Woodstramp
-
Posts
864 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by Woodstramp
-
-
For years I've used GE and Acmemapper to look around as planning for geocaching and other gps use. Acme being my favorite.
Once, on this forum someone posted a collection of gps/mapping/sat related links. One of those was a website that was real simular to Acme, but in addition to dropping waypoints you could also draw routes, too and save and export the routes and WPs. I cannot recall the name or link. Shortly after using it my laptop crashed. This ring a bell with anyone?
-
I heard that the Pokeyman thing has like 20 million active participants. Probably most of them have never even heard of geocaching. I think that if it gets at least 10 million, overweight, never-seen-the-outdoors, overweight game addicts outside for some fresh air, sunshine and a walk, then good deal.
A sliver of that horde might dig the concept and discover geocaching, proper.
-
Thanks Pup for that link. Guess I won't renew. Auto renew is sneaky.
-
On a few of mine (LNL boxes) I've used silicone. Just abrade the exterior with rough sandpaper and slather down the exterior of the LNL with clear silicone caulking. Take care to not get any on the lid seams and sprinkle dirt, sticks, grass, etc. Let cure and you are good to go.
-
This just a game. The world is full of people who love taking shortcuts, stealing and taking credit for things they did not accomplish. I can't fathom why they do it, but they do.
You will live a more stressless life if you just get over it. Play your own game...have fun.
-
I've not geocached in a while, though I still have some hides out. Just recently thought I might want to get back in with a premium membership. Same price, but now only autorenewal is available. Last time I premiumed up an annual, nonrenewable option was available. What gives?
-
How about Topofusion? I use it for such things as you mentioned.
No, Cliptwings, it's site was real similar to AcmeMapper when you pulled it up. Just had more abilities than Acme.
The reason I'm trying to find it is because something has malfunctioned at Acme now. The developer must've stopped supporting AM or something. I can no longer get any maps to show on Acme at all now. Guess I could just use Google Earth, but that is such an ordeal. Acme and the other were just bookmarked and were just simpler to use on the fly.
This other site was actually better and now I cannot find it. Shame, too. I liked it because I could plan hikes with it. You can pull up a topo map (or aerial, or GE satellite view), draw a track (or WP) and export in .gpx format for transfer to a GPS.
-
No. I have gpsvisualizer. Thanks though.
-
NMW,
Thanks for the reply and the link, but I cannot find the one I'm searching for in there. That is a great link though. Seems like it would be there.
-
I need help finding a online map website. It was really similar to the one called AcmeMapper 2.0. I had a computer melt down and lost the name and URL. It was just a step above Acme in that you could actually build exportable tracks/routes, set waypoints. The main thing I liked it was because it had more map toggling (Google, imagery, topos) than Acme.
Anyone here know this site?
-
What is the experience of big people ?
Straps or ropes for trees ?
What kind of straps ?
I first used ropes...tied with a timber hitch. Works, but it does leave dents in soft trees. We now use whoopee slings and tree hugger straps. Easier on soft bark trees and give much more flexibility for selecting a hang site. I can hang between trees that are 15' apart or 25' apart because this system is easily adjustable. I would also recommend (for this system) to use a "structural ridgeline". For hammocks like I use I like to lay diagonally. The structural ridgeline lets me keep a consistant "sag" on the hammock no matter how far apart my anchor trees are. This aided in my personal comfort a lot.
-
I agree totally that it is not important. Always found the electronic compass on any unit to be more aggravation than it's worth with calibrations and such. Even on my trusty 60csx I always turned that function off.
BTW, I liked the E20 so much that I even bought another for backup.
-
Luvvinbird,
I don't know if the Academy Sports chain has a store in Seattle, but that is where I've snagged the best sales deals on Etrex units in the last couple of years. Have bought two Etrex 20's when a sale went up., (One on a regular sale for $149, the last E20 displayed unit was marked $129 so I snagged it)
Our local Academy Sports (Birmingham, Alabama) had the Etrex 30 for $169 on sale two weeks ago. It was a week long sale. I would have, but I already have two E20's that do what I need.
-
Chris,
GPSFiledepot.com has nice, free topo and transparency maps (trails) that work quite nicely in an Etrex20. Though I do way more hiking than caching these last couple of years, the Etrex20 works perfectly for both combined pursuits. Mine has for two years now.
GPSFiledepot is a donation based site, so consider helping. Topos are state by state. Also get the transparent "My Trails" map. It has most every trail in the US on it and overlays on top of whatever topo map you run on the GPS. Also...instructions at the site on how to get maps to the GPS. That and loaded cache files and you'd be good to go.
-
Check out the Sawyer mini-filter
Filters...We've used the Sawyers on our hikes now for about two years. The pump filters are now obsolete at our house. We have the mini and the regular squeeze. I much prefer the latter. I also use collapsed "Smart" brand water bottles as clean water totes. Tough as nails and cheaper than expensive platy bladders.
