So, I'm going down to the US to hike the Appalachian Trail later this year. Don't know haw far I'll make it gut I'm going for the whole thing. This has fairly recently only come to be reality and I am quite looking forward to it.
Anyhow I want to bird as I can while I go, and I would be a fool to traverse places like the Great Smokeys, the Hundred-mile Wilderness, and the countless mountaintops without a pair of binoculars.
I am hesitant to take my Nikons in case some two-legged predator is met along the way. I am also greatly concerned with size and weight so I am thinking a less expensive 8x32 might be in order. I also want to avoid binoculars that are too cheap and dim. I'd rather not go weaker than the 8x for these but anything much bigger and heavier than a 32mm will become a pain in the neck, literally.
The main question of the post becomes: how much is needed to be spent on an 8x32 roof until the brightness is acceptable for birding in the big eastern woods? $300? $500? I'd rather not spend too much as these will be redundant to my 8x32 LX and again are only needed because I'd rather not take a really expensive pair along, not so much for durability but for "loss-ability" and "theft-ability" while on the trail. They will probably only get used occasionally on potential lifers but I'd rather have them than not.
Thanks.
I'd suggest the 8X32 Nikon Monarchs. My wife has the 8X42 and they are very good and less than $300. And I envy you the loo...ong walk. Hope you have a great adventure. Please let us know how you get on.
The 8x32 current Eagle Optics were acceptable to me (though crummy CHINESE, see other thread), but for hiking the 8x36 Monarchs weigh pretty much the same. They will be a bit brighter than a 8x32 in the same price class. I wanted maximum fov in mid price, so 8x32 was OK for me.