Owners of Garmin GPS units will be interested to know about two web sites offering free map and trail software created by “community mappers”.

GPS File Depot is a rich resource worth checking out. Dozens of free topo maps and some street maps are available for download; with maps for Arizona, California, New Mexico, to name just a very few. I downloaded the Arizona Topo Map onto my PC and used Garmin MapSource® software to install the map onto the micro-SD card in my eTrex Vista® HCx. The 24k topo map software came up and displayed as expected. It will be interesting to put it to use in the field.

In addition to the map downloads at GPS File Depot, you will also find several interesting tutorials, including a series describing how to create your own Garmin compatible maps.

MapSource® screen shot of Arizona Topo Map

Also worth a visit is the web page for Southwest Trails, a fascinating project devoted to creating transparent trail overlays for Garmin GPS units. Quoting from the web site: “In short, Southwest Trails is a transparent map overlay that you can put on your map-enabled Garmin GPS receiver. This allows you to see, and follow, trails using whatever maps you normally would on your GPS...be it topo maps, City Navigator, or any other sort of map that you have on your GPS.”

Both sites hint at a tantalizing future in which users and enthusiasts not only create GPS-ready topo maps, but also fill them in with up-to-date trail detail that is otherwise very difficult to come by. Looks like this future has already arrived!

I have long been fan a of Garmin® handheld GPS units. Most all of the Garmin units I’ve tested have been accurate, reliable, light, rugged, and well designed.

Our most popular models are in Garmin’s “Mapping Handhelds” product category, designating units that can display optional maps and usually with built in base maps. As of this writing Garmin has an overwhelming 25 different models in this category, with prices ranging from around $150 all the way to $600.

Like any gear geek, I am influenced by my own biases when trying to pick out what I think are the most desirable units, so I might as well tell you up front what those biases are. With backcountry foot travel my primary activity, I prefer units that are light, compact, have long battery life, can store a lot of waypoints, and offer a useful topo map display.

My favorite units in this Garmin grouping are the recently released Dakota™20 and the now venerable eTrex Vista®HCx and eTrex Legend® HCx models.

Dakota 20

There is a lot to like about brand new Dakota 20. Priced at about $350, its most obvious feature is a slick and responsive touchscreen with color output that is reasonably easy to read. Weighing a mere 5.3 ounces (including lithium batteries), it is packed with features including an altimeter/barometer, an electronic compass, turn by turn routing on roadways (with optional software), the ability to transmit data wirelessly with other compatible units, and a wireless receiver that interacts with optional heart monitors or bicycle cadence sensors. The list goes on. The touchscreen and menu system is not as sophisticated as that found on an iPhone, but is very effective and satisfying to use. Battery life isn’t bad at 20 hours, but to achieve this, power hungry features like the electronic compass must be turned off. (The compass can be easily turned off or on using menu commands.) It stores a thousand waypoints and accepts a micro-SD™ storage card which can be used to install vast amounts of optional mapping software.

The Dakota 20 works with a bunch of optional map products, but I use the “TOPO U.S. 24K” series from Garmin which are similar to 7.5 minute, 1:24,000 scale USGS maps. These digital maps scale well and are readable enough to be quite useful in the field. Garmin publishes them on micro-SD cards which slip into the SD port in the GPS unit and on DVDs.

A few caveats are in order however. This map series lacks some of the fidelity and rich detail typical of USGS maps, and though they present trails and roads, I have noticed some errors with road and trail locations, naming, and incomplete information. However, I continue to use USGS maps (via TOPO! software) and I find the on-board GPS topo map a valuable supplement. I usually carry my GPS clipped on an accessible pack shoulder strap, and like having the topographic information readily available on the unit screen, since my paper USGS map is often stashed away in the pack.

