I've been on a number of overnight kayak trips of several days to a week
through good wildife habitat and finally found a good way to protect yet
keep very handy your binocs while kayaking. It's a 14x12 inch map case made
for kayakers of durable, water repellant Cordura by Sitka Outdoor Gear in
Redmond, WA (ph. 425-702-0230). The case has a clear plastic outer cover to
put navigating maps within for easy viewing as you kayak. Beneath this cover
is a large zippered pouch, all of which can be mounted handily and securely
within easy reach right in front of your kayak cockpit with included velcro
straps, which you can then secure to bungee cords on the deck just in front
of the kayak cockpit. The case lets you to kayak along and then pause and
quickly take out your binocs whenever want to check birds, so you don't need
to wear your binocs and can avoid saltwater splashing, etc. It also has
velcro straps that you can use to quickly secure your kayak paddle whenever
you need both hands in using the binocs (or camera). I happened upon it at
one of the annual Port Townsend kayak symposia a few years ago and have used
it every year since with no problems, and highly recommend it as a handy
kayak deck kit for keeping binocs, camera, water bottle, sunscreen, etc., in
handy reach while kayaking.

Bruce Moorhead
Port Angeles, WA
bruceb at olypen.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob Saecker" <rsaecker at thurston.com>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2005 2:29 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] a question for kayakers


> Only 18 months after starting constuction, my wife and I put our new
> kayaks in the waer for the first time yesterday. Nothing of note to
> report, birdwise; but my question is, what do you do with your binoculars
> while you kayak? I tried putting mine in my raincoat, but they got so
> fogged that they weren't any use. Keeping them outside the coat meant they
> got saltwater splashed. Suggestons?
> --
> Rob Saecker
> rsaecker at thurston.com
>
>