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The New Breed
In Backcountry Glassing

Introducing the Kestrel Monopod - Patent Pending

The Kestrel™ Glassing System was born of the desire to cut weight and pack volume on backcountry hunting trips. While planning an archery elk hunt in the summer of 2018, I was budgeting pack weight and making hard decisions about what gear to bring and what to leave behind. When I looked at my tripod, I kept thinking that there had to be a lighter, more space efficient way to effectively glass on long pack trips.

I set myself to the goal of designing a lightweight, compact system that could replace a tripod for backcountry hunting. After more than ten revisions and countless hours of field testing, I hope you will enjoy using the Kestrel™ Glassing system as much as I do!

Jon Lucas
LIGHTWEIGHT (ONLY 6 OZ)
EXTREMELY PACKABLE
FITS MOST BINOCULARS

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Glassing &
Shooting

Packable:

  • Lightweight: (under 6oz)
  • Folds down to a highly stow-able form factor

Compact and light enough to be packed in addition to a tripod, for hunts where you want to dedicate a tripod to a spotting scope and still have a method to stabilize binoculars.

Fast to deploy:

  • Unfolds and is made ready in seconds, can be a one handed action
  • Binocular mounts in seconds, no threaded action
  • Much easier and faster to use than a tripod

Rugged:

  • Designed with simple and reliable mechanisms
  • Made from durable materials

Quick Features:

  • Monopod Glassing Solution
  • Designed for Backcountry Hunters
  • Secondary Gun Rest
  • Only 6 Oz
  • Extremely Packable

Triple use modes:

“Float” (vertical slide is not locked):

This is the hardest to explain to someone who hasn't used it. It is my favorite mode to operate in for scanning lots of terrain where fatigue would be an issue free handing. For example, imagine scanning a ridge or a finger where you want your focus to move in the vertical and horizontal direction at once: You are holding the binoculars in two hands as you would if you are free handing.

Your body motion is almost identical to what it would be if you are free handing, binos rotate around you. (in contrast to a tripod mounted rig, where the binocular rotates around the center of rotation for the tripod head. You have to move your body to stay behind the eye cups.) With KestrelTM you can translate vertically and pan from side to side in the same motion.

While this is going on:

The weight of the binocular is always supported by the cable system.

The mechanism can “lock” the binocular in any vertical location. This is a soft lock created by the manipulation of friction between the slide and the carbon tube. To initiate the ”soft lock” all you have to do is stop moving the system in either direction (up or down) and the system will relax and the bino will stay in that location. You can easily reposition by either lifting straight up (to move up) or by gently pulling down to overcome the friction. This operation is performed without taking your hands off the binoculars.

“Locked”:

I use this when I want to focus on a single region or during periods when I'm not doing a ton of scanning up and down. In this mode you use the clamp to lock the slide in a vertical location.

Use when:

  • You really want to lean in for maximum stabilization
  • You want to overcome fatigue
  • You want to use the rifle rest feature

“Shooting Rest”:

Slide locked and system rotated such that a rifle can be set on the cradle. Intended for the situation where vegetation prevents use of pack or tripod as a rest, but trees and rocks are scarce.
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HEAR WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE TO SAY
  • Jarod K
    Just received the monopod! Blown away by the craftsmanship of it. The design is awesome to finally see in person. So excited to use it!
    Jarod K
  • Bohannan M.
    I heard about Kestrel from PNWild's pod cast, I had been looking for an in between for my tripod, and in my hands. I ordered it and have used it extensively this season. I hunt mostly western Wa, where the brush can be pretty dense. My hunting style is a cross between spot and stalk and still hunting, mostly because our openings are pretty few and far between. This product is perfectly suited to the task! I wouldn't say that it replaces your tripod, but in those moments where your hands aren't steady enough, and the tripod is too cumbersome the kestrel monopod is KING. I now carry my tripod only when I KNOW there will be BIG clearings. It is also faster than a tripod for those of us that do move a lot, and has even proved useful on some waterfowl hunts. I called this week to suggest another product to them, and to my surprise the owner spoke with me. We talked like we had been friends for years, I will be buying them for my sons, and a few friends...Love the product and the people.
    Bohannan M.
  • Kylee K
    Being a smaller female hunter and backcountry hunter, I am always concerned with weight in my pack. At 6 ounces this is the PERFECT solution for saving weight and allowing me to glass with confidence. It beats hand held any day!
    Kylee K
  • Charlie S
    I've been a tripod user for years. When I got a chance to test the Kestrel™ I was shocked at the versatility and stability it provided. Lightweight but stable enough for glassing at distance. It beats packing a tripod any day.
    Charlie S
  • Nick S
    The Kestrel™ Glassing System is the most packable and lightweight system I've used. Being able to fold it in half and stick it inside your pack or strapped on the outside without taking up virtually any space, this will go with me everywhere. Super quick and easy to deploy and start glassing without the hassle of a tripod. I would recommend this to every backcountry hunter or hunter in general.
    Nick S
  • Simple to use, durable, and stunningly lightweight, the Kestrel is a must for rugged backcountry hunts where every ounce counts.
    Sam Crowe

  • My favorite memory from beta testing the Kestrel glassing stick was when I'd given up--it had taken too long to reach the ridge one morning and I figured we were going to be there until the late afternoon. I'd taken my boots off and tucked into a rock pile to dodge the wind and glass a little.

    And there was a bull, 600+ yards away, coming in from an unexpected direction. I was able to reposition and adjust the Kestrel with one hand, while the other held me against the rock. A tripod would’ve been a nightmare in that situation, adjusting to get a clear view would’ve taken too much time. But with that one quick adjustment, I caught a glimpse of a unique, asymmetric rack through the binos, just before he dropped out of sight.

    Then I simply popped the binos off the Kestrel, slid all 6 oz of it into my pack, put my boots on and took off in pursuit. The Kestrel left a mark—it is just so simple, light weight and fast. I wasn’t about to give that glassing stick back, and I’m sure not carrying a tripod up and down mountains anymore.

    Brian C.

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