There are a lot of good sets of compact, lightweight binoculars and monoculars on the market. Think of a monocular as being half of a set of binoculars. There is only one eyepiece, so they tend to be about half the weight and size of binoculars.

Compact monoculars will generally have a magnification of anywhere from 5X to 10X. The REI monocular I chose features 8X magnification. It also has a rubber coating to protect it from shocks. At 3 ounces and costing only $40, it’s a very good deal.

A higher end model is made by Carl Zeiss. They’re 10X25 Design Selections monocular features 10X magnification and weighs just 3.1 ounces. The downside is their cost: $239. I’m also not sure if they’re shockproof. Taking a fragile $240 monocular into the wilderness might not be the best idea.

There are literally dozens of other choices out there, so try them out and decide which one is best for you.