eTrex Vista HCx and eTrex Legend HCx

The eTrex Vista HCx and eTrex Legend HCx have been around for a while now, but are still units I recommend. They weigh about 5.5 ounces and are about the same size as the Dakota. These units do not have a touch screen, but instead use buttons and a small cursor stick to navigate a sensible and well featured menu system, displayed on a readable color screen. The battery life is outstanding on both units at 25 hours or so, and both accept a micro-SD storage card, so they are well suited for use with optional mapping products like the TOPO U.S. 24K maps. Both models can store up to 1,000 waypoints, just like the Dakota 20. The Vista HCx sells for about $300 and includes an altimeter/barometer and electronic compass; but as with the Dakota 20, the compass should be turned off to maximize battery life. Without the altimeter/barometer and electronic compass, the Legend HCx is a lean, mean, GPS map machine, selling for around $250.

Compact, light, and powerful, I like and recommend these three Garmin models for backcountry navigation.

Using an optional belt clip

Even when bears are not a threat to the outdoor traveler’s food, mice, rats, ringtail cats, and other small mammals can be relentless in their effort to dine on back country food stores. Garbage and empty food wrappers also attract the attention of hungry critters. This is especially true at often-used campsites. And perhaps just as bad, these animals can cause significant damage to packs, tents and other gear as they energetically chew and gnaw their way to the food.

What to do? Metal or hard nylon cans are heavy, bulky and difficult to pack. Fiber reinforced bags can succumb to sharp teeth given enough time. In arid areas like the Grand Canyon there are often no trees large enough to successfully hang food bags out of reach.

Check out the chew resistant Outsak™. Made of stainless steel mesh, the Outsak™ is flexible, reasonably light, and very packable. The webbing backed loop closure is animal resistant yet easy to open. It is outfitted with a sturdy grommet to facilitate hanging from trees or overhangs.

Outsak™ bags are offered in three sizes, with weights ranging from 8 to 10.5 ounces. The small size, at 18 x 14 inches is pictured here. Prices range from $32.99 to $44.99.

These bags are extremely useful, but should not be considered fail proof. Though the steel mesh offers a lot of protection at a reasonable weight, the bags are none-the-less vulnerable to many animals, even small ones given plenty of time. Bears certainly have the strength to tear them apart, and so may coyotes and other large mammals. Ravens can defeat the mesh by virtue of their strong beaks and persistent intelligence. (The manufacturer recommends hiding the sack or stacking heavy rocks around it when ravens are a threat.)  And don’t forget tiny animals like ants, which can simply crawl through the protective mesh.

I’m not sure there is a totally foolproof and lightweight answer to the problem of protecting food from animals in the outdoors, but the Outsak™  is one of the most practical solutions for keeping small animals away from food that I know of.

At the Summit Hut, we are always on the lookout for products that solve problems; a boot that fits a challenging foot, a piece of climbing gear that fills a particular need, or as discussed here, a large capacity day pack that fits people with short torsos.

Many of us need and use big day packs. Rock climbers, search and rescue personnel, and winter sports enthusiasts are all examples of users who may need a large capacity day pack.

With this class of pack, a correct fit is critical for optimum comfort and performance, because somewhat heavier loads are often carried in them.

And here’s the rub: it can be challenging to find a well made, big day pack that fits adults who are relatively short from the waist to the top of the shoulders.

Women ranging in height from 5’0” to 5’4” are often faced with this problem: large day packs with the carrying capacity and support they need are simply too long to fit correctly and hence virtually unusable.

To solve this problem, we often look at youth packs because they are designed to fit shorter torsos; but we are sometimes frustrated because many manufacturers of youth packs don’t offer the features or quality components that short-waisted, adult users are looking for.

Jib 35 by Osprey

We have been very impressed with the “Sprint Series” for youth from Osprey. Don’t be fooled by the playful graphics; these packs are well built, feature an adjustable suspension system, and have a light frame to support heavier loads. Osprey suggests that these packs are excellent for youngsters ready to start carrying their own gear on overnight trips (and they are), but we quickly learned they also make a fantastic big day pack for smaller women, or anyone with a short torso.

The Jib 35 is especially versatile as a large day pack because of its 2,100 cubic inch carrying capacity. Stop by one of our Summit Hut stores and check this pack out, especially the fit; I think you’ll be impressed.

