TotemLake
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Posts posted by TotemLake
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I would benefit from 3 additions:
1. Exporting, adding and projecting waypoints
2. Downloadable offline maps
3. The ability to make, import and export tracks
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I really liked one pair KEEN Men’s Targhee II Hiking Shoes it's mentioned in this site as a number 1 http://readytohike.c...en-lightweight/ because where I'm from there are four seasons. And this pair looks quite versatile.
On the other hand, I am considering Merrell Men’s Moab Ventilator Hiking Shoes as well...
I'd like to hear your opinion before actually buying. Which pair seems better to you?
It doesn't matter which seems better to me because I won't be wearing them, you will. The best hiking boot is the one that fits YOU properly. A boot I love may be living hell on your feet. Both of those boots may be fine for you or perhaps neither is. You have to try them on and walk around in them for a while. Go to a good outdoors store, one that has inclined platform to get a feel of walking up and down hill in the boot. Sometimes boots that feel great on flat terrain may hurt walking uphill or downhill.
The key is fit and what feels good on YOUR feet. Reading reviews about boots can provide some information about the quality and durability of of the boot, but not the fit. Fit is a very individual thing.
If you have an REI or LL Bean nearby they usually have trained hiking boot fitters and they also have a satisfaction guarantee. If it turns out the boots are giving you a problem, just send them back.
This advise is spot on. Everyone can recommend a good quality brand, but the fit is going to depend on you and the boot you try. I'm very picky and once I land on a brand style, I tend to stick with it until my next fitting feels like something changed, then its weeks of trying everything until I find the perfect fit once again. Your best test is going to be at stores that provide a test path you can try the boots on. Some REI stores will provide a simulated typical rocky trail with angles to test slippage in the footwear.
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Windows is trying to get you to use an old carryover when plugnplay wasn't (circa Windows 95/98). I don't know why MS hasn't removed that process yet.
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"Legal" in the sense and definition of the term is misapplied here. It is a terms of use license. This terms of use license is "legally" defined as a contract between the provider and the user and can only be enforced by liability suits and not by criminal law.
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Just doing a quick cross post of my new Facebook page PNW HOTM. This is where I'll be posting my HOTM hike events. Others wanting to post hike events may do the same there as well. First hike scheduled is a Snowshoe 101 after Christmas.
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For what its worth, some folks use the auto-log to come back to the cache page later and expand. It helps to remember the caches without making a special effort if they are a numbers hound and find dozens or hundreds in a day. It also helps keep track of the sequence in the event there is a milestone coming up and a specific cache is targeted.
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I used to carry a 3 liter hydration bladder. I knocked that down to two liters because of the weight savings. I augment it with a water filter and quick disconnect system so I can connect to it without taking the backpack off or taking the hydration bladder out when the pack is off during rest periods. The water filter is carried in a side pouch attached to the pack belt for easy access. You can do this with any hydration pack you finally decide to do for yourself. Practice at home first and learn how many strokes it takes to fill your pack when you're sucking on a dry tube.
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http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showforum=11 is where this question should be asked.
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It's important to remember when you're out there, signals are based on line of sight snd sometimes reflected signals. If you find yourself in a steep valley, signal loss is a reality. However, if you find yourself in some kind of trouble, and you're able to reach higher ground, your reach can be significantly improved. This is with any radio or cell phone.
Case in point, when I was using GMRS/FMRS before I gained my Ham license, I was able to hear over 20 miles from Seattle and transmit over 15 miles to another hiker from the top of a peak at the edge of the Olympics. With my Ham VHF, I was able to transmit to a repeater 15 miles away on reflected signal when attempting to get in touch with a buddy stuck in the snow.
For those not in the know, most repeaters automatically broadcast with their call sign when you transmit to them the first time. You'll also know you're in possible reach of a repeater because they are required to broadcast their call sign every 10 minutes. This depends on the transmit power of your radio. This is an automated broadcast and does not indicate someone is manning the station. Sometimes this broadcast is verbal and sometimes it is in Morse code.
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That's a good list. As you gain experience and start taking longer day hikes, I would add a few items to it with the caveat: The deeper you go, the necessity to survive at least three days for SAR to find you is a reality if you find yourself immobilized.
In terms of communication:
- Whistle. It reaches farther than simple yelling for help. I carry this. I personally proved this as an effective tool as a part of a victim team in a SAR rescue simulation. They couldn't hear me yell, but they definitely heard the whistle over a thousand feet away. Remember to step away from your partner before blowing it if you are able to.
- Cell phone. Most folks hike within a reasonable distance and even though you might not be able to connect to a tower, a tower can triangulate your weak cell phone signal if you're within 15-20 miles of it. Many rescues have been accomplished with this ability.
