tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55068237357979021712024-03-19T02:24:32.720-07:00Adventure NomadAdventure. Travel. Photography.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.comBlogger326125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-52295758100103933172018-10-12T03:35:00.000-07:002018-10-12T03:35:35.073-07:00Lightweight Adventure Photography<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1698" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; width: 1920px;"><img alt="_DSC0847" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1698" data-attachment-id="1698" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"Kenneth Koh","camera":"DSC-RX100M5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1528210925","copyright":"\u00a9 2018 Kenneth Koh","focal_length":"8.8","iso":"125","shutter_speed":"0.0015625","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="_DSC0847" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc0847.jpg?w=474?w=1920" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc0847.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc0847.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="1920,1280" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/10/12/pacific-crest-trail-2018-thru-hike-completed/_dsc0847/" exifid="132786052" id="exifviewer-img-1" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc0847.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc0847.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc0847.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc0847.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc0847.jpg?w=128 128w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc0847.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc0847.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Unlike ‘Painter’, who carried 5 1/2 lbs of oils, brushes and canvases and a home-made easel on his thru-hike, a photographer’s tools are much simpler. Sony RX100 V, 24mm equiv., f/1.8, 1/640 sec, ISO 125</span></em></figcaption></figure><br />
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<span style="color: white;">Being able to bring back breathtaking images from a lightweight adventure trip, such as a thru-hike, are really part of the purpose of the trip for me. But when the need to go ultra-lightweight conflict with the need to bring a camera, some decisions need to be made to keep the weight down, and the quality up. Here’s the gear I used for my PCT thru-hike, my thoughts and process:</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">The Gear</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">For ultralight adventures, I have a preference for compact cameras with 1″ sensors, like those made by Canon, Panasonic and Sony. I carried one of those to the summit of Everest, and are what I chose for my PCT thru-hike. For me, they are the lightest weight, rugged enough, high quality option for a trip where minimum weight is a priority.</span></div>
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<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1691" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 1920px;"><img alt="IMG_0992" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1691" data-attachment-id="1691" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1538423289","copyright":"\u00a9 Kenneth Koh","focal_length":"8.8","iso":"2500","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="IMG_0992" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_0992.jpg?w=474?w=1920" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_0992.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_0992.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="1920,1280" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/10/12/pacific-crest-trail-2018-thru-hike-completed/img_0992/" exifid="709211051" id="exifviewer-img-4" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_0992.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_0992.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_0992.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_0992.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_0992.jpg?w=128 128w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_0992.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_0992.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">The Approach to Mt. Whitney, handheld in low light. Sony RX100 V, 24mm equiv., f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO 2500,</span></em></figcaption></figure><br />
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<span style="color: white;">For my thru-hike, I used a <a href="https://amzn.to/2pNOTxx" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sony RX100</a> Mark IV and Mark V. I damaged the monitor on my Mark IV in the desert, and my wife brought me a new Mark V to Kennedy Meadows, which I used (more carefully) til the end of the trip. The Mark III, IV and V have similar focal length zoom rang: 24-70mm, so if you are trying to save some money, going down the evolution tree might suit you. The 24-70mm zoom range is great for ‘people’ shots, but if I were to thru-hike the PCT again though, I would take the newest <a href="https://amzn.to/2A79mDo" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sony RX100 Mark VI</a>, which has a 24-200mm zoom range. The additional telephoto range is useful for wildlife, but sacrifices a bit of aperture to do it, so it isn’t as good in low light, and will have a bit more image noise overall. Also, it costs more than the other cameras.</span></div>
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<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1692" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 1920px;"><img alt="IMG_1004" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1692" data-attachment-id="1692" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1538464725","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.99","iso":"25","shutter_speed":"0.00011363636363636","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="IMG_1004" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_1004.jpg?w=474?w=1920" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_1004.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_1004.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="1920,1218" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/10/12/pacific-crest-trail-2018-thru-hike-completed/img_1004/" exifid="1170450663" id="exifviewer-img-5" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_1004.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_1004.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_1004.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_1004.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_1004.jpg?w=128 128w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_1004.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_1004.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><span style="color: white;">Cooling off in the Feather River. Getting it all in with the Moment Superfish lens on my iPhone 7+</span></figcaption></figure><br />
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<span style="color: white;">I also used my iPhone 7 plus with the <a href="https://amzn.to/2PqSpcs" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moment Superfish</a> lens* to complement my Sony RX100 for a wider (fisheye) focal length perspective. Why not use my iPhone for all my shots? For me, the main deal breaker is that it doesn’t do so well in low light. They are also cumbersome to operate, especially if you want manual settings. My iPhone camera makes a good supplement to my compact camera for options, like a <a href="https://amzn.to/2RLsj5A" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fisheye</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2QLGBlc" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ultra-wide</a> or <a href="https://amzn.to/2QJGsP0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Macro</a> lenses, but as a main camera, they are not quite there yet for me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">*Note: Use of Moment Lenses requires the <a href="https://amzn.to/2RGRpSW" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Moment Case</a>.</span></div>
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<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1694" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 1920px;"><img alt="_DSC6008-2" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1694" data-attachment-id="1694" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"8","credit":"Kenneth Koh","camera":"DSC-RX100M5","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1536216366","copyright":"\u00a9 2018 Kenneth Koh","focal_length":"8.8","iso":"125","shutter_speed":"0.016666666666667","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="_DSC6008-2" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc6008-2.jpg?w=474?w=1920" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc6008-2.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc6008-2.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="1920,1080" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/10/12/pacific-crest-trail-2018-thru-hike-completed/_dsc6008-2/" exifid="-511719751" id="exifviewer-img-3" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc6008-2.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc6008-2.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc6008-2.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc6008-2.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc6008-2.jpg?w=128 128w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc6008-2.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/dsc6008-2.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Sony RX100 V on the Ultrapod, 10 second self-timer, 24mm, f/8 for depth of field and sunstar, 1/60 sec, ISO 125</span></em></figcaption></figure><br />
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<span style="color: white;">I used a lightweight <a href="https://amzn.to/2yxhLhq" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pedco Ultrapod mini-tripod</a>, which I left attached to the camera most of the time, mainly for selfies, like those you see in these shots and in the video below. You have to be creative with setting it up: You can set it up on the ground, on a rock, strapped to your trekking pole, tree branch or post. The whole setup fits in a <a href="http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/shoulderpouch.shtml" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ZPacks Shoulder Pouch</a> attached to the shoulder strap of my backpack for quick access. For selfies, I used the 10 second self-timer on the camera to allow me enough time to get into position, then fired off a burst of 3 or 5 shots. There is also an option on the RX100 to use your smartphone as a remote, which I used once for a night shot.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">For my iPhone, I had a <a href="https://amzn.to/2RLO9pc" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Joby Griptight One</a>, which I bought together with the Micro Stand. That could be a great option if you just wanted to use your phone camera for the thru-hike. I took the stand off and just used the Griptight part to attach my phone to the Ultrapod. I have the ProCamera App on my iPhone, to shoot RAW and for the extended self-timer. I also carried a <a href="https://amzn.to/2A5l5Cz" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">bluetooth remote shutter release</a> for the iphone which I used only once.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">In The Field</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I tend to do most of my photography in the early morning. The light is great, I feel fresh, and I have the whole day ahead of me with no pressure to reach a campsite for the night.</span></div>
