TL;DR - I found a compact, 65W USB A/C charger that can be used for my laptop, camera, drone, flashlight, phone, and just about anything else, and it charges faster than the dedicated chargers for those devices. Fantasticly amazing. It seems like every electronic device I get needs a different combination of batteries and charger. Camera - uses a dedicated battery (of which I have four) that needs either: A dedicated 120V charger A USB-C carger that outputs 8-9V (rather than the usual 5V) to charge the battery while it is in the camera Laptop - internal battery uses a…
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TL;DR - After considering a switch to Gaia, I'm (mostly) sticking with Backcountry Navigator for GPS software because it works better for the things I do. I mentioned in my last rig review that Gaia seemed to have a lot going for it - and that's still true. It does several things better than BCN (Pro or XE): Overlays are fabulous Downloading map data for offline use is easy and uses (relatively) little storage space The browser-based trip planning/mapping is terrific Cross-platform (iOS/Android) support is better than BCN (XE only, there's no Pro for iOS) However, there are two things…
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TL;DR - For years I've used Backcountry Navigator. After checking out Gaia on our last trip, I'm considering a switch. When I started exploring in 2016, there wasn't much choice when it came to offline mapping applications. That, combined with the fact that the guys who introduced me to my first long trip used Backcountry Navigator, and it was an easy decision for me to use the same. I started with the free version and ultimately splurged the $12 for BCN Pro (which is totally worth it). Then, when BCN XE (Android and iOS) was released, I loved the idea…
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TL;DR - After a couple solo trips where I had limited cell coverage, and some thinking I should have done long ago, I now have an inReach Mini. I've known for a long time that - especially on trips where mine is the only truck - I should be carrying an emergency satellite locator device. The problem - for me - is the subscription; I hate subscriptions. However, I finally realized that the subscription for the Garmin inReach Mini is such a small percentage of the overall amount that I spend on this hobby that it is silly for me to…
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TL;DR - I got lazy with my offline maps this trip, since they've become so "easy" for me over the years, and it really bit me in the butt. I've really come to rely on the maps I use with Backcountry Navigator XE as a part of my route planning. The Accuterra (Neotreks Land Use) maps have been fantastic all over the western United States, and so I didn't really think anything of it when I downloaded a big chunk of British Columbia, Canada for my trip across the border. Unfortunately, the Accuterra maps are complete shit outside the US. This…
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TL;DR - no trouble on the last couple trips. I don't know if this is really solved, but I'm going to say it is. Because, I'm not doing anything about it.
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TL;DR - My APRS stopped working, because my Mobilinkd TNC 2 died early in the trip. The Mobilinkd TNC 2 has been a great little APRS TNC and I highly recommend it. Its weak spot - like so many battery powered devices - lies in its battery. I leave it plugged in to USB (for charging) at all times, and that means the battery is either fully charged - when I'm plugging away on a trip, or basically dead - when the truck sits for a week or two at home between trips. This is terrible for LiIon batteries, and my…
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