Get some good 8x power or so binoculars. Quality binoculars do not give your headaches when looking through them. Also quality bincoulars don't have the coke bottleness to them at the edge lenses.
Above 8x, almost any binocular could give you a headache. you unsteadiness will make you dizzy after awhile.
Bird watchers are true experts on bincoulars, I used their opinion on various forums to determine what I purchased and was very glad I did.
IF on a budget pick up a used pair of Nikon action EX 7x35, or 7x35 Nikon naturalist II to IV binoculars. Definitely poro prisms. The ones where the binos make 2 right angle bends out. Straight bore binoculars are a real feat of science. From memory, they call them roof prism It takes some spectacular optics to make those straight through ones match the quality of poro prism type binos.
High power is to count horns. 7 or 8x is to locate things with a decent blend of speed and accuracy. Also, the wider field of view of lower power gives you more time to notice things moving. Will will notice movement of a different colored object than the color itself. Lower power just gives you that extra second to notice it.
Cabelas Alaskan frame pack is a really good one. Atleast the one I bought in 2010 is.
Scent concealment. I air out my clothes to slim down the scent. Try not to get too sweaty. The layers work great here. Peel a layer when climbing up a hill. Put a layer back on walking on flat ground or sitting.
Scent comes from three main sources likely in this order. Your skin, your breath, and to a lesser extent unnatural things you bring in.
I use the odor neutralizer body wash and primos deodorant. I even put a touch of deodorant on the heel of my feet.
A good source of scent comes from the sweat / oil on your head and hands. Wash them when you can.
If you have to reuse outter layers, let them air out over night. Atleast replace under layers. I use a boot dryer every night. Mine has both a small blower and or heating element. No need to over cook them, just enough to remove sweat and some scent.
Before hunting, I do wash my clothes in hunter's wash or as little regular detergent as needed. Regular detergent has UV brighteners. Alteast use the cheap washing detergent if no hunter's stuff is available. Good stuff like tide has UV brighteners.
Wash your hunting sock and undies separately. Otherwise, your just mixing in smell. I rinse out my hunting socks and lightly handwash them in a touch of soap before putting in the wash to get rid of the smell mixing.
I put my hunting clothes in a clear plastic bag after it's washed and dried. Putting some fresh pine branches in there may not hurt.
When possible, brush your teeth after eating. Then brush your teeth a bit with just water to get rid of the toothbrush smell. This bit has made me significantly more scent free far as whitetail bow hunting is concerned.
If your feet hurt, put fresh socks on. It helps a lot.
Larry
