This video from follows a group of five blind kayakers through the Grand Canyon.聽

The post Blind Veterans Run the Grand Canyon appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

This week, California鈥檚 Ferguson Fire has grown to 17,000 acres and . Photos from it show towers of smoke rising above the Sierra Nevada mountains. Does that mean you should cancel your trip to nearby Yosemite National Park? If your kids are at summer camp there, are they safe? Is the park itself under threat?聽

As the fire season lengthens and as wildfires become both more severe and more common, we need to start rolling information about them into our everyday lives鈥攋ust like we do with the weather forecast. Luckily, visualizing the spread of a wildfire has gotten as easy as predicting afternoon showers thanks to three powerful new tools.聽

The first in an upgrade to聽the government鈥檚 all-agency fire data clearing house聽, which has gained a new map feature for each of the fires it reports. So instead of a wall of bureaucracy-speak, you can instead actually see exactly where a fire is burning when you go read about it. This info is聽updated each morning. Straight from that page, you can follow links to the fire鈥檚 hashtag on Twitter and Instagram for photos and crowdsourced information. A Facebook link directs you to the page of whichever agency is responsible for managing the fire, where that agency posts live updates and critical information.聽

Want to use that information to inform your navigation in the backcountry? The most powerful off-grid navigation app that you can get on your smartphone鈥斺�攋ust began rolling InciWeb鈥檚 data into its own map layer, again updated each morning. So long as you have data, you remain apprised of a fire鈥檚 current perimeter and you can overlay that info on topo, street, and satellite maps. OnX also allows you to add layers for historic fire locations, so you can plan around burn areas, too.听听

But what about smoke coverage? Variable wind conditions can make smoke鈥檚 movements difficult to predict, and there is no government reporting on it. Satellite images make it hard to tell smoke from clouds. Luckily, from Santa Fe, New Mexico, just released a tool that cleans up satellite imagery of wildfires and presents them in immediately understandable time-lapse format. Follow on Twitter and you鈥檒l be able to track fire and smoke conditions as they evolve.聽

Together, these tools make forecasting fires as easy as predicting the weather. And聽just as there鈥檚 more to going outdoors than knowing if you鈥檙e going to get wet or not, there鈥檚 more you can do with that information than simply figuring out if an area is safe to visit. Is a fire burning toward a road? It may not yet be closed, but could be in a couple days when you plan to pass through. Want to pick mushrooms or bag a deer? Last year鈥檚 burn areas are often the best locations for both. Will the air be smokey? Look and see. Are your friends and family safe? So long as you know where they鈥檙e going, you can know for sure. And now you can figure all that out from the other side of the country, on your phone.聽

The post Now You Can Forecast Fires Just Like the Weather appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Not long ago, my girlfriend and I set out for a 20-mile mountain bike ride in the Gila National Forest, in southern New Mexico. We had plenty of food and water, but we were armed with only vague directions and a mimeographed trail map from a local bike shop. The ride is remote but straightforward鈥攋ust follow the dirt track鈥攗ntil the end, where a sharp left turn onto a connecting trail would return us to our starting point. 鈥淐an鈥檛 miss it!鈥� the shop employee told us cheerily. 鈥淭he turn is totally obvious!鈥�

We missed it. Soon we were schlepping our bikes along a steep, unrideable goat path while a violent thunderstorm unleashed hell from above. A couple soggy, sketchy hours later, we found our way back to the car, but not before my companion directed some strong language at my poor navigation skills.

There might be something poetic about getting lost in the outdoors in this age of unrelenting connectivity, but only if you intend to, which we, for the record, did not. Enter , a new mobile app that may be the most ambitious adventure tech to hit the market since sat phones.

Dozens of apps provide mapping, GPS navigation, topographic data, and other tools to find your way around the outdoors鈥擜llTrails, Ramblr, Strava, TrailForks, and MTB Project, among others鈥攂ut none offer the kind of three-dimensional depth and detail of Fatmap. Think Google Earth, but with five times the resolution, offline functionality, and detailed route info for skiing, biking, and hiking, even in the most remote corners of the backcountry.

A regional version of Fatmap has been around since 2015, but in May 2018, the London-based company released its global map, along with a strong initiative to get users onboard. The more users, the more shared route info.

Created initially to serve ski mountaineers in the Alps, the detailed big-mountain imagery caught on quickly with high-profile players like extreme snowboarder and British mountaineer , both of whom are now ambassadors for the company. The new Fatmap extends to every continent and includes a number of routes for hiking and mountain biking. North American content is currently limited but growing quickly. The ultimate aim is to create a worldwide database of routes that any user can access at any time. You can use the app for free, but offline access requires a $7.99 monthly subscription or a yearly discounted option for $40.

