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Backup travel 8x recommendations? (1 Viewer)

R

Rye_a

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Another thread that I started led me to post this, but I’m off to Belize and Guatemala in about a month and am trying to decide what to do about binoculars. Some (not all) have recommended that I leave my high-end glass at home to avoid the risk and heartbreak of theft or robbery. My other binoculars are also 10x, so a 10x for this setting would be preferable. I get great deals on Bushnell and Vortex, so tend to lean that way.
 
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Depending on where you are going in Belize, I wouldn't worry at all about theft. We were there 8 years ago and spent most of our time in the West in the mountains and really hardly saw any people besides fellow hotel guests, tour guides, and Mennonites.

If you're staying in Belize City, i would worry, but then I'd also ask why are you staying in Belize City. Ha.

Edit, to try and give some input to your question;

Really not super familiar with either Bushnell or Vortex's lineup, even despite having a legend m, all I can give is general advice. Make sure it is waterproof/purged. Even without rain it is so thickly humid in the jungles there. I know you mentioned 10x, but I think that's a mistake. There was only one occasion where we could see for more than a few hundred yards and that was when we climbed up onto an old ruin that broke through the canopy. Even then, atmospheric conditions with all the humidity made it very hazy. It is also very dim beneath the canopy so a bigger pupil diameter would be nice.

In general, something 7 or 8x, 400'+ fov, waterproof, 30-35mm min, and lightweight is what I'd want if we went back.
 
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My general recommendation is to take your high-end glass whenever you want to have a chance of seeing things well. For me, that is everywhere, including international destinations. Last summer, my teenage kids and I did some (mostly) low-budget travel around Guatemala. I used my Zeiss 8x32 FL. I wouldn't have wanted anything less capable.

Travelers almost always carry lots of things of value to thieves (and in a poor country, what _isn't_ valuable?), so I don't see how carrying e.g. Leica versus Vortex binoculars makes any difference when it comes to theft risk. Don't leave your valuables where they can be stolen by other travelers. If you are concerned about loss, don't bring a beloved out-of-production model that can't be replaced, and get insurance--it doesn't cost much (certainly much less than a back-up bin of any utility!) and is a good idea for valuables, regardless of whether you travel!

--AP
 
Generic neck straps and cases also make it much less obvious what equipment you're using.

Ed
 
Although I agree that your bins are probably safe as long as you don't leave them in the car visible or walk around in the city with them, I thought I'd actually answer your question.

Celestron Trailseeker 10x42

I don't have fancy binoculars yet and I used these in Costa Rica with no problems.
 
Zeiss Terra 10x42. I compared them recently to a pair of Nikon Monarch 7 and the Zeiss were slightly better overall to my eyes. They are fairly light and easy to focus. You might also look at Pentax models.
 
b3rd said:
Although I agree that your bins are probably safe as long as you don't leave them in the car visible or walk around in the city with them, I thought I'd actually answer your question.

Celestron Trailseeker 10x42

I don't have fancy binoculars yet and I used these in Costa Rica with no problems.
Click to expand...

I think the Trailseeker is an excellent optic at it's pricepoint. :t:
 
Rye_a said:
Another thread that I started led me to post this, but I’m off to Belize and Guatemala in about a month and am trying to decide what to do about binoculars. Some (not all) have recommended that I leave my high-end glass at home to avoid the risk and heartbreak of theft or robbery. My other binoculars are also 10x, so a 10x for this setting would be preferable. I get great deals on Bushnell and Vortex, so tend to lean that way.
Click to expand...

Take the best optics you have and get travel insurance. Someone I know just racked up two hospital stays, several doctors, multiple CT scans, blood, EKG tests for a probable stroke. Where? Spain. Cost...all covered by a < $200 plan that covers a lot more than medical. A bin would normally be covered under BAGGAGE. Ckeck the policy and get the insurance. And...hang on to your optics at all times!
Have fun.
 
I think that is great advice. These great trips don't always happen everyday and to have favored binoculars insures great memories.
 
Pileatus said:
Take the best optics you have and get travel insurance. Someone I know just racked up two hospital stays, several doctors, multiple CT scans, blood, EKG tests for a probable stroke. Where? Spain. Cost...all covered by a < $200 plan that covers a lot more than medical. A bin would normally be covered under BAGGAGE. Ckeck the policy and get the insurance. And...hang on to your optics at all times!
Have fun.
Click to expand...