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<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1697" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 1920px;"><img alt="Processed With Darkroom" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1697" data-attachment-id="1697" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"11","credit":"","camera":"DSC-RX100M4","caption":"Processed With Darkroom","created_timestamp":"1523113948","copyright":"(c) 2018 Kenneth Koh","focal_length":"8.8","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.16666666666667","title":"Processed With Darkroom","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Processed With Darkroom" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_7977-1-2.jpg?w=474?w=1920" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_7977-1-2.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_7977-1-2.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="1920,1272" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/10/12/pacific-crest-trail-2018-thru-hike-completed/processed-with-darkroom/" exifid="-1218362195" id="exifviewer-img-2" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_7977-1-2.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_7977-1-2.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_7977-1-2.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_7977-1-2.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_7977-1-2.jpg?w=128 128w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_7977-1-2.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/img_7977-1-2.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">I wanted to create a shot of the One Mile marker with a blurred hiker walking past. I tried out different shutter speeds, and this one worked out best. Sony RX100 IV, 24mm, 1/6 sec, f/11, ISO 200</span></em></figcaption></figure><br />
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<span style="color: white;">I shoot mostly in Aperture Priority Mode. I’ll choose something like f/1.8 for shallower depth of field or perhaps f/11 to create a sunstar if I’m shooting into the sun. Occasionally, I’ll shoot in Shutter Priority Mode to create some motion blur, as in the photo above. Shooting in one of these semi-automatic modes frees me to make one creative decision, either the aperture or shutter speed, while letting the camera work out the the rest, like the ISO. I will put the camera in Program Mode if my brain is fully occupied with other tasks or I need to focus, like when climbing Everest and low on oxygen. I rarely shoot fully Manual, but will do it if it’s something the camera cannot handle, like night shots.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My Sony RX100 camera charges directly with a USB cable, so in the evening, it’s a simple matter to just plug in my camera into the <a href="https://amzn.to/2PvMm6b" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">power bank</a> for charging. I had a <a href="https://amzn.to/2A5o3XJ" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Suntactics S5 Solar Charger</a>, and found it very useful in the desert and the Sierras, but not for NorCal, Oregon and Washington, where I replaced the solar charger with a Qualcomm quick charger for quick town stops.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Post-Process</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">When I have a zero (rest) day, I’ll transfer selected images from my camera to my phone for editing, posting to social media and for backup to the cloud. I used to carry an <a href="https://amzn.to/2pWFFPL" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Apple SD Card to Lightning Adapter</a>, which would allow me to transfer the RAW images, but found that too much of a hassle, so I just used the built-in Sony App to wirelessly transfer a small JPG file from my camera to the phone. These were good enough for Instagram, but not for viewing on a large monitor or for printing. However, If you shoot JPG, the camera will transfer a large JPG file to the phone. I used Adobe Lightroom CC (paid) and Snapseed (free) on my phone to edit and post the images. Not everyone likes my editing style, but if you are interested to replicate the look, here’s <a href="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2016/07/31/how-to-edit-a-photo-on-snapseed-in-5-easy-steps/" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a quick and easy Snapseed editing tutorial</a> on how I do it. The images you see in the video linked below have all been reworked from the original RAW files for viewing on large monitors.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">This seems a lot of effort, and it is, but I love sharing the experiences I’ve had with others, and having powerful images that make an impact are worth it me.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-85699370104206105342018-10-10T07:57:00.002-07:002018-10-10T07:57:33.132-07:00My Gear: Pacific Crest Trail 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: white;">This is a full list of the gear that I’ll be starting the trail with: <a href="https://lighterpack.com/e/cpvj52" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">https://lighterpack.com/e/cpvj52</a></span></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Disclosure: I am extremely grateful for the generosity of #TheNorthFaceSG for their support these past 10 years. Although I am no longer an athlete with The North Face Singapore, I am starting my through-hike with some gear that was provided to me at no cost. </span></em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">My thanks also to #Salomon USA and #OspreyPacks for supporting the <a href="https://www.pcta.org/community/p3/" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2018 P3 Program of the Pacific Crest Trail Association</a>. As my current gear wears out or is found unsuitable, I will probably be replacing them with gear from these sponsors.</span></em></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Clothes</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><img alt="Snapseed 3" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1671" data-attachment-id="1671" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"Kenneth Koh","camera":"DSC-RX100M4","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1522257054","copyright":"(c) 2018 Kenneth Koh","focal_length":"8.8","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.02","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Snapseed 3" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-31.jpg?w=474?w=3945" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-31.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-31.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="3945,3254" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/03/31/my-gear-pacific-crest-trail-2018/snapseed-3-2/" exifid="1935111298" id="exifviewer-img-14" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-31.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-31.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-31.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-31.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-31.jpg?w=116 116w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-31.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-31.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My choice of clothes are setup to be layered. My shorts and tank top are my base layer. If it gets chilly, I’ll throw on my long sleeve shirt. If it’s windy, my wind and waterproofs go on over that. My puffy and thermal leggings are really just for around camp, although if it’s exceptionally cold, I could walk in those too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My long sleeve shirt is an older generation model of The North Face Impulse Active 1/4 zip. Unzip the neck, pull up the sleeves, and it vents well. The thumb holes are great for keeping the hands a little warmer. It’s a pretty flexible piece of gear for cooler conditions.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My puffy is The North Face Thermoball Hoodie. I like its synthetic fill, as it gives a little extra safety margin over down in wet conditions, but it’s a bit heavy at 350g. If you were buying a puffy specifically for the drier conditions on the PCT, you might also want check out the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer, or one of the Montbell down filled jackets, for some weight savings.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I got to try the new Montbell Travel Umbrella in orange and dark blue (Thanks Saori and Chow!). The orange lets a lot of orange light through, and it turned out to be quite distracting. I also felt it was a bit hotter under the canopy than the dark blue one, so here’s a tip: If you are buying this umbrella for shade as well as for rain, get it in dark blue.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I took about a month to adjust to the Altra Lone Peaks. I actually put them aside after a few weeks because of issues I was having despite trying to get used to them with lower mileage. I went back to my old shoes, but after a month in those, I developed other issues. I then tried the Lone Peaks again, and this time, had no issues with them. Go figure. Anyway, I’ve been training with them, and love them now. The only downside is that the outsole does not grip well on wet surfaces. The upcoming 4.0 version of the Lone Peak fixes this issue as it will be using Vibram MegaGrip outsoles which has good grip in the wet.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I like having 2 pairs of socks that are of slightly different thicknesses, so that I can accommodate for the swelling in my feet.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My cap is an old Salomon baseball cap. I like it because the white top keeps my head cool in direct sun, and it’s black beneath the bill, which cuts the glare. It’s also pretty light, and the whole thing is soft and crushable.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I only use a single trekking pole. I lost the other while trekking in Nepal and running to get a photograph. When I returned, the pole was gone. I had the other one with me as it was dangling off my left hand. Since then, I’ve not found a need to replace the missing pole. A single pole works well for me as I often need one hand for the camera, and I also need one pole to set up my tent.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My glasses are Rudy Project Rydon with prescription inserts and the Photochromatic ImpactX 2 lens, which goes from very dark, to almost clear. I’ve used this lens for ice-climbing in China and to mountain biking in Indonesia. It’s very versatile. I can also remove the lenses and just use the prescription insert with the frame. Dorky, but it works. <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the interest of full disclosure, I got lenses, frames and prescription inserts from Rudy Project USA in exchange for one of my photos that was used in their catalogue.</em></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My shorts are Speedo 16″ Leisure, and not the ones you see in the photo. I was going to go with running shorts, when I chanced upon the Speedo’s. They are very quick drying, have pockets and more durable than running shorts. The downsides are that they are a bit heavier, and feel very coarse.</span></div>
