 Poster: A snowHead
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This is a continuation of a topic I felt got a little lost in the Avalanche Rescue Methods thread ...
Make of it what you will, this is what I do ..
A 1:25,000 map, a compass & some cheap disposable reading glasses live permanently in my pack.
I wear a Suunto Vector, I put a new battery in it each season, and have had no problems.
It is a barometric altimeter, I reference it each morning, again during the day if a weather front is going over.
I can read the map 6" from my nose even in a white-out.
This, and knowing how to use it, is the basic kit.
But nobody says you can't have a few extras to make life easier ...
I also have an iPhone which lives in an internal pocket more than 30cm from my transceiver.
With GPS on, WiFi & Data Roaming off, it lasts all day comfortably.
I have the BasicGPS app, and I paid a little bit for the extras, which means I tell it what country I am in, and it displays my position in the appropriate co-ordinate system (British Grid, Swiss Grid, French UTM etc.)
I've just spent a small fortune on a modern GPS unit & the digital mapping to go with it.
I'm building up a library of routes as a fall back measure.
I've not used it enough yet to form a proper opinion, but it is fun !
(I plug it into my laptop and see where I've been, plan routes etc.)
I've hardly ever needed to use my navigation kit, but when I have I've been very glad of it.
The altimeter is the thing I use the most.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Alan McGregor, I had just posted on the other thread, but now copy it over to here and have deleted the original:
I have read this thread (the avalanche rescue one that started to discuss the issue) and noted the issue of skiing with a map with interest.
I have recently started hill walking in the UK and it wouldn't occur to me to go out and walk the hills in the Lake District without a map and compass (I don't own a GPS, but try to make sure that I plan a walk within expected decent visibility - I guess people managed without them before they were invented).
I don't ski off piste, and I hadn't considered the issue of taking a 'decent map' before. However, I can clearly see the parallel with the hill walking situation and it would seem from an outside perspective that taking a map should have the same importance, as should being competent enough to use it and know where you are. I imagine that this is more difficult when the landscape is covered with deep snow - maybe this is an occasion where a combination of a map and GPS is a good idea.
I'm only guessing, but I bet the majority of off piste skiers don't carry something akin to an OS map or a compass which is a little odd, because I bet many would do if they were walking 'off piste' in the summer. I wonder if the lack of map take up with skiers if due to the speed that ground is covered and the difficulty in consulting a map on a regular basis when it is liable to be in a rucksack and the skier would have to take off thick gloves etc. to be able to use it easily, and the snow coverage would easily complicate things. Again maybe a GPS is easier?
I don't know if I am right in these guesses as I don't ski off-piste, but it is really interesting to see it discussed, as I don't think I have seen the topic arise before.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Fri 14-01-11 22:03; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Megamum, could I ask you to use paragraphs in your posts ? - it might help your readers. As it is I take one look at a masss of text and ignore.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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How long before some boffin comes up with an iphone avalanche app that either works as a transponder or broadcasts your GPS location to the emergency services. Getting it to trigger correctly without false broadcasts would probably be the hardest bit. Does Bluetooth work through 10 ft of snow? Could your phone Bluetooth its exact location to your mates?
p.s. - If this actually does get invented, I claim the IPR
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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The snow would block the signal from the satellites.
The last fix obtained could be interpreted though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Forgot to say, if you want a very accurate fix and the ability to mail the data, or send it by MMS, Theodolite is the best iPhone app out there.
Not difficult to see that the app has military uses.
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| JimW wrote: |
| Megamum, could I ask you to use paragraphs in your posts ? - it might help your readers. As it is I take one look at a mass of text and ignore. |
+1
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GPS isn't accurate enough for avalanche rescue. You need to find someone to within an accuracy of 1m or less, not 5-10m. Some kind of integrated GPS/transceiver might substantially shorten the initial search phase though and is probably the way things are going in the future.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
| JimW wrote: |
| Megamum, could I ask you to use paragraphs in your posts ? - it might help your readers. As it is I take one look at a mass of text and ignore. |
+1 |
+2
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+3 but well worth reading.
We take a transceiver, shovel & probe and hope never to use it for real.
Map, compass & altimeter can be equaly life saving, a lot cheaper, but few carry them.
What about a first aid kit & First Aid training ?
Not much point in being able to dig them out if you don't know what to do next.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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FAQ
OK, I've split it up a bit.