This weekend we had the opportunity to go on a trip and test gear from AddNature. 

We travelled to Høllesli viewpoint, a new place we just discovered. And no wonder we hadn’t heard about it before, half a year ago it didn’t exist. The viewpoint is located alongside the Norwegian national road 13, one of the just 18 roads in all of Norway incorporated into the Norwegian scenic routes, a list of roads with particularly good views and unique places along them.

In the backpack we had a pair of Silva Eterna Marine 3 7×50 binoculars from AddNature. We had been looking forward to going on the trip, but were worried that we wouldn’t receive the binoculars in time. Luckily ordering them from AddNature was quick and effortless and just two and a half days later they showed up in our mailbox.

A proper pair of binoculars is something we have been wanting for a long time. When we’re travelling to see wildlife and natural wonders we usually bring a camera for this, but a large telephoto lens has some clear disadvantages. The largest ones can cost more than a used car, and the weight and size is far from practical. A pair of binoculars of equivalent magnification is much smaller, lighter and cheaper. And by having one of each we can both take photos and observe what is happening at the same time.

Something we found particularly useful about these binoculars is that they are waterproof, float and are painted bright yellow. Next summer we are planning on spending a lot of time at sea, and the binoculars are perfect for the marine environment, where they won’t disappear so easily if we drop them overboard. And everyone who has been on a boat knows what kind of unexplainable attraction force the ocean has on everything you don’t want to lose…

Lysefjorden has a lot to offer, and every place along the fjord we visit there’s something new to see. The Pulpit Rock and Kjerag are just two of very many sights in the area.

From Høllesli one can see both in towards the end of the fjord and out towards Stavanger. Many times we have seen something in the distance and wondered what it was. With the binoculars we no longer had to wonder, and got to see many details of Lysefjorden that we’ve never noticed before. One of these things were some spectacular looking buildings that turned out to be cabins that can be rented. Now we know where to go on a hike in the future, as these cabins looked very intriguing. On an island in the fjord we also saw a lighthouse, something we hadn’t expected to see so far from the open ocean.

Through the binoculars we had a crystal clear view and were really impressed by the sharpness of the binoculars. With their large front elements we were also able to see details in low light situations.

After having enjoyed the view and tested the binoculars it was time to return home. On the way we stopped at Rogaland’s own sun mirror, shaped like a pointy pyramid surrounded by rocks, almost like Stonehenge. It is possible to view this sun mirror from ashore, but since it is located on a separate island you need a boat to get up close – or have a pair of binoculars. It turned out that the magnification of the binoculars was perfect to view the sun mirror and we got a completely different experience when viewing it up close.

Down by the waterline we were also able to watch seabirds floating around in the ocean. 

Why it has taken us so much time to get a pair of binoculars is something we’re still asking ourselves. We may have thought that since we have a camera with a telephoto lens it wouldn’t be necessary to have binocular as well, but the lighter and smaller size as well as the ability for both of us to observe the surroundings at the same time has shown us that the binoculars have truly been a useful addition to our travel gear. And one huge benefit over the camera: The binoculars don’t need batteries to work, something that comes in handy when hiking in the mountains.

AddNature has sponsored the equipment, but we have chosen the specific product ourselves and were free to write the article they way we wanted.

AddNature now has an upgraded model of the binoculars in store, the Silva Eterna Navigator 3 7×50, which has a built in compass.