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Thanks for this, I heard joel talk about this at the traditional archery expo in pendleton oregon this last year, but I wanted a refresher.

What is such a comprehensive binocular review without *the Swarovski 10x42 NL Pure binocular, the best binocular in the world by a huge margin* not only for the 10x42 binoculars?

I run an apple, but the battery life is pathetic.

Just picked up one for 900 dollars, had the x pro solar

Kowa 55 has the focus knobs hanging out, ATC has the goofy foot on the bottom

I think your should also include the kowa 553 in your comparison to the razor/swaro/55a, to see if the 553 is still relevant when compared to the razor and how much of an upgrade the 55a is.

I went thru this last year and even found the 553 on dvor for $1200, but ended up going with a 1st gen baby razor. I goes to the range more than my 85mm because it fits in my range bag.

Yeap. In the market for a compact spotter... Can't wait for this one. I share the sentiment with swaro. They're just really nice in the hand somehow. Nice to use. That's a major point. Esp with the Kowa costing nearly as much. If you fork out over 2k does it matter if it's 2200 or 2400? Not really.

I have the 553 and love it, except for the eye relief. I think Kowa REALLY missed an opportunity with this new model when they didn't make this eyepiece detachable and compliant with their other prominar series scopes. I'm sure it's a technical issue of some kind, but a lost opportunity in my opinion

Awesome stuff man,interested to see how they all shake out comparatively

Put a cover on it and it wont be so ugly lol. Nice early look

I’ve had the privilege of looking thru the Kowa TSN 88a. It is simply a brilliant optic. However I cannot get over the aesthetic of the new 55…….it shouldn’t matter but that is one of uglier spotting scope I have ever seen.

Solid initial info. I appreciate ya and what you’re creating here. Keep rockin!

Great review. Commenting for the algorithm!

Meindl Taiga MFS I have found to be fantastic year round boots. Great for long range treks, climbing steep inclines, though wet areas as well as harsh jagged rocky terrain. Can't recommend enough.

Thats cool that the cool that the company reached out to you and had a phone call conversation about the new glass that they have come out with. Awesome review man keep up the good work!

You give some of the best reviews that I have listened to or read! I, like many of us, greatly appreciate the time you take to create such great content and the way you can get us to think about our gear! Have you used the Nitecore with a rating of -40C/F?

I watch his channel too. I’m Curious how well his mule deer online class works in BC.

Awesome podcast! Learned a ton...Tom is a wealth of knowledge!

Great podcast man Tom's a killer!! 👌

Awesome review! Just a bit of info, the Fenix and Epix are exactly the same watch excerpt the Epix is an amolde screen in contrast to the Fenix’s MIP. There are very few differences between each: Fenix has better battery life, Epix has a red shift mode which turns the whole display red, green or orange for low light visibility comfort. The Fenix 8 is rumored to combine the Fenix and the Epix lines ( again since they’re the same watch just different displays) and the Fenix will get Amoled as standard while it will also have an option for MIP. Hope that helps anyone with questions about the Fenix and Epix!

A very good review. Thank you.

Great review, as always. Keep up the great work!

Damn.

Join Mindful-Reviews......for food recommendations that every backcountry hunter needs! Jay is going to be packing ingredients for lobster rolls on his Fall hunts this year! I wonder if you can get dehydrated lobster roll mix? LOL

Great review Jay, was actually contemplating buying this one. My Fenix 6x stb and won't charge, have had to buy an extra charging cord and even now won't charge. Garmin customer service sucks to reach, waited 90 min last week on hold and just hung up. Same goes for my mini inreach, won't charge anymore.

Lobster Rolls are the bomb!

Best review ive seen so far. The tunnel tent is no option for me. This mad this perfect clear! Thanks!

Great review! There are so many features Garmin displays on the website, some hunting specific ones such as hunt map, apparently there is an archery feature as well? Are they worth something?

Thank you for your review. While I respect your personal opinion, I have a different experience with the watch. As someone who plays tennis 3-4 times a week and engages in various other exercises, my Fenix watch's battery lasts about 25 days. Perhaps your outdoor activities are particularly long, which might explain the discrepancy. If you were to perform the same activities with a Samsung Watch or an Apple Watch, their batteries might not even last a full day.

Job well done Cody! Would love to see an Elk hunt!

Spot on review jay. I’m 6 weeks in on my epix pro 2 and do love it. No regrets so far though

Good to know that the ascent has cordura, i rip all my pants where i go besides the sitka, now i understand

Ready to see this one. You’ve been grinding for one.