The app works by uploading a given route to your mobile device before you set out on your adventure, although the map imagery is so detailed that you can conduct thorough reconnaissance from your laptop before you leave home: Zoom in, zoom out, spin, tilt, fly over, etc. For example, I once skied the Mabre茅s Couloir, a 7,000-vertical-foot line on the Italian side of Mount Blanc, near Courmayeur. The terrain is massive, confusing, and intimidating, and almost everyone skis it with a local guide. But when I looked up the route on Fatmap, the line was easy to see. Provided your skills and fitness are up to snuff, the app provides all the navigation info you need.

Of course, as anyone who spends time outside, particularly in big mountains, will tell you, it鈥檚 one thing to read a map鈥攄igital or otherwise鈥攁t home, and quite another to read one in the field while moving from point A to point B. I wanted to try Fatmap in action, so I reached out to Greg Heil (no relation), chief editor of mountain biking for Fatmap.

Heil is based in Salida, Colorado, and suggested we check out the nearby , a 32-mile scenic high-country ride that tops out above 12,000 feet. It鈥檚 a popular route but is crisscrossed with jeep roads and hiking trails, including the Continental Divide and Colorado trails, and requires savvy navigation in spots. Before we embarked, Heil showed me a few other cool Fatmap features. You can draw your own map using a plotting tool, dubbed 鈥淐reate Your 国产吃瓜黑料,鈥� and add photos, written descriptions, and geotagged highlights. Or you can upload GPX files and plot your line that way. Routes can be shared with others on the platform. Eventually you鈥檒l be able to record a ride, ski tour, hike, or do some other outing and upload directly to Fatmap, but that鈥檚 still a version or two away.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to create an entire adventure platform,鈥� Heil says. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 going somewhere and I want to discover a new ride, this is where I鈥檇 go to find the info.鈥�

On the morning of our ride, we caught a shuttle to the trailhead and rolled out, climbing above treeline with expansive views across the Presidential Range and into the Arkansa River Valley. Heil let me lead, even though I鈥檇 never been on the trail before, encouraging me to use the app for help. The trail was obvious early on, but sure enough, we soon ran into a three-way intersection with no clear option. I pulled out my phone and zoomed in to the red dot showing our location. The intersection where we were paused was easy to see, as was the white line indicating the correct path along the far-right fork. It was as simple and intuitive as navigating city streets on Google Maps.

A couple hours into the ride, I started suffering from the altitude鈥攈eadache, nausea, dizziness, all the classic signs. I felt bad enough that we decided to shorten the ride and take an alternative route, rather than the longer classic ride, back to our cars. Here again was another great aspect of the app: safety. Our alternative route eliminated a stout final climb that surely would have left me in bad shape; Heil was able to show me exactly how big the ascent was (several hundred vertical feet) on Fatmap鈥檚 3D elevation layer, which convinced me to swallow my pride and take the conservative exit. By that afternoon, relaxing at a pizza place in Salida, I was feeling better and grateful for the shortened outing.

There鈥檚 a certain charm to rugged, old-school self-reliance, to paper maps and chatting up locals for inside info鈥攅ven, at times, to getting into a little trouble. But I鈥檒l still take a detailed digital map, reliable route info, and an added margin of comfort and safety every time. Still want to go old school? You can always keep your phone in your pocket.

The post Fatmap Is Like Google Earth (on Steroids) for Hikers appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

I get it. Between $10,000 mountain bikes聽 and $59聽merino T-shirts, outdoor activities can get real expensive, real fast. But buying things isn’t necessarily the best way to have more fun outdoors.

Here are聽eight solid upgrades you can make for free, all guaranteed to boost how much fun you’ll have on your next camping trip.

Make Better Maps

Traditional printed trail maps are often years out of date, and are created for the general user, not those with specific needs. You can do better, for free, with just a few minutes of work.

First, visit , find the area you鈥檙e traveling to, then click through the available maps聽to find the one that suits you best. Next, add information layers, like satellite imaging, snow depth, or wind speeds. Finally, don’t forget to mark your destination, trail, and points of interest.

Once you鈥檙e done, export the custom map as a geospatial PDF, and send that to your phone. Download the Avenza Maps application (free, , and ), and use it to open that PDF. It鈥檒l show you your location with a little blue dot, any time you need it.聽While you鈥檙e out in the field, keep your phone in airplane mode, with GPS location enabled, so your battery lasts longer.

Unlike Google Maps, this approach works even when your phone’s offline, and gives you a vast amount of additional information, like topo lines and all the above-mentioned custom data points.

This sounds more complicated than it is. You鈥檒l be shocked by how empowering deep map information can be. Explore new areas, find new campsites and secret trails. Beg GPS coordinates for a secret waterfall from a friend, then navigate through a strange jungle to find it. Find your own secret spots, save their location, then find them the next time you visit, too. And, so long as your phone has battery left, you need never get lost. Which brings us to our last piece of mapping advice: print out a paper version of your map and stick it in one of your pockets.

Wash Your Down

Want to stay warmer in the winter without buying a new sleeping bag or jacket? Over years of use, your body oils and dirt accumulate on the down clusters inside your gear, limiting its ability to fully loft鈥攁nd thus keep you warm. Restore the full loft of old down gear simply by washing it.

