im headed to the desert

[papatooth]

any pointers for a 60 csx user headed to the canyonlands out in utah. its my first time using gps there.

[+Timpat]

Bring lots of water of course, common sense, a map, a compass, and extra AA's. If you have US Topo I'd load those up.

[Pinon]

Like TimPat says...bring lots of water....a compass and a good map. I use my MeriGold alot when I bushwack in Arizona. It has never failed me and I used it alot. I recently bought a Magellan Sportrak Pro as a backup unit. In initial testing, it seems to be just as accurate as my MeriGold. I look at newer units BUT I am not sure that I would gain anything...just spend some money. I see that Circuit City has Magellan 210's on sale for $100 !!!

I am tempted.

[papatooth]

i was out there last yr but not in the same circumstances. we have to find water out there we can only carry enough for about 2 1/2 days and we will be out there for 6. i have a paper map and the national parks 24 k topo and i am bringing a good stash of batts. should be fun.

[+Miragee]

any pointers for a 60 csx user headed to the canyonlands out in utah. its my first time using gps there.

Wow . . . I'm envious.

 

That GPSr will work better than many in the canyons, so you should be fine. Don't miss the hike to Chesler Park and the one to the Confluence, if that is the side you are going to be on.

 

[papatooth]

i did the Confluence last year, what a beautiful hike. ill be on the other side this yr in the maze!!! the one thing that kills me is no fire and all the space i lose in my pack to cold weather gear, but hey i dont want to freeze at night.

[+Miragee]

A long time ago, I hiked over that way during Thanksgiving week. Near "The Fins," we found a spring and since we had plenty of stove fuel with us, we heated water for "hot water bottles" to keep us warm on those long nights. It worked great!

[Hertzog]

any pointers for a 60 csx user headed to the canyonlands out in utah. its my first time using gps there.

Even though it's a 60CSx, I would be inclined to take along an external antenna; you might not need it, but it would be nice to have along if you run into marginal reception conditions. Also some people like them for hiking since they give you more flexiblilty in how you carry the unit.

[papatooth]

i did the Confluence last year, what a beautiful hike. ill be on the other side this yr in the maze!!! the one thing that kills me is no fire and all the space i lose in my pack to cold weather gear, but hey i dont want to freeze at night.

 

water by the fins perfect, thats one of the spots i want to see.

[+Paulsan]

I think I'd take a nice Ham radio too.

[papatooth]

never thought about the ham radio

[+Paulsan]

If there are any repeaters around, it could save your life. A Tech license is easy to get with a bit of study and a test. That will give you access to VHF/UHF repeaters. Check out www.arrl.org. You can also read the Geocaching and Ham radio forum.

Edited March 26, 2007 by Paulsan

[+PFF]

I believe a Ham Radio would give a false sense of security. Operating on VHF/UHF frequencies from a canyon bottom is probably not going to be successful with a "line-of-sight" device. Moreover, unless one is licensed and experienced, there is a high probability that he/she would not know how to set the controls for duplex operation.

 

While an unlicensed person can use the radio in an emergency, there is no way to legally practice with the unit before the trip. Nor do most people have the knowledge to access repeater directories to know what pairs are available in the area they will be visiting.

 

Furthermore, if you show up on an Amateur Radio repeater, you will spend valuable time persuading folks on the channel that you are not a hacker, and that this truly is an emergency. There have been so many "false alarms" by unlicensed persons that repeater operators and rescue personnel in western states are taking a hard line when they hear somebody "new" on the air, asking for help.

 

In one case, several days of "help me" transmissions were traced to a teenage boy in his bedroom. The boys parents had to pay a $5,000 fine (called a NAL by the FCC) for the unlicensed operation, and they had to reimburse the county thousands of dollars for search expenses.

 

So ham radio may not be a good idea. If someone is inclined to spend $300 on a radio he/she can't use, there is another alternative. Pilots are going to scream at me for this. But why not purchase an airband handheld transciever which operates on 121.5 MHz? If you had an emergency far from civilization, you still would be able to contact someone via aircraft passing overhead.

 

I'm a licensed ham operator, but the airband radio is the path I'd take, if I were planning the trip described above. Just be sure that whatever device you purchase, you only activate it in a real emergency. Screw up, and you won't have the money for these kinds of trips and toys for a long, long time! I'm part of a team that uses doppler devices to track intruders in the ham bands, and I interact directly with Riley Hollingsworth, Chief Enforcement Officer at the FCC. I can assure you that these matters are taken very seriously.

 

By the way, this tread did not start out being related to emergency equipment, but have you considered a marine-style flare pistol? The newest ORLIN models will fire a flare 500 feet straight up, which would not clear the walls of a really deep canyon, but still might be useful. When hiking, I carry one of these, with six red flares. It does not add much weight to the backpack.

 

-Paul-

[+Paulsan]

I certainly don't advocate that anyone rely solely on an HT or to operate without a license, but i do believe that having an HT in your backpack beats the heck out of not having a HT in your backpack. I NEVER said that he should operate without a license.

 

Granted, there probably aren't any repeaters in the area the he is traveling, however, there may be repeaters in the NEXT area that he decides to travel in. Once he has the skills, he is ready for life. His next trip might be to a mountain top where a radio might come in very handy. Discouraging participation in the hobby is not the answer to the points mentioned above in my opinion.

 

I do agree that survival equipment and other forms of signaling are imperative.

