audiocasts – Page 3 – besthike.com

November 17, 2007

Rick Deutsch – Half Dome, Yosemite

Rick is expert on one of the World’s great scrambles, the author of One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome.

His opinion has been much in demand as 3 people died in 2007.

original – flickr – tjk

Rick points out that an estimated 50,000 climb it every year. And no one has ever fallen using the cables until this year.

Still â€” you must be physically and psychologically ready for this hike. (Get his book.)

We feel there is no need to regulate Half Dome. But it’s essential that less experienced day hikers are warned of the dangers.

Listen to Rick interviewed by Steve Sergeant on the Wildebeat audiocast.

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome

HikeHalfDome.com – official website

October 8, 2007

Himalaya â€“ Michael Palin

Just finished an excellent book, Himalaya by Michael Palin of Monty Python fame.

Palin is far better known now for his adventure travel documentaries on BBC TV. In fact, this book is the companion to Himalaya, the TV series available on DVD (2004).

Instead of reading the book, I bought it on Audible.com (about US$12) as Palin reads his own prose. And reads it very well. Both informative and amusing.

I recommend Palin to one and all. (The audio version is much lighter to take with you hiking.)

Himalaya – the book – Amazon

Michael Palin – Wikipedia

A second book was produced from Palin’s 6 month trip featuring the photos taken on the Himalayan journey by his official photographer:

Inside Himalaya – Basil Pao

September 26, 2007

bag your poop on Mt. Whitney, California

UPDATE: Steve Sergeant posted a terrific Wildebeat audiocast on this last year – The Poop on Mount Whitney

Pack out what you pack in.

This is the age-old outdoor rule. And here, taking this decree to the extreme, is a good friend of mine who recently climbed Mt. Whitney in California.

I’ll let you guess what he’s packing out.

Photo of the Day (9/13/07) – Gadling

I hiked Whitney in 2006. Some of the pit toilets were still in place, though they stunk to high Heaven.

In 2007 you must bag it.

Pack-out kits are available at the InterAgency Visitors Center in Lone Pine, and at Crabtree Ranger Station. They are also available at many stores that sell hiking, backpacking and climbing equipment. You should also bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer. A kit will serve a person for 2 to 3 days.

Each kit contains two plastic bags for securely “double-bagging” your waste. The large inner bag contains a powder that absorbs liquids and turns into an odor-fighting gel. The outer zip-closure bag seals everything up for transport.

How to Use Pack-Out Kits

1. Find a secluded location.
2. Spread the large inner bag on the ground. Don’t spill the powder!
3. Crouch over the bag and relieve yourself. Dispose of toilet paper in the bag.
4. Tie a loose knot in the bag, and then seal it inside the zip-close outer bag.

Inyo National Forest

It’s no big deal. These pack-out kits work quite well.

Organize to hike Mt. Whitney, highest peak in the continental USA.

July 28, 2007

Jetboil vs MSR vs Primus stoves

I have been quite happy with my Jetboil stove, after learning the quirks.

Last year Ryan Jordan on the Backpacking Light Magazine podcast did a detailed review of the Jetboil and two copycat competitors.

When you next comparison shop for a new camping stove, be sure to include those three on your list.

“Backpacking Light Trends (Audio Program): Integrated Canister Stove Systems,” by Ryan Jordan. BackpackingLight.com (ISSN 1537-0364).

Leave a comment if you have a recommendation.

June 12, 2007

hiking the granite Tombstone Range, Yukon

My favourite hiking author is Chris Townsend. But I’ve not yet read his 1990 solo Yukon adventure, a route never duplicated. Or again attempted.

The next day, I found that walking into this mountain sanctuary was like walking into paradise.

As befits the way of a pilgrim, the going was rough, leading gradually through dense brush, across willow-thicketed creeks and over moss-covered, half-hidden boulders into the inner sanctum, the magnificent rock amphitheater that is the Tombstone Range, a huge curving ridge of heart-stopping granite walls and spires.

Talus Lake, a boulder-ringed, brooding mountain tam, backed by a towering cliff that looked about to topple into the water, made my fifth night out from Dawson one of the most magnificent wilderness camps I have ever had. Beyond the rippling waters Tombstone Mountain darkened into blackness as the sky deepened from pink into the dark blue of night.

Perfection is not easy to find. Some would say it is an ideal, a goal to seek but never achieve.

Perhaps, most of the time, but I found it at Talus Lake on the morning of August 12, 1990, a morning so beautiful, so faultless that I almost felt guilty for being there, almost wondered what I had done to deserve such rapture. …

Chris Townsend: Walking the Yukon

Andy Howell interviewed Townsend on a recent audiocast. You can listen to it streamed or download it from Podcast Nation. (I subscribe to The Outdoors Station in iTunes and have it automatically downloaded to my computer. Much easier.)

There are very few established hiking trails in the Tombstones. And even fewer hikers. (Leave a comment if you can recommend a route.)

That 1990 book is not available from any of the libraries near me, but you can still get it on-line: Walking the Yukon: A solo trek through the Land of Beyond

Talus Lake – Phil Hammer

I’m pencilled-in myself for a trip to Talus Lake starting Aug. 5th. I’ll be looking for perfection.

