Comments on: OR Show — Day 3 Highlights http://www.wildsnow.com/1958/or-show-day-3-highlights/ Backcountry Skiing Weblog Blog, FAQs, more, links and info about randonnee, telemark and backcountry ski mountaineering. Sun, 19 May 2013 00:18:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Matt Kinney http://www.wildsnow.com/1958/or-show-day-3-highlights/#comment-16756 Matt Kinney Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:24:08 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1958#comment-16756 Though GPS is an amazing navigation tool in todays wilds, I find fewer people these days know the basics of compass navigation. Even out on a sailboat a few weeks ago, the skipper knew nothing of compass naviagation and spent most the day staring at a tiny GPS unit versus looking UP at the coast with a compass . I think that may be a contributiing factor to unskilled people wandering into the BC with the latest GPS with bells, whistles and 5 minutes of instruction at the outdoor store. Always have a backup and knowing how to use a compass does not require a battery or a computer. A soaking wet compass still works!, I used a compass the BC this weekend and constantly got 3-point fixes. Hard to beat that kinda accuracy. Not preaching old school, just basic skills. I recall as a navigator in the USCG we were required to learn navigation by sextant, stars and sun before touching LORAN systems of the day. Just some thoughts and much like beacons and avalanches, basic skills with common sense are the best and safest ways to stay out ot trouble and your electronic gizmos in your pack. Though GPS is an amazing navigation tool in todays wilds, I find fewer people these days know the basics of compass navigation. Even out on a sailboat a few weeks ago, the skipper knew nothing of compass naviagation and spent most the day staring at a tiny GPS unit versus looking UP at the coast with a compass . I think that may be a contributiing factor to unskilled people wandering into the BC with the latest GPS with bells, whistles and 5 minutes of instruction at the outdoor store.

Always have a backup and knowing how to use a compass does not require a battery or a computer. A soaking wet compass still works!, I used a compass the BC this weekend and constantly got 3-point fixes. Hard to beat that kinda accuracy. Not preaching old school, just basic skills. I recall as a navigator in the USCG we were required to learn navigation by sextant, stars and sun before touching LORAN systems of the day. Just some thoughts and much like beacons and avalanches, basic skills with common sense are the best and safest ways to stay out ot trouble and your electronic gizmos in your pack.

]]> By: Mark http://www.wildsnow.com/1958/or-show-day-3-highlights/#comment-16748 Mark Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:53:48 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1958#comment-16748 Lou, I commute on a Salsa singlespeed made of steel. Keep it simple, eh? Lou, I commute on a Salsa singlespeed made of steel. Keep it simple, eh?

]]> By: Lou http://www.wildsnow.com/1958/or-show-day-3-highlights/#comment-16747 Lou Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:31:17 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1958#comment-16747 Mark, noooo, the Ibis is like serial number 150 or something, steel frame, nickel plated. Classic. Mark, noooo, the Ibis is like serial number 150 or something, steel frame, nickel plated. Classic.

]]> By: Jonathan Shefftz http://www.wildsnow.com/1958/or-show-day-3-highlights/#comment-16746 Jonathan Shefftz Sat, 25 Jul 2009 03:54:44 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1958#comment-16746 Super easy - just download the file to your computer and run the executable. Open up Garmin Mapsource on your computer, and now in the pull-down menu you have another option for whatever state or region you downloaded. Click on the map segments you want, then transfer them to your GPS. Caveats: – Map transfer from computer to GPS is slow. Copy everything you foresee yourself using, so you don’t have to do this the night before each trip. (You can combine map segments from different states and regions.) I keep a separate western and eastern chips, so that when I go out west for a trip, I just swap chips, instead of having to recopy maps. I also save my map segments in a gdb file that is separate from my various waypoint and tracklog gdb files. – I’ve found the third-party freebie maps are generally comparable to the Garmin 24k National Parks maps, although often the lakes don’t show up on the GPS (even though they show up on the computer). - Be sure to download the NW trails map set, which is an transparent overlay of trails. (Doesn’t show up as transparent on the computer, but can be viewed simultaneously with the maps on the GPS.) - The downloaded maps take up lots of hard drive space on your computer. - With a 2 gig chip, you can store the maps for pretty much anywhere you’re likely to ski in a season (or perhaps even lifetime). But a model with a removable chip is key. However, the eTrex Legend HCx is well under $200 now. Or Vista HCx if you want the digital compass (which still is not a perfect substitute for a traditional separate sighting mirror compass) and/or integrated barometric altimeter (which I prefer to keep on my wrist watch). Or the equivalent 60Cx/60CSx if you want a bigger screen. Otherwise, although Garmin has dozens of other models, those four are really the only sensible choices for backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. Okay, so maybe all that wasn’t exactly super easy.... Super easy – just download the file to your computer and run the executable. Open up Garmin Mapsource on your computer, and now in the pull-down menu you have another option for whatever state or region you downloaded.
Click on the map segments you want, then transfer them to your GPS.
Caveats:
– Map transfer from computer to GPS is slow. Copy everything you foresee yourself using, so you don’t have to do this the night before each trip. (You can combine map segments from different states and regions.) I keep a separate western and eastern chips, so that when I go out west for a trip, I just swap chips, instead of having to recopy maps. I also save my map segments in a gdb file that is separate from my various waypoint and tracklog gdb files.
– I’ve found the third-party freebie maps are generally comparable to the Garmin 24k National Parks maps, although often the lakes don’t show up on the GPS (even though they show up on the computer).
- Be sure to download the NW trails map set, which is an transparent overlay of trails. (Doesn’t show up as transparent on the computer, but can be viewed simultaneously with the maps on the GPS.)
- The downloaded maps take up lots of hard drive space on your computer.
- With a 2 gig chip, you can store the maps for pretty much anywhere you’re likely to ski in a season (or perhaps even lifetime). But a model with a removable chip is key. However, the eTrex Legend HCx is well under $200 now. Or Vista HCx if you want the digital compass (which still is not a perfect substitute for a traditional separate sighting mirror compass) and/or integrated barometric altimeter (which I prefer to keep on my wrist watch). Or the equivalent 60Cx/60CSx if you want a bigger screen. Otherwise, although Garmin has dozens of other models, those four are really the only sensible choices for backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering.

Okay, so maybe all that wasn’t exactly super easy….

]]> By: Mark http://www.wildsnow.com/1958/or-show-day-3-highlights/#comment-16745 Mark Sat, 25 Jul 2009 03:39:57 +0000 http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=1958#comment-16745 Ibis mountain bike? Super aesthetic, carbon monocoque, high-tech perfection? Photos? Ibis mountain bike? Super aesthetic, carbon monocoque, high-tech perfection? Photos?

]]>