HARDCORE OUTDOOR-GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS-GEAR REVIEWS FOR HIKING, SEARCH AND RESCUE, MILITARY, HUNTING: GREAT GEAR RECOMMENDATION

HARDCORE OUTDOOR-GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS-GEAR REVIEWS FOR HIKING, SEARCH AND RESCUE, MILITARY, HUNTING: GREAT GEAR RECOMMENDATION - Vortex 6x32 Viper Binoculars

GREAT GEAR RECOMMENDATION - Vortex 6x32 Viper Binoculars

Great little glasses. A pair of Vortex 6x32 Vipers mounted on the Outdoorsmans Pan Head and the Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 tripod using the Outdoorsmans Binocular Adapter.

A few months ago I was looking for a light weight, compact set of binoculars with descent glass to wear around my neck when I was hunting. I was wanting something less than 8 power and less than $1000 but there just wasn't much on the market that tripped my trigger.  I called over to the Outdoorsmans and they had just received a set of these.  The 6x32 Vortex Vipers are in fact great little neck glasses for hunting but they are so handy I have been using them for everything from reading real estate signs and aircraft N numbers to scouting opposing football teams. They just seem to tag along wherever I go and everybody that sees them wants to check them out.  Everybody that checks them out loves them.

With specs like these, what's not to love.  19 ounces, 420 foot field of view and a 5.33 exit pupil.  They are well made, easy to use and very nice to look through whether you are hand holding them or using a tripod. The kicker is that at $479 a pair I am not afraid to let my, gasp, wife and kids use them (with the strap around their neck and strong admonitions not to under any circumstances even think about touching the glass or messing around with the diopter adjustment of course).

In the picture above I am using a carbon fiber Manfrotto tripod, the medium height 190CXPRO3 to be exact, but the really astute and observant gearheads among you will notice that something looks a little different...and you would be right. One of the reasons I like working with the guys at the Outdoorsmans so much is that we apparently suffer from the same mality. I didn't like the Q90 vertical/horizontal collar feature thingy that normally comes on it because it wasn't something I would ever use and it added extra weight. They didn't like it either so they cut it off. You gotta love people that aren't afraid to take a hack saw to a high tech, high dollar tripod and then re-machine the column to make a good piece of gear even better.  Psst! Hello, Manfrotto. Are you paying attention?

Candidly, I was a little hinky about carbon fiber at first because while it might be great in tennis rackets and stealth bombers I have seen some less than perfect applications of it on the sport optics market. I thought it would be too flexible but I was wrong.  The 190CXPRO3 is an outstanding tripod that is every bit as good as its heavier aluminum counter parts, the 190XB(black) and 190XV (green) but not quite as rigid. Lighter weight for a little less rigidity is a perfectly acceptable trade off for this application in my opinion.

If you are looking for a really nice set of glasses that are small enough to wear around your neck all day but big enough to be usable in a wide variety of situations the Vortex 6x32 Vipers are literally in a class by themselves. And they are so darn cute. Check 'em out.

Thanks.

Wade Nelson
Editor

Sorting through the fads and fashion of the outdoor equipment industry to identify and promote the very best wilderness gear for high end recreational users, backcountry professionals and government agencies.

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