Tour Divide 2013

[Christopher R. Bennett]

The 'Rocky Road' Goretex socks are the same ones that I used. They aren't warm, but breathe great and surprisingly robust.

[hruss]

What about Seal skinz socks? That is what I have right now, but haven't tried them out.

[Christopher R. Bennett]

I'm a Goretex fan. The Rocky Roads give you dry feet and are breathable. The key thing is that whatever you plan on using try them quite a lot early on to make sure they work.

[ron]

I got a form of trench foot on the AT (second wettest year on record the year I hiked it) and had to take a week off. My feet hadn't been dry in 3 weeks and then exploded at once into huge open red wounds on both heels. Kinda sucked.

[hruss]

I'll test the Seal Skinz socks this winter and early spring and if they don't work will give the Gortex a try.

[Mauro_N]

Im planning on recording my TD experience, I was thinking of buying the new Go Pro camera or a regular hand held video camera. I think its clear that the Go Pro is the safest way to not destroy a camera, but i think with care and thought a regular hand held video camera will be able to stand up to the TD and deliver better video quality.

What do you guys think?

Thanks

[pablito]

Im planning on recording my TD experience, I was thinking of buying the new Go Pro camera or a regular hand held video camera. I think its clear that the Go Pro is the safest way to not destroy a camera, but i think with care and thought a regular hand held video camera will be able to stand up to the TD and deliver better video quality.

What do you guys think?

Thanks

Cool idea. What is your plan for battery life? Seems like a ton of weight to haul what you need. The Gopro would be best for its mounting options and compact/impact resistant design.

[THE LONG RANGER]

When I brought my micro four thirds, I had some problems with fogging happening, inside the lens. Pictures came out beautiful, when the camera was functioning. I kept everything in a Sea to Summit bag. It was a lot more bulky that I would have had wished. All the video I took looked killer.

You may have similar problems, with anything that's not a completely sealed system. The GoPro would fit that bill, as would any P+S "water resistant" camera, the latter which I don't really suggest - no experience with the GoPro, but double-check that you like the focal length of the lens, it may not be what you always want.

Attached is an example of a totally awesome photo, ruined by condensation, within the lens of my micro four thirds.

[mikepro]

This guy took a GoPro last year and posted some of the videos on his blog: http://livethinline.blogspot.com/

Maybe you could reach out to him and get some first hand feedback.

[Mauro_N]

Thanks Mike Ill drop him a line or two to see what he thought it was like to use. I found this little gizmo http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/goal_zero_guide_10_battery_pack.html which im going to test out to see if it will recharge the GO Pro battery and my phone.

Thanks Long Ranger, I didn't consider condensation to be a problem. The Go Pro is a clear winner given that I can use it for other outdoor activities. All in the camera will add about 400g. 150g for the camera + case, 50g for the extra battery and charging station and 180g for the goal zero battery charger. The weights are what I have found on the net so could be a bit heaver. Its quite a bit of extra weight but worth it to be record something so unique as the TD.

[Thumby]

Gopro is a good option which I would favor for on board video, and POV commentary.  I had very good luck with a Canon PowerShot SX130is.  Its AA batts are a big plus, great batt life, easy to deploy at a moment's notice in my hip pack, and I could shoot stills or video with a simple turn of a dial.  And it survives today!  I also used it as my map source.  I photo'd all my maps at home and reviewed them on the viewing screen as needed.  Final product:
http://www.bestfriendsagility.com/Just_Pedal_HD.html

[sthig]

Well, it's 183 days until June 14th.  Exactly six months away.  Anyone else anxious?

I wrote about it today: http://www.driven2divide.com/2012/12/14/tour-divide-183/
both excited and isck to my stomach

[sthig]

Thumby,

Thank you for this video.  It was wonderful

[Christopher R. Bennett]

Im planning on recording my TD experience, I was thinking of buying the new Go Pro camera or a regular hand held video camera. I think its clear that the Go Pro is the safest way to not destroy a camera, but i think with care and thought a regular hand held video camera will be able to stand up to the TD and deliver better video quality.

What do you guys think?

