>Re. "limited", if our small scene does emerge from this discussion with an allowance for food *sharing*, let's coin it the 'break bread' clause.

I like it. Btw, is it generally accepted, then, that it's ok for two riders to ride side by side for days, or even weeks? Does this ever cause any hard feelings?

>OK, good luck with your quest. When you have the ideal all in one device post up how it works and why you like it.

Ha, no, I think it doesn't exist...yet. I've just placed an order for the Oregon 550 It's frustrating to think that this ideal device is perhaps 6-12 months away. Oh well. I could have got something much cheaper. If I was in the US, I'd have grabbed a Delorme PN-20 with that killer "$30 all you can map" deal, from Amazon - $130 or so.

The Oregon 550 does everything I really want/need, and the only issue really was price. And with the release of the non-beta Custom Maps, I was nudged over the edge.

>The directive charges the local land managers with making the decision on which uses will be allowed based on an analysis of the local conditions.

This obviously doesn't concern me, but I note that when decisions like that are made locally, they're usually based on prejudice rather than information about actual impacts of mountain biking. Haven't studies shown that mountain biking does less damage than walking, and far less than horses?

>However, it also states that hiking and equestrian uses are the original intention for creating the trail, so mountain bikers are going to have to continue making a case for shared-use arrangements that allow citizens to get the maximum recreation value out of this wonderful national resource.

Here, we have a trail (the "Great Dividing Trail" - not to be confused!) that was created 10 or so years ago for hikers. Mountain bikers started progressively using it even though it wasn't designed for it. At the last survey, mountain bikers significantly outnumbered hikers, so they've started focusing more on facilities for bikes, recognising the tourism dollar value.

(Of course, it may be the exception - that trail is not remote at all, and not scenic - its main interest is historical ruins. And it has just the kind of terrain that appeals to bikers, with lots of undulating singletrack. So if ever there was going to be a trail more popular with cyclists than hikers, it would be that sort of thing...)

See http://gdt.org.au/ (note the "GDTmtb" link at top)

>I'd love to see a link or 2 to. GPS for cell that alloweds for maps loaded to micro SD or memory.

What kind of maps are supported is just a software question. There is (according to a friend) plenty of map software that allows this.

>From what I've read for Blackberry this tech is just not ready for primetime...

Yes, you're still talking about pre-packaged solutions. I'm talking about open platforms like Android, where you can download whatever software you want onto them.

>And GPS chews through my cell battery - and I'm on a new BB model.

Yep.

>Unless I was doing some sort of data entry / plant recon / GIS work I wouldn't want my GPS to have to act like a small computer.

All GPS's by definition are computers. They're getting more and more powerful over time.

>The nice thing about a stand alone system is dedicated battery life for nav / maps - you never have to worry about your cell lock burning up juice aquiring towers - or have to decide between making 1 last phone call or having juice (and easy to find AA replacement batts) for navigating.

Well, any vaguely useful GPS/phone would allow either device to be turned off. Personally, I would find that option a benefit. I'd rather be able to choose phone or GPS for my last bit of battery life than be stuck with GPS and no phone, or vice versa.

>For instance, My buddy has a phone with GPS that loads right on top of Google Maps. That is the bomb, however, if he goes out of range then the GPS loses all function except maybe for giving you a coordinate location

Ah, ok. Yeah, that's a limitation of the standard google maps on normal phones, but there are fancier phones (eg, android-based ones) these days that you can download gigabytes of map data on to, so the phone reception is irrelevant to navigation.

>http://www.gearpods.com/

I don't get it. Stuff packs best when it's flexible and soft. Failing that, square. Round is the worst shape possible for tetrising.

Some of the products they're selling look nice (like the silnylon tarp)...but then they go and stuff it in a PVC tube, adding weight, and reducing packability.

>GearPods® screw together creating a system that's very flexible and modular: perfect for organizing gear, creating special-use kits on-the-fly, and easily accessing gear in the field.

I just can't picture having a number of these tubes sitting around, perfectly made up, clean and ready to go, so you can just grab them and screw them together. Is anyone that organised?

Nuvifone isn't waterproof, and doesn't do custom maps, that I can tell. So definitely a nice gadget, but won't help me here.

RE: blackberrys, personally I couldn't stand working on one. I have a 10" netbook that I love, and if I had that kind of job, I'd get mobile broadband and bring it everywhere. But I don't think I could be happy working on anything smaller.

Back on topic: I think I'm getting an Oregon 550. I was momentarily freaked out by the dude who told me that "custom maps" aren't as good as "raster maps". Right. Ok.

(OTOH, Vista HCX + Tarptent Sublite < Oregon 550. Grr)

>These days I've only really thought about upgrading stuff that's worn out

Yeah. I suspect my subconcious is actively trying to wear out the floor in my tent so I can upgrade to a tarptent sublite, but i have no proof yet.

>As for using cell phones for reliable GPS; I just don't see how that's feasible in a remote location. I mean you would have to have the GPS acquisition as a dedicated and stand-alone function. Can they do this yet? To me cell phones these days seem like more of a toy and a real GPS is more of a survival tool.

