Birding Binoculars - Bird Watching Binoculars » Bird Binoculars and Safety http://birdsight.com All About Bird Watching and Birding Binoculars Sun, 11 Dec 2011 04:01:51 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Bird Binoculars and Safety http://birdsight.com/bird-binoculars-and-safety http://birdsight.com/bird-binoculars-and-safety#comments Tue, 09 Sep 2008 03:01:11 +0000 http://birdsight.com/?p=203 Continue reading →]]> You want a rewarding experience with nature and your new bird binoculars, so be a little safety minded and use common sense on your trip. Actually, there are a few specific things to take into consideration for your safety and for the long life of your bird binoculars.

First, remember these are LENSES that magnify and amplify. Remember when you were a kid using magnifying glasses on the sidewalk to start a tiny piece of paper smoking or burning? Well that can happen unintentionally here if you are not careful.

Some safety considerations you might not remember from junior high science. Never look at the sun with binoculars. You could burn your eyes. Also when you are gazing at the stars and the moon, realize the light of the moon is simply reflected sunlight, so don’t keep staring at it or you could hurt your eyes.

Another is regarding the care of your binoculars and how you use them. They probably came with instructions. READ THEM.

Your binoculars came with a strap attached. And that strap is there for a reason. Use the strap. Hang those binoculars from your neck at a length that is comfortable for you to reach and swiftly move them into place when you see your special bird of the day. There are additional accessories that serve as a harness to keep them from bouncing around while you are walking, but I have found them to be a nuisance. I secure my binoculars inside a pocket or vest, still attached to the strap around my neck.

Protect your binoculars. Water proof is rarely really PROOF. Usually binoculars are water resistant. But I would not recommend dunking them. When I have been dunked out of a canoe, I have been grateful that my binoculars were sheathed inside my vest and they hardly got splashed.

Keep Clean. There will be another post to address cleaning with more specifics. Use common sense. Don’t put those binoculars on the blanket at a sandy beach. They WILL get sand in them and on them. Try to avoid scratching the surfaces of the lenses. Use a real lens cleaning cloth or proper lens paper but do not just wipe them clean with your shirt or bandana.


]]> http://birdsight.com/bird-binoculars-and-safety/feed 1