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1672" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 4107px;"><img alt="Suspension bridge at Karte" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1672" data-attachment-id="1672" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"9","credit":"Kenneth Koh","camera":"NIKON D300","caption":"Suspension bridge at Karte","created_timestamp":"1208578239","copyright":"\u00a9 2008 Kenneth Koh\/Adventure Nomad","focal_length":"10.5","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.003125","title":"Suspension bridge at Karte","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Suspension bridge at Karte" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_1908_1.jpg?w=474?w=4107" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_1908_1.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_1908_1.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="4107,2728" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/03/31/my-gear-pacific-crest-trail-2018/suspension-bridge-at-karte/" exifid="-25315970" id="exifviewer-img-9" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_1908_1.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_1908_1.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_1908_1.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_1908_1.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_1908_1.jpg?w=128 128w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_1908_1.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_1908_1.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">I left one trekking pole by the side of this bridge while running to get this shot. When I returned, the pole was gone. I’ve been using a single trekking pole since.</span></em></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;">Not shown: Dirty Girl Gaiters. I’ve not had good luck with short gaiters in the past. They tend to give me some pain around my lower calf where they rub. I will pick these up before hitting the trail, and hope they will work.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">My Big 3</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><img alt="IMG_7886 2" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1669" data-attachment-id="1669" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"5.6","credit":"Kenneth Koh","camera":"ILCE-7SM2","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1522168119","copyright":"(c) 2017 Kenneth Koh","focal_length":"26","iso":"5000","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="IMG_7886 2" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7886-2.jpg?w=474?w=4228" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7886-2.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7886-2.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="4228,2566" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/03/31/my-gear-pacific-crest-trail-2018/img_7886-2/" exifid="494572674" id="exifviewer-img-15" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7886-2.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7886-2.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7886-2.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7886-2.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7886-2.jpg?w=128 128w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7886-2.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7886-2.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My backpack is the Hyperlite Mountaineering Gear Southwest 3400. I’ve been training with this pack for the past 3 months and I’m quite happy with it. I’ve added 2 Z-Packs shoulder pouches for quick access to my phone and camera. My sleeping quilt is the Enlightened Equipment Revelation 20, and tent is the Z-Packs Hexamid Solo Plus, with 6 Sonic stakes. My mattress is the small Thermarest Xlite. It’s too short to for full body coverage, so my backpack, with food bag inside, goes under my legs, elevating my feet slightly to help with swelling and inflammation. I’ve a piece of Tyvek for a groundsheet.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Electronics and Tools</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Most of my electronics is centered around photography. My iPhone with the Guthooks app is my primary navigation tool, and I also carry a Moment fisheye lens for the iPhone for certain shots. My main camera is the Sony RX100iv, which is a slightly older model. I carry it because the bigger, higher resolution sensor over the iPhone allows for better dynamic range, more detailed files with less noise, and shallower depth of field in certain conditions. I anticipate having to shoot plenty of selfies, so I’m carrying remote triggers, and an Ultrapod that I can attach to my trekking pole and use that as a selfie-stick, or makeshift “tripod” by sticking the spike into softer ground.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I bought the older Inreach SE (I wish I’d bought the Explorer instead as backup for my iPhone GPS), and you can follow my progress <a href="https://eur-share.inreach.garmin.com/KennethKoh" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a>when I start the trail on April 8th.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">What’s missing? No watch, I’ll use my iPhone.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><img alt="untitled_2718_1" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1667" data-attachment-id="1667" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"5.6","credit":"Kenneth Koh","camera":"ILCE-7SM2","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1522162501","copyright":"(c) 2017 Kenneth Koh","focal_length":"26","iso":"2000","shutter_speed":"0.004","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="untitled_2718_1" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_2718_1.jpg?w=474?w=3651" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_2718_1.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_2718_1.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="3651,2240" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/03/31/my-gear-pacific-crest-trail-2018/untitled_2718_1/" exifid="-1479935857" id="exifviewer-img-16" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_2718_1.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_2718_1.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_2718_1.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_2718_1.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_2718_1.jpg?w=128 128w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_2718_1.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_2718_1.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Kitchen</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I’m carrying a small 500ml Nalgene bottle with me. It’s a bit heavy at 87g, but I can use it as my coffee mug in the morning and the wide mouth makes it easy to mix drinks in the day. If I put a sock over it, it becomes a hot water bottle at night, or a make-shift ‘foam’ roller.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">1.5 liters is the normal amount of water I carry. In the desert, or where else I might need more, I’ll just buy extra bottles and fill those up as I go. The Nalgene is my ‘clean’ bottle, where I mix filtered water with drinks. The filter screws directly onto my Smart water bottle, and ‘dirty’ water goes into that, and I squeeze to filter as I need.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My stove is the BRS3000T. It’s crazy light, but poorly made, with poor quality control… I bought it for $12 off eBay, and when it arrived, it didn’t work. I opened up the valve, cleaned it, fired it up again, and then it worked. But really, for that price, I shouldn’t complain. Test it before bringing it out though!</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">The Lexan spoon is lighter than my Ti Spork, and it’s nicer to use.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">The pot is a tiny Toaks 650ml. It’s the smallest one that will accept a small fuel canister inside. I haven’t figured out how to store the pot in my pack, so the mesh sack is coming with me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Not pictured: Bic Mini Lighter, fuel canister</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><img alt="untitled_3118_1" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1676" data-attachment-id="1676" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"Kenneth Koh","camera":"DSC-RX100M4","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1522455320","copyright":"(c) 2018 Kenneth Koh","focal_length":"8.8","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.0015625","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="untitled_3118_1" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_1.jpg?w=474?w=4774" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_1.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_1.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="4774,3317" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/03/31/my-gear-pacific-crest-trail-2018/untitled_3118_1/" exifid="727432684" id="exifviewer-img-17" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_1.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_1.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_1.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_1.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_1.jpg?w=128 128w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_1.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_1.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Miscellaneous</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">The rest of my gear is just my hygeine stuff, first aid and repair kits.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><img alt="untitled_3118_2" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1677" data-attachment-id="1677" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"Kenneth Koh","camera":"DSC-RX100M4","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1522455916","copyright":"(c) 2018 Kenneth Koh","focal_length":"8.8","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.0015625","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="untitled_3118_2" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_2.jpg?w=474?w=4601" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_2.