That sounds like a philosophical question, not a technical one. What does "dedicated and stand-alone function" mean? It's perfectly feasible to have a device do lots of things well, I just don't know of a waterproof phone/gps device on the market. Though I'm still looking.

> I'll playing with this soon I'm sure.

I'm very eager to hear your comments. A guy at gpsaustralia.net was saying that the custom maps don't work that well, are too slow etc.

Man, I'm starting to agonise. Maybe I really want a simple HCX/60CSX type thing, and sometime later get a fancy smartphone/gps, when technology has advanced another notch. If my ideal device exists yet, I probably can't afford it.

Hmm, thanks for the tip about calories/gram (Here, it would probably be kilojoules/gram). It does remind me of a friend carrying plain olive oil on a long desert hike once...he claimed it tasted great when you needed the energy, and it was very energy dense.

Out of curiosity, do people here often find themselves working out the dollar per pound/kilo weight having of upgrading to a lighter piece of gear? Do you have firm numbers in mind when considering options?

For example, if I replaced my 1.8kg tent with the Tarptent Sublite at 535g, I'd be saving 1265g for about $200 (inc shipping): $158/kg ($71.7 $/lb). That's probably a decent ratio, but still a fair bit of money to lay out when it's strictly a weight saving exercise.

Or do you just get on the bike and pedal

Yeah, I'm having trouble finding any lightweight tarps at a reasonable price. It seems like a much simpler product, hence should be cheaper...

Ok, so now I've just come across the TwoNav Aventura. Pretty damn pricey, but has great flexibility with maps, and theoretically you can get into the operating system (a big plus for me). Anyone tried one/heard of someone with one? They've only come out in the last couple of months, and supposedly aren't available in the US...so that may be a no.

Are trees in short supply in your area? I'm curious because I've seen this sort of comment around, but can't really imagine camping anywhere without trees around here.

Sounds like there are three basic scenarios you want to take into account:
1) pre-meditated teaming up: "you carry a water filter, I'll bring pump and tubes"
2) unexpected assistance: "whoa, that derailleur's screwed. here, I brought a spare" and "here, have some water, I have more than I need"
3) casual bonding: "check out this jerky I bought, you've got to try it!"

Seems that everyone agrees 1) is out. Most people think that 2) is out, or at least should dq the recipient (obviously you'd give water to someone who needed it - but they failed the test). 3) seems to be the grey area because it's hard to distinguish from 2).

Just trying to facilitate the analysis here.

I'd also point out that in many individual races, competitors temporarily help each other for their own gain - road cycling races are the obvious example with drafting. But it doesn't seem quite in the spirit of something like the GDR, so maybe you'd want some kind of time limit for how much time you spend with another competitor, like half an hour. From what I've read of people's accounts, it doesn't sound like people do that much anyway...it's always like "I saw Joe zoom past as I was settling down for a nap, so I didn't hang around too long".

Anyone used one of these? 525g. $180. That's a nice combination for a fully enclosed tent! Hardly makes using a straight tarp worthwhile. And the reviews are pretty positive - although the tent is claimed not to be suitable for big thunderstorms, people have said it's survived "all kinds of weather" and kept them dry.

When hiking, I use adjustable trekking poles, so that's a bonus. For bikepacking, I'd probably look to suspend it from a tree. It really seems ideal for south-eastern mainland Australian conditions, where rain is the exception, and persistent downpours are very rare.

(Ok, I don't really think I'm in the market for a tent, but if I was...)



Five hundred and twenty five grams. Wow. (My current tent looks much the same and more than three times as much!)

>(unless there is 3rd party for loading them to the phone, and you have the memory, and the software has the capacity for tracks / trails / routes, etc.

Yeah, that's a given.

>and most of the navigation for cell phones are 'driving' style directions.

Most of the included software, anyway. But the advantage of an Android style phone is that you know there are nerds out there with similar interests building new tools.

The specific app I was pointed to was http://www.codesector.com/maverick.php . The friend in question is now on his third mapping tool. Don't think it supports the Oregon's ability to load arbitrary georeferenced JPEG's though.

>i'd rather stick with something that was designed for outside / hiking / adventuring navigation

Yeah, that's why I think it would be a truly remarkable beast if such a thing existed: a rugged, waterproofed, high performance GPS, with full OS, phone and pda functions...

My friend keeps his in a pocket and pulls it out as needed. I definitely want something i can leave mounted in a rainstorm.

>Riding together for safety, companionship and/or motivation is allowed.

I've never raced of any kind, so maybe someone can fill me in here...but surely riding together with someone for companionship and motivation would have a much bigger impact on the outcome of the race than borrowing a spanner or a snickers bar? Or are you all such hardened tough nuts that you're just as happy slogging along at 3am in the cold and wet alone as you are with another rider?

>The only differences between the Oregon 300 & 550
...and the screen.

Me, I was all set to get the 550, when I started talking to a nerd friend of mine who has an Android phone with GPS built in. The idea of being able to choose your own navigation software (rather than being stuck with Garmin's) is extremely appealing. And wifi would be nice. Also, if I get something which is a PDA and/or a phone, I can claim a 40% tax break. But somehow I doubt there's anything on the market as rugged as a Garmin, with a high sensitivity GPS, and all the other features...