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I’ve always been a little obsessive when it comes to geo-tagging my photos. In fact, every single one of my photos on Flickr is geo-tagged, even the ones I had to scan from old prints. While I pride myself on accuracy, getting the locations right was adding days of work to my processing routine. I tried a few different apps for my mobile phone, but between battery limitations and poor performance when matching photos to locations it was time for a new solution.
I have to thank Jon at OAUSA for pointing me in the right direction when we were discussing the pros and cons of using the vehicle as a tent at camp one evening. My most-wished-for feature on the Disco-tent was screens for the windows, that way I can sleep with the windows down when it’s nice out and remain bug free.
This began with an exhausting Craigslist search for what I thought would be the ideal platform for long term camping and hauling a canoe: an old Datsun truck-bed trailer. The last long trip we took saw 500 pounds of water sitting in the back of the Disco with all the other gear, and even with the OME heavy duty springs it was not fun to drive. We ended up supplying water for most of the group for the first few days just so we could get the weight down. After finally tracking one down that didn’t disappear on me before I could reach the seller, we made the 8-hour drive down to Tuscon only to realize that the Datsun-bed would be way too big for what I had in mind (the constant question was “Would I have been ok towing this on the Navajo trip?”). Fortunately, we found this little guy sitting right next to the Datsun, and he only wanted $300:
Just like the standard version, the 5.11 Tactical Fleece-Lined Packable Jacket provides a rain-proof, lightweight outer shell that can be easily packed into a large pocket or small go-bag – this time with the added warmth of fleece.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Pros:
Rain proof, wind proof, warmth, dries quickly, compact and easy to pack, does not get “sticky”
Cons:
limited usefulness in freezing temperatures (but that is a problem with any lightweight fleece jacket); still no hood
While shopping for a small “writing” light I stumbled upon the Maratac Hydrant over at County Comm – an odd, tall, shoulder bag with enough room inside for two 1-liter water bottles.
Rating: 5 stars!
Pros:
Well-built, lots of attachment options, removable insulation, inexpensive
Cons:
Odd size… though that might not actually be a “con”
I’ve had nothing but trouble trying to get on the not-so-local Keller Peak repeater. At first, I figured this was just due to my limited equipment (a handheld radio with the stock rubber ducky at the time) and had all but accepted the fact that I would have to either drive up the mountain, or live with EchoLink delays and drops (which are really bad on Time Warner’s horrible service). Later, after getting a decent mobile radio and antenna set up in Dani’s truck (and verifying it was installed right by testing on simplex), I realized equipment might not be the whole problem after all. I did several trial runs by sitting on EchoLink to verify there was, in fact, traffic and listening in on the mobile with the squelch turned off – still nothing but sleep-inducing white noise (not even the occasional garbled static).
I mentioned this to a friend not long ago, and with his help was able to get this elevation profile:
So, I’m just over 55 miles from the Keller Peak repeater… and half of that distance is through solid rock.
On his recommendation I ordered an Elk Antennas 2-meter/70-cm antenna, along with their carry bag since I figured this would end up becoming part of my standard kit in the truck. The antenna packs down small in the bag (about 24 x 6 x 1.5 inches) and is very light and easy to assemble. All of the individual rods are color-coded so there is no confusion getting them in the right order, and everything goes together without tools. The mount fits snug onto 1-inch PVC conduit readily available at any hardware store, which I have since cut to the length of my roof rack for easy transport.
I was able to test it out for the first time under less than ideal conditions (mostly my fault), and I am very impressed. Despite my hastily assembled “pile of firewood and a ratchet strap” mounting bracket, only knowing generally what direction the repeater was in, using the only very poor coax I had on hand, and with strong winds blowing the entire assembly around I was able to hear the repeater crystal clear, and transmit to the repeater with a scratchy-but-useable signal, which would impress everyone from ADT security experts to communication tech-wizards.
(Keller is behind the mountains in the distance on the right)
I think with a proper mount and an accurate bearing from here to the repeater I’ll be in business. I also think I’m going to order a second Elk to leave in Dani’s truck – something so useful and so easy to carry, it almost seems silly to be traveling the back country without it.