April 4, 2007

do you carry an MP3 player on the trail?

I’m often embarrassed to admit I do.

But look at this. Crow is up front with her electronic dependence.

For the upcoming PCT trip Iâ€™m bringing the iriver T10 2gb MP3 player with fm radio. It weighs 1.7 ounces 48 grams without battery. It has a little clip to clip it on to anything or clip it on to the neck lanyard it comes with.

… one AA battery; the battery is supposed to last 45 hours. I put a lithium battery in it because it is lighter and last longer then a regular battery, so Iâ€™m thinking maybe it will last 100 hours on one battery.

If I super compress my files, I think I can get 100 hours of stuff on it. It also records, so a person could record their thoughts along the way with the built in microphone.

… I have ordered a pair of Sony MDR-ED21LP Fontopia In-The-Ear Headphones …

… Last summer, my son downloaded, for me, 300 hours of â€œThis American Lifeâ€, a NPR radio documentary show. Sadly I have listened to all 300 hoursâ€”twice. But that would have made great listening, on the trail.

For music on the trail, I find folk, country and show tunes the most effective hiking music, with most stuff by Johnny Cash being about the most perfect hiking tempo.

As The Crow FliesÂ» Blog Archive Â» Radios and mp3 players for the long distance hiker.

I’ve carried a Rio Cali for years, finally losing it atop the highest mountain in Tasmania.

After some research I opted for an iPod Nano. The proprietary battery is a problem â€” but I plan to get the portable charger, as well.

Another planned add-on is the Griffin iTalk microphone.

I mostly listen to audio podcasts (BBC, CBC, NPR, TWIT, etc.) as well as books on MP3.

I only listen on the trail when I REALLY need it. But in the tent at night the MP3 is a Godsend.

What about you? Do you carry an MP3? What do you listen to?

Scott Williamson Yo-Yo-ing the PCT, twice

Recommended – A great audio podcast was posted by BackpackingLight.com.

Scott Williamson is best known for his thru-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail. He has walked the trail nine times in its entirety, including a Yo-Yo from Mexico to Canada and back – twice.

… topics from his 191-day Yo-Yo of the PCT in 2006, including the psychological challenge of touching the Canadian border and having to turn around and go back; on-trail surgery for septic blood poisoning; the use of ultralight footwear (by Inov8) for long-distance hiking; and more.

Scott is featured in an upcoming film about long distance hiking on the PCT entitled Tell It On the Mountain.

Podcast: Scott Williamson and Yo-Yo-ing the Pacific Crest Trail @ Backpacking Light

That same page hosts a trailer of the soon-to-be-released film.

movie – Tell It On The Mountain (official website)

Scott Williamson – official website

Scott and his new bride will be doing the PCT the summer of 2007. Congratulations and good luck!

March 21, 2007

new podcast – TheOutdoorsStation.co.uk

Bob Cartwright started the first outdoor audio podcast in the UK. And it’s one of the best worldwide.

I’ve been listening to his BackPackingLight.co.uk podcast for about a year.

But Bob’s put that audiocast feed on hold (the previous 100+ old episodes are still posted) and podcasting new episodes out of TheOutdoorsStation.co.uk.

Though confusing to listeners, this is part of a move to “monetize” and expand his work. The new site (still under construction) will post both independent and manufacturer sponsored audiocasts.

A good sample of the NEW audiocast is an interview of Judy Armstrong just prior to her departure on a 3300mi continuous hike around the European Alps.

The easiest way to try it is using the free iTunes (or similar) software. Under PODCASTS, search for “The Outdoor Station”. And click SUBSCRIBE.

(All this can be very confusing if you are not familiar with how podcasts work. Get someone familiar with iTunes to subscribe for you if it’s too baffling.)

You can listen on any computer. You don’t need an iPod or MP3 player.

It’s all free.

We are great fans of Bob Cartwright and wish him the best on this new, much expanded project.

December 14, 2006

free language MP3s – World Nomads

Our travel insurance affiliate World Nomads offers free language guides as MP3 downloads. In fact you can subscribe to them via iTunes, if you like. Perfect if you are planning a hiking trip to a foreign land. (I recall hiking in South America practicing my Spanish on the trail.)

Languages so far: Spanish, Thai, Indonesian (Bahasa), French, Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian, Indian, Lao and Chinese.

World Nomads : Learn the Lingo – Category – Language guides

December 4, 2006

Griffin iTalk – iPod microphone

I’ve been looking for a light-weight voice recorder for use on the trail. Ideally it would be built into my camera tagging each photo with “voice notes”. (I have done this with video, of course.)

But since I carry an MP3 player anyway (for podcasts and books on tape) the Griffin iTalk might be worth a try. It works with an Apple 2 GB iPod Nano – Amazon.

iTalk Pro is perfect for capturing how the world around you really sounds.

Whether youâ€™re taking lecture notes, conducting an interview, or just want to bring the sounds of the great outdoors indoors, your only limitations are your iPodâ€™s capacity, and your own imagination.

iTalkâ€™s twin built-in mics record directly to your iPod, and adjustable gain settings give you control over the volume. You can even use external microphones with iTalk Pro.

Griffin Technology: iTalk Pro – Stereo Mic for iPod – Griffin