Marc Anthony Outdoors

Here’s a picture that Joe Coombs uses in his website for taxidermy forms. I mounted this head for a customer this year using one of his forms. I really like this form!

Review: Watson Bottomless 26 Bowhunter’s roller bag

Being the scent freak that I am, it was pleasing to find that someone actually thought of making a portable storage unit (if you want to call it that) capable of sealing your clothing from ambient air when traveling, or just storing your hunting garments for the next season. Calling it a storage unit is really not the proper terminology for this handy device because it does much more than just store your hunting clothes. I believe the manufacturer really thought of everything when designing this nifty little device.

The Watson Bottomless 26 is a multi-purpose unit that doubles as roller luggage and an airtight bag. The features are many, which is a by-product of a well refined and well thought out design. This bag was made for the person who wants their hunting clothes to be sealed from outside contaminates that saturate our surroundings and for those of us who are mobile just the same. It’s equipped with rollers and a handle, just like you’ll find in today’s luggage, and a patented Back2Back seal that prevents outside odors from entering. In fact, nearly every section of this bag has this technology. Given the size of this bag, (26″L x 18″H x 15″D) you can fit everything that I can think of and more into it, for the avid bow hunter. It has a separate and sealed lower portion large enough to carry your hunting boots too! There are numerous pockets and even a detachable tree stand field pouch that has enough room for nearly everything I can think of, including game calls, scent elimination products, bow releases, etc. If that wasn’t enough, it also has a changing mat that unfolds while in the field to keep your feet or your body from the elements while you change into your hunting attire.

When I mentioned above about being a well thought out product, I meant every bit of it; right down to the zipper. It was even designed for durability and ease of grip. When the zipper rides the upper echelon of quality, you can bet the rest of the product will parallel as such. The floor panel is reinforced and rugged, and the interior lining can be removed for cleaning. Needless to say, there is a handle and a strap on every side of this bag so transporting it is a breeze, even if you choose not to use the attached wheels.

Aesthetically speaking, it’s a beauty! It comes in Genuine Mossy Oak® Breakup Infinity Camo with an option to choose a pink trim for the ladies, in which a portion of the proceeds will go toward the Pink Arrow Project™.

So, the verdict is in and it’s a thumbs-up! I love this bag! I now have a bag that I can take from trade show to trade show as a scent free piece of luggage (that makes no mistake of identifying you with your love of the sport), in addition to taking it with me into the field.  It’s such a perfect fit with my hunting lifestyle.

On a final note; when a product is well designed, most consumers won’t notice. That’s where the art of a great design shines. It’s when something goes awry that will capture the attention of many. Even though that statement doesn’t seem fair, it’s the hard truth. Negative comments from defective and poor designed products will travel ten times faster than good news ever will.  Because of the fact that the Watson Bottomless 26 is so rugged and well designed, take it from me; don’t expect to hear negative vibes about this little gem! Pricing over the internet runs about $199.00 for the bag. To see more, please visit  http://www.watsonairlock.com/

Here’s a video that my describe the Ghillie suit better!

Review: Redfield Rebel 10X50 binoculars.
 
In days of old, reviewing binoculars was rather painful for me. Trying to test a set of binoculars in low light, rainy and in real hunting conditions always left me wanting more. That’s not the case anymore! Technology has improved and manufacturing costs have stabilized to the point that it’s really difficult trying to find a lousy set of binoculars. Today, most people expect reasonable performance from their binoculars and only pay more when adding features that are more important to their personal needs or desires. Many of those higher scaled features can be found in the Redfield Rebel 10X50 binoculars, without paying the added price!
 
When choosing binoculars, there are two basic designs to choose from; the Roof prism and the Porro prism.  The “Roof prism” and the “Porro prism” designed binoculars differ in construction. Roof prisms are used where compact size is needed and Porro prisms are found on your higher end binoculars. Having said that; it’s not uncommon to find a set of high-end Roof prism binoculars with quality that nearly parallels that of the Porro prism. The Redfield Rebel uses a Roof prism to keep the desired size at bay.
 
When building binoculars, it’s all about the glass when trying to capture light, color and clarity. Redfield, now owned by Leupold, built and designed the lenses and prisms with some of the features you would find in an upper-end set of binoculars. Their lenses are fully multi-coated, which provides true transmission of color and clarity. They also use the BAK4 prism glass that is the cream of the crop for binoculars. BAK4 is usually found in the upper echelon of binoculars. I was quite surprised to see the Rebel using such a superior style of glass! Because they are nitrogen filled, they are fog proof, in addition to being waterproof too.

 
Some specs for the Rebel 10X50 are as follows:
 
Magnification 10X.
 
Field of View: 283.5’ @ 1000yards.
 
Weight: 30 ounces.
 
Exit pupil: 4.6
 
Everything mentioned is the specification sheet is pretty much self-explanatory and easy to understand. I do want to explain what the exit pupil numbers mean, since it’s not an everyday term to most outdoorsmen/women. The magnification and the diameter of the front lens determine the size of the exit pupil. Light transmitted to your eye is determined by the size of the exit pupil. The exit pupil can be calculated on any set of binoculars by dividing the number of the front lens in millimeters, by the magnification of the binoculars. So a 10X50 would be in the 5mm range. Exit pupils are really worthless, until you find yourself in low light conditions. At that point, the human eye increases the size of the pupil, which could become larger than the exit pupil, thus limiting sight. An older person in their 40-50s has a maximum pupil size around 5mm. These are important numbers to look at when purchasing a set of binoculars, especially when taking your personal age into consideration! Younger eyes, in excellent shape are in the 7mm range. Take note! If light is important to you, always match what your eyes are capable of receiving if you can afford it.
 
The body of the Rebel has an armored polycarbonate body for durability, and is well designed, ergonomically speaking. My test binoculars weighed about 29.8 ounces, which is close to what the manufacturer states. They were comfortable to use and easily adjustable. Redfield offers a limited lifetime warranty for as long as you own them.
 
In summary, I was flat out impressed with the quality of these binoculars, especially for the price. My test binoculars were very crisp and the colors remained true, thanks to the BAK4 prism. I had no issues at low light, granted I’m in my 50’s. They are very rugged and offer the same features as many of the higher priced binoculars. My search of the web came up with prices ranging from $119.00 to $139.00. What a deal! A hundred plus dollars and change for an ultra-clear, waterproof, fog proof set of hunting binoculars. I give these a big thumbs-up.
 
As an overview, the only reason anyone would ever want to upgrade to a more expensive set of binoculars would be if they wanted even more light gathering capabilities, a larger exit pupil size or a lighter set altogether. Even though I’m getting picky with these upgrades, they are the very reason manufacturers make them. So buy the Rebel in confidence as I don’t think I’ve come across a better performer for the price!

Here’s a very nice drawing by Jason Gaal, a local Illinois artist. Notice the arrow in the tree stump below and to the right! What do you think?

Another fine example of a well made product!

If you’re interested in buying some new binoculars, check these out!