How to Buy The Right Binoculars For You

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How to Buy The Right Binoculars For You
Author: Duane Brown
Binoculars are wonderful pieces of equipment that can enhance many of our daily activities including, birding, action sports, hunting, and even astronomy. Essentially binoculars take a distant image, enlarge it through the use of lenses for viewing, all while remaining small and light enough to be mobile.

The actual makeup of most binoculars is fairly straightforward and simple. You have the lenses at the end of the barrel called the objective lens that gathers the light from the distant image and focuses it on the lens closest to your eyes for viewing. Binoculars are really two small telescopes put side by side so that you can view the desired image with both eyes instead of just one. This imparts some measure of depth of field, much more so than with a single scope.

When selecting a pair of binoculars you will immediately find that two numbers are used to describe their capability. These numbers are often expressed as "6 X 30" or something similar. Let's break the code so you will know what these numbers mean.

The first number refers to the magnification power of the binoculars, or in other words how many times the image is magnified. So if the number is 6, that means that the image that you view through the lens is magnified 6 times it's normal siZe.

The second number has to do with the size of the objective lens at the end of the binoculars.It's good to know this number because the larger the diameter of the objective lens, usually the more light will be let in for viewing the distant image.

Now, let's put this information in use in the real world. You may think that it's best to just get the highest magnification that you can get for binoculars, but this is not true. At some point, hand holding the binoculars will affect the clarity of a highly magnified image and the resulting shake will render the magnification benefits useless. Generally speaking, anything above ten times magnification should be mounted on a tripod instead of handheld. So if you are planning to use binoculars for activities that do not allow you to be able to bring along a sturdy tripod, you probably want to stay with a pair of binoculars with 4 -7 times magnification.

As far as light gathering properties are concerned, if you plan on using your binoculars in any kind of low light situation whether indoors, or at times of day when there is low available light outdoors, then you need to have a large objective lens, usually 30 or above, to make as much use of available light as possible.

Finally, consider the weight of the binoculars before buying them. If weight will be a consideration for activities such as hiking, then perhaps plastic lenses will be best that are specially coated to produce a high quality, sharp image. These can be more costly than glass lenses, but they are considerably lighter. Glass lenses usually make for much better optics and clearer images at a lower overall cost, but they can also be more fragile.

Generally speaking, more expensive pairs of binoculars have more atention paid to fit and finish and will stand up to more vigorous use, but if you only plan to occasionally use your binoculars, then a less expensive pair will no doubt work fine. Also, remember that after the purchase you should be sure to protect your investment with a suitable binoculars case.

About the Author

Duane Brown - http://www.all-about-binoculars.com All About Binoculars provides free information, tips, and resources on binoculars, telescopes, rifle scopes, and spotting scopes, and how to find them at the very best price.

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Hiking Leihi in the Hawaiian Islands

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Hiking Leihi in the Hawaiian Islands
Author: Mike Heiney
Hiking Leahi – Oahu's most famous Volcano
Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com
Read this entire feature FREE with photos at
http://jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/globe02/Hawaii02/oahu/DHead/diahike.html

October 2001 - terrorism, anthrax, airports in turmoil and still it took us only nine hours door-to-door from our Winter Palace in fabulous Las Vegas to our luxurious accommodations at the Aston Coconut Plaza Hotel five blocks off the world reknowned Waikiki Beach. The Coconut was to serve as our stalwart base of operations during our two night layover on Waikiki.

We're on a 20th anniversary mission to Maui, with a hike to Diamond Head as a warm up. Neil, the cool desk guy, checks us in in no time, recommends a bar and we're at the Shore Bird Bar & Restaurant on the beach. Mango Margaritas, spring rolls and the sound of the surf prime us for a short stroll towards Diamond Head. It's now about five pm local time and Waikiki comes alive, the Tiki torches flicker and live music wafts through the air at each hotel we pass. Duke's is the choice for dinner; it's Waikiki cool, fresh fish done Duke-style - on the open air patio and we're sippin' a '99 Duckhorn Sauv. Blanc and savorin - every minute of this paradisical respite. (Vintage wines abound on this tour, '97 cabs long gone in stateside wine cellars were to be found all over the Islands.)

We're up early the next morning, not hard to do with the time difference, another advantage of being on Hawaii time. We've planned to hike from the hotel, down the beach, past the zoo, aquarium and park, and up the steep grade through a small neighborhood to the top of Diamond Head - so called because western traders in the 1700s mistook crystals in the rocks for diamonds.

