. A thick rubber washer stops the Hub from rotating.

The Twist-and-Lock mechanism works extremely well. The aluminum hub slides smoothly into the nylon channel without binding. After ten minutes of walking around practicing with it, you’ll find the slight twist to insert or release the camera becomes second nature. Perhaps most importantly, it feels secure once the camera’s hub is seated snuggly in the nylon channel.

Comfort

The Skout G2’s single shoulder strap features a removable neoprene pad that spreads your camera’s weight over a much broader area than a typical camera strap. The total load is additionally spread around your body from the contact of the central harness pad and elasticated strap that encircles your weight.

The difference in comfort between the Skout G2 and a regular camera shoulder strap is substantial. While I probably could walk around all day hanging a camera and a 24-70mm f/2.8 off one shoulder, I’m sure I would feel it by the end of the day, and I’d constantly be fussing with it to reposition the dangling, swinging mass. The Skout G2, by comparison, is set and forget. Once you have the strap sizing dialed and the central pad positioned to your liking, you can wear it all day without issue. Overall, it feels like carrying the camera with your upper torso rather than simply on your shoulder.

A note on use with a backpack: You can wear the Skout G2 while wearing a backpack. I have succeeded most by removing the neoprene padding from the shoulder strap so that it doesn’t interfere with the backpack’s shoulder straps. It does take a little tweaking to get things lined up to minimize pressure points, but it’s doable while wearing a backpack carrying a light-to-moderate load. I had less success trying to get it to work with heavier 50lb+ loads where the heavy load caused noticeable pressure on overlapping straps and buckles.

Safety Tether

cotton carrier safety tether

A quick-release safety tether connects your camera to the Skout G2 for peace-of-mind redundancy. I have no reason to expect the Twist-and-Lock mechanism to fail, but it’s always possible that I will fail and fumble the connection process if I haven’t had my morning coffee. In nearly ten years of using CC harnesses, it hasn’t happened yet, but if or when it does, my camera will be safe.

If you use the Cotton Carrier camera strap on days when you’re not using the Skout harness, the quick-release buckles are interchangeable between the strap and the harness safety tether. If you use Peak Design camera straps, the best way to integrate your existing Peak Design Anchors into the Cotton Carrier safety tether is to attach an Anchor Link to the end of the tether. This will then connect to the Peak Design Anchor on your camera. In some ways, this is a better all-around solution because it’s straightforward to disconnect the tether from the camera quickly, instead of threading the nylon strap as you must do when directly connecting the Cotton Carrier tether directly to the camera.

My solution if you use a Peak Design camera strap.
The safety tether is a nice feature, but not many will always want to leave this attached to their camera.

Waterproof Cover

The Cotton Carrier Skout G2 has a Weather Cover that can be clipped to the harness D-ring for instant access. Cotton Carrier does not say this is a waterproof cover; it is merely a “weather cover,” likely to temper expectations. I wouldn’t necessarily want to use it in a prolonged torrential downpour, but it’s nice to have for occasional showers. I would carry a more substantial seam-sealed camera cover in my pocket if I thought I might encounter more than that. The cover is large enough to enclose a camera/lens combination of up to 10 inches in length.

Skout G2 Camera Capacity

cotton carrier skout g2
Nikon Z8 and 24-120mm f/4

Cotton Carrier doesn’t recommend a maximum size or weight for the Skout G2, but since this is a common question, I’ll share my experience. After years of using the original Skout and now the G2 model, my personal size and weight ceiling with this harness is a mirrorless camera with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. Anything larger than that, and the straps must be tightened too much to prevent the camera from dragging the harness down. The straps will go tighter, but it becomes less comfortable, and I feel like I’m being constricted from too many angles.

Your mileage may vary, and I’m not saying I would never use it with something larger than a 24-70mm, but I certainly wouldn’t plan on doing that all day. If I want to carry something larger, I’ll opt for the bigger G3 harness, a comparison to which I’ll make a little further down the page.

Cotton Carrier Harness and Tripod Use

Pateneted twist-and-lock system. Image: Cotton Carrier

Cotton Carrier’s camera harnesses use a patented Twist-and-lock camera mounting system. This system uses an anodized aluminum hub attached to the 1/4″ 20 thread on the base of your camera or lens foot. When the hub is inserted into the Nylon 6 channel on the camera harness, a 45-degree turn locks it safely.