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_2.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="4601,3396" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/03/31/my-gear-pacific-crest-trail-2018/untitled_3118_2/" exifid="-1296442387" id="exifviewer-img-11" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_2.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_2.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_2.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_2.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_2.jpg?w=128 128w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_2.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_3118_2.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">The full list of my gear is available in <a href="https://lighterpack.com/r/cpvj52" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">my Lighterpack</a>. I’ll try to update this list at the end of the trip. Check back to see what changes I’ve made, what worked and what didn’t.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Thanks for stopping by!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-10798124664708211302018-10-10T06:17:00.003-07:002018-10-10T06:17:51.612-07:00Nutrition Supplements for My Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: white;">Like everyone else, I want to make sure I’m taking care of myself by getting proper nutrition while out on the trail. Beyond just packing on the calories, it can be a challenge getting all the micronutrients we need to thrive from packaged food, and so I have decided to carry some nutritional supplements for my Through-Hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2018.</span></div>
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1657" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 2520px;"><img alt="untitled_0511_1" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1657" data-attachment-id="1657" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.1","credit":"","camera":"DMC-LX3","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1296961166","copyright":"Jamie McGuinness","focal_length":"5.9","iso":"160","shutter_speed":"0.008","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="untitled_0511_1" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_0511_1.jpg?w=474?w=2520" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_0511_1.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_0511_1.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="2520,2520" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/nutrition-supplements-for-my-pacific-crest-trail-through-hike/untitled_0511_1/" exifid="259679893" id="exifviewer-img-12" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_0511_1.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_0511_1.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_0511_1.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_0511_1.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_0511_1.jpg?w=96 96w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_0511_1.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/untitled_0511_1.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Miriam Ueberall packing in some calories, before our Vacas Valley hike, Argentina</span></em></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;">I prefer real, fresh, whole food to anything coming out of a package, but when I can’t get that, I look towards supplementing my diet.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Protecting Myself</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">First up on my list is <a href="https://iherb.co/4S6H7Dei" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Silver Sol</a> – a broad spectrum anti-microbial that is proven effective against viruses, bacteria and fungus, like SARS, H1N1, Bubonic Plague, E. Coli and athletes foot. It may also be effective in combating diseases like Norovirus and Lyme Disease. This is different from the older ‘colloidal silver’ products, and has <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/silver-makes-antibiotics-thousands-of-times-more-effective/" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">scientific proof it works</a>. When <a href="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/silver-sol-cure-all-or-snake-oil/" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I first heard about it</a>, I was highly sceptical. I tried it out on an expedition to climb a remote mountain near the Tibetan border in China. Everyone got sick (possibly from unclean food), except my wife and I, who were both taking Silver Sol. Since then, this has been with me on every trip and expedition. It’s been a great comfort to me when I can’t get immediate access to a doctor.</span></div>
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<img alt="3" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1658" data-attachment-id="1658" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="3" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/3.jpg?w=300&h=300" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/3.jpg?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/3.jpg" data-orig-size="600,600" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/nutrition-supplements-for-my-pacific-crest-trail-through-hike/attachment/3/" height="300" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/3.jpg?w=300&h=300" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/3.jpg?w=300&h=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/3.jpg?w=96&h=96 96w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/3.jpg 600w" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: auto; margin: 7px 0px 7px 24px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="300" /></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Something Green</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Green drinks claim to be nutritional powerhouses. With a diet low in fresh fruit and vegetables, they are a safe bet for most vitamin and mineral needs with a few exceptions – minerals like magnesium and calcium are usually insufficient, as is vitamin B12. Most of these drinks are somewhat of an ‘acquired’ taste, so it’s important you find one that you can stomach. My choice is <a href="https://iherb.co/2hnXrPGX" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Novaforme’s CytoGreens</a>. It has a good amount of spirulina, a little protein, no probiotics, but it has enzymes and pre-biotics. If you are vegan, or on a limited budget, I’d just get a green drink and skip the rest.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Something from the Land</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><a href="https://sg.iherb.com/pr/Nutricology-Liver-Beef-Natural-Glandular-125-Veggie-Caps/3445?rcode=KOH756" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Desiccated liver tablets</a> have been a mainstay of the bodybuilding world for decades. They are a protein source with a complete amino acid profile, full spectrum of B vitamins (including B12), bioavailable heme iron for blood building (red blood cells are apparently destroyed from all the foot pounding we do as hikers), and some mysterious ‘anti-fatigue factor’, which is supposed to improve endurance in a study done on drowning rats (<a href="https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/food-features/the-liver-files/" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Source</a>).</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Something from the Sea</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Fish oil is rich in Omega 3 essential fatty acids and has many uses. It’s anti-inflammatory, and protective of the heart, brain, eyes, skin and many other organs. When I was climbing Everest, I had a small bag of pills with me, but the only ones I could swallow were the fish oil and liver tablets. Maybe my body knew which ones were actually good for me. I made the summit, but at the end of the trip, I had a little bag of pills, minus all the fish oil and liver ones, and lots of sachets of protein powder, which I just could not stomach.</span></div>
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1659" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 2520px;"><img alt="Snapseed 3" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1659" data-attachment-id="1659" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2","credit":"Kenneth Koh","camera":"DMC-LX3","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1297039886","copyright":"\u00a9 2011 Kenneth Koh\/Adventure Nomad","focal_length":"5.1","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.04","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Snapseed 3" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-3.jpg?w=474?w=2520" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-3.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-3.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="2520,2520" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/nutrition-supplements-for-my-pacific-crest-trail-through-hike/snapseed-3/" exifid="1607692005" id="exifviewer-img-13" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-3.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-3.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-3.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-3.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-3.jpg?w=96 96w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-3.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/snapseed-3.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Climbing Aconcagua, Argentina, with my little bag of pills. These are just the ones I took with dinner! I rarely take any pills now, and prefer whole food type supplements.</span></em></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;">That’s what I would take to just about any trip around the world. For the Pacific Crest Trail Through-Hike, I’m taking along some extra items, like evaporated coconut water for minerals and electrolytes, chia seeds (another nutrition powerhouse), and ghee/MCT oil for fat/energy. I made a <a href="https://iherb.co/3gEi7MzV" rel="noopener" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">list at iHerb</a> for easy reordering along the trail.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-41385651599098702922018-10-09T05:13:00.002-07:002018-10-09T05:13:38.731-07:00Training to Thru Hike the Pacific Crest Trail: Part 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: white;">I’m pretty happy with the progress of my training. I started cautiously by hiking just 1 mile with no load, nursing some injuries and progressed to walking 22 miles (35 km) with a 22 lb (10kg ) backpack. I feel strong, and I am optimistic as I have been hiking injury free for the last couple of months. I have lost 5.5 lbs (2.5 kg) of muscle mass during the last phase of training, and I am hoping to put some of that back as I enter the end phase of my training which takes place in the final month before my through-hike – Peaking and Tapering.</span></div>