To do so, you鈥檒l need a front-loading washing machine, a gentle detergent ( works best), a dryer, and a tennis ball. Set the washing machine to its gentlest, coldest cycle, run your bag through it, then do the same with your dryer. Throw the tennis ball in the dryer with your sleeping bag or jacket to help knock the down clusters loose from聽clumps. It鈥檒l probably take two dryer cycles, but your old down gear will feel like new again right after.

Take Less Stuff

Keep things simple, proven, and multi-use. Take things you need, not things you might want.

Less stuff will create more room in your car. It鈥檒l make your truck safer and easier to drive off-road. It鈥檒l help you walk farther, faster. It鈥檒l make your campsite look like less of a garbage dump.

Looking for some easy things to drop? Take one flashlight and have it double as your lantern. Carry a lighter sleeping bag and wear your puffy inside it at night. Sit on the ground, not a chair. Drink whiskey, not beer. Lay out everything you plan to take ahead of time, then go through and ruthlessly ditch anything that might be excess.

Research Destinations and Trails

Last weekend, I visited some hot springs I鈥檝e camped at probably a dozen times before. This time, we explored a nearby canyon I鈥檇 never been into, and discovered something really amazing that we were under-prepared to tackle. Had I done my mapping research beforehand, I鈥檇 have known to allow more time, to pack a rope, and to bring day packs.

The same can be said for virtually any outdoor destination. What鈥檚 nearby? What鈥檚 the terrain into like? Is there cool stuff to see or do? Read forums, dive deep into a Google search, look at satellite imagery, and buy old, out-of-print books about the area from pre-Internet days. You鈥檒l be amazed at how valuable even a few minutes of virtual exploration can be: I cut the distance of one of my favorite backpacking trips in half last year, simply by carefully plotting alternative routes online.

Get in Shape

You know that getting in shape is going to make hiking and other activities faster and easier. But working out can also help ease the discomfort of sleeping on the ground and help prevent injuries.

The beneficial effects accumulate. If your ankles are strong and stable, then you can wear lighter footwear, which will in turn make hiking easier, which means you can do it more often, and go farther into the woods.

Right now, I鈥檓 planning a surfing trip to El Salvador with some buddies who are retired special forces soldiers. I don鈥檛 know how to surf. Being as fit as possible will speed my learning curve in the water. And because I hike almost every day, I know ahead of time that I鈥檒l have an easy time on the trek through the jungle to the beach.

Learn to Cook

By far my favorite activity while camping is cooking. Whether it鈥檚 fresh yellowtail tacos on a beach in Baja, wild mussels seared on a campfire鈥檚 coals while backpacking the coast of northern California, or fresh elk heart bruschetta served the night after a successful hunt, being able to whip up a tasty meal never ceases to make an already great experience even better.

Being able to find and use fresh ingredients you find聽is also an incredibly special way to connect with the environment you’re in. If you鈥檙e not yet confident enough to do that, then just knowing how to make the night鈥檚 burgers really good or聽 how to whip up pancakes in the morning will make being outdoors more fun for you and anyone you鈥檙e with. That it can save you money is just icing on the cake, (which you鈥檒l hopefully know how to make in a dutch oven).

Lose the Fear

Taking risks and trying new things is a sure fire recipe for fun. In fact, that鈥檚 pretty much the whole point of recreating outdoors. Whether it鈥檚 a precipitous trail to a beautiful view, a bigger climb than you鈥檝e ever completed before, or your first drive off-road in your new Jeep, if you don鈥檛 try it, you can only regret the missed opportunity.

Practice to Make聽Perfect

Want to get good at an activity? Spend more time doing it. Planning an epic mountain bike trip? Try to ride your bike every day, even if that means peddling a 29-pound聽enduro聽machine聽to work and back. Going backpacking? Walk as much as possible.

The same goes for using all your gear. Do you know if your sleep system will be warm and comfortable enough? A couple test nights outside in your yard should provide an answer. Do you know how to set up your tent? Your living room makes for a great practice area.

The post Eight Free Ways to Upgrade Your Next Camping Trip appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Earlier聽this month, we started聽our inexorable migration south, following the animals and the warmth and the dry singletrack through Texas, Arizona, and California. Our first stop a few weeks ago was to the open sage-lands and rocky hills of the Sacramento Range, which we'd just swung by last year. The plan was to head straight back to where we鈥檇 camped before, while giving ourselves more time to explore. Then we hit our first snag.聽

鈥淭hey closed that road,鈥� a friend of mine said when I told him where we were headed. 鈥淧retty sure you can鈥檛 camp there anymore.鈥� I asked a few more people familiar with the area, and no one knew for sure. A call to the Fish and聽Game office in Roswell for clarity went unanswered. So I turned to聽.听听

One of the more time-consuming challenges of public-land Airstreaming is locating good sites. Before any move, we use a聽range of tools, from Google Earth to Garmin Basecamp, to study the topography and settle on a few possible spots in advance. Of late, however, we鈥檝e been mostly using聽OnX.