[+PFF]

Hi, Paulsan,

 

I agree that for a licensed individual, a handheld is a 'don't leave home without it" item! And thank you for encouraging the OP to investigate the new, relaxed licensing requirements. I hope he (and others who venture into the wilderness) will follow up on that idea.

 

-Paul- (K5PF)

Member, NC State Emergency Response Team,

Co-founder and first President: D.E.R.A. (www.Disasters.org)

[+airman]

If the concern is of being able to call for help, I'm surprised that Personal Locator devices have not been mentioned. I think that there are some now that are similar to those carried on aircraft and boats but smaller. These transmit your position and are taken seriously when activated.

[CenTexDodger]

If the concern is of being able to call for help, I'm surprised that Personal Locator devices have not been mentioned. I think that there are some now that are similar to those carried on aircraft and boats but smaller. These transmit your position and are taken seriously when activated.

 

I thought of that as well (although I did not post it). They do not require a lisence, and like Airman said, they will be taken seriously. I don't know how expensive they are, but IIRC they were allowed for land based use a couple of years ago.

 

Edited to add: Do a search on Amazon, they can be had for 400 or 500 dollars.

Edited March 26, 2007 by CenTexDodger

[+airman]

If the concern is of being able to call for help, I'm surprised that Personal Locator devices have not been mentioned. I think that there are some now that are similar to those carried on aircraft and boats but smaller. These transmit your position and are taken seriously when activated.

 

I thought of that as well (although I did not post it). They do not require a lisence, and like Airman said, they will be taken seriously. I don't know how expensive they are, but IIRC they were allowed for land based use a couple of years ago.

 

Edited to add: Do a search on Amazon, they can be had for 400 or 500 dollars.

Just did a little checking also and they can also be rented.

[CenTexDodger]

If the concern is of being able to call for help, I'm surprised that Personal Locator devices have not been mentioned. I think that there are some now that are similar to those carried on aircraft and boats but smaller. These transmit your position and are taken seriously when activated.

 

I thought of that as well (although I did not post it). They do not require a lisence, and like Airman said, they will be taken seriously. I don't know how expensive they are, but IIRC they were allowed for land based use a couple of years ago.

 

Edited to add: Do a search on Amazon, they can be had for 400 or 500 dollars.

Just did a little checking also and they can also be rented.

 

Really!!!???, Do you have a link? That would definitely be worth considering for some of my trips.

[+Sputnik 57]

Am I the only one who, every time I read the title of this thread, is dying to say, "I've BEEN to the desert on a horse with no name. It felt good to be out of the rain!"

[+airman]

If the concern is of being able to call for help, I'm surprised that Personal Locator devices have not been mentioned. I think that there are some now that are similar to those carried on aircraft and boats but smaller. These transmit your position and are taken seriously when activated.

 

I thought of that as well (although I did not post it). They do not require a lisence, and like Airman said, they will be taken seriously. I don't know how expensive they are, but IIRC they were allowed for land based use a couple of years ago.

 

Edited to add: Do a search on Amazon, they can be had for 400 or 500 dollars.

Just did a little checking also and they can also be rented.

 

Really!!!???, Do you have a link? That would definitely be worth considering for some of my trips.

Do not have a link. Do a search on Personal Locator Beacons. There are some sources that rent the small units and Satellite phones. I have never used the services so do not know how easy they are to work with. These devices are only for use when you really need help. In the times I have been hiking or driving offroad I have never needed one. Looking back on some of the places I have been and done something stupid one of these things would have been really handy.

[CenTexDodger]

If the concern is of being able to call for help, I'm surprised that Personal Locator devices have not been mentioned. I think that there are some now that are similar to those carried on aircraft and boats but smaller. These transmit your position and are taken seriously when activated.

 

I thought of that as well (although I did not post it). They do not require a lisence, and like Airman said, they will be taken seriously. I don't know how expensive they are, but IIRC they were allowed for land based use a couple of years ago.

 

Edited to add: Do a search on Amazon, they can be had for 400 or 500 dollars.

Just did a little checking also and they can also be rented.

 

Really!!!???, Do you have a link? That would definitely be worth considering for some of my trips.

Do not have a link. Do a search on Personal Locator Beacons. There are some sources that rent the small units and Satellite phones. I have never used the services so do not know how easy they are to work with. These devices are only for use when you really need help. In the times I have been hiking or driving offroad I have never needed one. Looking back on some of the places I have been and done something stupid one of these things would have been really handy.

Right, I have never needed one either, and I hope I never will! They are for when you are hopelessly lost, snowed in, injured or otherwise cannot extract yourself from the situation you find yourself in.

[papatooth]

well i was waiting for a marching band full of elephants to come across this thread

this went all over. what ive done for this trip and in trips past is brought along a laser pointer that can shoot 40,000 ft yes thats right 40 grand. this would be most effective for locating at night but in a pinch it can catch someones eye during the day. i never knew the SOS sequence to use it just incase. anyone know that? im not going alone, but with someone else. One of us can go for help to the nearest 4x4 campsite for an evac if needed.

[+Sputnik 57]

well i was waiting for a marching band full of elephants to come across this thread

. . . . i never knew the SOS sequence to use it just incase. anyone know that? . . .

Simply as pie. Its dot dot dot dash dash dash dot dot dot or . . . - - - . . . Pretty easy to remember. Now where did I put those darned elephants?