Optics weight in the backcountry

[Buckhunter24]

I'm interested to see peoples optic weights. Refining my pack and trying to minimize weight. Any specific comments on what your combination is would be appreciated

[CastleRocker]

That's the only thing in my pack that probably won't get to be too much lighter in weight.  Just about everything can be made of different lighter materials...except glass.  Really good glass is heavy.   Heck, one of the reasons NASA researchers started to send telescopes into space years ago, is BIG glass telescope lenses can't support their own weight here on earth.  Good glass is heavy.

[Buckhunter24]

Yeah thats what im learning, gotta have it but it sure makes up a pretty good percentage of my total pack weight!

[fishngamereaper]

No real way around the weight..
I run small swaro binos, 10x25. Just don't like heavy weight around my neck, shoulders because of nerve issues.
My razor hds are 65mm so it helps...3.5lbs
My silk tri pod is bullet proof.. figured why get a cheap tri pod for expensive glass..3.5lbs..

So I'm about 8lbs total.

[The scout]

I’m not to sure what all my optics weigh. But for me every hunt I do has different optic needs, and the weight of them isn’t something that makes my decision. Anything to help my chances at shooting a bigger animal. My backpack has my BTX 95 in it majority of the time.

[fishngamereaper]

 

And for the record my spotter only goes with me once in a while. Most scenarios I get by just fine with binos for archery and if I need extra power rifle hunting my scope is 16x.

[lonedave]

Old Bausch & Lomb 7x26 Custom Compacts, old Leupold 20x50 with SLIK Sprint Mini III tripod - 3lb - 12.9oz total

[zwickeyman]

7 1/2# with

Swaro 20-60 x 80 spotter
Swaro SLC 10x42 Binos
Vortex SS tripod

Buying a 15-45x55 Kowa spotter just for grins that will drop 2# off total for some hunts

Like everyone says. Glass is heavy

[NiteHawk]

4.89lbs for me.

Vortex Razor HD 11-33 - 1.56lbs
Vortex Diamondback HD 10x42 - 1.33lbs
Vortex Summit SS-P Tripod - 2lbs.

I have pondered this question many times and often thought that a pair of 15 power binos and a tripod would shave some weight and allow the spotting scope to be left behind. If I dropped the spotting scope and up-sized to 15X Diamondback I would still carry 4.175lbs of optics and not have a spotting scope. That's not quite worth the weight savings for me. Now if I were to drop the tripod and bring only 15X binos that would be a super light set up that would involve using trekking poles/sticks to stabilize binos while glassing. I would only entertain this idea on serious death marches as I think I would sacrifice glassing stability for a lighter pack. I'm not fond of this idea but as The Scout said below every hunt calls for different optic needs!

[Mtnwalker]

Never added it up before but my typical setup is

Leica 10x42- 27oz
Leica 65 spotter- 58oz
Slik 624 w/ Benro head- 41oz

For a grand total of 7.9 lbs.

I've considered going to a kowa 550 spotter which would shave a pound and a half off but then I feel like i'd need a big one too.

[ganghis]

Really varies on the trip - if there's not much in the way of long distance spotting, I'd probably just take binos, but my full set up is about 7 lbs:

slik pro carbon fiber tripod - 2lbs
sirui pano head - 1.2lbs
Maven B2 11x45 binos - 2lbs
Kowa 15-45x55 spotter - 1.9 lbs

The spotter is awesome, both for quality and weight.  It's spendy but finally pulled the trigger after reading good reviews on gohunt and rokslide.  I think if I did it again I might get lighter weight & lower power binos

[jjhunter]

Always have my EL Range and always have my 15x56 SLC’s and Outdoorsman's tall tripod with pan head.

For spotter, it’s either STX 65, 95 or BTX 95.   Just depends on where I’m headed and for how long.

[northwesthunter84]

Razor 10x50-              1 lb 12 oz
Razor 16x48-65mm-    3 lb 1oz
Sirui T-024sk-              2 lb 3 oz
Manfrotto MVH500AH-  1 lb 15 oz

Total just under 9 lbs.  I know I could shave weight/space on the fluid head but I like the feel.

[ian_padron]

I wouldn't change a thing about my current set-up, feel like it's the lowest weight/highest quality/best price combo possible for a high country deer hunter.

Meostar 12x50s
Vortex Summit Tripod with Benro S2 head
Kowa Prominar 554 spotter

[Magnum_Willys]

Razor 10x50-              1 lb 12 oz
Razor 16x48-65mm-    3 lb 4 oz
Sirui T-024sk-              2 lb 3 oz
Manfrotto MVH500AH-  1 lb 15 oz

Total just under 9 lbs.  I know I could shave weight/space on the fluid head but I like the feel.

Do you use use horses or mules ?   