Good tip.....Added a dipper to our kit. Made it out of the bottom half of a thin water bottle. Squash it and keep it in the filter kit. This allows you to dip water out of puddles/shallow seeps and not disturb things as you fill the squeeze bag. Never could do that with a pump without stirring up sediments.
Fire...the Jet boil is awesome. That or a small stick fire.
-
In NW Alabama is a wilderness area called the Sipsey. My brother once told me that his Magellan handheld would not get a sat-lock there, so he just turned it off. I finally got to go hike there a few months ago. Something quite weird happened to my Nuvi as we drove to the NW trailhead...it lost signal as we autorouted to the TH.
Found this puzzling, so I turned on my new Etrex 20 thinking it always gets an instant lock. No dice. Really strange because I'd never seen that happen with the 20. Even got a pop up asking if I wanted to keep searching. Went into set up and turned on the Glonass. Finally did lock sats in a few minutes, then never lost signal the whole weekend. I think it helps to have it available.
-
$200?
Etrex20. I bought one to have as a backup unit for my trusty 60csx. Like the little Etrex so much...now the 60csx is the backup. It is my prinary unit for hiking now.
-
The Dakota. Good little "paperless" unit I hear.
As a former Magellan customer....stick with Garmin stuff.
-
Bringer..seeing that you have taken well to hanging...hammockforums.net is is your new friend. Also lookup "Shug Emery/hammocks" on Youtube. Excellent instructor...funny too.
-
Thanks Woodstramp.
Just for the record I get 2 1/2 days out of one set of batteries on the trail.
If you can get continuous use out of a PN for over 48 hours (like you said) I would not get a Garmin. I din't know what the PN-60's were capable of....two and half days? The most I ever could coax out of a PN-20 was 7 hours. (it was better than the PN-40 with it's faster processor and 5 hours.)
I thought my little Etrex 20, with over 20+ hours of continuous use was amazing. Best I'd heard of to date. PN-60's can do over 2 days? Need to check one of those out if a deal comes up.
As to the issue with connecting a non Delorme GPS to TOPO. I recall doing it a few years ago with an old Etrex. Exchanged track and WP's but not maps.
-
If I recall things properly, the Delorme software will interface with Garmin's GPS units to swap track and waypoint data.
In your situation, I'd buy the Garmin. I have owned/used Delorme products. Love the Topo software. I could care less about their GPS units (20 and 40 series) Found them to be glitchy battery hogs that have small screens. I've not had experience with the newer 60 series Garmins, but have used the 60csx, old Etrex and currently using an Etrex 20 for my hiking and geocaching. No complaints. All have been stable and easy on battery power.
For long distance hiking you probably won't need downloaded raster imagery, like Delormes can do. Just some vector topo maps. The Garmin can take Birdseye and custom raster imagery, but that is gimmicky and eats memory IMO. Topos are plenty. The Garmin will take topos (free or paid). I know you will love the battery life on the trail. I do.
You use the Delorme Topo software to dice and record trips. That is super for that purpose. It would be hard for me to part with my Topo 8 software. Great stuff.
-
Title of this thread cracks me up.... implies that it was Garmin's fault that you bought a used unit that was probably file damaged by the third party you got the "deal" from.
-
To be fair to the smart phone group you don't need cell coverage to run your smart phone in GPS mode.
There are other reasons why I have a stand alone GPS, but not working away from cell coverage isn't one of them
I have been geocaching with a Samsung Galaxy S2 since Feb and have just ordered a Garmin Montana. I was sick, fed up of an unreliable GPS signal on the phone, especially in tree cover and especially when there was no cell coverage. The GPS signal was always stronger and more reliable when I had a cell signal and could activate a data connection, however in the countryside of Scotland it's not often an option.
I am expecting the Garmin to be an improvement, as far as GPS signal is concerned. I hope I am not mistaken.
I too have a Galaxy S2. It does have terrible GPS innards. Don't dismiss all phones though. My previous Android was an LG Optimus V. That thing would rival any handheld GPS I've used. Even my 60csx. For the woods, though, I still prefer the dedicated GPS for it's better life and ruggedness.
-
Did get to try one bridge style and it was a Jacks-r-better. Visibility was actually better than most other hammocks I'd tried. Those are rather narrow in the center and allow a good view. I did feel that "trough" thing you talk about in the shoulders, but the JRB is narrow. Warbonnet makes a Ridge Runner bridge that is 40 inches wide at the shoulder. Hope to try that one out.
Website real simular to Acmemapper
in GPS technology and devices
Posted
No, Timpat. It was not that one, unfortunately. It was a lesser known site. Opened with map page, like Acme, but had more gizmos to use. You could toggle different map types, like Acme, but could also lay down point to point routes as an additional option. Seems you could even layer on stuff like grid lines for printing maps, too.
Thanks for the reply, regardles.