Thanks

JD Pauls took a Go Pro on the 2012 race. He posted some of his videos here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/jdpaulstourdivide?feature=em-share_video_in_list_user

I'm the guy in the orange jacket cycling through the lake - errr... puddle - on Day 2/3. I took a different line to JD who ended up totally drenched when his bike got stuck. My Gore-tex socks worked great! His plastic bags didn’t…

BTW: JD has an amazing story for those worried about not having enough training before riding the Tour Divide. By memory he only took up cycling about a year or so before the race. Seriously. He had to bail with a shoulder issue but was an incredibly strong cyclist up to then. Expect he’ll be back for 2013 with quite a few of us who also bailed (right Mike #1, Mike #2 and Fred who I am sure are lurking here?),

[Briansong]

Hey there gang,

My name is Steve, I live in Phoenix and am working towards the 2014 GD. I bit early yes, but at 51 (now) need to have everything in my favor as possible to compete and hopefully complete. My goals are a bit different than most, first, I have been cycling for 25 years. I have raced on and off for most of those years.

I have a 14 year old son, his name is Brian, (hence the screen name Briansong) he was born early and has lifelong disabilities. My goals for the TD is to take advantage of an event such as this to raise money. I would hope to raise several hundred thousand dollars on pledges from friends, neighbors, family and more importantly business associates and corporate sponsors I do business with each and every day. In a perfect world, if I were to get pledged, 360.00 per mile total and I were to finish, that is 1 million dollars. Overly optimistic? perhaps but why not aim high.

I plan on splitting the donated dollars equally between the two charities that help people like my son, The United Way and the Special Olympics. I will pay 100 percent of my own expenses and be very public with pledged amounts.

I have read the rules and don't see this as a conflict. If so can somebody please advise.

I will continue to lurk, watch and learn form this very informative forum.

Regards to all,

Steve

 

[Christopher R. Bennett]

Hey there gang,

I have a 14 year old son, his name is Brian, (hence the screen name Briansong) he was born early and has lifelong disabilities. My goals for the TD is to take advantage of an event such as this to raise money. I would hope to raise several hundred thousand dollars on pledges from friends, neighbors, family and more importantly business associates and corporate sponsors I do business with each and every day. In a perfect world, if I were to get pledged, 360.00 per mile total and I were to finish, that is 1 million dollars. Overly optimistic? perhaps but why not aim high.

I plan on splitting the donated dollars equally between the two charities that help people like my son, The United Way and the Special Olympics. I will pay 100 percent of my own expenses and be very public with pledged amounts.

I have read the rules and don't see this as a conflict. If so can somebody please advise.
 

Hi Steve. What a wonderful gesture.

Several others have done the ride for fund raising - in 2012 Jarral Ryter did it to highlight Diabetes (http://livethinline.blogspot.com) - so I don't think there is a conflict.

Let us know when you have your site up for donations. And see you in Banff.

[NathanM]

Im planning on recording my TD experience, I was thinking of buying the new Go Pro camera or a regular hand held video camera. I think its clear that the Go Pro is the safest way to not destroy a camera, but i think with care and thought a regular hand held video camera will be able to stand up to the TD and deliver better video quality.

Hi Mauro
I recorded quite a bit of footage on this years TourDivide. I selected the "ReplayXD1080"  video camera mainly for its compact size and ruggedness, It performed flawlessly and all up I recorded about 4 hours of raw footage along the way.
I would have liked to of recorded more personal content with dialogue and personal responses but never felt motivated enough to do it, particularly on the more challenging days, when I stopped my priorities were food and rest.....
Vibration is also an issue with the gravel roads, but this can be minimized in post production.
I also had my waterproof Lumix camera for photos which was great for candid moments along the way.
Im glad I did take a video camera for this year, but for 2013 Im not planning on taking a video camera, for me its a distraction I dont think I need this time.

attached is a pic of the ReplayXD1080 camera mounted to my handle bars to show its size.

[sthig]

I've attempted to use a GoPro (version 1) on a few of my trips and it's honestly more trouble than it's worth.  The battery drain is tremendous, that big bulbous lens, when exposed to the elements (changing batteries or charging) is just asking to get scratched and the audio is bad. 

Don't get me wrong, I love my GoPro and it's a tank (oh, it's a tank as in...it's heavy) and it's certainly the HD Cam leader for bike stuff but I am very reluctant to bring mine to the TourDivide.  My solution is that I think Santa is bringing me an Oregon eTrex that serves as a GPS and Camera.  So I'll probably just go that route.

[sthig]

Nathan, that cam looks awesome

[bikingbethany]

I'll test the Seal Skinz socks this winter and early spring and if they don't work will give the Gortex a try.

I swear by my SealSkinz! Have done snow rides, wet rides, long road rides and bikepacking trips in them and I tell you what, they saved me from chilblains when I though nothing would. Going through creeks and accidentally putting my foot down, I always manage to have dry toes on the other side. Even if the water gets through (if you fully submerge them or it is pouring rain), they are insulted enough that the wet socks stay warm.

Hope you enjoy them!