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The Adventurer's Gear Thread

Martinis at 8

Practically Family
Messages
710
Location
Houston
Jerekson said:
Understandable. I've never seen you speak of it before personally - is there a thread I missed? I'm interested...

Somewhere back in there is a thread or a post. Short version, I am an independent consultant, 1-man company, niche technical specialty.
 

bbc1969

Familiar Face
Messages
78
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Martinis at 8 said:
Getting back to adventure gear, does anybody here use SPOT on their adventures. SPOT is a personal satellite tracker.

SPOTleg3.jpg


I find it to be a great device. I picked mine up a couple months back after work let me down and didn't have the sat phone available. I have used the device during several trips in Asia/ SW Pacific. Works as advertised.

I didn't subscribe the first time around to the continuous tracking feature. I have not decided if I will or not in the future. But even without that, the 911, need help, and check in Ok functions are enough for me. The $100,000.00 in evacuation insurance for about 7 bucks wasn't a bad deal either.

Of course the SPOT does not replace the compass(es) and GPS I carry in my kit when I travel.
 

Martinis at 8

Practically Family
Messages
710
Location
Houston
bbc1969 said:
...Of course the SPOT does not replace the compass(es) and GPS I carry in my kit when I travel.

Of course not. Compass I carry. GPS, I don't use. I'm still a paper map kinda traveler. Onion skins too. Something about using a GPS just strikes me as cheating :D It takes the fun out of land navigation.
 

Mojave Jack

One Too Many
Messages
1,785
Location
Yucca Valley, California
Martinis at 8 said:
We used to use these in the Army to lay the mortars. I believe this is still done as a manual back up.
We used them in the Marine Corps for 81 mm mortars, as well, and is still done from what I've seen around the base.

Martinis at 8 said:
Of course not. Compass I carry. GPS, I don't use. I'm still a paper map kinda traveler. Onion skins too. Something about using a GPS just strikes me as cheating It takes the fun out of land navigation.
No one should be allowed to use a GPS unless they have mastered conventional map reading and orienteering! lol It's painful watching people in the park try to figure out what their GPS is telling them, but they don't have a proper frame of reference. [huh] A GPS is certainly not a replacement for map skills, but so many people seem to think so. I use a GPS daily for work, but still have to depend on good map reading skills.

It's good to know where you are when you have to contend with this sort of thing lying around.

Bomb.jpg
 

carebear

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,220
Location
Anchorage, AK
One thing I enjoyed about the Stumps was the small, but real, issue of walking up on missed unexploded munitions. Made staying alert on point a little less theoretical.
 

bbc1969

Familiar Face
Messages
78
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Mojave Jack said:
No one should be allowed to use a GPS unless they have mastered conventional map reading and orienteering!


I agree completely! But when in a work situation, or if I have to try to E & E overseas, I am glad to have the gizmos to send the "come save my bacon" signal, and the "this is where I am" information very quickly. But the map is always on the person (as well as the compass... even if I'm urban and its a little pocket survival type.....) There are so many things that don't take up much space that a person can carry to make their lives so much easier in a bad situation....
 

Mojave Jack

One Too Many
Messages
1,785
Location
Yucca Valley, California
Jerekson said:
Were you lucky enough to find that little specimen yourself, Jack?
Yes, but it's a pretty common occurrence. We were out doing a survey in preparation for the 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion to dig a series of tank hull down positions. They wanted to put their positions right in the middle of a concentration of archeological sites, so I had to go out and find them a new spot to dig their positions. From there we went on to relocate a desert tortoise that had taken up residence in a very bad spot. When we got there we couldn't find the tortoise, but his burrow had been crushed by a tank. Fortunately the tortoise had moved on. On the way back we found this 500-lb bomb. It's a practice bomb, though, since it is painted blue, but live ordnance is used just as often as practice ordnance.

You're right, of course, bbc, and I wouldn't go without a GPS when the situation is serious. Hell, I carried a compass in NYC! Being down in those concrete trenches was completely disorienting, and I had no idea which way I was facing. Give me the desert any day.
 

Gutshot

One of the Regulars
Messages
137
Location
Oregon
Well I guess the desert boot knock offs at Target weren't a big seller around here as I just found a bunch of new pairs with tags sill on them a the Goodwill for 15 bucks a pop. Something you all may wish to check out in your area.
 

avedwards

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,425
Location
London and Midlands, UK
Once my mother finished the adjustments on the cuffs I will post pics of my beige/off-white '50s sport coat. It would be good for "dress safari" as well as for proper outdoor wear since the only thing differentiating it from a safari jacket is the shape, the material is the same.
 

carebear

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,220
Location
Anchorage, AK
Good news for those who realize that "leaving civilization behind" doesn't mean that civilization (the worst parts anyway) will leave you alone.

