Optics weight in the backcountry

[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