Map, Compass & GPS

Map, Compass & GPS
Wild flowers along Fall Creek on the way to the Green Lakes - Oregon

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Nine Navigation Steps to Take At the Trail Head

The following are nine quick navigation steps to take to ensure one’s navigation kit is set up to best support a hike.
Blake Miller/outdoor quest image

1.     GPS Batteries – load fresh batteries and carry extra for both the GPS and flashlight.

2.     Calibrate the GPS receiver’s compass after every battery change.

3.     Magnetic Compass adjusted for declination – Visit www.magnetic-declination.com for the most current declination value.  Declination changes over time (how old is that map?) and location.

4.     Dump the junk – How many waypoints are stored in the waypoint manager file.  Dump the old waypoints to the absolute minimum; this helps to keep navigation simple.

5.     Match the GPS receiver’s compass to the magnetic compass and the map.   .  Maps are usually set to degrees true.  Have the GPS and Magnetic compass match the topo map.

6.     Erase old track data – clean up the old the track (bread crumb trail) information.  Get rid of
Blake Miller/outdoor quest image
the clutter.

7.     Remember to stow the maps.  I use maps from www.caltopo.com and will occasionally carry maps from a hiking guides.  Maps are stowed in a zip lock gallon bag or rugged water proof map case.

8.     Mark a waypoint – Give key waypoints a name like “trl hed” or “camp.”  Select waypoint manager to verify that the information has been saved to memory.  If “trl hed” can be viewed on the waypoint manager file or viewed from the map page the hiker is all set.

9.    
Blake Miller/outdoor quest image
Orient the map at the trail head.


Everyone in the hiking group should be on the same page in regard to navigation settings.

Saturday, July 15, 2017

5 Things to Look for When Backpacking the Appalachian Trail


The low cost of backpacking travel makes it possible to visit most places of the world in an economical and more personable manner. The Appalachian mountains are one beautiful travel location for people to backpack. The mountainous region is made up of thirteen various divisions. The Appalachians are 1,500 miles in length and a little over 2 miles in height. The mighty Appalachians mountain range makes for a breathtaking hike for backpackers. Here are the things to look for as you backpack the wild Appalachian trail.

Enjoy all the Scenic Sights
The fact is the entire range is beautiful and breathtaking. Keep your eyes open and take in all of the sights. Admire the wildlife too. There is plenty of animals and plant life to look at while hiking. Be careful though of wild animals that may pose a harm. You should additionally be wary of certain bugs, such as ticks. Ticks can give you some diseases, like the dreaded and harmful Lyme's disease. Bring along a camera in case of the chance you may want to snap photographs of some of the things you will see on the Appalachian trail.

Don't Over Plan
The fact is you don't know what the weather will be and what kind of a pace you will have while hiking the Appalachian trail. Avoid over planning for your backpacking excursion. This will allow you to enjoy the sightseeing along the way and not focus too much on the plan you made. You also don't want to hike too quickly from having to stick to a too intense plan, because you will burn yourself out far too quickly. You should savor the Appalachian trail's sights.

Stops to Pack Your Backpack Comfortably and Effectively
Pay attention to where you can stop to pack your backpack comfortably and effectively. There are numerous little towns along the Appalachian mountains. These little towns have plenty of suppliers for backpackers to shop at when restocking their supplies. Remember to never over pack your backpack. Only pack comfortably and effectively to make your backpacking experience the best it can be. Pack the right amount of food, camping supplies, water canteens, and clothing at each stop you have in the small towns along the trail. You can add a few lightweight items to make the backpacking experience more comfortable for yourself. Perhaps you can pack a camera. If you are a fan of vaping, you should bring along a light weight vape pen and a vape pen charger. You can charge it up at various stops along the trail.

Look for Appalachian Trail Markers
The markers for the Appalachian trail are white markers on trees, handrails, rocks, and posts. These markers allow you to know you are following the right trail. One white mark means you are following the trail. Two white marks means there is a change in the trail or two different directions you can take. You will need a map or a compass for these parts of the trail. Piles of rocks may also be used as markers in a few parts of the trails. There are some segments of the Appalachian trail that are not marked very much due to conservation efforts to keep certain areas of the trail as natural as possible. If you backpack those parts of the trail, you ought to bring a compass and a map for certain.

Food and Beer Locations to Stop at from Georgia to Maine
On the Appalachian trail you will eat healthy and get a pretty intense workout for your body. You'll enjoy the physical fitness you will achieve. However, you will likely crave drinks and greasy food whenever you stop in the small towns along the way. You will come across plenty of small towns with beer and food venues to die for during your backpacking. The top seven stops for beer and food from the Appalachian range all the way from Georgia to Maine for thru backpackers are: Spring Creek Tavern and Inn, Damascus Brewery, Devil's Backbone Brewery, Doyle, Woodstock Inn, The Gypsy Joynt, and Sarge's Sports Bar and Grill.
5 Things to Look for When Backpacking the Appalachian
The low cost of backpacking travel makes it possible to visit most places of the world in an economical and more personable manner. The Appalachian mountains are one beautiful travel location for people to backpack. The mountainous region is made up of thirteen various divisions. The Appalachians are 1,500 miles in length and a little over 2 miles in height. The mighty Appalachians mountain range makes for a breathtaking hike for backpackers. Here are the things to look for as you backpack the wild Appalachian trail.