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1648" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 1200px;"><img alt="IMG_7706" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1648" data-attachment-id="1648" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"3.5","credit":"","camera":"NIKON D3","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1517513667","copyright":"","focal_length":"14","iso":"1250","shutter_speed":"0.02","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_7706" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7706.jpg?w=474?w=1200" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7706.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7706.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="1200,857" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/03/11/training-to-thru-hike-the-pacific-crest-trail-part-3/img_7706/" exifid="-1469214052" id="exifviewer-img-8" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7706.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7706.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7706.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7706.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7706.jpg?w=128 128w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7706.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7706.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">“Don’t Hold Me Back!” Juliette, a Google employee, tries to pull me off my feet at The North Face Outdoor Training conducted for Google Asia. Photo courtesy of The North Face Singapore.</span></em></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Peaking (1 week)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">The idea behind peaking is the culmination of a gradual buildup of volume (distance) and intensity (load), and not a sudden, panicked rush to train in the final weeks leading up to a through-hike. That would be foolish and could lead to an overuse injury down the line. If your training has not been sufficient, the safer option is to just continue to gradually build up til the last week, and maybe back off a bit, so you don’t arrive at the start exhausted.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">For me though, I like to use my peak training like a test run of the first week of the through-hike. Ideally, peaking would take place about a month before my start date, and I would use the opportunity to go on a 3 to 7 day backpacking trip to test out all my gear. Unfortunately, I live in a place where this is not possible, so I will do what I can and link up 3 consecutive training days, hiking about 15 miles each day, carrying 22 lbs (the average weight of my pack for the first week). Why 15 miles? Although my longest training hike has been 22 miles, at longer distances, I felt I was pushing it and needed to rest, or do some other activity, the following day to avoid overuse injuries. 15 miles is a distance that I am comfortable hiking for, at least, a few days continuously.</span></div>
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1650" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 484px;"><img alt="IMG_7806" class="alignright size-large wp-image-1650" data-attachment-id="1650" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="IMG_7806" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7806.png?w=1242" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7806.png?w=169" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7806.png" data-orig-size="1242,2208" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/03/11/training-to-thru-hike-the-pacific-crest-trail-part-3/img_7806/" exifid="-148315772" id="exifviewer-img-7" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7806.png?w=474&h=843" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7806.png?w=474&h=843" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7806.png?w=474&h=843 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7806.png?w=948&h=1686 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7806.png?w=54&h=96 54w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7806.png?w=169&h=300 169w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7806.png?w=768&h=1365 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: right; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><span style="color: white;">Thunderstorms covering much of Singapore!</span></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;">Things don’t always go according to plan, and on the the 2nd of the 3 continuous days. I got about 5 miles in, when thunderstorms rolled in, so for safety, I bailed. I got the 15 miler the day before, and I continued with the 15 miler the following day. But I want to adapt my training the following week by carrying a heavier load (up to 25 lbs) for shorter distances (up to 15 miles) for a total of 50 miles over 5 continuous days.</span></div>
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1649" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 3264px;"><img alt="IMG_7809" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1649" data-attachment-id="1649" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"6.3","credit":"Laura Liong","camera":"Canon EOS 7D","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1300300057","copyright":"Copyright \u00a9 Laura Liong 2010","focal_length":"50","iso":"100","shutter_speed":"0.033333333333333","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_7809" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7809.jpg?w=474?w=3264" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7809.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7809.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="3264,3264" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/03/11/training-to-thru-hike-the-pacific-crest-trail-part-3/img_7809/" exifid="484815727" id="exifviewer-img-6" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7809.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7809.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7809.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7809.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7809.jpg?w=96 96w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7809.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_7809.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">High Intensity Crossfit Prowlers. Photo courtesy of Laura Liong.</span></em></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Tapering (3 weeks)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Ideally, at the end of my peak training period, I would taper by gradually reducing my training volume and intensity, so that I arrive at Campo on my start date well rested, and ready to go. Generally this means stopping strength training at the end of my peak training period, but maintaining high-intensity training for the first 2 weeks of my taper while reducing the total volume, and for the final week of taper, I would eliminate all high-intensity training and reduce my hiking volume even further. I had to adapt my taper to just two weeks, due to the weather, so we will see how that goes.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">It may not absolutely necessary to do any strength or high-intensity training to do a through hike. I just like to do it because, after putting in the required hiking miles, I feel it gives me an extra margin of safety, and I like to feel strong and in the best shape I can be for anything unknown that may crop up.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I personally feel that many of the injuries that take people off the trail are overuse injuries that may have been prevented by proper and adequate training. Keep in mind that while this approach has worked for me in the past, it might not work for everyone. However, I hope it gives you some ideas on how to approach your own training and preparation.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Best of luck to anyone starting a through-hike! I wish you guys a fantastic journey, and hope these training posts have helped.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">“Every battle is won before it is even fought” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War</span></em></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-7543508667065822092018-10-08T17:43:00.000-07:002018-10-08T17:43:00.327-07:00Training to Thru Hike the Pacific Crest Trail: Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: white;">The first part of the training phase took longer than I expected. It surprised me how weak I’ve become since climbing Everest. My muscles and connective tissue were not conditioned and I needed to give them time to adapt. I had to heed the warning signs of joint pain, which meant I had to back off, and so it was not until mid-January that I was able to fully load up my pack and train for a few days in a row without pain or fear of injury, and thus, to start the Building phase proper.</span></div>
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1638" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 1080px;"><img alt="IMG_5877" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1638" data-attachment-id="1638" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"Kenneth Koh","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"\u00a9 2011 Kenneth Koh\/Adventure Nomad","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_5877" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_5877.jpg?w=474?w=1080" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_5877.jpg?w=474?w=300" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_5877.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="1080,721" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/01/26/training-to-thru-hike-the-pacific-crest-trail-part-2/img_5877/" exifid="296469447" id="exifviewer-img-5" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_5877.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_5877.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_5877.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_5877.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_5877.jpg?w=128 128w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_5877.jpg?w=300 300w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_5877.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Hiking the Vacas Valley, Argentina. Nope, nothing to do with the PCT. Just a nice hiking photo <img alt="🙂" class="emoji" draggable="false" scale="0" src="https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/twemoji/2/svg/1f642.svg" style="background-attachment: initial !important; background-clip: initial !important; background-image: none !important; background-origin: initial !important; background-position: initial !important; background-repeat: initial !important; background-size: initial !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; display: inline !important; height: auto; margin: 0px 0.07em !important; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; width: 1em !important;" /></span></em></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Building (3 Months)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Where the goal of Pre-Training was injury prevention, the goal of Building is to acquire the fitness and strength needed to hike the trail. However, injury prevention is always the main goal of this training, and anytime I feel pain, I’ll back off and have it looked at. It might just need a day’s rest, or it might need more attention, but training through pain is just plain dumb. The time spent in each phase is just a guideline. I took as much time as needed.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Types of Training</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">There are basically 2 types of training: <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sport Specific</span> and <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Non-Sport Specific</span>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sport Specific Training</span> for hiking just means going out hiking with your loaded pack, preferably with the shoes and backpack you intend to use, and where possible, hiking similar terrain and conditions to what you will find on the PCT. I aim to spend most of my time (about 80%) on Sport Specific Training. Most people are looking for shortcuts. There aren’t any. The bulk of my training for the PCT is just to go out with my pack and walk. And walk. And walk…</span></div>
