alx
Trail Wise!
Posts: 19 
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Post by alx on Nov 23, 2015 23:38:56 GMT -8
Hello! I wonder if there are any apps that are useful during the hike preparation. The top issues I`d like to tackle are : - Proven and manageable gear lists for different types of hikes, which are used as checklists while packing the bag
- Solutions that help distribute general (not personal) gear among the hiking group (e.g. tents, axe, kitchen gear)
- Apps that help distribute food among the group basing on weight, meals and even backpack total weight decrease
I personally use Excel for all the planning and managing. Seen GearGrams web-app, however seems it does not solve issues mentioned. I`ve also tried some Android and iOS apps like "Survival BackPack" and "PackPoint", but those not group oriented as I understand. Can anyone suggest apps they are using? |
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Nov 24, 2015 9:33:09 GMT -8
IIRC Andrew Skurka has a lot of lists... I don't know the format. Excel, which I use for work, has a lot of flexibility so I'd think it might turn out to be superior for a specific set of uses rather than something pre-canned. So were I needing something like that I'd probably work it up in Excel. Solo makes that a non-issue for me.  andrewskurka.com |
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alx
Trail Wise!
Posts: 19
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Post by alx on Nov 24, 2015 11:55:58 GMT -8
Thank you, High Sierra Fan! I find Andrew's site very useful. I think about creating an app for those like us to facilitate the preparation process and communication with the group. I've some ideas basing on my experience, but want to create something helpful for wider audience Imagine, you have an app instead of your Excel sheet. What would it do? |
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Nov 24, 2015 12:06:27 GMT -8
All an app would do is tell me the awful news of what all I HAVE to carry by myself. Something I prefer to visit on that river in Egypt.
I'm still trying to scrub from my memory that I "accidentally" discovered that my dSLR and three lenses(and just a 20, fast 50 and a 24-300 zoom) in a case rings in at just about 7 pounds.....
Solo does make things simpler: it's ALL getting carried by me. I don't use an Excel spreadsheet for backpacking, I use it for antibody-precipitated radiological assay results calculations.
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alx
Trail Wise!
Posts: 19
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Post by alx on Nov 24, 2015 13:45:04 GMT -8
I hate ads and useless reminders too I remember my first solo hike when I overestimated my needs and fears and took lots of "what-if"s. I learned a lot that time and firstly that group hikes give more freedom when packing a bag. Solo hikes are like meditation I remember one when a deer was "screaming?" in the forest not far from my hammock the whole night:) |
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amaruq
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Call me Little Spoon
Posts: 1,264
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Post by amaruq on Nov 25, 2015 5:31:38 GMT -8
I'm still trying to scrub from my memory that I "accidentally" discovered that my dSLR and three lenses(and just a 20, fast 50 and a 24-300 zoom) in a case rings in at just about 7 pounds..... Oh no. Don't tell me this. I'm taking the DSLR plunge next season, with a similar lens outfit. I simply use Excel. I maintain a master gear list complete with trail weights and costs (for insurance purposes). I don't overly plan my pack for short trips, but for long trips I can trim my own gear list to what I'll be bringing, add team members' gear, and then split it up fairly easily. It's rare we do the latter two as we all tend to look after our own things then split only the food at the TH. If it were an extended and isolated expedition where we were sharing more than just food, I may try to maintain an even ratio of pack-weight to body-weight across the team. While I can get most gear weights from the internet, I might doubt the honesty of the body-weights provided by my teammates. |
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alx
Trail Wise!
Posts: 19
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Post by alx on Jan 18, 2016 2:15:00 GMT -8
Hi there!
Could you share some knowledge about the apps and IT tools you use for hiking and outdoor activities?
Anything to organise group activities during the preparation period?
Has anyone used Pack With Me app for iPhone ?
It says that provides proven gear lists for different kinds of hikes, really?
