I've used and abused a Badlands since they first came out and it is still awesome in my opinion. I have a brand new one on standby but I wouldn't doubt if my old one still has 5+ years of life left in it. Although, I might have to finally lay it to rest due to how nasty it is from the years of sweat!
When I bought the new Badlands last year, I looked into other brands since a bunch of new harnesses have hit the market. I have a major issue with the Kuiu and Alaska Guide. Although they are nice, they aren't 100% sealed like the Badlands. My main concern with a harness is protecting my glass from the elements, especially dust. There's nothing I hate worse than dusty glass and don't want to waste time hunting cleaning it or risk scratching it.
The Badlands is an easy one hand operation, has a comfortable harness, it's 100% sealed and the magnetic seal is quiet if you don't allow it to slam shut. It also comes in my favorite all around camo, which is a plus for me.
If the Alaska Guide had a magnetic seal I would try one. My other issue with the Alaska is how many reps can the elastic keeper take before it stretches and becomes totally worthless?