We started using this software a couple of years ago for hunting, which is the company鈥檚 primary focus. At the time, you purchased state-by-state chips that contained detailed maps and loaded those on compatible GPS devices, such as聽Garmin 35T. It worked well for activities in the field, such as聽bikepacking聽and hunting, but the tether to a GPS and the lack of an interface through a laptop made it tough to integrate with our other systems.

That changed late this summer, when OnX unveiled the latest version of the program, including phone- and computer-based app integration. An annual subscription costs $30 for a single state or $100 for all 50. The company still sells state-by-state chips ($119/state) for use on GPS, which includes the 50-state subscription, and a subscription also allows you to update the maps on chips you鈥檝e already purchased.

What OnX has created is akin to a souped-up, fully integrated version of Google Maps. Get on the site or app, and you can drill down in ridiculous detail to anywhere in the country. Maps can be viewed in line topo form, overhead satellite imagery view, or an awesome hybrid of both that overlays topographical contours directly over top of the satellite pictures. There are countless overlays that can be toggled on and off, most importantly the settings that show public and private lands, including contact information for all landowners. That means you can quickly look at an area and determine where it鈥檚 possible to camp, then zoom in on the satellite imagery and really hone in on great spots, with views so detailed it鈥檚 possible to see whether a road is too rough for passage or whether a spot would be good for collecting solar all day.

The outdoors features are just as cool, too. Trails, campgrounds, viewpoints, and many other icons and layers makes moving in the woods easier. If you like to wander in the backcountry, the satellite imagery is incredible for finding your way around most efficiently. And there鈥檚 even a heat-map layer that shows roadless areas for those who really want to get away. OnX has also solved the problem of connectivity. If you know you won鈥檛 have service while you鈥檙e out, you simply download custom area maps for the places you鈥檒l be traveling, and then the app locates you and allows you to navigate offline. It鈥檚 worth noting that all of these features and data are available elsewhere, but what OnX聽has done is bundle tons of great information together and make it simple to negotiate via a user-friendly interface.

In the case of our trip to the Sacramento Range, I simply fired up OnX Hunt and discovered that while passage on the road in question had indeed been closed, the new swath of private property was three-and-a-half miles from the highway, well after the spot where we planned to camp. While perusing the maps, I also discovered a couple of other side roads that looked to have even better spaces for parking Artemis, which I marked with waypoints. We headed south, and even though we arrived after dark, we were able to navigate right to the spots I鈥檇 found. What followed was another week in another free secluded BLM campsite, with hiking and biking option all to ourselves.

We had service, too, which meant when it came time to find where we鈥檇 go next, we simply decided on a general trajectory, logged into OnX, and started winnowing for another good spot. It鈥檚 pretty much how we plan to move as we chase the good weather south this winter.

The post The OnX App Makes Finding the Perfect Campsite Easy appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On August 21, large numbers of people, many of them inexperienced campers, will be flooding rural areas in an attempt to view the remarkable coast-to-coast solar eclipse. Do you want to see it too? The best way might be to find remote, off-road areas along the path of totality. Here鈥檚 the gear that will help you get there and stay comfortable and safe over the long, hot weekend.

Plan Your Trip

NASA has put together of the path of totality in Google Maps. Start there, then try to find areas near you on public land and as far away from population centers as possible.

Once you have a rough area that you want to hit, analyze it for trails, water sources, and terrain features using tools like Google Earth. That should help you home in on a final campsite. If you need further help, check out Caltopo. Follow our instructions to build an offline map to get you to your site. Do not plan on having phone reception.

The woods will be crowded next weekend. Just in case there鈥檚 already someone (or many people) at your chosen campsite, make a nearby plan B.

Communicate with Friends

Not only is cell service in rural areas patchy, but large numbers of visitors could also overwhelm cellular networks. So it鈥檚 a good idea to carefully plan your trip with friends in advance.

Start with details like who鈥檚 driving from where, what route they plan to take (paying particular attention to any off-road areas), and their expected time and date of arrival. Trail systems can get confusing quickly, so make sure everyone is armed with the same maps and knows how to use them.

Portable radios are a good idea, especially if people are planning to arrive at a remote off-road destination at different times and days. They鈥檒l enable you to call for help or just check in on progress within a local area. have a much further range than simple walkie talkies, but require you to before using them.聽Decide on a group frequency ahead of time.

And remember: The best way to get found if you get lost is to tell someone ahead of time where you鈥檙e going and when you鈥檒l be back. That applies to trips outside camp as well as to the entire weekend. Clearly communicating who鈥檚 going to be where and when is the best way to keep everyone safe.

Prepare for the Conditions

The roads will be crowded, and the weather will be hot. Make sure your vehicle鈥檚 cooling system, air conditioning, and consumables (tires, brake pads, fluids) are in top-notch shape before departing, and take care not to run too low on fuel. Rural gas stations may struggle to meet demand, particularly during peak travel times. You can also expect AAA and other roadside repair services to be similarly overburdened.

