Binoculars: Anyone use them to scout lines?

[The Fourth Wolf]

This just occurred to me this past weekend.

I checked out a new (to me) area well off the beaten path that gets little to no riding despite having valley after bowl after bowl. I had a map with me and considered checking out some long pulls to passes or hanging valleys but I was a little concerned over snow depth, and it hit me...I ALWAYS have bino's when hunting and use them to check out terrain as well as find/judge game, so why not use them for sledding too?

I figure it would be easier and safer to scout a line or decide whether or not it's worth burning the gas to cross a valley floor to even make the attempt.

I know it's another thing to carry and all but binos can reveal subtle terrain features that you wouldn't see until you were committed, like rocks or worse, wind loading.

So for my next trip to this area for futher exploration I'm bringing the optics. Pack weight? meh..what's one more pound anyway?

 

[sledmendy]

I have considered this too epecially since I got a new pair for Christmas. I thought it may be a hastle but your point is good. Good way to see trouble before you get there.

 

[Wheel House Motorsports]

a little pair of binoc's would be very useful, never really thought of that but have tried to climb things then gotten near the top and gotten into hardpack wind scoured crap and weird stuff you cant see.. definately sometime simple to toss in the pack and would be nice to have around.

 

[iliketoridefast]

had them with last year. they are convenient to carry around and scope things out. and its not like 1lb in your pack is going to kill you

 

[Motley Doo]

One more thing I gotta add to my pack.

 

[MT boondocker]

Carry the small compact ones all the time, you'd be surprised at the amount of times they help out.

 

[icr]

Spindrifter, If you scout lines with binoculars you've got more testicular fortitude than me, we should definitely ride together sometime, I'll bring the telephoto lens.

 

[The Fourth Wolf]

Spindrifter, If you scout lines with binoculars you've got more testicular fortitude than me, we should definitely ride together sometime, I'll bring the telephoto lens.

Well it's not so much picking an actual line so much as trying to find hazards not visible to the naked eye. How much would it suck to get 3/4 up a pull only to encounter a little vertical section or a boulder or some other thing that forces you to bail. And bail usually means yard sale.

I figure the bino's would help decide where not to go when it's not immediately obvious.

But on the ride thing?

Deal!

You come south, I'll go north and we'll head east to the Clearwaters.

 

[Q-BALL]

A great asset to have along,you'll regret not doing it sooner.Been packing mine for the last 25 yrs. up here and wouldn't leave the lot without them.it's great to be on a high peak or up a glacier and just pan the range at a closer distance even if you have no plans to head to a certain point.

 

[LRD]

Here is what I carry, a 10 to 30 power Brunton Zoom Monocular that weighs 3 ozs.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/zoom-monocular-by-brunton.aspx?a=452408

Good Luck

 

[F-Bomb]

I carry the exact thing in my pack LRD. Hardly ever use it but sometimes it's nice to be able to see way out if you are the look out on a suspect climb or you need to double check one of your sheep isn't riding off with another group unknowingly! Hard to catch em and herd back to the safety of the flock when they get out a ways and get going...the visual gives you the edge!

Google earth new stuff gang...just about the coolest pre-ride new area planning scouting deal known to man!

 

[Wheel House Motorsports]

amen on google earth... learning how to translate what is on google earth to what you wanna do is really helpful... Allows you to see what happens if you go down drainages, down ridges, then the binoc's allow you to check stuff when your actually out there.