It is an easy to hold binoculars study over a long day of hunting. After hours of glancing over a field looking for that trophy buck your arms are bound to get tired. The workout my forearms get after six hours of scanning a field rivals the best day at the gym. As I get older it seems like holding binoculars steady just keeps getting harder. With a few upper body exercises and some special tricks, I’ve learned how to hold binoculars steady longer than in my youth.
How To Hold Binoculars Steady
There’s no doubt about it, long-range tactical binoculars can be downright heavy. Manufacturers have come a long way developing some lightweight hunting binoculars, but they have a long way to go. After a long day scanning the fields your arms are most likely to be worn out and shaky. Instead of letting your glass shake all day you should try one of these three tracks.
Binocular Suspenders
Binoculars suspenders seem like something you’d see in sky mall but they’re actually a handy product. Companies like Swarovski Optics tried to do this years ago but they just couldn’t get the price right. Luckily Op/tech USA built upon their design and built suspenders made for your binoculars. They wrap around your body and provide a stable surface for your binoculars.
You’d be surprised how much that little extra support really helps you. It it stabilizes your gear against your body while enabling you to glided up and down. Not only will it stabilize your binoculars you can just drop them down to your chest when you’re done. You won’t have to worry about fiddling around with a case and strap while you should be pulling up you’re gun.
Hat Trick
There’s more than one type a hat trick in the sporting world. You can stabilize your binoculars by using what I like to call the hat trick. Just tighten up the brim of your hat and lower it down close to your forehead. Hold your binoculars in a regular grip and extend your fingers around the brim Of your cap. The brim of your hat should stabilize your hands allowing you to hold your binoculars longer.
Use a Rifle Sling
Our grandparents didn’t have no fancy binoculars suspenders they relied on what they had. Most old-timers use a basic rifle sling wrapped around their arms. As tempting as it is by padded sling you’ll have a lot more luck using a basic sling like this cheap Allen Sling. You probably even have one that will work somewhere in your closet. Just hold your binoculars horizontally allowing the sling to fall to the ground. Then insert your hands one at a time through the loop so that your elbows control the tension.
Use a Stick
With humble beginning in Finland, the “finnstick”, is another plausible option. The finnstick will allow you to hold your binoculars at eye level without needing your hands. Just make one out of a forked branch that’s about 2-3 feet long. The fork will hold the center of your binoculars while your hand holds the other end of the stick at waist height. You can further stabilize your binoculars by using a little bit of velcro or duct tape to hold the binoculars.