The LifeHammer – a tool every vehicle manufacturer should be including as standard equipment in every vehicle made (especially those taken well off the beaten path) – can be had for about $15 from Amazon
The LifeHammer as purchased does not come with any mounting hardware, a puzzle they leave you to figure out. After several bad experiences with all manner of adhesives on other equipment, I strongly suggest you disregard the manufacturers claim that any sort of adhesive tape will do. For going into plastic interior panels, I’ve found wood screws self-tap easily and hold well. A 5/8-ths inch #6 screw works well in most cases, and is short enough it won’t damage anything the auto maker might have hidden under the panel.
For those of us with a Discovery, the factory-installed overhead shelf/console has a large void in the center rear. This area is too far back to be a useful location for a display or gauge cluster, has no available OEM accessories to fill it, and is an awkward place for auxiliary switches. It is an empty, sturdy mounting space that serves no other purpose and is easily accessible by both driver and passenger. Once the LifeHammer is installed, all of the original access panels, switches, and lighting remain unaffected.
Once installed, this location is easily accessible while strapped into either the driver or front passenger seats. The bracket itself is tight enough the hammer isn’t going anywhere (the roof is actually a suggested location by the manufacturer), and the entire assembly sits high enough it does not block access to the sunroof controls.
Down the road, the LifeHammer bracket will help shield the glare of some custom-fabricated map lights I will be installing (for some reason, the Discovery does not come with any from the factory).
I give it 3.5 of 5… good, I would buy it again, but it does not live up to the hype from Canon’s marketing department (unlike their pocket point-and-shoots). See the update at the end of this review, Cliffnotes: Canon FAIL!
I originally came to this camera from a price perspective. My SD1100 has a broken lens (through no fault of it’s own) and the latest greatest Canon point-and-shoots are surprisingly more expensive than they have been in the past. With the prices so close together, I figured I would spend the extra $75 to gain a few long-desired truly manual controls over my pictures and see what this “SuperZoom” thing is all about.
The manual modes in the camera are good enough I can put off buying a DSLR for a couple more years. As it turns out, most of what I wanted (direct control of exposure and white balance) can be accomplished with this camera in a semi-manual mode, which is great as Canon’s processors generally do a wonderful job picking out settings by themselves.
While the camera boasts 12 megapixels, effectively it is more like 8MP thanks to a slight grain/fuzz issue that is present on nearly every picture. I also found the lack of a “superfine” JPEG quality rather disturbing, as it is present on ALL of the other digital cameras I have ever used. Images taken at “fine” quality average about 80% smaller in file size than they do on the lower resolution (8MP) SD1100 set to “superfine”. While the quality of the images does not appear to suffer much, I can’t help but wonder if some of the grain/fuzz might be cleared up if we were allowed “superfine” quality JPEGs.
The interface is pretty much the same well thought out layout we’ve come to expect from Canon. Most controls are right where they have always been, and the few things that have moved (to make way for manual controls) are not difficult to find. Getting through the system to change modes or options is quick and easy. A more detailed look at the plusses and minuses of the camera can be found in the individual picture descriptions in the Flickr set.
A note on size if you’re planning to pocket this camera and don’t like wearing BDUs every day: this is a big camera. It will not fit in any of the pockets in my jeans at all, and I have trouble getting it into the pockets of some of my cargo pants. While I may have been able to put off buying a DSLR with this camera, I find I’m still in need of a true pocket camera to replace my SD1100.
For protection, a Pelican 1010 fits the camera like it was made for it. I STRONGLY recommend purchasing one as this camera is extremely vulnerable to dust intrusion. After only 5 months of careful use there are particles of dust inside the lens assembly I have not been able to clear (which show up in my pictures). The outside of the lens also gets dirty very easily, even when the camera is off, and is hard to get clean. I find myself cleaning the lens every couple weeks. By comparison, I had to clean my SD1100’s lens maybe twice a year.
The Canon SX200 met it’s demise today. A fall I took on the second day of our trek had it acting up a little, as it hit rock pretty hard from it’s “safe” place attached to my wrist. Between that and the complete lack of dust-resistance in the design it finally gave out. I think I am done with pocket point-and-shoots. I originally picked up the SX200 because I wanted DSLR-like controls, but it has proved too big to carry safely in a pocket and too expensive for something you cannot take apart and clean. The problems I have experienced with the camera would not have been an issue on a professional model where you can detach the lens and clean the unit in the field.