Finally we reach the trailhead, pay the $2 admission, make our way past the T-shirt vendors and flashlight salesman. There are dark passageways on the way to the summit - the trail was built by the U.S. Army as part of a coastal defense system in 1908. My wife, Pam and I, begin the 1.3 km climb from the Diamond Head crater floor.

The infamous steps to Diamond Head.

The weather is hot. This is steep, rocky terrain, so in addition to our flashlight we've bought, we are attired in appropriate hiking shoes, plenty of water, sunscreen and bat repellant. The trail winds through the crater floor as we climb the 560 feet to the upper gun emplacements - 74 concrete stairs, a 225 foot long narrow tunnel, a second stairway consisting of 99 steps, which leads to the lowest level of the Fire Control Stations. Finally we climb the 54 step spiral staircase and find ourselves atop a piece of history, with the best view on the Hawaiian Islands.

We've made it, after 227 steps and an equal number of Japanese tourists. We discover a light breeze, a light sunshower, a rainbow, a million dollar view, blue skies, and an ocean that goes on forever. Behind us tower the lush, green, tropical Koolau mountains covered with billowing white rain clouds, more rainbows, another damn rainbow - alright, enough with the rainbows.

That's when we run into Mitch. Mitch looks like a tour guide on the Safari African Adventure ride at Disneyland - Mitch looks like his name should be Steve, as in the Tao of Steve, as in Steve McQueen, Steve Austin or (how appropriate) Steve McGarret. He's sporting the Aussie hat with the one side turned up and he's giving a speil to a group of us eco/hiker/tourists about his nature hike through the rain forest later this same day. Mitch is part of the Hawaii Rain Forest Foundation, it's non profit; the tour is three hours and only US$15 per person, (other comparable tours, and non-tax deductable, cost between US$80 and US$150) and they pick you up at a designated hotel on the Waikiki strip. At first we decline Steve's, er, Mitch's speil and wander away to try and get away from all the rainbows, when we decide we've got some time and bat repellant left so what the . . . We sign up with Mitch and head back to the Coconut for a refreshing dip in the hotel pool and then to the designated hotel.

The tour turns out to be great. Steve, er, Mitch knows his stuff. Even the ride up the mountain to the rainforest/state park is fun and informative. The park could be "National" park, but is designated "State" park so that the natives can harvest fruit, nuts, bamboo and be free to practice whatever kind of weird rituals they desire without interference from the U.S. Government. As we leave the bus and begin our three hour tour, we pass little tokens and offerings that the natives have placed around the trailhead to appease, bribe or pay off whatever spirits or Gods that may be lurking about, and they're lurking, you can feel 'em.

As sure as there are rainbows, there are spirits in this jungle.

The rain forest is alive with ancestors, lush tropical growth, muddy trails, feral pigs and, well, rain. Mitch points out Ti plants who's leaves, when wrapped around money, bring good fortune and, well, more money. We sample fruits right from the trees, suck on Brazilian pepper seeds, and hear the calls of the tookie tookie birds echo through the rain soaked trees. Mitch pontificates that not much on these islands is natural. Europeans imported diseases that wiped out 80% of the population, with 80% of the bird species decimated by imported rats and mongoose.

Diamond Head Crater.

Side note: As Don Henley and Glenn Frey so eloquently state in their song, "The Last Resort," "You call someplace paradise, Kiss it goodbye." Karmically, the "Jesus Saves" sign mentioned in that famous Eagles song is on the neighboring island of Maui, in Lahaina, near the world's second largest Bhudda statue outside of Japan.

Mitch sure knows his stuff. I don't know, I think these guys make a lot of this stuff up. I know I do when entertaining visitors in Las Vegas. Countless numbers of friends, relatives and their children think that the "Battle Of The Little Big Horn" was fought just outside of Pahrump (the center of the universe by the way), or that a water treatment facility at Lake Mead was used to load "Victory Ships" during the war, and electro-magnetic rays generated by the hydro-electric equipment at the Hoover Dam create mutant catfish the size of jumbo jets. But that's just my warped perception and not meant to cast aspersions on Steve, er, Mitch. Just because we didn't SEE any feral pigs, dosen't mean they're not there. In fact, one member of our group, and there's always one member of the group who does this, made some pig noises and we ALL thought we heard a pig reply. Mitch assured us that while birds might reply to such a call, pigs would certainly not. Mitch's assurances aside, I strongly feel the field of pig calling on Oahu is in need of a large research grant; if you have funds you'd like to direct toward this endevour, please contact me C/O Jetsetters Magazine and we'll set up a base camp on the patio at Dukes.

