Rifle carrying system "stalking harness"
The backpack-like carrying system addresses the issue of uneven weight distribution and secure attachment in rifle carrying by evenly distributing the rifle's weight across both shoulders, enhancing mobility and safety during hunting.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- DE · DE
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing rifle carrying systems cause one-sided strain on the shoulder, limiting mobility and safety during hunting activities due to the uneven distribution of weight and lack of secure attachment to the body, hindering quick access and integration with other hunting gear.
A backpack-like carrying system with adjustable straps and a rope system that evenly distributes the rifle's weight across both shoulders, securing it along the body's midline, allowing quick detachment and integration with additional hunting equipment.
Facilitates fatigue-free movement and enhanced safety by evenly distributing the rifle's weight, keeping hands free for various hunting tasks, and enabling quick access to the weapon while maintaining mobility and compatibility with other hunting gear.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
[0001] The following describes a rifle carrying system for the safe and back-friendly transport of any long gun on the back during hunting.
[0002] The carrying harness, referred to below as the "stalking harness," allows for quick and easy attachment / connection of the weapon. This distributes the weight of the weapon, which without a harness rests solely on one shoulder, almost perfectly evenly across both shoulders.
[0003] This eliminates the one-sided strain and greatly facilitates the transport of the weapon on the back, both over shorter and longer distances.
[0004] Additionally, the weapon is secured to the longitudinal axis of the body's midline along the spine by the connection to the hunting harness, preventing it from dangling. This allows for fatigue-free movement in the field and increases safety when setting up and dismantling hunting stands, as both hands remain free. This benefits all conceivable hunting applications, such as travel to and from the hunting stand, stalking, tracking wounded game, use as a shooter or beater in driven hunts, and the work of bloodhound handlers.
[0005] Despite the rifle being firmly attached to the harness, the weapon can be quickly detached and brought into firing position if necessary.
[0006] This carrying system can be worn throughout the entire hunting activity without any restrictions on mobility (while sitting, standing and moving) and also offers modular attachment points for essential hunting equipment. In detail: • A backpack-like, universal rifle carrying system that is worn like a backpack. The shoulder straps converge in an X-shape on the back. At the front, the two shoulder straps are held together by a buckle integrated into a chest strap. • The carrying system is adjustable at both the shoulders and the chest strap (as is usual with backpacks) and can be adapted to different body shapes and clothing (summer / winter). • An approximately 60 cm long rope and / or webbing (hereinafter referred to as the rope) is attached to the X-shaped connection on the back, hanging down the back. About 30 cm of this is folded over and sewn to form several loops that serve as attachment points for the chest hook (see Fig. 5 Reference numerals 3 and 4). • On the left shoulder, at approximately nipple height, a hook is attached to a small plate on the left shoulder strap, to which the loops mentioned above can be hooked (see Fig. 3 Reference numerals 3). • There is a loop on the rifle (see Fig. 1 Reference mark 1) attached to a fixed anchor point approximately at the height of the rifle's center of gravity. This anchor point can be mounted on the rifle in various ways: Anchor point V1: through an additional rifle sling screw in the stock (drilled) Anchor point V2: via an additional eyelet attached to an adhesive plate on the shaft Anchor point V3: a Velcro strap with non-slip material on the inside at the hand rest on the rifle stock. • If the rifle is hung over the right shoulder, the rope hanging down from the carrying system on the back (see Fig. 5 Reference marks 3 and 4) through the loop attached to the rifle and under the left armpit and hooked onto the hook attached to the left shoulder strap (front). • Because several loops are incorporated at the end of the rope, it is possible to regulate how far the rifle is pulled to the left and thus towards the center of the back. • Because the rifle, with its attached sling, rests on the right shoulder and is pulled towards the left side of the body by the rope, it lies flat and centered against the back. The bolt handle is on the side facing away from the body and does