It is also worth mentioning that several of my previous Canon pocket cameras have been treated far worse, yet still function perfectly fine to this day. In fact, the first Canon I ever bought (an ancient SD600) just happened to be sitting in the truck and handled my pictures for the remainder of the trip. Canon’s quality in their consumer line has nose-dived, they just don’t build them like they use to…
Rating: 4 / 5
Pros:
Comfortable and light, long runtime, common AAA batteries, perfect work area lighting output
Cons:
Red filter is ineffective, producing a bright orange light with lots of white bleed; only one output level
It took forever to get this in from Botach (seriously, don’t order ANYTHING but closeout items from them if you need it this year), but they had the best price by a good 20% and were the only place I could find that carries the camo version (the other one is black with big ugly white logos): Petzl Tactikka @ Botach.
The light itself has been upgraded from the unit pictured on the site, and has the Tactikka Plus style ratchet adjustment for tilting the light to the preferred angle. Granted we didn’t come anywhere close to using them for the advertised 110-hour runtime, but they did not fade at all on a 5 hour night hike (actually, the return leg of a 10 hour hike). They are light enough to be comfortable despite running on 3 AAAs, and are adjustable from helmet-size all the way down to thigh size.
Their built-in red filter is kind of a joke, actually more of a bright orange and a lot of white bleeds out the sides. It is handy for working on something up close I suppose, though the white light is not terribly overpowering. While I still grab for my Surefire to investigate sounds or search along the side of the trail, for hiking/climbing/running it is the perfect amount of illumination for lighting up the path close ahead and not white-out your night vision.
In action tested at 25/50 feet (2 lights on the same spot), 25 feet (one light), 10 feet (one light) and 3 feet (2 lights):
The Bottom Line:
This is a great headlight, however for only $5 more the Tactikka Plus has an extra LED, strobe setting, and 3 output levels – well worth the small extra investment.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Pros:
Simple, durable, compact and light-weight, easy to maintain, fast, boils enough water to make food for two, fold-up stabilizer base fits in the pot with burner and fuel for transit
Cons:
Dependence on canister fuels, a little top heavy when full (buy the fold-up base to fix this), just barely does not fit in pouches/pockets designed for a 1-liter Nalgene bottle, danger of burns from boiling water-volcano if you leave it running too long
Using the JetBoil is simple enough, I almost think it came with a manual just for the CYA warnings. The JetBoil really is a no brainer. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any JetBoil-branded mini canisters along the remote route we took for our last trip, so I had to settle for a full-size Coleman canister. I’ll have to take their word for the whole “2 cups in 2 minutes” thing, as I was distracted by something and came back at around 3 minutes to find my water violently boiling and the pot difficult to approach. Suffice to say it works very well, but don’t let it run too long or you might need gloves to get through the molten rainstorm and shut it off.
As I have read in reviews elsewhere, the completed assembly is a bit top heavy, especially with water in the cup. Caution around the stove, and perhaps even one of those stabilizing stands they sell separately would be a good idea. We had no problems on this outing, but I could see this being more difficult at a poorer campsite.
For some reason, when ordering the JetBoils it didn’t occur to me how easy it would be to simply boil a few cups of water and pour the boiling water into single-serving food containers. As a result, we purchased two of the stoves when one stove is quite sufficient for two people. I generally have the food packed this way anyhow so we can grab whatever meal we feel like. Of course, if you’re using individually packaged food you also have this option. If you intend, as I originally did, to finish preparing and serve your food in the JetBoil itself you’ll still want one cup/pot per person (available separate of the burner assembly). Our second, unused JetBoil has been relegated to a vehicle emergency kit (along with a few Mountain House ProPaks)
My only real quarrel with the unit is that a JetBoil stove will not fit “anywhere a 1L Nalgene will” as commonly advertised. Be forewarned: it will not fit in the 5.11 Bottle Carrier, the Maxpedition 10x4 Bottle Holder, the Nalgene pockets of any of the Maxpedition cases and Versipacks or even in the expanding Maxpedition Mini-RolyPoly. Maxpedition does make a 12x5 Bottle pouch it will fit in, however, and Kifaru has a very nice pouch specifically designed for the extra girth of a JetBoil.
This is an excellent, efficient, light-weight stove that would compliment anyone’s backpacking rig well. It would also be useful in emergency kits or in the trunk of the car with a couple single-serving Mountain House dinners and a bottle of water.