Water purification in the backcountry is a vexing problem without a completely satisfactory solution as far as I am concerned. Over the coming months I’ll be discussing several water purification products on this blog.

For the past few years I have been relying almost exclusively upon Katadyn Micropur MP1 purification tablets, which is a chlorine dioxide system.

Hundreds of municipalities around the world use chlorine dioxide technology to disinfect public water supplies. It can be effective against bacteria, virus, and protozoa including Giardia and Cryptosporidium.

I like using Micropur tablets because they are very lightweight and easy to use. Excuse the whining, but I have become annoyed with the weight of pump filters and the effort required to pump water.

Each Micropur tablet treats a liter of water, so getting the dose right is quick and easy. The tablets are individually packaged and sealed, and Katadyn claims a 5 year shelf life from time of manufacturing; an expiration date is stamped along the edge of the packaging strip. Unlike tablets packaged together in pill bottles, you don’t have to worry about the unused tablets losing their effectiveness because of exposure to air. Thus the individually packaged Micropur tablets are suitable for use in seldom used emergency kits or as a light and compact backup for pump filters and other mechanical purification devices.

Scissors or a knife are needed to remove each tablet from its sealed pouch

The instructions on Micropur packaging states that once placed into contaminated water, tablets must “react for 4 hours” before the water is suitable for drinking. Four hours is a long time!

In a separately published information brochure, Katadyn addresses this issue. The EPA demands that the product packaging show only the wait time for cold and dirty water (“EPA Water #2"), very challenging water to treat. In such challenging conditions, Katadyn claims Micropur kills bacteria and virus in 15 minutes, but kills Giardia and Cryptosporidium in 4 hours.

However, in clear, warmer water (“EPA Water #1”), Katadyn claims Micropur kills bacteria and virus in 15 minutes; and kills Giardia and Cryptosporidium in 30 minutes. Take time to read the brochure for all the important details on this topic.

So, one downside of using Micropur tablets is the need for thinking ahead about your water needs. I take full advantage of night camps whenever possible to treat contaminated water for 8 or more hours for use the following day; and while hiking, attempt to have enough treated water on hand when I reach a contaminated water source I intend to take water from, in order to comfortably allow for an appropriate wait time.

Chlorine dioxide does impart a taste to the water, especially if the water is consumed immediately after the treatment time has expired, though the taste will diminish with more time. I do not find the taste particularly objectionable. For me it is far more pleasant than iodine treated water, and doesn’t taste much different than some municipal water I have run across.

Last month I reviewed the SPOT Satellite Messenger in a blog entry titled “See SPOT”. In the review I reported that while using SPOT on the Arizona Trail, I experienced an 80% transmission success rate, speculating that the failed transmissions were due to hillsides or foliage blocking SPOT’s view of the sky.

Last week I attended the major trade show of the outdoor industry, the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, in Salt Lake City. I stopped by the SPOT booth and talked to Donnie Hatch of Spot, Inc. about the transmission success rate I had experienced using SPOT.

Donnie was instantly interested, and asked “How did you orient your SPOT during transmissions?” I told him that I typically propped my SPOT up in an upright position, assuming that the antenna was located at the top of the device.

Donnie then told me that SPOT’s antenna was located under the face of the device, below the SPOT logo. He went on to say that for best transmission results it is very important to set SPOT on its back, with the face of SPOT oriented skywards. Though this information is not currently available in the materials that are packaged with SPOT, a tech article about this topic is available online here.

Right (above);   wrong (below)

I sometimes muse, “What have been the best advances in outdoor gear?” There are plenty of candidates. Developments in material, fabrics and design have led to plenty of innovation in packs, outerwear, clothing, cooking systems, tents, and much more. And how about GPS units and digital mapping software, or the introduction of trekking poles?