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1559" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 484px;"><img alt="KEN_1610_1" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1559" data-attachment-id="1559" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"Kenneth Koh","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"\u00a9 2010 Kenneth Koh\/Adventure Nomad","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="KEN_1610_1" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/ken_1610_1.jpg?w=1195" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/ken_1610_1.jpg?w=199" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/ken_1610_1.jpg" data-orig-size="1195,1800" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2017/10/04/training-for-hiking-the-pacific-crest-trail-part-1/ken_1610_1/" exifid="1698400471" id="exifviewer-img-4" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/ken_1610_1.jpg?w=474&h=714" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/ken_1610_1.jpg?w=474&h=714" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/ken_1610_1.jpg?w=474&h=714 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/ken_1610_1.jpg?w=948&h=1428 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/ken_1610_1.jpg?w=64&h=96 64w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/ken_1610_1.jpg?w=199&h=300 199w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/ken_1610_1.jpg?w=768&h=1157 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Back when I had legs! Pre-Everest training, I think.</span></em></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Non-Sport Specific Training </span>is basically everything else. This includes lifting weights, running, yoga, Crossfit, swimming, yoga, etc. I aim to reduce my time spent on Non-Specific Training to 20%. Non-Sport Specific Training can be valuable, but we only have limited time and energy to spend, and so have to decide where best to spend it. I spend some time on this type of training to prepare for the unknown and the unknowable situations: like being able to swim across a swollen river, having to run to meet a deadline, or having the strength to push a trail angel’s car out of the mud.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Principles</span></span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Cumulative Fatigue (Micro Cycle)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">One of the key principles is to train for cumulative fatigue. I find I can train for 3 consecutive days before I need a day off. The idea is that the body does not get complete recovery after each day. This week, I rock-climbed for 3 1/2 hours on Monday, hiked 12.6 mils (20.3km) with a 22lb (10kg) pack on Tuesday, and hiked 10.5 miles (16.75km) with a 22lb (10kg) pack on Wednesday. I was pretty beat, and took a rest day on Thursday. That would be a Micro Cycle for me. At the end of every fourth Micro Cycle, I will take an extra day or two off, for more complete recovery.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Stacking</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Stacking is a term I used while training for Everest. For me, it loosely means the arrangement of one type of training over another, either in the same day, or during consecutive days. I train the activity with the highest neuromuscular requirements first, and the the one with the lowest, last. That means that I maximise my performance as I fatigue. For example, I might have a soccer game on Friday evening, which requires high neuromuscular involvement, and hike some hills with a loaded backpack on Saturday, and then just go on a long hike on Sunday. On a work day, you could go for a run in the morning before work, lift some weights during lunch, and hike back home after work with your backpack.</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Training Goals</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">In general, I’ll set a goal if there is a target to reach, but in the case of thru-hiking, it is so long that the training really continues into the hike. I’m going to try to end my Build phase with 3 hikes of 15 miles (25km) carrying 22 lbs (10kgs) over 3 consecutive days. That should be a comfortable distance for the first few days of hiking, and will enable me to reach Hauser Creek at the end of day one without overextending myself.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">In general, I’m pretty happy with the way my training has gone. I’ve come a long way from when I started in September walking just one mile and carrying nothing. My foot pain has gone, my knee pain has not reappeared, but I know it’s lurking, and I have to be careful. Some ankle pain showed up recently, and I’m not sure if it’s the shoe or the insole. I changed both and for the last hike, had no issues.</span></div>
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1640" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 3024px;"><img alt="IMG_6951" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1640" data-attachment-id="1640" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.8","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 7 Plus","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1514458104","copyright":"","focal_length":"3.99","iso":"20","shutter_speed":"0.00029411764705882","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="IMG_6951" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_6951.jpg?w=474?w=3024" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_6951.jpg?w=474?w=240" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_6951.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="3024,3780" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2018/01/26/training-to-thru-hike-the-pacific-crest-trail-part-2/img_6951/" exifid="-1261278395" id="exifviewer-img-2" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_6951.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_6951.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_6951.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_6951.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_6951.jpg?w=77 77w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_6951.jpg?w=240 240w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/img_6951.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">The Southern Ridges Trail in Singapore, with a couple of nuts who thought this was going to be fun! 14.5 miles (23.25km) with a 20lb (9kg) Pack</span></em></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Some Exercise Suggestions</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Building on the Squats and Deadlifts that I suggested in the Pre-Training Phase, I added some locomotion specific exercises: Single Leg Squats and Pistols, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oiKWA-K6-g" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Single Leg Deadlifts</a>, and Walking Lunges. When you are ready, one great way to end a workout with some high intensity is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFxpi35itu8" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">JC Leg Cranks</a> (Watch her form! Thighs parallel to ground on squats and squat jumps, back leg touching or near the ground on lunges).</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Happy Training!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-87016925515110279912018-10-08T04:01:00.000-07:002018-10-08T04:01:07.401-07:00Training to Through Hike the Pacific Crest Trail: Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: white;">I’m not an expert on thru-hiking, as the upcoming PCT will be my first long thru-hike, but I am very familiar multi-day hikes, and with training and training methods. I’ve been a North Face athlete for the past 10-years in Singapore, and I’m on their roster of Outdoor Trainers, and my specialty is training for hiking.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">These are the steps I’m taking. You may find them useful to guide you on your own journey, but please keep in mind that the opinions expressed are my own, and while I do my best to provide accurate information, I urge you to use your discretion, and check all facts, before using any of the information I present.</span></div>
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption" id="attachment_1133" style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; max-width: 100%; width: 2686px;"><span style="color: #767676;"><span style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; height: auto;"><img alt="untitled_0617_1" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1133" data-attachment-id="1133" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"4","credit":"Kenneth Koh","camera":"ILCE-7SM2","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1488787276","copyright":"\u00a9 2016 Kenneth Koh\/Adventure Nomad","focal_length":"30","iso":"2500","shutter_speed":"0.008","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="untitled_0617_1" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/untitled_0617_1.jpg?w=474?w=2686" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/untitled_0617_1.jpg?w=474?w=240" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/untitled_0617_1.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="2686,3357" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/untitled_0617_1/" exifid="1391923021" id="exifviewer-img-3" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/untitled_0617_1.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/untitled_0617_1.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/untitled_0617_1.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/untitled_0617_1.jpg?w=948 948w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/untitled_0617_1.jpg?w=77 77w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/untitled_0617_1.jpg?w=240 240w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/untitled_0617_1.jpg?w=768 768w" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></span></span><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5; margin: 9px 0px;"><span style="color: white;">Killing two birds with one stone: hiking training and walking the dogs</span></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Planning to Train</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">The first things to do are:</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">1. Take stock of your current physical condition and limitations. If you are overweight, have heart issues or other serious physical conditions, you should seek a doctor’s approval before starting any training program. For myself, I bike and climb a few times a week, so I’m pretty fit, but I don’t hike. My body isn’t used to walking and needs to the trained for that. I have some injuries which I broke down into ‘Priorities’ and ‘Limitations’. Priorities are injuries that need to be fixed before starting my thru-hike, and for me, these are tendonitis in my elbow and a stress fracture on the ball of my left foot. Limitations are long-term injuries like a torn disc in my lower back, which won’t heal and have to be managed – like making sure my core remains strong.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">2. Determine how much time you have til the start of your thru-hike. I had 6 months til the planned start of my thru-hike in April, and I broke that up into 3 training phases:</span></div>
