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Gear$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.

Spotting scope

High-magnification scope on a tripod for watching birds and wildlife

Birders reach for one of these where binoculars run out: a short telescope built for daylight land use, usually 20x to 60x, on a tripod. An adapter or a phone clamped to the eyepiece turns it into a long lens, which is how most garden nest-box footage gets shot. Cheap models start around the price of good binoculars.

Who backs it

Sorted by strength of stance

  • Writer and artist · Steal Like an Artist

    Runs a cheap scope and an old iPhone on the owl box in his yard, filming around the clock. Mornings in owl season he reviews the footage and draws stills into his diary, which he says is how he gets himself to actually look at what he is looking at.

    Source: AustinKleon.com: Another owl season begins

Other entries filed under stress or focus.

  • Gear$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.

    Glowforge laser cutter

    Glowforge

    Desktop laser cutter that cuts and engraves wood, acrylic and card

    Backed by 1 of 62 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.

    Deliberate cold exposure

    Cold showers or ice baths used deliberately, usually a few minutes at a time

    Backed by 25 of 62 stacks: 19 do it, 0 recommend it, 6 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost

    Daily meditation

    10-20 minutes of formal practice, most days

    Backed by 21 of 62 stacks: 17 do it, 1 recommend it, 3 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost

    Deliberate solitude

    Regular time with your own thoughts and no other inputs

    Backed by 12 of 62 stacks: 9 do it, 3 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost

    Daily prayer

    A fixed time for prayer each morning, before the phone and before the day starts

    Backed by 4 of 62 stacks: 4 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
  • HabitFREE, no cost

    Personal mantra

    A quote kept where you will see it before you perform, taped up or written on your gear

    Backed by 4 of 62 stacks: 4 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it

Gear entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.