But trip after trip, I find myself most appreciating the positive change that LED lights have brought to outdoor pursuits. Why do I like LED’s so much? Two words: battery life. You don’t have to go crazy worrying about how many extra batteries to bring along, even for multi-day trips. Nor do you have to obsess about rationing your use of light. No worries if you want to read books or study maps after dark for hours at a time. Others things to like about LED’s are that they are light weight and tough. A few downsides: LED’s aren’t as good at forming strong beams like the old incandescent flashlights did so well, and the light quality isn’t quite as good either.

There are a lot of great LED flashlights and headlamps out there. My current favorite is a headlamp from Black Diamond that’s been around a few years, the Spot Headlamp. I really like this headlamp because of its versatility. In proximity mode the 3 AAA batteries will run for up to 140 hours, but a super bright mode is available that I have successfully used on long night hikes. Even in super bright mode, Spot is rated to run 50 hours before exhausting the batteries.

What's your favorite LED light?

LED image from Wikipedia used under Creative Commons Attribution license.

I used the SPOT Satellite Messenger during my hike of the Arizona Trail last spring, and wanted to let you know what I experienced using the device. Weighing 7.3 oz (including two lithium batteries), the SPOT device is billed as “Handheld satellite communication and safety device” by SPOT Inc. (a subsidiary of Globalstar, the satellite telephone company).

Power SPOT on, and the onboard GPS chip goes to work determining your location. Press one of the three transmission buttons, and SPOT will attempt to transmit a signal to the Globalstar satellite network, with the unit’s unique id number and the coordinates of your location packed into the transmission. This information is directed to ground-based antennas and then forwarded to appropriate recipients on the ground via email or emergency service notification.

Transmission button choices include “OK”, “HELP” and “911”. After subscribing to the SPOT service and setting up your account, you are given an opportunity to provide email addresses for up to 10 contacts who receive email notices when the OK and HELP buttons are successfully activated. These email messages include a prewritten text note that you, the subscriber provides, as well a link to Google Maps indicating your position as determined by SPOT’s GPS chip. Should you press the 911 button, the subsequent satellite message is directed to local emergency and rescue services. The company claims a “99% or better probability of successfully sending a single message within 20 minutes” using SPOT within their designated coverage areas around the globe. Pretty slick.

My primary motive for using SPOT on the Arizona Trail was to have a simple way of letting family and friends know where I was on a daily basis. I transmitted twice a day; once during lunch and again at the end of the day when I arrived at camp. I took care whenever possible to put my SPOT into its “OK” transmission mode for at least 20 minutes each time I transmitted.

Unfortunately, SPOT cannot tell you whether a transmission has been successfully received by the satellite and ground system. This is because SPOT is a one-way device; it can only transmit messages skyward, it cannot receive messages from the satellite system above. On my trip I soon learned that my transmission success rate was somewhere around 80%. I speculate that the failed transmissions were due to an inadequate view of the sky because of trees and other overhanging vegetation, or being confined by canyon walls or nearby hillsides. (For additional information on maximising transmission success rates, check this 1/26/2009 post.) 

Knowing that about 20% of my transmissions failed, I took care to tell family and friends not to worry if they did not always receive messages from me when expected. In a situation where I might need to use the “911” or “HELP” button, I think I would go to the trouble of transmitting multiple times from different locations if there was any doubt about how good a view of the sky was available.

In spite of the missed transmissions, we were all delighted with messages that did get through; SPOT really can be a good way to keep in touch with people when you are out in the wild. When relying upon SPOT in an emergency however, I think it important to keep its limitations well in mind.

I worried about SPOT getting jostled or compressed in my pack as I hiked, possibly triggering an unneeded rescue effort. So, for peace of mind I removed one of the batteries from my SPOT before stowing it away in the pack, and I took care to carry extra batteries in case I lost the battery I had removed.

By the way, here is the text of the email message that my SPOT transmitted when I reached the end of the Arizona Trail:

SPOT "OK" check in for Dave Baker
ESN:0-7364855
Latitude:37.0011
Longitude:-112.035
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:05/15/2008 16:29:56 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=37.0011,-112.035&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1