Why Range Finders are Perfect for the BackCountryWritten by Chuck Fitzgerald
Why Range Finders are Perfect for BackCountry Chuck Fitzgerald ©2004. All Rights Reserved.Outdoor enthusiasts love to guess about all sorts of things. We guess how many stars are in Milky Way, we guess how fast a deer runs or we might even guess about how long it will be until that big, dark cloud dumps rain us. But there are times when guessing in backcountry just doesn’t get job done. Specialty gear is available to help us determine how far we’ve hiked - and in what direction - and other tools are available to help take guesswork out of purifying water. But there is a another useful tool overlooked by many avid backcountry visitors - rangefinder. Rangefinders are used in a number of commercial applications - surveying, mapping, mining, etc. - however for our purposes we will be discussing portable laser rangefinder used by outdoor sportsmen and sportswomen. Laser rangefinders calculate distance to an object by bouncing a laser beam off of object and measuring lapsed time until beam returns. Since calculation is based upon return of beam, it stands to reason that a more reflective object can be measured at a greater distance than a less reflective object. Readily available models are accurate to within one yard and have ability to measure distances to reflective targets up to 1500 yards away – that’s nearly a mile - and they’re accurate under nearly any condition. The past few years have seen a number of technology advances across all rangefinder price ranges. Many models are lightweight, are easily operated with one hand, can measure through rain or snow, can see through nearby clutter, function well in low light, contain integrated optical magnification and are 100% waterproof. Additionally there have been vast improvements lately to lens coatings, battery life and information display.
| | 5 Tips for Successful Bird WatchingWritten by Chuck Fitzgerald
5 Tips for Successful Bird Watching Chuck Fitzgerald ©2004. All Rights Reserved.Can you name number one spectator sport in North America? It’s not baseball, figure skating or racing. It’s bird watching. That’s right, more people are watching birds than football and hockey combined. With so many people hoping to see a bird they’ve never seen before, it’s not surprising to see a clamoring for latest tips and tools to get job done. Here are my top five tips for getting most out of your birding experience. #1. Get to Where Birds Are! This sounds obvious, but many birders spend majority of their bird watching time and energy on poor locations. Some folk have advantage of looking out of their windows into back yard to observe nature’s best. The rest of us need to get moving. I would highly recommend visiting a National Wildlife Refuge. There are over 500 of them across United States. To find one near you, visit http://refuges.fws.gov/ #2. Know What Species to Expect. There are approximately 900 species of birds in United States and recognizing each of them is nearly impossible. So when you visit an area, do a little research first. You may find that perhaps only a few species actually inhabit that particular area. With a little preparation, you will be able to more readily identify bird species from each other. Keep a list of successfully viewed species – we’ll call this tip number two and a half. #3. Get a Great Pair of Binoculars. Spending time and money to get to right place can be totally wasted when your binoculars are inadequate. If you have an inexpensive pair of binoculars you are not getting most out of your viewing. Today’s technologies come at a price and they provide crucial benefits in wildlife viewing. For instance, image stabilization will keep your view from shaking-very important when watching from a long distance. Other cool features include anti-fogging, low-light viewing and wide-view characteristics. Additionally, binoculars with built-in digital cameras enable you to identify birds once you get home. These benefits will definitely enhance your bird watching. A great pair of binoculars will turn a mediocre experience into a great one. You can count on it!
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