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<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Pre-Training (*2 months) – toughening connective tissue, joints, bones and skin</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Building (3 months) – gradually ramping up training volume to build endurance and strength</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Peak and Taper (1 month) – maintaining intensity and reducing volume to finish strong!</span></li>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">Pre-Training</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">One of the key elements of ‘pre-training’ is to strengthen the connective tissue (ligaments, tendons, fascia), and to get the body ‘ready’ for training. My muscles can adapt to training stresses perhaps over 3 months, but training connective tissue can take up to 6 months. Long distance hikers are prone to overuse injuries like plantar fasciitis, shin splints, ankle, knee, hip and or other issues. Usually, it’s a case of too much, too soon. For example, it’s easy for a fresh, undertrained thru-hiker to push more miles out of Campo than his training should dictate, and if the hiker doesn’t take an early zero day or two, the body doesn’t get a chance to recover. I’m prone to overuse injuries (that’s how the current situation with the tendonitis in my elbow developed). I climb and bike a few times a week, so I’m fit, but I don’t walk a lot, so in that sense, I’m starting my program off as a noob hiker. Here’s what I did and what I suggest doing:</span></div>
<ul style="border: 0px; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 24px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">I started hiking trails (without a pack at first), with the shoe and sock combination I plan to use. This not only builds up connective tissue strength, but also toughens up the skin on my feet for blister prevention. It also trains up ‘foot-eye coordination’, so trails are better than pavement. I killed two birds with one stone and walked my dogs at the same time. I also threw in a few short 1 mile-ish trail runs.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">I added a light 9 lbs (4 kg) pack when I felt I was ready, being careful with my lower back issues, and added 6.5 lbs (3 kg) on the second week. I don’t train with hiking poles, and prefer to let my stabilizer muscles do the job.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">I didn’t go long. 1, 2, 3 miles… whatever was comfortable. The key is consistency. A little every day is better than belting out a big one over a weekend which could leave me sore and require more time to recover. I added some simple bodyweight exercises to warmup with or at the end of the hike, like 10 bodyweight squats, 10 back extensions, 10 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqOgtFcqWbE" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">knees to elbows</a>, 10 pushups and 6-7 pullups.</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: white;">I was progressing well, and added some strength training. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8fvypPrzzs" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Walking Lunges</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpUD0mcFp_0" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wall Balls</a> to start. Then also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ultWZbUMPL8" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Barbell Back Squats</a>and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op9kVnSso6Q" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dead Lifts</a> toward the end of the training phase.</span></li>
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<span style="color: white;">*Pre-Training for me took 2 months. After a month, I was able to hike 3 miles with my base weight about 3 times a week. After 2 months, I slowly transitioned to the Build Phase of training because lingering joint pain forced me to either scale back, or take a rest day. I’ll cut down my biking and climbing to about once a week for each activity, and do a scaled down Crossfit session once a week, and/or a strength session once a week. Eventually, the goal is to train 3 consecutive days, then taking a rest day. The condition of both my ‘Priority’ injuries have improved, and I’m feeling good and ready to start the ‘Build’ phase of training.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">*Edited Jan 26 2018</span> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-49141461271053023822018-10-07T18:20:00.000-07:002018-10-07T18:22:28.972-07:00Pacific Crest Trail 2018<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: white;">When I was eighteen-years-old, I made a three-week solo backpacking trip into the backcountry of Yosemite National Park. Being a wide-eyed, big-city boy from Singapore, I had little outdoor experience. I was slowed down by a too-heavy backpack; and from the blisters caused by a pair of stiff, new leather boots that were probably a full size too small. The ultimate humiliation came when a French girl who had started the trail with me offered to carry my backpack for me, and share her stash of weed!</span></div>
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<img alt="PCT1" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1329" data-attachment-id="1329" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="PCT1" data-large-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/pct1.jpg?w=474?w=497" data-medium-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/pct1.jpg?w=474?w=147" data-orig-file="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/pct1.jpg?w=474" data-orig-size="497,1013" data-permalink="https://adventurenomad.wordpress.com/2017/09/16/pacific-crest-trail-2018/pct1/" exifid="-1432813819" id="exifviewer-img-1" oldsrc="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/pct1.jpg?w=474" sizes="(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/pct1.jpg?w=474" srcset="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/pct1.jpg?w=474 474w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/pct1.jpg?w=47 47w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/pct1.jpg?w=147 147w, https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/pct1.jpg 497w" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></div>
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<span style="color: white;">One night, about halfway into the trip, it rained and I didn’t have a tent. I was cold, wet and miserable. Fortunately, I was near Tuolumne Meadows, and bought a $5 tube tent from the grocery store there. While waiting for my gear to dry out, I signed up for some rock-climbing lessons with the Mountaineering School there and began a long love affair with climbing. Despite everything that went wrong, that trip was a very positive experience. It shaped and changed my life forever.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I’ve decided to attempt a thru-hike of The Pacific Crest Trail in 2018 to revive those positive feelings. At 4280 km long, it’s a significant challenge. Only about 20-25% of people who start the PCT thru-hike, actually finish. To put it into perspective, it’s like starting from Singapore and walking to Lhasa, Tibet, and then continuing on to Kathmandu, Nepal, without reaching the full distance of the PCT. The trail also climbs a total of more than 149,000m, or the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest from sea-level, almost 17 times. If all goes well, I’ll start my hike in early April, 2018, and I’ll be home sometime in September.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I wanted a challenge, something outside my comfort zone, with an uncertain outcome. I think I’ve found it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Yeah baby… I’m stoked!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-40606079039677310212017-10-13T22:54:00.002-07:002018-10-07T18:22:49.115-07:00Biking Bromo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="FullSizeRender 7 copy 2" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1284" height="640" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/fullsizerender-7-copy-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Batu, East Java. One of the trails we rode on this trip. Photo by Nina FiztSimons</i></td></tr>
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I made a second trip to Mt. Bromo, Java, Indonesia last week. Unlike the first trip, where we went at the end of the wet season/beginning of the dry season in April, this trip was made smack in the middle of the dry season. Although the trails were dry, the tradeoff was the dust, and that Bromo Classic trail, which rides across the sea of sand, was too soft to ride.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="FullSizeRender 10" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1290" height="500" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/fullsizerender-10.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another one from Batu, East Java. Photo by Ramang Kristian</i></td></tr>
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This trip, most of the riding we did was cross-country, adventure-biking, done downhill style. Short downhill sections, followed by a vehicle transfer uphill to a different trail. After our 3 day trip though, we all felt that we spent too much time in the car for the amount of riding we did.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>5cm Trail, Mt. Bromo. Photo by Ramang Kristian</i></td></tr>