Read this entire feature FREE with photos at:
http://jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/globe02/Hawaii02/oahu/DHead/diahike.html

By Mike Heiney, Las Vegas Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

About the Author

Mike Heiney, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. JOin The Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

...

Hiking Leihi in the Hawaiian Islands

Hiking
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Hiking Leihi in the Hawaiian Islands
Author: Mike Heiney
Hiking Leahi – Oahu's most famous Volcano
Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com
Read this entire feature FREE with photos at
http://jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/globe02/Hawaii02/oahu/DHead/diahike.html

October 2001 - terrorism, anthrax, airports in turmoil and still it took us only nine hours door-to-door from our Winter Palace in fabulous Las Vegas to our luxurious accommodations at the Aston Coconut Plaza Hotel five blocks off the world reknowned Waikiki Beach. The Coconut was to serve as our stalwart base of operations during our two night layover on Waikiki.

We're on a 20th anniversary mission to Maui, with a hike to Diamond Head as a warm up. Neil, the cool desk guy, checks us in in no time, recommends a bar and we're at the Shore Bird Bar & Restaurant on the beach. Mango Margaritas, spring rolls and the sound of the surf prime us for a short stroll towards Diamond Head. It's now about five pm local time and Waikiki comes alive, the Tiki torches flicker and live music wafts through the air at each hotel we pass. Duke's is the choice for dinner; it's Waikiki cool, fresh fish done Duke-style - on the open air patio and we're sippin' a '99 Duckhorn Sauv. Blanc and savorin - every minute of this paradisical respite. (Vintage wines abound on this tour, '97 cabs long gone in stateside wine cellars were to be found all over the Islands.)

We're up early the next morning, not hard to do with the time difference, another advantage of being on Hawaii time. We've planned to hike from the hotel, down the beach, past the zoo, aquarium and park, and up the steep grade through a small neighborhood to the top of Diamond Head - so called because western traders in the 1700s mistook crystals in the rocks for diamonds.

Finally we reach the trailhead, pay the $2 admission, make our way past the T-shirt vendors and flashlight salesman. There are dark passageways on the way to the summit - the trail was built by the U.S. Army as part of a coastal defense system in 1908. My wife, Pam and I, begin the 1.3 km climb from the Diamond Head crater floor.

The infamous steps to Diamond Head.

The weather is hot. This is steep, rocky terrain, so in addition to our flashlight we've bought, we are attired in appropriate hiking shoes, plenty of water, sunscreen and bat repellant. The trail winds through the crater floor as we climb the 560 feet to the upper gun emplacements - 74 concrete stairs, a 225 foot long narrow tunnel, a second stairway consisting of 99 steps, which leads to the lowest level of the Fire Control Stations. Finally we climb the 54 step spiral staircase and find ourselves atop a piece of history, with the best view on the Hawaiian Islands.

We've made it, after 227 steps and an equal number of Japanese tourists. We discover a light breeze, a light sunshower, a rainbow, a million dollar view, blue skies, and an ocean that goes on forever. Behind us tower the lush, green, tropical Koolau mountains covered with billowing white rain clouds, more rainbows, another damn rainbow - alright, enough with the rainbows.

That's when we run into Mitch. Mitch looks like a tour guide on the Safari African Adventure ride at Disneyland - Mitch looks like his name should be Steve, as in the Tao of Steve, as in Steve McQueen, Steve Austin or (how appropriate) Steve McGarret. He's sporting the Aussie hat with the one side turned up and he's giving a speil to a group of us eco/hiker/tourists about his nature hike through the rain forest later this same day. Mitch is part of the Hawaii Rain Forest Foundation, it's non profit; the tour is three hours and only US$15 per person, (other comparable tours, and non-tax deductable, cost between US$80 and US$150) and they pick you up at a designated hotel on the Waikiki strip. At first we decline Steve's, er, Mitch's speil and wander away to try and get away from all the rainbows, when we decide we've got some time and bat repellant left so what the . . . We sign up with Mitch and head back to the Coconut for a refreshing dip in the hotel pool and then to the designated hotel.

The tour turns out to be great. Steve, er, Mitch knows his stuff. Even the ride up the mountain to the rainforest/state park is fun and informative. The park could be "National" park, but is designated "State" park so that the natives can harvest fruit, nuts, bamboo and be free to practice whatever kind of weird rituals they desire without interference from the U.S. Government. As we leave the bus and begin our three hour tour, we pass little tokens and offerings that the natives have placed around the trailhead to appease, bribe or pay off whatever spirits or Gods that may be lurking about, and they're lurking, you can feel 'em.

