Outdoor edge razor pro or lite. Replacable blades .
Lite is without the gutting bade. break a buff down with one blade. Requires some effort to keep clean
Top Pro and bottom piranta, mouse sharpener
Pelican 1750 Secure, plenty of room well padded, wheels, lockable and easy to wheel around. Yes pricey but look at how much $ worth gear you are putting in the trust of the airlines. Watched mine fall of cargo trolley at airport once. On the way home thankfully.
Done about 5 trips to NZ few to Vic so paid for itself.
Customs also like how its layed out.
Glenn, I was in the same boat. Swaro is exceptional but we found carting it around in NZ was hard work Great from camp, to spot tahr then decide on how to get there.
Ive gone with a vortex razor 16-48x65, optics are good Compared them too the Zeiss gavia and swaro 85mm . Significant weight reduction. Optics wise still good glass. Huge difference in price!
Swaro did a magnesium model that hunters like but have discontinued...............
When coved is over might get to use it in NZ.
Watto on the swaro's
above camp 850m away
pulled up
Had the conversation a couple of weeks back. Told the guys that we're hunting with me that they are not necessary here. Agreed that they were carrying extra weight for nothing by about 14:00.
Used to carry them when I was guiding.
Go with quality glass up to 10x42's. if you go to the 10x50's you will find they are very hard to hold still. And really require a stand, to get the best performance out of them.
Ive gone with the other option of Leicas in 10x42 with rangefinder option and the use of a spotting scope. For long range trophy identification. Saves a lot of leg work in NZ.
Went with the lighter option Vortex razor 18-48x65 , so still light enough to be portable with a tripod.
Even the 10x42's are hard to hold steady after a climb or rushed usage.
On the range finding side of things , after using seperate range finders of smaller magnification. the time lost refinding and ranging the target is inconvenient and I've lost shot opportunities with the time taken to locate animals. The option of instant range at the push of a button whilst viewing thru bino's is worth the extra coin.
I had a pair of stoney creek rusa grewakes. Got great use out of them . Really liked them for everything except, the squeak they made.Every step they would squeak and it near drove me mad. Tried the X8's on in Balingers in Nz, liked them immediately and the following two trips to Nz have had great performance out of them. Bought a couple of pairs of woollen socks recommended by the assistant and have had warm feet pretty much ever since.
Ive had more trouble with trying to keep my feet warm around camp. Hoping the sorels ae the answer.
Lowa Z 8's and decent socks are what I'm using after several other name brands. Light comfortable, quiet . As for water proof , In NZ your going to get wet feet. Waterproof only until the water goes over the top.
Im using seal skin waterproof socks as well.
Second pair around camp , Sorel caribous.