This quick-release system works wonderfully but has a potential downside that needs consideration if you regularly use a tripod. Where do you put the hub? If you often use a tripod, you’ll already have a tripod plate attached to your camera’s 1/4″ 20 socket. Sometimes, those tripod plates will have a 1/4″ 20 socket, but not always. And even if the plate does have its own 1/4″ 20 sockets, it is often in an inconvenient location that would require you to constantly unscrew with the aluminum Hub before you use your tripod.

Cotton Carrier has tried to solve this problem by producing its own Acra-Swiss compatible tripod plate with a built-in Hub for its camera harnesses. It works, but the nature of most universal lens/camera plates means it lacks any anti-twist functionality you’d get from a plate designed specifically for your camera or lens. Of course, it’s also not an L bracket, so I don’t see it as an ideal solution for those heavily reliant on a tripod.

Suppose you’re the photographer who walks a great distance with a tripod but only uses it once you reach your ultimate destination. In that case, the inconvenience of attaching and detaching the CC Hub may still be worth it. You’ll probably get a few extra shots by carrying your camera in the harness and having it readily to hand. On the other hand, if you’re the kind of photographer who stops to set up a tripod for every shot, the Cotton Carrier harnesses are probably not for you.

Skout G2 With Binoculars

The Cotton Carrier Skout G2 isn’t just designed to carry a camera; it can also be used with binoculars. If you own the Skout G2 “For Camera” version of the harness, you can buy a bracket to attach your binoculars for $39. Cotton Carrier used to call this bracket a binocular adapter but has since rebranded it to the Everything Bracket to indicate that it can be used to attach all manner of other things. Still, it was originally intended for binoculars, and I’ll probably continue to refer to it that way.

Whatever it’s called and whatever you use it for, $39 is a lot to pay for a plastic bracket with a basic hook-and-loop strap. If you only plan to use the Skout G2 with binoculars and never a camera, buying the Skout G2 “For Binoculars” version, which includes the bracket from the get-go, is best. You can also buy the “For Binoculars” version with the binocular bracket and add a Camera Hub as an extra purchase for $29.

Strangely, the Skout G2’s “For Camera” and “For Binoculars” versions cost the same ($99). The only difference is the attachment device that comes with it. If you get the camera version, it comes with the camera hub, which otherwise costs $29. If you get the binoculars version, it comes with the bino bracket, which otherwise costs $39. So, if you want to use your Skout G2 with both a camera and your binoculars, you can save yourself $10 by buying the “For Binoculars” version and adding a Camera Hub to your order.

I also find it strange that the Skout G2 “For Binoculars” package feels great value at $99, considering that you get an extremely well-made harness and the bino bracket for that price. However, the bracket on its own is sold for $39. There’s no way the bino bracket makes up 40% of Cotton Carrier’s overall material costs.

Should You Buy the Skout G2 for Binoculars?

The high price of the Everything Bracket (bino bracket) means I have to split my views on this. If you already own the Skout G2 and use it with a camera, I find it hard to recommend paying $39 for the Everything Bracket to use it with your binoculars. You can buy entire binocular harnesses for $30-50 on Amazon, and that feels like a much better deal.

However, if you don’t own a Skout G2 yet and want to purchase the “For Binoculars” version, with no interest in using it for a camera, you’ll find the overall $99 cost feels worth it once you get the harness in your hands.

I find the Skout G2’s single-shoulder design much more comfortable and cooler to wear than the typical two-shoulder bino harness. I also like the faster access to my binoculars than an enclosed bag-style harness that requires me to open a lid. The downside of the Skout G2 compared to an enclosed bino harness is the lack of protection. Therefore, I don’t recommend it to hunters who may spend time lying on the ground or those who will spend time in extremely sandy, dusty, or wet environments.

Skout Vs. Skout G2

The Skout G2 is an update to the original Cotton Carrier Skout harness. The new G2 model has been slightly reshaped to better fit a broader range of chest shapes and sizes. The zippered pocket on the back of the original Skout has been removed, and the updated G2 version features slightly squishier padding on the back where that pocket used to be. The nylon slot for the twist-and-lock system is now vertical, though having used both versions, I have not found any practical difference to this change.

