BINOCULARS

If possible ensure that everyone on a wildlife safari is in possession of a pair of binoculars. If something really special happens sharing a pair can cause an unnecessary stress between the participants.

A high-quality pair of binoculars is one of the most essential items of equipment for viewing wildlife. Your game watching ability will improve tenfold and will enhance your ability to identify animals and observe them from a distance. Don’t be caught without them, you may be surprised when you least expect it.
Good optics do not come cheap, and it is well worth buying a pair that will last you a forever. The top makes are Swarovski, Leica and Ziess, followed by Minolta, Canon, Pentax and Nikon, which have reasonable lenses but may easily get damaged.

Notes on choosing your binoculars: 1. Never buy a pair which is too heavy and large. 2. It is difficult to stabilize yourself when the magnification is excessively powerful. 3. The first number represents the binoculars enlargement capacity. The ideal for the bush is 8x and should never exceed 10x magnification. 4. The second number represents the aperture of the front lens which determines the amount of light that enters the binoculars. The optimum is about 30mm diameter front lens, however for use in poor lighting and at night, you may consider a 50mm width. 5. Make sure that you utilize your lens caps and case when not in use. This prevents moisture and dust from damaging the glass. Only use soft micro-filament cloth to clean your binoculars, regular fabrics are abrasive and will scratch and destroy the finely coated lenses. 6. Insure your binoculars.