Aug
29

Extreme cold weather hints and tricks

Chris on August 29th, 2009

I actually enjoy spending time in extreme cold weather.  A lot of people think that makes me strange or crazy, and that is good.  It leaves a lot of places relatively unexplored for me to explore.  But, for others that enjoy the cold places around the world, I want to share some hints and tips [...]

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Aug
26

Navigational Tools of the Trade Part 2

Chris on August 26th, 2009

This week, I’ll finish talking about the important navigational items that I started discussing last week. 6. GPS Global positioning systems have become incredibly popular in recent years.  They are so popular that I have actually met people that do not carry a compass in the backcountry.  I consider this practice dangerous.  Just like a [...]

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Aug
24

Trip Report – El Cocuy Colombia

Chris on August 24th, 2009

If you have not been to Colombia, you really are missing an amazing and beautiful country.  The opportunities for exploring forest and mountains are limitless. El Cocuy is a beautiful mountain region in the Colombian department of Boyacá.  Even though there are mountains over 5000 meters, the weather is very mild, and the proximity to [...]

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Aug
23

Sealskinz waterproof sock review

Chris on August 23rd, 2009

I’ve been using Sealskinz for about a year now.  I originally bought them for trail running in wet conditions as my shoes are not waterproof and I wanted dry feet.  I then realized they were far more useful than I expected. First, like any waterproof breathable material, this will make your feet sweat.  So you [...]

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Aug
21

Navigating without landmarks – snow, fog, desert, plains, glaciers

Chris on August 21st, 2009

When traveling in areas that do not have clearly visible landmarks, it can be very difficult to travel by normal navigational means.  Clearly, the GPS is ideal for these situations.  However, you should always have a backup method in case your GPS fails.  You will need to use dead reckoning.  You know where you are [...]

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Aug
20

Navigational Tools of the Trade

Chris on August 20th, 2009

1. Compass When selecting a compass for navigating in the backcountry, there are a number of features that are necessary. Primarily, you absolutely must be able to accurately shoot an azimuth.  I prefer mirror compasses for this purpose.  If you look at the geologist’s transit, it has a mirror sighting mechanism.  I’ve found that I [...]

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Aug
20

Navigation Links – useful information for backcountry / cross country travel

Chris on August 20th, 2009

These are some websites that I find very useful.  The first site gives you sunrise and sunset data, which is essential information.  Navigating at night adds a whole new array of difficulty.  The second site allows you to find out the current magnetic declination for a location. US Navel Oceanography Portal Complete Sun and Moon [...]

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