Latest info from a few days ago is that Fenix 8 may come out early Sept. likely will consolidate the Epix and fenix models under the fenix product name. I’ll likely hold off till the new model comes out. I did find a couple of apps that provide data fields including METs, intended for rucking. If a new software release comes with the 8, maybe it’ll include a rucking activity where you can specify the weight. Great review Jay, as always….i was waiting for this one and coupled with news that the 8 may be only a few months off, has convinced me to hold off on purchasing for a while!

Assassinos.

Awesome review man, definitely a sweet lookin watch, i think garmin would be much better off refurbishing their user interface for sure, but do seem to make durable products could be wats keeping them alive lol

The white version is now only £500 in the UK

I personally use the Coros Apex2. the battery life is stupid good. can get 2 full days of gps tracking easy out of it. absolutely love it, but I like my stuff stupid simple so doesn’t have some of the features that the garmin has.

Spitting out truths. Another great brake down giving room for personal thought before purchase. 💪🏻

Want to trade a Montana 750i for your 66i I'm not sure of each of values $ for a straight across trade ,,,,to be determined

I bought a Fenix 3 HR ( i think that's the model) used a few years ago as a back up to my On X app/ Phone while hunting, and also carry the Garmin In reach Mini for messaging. . I like the watch, but the one thing that stood out as an issue was the brightness (lack of brightness) of the display. I'm guessing the newer ones are better in that area. I don't think I could justify the new cost over 1k, but finding a used one for 3-4 hundred in an older model isn't a bad idea in my opinion. For the weight, it provides a back up nav tool along with a lot of other functions like barometer readings, altitude, compass, sleep monitoring, Heart rate monitor, ability to pair with phone for notifications, etc... I dont think the watch is a great method to use for Nav, BUT....it at least could be used to mark the truck and camp and any other key waypoints. In the event you NEED to get back and the phone is dead....it gives ya a back up method bare minimum. With that said....i still carry a compass "Just in case". I think your review is spot on based on my experience with an older model. I had/have a similar opinion of it and its uses and applications.

Absolutely agree with this review. I have a Fenix 6, and the only tracking I end up finding useful without killing the battery is the Sleep and Running/HIIT. Everything else is frustrating compared to Apple. Even the step counter doesn’t show distance when the Apple Watch will show steps and step calibrated distance.

Also, 2 notes on battery life. That 28 day estimate is based on 50k lux hours of solar. Which I have found to be attainable if youre outside for a few hours a day. On days where its cloudy or I'm not outside much, its not even close. Also, I have my pulse oximeter turned off except for when I'm sleeping. I don't personally see a huge advantage for myself in continuously measuring blood oxygen while awake. That makes a HUGE difference in battery life. I do 5-6 activities a week, varying from 1-3 hours and still easily get 15-20 days of battery life on average with a full charge. If you want longer life, I'd consider tinkering with your sensor settings and deciding what is important to you, if you haven't already!

I have the 6x and an Apple Watch. 100% agree with everything you said. It’s unfortunate the Apple needs to be charged every night in the field, requires use of its very own power bank. I mainly use the Fenix to note my altitude at this point.

From what i understand, the Epix and the Fenix are nearly identical as far as functionality. The biggest difference is the screen, with the Epix having an Amoled display, much like a Galaxy or Apple watch.

Guess its my age (55) and the fact Im Airborne Infantry, having all that on my wrist is one thing but when it shits the bed, (and it will shit the bed- Murphys law) you need a back up and knowing how to read a map and understand how to track your movement via old school techniques outweigh spending 1500 bucks. I use OnX and own an iWatch but I use them on a daily. But to buy a watch for my yearly trip out west to Elk hunt and during my 4 months of whitetail hunting back home in PA is not justified. Old school maps, a compass and a few days learning how to read that map is probably better money spent!

In America this watch is $1,000 and it still seems pretty steep. I've been trying to justify buying it for about a year. I think I'll wait till next spring thanks to your review. I was going to get it before hunting season this year but it doesn't seem necessary for me. Just a badass watch ⌚️

Great Review! Maybe it would be useful for rifle hunting if it had ballistic capability/ wind data widget on face. With an inreach mini 2 and onx on iphone 15 and old iphone as a back up, a watch like this wouldn't make sense. Maybe the solar instinct model just as a timepiece.

I hate that I love these