NATURE & YOU
Buying binoculars as a Christmas gift?
All’s fair in love and war.
There’s nothing absolutely unethical about dropping a hint here and there. What with Christmas being right around the corner, Santa (or Mrs. Claus) is going to be at loose ends as to what sort of Christmas joy would be sure to warm the cockles of your heart.
Allow the audacious side of your personality to shine through. Snip this article out of this newspaper page and attach it to the refrigerator front with a couple of those handy-dandy refrigerator magnets. Feign ignorance if anyone accuses you of deliberately pandering for a holiday gift of your choice.
Let’s talk binoculars. They make for a great Christmas gift. Unfortunately, binoculars come in all shapes and sizes; the purchaser will most surely be at their wits end to make heads and tails out of what’s what.
As a general rule of thumb, you can’t go wrong with those binoculars that are designated 7x35 or 8x40. You’ll surely be disappointed if you buy binoculars that have a lower number on the front end of that above-mentioned numerical formula. The same goes for a number greater than the number that I included at the end of that depiction.
Next, let’s discuss price. I’d caution you not to be a cheapskate. Inexpensive binoculars are just too prone to failure. It is possible to purchase binoculars at a reasonable price. Just as easily, you can darn near mortgage the farm for money sufficient to buy the high-end models; that can wait until later, when you get really serious about your hobbies.
One last word of advice from me to you is for your gift-giver to invest in a decent neck harness for the binoculars. The flimsy little strap that comes with your binoculars is a surefire prescription for lots of pain and suffering. A chest/shoulder web harness is a wise choice for a replacement for the austere neck strap.
Hint! Hint! Mr. and/or Mrs. Claus need only to get busy now and get that special Christmas gift tucked up underneath the holiday tree.
— Neil Garrison, NewsOK Contributor
Neil Garrison was the longtime naturalist at a central Oklahoma nature center.