- FMRS/GMRS or VHF (requires a license) radio or satellite communicator. A lot of hikers carry the FMRS/GMRS to keep in touch with each other. You might get lucky. A VHF radio has a bigger reach if there are repeaters in the area. Do your research when you go this route so you know which repeaters are in the area. They are publicly listed. My VHF is hacked to access the GMRS/FMRS channels.
- Satellite communicator of any type. They can reach a rescue center. Be careful to choose the one that works best for the area you'll be hiking in.
In terms of sustenance:
Enough food or snacks to be able to ration across three days. You would do well to start learning which flora in your area is edible to augment your rations. High calorie items like meal bars are have long expiration dates, lightweight, and you can easily open the packaging.
In terms of shelter:
A lightweight 10x10 tarp or fly with parachute cord. Tying the cord from tree to tree and draping the tarp makes a good temp shelter. If you have three tent stakes or can find three heavy rocks to act as anchors, you can make a small pup tent with a floor.
Long term night light (optional):
Chem sticks or a solar powered lantern (some collapse very flat). Getting up to pee in the middle of the night has caused more people to get lost or worse because they couldn't find their way back.
Critically the most important action you can take in all hikes:
Let someone know where you are going, possibly with a map marked with the location. More time is wasted looking for your car to start the rescue operation. It can take hours to days just for this one operation before rescue teams can be assembled.
- Whistle. It reaches farther than simple yelling for help. I carry this. I personally proved this as an effective tool as a part of a victim team in a SAR rescue simulation. They couldn't hear me yell, but they definitely heard the whistle over a thousand feet away. Remember to step away from your partner before blowing it if you are able to.
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Dick, So sorry to hear about Arlene and your issues. I hope I can get up in the rarified atmosphere you two have achieved!
Best wishes to you and your lovely wife.
TL
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I was just thinking about you guys. Sure glad you're still getting out and having fun!
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Curious where you found info saying you needed some sorta subscription to use a GPSr.C. You have to also purchase a some kind of GPS subscription to even be able to use it??I haven't spent extra on my GPSr since starting, in '04.
The only subscription based GPS I'm aware of is the DeLorme inReach. The current model doesn't support onboard maps though.
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Welcome home guys. I'm very glad you both made it home safe and sound.
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So, just for future reference, Craig, icy bridges and bossy moose are to be avoided.
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Glad to hear you guys are doing ok. It's the crumple zone that saves you from major injuries, but gets ya on the repair costs.
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Geocaching is not unsafe in and of itself. Any risks would not be different than going somewhere for some other reason. For example, would your finacee be as concerned if you were going to the same graveyard to spend time visiting the grave of <insert deceased loved one here>? The risks of each are the same.
It is rare for caches to be found even once a day, so someone posting a cache and waiting for someone to show up would be an excercise in extreme patience. Most bad people don't have that kind of patience.
Invite him to come with you; it may be about his need to protect you (all guys have this need even if they won't admit to it).
You're right. That how someone I know became a serial killer. He makes up the cache page, and goes to wait at the location for a few day, up to 2 weeks until it gets published and the first finder gets there.
Please cite the case by news article or other official report. THAT story would have been sensationalized and buzzing all over the community. I have yet to hear of anyone laying in wait at a geocache to murder anybody. This smells of rumor mongering.
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I avoid places with people carrying guns. Fortunately that's easy enough in our neck of the woods. Safety concerns here are mainly falling off things, not other people. We even hardly have dangerous animals.
Don't know where you're from but some places you can't avoid that. There are some states that are open carry. And lots of states that are concealed carry. It's not the law abiding, well intentioned people that carry who you have to be worried about.
We call people carrying guns police.
Running into a criminal with a gun is also a very low risk.That depends on where you live. Where I live, running into Criminal carrying a gun is a very high probability.
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Do what works best for you and your family. That's the only thing that counts. What anybody else does, doesn't matter or may not be compatible with you and yours.
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Many years ago, there was a long time problem with raging debates where someone would change their post and take the following posts out of context and cause more "he said" "she said" "no I didn't" posts than you could shake an ugly stick at.
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I ended up replacing my Hubba Hubba with an REI Dash 2 instead of going with a full meal deal hammock setup. I'm looking at a simple light weight hammock with a mosquito mesh included to act as a backup when I'm off trail and can't find a good spot to setup and as something else to relax on instead of a log when I can if I find a camp location to support it.
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Live in the Pacific Northwest. You'll become Vitamin D deficient in no time.
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Running into a criminal with a gun is also a very low risk.
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PN60 firmware
in GPS technology and devices
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Ditto that. That's going to win over a lot of customers down the line when its time to replace these badass devices.