On the surface, glassing a clearcut or a distant ridgeline seems simple enough. You grab your optics, go into the woods, and look for things, right? In fact, it's an extension of what you do every day. When you're at the supermarket, you're looking for soup. On the drive home, you're looking for hazards around the road. At the park, you're looking for your wild kid. But what seems like a simple task on the surface can often be frustrating, especially when you're cold, tired, or wet.

Luckily, we know a thing or two about optics that will make your next glassing session more comfortable and more effective. From picking the right tools for the right job to picking apart the next draw, here are a couple key things to consider.

There are a couple of factors that go into choosing the right magnification. Your environment is the first thing to consider. If you're going to be in thicker vegetation, a lower power bino or spotter is probably your best bet. They will be lighter, more compact, and easier to carry. If you're not glassing past 400-500 yards, you can probably leave the 12-powers on the shelf.

Field-of-view will be your second consideration. A lower magnification generally provides a wider field-of-view. When you're glassing through broken timber, being able to see more real estate at once might mean the difference between spotting that cagey whitetail working your peripheral or missing him. And the same, of course, can be said for spotters. The more you crank up your magnification, the easier it will be to lose your spot on the ridge. The bottom line; resist the temptation to buy more magnification than you need.

It's easy to only pay attention to the center of an image when you're checking out a new binocular or spotting scope in the store. But is that really how you'll be using them in the field? Efficient glassing requires you to look at the entire image. Quality optics will have a clear image all of the way to the edge of the glass. If your glass isn't as clear on the edges, you'll experience more eye fatigue. Prolonged eye fatigue can lead to headaches and even nausea. What seems like a minor issue in the store can lead to serious consequences in the field.

Lifetime warranties are great. We should know; we invented them 70+ years ago. But the reason we've been able to sustain our business for so long is that we know you probably won't have to use our Lifetime Guarantee. We know that a promise to replace a product won't do you any good when you're eight miles deep in the backcountry. That's why we build our optics right the first time and then guarantee them for a lifetime of performance - plain and simple.