[zwickeyman]

Razor 10x50-              1 lb 12 oz
Razor 16x48-65mm-    3 lb 4 oz
Sirui T-024sk-              2 lb 3 oz
Manfrotto MVH500AH-  1 lb 15 oz

Total just under 9 lbs.  I know I could shave weight/space on the fluid head but I like the feel.

Do you use use horses or mules ?   

No kidding. A buddy of mine just with spotter and tripod is at 9# plus he carries  12x50 Razor binos. I think he is around 10.5#. He needs a new tripod, it weighs almost 5 pounds. He's young though

[Rob]

I carry a Leopold compact 15-30 on a slick tripod.  I pair that with a Leica 7x range finder.

I use the range finder for up close work, and the 15-30 for things over 300 yards.  If I can't see it with a 30X I am not so sure I want to know about it!

Range finder:  1/2 pound
spot:  1.33 lbs
tripod (I can use it standing) 2.72

Total weight 4.55 lbs

[bman940]

Ian, Love the choices you have made. Top-notch MeoStar 12X glass goes a long way in big country. I have been looking at the 12x50's myself and now Meopta has a binorangefinder coming out in 10x42/50 and 12x50. The Optika LR should be a big hit even at 30 oz.  I don't have much more info but I will be happy to pass it along if you guys are interested?

[Magnum_Willys]

Looking forward to info on 12x50 rangefinder.

[Ironhead]

10x42 EL's 29.6 OZ
ATX 95      75.8 OZ
Outdoorsmans standard Tripod   44 OZ
Outdoorsmans Pistol Grip Head  9.8 OZ
Total of 9.5 LBS

[zwickeyman]

10x42 EL's 29.6 OZ
ATX 95      75.8 OZ
Outdoorsmans standard Tripod   44 OZ
Outdoorsmans Pistol Grip Head  9.8 OZ
Total of 9.5 LBS

9.5 # of Damn Nice!

[full choke]

10x42 EL's 29.6 OZ
ATX 95      75.8 OZ
Outdoorsmans standard Tripod   44 OZ
Outdoorsmans Pistol Grip Head  9.8 OZ
Total of 9.5 LBS

Was that 9.5#'s or 9.5k ?...

  j/k-nice set up!

[boneaddict]

For hunting.... 10x42 EL's 29.6 OZ


If carrying a camera..... close to 18 pounds

[bman940]

I had the Meopta Optika LR binorangefinder out this past weekend and I was thoroughly impressed. Ranging targets on our long-range shooting lane was a snap. The Optika LR glass does not disappoint as you would expect from a European glass company. The targeting circle for ranging made it quick and easy to range targets well past 800 yards. Our targets go to 1225 yards and there was no issue getting readings. I was able to range cedar trees at 930 yards (as far as the land allowed us to range). The overcast skies and occasional rain didn't interfere with ranging at all. I definitely suggest that using any rangefinder past 600 yards you stabilize it with a tripod or something similar. It makes life so much easier and the easily attached adapter makes it easy to attach to a plate.

[yakimanoob]

10x42 Leopold binos
13-35x50mm Nikon fieldscope
Vanguard Alta CF tripod.

 

[Tbob]

I’ve been running my 10x50’s on a Vortex tripod and absolutely love the setup. Not much in terms of weight either.

[go4steelhd]

I use to pack everything as light as possible for day hunts or backpacking trips. I have since learned that you can't tell the difference between a pack that weighs 38 or 43 or even 50 pounds after the first of hour of hiking. With that said I take what I like to use now(The last 5 years). I started with a light weight tripod made by nikon and burris lightweight spotting scope, with compact sightron binos. But when I used it I found the tripod to be very shaky, and the optics to be useless in low light. Next I bought a short model outdoorsman tripod because it was the lightest and better optics. After two years hunting with it I found it to be very steady but way too short to use, especially if you are sitting on a steephill side.

Now I run a very heavy set up. But you can't kill what you can't see.

Outdoorsmen tall tripod with the Jim White panhead
Swarovski Swarovision EL 12x50 binos with their universal tripod adapter

Swarovski STX spotting scope with the 95mm objective on it (I also have the 65mm, but have stopped taking it since I can see better in low light with the 95mm. It weighs a little more, and takes up more space, but for me it's worth it)

I also use the quick adaptors made by outdoorsmen for my spotting scope and bino adaptor. This is key when glassing country where the animals may only be insight for a few minutes, and sometimes only a few seconds. (Like avalanche slides, clearings between timber patches in the high country, etc). If a trophy steps out while I am scouting or hunting, I just want to get a quick look at it in the spotting scope to see if it is what I will spend my season hunting. Several I have spent a season hunting a buck I only seen for a few seconds in the spotting scope while scouting. I have ended up killing most of these animals later on during the hunt because I knew that they were there somewhere near by. And since I had seen them I would put all my time and effort towards that animal.

[spoonman]

12x50 EL’s 35oz
ATS 20-60x65 48oz

So just a hair over 5 pounds