Taking the opportunity to fill up when you reach half a tank as you move into the area of the eclipse is a good idea. Carrying some extra fuel will also help. Note that fuel cans should only ever be carried externally. make that easy, even on the most rudimentary of roof racks, and enable very secure carrying for bouncy off-roading. If you鈥檙e going off-road, calculate your total mileage, halve your usual fuel economy, and take more fuel than you plan on using.

Water, too, will be of utmost importance. If you鈥檝e never visited your intended area before, don鈥檛 plan on finding water sources there in summer. Bring at least one gallon of water for each person, per day, just for drinking. And don鈥檛 forget water for your dogs, cooking, and cleaning.

Carrying that much water in a vehicle can get tricky. Our favorite solution is this clever upright water tank from . It allows you to locate its full-up weight of 108 pounds as close to your vehicle鈥檚 center of gravity as possible and fits in the back of a truck bed or behind the seats of an SUV.

Camp Comfortably

Because it鈥檒l be hot, and because you鈥檒l likely camp somewhere without much tree cover so you can see the main event, you鈥檒l want to take along some extra shade. combines the convenience of a vehicle-mounted awning (it attaches to any vehicle via wheel clips) with the light weight, portability, and low cost of a tarp.

Want to shower? The allows you to pressurize seven gallons of water up to 65 PSI using a bike pump or compressor and mounts to a roof rack, so the water source is over your head. The black aluminum tube absorbs sunlight to warm the water. A more portable alternative is the .

You鈥檒l also want a nice place to sleep. This maximizes convenience by housing all its components (including your sleeping bag, pillows, and other necessities) inside a hard fiberglass shell that helps it stand up to nighttime wind. Once you get to camp, you just pop the four latches, and hydraulic struts do the rest of the setup for you. Packing it down takes 90 seconds.

You鈥檒l also want music. Have everyone create an offline playlist and take turns DJing. Check out our comparison of ruggedized Bluetooth speakers to find the one that鈥檚 right for you.

Enjoy the Eclipse

The Solar Eclipse Timer app (, ) works offline and finds your phone鈥檚 precise location to provide an audible narration of the eclipse鈥檚 phases, down to the tenth of a second.

You鈥檒l also need viewing glasses so you don鈥檛 go blind. It鈥檚 not too late to order these affordable from Amazon.

Charge Up

Cameras, phones, speakers, maybe even an onboard refrigerator鈥攌eeping batteries topped up is a reality of modern camping.

The easiest and cheapest way to do that is with a portable battery pack. This holds 20,000 mAh of juice and costs just $42.

Want to plug stuff into your car? The first thing you鈥檒l need is an AC inverter. This one聽 and provides two 110-volt and two USB outlets. Not bad for $19.

Want to keep your car battery topped up without idling your engine? Tech innovations and high demand have finally brought portable solar panels within the range of mere mortals. Overland Solar鈥檚 120-watt is ideal for car campers. It provides enough power to charge your vehicle鈥檚 battery or keep it powered up while running accessories like that onboard fridge.

At the very minimum, everyone should carry a portable jump-starter. Thanks to high-capacity, high-discharge lithium-ion batteries, the need to connect to another vehicle with jumper cables is a thing of the past. Just hook up , start your car, and away you go.

Stay Safe

With the eclipse occurring during August, when kids are out of school and many people are already planning camping trips and vacations, the eclipse鈥檚 timing is poor. It鈥檚 also the height of wildfire season.

鈥�,鈥� a Deschutes National Forest officer told the Statesman Journal. Oregon, the first state that will see the eclipse, is already beset by several wildfires.

The expected influx of vast numbers of visitors is expected to overtax law enforcement and first responder capabilities of parks and rural areas. People inexperienced in the outdoors will be exposed to hot weather and potentially dangerous terrain. Poor safety practices from anyone could spark another wildfire at a time when firefighters are least able to fight it.

Wherever you鈥檙e going, first check local fire restrictions. Plan to take a shovel and a water bucket, and keep both by the fire at all times. Clear brush and grass away from your fire ring to at least ten feet of clearance, monitor your fire at all times, and make sure it鈥檚 dead out before leaving the site or going to bed by dousing it in water and stirring the fire with your shovel until it鈥檚 cool to the touch. Don鈥檛 discard cigarette butts on the ground, and don鈥檛 idle cars off-road.

With crowded roads and an unusual number of visitors, prepare for long travel times to hospitals and emergency rooms and potentially long wait times once you鈥檙e there. Carry , and know how to use it. Be especially careful to pack any necessary medications, especially those needed to deal with allergies.

Once you reach the area of eclipse totality, be prepared to be stuck there for some time.

