Hit the Open Road

by Willy Volk on

Doug McConnell is an expert on exploring the back roads of the American West. Now, he wants to help you — and have you help him — search for adventure in the region. To that end, McConnell recently launched OpenRoad.TV, a traveler’s guide to the American West.

To begin, McConnell pre-loaded the site with much of the video, photos, and insights that he’s compiled over the past 14 years of producing and hosting Bay Area Backroads. Now, it’s your turn to add your own stories, photographs, and videos — like Tina Martinez’s descriptive Moab Motorcycle Touring or Bill Buchanan’s adventurous Dances With Orcas.

In short, the site aims to be a comprehensive resource for people who want to explore, share, and celebrate the American West. Personally, since I couldn’t live much further from that part of the country and still be IN the country, I really enjoyed my virtual tour through the area.

Now I just need to get out there, shoot some video of my own, and add it to the site. Maybe this summer I can hit the open road.

Trackstick II & Google Earth: Plot Your Travels Precisely, Follow Your Ex Surreptitiously

by Willy Volk on

Designed specifically for integration with Google Earth, Trackstick II is a GPS device that lets you “keep a satellite scrapbook of all your travels and record your explorations.” With Trackstick II, anglers can mark bountiful catch-spots. Campers can remember how to reach hidden gems. Globe-trekkers can let friends and family follow them as they wander through, for example, Amsterdam’s Red Light District. Um, on second thought…

Powered by 2 AAA batteries, the unit’s 1Mb flash memory can log months of travel histories. Later, Trackstick II’s data can be downloaded to your (Windows-only) computer via USB and viewed on Google Earth’s 3D model of the planet.

Google Earth Store sells the units for $169. However, if you’re creepy, you might want to think about upgrading to the Super Trackstick. With its magnetic mount, you can surreptitiously attach it to that hot barrista’s Vespa and find out what she does when she’s not making your foam froth.

Another Use For A Condom

by Willy Volk on

Recently, we showed you how to start a fire with a condom. Well, it looks like we have another novel use for everybody’s favorite stretchy, latex thing. In under 40 seconds, this clip’ll show you how to help protect a wound when you’re hiking, camping, or doing anything other than relaxing at home.

Starting fires… protecting wounds… I wonder what other uses we can come up with for condoms…

Kilimanjaro’s Glaciers May Last Longer Than Predicted

by Willy Volk on

Weirdness.

In contrast to reports of global wreaking havoc worldwide — from Kiribati, to Greenland; from Costa Rica, to Siberia; from the US, to numerous other destinations — a joint Austrian-U.S. research team is reporting that there’s one place that isn’t succumbing to global warming quite as fast as expected: Kilimanjaro.

After reviewing 7 years of measurements taken from weather stations atop Africa’s tallest mountain, the researchers have concluded that Kili’s ice fields will be around for another 30 to 40 years, at least — and the glaciers on its slopes could last even longer. That’s pretty sweet news, especially considering Kili’s icepacks have been retreating since the 1800s, and scientists had thought they could disappear altogether as early as 2020.

Before you get all giddy about the prospect of the ice pack being around forever, it’s important to bear in mind that the glaciers now measure about 0.8 square miles, down from 4.6 square miles in 1912. However, it appears that the 2006 El Niño brought heavy snowfall to the mountain that fattened the peak’s glaciers, increasing their thickness even though their surface area stayed the same. Of course, 0.8 square miles is still pretty tiny, but not too tiny to plan that once-in-a-lifetime trip to tackle Kili.

[Thanks, Marilyn!]

Find Directions Without A Compass

by Willy Volk on

Getting lost. Worst Case Scenarios failed to cover this pretty bad scenario — though it’s more likely to happen than many of the oddball things they discussed. Enter Equipped, a manly, deep-voiced, hairy-chested site that discusses various survival preparedness techniques. Among the many documents on their site is this 8-page PDF that explains how to find directions when you don’t have a compass. The tips include:

  • using the sun and shadows to determine direction
  • using a wristwatch to locate north
  • using the moon to determine east and west
  • using the stars to navigate
  • making an improvised compass
  • using natural clues to determine north

Of course, none of the tips are foolproof. However, if you’re planning on doing some camping or hiking this summer, you might want to check out the tips and commit some to memory — just in case the batteries on your foolproof All-In-One Wrist Gadget fail.