not press into the back. Since the rope pulls the rifle not only to the left but also upwards, the weight of the rifle is distributed almost evenly across both shoulders, preventing it from swinging around during movement. • At the same time, the rifle can be quickly and easily made accessible / ready to fire by simply releasing the loop on the hook. • A carabiner / S-carabiner or a similar hooking device can be attached to the X-shaped connection on the back (see Fig. 5 Reference numeral 1), the neck strap of a thermal imaging camera or night vision device can be attached. This distributes the weight of the device (often over 400g), which would otherwise rest on the neck, to the shoulders via the carrying system. • The carrying system also serves as a platform for essential hunting equipment. The chest strap (see Fig. Reference point 6) offers the possibility to attach small pouches with equipment and / or to directly attach larger items such as knives, lockers, or flashlights. The upper surfaces of the shoulder straps offer the possibility to attach a knife (see Fig. 3. Reference markers 2) or medical items (tourniquet or bandages) at the level of the left shoulder. These can serve as a point of attachment for a walking stick (with carrying strap) so that the walking stick does not slip off the shoulder. Reference symbol list Fig. 1: Repeating rifle with anchor points 1 Standard Rifle Sling 2 anchor points (either V1 or V2) for loop 3 alternative anchor point (V3) 4 loops at the anchor point 5 loop at the alternative anchor point (V3) Fig. 2: AR-15 or AR-10 system - laterally mounted with anchor point(s) 1 Standard Rifle Sling 2 Anchor point: The attachment point can easily be generated using an additional QD sling swivel adapter (quick detachment adapter from UTG and Magpul) attached to the AR-standard Picatinny rail, with the loop being guided through the opening. 3 loops at the anchor point Fig. 3: Stalking harness, front view 1 padded shoulder strap 2 knife sheaths with knives as anchor / fixing points for a walking stick, so that it cannot slip off the shoulder 3 small plates with integrated hooks for fixing the rope (hereinafter referred to as breast hooks) 4 buckles for adjusting the strap length 5 length-adjustable and stretchable chest straps (with integrated elastic band) with snap buckle 6 mounting options for lockers, flashlights, etc. Fig. 4: Stalking harness frontal - rope hooked on 1. The rifle sling lies on / over the strap of the stalking harness. 2 ropes hooked into the breast hook Fig. 5: Stalking harness from behind - rifle not connected 1 S-carabiner or carabiner as an attachment option for the neck strap of a thermal imaging camera 2. The shoulder straps can serve as an attachment option / anchor point for a recovery aid to enable hands-free game retrieval. 3 ropes 4 loops incorporated into the rope for hooking onto the breast hook (attached directly to the stalking harness, or hooked into the carabiner / S-carabiner) Fig. 6: Stalking harness from behind - rifle connected 1 rifle sling 2. Rope passed through the loop 3 Loop of the anchor point through which the hanging rope is passed Fig. 7: Stalking harness from the side - rifle connected 1 strap of the stalking harness 2 Loop of the anchor point through which the hanging rope is passed 3 ropes passed through the loop of the anchor point 4 ropes hooked into breast hooks
Claims
[1] The stalking harness is used to transport any long gun (repeating and self-loading rifles, but also shotguns) on the back for hunting in a way that protects the back, characterized by , that it pulls the weight of the rifle to the left and upwards through the hooked rope, thereby distributing the total weight almost evenly across both shoulders. [2] The stalking harness ensures the safe transport of any long gun by connecting it to the rope, characterized by , that the weapon is pulled towards the longitudinal axis of the body's midline along the spine at its center of mass by the connection with the stalking harness, so that it cannot dangle or flap around. [3] The stalking harness allows for a quick and easy connection and equally quick release of the weapon, characterized by, the rope with the integrated loops at the end is hooked into the breast hook through a loop attached to the rifle, over the back and under an armpit, and then unhooked again. [4] The rifle carrying system can be worn by people of different builds and on any clothing, characterized by that it is adjustable in length and width in the shoulder and chest area. [5] -The rifle carrying system is minimalist, adds little bulk, yet allows for the transport of (hunting) items of all kinds, characterized by that it offers several anchor points for equipment (walking stick, night vision device, thermal imaging camera, knife, flashlight, etc.).