The post The Gear You Need to See the Eclipse appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

鈥淥nce you鈥檙e outdoors, you can鈥檛 rely on technology anymore,鈥� says Christiaan Adams, developer advocate for Google Earth. Being able to read a good old-fashioned paper map is one of the most fundamental outdoor skills. In case you never learned or need a refresher, here are the basics.

(Want to learn how to take this knowledge to the next level, and take advantage of the full capabilities of 21st century mapping tools?)

Types of Maps

Google Maps can be considered a basic street map: an accurate two-dimensional portrayal of the world that includes the locations of roads, cities, parks, and other features. Maps like these do聽nothing to illustrate elevation.

That鈥檚 where topographic (usually just 鈥渢opo鈥�) maps come in. These have lines at set elevation distances that trace the contours of the terrain. By representing topography, they allow you to see the three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional piece of paper. Topo maps are the only map you should use if you鈥檙e trying to navigate outdoors and will be the subject of most of this article.

There are also 鈥攖hink stylized theme-park maps鈥攖hat may loosely represent the location of a trail and points of interest in relation to each other. Avoid these at all costs, as they lack the necessary topographic data that will allow you to find your way if lost.

You can find (USGS). They鈥檙e the gold standard and the basis of many other commercially available maps.

Understanding the Legend

Any good map will tell you how to read itself. Take the above legend from . From left to right, it gives you information on where and when the map data was compiled, the area鈥檚 magnetic declination, the scale (note the contour interval below it), the location of the shown area in relation to the state it’s in (in this case, Texas), and a key to the symbols used to represent roads. Let鈥檚 look at what this information represents and how you can use it.

The source data isn鈥檛 typically all that relevant. It鈥檚 worth glancing at just to make sure it鈥檚 not insanely out of date, but as we can see here, much of the data used to assemble this map comes from 2008鈥�2015, so it鈥檚 pretty recent.

Magnetic declination is the difference between true north and magnetic north. A quality compass will allow you to alter the direction it points to suit the data provided by the map. Follow your compass instructions to do that. As you can see, there can be some pretty big differences between the two norths depending on where in the world you are.

The scale is how much the represented area has been shrunken down from the real world. For most topo maps, it鈥檒l be 1:24,000. So, one inch on the map would be 24,000 inches in the real world. The ruler represents distance to make the scale聽easy to understand at a glance. Want to measure the distance of a winding trail? Use a piece of string to trace its route, mark its length, then compare the straightened string to that scale. Or do what I do: Use two fingers as a protractor to 鈥渨alk鈥� rough distances across the map.

The contour interval is the elevation distance between each of the contour lines, so you can scale the terrain being represented.

The map location is obvious. It allows you to easily look up the adjoining maps, should you need them.

The key is another essential, spelling out what the symbols on the map represent. Here, it鈥檚 types of road, but you鈥檒l also find stuff like the lines that represent hiking trails, or train tracks, or watchtowers, or other essential stuff.

Take a minute to absorb the legend before trying to read the map itself. It鈥檒l make the experience way easier and more informative.

How Contour Lines Represent the Real World

Here comes the tricky part. It may seem hard at first glance, but once you learn what contour lines represent, you鈥檒l be able to look at them and picture real-life mountains, valleys, or whatever. And once you can do that, you can use a map to quickly and easily find your location and navigate.

Adams, who also volunteers for the , rescuing lost and injured travelers across California, says he still uses Google Earth to gain an understanding of an area鈥檚 topography and terrain features before diving into a topo map and suggests that doing the same might be the best way for you to learn.

鈥淚 can do my map and compass work better and more effectively if I鈥檝e seen the satellite imagery and the digital maps first,鈥� says Adams.

Let鈥檚 do just that, using as an example. Its distinctive shape should make seeing it represented with contour lines easy to understand.

Finding Your Location

Pick out two distinct terrain features that you can see both in the real world and on the map. A mountain peak, a prominent bend in a river, a saddle in a ridgeline, or something similarly unique.

Hold your compass level, point it (via its direction-of-travel arrow) at the first object, and twist the bezel so the big red arrow inside it aligns with the red north needle. Next, locate that object on your map, and rest a long edge of your compass on it, with north still inside the red bezel arrow. Rotate the map until its orienting lines align with those of the compass bezel. Trace a straight line through that object, using the edge of your compass as a ruler. You鈥檙e somewhere on that line. Do the same for the second object, and where that new line intersects the first one is your precise location. Get this right, and you鈥檝e just found your location as accurately and quickly as you could with a GPS navigator.

Of course, you can do this calculation mentally once you gain some experience interpreting maps in the real world. 鈥淚鈥檓 right by that river bend,鈥� or 鈥淲e鈥檙e just under that ridge,鈥� will simply become second nature.

Adams suggests that the easiest way to learn this skill is by first using Google Maps on your phone as a backup. Try to guess or calculate your location, then check it against the聽blue dot on your phone. He again cautions, however, against relying solely on that technology.