As sure as there are rainbows, there are spirits in this jungle.

The rain forest is alive with ancestors, lush tropical growth, muddy trails, feral pigs and, well, rain. Mitch points out Ti plants who's leaves, when wrapped around money, bring good fortune and, well, more money. We sample fruits right from the trees, suck on Brazilian pepper seeds, and hear the calls of the tookie tookie birds echo through the rain soaked trees. Mitch pontificates that not much on these islands is natural. Europeans imported diseases that wiped out 80% of the population, with 80% of the bird species decimated by imported rats and mongoose.

Diamond Head Crater.

Side note: As Don Henley and Glenn Frey so eloquently state in their song, "The Last Resort," "You call someplace paradise, Kiss it goodbye." Karmically, the "Jesus Saves" sign mentioned in that famous Eagles song is on the neighboring island of Maui, in Lahaina, near the world's second largest Bhudda statue outside of Japan.

Mitch sure knows his stuff. I don't know, I think these guys make a lot of this stuff up. I know I do when entertaining visitors in Las Vegas. Countless numbers of friends, relatives and their children think that the "Battle Of The Little Big Horn" was fought just outside of Pahrump (the center of the universe by the way), or that a water treatment facility at Lake Mead was used to load "Victory Ships" during the war, and electro-magnetic rays generated by the hydro-electric equipment at the Hoover Dam create mutant catfish the size of jumbo jets. But that's just my warped perception and not meant to cast aspersions on Steve, er, Mitch. Just because we didn't SEE any feral pigs, dosen't mean they're not there. In fact, one member of our group, and there's always one member of the group who does this, made some pig noises and we ALL thought we heard a pig reply. Mitch assured us that while birds might reply to such a call, pigs would certainly not. Mitch's assurances aside, I strongly feel the field of pig calling on Oahu is in need of a large research grant; if you have funds you'd like to direct toward this endevour, please contact me C/O Jetsetters Magazine and we'll set up a base camp on the patio at Dukes.

Read this entire feature FREE with photos at:
http://jetsettersmagazine.com/archive/jetezine/globe02/Hawaii02/oahu/DHead/diahike.html

By Mike Heiney, Las Vegas Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

About the Author

Mike Heiney, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. JOin The Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

...

Hazards of Extreme Camping

Hiking
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Hazards of Extreme Camping
Author: J. D. Adams
Hazards of Extreme Camping
By J. D. Adams
Seeking direction as a youth, I bought a compass and wandered into the savage heart of the wilderness. Oregon's history came alive as I retraced pioneer trails and skied cross-country to skyline camps. Now, grizzled and trout revering, I offer this to show that extreme camping is so much more than surviving the crux of desolation in wet shoes.
Many campers have succumbed to their own camping equipment. Mummy bags were named for their tendency to shift around on the victim during the night, so you wake up facing an ominously shroud-like interior. Only by struggling absurdly with the sleeping bag can one return to the world of the living. Often during the struggle, everything in the tent containing Velcro will attach itself around the victim, creating a monstrous appearance. The flailing around will eventually roll the tent over, impaling the occupants on camping sundries and covering them with loose oatmeal. The modified mummy bag with a fuller cut is more comfortable and less likely to incite claustrophobic reactions.
Tents can function as rain collection devices, drawing moisture into the seams and through the fabric by a process still a mystery to camping scientists. Condensation and leakage collaborate to float the occupant on an inland sea, or upon rising, the victim is met by gallons of super-cooled water holding in the tent fly such that rebirth and amphibious regression are not unlikely. The stakes are high in the tent game, where experience with a good basic design like the freestanding dome tent will ensure dry and comfortable slumber. Before setting up your tent, inspect the lay of the ground for where water may pool up, and look overhead for precarious snags and branches.
The priming of gas stoves typically produces a fireball that is great for trimming those bushy eyebrows, also giving a hard outdoorsy look to the face. Working the stove is always great fun, a bit like being an astronaut and firing the afterburners. Some people get into character, shouting terms like "throttle up!" and "more power!" as they operate the pump and valves to avoid the dreaded "flameout"! Overcooking is the result, like your mother's pork chops. Periodic cleaning of the stove hardware is necessary for easy starting.
Backpacks have come a long way from the L-shaped wooden frame and attached rucksack. The principle is still the same, to explore the limits of human endurance like Lewis and Clark on a bad day. The inner frame pack is more streamlined, allowing gazelle-like movement through the wilderness. Skiing and climbing is easier with a pack that is closer to your center of gravity. The exterior frame pack is the most comfortable for normal hiking conditions. Regardless of the type of pack, choose a model with wide, firm padding on the waist and shoulder straps.
Prior to mastering the telemark and snowplow turns, the novice skier will tend to hurtle out of control across the unsuspecting landscape; their approach marked by a cloud of forest debris and the raucous cries of tormented wildlife. Elk and bear stampede fearfully. Cross-country skiing with a full pack combines the grace of drunkenness with the feel of a military exercise. Once mastered, expeditions can be launched into the high country, where an altered state will settle in from oxygen deprivation, and annoying tunes may run through the head. Often giddiness will persist well into the later stages of hypothermia that can only be cured by fishing.

