By Everett Potter

Last year, I wrote a story in Forbes about a pair of binoculars called Nocs , which I described as binoculars for the non-specialist, for the weekend warrior, for the occasional hiker or the beginning birder. Or for the traveler, like me, who needs a small, smartly designed and inexpensive pair of binoculars to toss in their bag and go. They have a cool design and I’ve put them to use in the backwoods of Maine and on the coast of Cape Cod. Their MSP of $89 sealed the deal.

Now Nocs Provisions, the company behind them, has come out with the new Zoom Tube Monocular, which is ultra-light, compact, and rugged, a piece of gear that’s water-resistant and made for exploring the outdoors.

Yes, it’s a monocular, and that’s cool. Binoculars give you a wide angle viewing experience. Monoculars, on the other hand, are better when you need to keep your eyes on the prize. Think birdwatching, especially following a bird in flight. Hikers like me love them because they weigh about half as much as a pair of binoculars …

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