Enjoy all the Scenic Sights
The fact is the entire range is beautiful and breathtaking. Keep your eyes open and take in all of the sights. Admire the wildlife too. There is plenty of animals and plant life to look at while hiking. Be careful though of wild animals that may pose a harm. You should additionally be wary of certain bugs, such as ticks. Ticks can give you some diseases, like the dreaded and harmful Lyme's disease. Bring along a camera in case of the chance you may want to snap photographs of some of the things you will see on the Appalachian trail.

Don't Over Plan
The fact is you don't know what the weather will be and what kind of a pace you will have while hiking the Appalachian trail. Avoid over planning for your backpacking excursion. This will allow you to enjoy the sightseeing along the way and not focus too much on the plan you made. You also don't want to hike too quickly from having to stick to a too intense plan, because you will burn yourself out far too quickly. You should savor the Appalachian trail's sights.

Stops to Pack Your Backpack Comfortably and Effectively
Pay attention to where you can stop to pack your backpack comfortably and effectively. There are numerous little towns along the Appalachian mountains. These little towns have plenty of suppliers for backpackers to shop at when restocking their supplies. Remember to never over pack your backpack. Only pack comfortably and effectively to make your backpacking experience the best it can be. Pack the right amount of food, camping supplies, water canteens, and clothing at each stop you have in the small towns along the trail. You can add a few lightweight items to make the backpacking experience more comfortable for yourself. Perhaps you can pack a camera. If you are a fan of vaping, you should bring along a light weight vape pen and a vape pen charger. You can charge it up at various stops along the trail.

Look for Appalachian Trail Markers
The markers for the Appalachian trail are white markers on trees, handrails, rocks, and posts. These markers allow you to know you are following the right trail. One white mark means you are following the trail. Two white marks means there is a change in the trail or two different directions you can take. You will need a map or a compass for these parts of the trail. Piles of rocks may also be used as markers in a few parts of the trails. There are some segments of the Appalachian trail that are not marked very much due to conservation efforts to keep certain areas of the trail as natural as possible. If you backpack those parts of the trail, you ought to bring a compass and a map for certain.

Food and Beer Locations to Stop at from Georgia to Maine

On the Appalachian trail you will eat healthy and get a pretty intense workout for your body. You'll enjoy the physical fitness you will achieve. However, you will likely crave drinks and greasy food whenever you stop in the small towns along the way. You will come across plenty of small towns with beer and food venues to die for during your backpacking. The top seven stops for beer and food from the Appalachian range all the way from Georgia to Maine for thru backpackers are: Spring Creek Tavern and Inn, Damascus Brewery, Devil's Backbone Brewery, Doyle, Woodstock Inn, The Gypsy Joynt, and Sarge's Sports Bar and Grill.

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Knots In the Backcountry



Several years ago I had the opportunity to take an abbreviated wilderness survival course conducted by Emergency Response International (visit www.eri-online.com).  One component of their presentation was emergency shelters.  Key to emergency shelter building is the ability to tie a reliable knot.

First, the hunter needs to carry shelter material.  This can range from a poly tarp (with numerous grommets) or one of the many nylon tarps sold through high end retailers such as REI.  A tarp of 8’ by 10’ is adequate.   Secondly, 50 feet good quality parachute cord is needed to tie the shelter to a tree or pole.  Quality parachute cord has a breaking strength of 500 pounds and can be found at a surplus store or on-online.  (There is some junk para cord out there so be careful with your selection.)


An excellent resource for knot tying is an online web site animatedknots.com.  This site offers downloadable apps for the smart phone and categorizes knots by topic (such as scouting, boating and fishing.  The instructions are concise and easy to understand.

There are hundreds of knots that the hunter can choose from.  I recommend learning just a few knots that expand beyond tying your boots or the square knot.

A great knot to start with is the timber hitch.  Wikipedia claims that the timber hitch was first mentioned in a nautical source around 1620. 

“The timber hitch is a used to attach a single length of rope a cylindrical object. Secure while tension is maintained, it is easily untied even after heavy loading.”

Wikipedia

 The timber hitch is a friction knot.  The many wraps of rope or parachute cord hold firmly under tension.  It’s simple and easy to use and can be the anchor of a tarp.  Best of all, after being placed under tension it won’t become next to impossible to untie; we have all been there.



For complete instructions watch the video at animated knots:

www.animatedknots.com/timber