In short, if you have the original Skout and are still happy with it, there is no real need to upgrade to the new version. If you have the original and don’t find it as comfortable as you’d like it to be, it might be worth looking at up grade to the newer G2.

Skout G2 Vs. G3 Harness

Cotton Carrier G3 camera harness
Cotton Carrier G3 camera harness.
SpecificationSkout G2G3
Weight7.52 oz / 215.5g15.52 oz / 441g
Camera Capacity11 or 2*1
Includes Waterproof Cover?YesYes
Includes Safety Tether?YesYes
Rear Mesh Storage Pocket?NoYes
Camera Stabilizer Strap?NoYes
SizingOne SizeOne Size
Price$99$129
*1 Add a second camera using the optional G3 Side Holster.
cotton carrier g3 vs skout g2
Cotton Carrier G3 harness (left) vs. Skout G2 (right).

Most people considering buying a Cotton Carrier Skout G2 will also consider the larger G3 Harness. Having used both harnesses extensively, I want to touch on the key differences to help you make the right choice. If this sub-section doesn’t answer all your questions, you can look at my in-depth review of the Cotton Carrier G3 harness.

The G3 is a much larger two-shoulder harness designed to comfortably carry heavier camera and lens combinations than the smaller Skout G2. That said, it isn’t only those using larger cameras that should look at the G3. The secondary benefit of the G3 is that it can be used to carry a second camera when you opt to add the G3 Side Holster, either as a separate purchase at a later date ($59) or by including it with your G3 in the Dual Camera package price for $179, saving you $9.

After using, or at least attempting to use, both these harnesses with lenses up to monstrous 800mm primes, my recommendation is this: The Skout G2 is excellent for lenses up to about a 24-70mm f/2.8 in size and weight. APS-C and M43 shooters must do some mental gymnastics to calculate equivalent lenses. On the other hand, the G3 harness is suitable for lenses up to the size of the Sony 200-600, Nikon 180-600, or Canon 200-800mm in weight and length. If you use a smaller lens, 24-70mm or less, but you might want to carry a second camera or a pair of binoculars, opt for the G3.

In terms of comfort, as long as I adhere to my recommendations for maximum lens size, I never find the Skout G2 uncomfortable. However, there is one scenario where I would opt for the G3 even if I only used a smaller 24-70mm-sized lens, and it all comes down to the G3’s lens stabilizer strap. This strap (see feature diagram above) loops over the camera’s lens to stop it from swinging uncomfortably and banging you in the chest.

Walking regularly with a camera and a smaller lens on the Skout G2 is fine—there is no need for a stabilizer strap. However, if I wanted to move faster or participate in a more active pursuit while carrying the camera, such as biking or sailing, I’d opt for the G3 to cinch the camera down tightly to my chest.

Conclusion

The Cotton Carrier Skout G2 is a comfortable, well-made camera harness designed for those who want to carry their camera within easy reach while hiking or pursuing other outdoor activities. It is a massive step up in comfort and functionality compared to carrying your camera all day on a regular camera shoulder strap. With your camera attached to the Skout G2, it sits neatly against your core and won’t swing around while you walk.

I love using the Skout G2, but it’s important to remember that this isn’t a camera strap replacement for most people. The Skout G2 camera harness serves a specific purpose and does that very well. However, most people will also want to choose a great camera shoulder strap for day-to-day usage. Choose a daily-use camera strap with an excellent quick-release mechanism. So you’ll be able to detach the strap and attach it to the Skout without fuss when you head out for a walk. You may want to check out our review of Cotton Carrier’s shoulder strap, which is designed for this purpose.

Where to Buy

Cotton Carrier has offered Shutter Muse readers a 10% discount on anything purchased in their online store. Simply use the discount code SHUTTERMUSE after clicking here to access the store.

As always, using my links for your purchases is appreciated. Of course, the best way to buy the Cotton Carrier Skout G2 is to buy directly and use our discount code above to save yourself 10%. However, if you can’t buy directly, I’m including a few other options below.

Photo of author
Professional photographer based in Yukon, Canada, and founder of Shutter Muse. His editorial work has been featured in publications all over the world, and his commercial clients include brands such as Nike, Apple, Adobe and Red Bull.

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