Advice on binoculars and flashlight?

My Treo smartphone works in Europe and many times I've used its LED screen as a flashlight for finding a keyhole or even finding my way down a dark corridor. It's not as good as a flashlight, of course, but it's pretty good and always with me. So if you're taking a cell phone anyway, it's screen might work fine as a flashlight in a pinch.

I always carry a small flashlight with me when I travel...LED, palm size. I've been caught in a couple of hotels when the lights went out. Good to have. Weigh a few ounces. (You don't need a massive flashlight. Think AAA or AA batteries over C or D's.) Walmart and Target have good choices for just a few bucks. No need to spend a lot. I'd stay away from the ones that you need to constantly press to stay on.

I don't carry binoculars to Europe. If your digital camera has a "zoom" feature, it might work as well.

There is a tiny flashlight for a keychain. It works by pinching it. The light is considerable and the flashlight weighs less than an ounce. Binoculars are heavier, but are very useful if you visit many cathedrals. They are great for looking at distant or high-up features. I don't think I would carry binoculars for the CT.

We always travel with both items. We have a "theater" type FL and binoculars/opera glasses by Nikon that are very light and fairly small.

On my last trip I took one of those tiny LED keychain lights that another poster suggested. When I woke up feeling ill in the middle of the night, I was able to find my medicine bottle without turning on the lights and disturbing my roommate. It weighs nothing, so I'd take it.

I did not take binoculars last time, and I didn't really miss them (the camera trick works too). I will be taking a small pair on my next trip for my dad. If you plan to 'climb high'--we're climbing St. Peter's in Rome as well as the Duomo in Florence and a tower in Orvieto, the field glasses could well be worth it, especially if you have a lightweight pair.

So I'd say flashlight definitely, binoculars only if you have a lightweight pair and the space.

Thanks so much. I was leaning towards taking neither items, but there are some VERY good pts. mentioned, especially middle-of-the-night stuff in an unfamiliar place. We probably will be climbing some of those towers too. Thanks again - really appreciate it.

I have taken neither, but really wished I'd had a pair of small binoculars on my last few trips, there is alot to miss without them. I would use them outdoors( really look at carvings ete high up on buildings), but also inside ( ceilings etc) ,, great cathederals etc.

My son has a pair that are small and lightweight, not great for serious use, but I think would be great for casual use. Only cost about 40 dollars.

Bathroom visits, I leave light on and shut door, I can always find my way there but the crack of light that seeps through bottom of door.

I used my flashlight several times (tiny one with the photon battery--1"x1/2"x3/8"). It came with a split ring, so I hooked it on the outside of my bag/purse for easy access in the dark. I didn't bring binoculars, but yes there are several times I thought I should have brought them, but I decided I didn't want to carry them with me all day.

I bought a pair of Nikon 8-24x25 zoom binocs about 8-9 years ago. They weigh 400 gm (I guess just under 1 lb) and are worth it. I have used them for everything from nature-watching to cathedral ceilings to stage plays and I would never ever travel without them. They are much stronger than my 300 zoom camera lens and I don't have to peer thru the viewfinder.

There are some really good small (about the size of your pinky) LED flashlights available. For about $20 you can get one that is very bright and lasts a long time on one AA battery. Shop for brightness and battery life rather than just getting the cheapest one on the shelf that's small. I've seen good small flashlights recently at Costco and Target.

Instead of binoculars, shop for a monocular at binoculars.com. For under $20, many around $10, you can get a decent powered monocular that will allow you to check out detail from a distance and still be smaller than pocket size. I would go with at least 10 power. I'm not an expert but 10x25 would mean that it magnifies 10 times and has a field of view of 25 feet at 1000 feet(?). Essentially the bigger the first number the higher the magnification, the higher the second number the wider the field of view.

Louise,

I'd definitely recommend a small Flashlight, preferably an LED model so there are no worries about bulb replacement. I've always packed along either a Mini-Mag or Pelican LED Flashlight, and it's proven useful on several occasions.

I've taken Binoculars along on past trips, but may leave them behind as I've found they haven't been taken out of the pack once. If I need to get a "closer view" of something, I just use the zoom on my Camera. Leaving the Binoculars at home would lighten the pack a bit.

Happy travels!

Ditto on the small LED flashlight - they are cheap and effective. The only time I'd wished I had binoculars was in the Sistine Chapel. Actually, what would have been a better substitute is a small, non breakable mirror, so you don't get your neck all messed up staring at the ceiling. Have a great trip!

CL, I tried the mirror trick after someone at a RS class suggested it. I don't know if it was my mirror or just the way I was using it, but I didn't really care for it. Yes, you could see the ceiling without straining your neck, but everything showed up out of proportion and it was difficult to tell what you were looking at. I just didn't like it. I ended up getting lucky and getting a seat on one of the benches, leaning back against the wall and simply looking up!

We have always taken a very small, but good quality monocular with us. It allows us to see the stories in stained glass and querky decorations on the front of houses. In many places we have offered a peek to travelers trying to see with their telephoto cameras - we always get lots of thanks (in many languages) and smiles. Both the enhanced views and warm interactions make the few ounces well worth the weight. The only place we even considered taking full size binocs was Alaska - that was worth it for the wildlife & bergs.