SAR and Crowdsourced Maps
When you’e using OpenStreetMap, you’re using Crowdsourced data; in my experience, very accurate for urban searches.
SOLD: 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
THE FJ SOLD for $23,000 Oct 22nd 2011 Keeping this post up for anyone perversely interested in reading about it.
The ACC requires digital avalanche beacons
I’m a member of the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC), Vancouver Section, so I get their monthly “Alpine-E-r” newsletter. For the past several months I’ve noticed the following message in the newsletter: NEW BEACON POLICY The ACC has a new …
Move to WordPress
The blogging wars are over, and WordPress won, deal with it. At least that’s what I tell myself. There’s lots of choices in the blogging world, but for a basic blog like what I write, WordPress is where it’s ad. …
Smart Phones and Battery Life
The biggest energy drain in a smart phone other than the cellular radio is the screen. Advice on how to best use this information, and preserve battery life
SPOT Connect and Smart Phones
I’d like to direct people to Will Gadd’s article on the SPOT Connect. I’ve previously written how smartphones should not be used as a primary navigation device for backcountry travelers. Will points out that the SPOT connect, when paired with …
Personal Locator Beacons from the Rescuer’s Perspective
A case study of a rescue with a Personal Locator Beacon in SouthWestern BC detailing rescuer’s difficulties accessing the location.
HETS Mountain Rescue in Yoho National Park
News tonight of a rescue in Yoho National Park. Parks Canada pioneered the rescue technique SAR people in BC know variously as HETS (Human External Transport System), or “Class ‘D’” operations (referring to the Aviation regulations that govern people being …
Finding Someone from a Helicopter
Well hello there.
A description of a search, and of finding someone from a helicopter. Some tips on how to be spotted.
Popularity of snowshoeing
In my article on snowshoe accidents, I noted that snowshoeing seemed to be growing in popularity, but could not find an industry reference on the numbers involved. Well, I found one that tracks numbers for the American market. The Outdoor …