Leave it to human ingenuity to come up with a product for something that you weren’t sure you needed. I know, backpackers out there will say “what a fine idea!”…or perhaps some will say, “how stupid” but either way, the Packa seems like one of those things you’d buy for someone who liked to hike, but who already has everything. The packa appears to be a plastic jacket not just for you, but for your pack as well. It slips over your entire self while you are wearing you massive hiking backpack. Never mind that you look like some freak of nature wearing the thing. It keeps you AND your pack dry. And perhaps the best part: according to the wonderfully designed packa site, it also serves as a pillow when it’s folded up. And if you dip it in molten lead and let it dry and cool, it also makes a superb weapon.
Red Corner: Trekking in Georgia
One of the more phenomenal locations I’ve trekked in the last few years is the former Soviet republic of Georgia.
Georgia’s Caucasus Mountains are rugged and beautiful and populated with small villages and very hospital locals. And the food is wonderfully fresh and delicious.
I only had a small taste of this trekking nirvana two summers ago when I visited the village of Kazbegi near the Chechen border. The above photo is the famous Tsminda Sameba Church located in the hills above the village. One day I plan to return to this area and plot out a course deep into the mountain range that will take me from village to village. I’ll be sure to carry a trusty compass, however, so as not to wander into Chechnya.
In the meantime, I have to be content reading about other people trekking through the region–most of whom visit on organized tours and occasionally on horseback. Sure, that takes some of the fun out of the equation, but it also helps steer you clear of the dangers which can still haunt the region.
Oh, and if you plan on going any time soon, be sure to stay up on the news–Russia might be invading at any moment.
Gordon Wiltsie on NPR
Who among you out there doesn’t like outdoor photography? Not a single one of you, I imagine. There is something deep down genetic to our love for the outdoors, to our appreciation for color and form and harmony in nature. I know that whenever I travel, I simply MUST carry a camera, not simply because I want to remember the places I’ve been, but because the photos I take are a reminder of the beauty that lies outside my door, outside my city.
And if there were any single ideal job (other than being Hugh Hefner) it would have to be adventure outdoor photographer. I have sitting here on my book shelf several volumes of outdoor photography by folks like the late Galen Rowell and James Balog. And over at NPR I noticed that there is a new volume worth checking out by the well-known photographer Gordon Wiltsie.
Wiltsie has shot some of the world’s best mountain climbers and explorers while out on expeditions, and he has compiled some of the best among those photos in a new book called To the Ends of the Earth: Adventures of an Expedition Photographer. In this NPR interview, Wiltsie talks with Alex Chadwick about his adventures and profession, including some of his other work as a writer. To wit, he was the author of a critically acclaimed study of the nomads of Mongolia’s Darhad Valley that was featured in the October 2003 National Geographic.
Take a moment away from you day and give a listen.
LA Mapped
I believe there is a mapping gene. That is, there is a gene (I am guessing it is on the Y chromosome, since not many women I know share this passion) that codes for a protein in the brain that creates a passion for maps. I have it.
In fact, I am sitting right here in my home office with a lovely map of the country on my wall, and at work I have maps of new York City and the world. I stare at them every day, not just for directions around the city or to figure out where, for example, the Mississippi runs through Arkansas. But also, at least where the world map is concerned to help me figure out where I’d most like to travel next . Maps are truly one of the most amazing creations of mankind.
So bearing this in mind, I’d like to highlight a post over Boing Boing from earlier in August that discusses the show Los Angeles Mapped, currently on display in Los Angeles through 2007 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The maps are diverse in both subject matter and style, with a finely detailed railroad system map to a movie-star map to a map showing the early Owens Valley. This is way cool, and I only wish I’d been able to drop by the exhibit during my recent trio to LA. Perhaps Neil can go and check it out for us. But if not, the site here actually has some excellent representations online that you can peruse. It is very well done and I have to say that I wish they were selling some of these as well. I’d love to have the map pictured here on my wall as well.
Backpacker Podcasts
For those who like their podcasts raw, but directly from the source, Backpacker Magazine is now offering a series of podcasts wherein the magazine’s Rocky Mountain editor Steve Howe blabs about his experiences hiking the Sierra High Route in California. Or at least, that’ s what the first page of podcasts embedded into the page here, are about. I listened to several of them and thought they could use a little production work .The audio is poor quality and tinny, but Howe takes them seriously, offering useful, sometimes philosophical, information about hiking. One feature I like a lot is the “track Steve’s Progress” feature on Google earth. A nice touch.
Although they are a little boring at times, hard-core hikers will probably find them interesting for some of the technical info Howe discusses. The first file on the page has Howe pleasantly surprised that a hike he took brought him near a place called Frozen Lake Pass that he’d never seen before. Another has him giving tips on how to properly haul your way up a wall of scree. If I were Backpacker, I’d make sure these got into itunes so that people can subscribe…something they may have done, but that they do not advertise well enough on the site. Also, most people will probably want to listen on their ipods or MP3 players, so you probably want to use the feed if you’re to keep up on this podcast.