About the Author

I have worked with avionics, communications, computers, and consumer electronics. I honed my skills in technical writing during this time. Yearning to exercise my creativity, I broadened my writing topics to include history, the outdoors, and travel. I have been published in local newspapers and several Oregon travel websites.

...

Hazards of Extreme Camping

Hiking
Back To Snippet
Back To SITEMAP

Hazards of Extreme Camping
Author: J. D. Adams
Hazards of Extreme Camping
By J. D. Adams
Seeking direction as a youth, I bought a compass and wandered into the savage heart of the wilderness. Oregon's history came alive as I retraced pioneer trails and skied cross-country to skyline camps. Now, grizzled and trout revering, I offer this to show that extreme camping is so much more than surviving the crux of desolation in wet shoes.
Many campers have succumbed to their own camping equipment. Mummy bags were named for their tendency to shift around on the victim during the night, so you wake up facing an ominously shroud-like interior. Only by struggling absurdly with the sleeping bag can one return to the world of the living. Often during the struggle, everything in the tent containing Velcro will attach itself around the victim, creating a monstrous appearance. The flailing around will eventually roll the tent over, impaling the occupants on camping sundries and covering them with loose oatmeal. The modified mummy bag with a fuller cut is more comfortable and less likely to incite claustrophobic reactions.
Tents can function as rain collection devices, drawing moisture into the seams and through the fabric by a process still a mystery to camping scientists. Condensation and leakage collaborate to float the occupant on an inland sea, or upon rising, the victim is met by gallons of super-cooled water holding in the tent fly such that rebirth and amphibious regression are not unlikely. The stakes are high in the tent game, where experience with a good basic design like the freestanding dome tent will ensure dry and comfortable slumber. Before setting up your tent, inspect the lay of the ground for where water may pool up, and look overhead for precarious snags and branches.
The priming of gas stoves typically produces a fireball that is great for trimming those bushy eyebrows, also giving a hard outdoorsy look to the face. Working the stove is always great fun, a bit like being an astronaut and firing the afterburners. Some people get into character, shouting terms like "throttle up!" and "more power!" as they operate the pump and valves to avoid the dreaded "flameout"! Overcooking is the result, like your mother's pork chops. Periodic cleaning of the stove hardware is necessary for easy starting.
Backpacks have come a long way from the L-shaped wooden frame and attached rucksack. The principle is still the same, to explore the limits of human endurance like Lewis and Clark on a bad day. The inner frame pack is more streamlined, allowing gazelle-like movement through the wilderness. Skiing and climbing is easier with a pack that is closer to your center of gravity. The exterior frame pack is the most comfortable for normal hiking conditions. Regardless of the type of pack, choose a model with wide, firm padding on the waist and shoulder straps.
Prior to mastering the telemark and snowplow turns, the novice skier will tend to hurtle out of control across the unsuspecting landscape; their approach marked by a cloud of forest debris and the raucous cries of tormented wildlife. Elk and bear stampede fearfully. Cross-country skiing with a full pack combines the grace of drunkenness with the feel of a military exercise. Once mastered, expeditions can be launched into the high country, where an altered state will settle in from oxygen deprivation, and annoying tunes may run through the head. Often giddiness will persist well into the later stages of hypothermia that can only be cured by fishing.

About the Author

I have worked with avionics, communications, computers, and consumer electronics. I honed my skills in technical writing during this time. Yearning to exercise my creativity, I broadened my writing topics to include history, the outdoors, and travel. I have been published in local newspapers and several Oregon travel websites.

...