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Post by Lonewolf on Jan 18, 2016 4:24:25 GMT -8
Best app of all is experience....  Such as.... I once packed up and made what I thought was a very valid assumption that all the poles and stakes were in the tent bag. Forgetting that my 6YO nephew had stayed at the house for a week. I got out and discovered one of the poles was missing. It turned into an odd-shaped, oversized bivy bag. He never admitted taking the pole and I never found it. Dumb error. Learned to open all the sacks and check that everything is there. A spreadsheet or app won't tell you to do that unless you add it. |
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jazzmom
Trail Wise!
a.k.a. TigerFan
Posts: 3,060 
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Post by jazzmom on Jan 18, 2016 5:51:48 GMT -8
The only "app" I use is Microsoft Excel. I have my own gear list; I don't really need someone else's, proven or not.
If I'm going with a group, we may organize some food and a few shared items but everybody's pretty independent. It only takes a few emails to organize. If it gets more complicated, we use google docs/sheets and that works fine.
To be honest, it seems like an oxymoron to need apps and IT tools for hiking...
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tigger
Trail Wise!
Posts: 2,547
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Post by tigger on Jan 18, 2016 8:30:34 GMT -8
I'm an IT geek...and I use nothing. I break categories into sleep, shelter, kitchen, clothes, outerwear, food, and first aid. The only things I adjust are for temps/extreme weather. Otherwise, it's a basic formula. If you need an app, then you should just get the advice of someone else who is skilled in backpacking to help you pack.
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on Jan 18, 2016 9:29:08 GMT -8
I have lists on my desktop. If I really need to be careful, I print them. But if they were an app, they'd be on a teeny tiny screen where I can't see anything anyway. So I don't feel the need.
As for distributing group gear: that's a decision that has to be made using a lot of factors. My main experience is doing it as a family, so every trip it changed, as I shifted a little more to the boys' packs. Not clear an ap would help.
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Post by cahiker on Jan 18, 2016 23:37:18 GMT -8
How many people are you trying to plan for? I generally don't do detailed planning for more than three people. If there are more on the trip then usually people pair up who plan to share tents and/or stoves. We also don't bring a bunch of heavy group gear like axes.
For me, every trip is different, so I don't really have "types" of trips. What I chose to bring depends on the expected weather, length of trip, location and my mood. I have an excel spreadsheet listing all the gear we might take, and a column for each person on the trip and the weight of the item. I put and "x" under the name of each person who will carry the item and the spreadsheet adds up the total weight each person will carry. I can then print the list and check everything off as we pack so we don't forget anything.
Since I can predict our pack weights before we pack, it's easy to redistribute gear or add or subtract items to get everyone to a weight they are comfortable with. Of course we sometimes redistribute at the trailhead (let me carry that bottle of wine for you) or during the trip to help even things out based on carrying ability and hiking pace. I don't really see how an app can help with that.
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Post by cheaptentguy on Jan 19, 2016 19:52:19 GMT -8
Don't have any apps specific to what you're asking, but I'd suggest taking advantage of Office 365 or Google Sheets (uses the same Excel formulas) to share with the group. You can provide just view rights if you want to do it all and have the group access or provide specific members edit rights to add their gear, food, etc.
Both have mobile versions.
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alx
Trail Wise!
Posts: 19
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Post by alx on Jan 20, 2016 2:18:31 GMT -8
I tried shared spreadsheets and seems that my mates did not like it much as they are not convenient on mobile phone and do not show any progress. I tried using several apps from AppStore but I don't like ones where I need to enter all my gear into (more than a hundred of items). Found this one - itunes.apple.com/us/app/pack-with-me/id1066748159?mt=8 - seems that contains all the necessary things |
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alx
Trail Wise!
Posts: 19
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Post by alx on Jan 20, 2016 5:51:11 GMT -8
cahiker, could you share your excel for planning? Guys, I appreciate your comments! Which tasks for trip planning and organization do you delegate and how, in case you use Excel or Google spreadsheet that others can view? It is interesting that we have such different "gear usage" culture. I'm from eastern Europe and we usually take single but large enough pot to cook for the whole group. And we have a separate person assigned to trip menu assembling and cooking
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