鈥淲hen it comes down to it, digital maps are extremely useful,鈥� Adams聽says. 鈥淏ut you still need to know how to get yourself out of trouble the old-fashioned way.鈥�

The post How to Read a Map appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Google Earth has long offered a feature that allows users to see changes to a particular geographical region over a period of years. It鈥檚 fun to play with, but also an important tool because it聽allows us to see environmental degradation in real time. This week, the tool got even better, thanks to clearer images and an expanded timeline.

Google added four additional years, so now the timelapse feature stretches all the way back to 1984. Additionally, the company uploaded imagery from new and improved satellites and combed through three quadrillion pixels (that鈥檚 3,000,000,000,000,000, in case you were wondering) to make sure there weren鈥檛聽clouds or haze in any of the images. They then made one gigantic (3.95 terapixel) interactive image of the Earth for each year. You just zoom in on a place you鈥檙e interested in and you can scroll through the timeline and see what it looked like in each of those years or click play and watch three decades fly by.

The things you can see are amazing.聽

Wright, Wyoming

You can watch coal mines snake outward like veins.

Dubai, UAE

You can watch huge, inhabited islands get built from scratch.聽

Las Vegas

You can watch聽Las Vegas聽expand at a rate you wouldn鈥檛 think possible.

Lake Mead

Las Vegas' water supply.

骋谤别别苍濒补苍诲'蝉听闯补办辞产蝉丑补惫苍听骋濒补肠颈别谤

The difference between 1984 and 2016 is shocking. It鈥檚 one of the planet鈥檚 fastest-melting glaciers, but it certainly has company.聽

Antarctica鈥檚聽Pine Island Glacier

Antarctica鈥檚聽Polarforschung Glacier

If you scroll by hand you鈥檒l see that suddenly, around 2004, the ice starts flowing out to sea like liquid.

Alaska鈥檚 Colombia Glacier

It鈥檚 just as scary close to home. Take a look at how far this Alaskan glacier聽has retreated.聽

To start exploring yourself, you can find the tool聽. Google has also listed some additional聽timelapse聽locations they suggest you check out as part of a聽丑别谤别.听

The post Want to See Climate Change in Action? Use Google’s Timelapse. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

For the first time since 2013, Google has updated its satellite imagery of planet earth. The new images have more detail and truer colors, giving civilians more data than has ever been available.聽Let鈥檚 look at what鈥檚 changed聽and talk about how it can help you.聽

What鈥檚 New?聽

Google Earth works by analyzing trillions of pixels worth of satellite images, selecting the clearest, cloud-free ones, then stitching them all together into one seamless image of the planet. Pause for a second and consider what a technical achievement that is. Just one generation ago, we didn鈥檛 even have complete maps for the earth. Now you can scroll across every inch of it in high-resolution.聽

The previous iteration of Google Earth was powered by images from the Landsat 7, which was launched way back in 1999 and photographed the earth with a pixel size of 30 meters. That聽satellite suffered a hardware failure in 2003, resulting in large diagonal gaps of missing data in the imagery it produced. Now聽we鈥檙e seeing images from Landsat 8, which was launched in 2013, and has a pixel size of 15 meters, in addition to other聽improved capabilities.聽

:听

鈥淟andsat 8 captures images with greater detail, truer colors, and at an unprecedented frequency鈥攃apturing twice as many images as Landsat 7 does every day. This new rendition of Earth uses the most recent data available鈥攎ostly from Landsat聽8鈥攎aking it our freshest global mosaic to date. Like our previous mosaic, we mined data from nearly a petabyte of Landsat imagery鈥攖hat鈥檚 more than 700 trillion individual pixels鈥攖o choose the best cloud-free pixels. To put that in perspective, 700 trillion pixels is 7,000 times more pixels than the estimated number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, or 70 times more pixels than the estimated number of galaxies in the Universe.鈥�

What Does This Do for You?聽

I鈥檝e been using Google Earth to help inform travel planning since its launch in 2001. In addition to topographic and trail maps, it helps me assess conditions on the ground with far more information. I聽can see the location, density, and types of trees, for instance, as well as the presence of tracks and trails that may not be included on traditional maps. What can that additional information give you?

Determine Volume of Use

Is a spot you want to visit going to be pristine聽or packed with people and trash? Now with the ability to make out even faint tire tracks, you can instantly tell if people have been there before, how often, and how damaged that location may be. Just zoom in and look for signs of human presence. If you see lots of clearly defined, wide聽tire tracks聽and trails,聽you know an area gets a lot of use.聽

Gauge聽Severity of Climbs

Hiking, backpacking, cycling,聽or even rock climbing? You can look at the contour lines on a topo map, read trip reports, and find photos, but nothing allows you to fly through a landscape and develop a powerful sense of its challenge like Google Earth.聽

Assess Road Conditions

Back when I was driving a Subaru Outback instead of a built Land Rover, I had to take care choosing appropriate聽routes. Obviously Earth isn鈥檛 going to show you up-to-the-minute info on rock slides or washouts, but it can allow you to get a good overview of dirt road conditions. Is the dirt road, two-track, or fire road wide, clearly defined, free of overhanging trees, and devoid of water crossings? How steep are the slopes it climbs? Does the texture appear uniform聽or highly varied? Google Earth can give you more information on more miles of road, anywhere in the world, than you鈥檒l ever find in forums聽or hear from friends.聽

