1: Rick Young Outdoors Neoprene Binocular Cover
The first neoprene binocular cover I owned was made by Crooked Horn Outfitters, a small company that built wonderful made-in-the-USA products for decades (daypacks, bino shoulder harnesses, neoprene bino and scope covers, and more). Sadly, when its owner Lennis Janzen hit retirement age, he also retired the company. (FYI: Lennis invented the bino shoulder harness that has been copied by almost everyone. He had a patent on its design but didn’t have the money to fight in court.)
I still use the slim, lightweight bino cover from Crooked Horn and had been searching for another one for many years. Many companies make those bino chest packs that you see worn by all the cool guys and girls on YouTube. But I prefer wearing a waist pack or small daypack to carry additional gear; I don’t need a bulky chest pack that has enough room for my bino, rangefinder and lunch.
After a lot of online searching, I finally found the Rick Young Outdoors website and saw the company’s Neoprene Binocular Cover (MSRP: $34.99, on sale last time I visited the site for $29.99). Like my bino cover from Crooked Horn, the ones from Rick Young Outdoors are made in the USA. I now own two from Rick Young (one black, one digital camo) and they work extremely well.
The neoprene covers come in four sizes; you simply measure your bino and then choose the correct one. The covers protect your bino from dust, dirt, rain, snow, dings and scratches. The neoprene stretches to fit over the lenses of your bino. You flip the cover open to glass for wildlife; you don’t remove it. The design is smart, slim and 100 percent quiet.
2: Vortex 6.5x32 Bantam HD Binocular
The official name of this product is the Bantam HD 6.5x32 Youth Binocular, but in my opinion, Vortex should drop the “Youth” part of the name. I understand why they label it as such, but I promise you that it works fantastic for any deer or turkey hunter who spends most of their time in a woodland setting.
This bino’s height is 4.9 inches, width is 4.8 inches (it will fit in a Christmas stocking!) and it weighs 14.4 ounces. I’ve found it to be the perfect size for my Midwest whitetail and turkey bowhunts. Yes, I own a few much larger 8x and 10x binos, and those have their time and place (western hunts mostly), but for almost all of my time in the woods, I’m better served by the compact 6.5x Vortex Bantam.
Here’s the deal: Most of the time when I reach for my bino I’m simply checking to see whether a distant turkey is a tom or jake, or whether a buck is small, medium or large. And I sometimes reach for my bino with one hand because my other hand is on my bow. The magnification of 6.5x works beautifully in woodland settings; it provides a wide field of view, so it’s easy to pinpoint an animal I’ve spotted with my naked eye, and the image is clear because the power is low. When using an 8x or 10x bino, you’d better be gripping it with both hands and be super steady otherwise the image will be shaking all over the place.
This is not a typo: The MSRP for the Vortex 6.5x32 Bantam HD Binocular is $99.95, and the street price (check anywhere online) is $69.99. In a word — insane.
I’m a bit of an optics snob, and I own binos that cost 10 — even 15 — times more money. As a rule, the saying “you get what you pay for” is definitely true for optics, but not in this one instance.
The Vortex 6.5x32 Bantam is shock-proof, fog-proof and waterproof (nitrogen gas purged and o-ring sealed). Other features include: HD optical system; adjustable eyecups and diopter (adjusts for differences in a user’s eyes); fully multi-coated lenses; rubber armoring; and smooth center focus wheel. I’ve used them many times this fall, including during low light, and they provide a clear/crisp/bright image and great color.
And I’ve saved perhaps the best for last: Like all Vortex binos, the 6.5x32 Bantam HD is covered by the company’s lifetime warranty. Again — insane for a bino in this price range.
I’ve used the 6.5x32 Bantam HD for a few months now and could not be more impressed. In my opinion, it’s the greatest value I’ve come across in my lifetime as a hunter, and 30 years as an outdoor writer/editor.
3: Scent Killer Gold Laundry Detergent Strips
I’ve used various products from Wildlife Research Center (WRC) for decades. From Scent Killer Gold Spray on my boots before walking to my treestand, to Special Golden Estrus scent on my doe decoy, I use some product from WRC on every deer hunt every fall.
This past deer season I used a new offering from WRC, namely the Scent Killer Gold Laundry Detergent Strips. The ultra-concentrated detergent strips are convenient; you simply toss in one strip for a small load of laundry, and add a second strip or a third one for large or extra-large loads.
These strips are especially handy when you travel away from home, as I did this past fall on my South Dakota and Wisconsin November whitetail bowhunting vacations. It’s nice to not worry about packing bulky and messy liquid detergent bottles. MSRP is $17.99; the package includes 60 strips. And look at the product packaging — these detergent strips will fit perfectly in a Christmas stocking!