Michael Bane's "Trail Safe: How to Avoid Danger in the Backcountry" is back in print.

http://www.flyingdragonltd.us/trail-safe.htm

link contains an excerpt

Talks about awareness, risk assessment and planning and self-defense strategies.

I recommend this book to anyone who adventures in the great outdoors.
 

Mike K.

One Too Many
Messages
1,479
Location
Southwest Florida
Gutshot said:
Shooting lions? Wrestling polar bears? Punching gorillas? Details man, details!
I am an Audubon Society wildlife warden. My "office" is a 13,000 acre wildlife preserve that I share with 14ft alligators, fire ants, panthers, and countless thorny and poisonous plants. Every single day is an adventure of one kind or another. :eek: ;)
 

Mojave Jack

One Too Many
Messages
1,785
Location
Yucca Valley, California
Gutshot said:
Shooting lions? Wrestling polar bears? Punching gorillas? Details man, details!
Absolutely out adventuring! Today I spent doing maintenance on the Bighorn Sheep guzzlers we have located up in the mountains at the east end of the base. It was a great opportunity to test my new Stratton under adverse field conditions. It hit about 99-100 today, and very little wind.

Here's our ride for the day, a Bell HC412. That's the new Stratton, an F-42, rebashed and with a brown pug added. I find that chambray simply can't be beat for hot field days, and is still comfortable even in long sleeves.

MojaveJackattheNorthGuzzlerLZ.jpg


We flew from Mainside at the Combat Center to a relatively smooth spot on the mountain, where we had to hike about a half kilometer to the guzzler. Look closely at this pic, and you'll see the two tanks of the guzzler in the wadi. They're camouflaged to help protect the Bighorns from poachers.

NorthGuzzler.jpg


At the guzzler, which collects and stores water for the Bighorns, I had the unenviable task of cleaning out the pan where the bighorns drink. It is the stinkiest conglomeration of dead bees, bird poop, algae, and Bighorn Sheep saliva that you can imagine, made all the more interesting by the 400-500 bees (80% chance they are the Africanized variety) constantly hovering around and in the pan. No photos of that,unfortunately, because we had a limited window before our ride came back and we had to get the job done. I did not get stung, incidentally. The bees generally do not get agitated unless you kill one,or flail like an idiot every time one comes near you.

Here's the hike back up to the LZ from the guzzler, with Safari Steve, one of our biologists. Although it was only about a 500 meter hike, it was a helluva hike!

SafariStevehikingbackupfromtheNorth.jpg


Our ride arrives

HC412awaitstheGuzzlerTeam.jpg


Back on board for the flight to the South Guzzler

MojaveJackontheHC412.jpg
 

Mojave Jack

One Too Many
Messages
1,785
Location
Yucca Valley, California
The view from the LZ near the North Guzzler. Amboy Crater is just visible. as a dark black lump below the far range of mountains.

ViewfromtheLZattheNorthGuzzler.jpg


On the LZ at the South Guzzler. By now it was way too hot for pants, so the zip-off legs had to go. The chambray shirt still amazingly comfortable, and the Stratton working like a dream. I am loving that hat!

MojaveJackandtheHC412ontheSouthGuzz.jpg


My base, the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, from the air on our return. Look familiar, Matthew?! And no, the smell from Lake Bandini has not changed a bit!

TheCombatCenterfromtheHC412.jpg
 

Mike K.

One Too Many
Messages
1,479
Location
Southwest Florida
Wow Jack, great photos. It looks like both of us have been getting in a lot of flight time lately. I spent the day conducting an aerial census of endangered Wood Storks. Not the most classic adventuring, but here is...

Me and pilot (Sean) acting like lunatics, 1500ft somewhere over Florida
crazyasspilots.jpg


Close-up of one part of the stork colony (over 1400 nests to photograph)
Yes, we actually count every adult, chick, and egg!!
IMG_4853.jpg


A few bird-watching tourists I spotted along our boardwalk trail
IMG_5038.jpg
 

NelsAnderson

New in Town
Messages
39
Location
Massachusetts
Some great outdoor photos and interesting stories to go with them. You guys do have much more interesting jobs than most people :)

Just how do you count every last bird when they are packed together like that?
 

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