Guesstimate聽Animal Patterns

Last fall, I picked up a cheap, leftover tag for deer in a zone with the lowest hunter success rate in California. Before driving up, I spent 20 minutes on Google Earth determining locations of water sources, grazing, daytime cover, and , then dropped a pin on where I thought my best odds of success lay. The next morning, I snuck toward聽that pin carrying my bow鈥攁nd found聽a herd standing right were I predicted they鈥檇 be. If that pin had been real, it鈥檇 have done the job for me, but I did it with an arrow through the lungs half an hour into my first-ever visit to that area.聽

Find Hidden Gems

The shading on maps only gives you a general overview of flora聽and the indicated bodies of water are only informed by human experience. Earth allows you to sail over ridges, deep into the backcountry, and look for hidden streams and oases no one may have ever visited before聽or that at the very least aren鈥檛 common knowledge. I found the best campsite I鈥檝e ever slept in this way, a spot way out on the coast of Labrador where I watched humpback whales jump just 100 yards away, then saw a pod of orcas hunting while the Northern Lights played overhead. The next morning, I feasted on cloud berries, walked within 10 feet of a bull moose, and swore to return.聽

Find New Trails

In the Alps, you can ride a mountain bike on any established trail. That includes old Roman roads and 1,000-year-old walking paths. Want to find an all new route for yourself? 鈥淔ly鈥� over any old settlement or fort (which were often built on peaks), look for the nearest water source, then zoom in and look for faint lines traveling between the ruins and the water. I just made your next vacation an epic one. You鈥檙e welcome.聽

Empower Everyday 国产吃瓜黑料s

Just looking for a new spot to hike, ski, bike, or walk the dog? Google Earth lets you see what鈥檚 over that next hill聽or聽in that valley, and determine if it鈥檚 worth visiting. Add layers like roads, boundaries, parks, etc., and you鈥檒l be empowered with a whole new level of decision-making ability, allowing you to spend more time having fun. In Los Angeles right now, the mega-popular Runyon Canyon Park is closed. A lot of my friends are staying home聽instead of hiking, but I鈥檝e been able to find new trails in the area using Google Earth, including ones that skirt the park鈥檚 boundaries, so I鈥檓 basically able to go hike with Wiley in the same place as before, all without any crowds. Pretty neat, right?聽

And that's just the basic stuff such powerful imagery allows you to find. What are your tips and tricks for using Google Earth? And, what have you found through it?聽

The post Google Earth Just Got Even More Powerful. Here鈥檚 How It Can Help You Plan Your Next 国产吃瓜黑料. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

You've probably used to find a restaurant, gawk at your house, or peek into the Grand Canyon. Soon you'll be using it to scout bomber singletrack. As part of its effort to build the world's most comprehensive map, Google has that will put Trekkers鈥�40-pound back-pack versions of the 颅cameras used on its Street View 颅vehicles鈥攊n the hands of trail-颅management crews, tourism bureaus, universities, and other nonprofits around the world.

The first Trekker was sent to Hawaii's Big Island last August, to Rob Pacheco, cofounder of outfitter Hawaii Forest and Trail. “It's like being a cinema颅tographer鈥攜ou keep thinking about how everything's going to look,” says Pacheco, who hiked past ohia lehua trees, lava flows, and a 400-foot-deep pit crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park while the camera's 15 lenses snapped every 2.5 seconds. When the Big Island images are released in March, viewers will be able to navigate 46 miles on 24 trails.

Google aims to have hundreds of the 360-颅degree, 75-megapixel devices in the field by the end of the year. Which made us wonder: How do we get our hands on one? We asked Evan Rapoport, a 33-year-old product manager for Street View who helps select the Trekker ambassadors.

Get affiliated. The loan program is limited to organizations in 35 countries. “We're looking for partners who have a lot of respect for the land and celebrate preservation,” says Rapoport. Apply at .

Think big. Rapoport settled on Hawaii in part because it's a place people “dream of going.” In other words: skip Kansas.

Make it count. Google partnered with the Charles Darwin Foundation in 2013 to photograph critical wildlife habitat in the 颅Gal谩pagos Islands, providing baseline visual data for scientists around the world to track environmental conditions.

Flaunt your access. It's tough for Google to get permission to take commercial photographs in places like national parks鈥攚hich is why it's turning to groups like , which already had a relationship with Volcanoes. If you have permission to photograph a hard-to-access place, you'll have a better shot.

If all else fails, DIY. The search giant recently launched Photo Sphere, a new feature in Google Maps that lets users upload location photos to create their own Street View鈥搇ike panoramas.

Stay tuned for additional coverage of the Trekker Loan program.

The post Helping Google Map the World appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.