Binoculars

I've never found any of the pocket size binoculars that are acceptable. I understand that some of the high end stuff selling for close to $1000 work, but that is out of my budget too.

I wanted a good pair to take on my 1st Western hunt several years ago, asked for advice on several forums and ended up finding these.

http://swfa.com/Pentax-8x43-DCF-SP-Binocular-P1935.aspx

I only paid $350 for mine. I found a dealer who sold me a display model at a discount, plus they have had a couple of price increases since then. They are a great pair of binoculars and I don't regret spending the money. Especially to be able to get this much quality at the discounted price.

But since then I've discovered these.

http://swfa.com/Leupold-6x30-BX-1-Yosemite-Binocular-P48061.aspx

They offer a 6X30 and 8X30. The 6X30's are the ones to buy. They are not pocket size, but made for kids, so they are fairly light and compact. They still fit adults just fine and the glass is amazing for the money. They end up going with me far more often than the Pentax. I've been using a pair for 4-5 years now with no issues.

They are cheap enough to keep in the truck and not worry if they get stolen or damaged. In fact my 1st pair were taken form my truck. I liked them so well I ordered 2 more pair. One for the truck, the other pair for my wife's car. If you poke around on the internet you'll find these highly recommended by some very serious hunters. I discovered them when reading a post on another forum from an Alaskan guide who used and highly recommended them.

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