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Gear: Learn how to use it; and use it.


joebeelart

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I've been out twelve nights this year on organizational outings.  Last winter I bought a new "big" parabolic ear and two 20 mp / black flash trail cams.  Guess what?  I haven't had enough time to travel in the south Mt. Hood forest to set the cameras and to really use my "ear," which is a lot bigger than my old one.  So what, that means nothing.   Here's something that does mean something:

 

One leader bought a number of nice thermal imagers with recording capability.  Also, at least two people brought along thermal imagers they bought, some costing about $4K.  Between them there are at least three possible bipedal beings imaged.  Now the bad news; none of the users were prepared, under stress to use their fine focus adjustments.  Allegedly, there are hopeful results from computer down loads and analysis. 

 

So, what's the lesson?  One is I should not hang around with so many people from the east coast, mid-west, Colorado, Idaho, California, and Washington that I can't set my own gear.  {Counting one conference with two motel nights, I've been out fourteen {14} nights since mid-May.  Sure, I should drive two hours one way to get to the areas I want to set, but ...... 

 

Also, people spend lots and lots of money to travel to Oregon and go on expeditions.  This last weekend, we had people from Wisconsin, Michigan, and the usual states.  When I inquired on how much they had trained on their night vision and thermal imagers, I was surprised.  Also only one or two had maps of the area, and absolutely none had topographical maps, or had looked at topographical maps of the area on the Internet.  Sure, for most, this was just an oversight from lack of experience; but, airplane tickets, etc. cost lots of $$$.  I did what I could to teach in that regard.

 

So, what's all this rambling about?  Most readers of this blog will never have the ability, or funds to do what some lucky folks have done on the last four expedition camps, since May.  I'm just suggesting doing a lot of preparatory work before embarking on the journey.  Sure, no matter what, if the camp hosts are good, you will have great fun.  But, if you are prepared, you might have the memorable sighting, or photographs of history.

 

With best regards, I remain truly yours, Joe Beelart near Portland, Oregon :  Ps:  The black flies were sure bitey.  I'm still bleeding from a few of their bore holes.  And yes, some hardy souls camped in a remote camp for a night north of Mt. Jefferson.  Later.    PsPs:  My edits were just to change tenses, correct spellings, etc.  I have really met great people this year.  I've shared places I thought I'd never share.

a Wet Trip 9 10 texted copy.jpg

Edited by joebeelart
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Absolutely .. and learning to use your stuff, not just memorize the manual, takes a while.    It's best done at home, but I got a lesson in that myself when I packed a 12V battery to power a recorder (via a USB cigarette lighter cell phone charger) in the woods.   Two problems arose: first, the battery only lasted 6 days which isn't worth the labor to lug it as far as I did, second, the recorder, of a type new to me, took a whole bunch of little audio recordings rather than one per day or 2 gig at a time as I'm used to.   :(     I hope I don't repeat the mistake ... but I'm stubborn sometimes.

 

MIB

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Wow!  That makes me laugh. 

 

 

I hope you gave your {car sized} battery a proper, deep burial for the next civilization to find.  We used to haul those #$%& things in to power "real" camera "traps" in the old days.  Misery, especially packing them out after it started raining. 

 

Anyway, glad you are "stubborn."  That's what it takes; that and gas money.  Regards, Joe

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Funny about fine-tuning thermals.   I was with a well-known BF Clackamasterian author once in Oregon and we spotted a biped looking figure on the sandy bank of the Clackamas River.  As it turned out we had a deer in perfect backassward profile leaning down to feed/water.   With both hind and front legs linearly arranged as two it looked bipedal until it raised its neck/head and could be determined to be a deer.  This at fairly close range.  It just goes to show you thermal can fool you sometimes too even with fine adjustment. 

 

RE: batteries, I have yet to deploy the long-term bruisers with sound recorders.  Had good luck with frequent every couple day checks of long-life, energy efficient recorders though.  

 

Joe it sounds like you are having fun with those Oregon expeditions, you are a great host.  Hope they have good luck making something out of their recordings. 

 

PS I have seen wood rats scampering with fine detail on thermal and that is pretty funny as long as they are not living in your woodlot.  Yes, they are fast and put on a good show. 

Edited by bipedalist
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  • 6 months later...

How coincidental that I should see this post today. I am terrible with gear.

 

I just received in the mail one of those Outback Nomad Optic minoculars that supposedly can super-zoom and has night vision. I have no idea how it works. My friend and I are gonna drive out in the woods and play with it tonight. There is an attachment piece to lock your phone to it. Should be fun! But I suck at tech, so maybe not, lol!

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Edited by Madison5716
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