Posts

Posted on

Greg’s iPod graveyard


Long distance adventure racer Greg Kolodziejzyk posted a photo of all the disfunctional iPods he’s used for training over the years.

dead-ipods1
larger version

… I seem to blast through iPods as fast as I blow through sneakers. Last summer during training for the 24 hour human powered boat record I purchased a totally water proof enclosure for my iPod from OtterBox because my previous iPod got wet and eventually died. I was sick of buying new iPods so I decided to invest my money into a water proof and shock proof case.

Good idea in theory, but because this OtterBox case fits the iPod so tightly, inserting and removing the iPod for updating and charging wore out the headphones plug and now the sound is shorting out. So, Time for a new pair of shoes, and yet another new iPod. …

Adventures of Greg – Blew through another iPod

I’m only on my 3rd MP3 player. Though I use one almost every day.

The best accessory EVER for outdoor sport is Apple’s $29 Apple Earphones with Remote & Mic.

I can’t believe I used an MP3 player without them.

Posted on

2 hikers dead on Kokoda Track

The Kokoda Track is one of the best, and toughest, hikes in the world.

kokoda

… a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs 96 kilometres (60 mi) overland — 60 kilometres (37 mi) in a straight line — through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The track is the most famous in PNG and is renowned as the location of the World War II battle between Japanese and Australian forces in 1942. ..

On Wednesday, a 26-year-old New South Wales man became the second Australian to die on the track in less than a week.

He died at Ioribaiwa village while trekking with Executive Excellence.

The company says it is working with authorities to have his body returned home as soon as possible. …

Last week 36-year-old Samantha Killen, from Hamilton in south-west Victoria, died on the trek.

samanthakillencrop-420x0

The mother of two was trekking with her father when she collapsed and died on Friday afternoon.

Her father told police his daughter had developed sore legs and appeared to be dehydrated and disorientated in the lead-up to her death.

Just a coincidence?

Earlier, a Kokoda Track tour operator said it was inevitable more deaths would occur unless operators he has described as “cowboys” were banned.

The chairman of the Kokoda Ethics Committee, Aidan Grimes, said some companies skimp on safety by taking up to 150 people trekking and by failing to check their fitness levels. …

ABC – Kokoda deaths not deterring trekkers

related – Kokoda death highlights safety concerns

Posted on

Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 Tent

… just won Backpacker Magazine’s GEAR GUIDE 2009: best all-around solo tent.

Roomy, rugged, and light-as-a-feather

I’ll go test it out for myself.

… free-standing, three-season solo tent weighs less than many bivy sacks. The single hub frame design, together with a mix of clips and fabric pole loops, reduces both set-up time and weight. Mesh in the body minimizes mass while maximizing ventilation. Reflective guy lines and corner webbing prevent pratfalls during night exits.

The Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 Tent (CAD$293 at MEC in Canada)

big-agnes

The specs are a fair bit better than my current (beloved) 1-person tent, the Hubba.

Posted on

Earth – the movie

Happy Earth Day.

The Walt Disney Studios will celebrate Earth Day 2009 (April 22nd) with the debut of “Earth,” the first feature-length nature documentary from its new production banner, Disneynature. …

Follows the epic migratory journeys of four animal families as well as the earth’s journey around the sun and the massive influence it has on all life on the planet, from the Arctic spring to the Antarctic winter.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Posted on

MEC Transparent PVC-Free DryBags


Mountain Equipment Cooperative (MEC) in Canada (my favourite gear shop) has a great new product.

I love being able to find things without digging blind into the bag. And they are good for the environment, too.

5018131_v1_m56577569830769053

MEC Transparent Dry Bag – $13.00 – $26.00 CAD – Made in USA

MEC believe they are the only completely transparent PVC-free drybags available at a consumer level. Not only that, in selecting a 0.5mm thick clear polyurethane they’re convinced the bags are also more flexible and more abrasion resistance than standard PVC drybags.

Treehugger – MEC Become Transparent with PVC-Free DryBags

Posted on

Banff Film Festival World Tour video

Trailer of the 2008/2009 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. The “highlights” of the original festival held in the FAll of 2008.

Much of it is an advertisement for the sponsors. But a thrilling advertisement.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Sadly I missed the World Tour this year.

(via The Adventure Channel)

Posted on

best SAFE hikes in Australia?


More often than not on our list of best hikes in the world we promote “challenging” adventures.

The very dangerous West Coast Trail is our #1 pick. One in every hundred hikers has to be evacuated!

What if you don’t want to be evacuated?

From Our Hiking Blog:

We have come up with a short list that meets the following criteria:

– No death defying stunts required to complete the trip
– Relatively mountain / drop off free
– Challenging enough to make you feel a sense of accomplishment
– Multi day with at least 3 nights camping required
– Generally isolated and away from too much infrastructure

Before we give you the list, recall that Australia is chock full of dangerous animals. My friend from Canberra found a poisonous snake in the back seat of his car while putting his infant daughter into the car seat. I’d rather risk a Grizzly than meet a Brown Snake on the Trail.

The walks, in no particular order, are:

  • Great South West Walk – Victoria
  • Wilsons Promontory Circuit Walk
  • Overland Track – Tasmania
  • Australian Alps Walking Track
  • Thorsborne Trail – Hinchinbrook Island – Queensland
  • Bibbulmun Track – Western Australia
  • Great Ocean Walk – Victoria

    • Read the entire entertaining post – Hiking with Bathmophobia – 7 hiking trips that won’t scare you to death (too much) !

    wallaby
    photo – besthike editor Rick McCharles – Overland Track, Tasmania – 2007 trip report

    Posted on

    iPhone Apps hit the trail


    One of Backpacker Magazine’s blogs, The Daily Dirt, has been my favourite in recent weeks.

    Here’s another interesting post:

    … In a new 30-second spot, the familiar hands demonstrate apps to replace a compass, identify bird species, and spot poison ivy. Add those apps to the already impressive list including the Google Earth and GPS systems and you’ve got a handheld, do-just-about-anything, outdoor genius machine. …

    Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

    Daily Dirt – IPHONE APPS HIT THE TRAIL

    Still, I’ll be taking my iTouch on the trail with me this season. Mainly for listening to Audiocasts and Audiobooks during the long nights in the tent.

    Where I hike there’s no free WiFi. So many of the apps will not work since the Touch has not phone service.

    Posted on

    Survivorman is back – Survive This

    … When Les Stroud announced his retirement from “Survivorman” last year, wilderness-TV fans shed some tears, but we all hoped he’d be back. We’re happy to report the time has come: Les Stroud returns to Canadian TV this week with “Survive This,” in which eight teenagers with varying levels of outdoor skill are thrust into the Northern Ontario woods to survive with no tools outside of their clothes. …

    Daily Dirt – SURVIVORMAN RETURNS—THIS TIME, FOR THE KIDS

    teenagers

    I’ve got some teenagers I want to nominate for next year’s series.

    YTV – Survive This

    === related

    The Pulse blog’s Steve Howe will be watching any TV show related to wilderness safety. Check his recent post: EASTER VANISHINGS AND RESURRECTIONS – A quick survey of the missing, the found, and the lucky