Hi,

while I agree that proper health insurance is a must - at home and abroad, I'm not quite sure if it's actually possible to easily get high value optics properly insured when traveling abroad - it usually is excluded or has stipulations like it must be in a safe all the time (which sometimes is not quite possible at a jungle camp or lodge).
And if you find a specialized company for film teams and the like which will do that regardless, the price tag might well be shocking.

Plus of course the joys of sitting long hours at some foreign police station trying to get the necessary paperwork done because that is mandatory for an insurance claim...

All just because a pair of bins was nicked - I prefer to take midline bins which tend to attract less attention in the first place and are easier to shrug off when the stay at the police station gets too long...

PS: does anybody have first hand experience claiming for a stolen piece of optics from insurance - what did you need to provide and what kind of insurance was it - regular travel insurance or a special one?

Joachim
 
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jring said:
Hi,

while I agree that proper health insurance is a must - at home and abroad, I'm not quite sure if it's actually possible to easily get high value optics properly insured when traveling abroad - it usually is excluded or has stipulations like it must be in a safe all the time (which sometimes is not quite possible at a jungle camp or lodge).
And if you find a specialized company for film teams and the like which will do that regardless, the price tag might well be shocking.

Plus of course the joys of sitting long hours at some foreign police station trying to get the necessary paperwork done because that is mandatory for an insurance claim...

All just because a pair of bins was nicked - I prefer to take midline bins which tend to attract less attention in the first place and are easier to shrug off when the stay at the police station gets too long...

PS: does anybody have first hand experience claiming for a stolen piece of optics from insurance - what did you need to provide and what kind of insurance was it - regular travel insurance or a special one?

Joachim
Click to expand...

I have a personal articles policy as an add-on to my homeowner's policy. It used to be an add-on to my renter's insurance. Before that, it was an add-on to my dad's home owner's policy. It costs, annually, about 1% of the declared value of the listed items. I am covered for the declared value for loss, theft, damage etc with no deductible, whether at home or abroad. I've never had to use it for theft, but I have used it once for loss and once for catastrophic damage (leading to failed repair and eventual replacement) that occurred while traveling. Better to pay for a solution to one's immediate problem out of pocket while traveling, then deal with claims later when back home. Little paperwork is necessary because I don't have to prove it is stolen because I could just declare it lost or destroyed.

--AP
 
Hi,

in principle we have the same over here... your normal property coverage which pays for damage and loss by burglary or robbery from your home should in principle also cover your belongings on vacation... unfortunately in reality this seldom applies...

- your stuff got stolen from a locked car - bang - no more valuables included, other stuff only up to 1000€

- your optics vanished from a hotel room but no signs of burglary - too bad, only burglary is included...

- you got robbed while having your Swaro on your neck - gross negligence waving around valuables...

Then there's luggage insurance which you can either buy for cheap or is even included in your credit card for free... valuables usually not included or tightly capped - also lots of fine print to tell you why they don't pay.

Or you can get pro insurance for potographers or film crews which actually pays. One person in a german optics forum was quoted ca. 50% of the new price of his birding optics - for one year. It would probably have been a less shocking percentage if he had tried to insure 100k or a million worth of optics though...

PS: congratulations to you for your old and generous contract - hold on to it well...

Joachim
 
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This is purely an individuals choice. I would take a mid range optic, light, good FOV, reliable and less than 900 bucks, a Nikon MHG in either 8 or 10X.

Andy W.
 
jring said:
...in principle we have the same over here... your normal property coverage which pays for damage and loss by burglary or robbery from your home should in principle also cover your belongings on vacation... unfortunately in reality this seldom applies...
PS: congratulations to you for your old and generous contract - hold on to it well...
Click to expand...

To clarify, the coverage I have _isn't_ the regular property coverage that comes with renter's or home owners insurance, it is an add-on policy for specific listed items. Also, my contract isn't old or generous. I've changed insurance companies and policies several times over the history of having such coverage. What I have is fairly standard from any of the best insurance providers.

--AP
 
I have mulled over similar issues quite a bit, as one of the places I'd really like to return to with binoculars is somewhere I would not want to take anything really valuable or difficult to replace. Something like a Jenoptem would probably be fine there (I wish I hadn't sold the 8x30W I used to own), but probably not for a rainforest location.

I can't offer any info re Belize or Guatemala specifically, but if you are going to be staying at a lodge or hiring a reputable guide, you should be able to get the very best local advice re optics choice and security. If doing it DIY style I'd hunt around the reports section and attempt to get in contact with those who have been.
 
Car got broken into at the Safeway at San Francisco near the pier. Travel insurance covered the laptop (only up to $500) Zeiss Victory 8x20 (full amountof $700) and other bits and pieces.
 
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