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Step 1
Determine your budget for purchasing a set of binoculars. This will help narrow your selection pool and allow you to select the best set of binoculars in your price range. Binoculars range from inexpensive to very expensive. Expect the quality of the binoculars to go up with the price.
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Step 2
Choose the kind of birdwatching you will want to do and select a set of binoculars that best fit that situation. Walking through a highly wooded area where the birds will most likely be in the branches above you may not require a powerful set of binoculars. Searching for birds across fields and valleys will probably require a set of binoculars with a very long range.
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Step 3
Figure out the terrain you will be trekking through and note any environmental concerns. Ten days in the rainforest may do quite a bit of damage to a cheaper set of binoculars that are not waterproof or fogproof--not to mention they may not be usable. But those same binoculars may work fine on a local hiking trail.
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Step 4
Consider the weight and size of the binoculars. A full day's hike with a large set of binoculars may not seem worth it at the end of the day. Also consider the construction of the binoculars. A more rugged set can take a beating if you plan to really hit the trail.
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Step 5
Add day or night viewing to your binocular selection criteria. Some binoculars work better in low-light situations by letting more ambient light through the lens. This is perfect for trying to track down birds that may never step out into the daylight.
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Step 6
Note the eye relief in a set of binoculars. Eye relief is the distance between your eyes and the eyepiece. A longer eye relief puts less strain on your eyes. Select a set of binoculars with long eye relief if you wear glasses.