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Unless you like riding a lot of downhill and don't mind spending time in the car to be shuttled uphill, a better way to do it would be what we did the first trip (see the video below). We stayed in a primitive homestay at Cemoro Lawang (not recommended, try to find a hotel or upmarket homestay), and on some days, either started the ride from the accommodation, or ending there. Transfers on the vehicle were far less than on this trip. Best time to go would be the April-May, which is the end of the wet season/beginning of the dry.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stream crossing, Batu, East Java. Photo by Nina FiztSimons</i></td></tr>
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Stream crossing, Batu, East Java. Photo by Nina FiztSimons[/caption]<br />
If you are wondering why there are so many photos of me, and none by me, it's because the memory card on my Sony RX100 crapped out and I didn't bring a spare. Duh!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Coffee, Java style! Photo by Ramang Kristian</i></td></tr>
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Here's the video from my previous trip to Mt. Bromo:<br />
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<a href="https://vimeo.com/68093874">Riding Mt. Bromo</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/adventurenomad">Kenneth Koh</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-58333565523131224012017-10-12T00:29:00.001-07:002017-10-12T00:29:33.629-07:00PaddleBoard Krabi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="KEN_0816_1" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1217" height="478" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/ken_0816_1.jpg" width="640" /><em>Inflatable SUP in Krabi</em></div>
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Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) is the fastest growing watersport in the world and an is a fun an challenging way to get a full-body, core-centric workout. It's great for touring, since you can get great views standing at full height, and Krabi, with it's warm weather and sea cliff scenery, is a great destination to SUP.<br />
By Krabi, I really mean the Railay Peninsula. The beaches of Railay East and West, Ton Sai and Phra Nang are great places to launch or stop for a break, or some food. There are numerous little caves, inlets and islands to explore in the area.<br />
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<strong>Season</strong><br /> Best time to visit is after the New Year Holidays from January to March, although the dry season extends from December through May. After the new year holidays, it gets a little less crazy, a little less crowded and a little less expensive.<br />
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<img alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1222" height="640" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/fullsizerender-8.jpg" width="640" /><em>Wading out to catch the long-tail ferry boat from Krabi to Ton Sai</em></div>
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<strong>Getting There</strong><br /> Krabi is the main airport to the region, although it is possible to take a ferry from Phuket. From Krabi Airport, depending on where you choose to stay on Railay, it's either a long taxi to Ao Nang, followed by a 10 minute ferry ride to Ton Sai or Railay West; or a short taxi and long ferry to Railay West.<br />
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<strong>Where to Stay</strong><br /> Probably the best, and certainly the most expensive option, is to stay at the Rayavadee Resort, but that is outside my budget. Second best would be one of the hotels on Railay West, which is also expensive, but it has a great beach, and great views of sunset. Railay East is set amongst the mangroves, and has a range of accommodation and restaurant choices. Ton Sai is the low budget option. Unfortunately, your choices there are limited to the hotels closest to the beach. Be aware that there is a wall running the length of Ton Sai which means that access to the beach is limited to either the Ton Sai Bay Resort or the Ton Sai Jetty end. In any case, wherever you choose to stay, it is key to ensure your accommodation of choice is close to the water, and there is room to store your SUP. We stayed at the Ton Sai Bay Resort, which was both close to the water, and had enough space in the room to store our inflated SUPs.<br />
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<img alt="IMG_3656" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1233" height="480" src="https://adventurenomad.files.wordpress.com/2017/07/img_3656.jpg" width="640" /><em>The Ton Sai Wall separates most of Ton Sai from the Beach</em></div>
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<strong>Bring Your Own Board</strong><br /> At present, I don't know of any place on Railay that rents SUPs, so you will have to bring your own, and given the challenges of bringing a hard board over, the only realistic option is to bring an inflatable. We bought our <a href="http://www.naishsurfing.com/product/one-12-6">Naish One </a>Inflatable SUPs and 3-piece paddles from Rachel at <a href="http://www.rachelcharis.com/stand-up-paddle-equipment--gears.html">www.RachelCharis.com</a> in Singapore. It comes in a bag that also has room for the included pump, paddle and your clothes.<br />
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<strong>Other Things To Do</strong><br /> The are a few shops, massage places and pubs, but it is mostly outdoor activities Rock-Climbing, hiking, snorkeling, diving. On this particular trip, we did bring our climbing gear as well, so I got a few days of climbing in.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-46498605545828919372017-10-11T02:00:00.001-07:002017-10-12T00:29:57.813-07:00What's Up With Coconut Oil<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #2b2b2b; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Photo from Gizmodo: Please Calm Down: Coconut Oil is Fine</em></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">Should you stop taking Coconut Oil? <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/06/16/coconut-oil-isnt-healthy-its-never-been-healthy/402719001/" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A recent article</a> citing <a href="http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2017/06/15/CIR.0000000000000510" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a 25-page study released by the American Heart Association</a> say you should. The study itself doesn’t say much about Coconut Oil specifically, but rather looks at scientific studies from people who replaced saturated fat with other things in their diet, and how it relates to risk for Cardiovascular Disease. The study states that if you replace saturated fat, like coconut oil, with refined carbohydrates, like white bread or pasta, you actually INCREASE your risk of cardiovascular disease. Since I have replaced refined carbs, like bread, for breakfast, and substituting that for a tablespoonful of coconut oil in my coffee (aka, Bulletproof Coffee), this study was of interest to me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;">Note that the study does not differentiate between ‘refined’ coconut oil, which is mainly used in countries like Malaysia, which is one of the reference studies quoted, versus ‘virgin’ coconut oil.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;"><a href="http://gizmodo.com/please-calm-down-coconut-oil-is-fine-1796163542" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This article from Gizmodo</a> takes a more balanced look at the subject. My own take is that since I am replacing refined carbs, like bread, for breakfast, and substituting that for a tablespoonful of coconut oil in my coffee (aka, Bulletproof Coffee), this is a healthier option.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-43879021625944217012016-07-31T06:23:00.001-07:002016-08-01T03:25:24.300-07:00How to Edit a Photo on Snapseed in 5 Easy Steps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/sg/app/snapseed/id439438619?mt=8">Snapseed</a> is a powerful, easy-to-use, photo editing app that's available on both IOS and Android. Best of all, it's FREE! Here are 5 easy steps that could benefit just about any photo, that you can easily accomplish in Snapseed in 5 minutes or less.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BGET8jwMz0W/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Rookie moves on my brand new #slackline #elephantslackline #elephantslackinessg #thenorthfacesg #fitafter50 photo by @liong.laura</a></div>
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A photo posted by Ken Koh (@adventurenomad) on <time datetime="2016-05-31T09:55:52+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">May 31, 2016 at 2:55am PDT</time></div>
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Below is the original image of me on a slackline captured on an iPhone 6 Plus by my wife, Laura. It's a great shot! Laura captured the moment perfectly, but the image could use a little help from Snapseed to really make it 'pop'! Above is the final image after editing in Snapseed and uploading to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/adventurenomad/?hl=en">Instagram</a>. Wow! It only took me about 2-3 minutes, and in only 5 easy steps! Here's how I did it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WcWf2aKx5gRoE6xRZ1jDLPPrRAYxYrPVEb4xOWxp0AVPeoSrq7GKw23vGZ63odG3X-WrKysgSib5eAfDm2XPp9YRi0xPBAQPKGT7j4Zdx0HcroXkHjXp2HgVOEV4P6ADtqnWfLOzV9Uo/s1600/IMG_3970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WcWf2aKx5gRoE6xRZ1jDLPPrRAYxYrPVEb4xOWxp0AVPeoSrq7GKw23vGZ63odG3X-WrKysgSib5eAfDm2XPp9YRi0xPBAQPKGT7j4Zdx0HcroXkHjXp2HgVOEV4P6ADtqnWfLOzV9Uo/s640/IMG_3970.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>Step 1: Straighten and Crop Tools</b><br />
Straighten the image using the Rotate tool if required, and then crop. For this image, I cropped in tighter, removing excess 'clutter', kept the sun in the image, and had the end of the slackline run out to the bottom right edge of the frame. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsecXHi0r_Od5iieP4EKWAoKKIB9esV4U9zTK1npblUsROAw6no3DmpelfPja44DbN2eZcSf25W86JJCA9Xzb87Ffspj2pe1tOsckU8nuSWz3g0hGNARyw5xg5vkKBgc6nlHbdP9yH4cGe/s1600/IMG_4157.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsecXHi0r_Od5iieP4EKWAoKKIB9esV4U9zTK1npblUsROAw6no3DmpelfPja44DbN2eZcSf25W86JJCA9Xzb87Ffspj2pe1tOsckU8nuSWz3g0hGNARyw5xg5vkKBgc6nlHbdP9yH4cGe/s400/IMG_4157.PNG" width="225" /></a></div>
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<b>Step 2: HDR Scape Filter</b><br />
This is a powerful tool to adjust exposure. You could adjust the exposure with more control using a number of different controls, but with just one step, this filter will brighten the shadows and bring back some detail into washed out highlights. You can also brighten or darken the overall image. Of the 4 settings: Nature, People, Fine and Strong; I tend to use Nature unless there are people in the shot. But I'll run through Nature and People to see which one works better. Most photos can benefit from a little use of this filter, but be careful not to use overuse it, otherwise your image can come out looking too flat and fake. In general, I don't exceed 50% with this or any setting. I used +40% of the Nature setting here, with brightness set at +50%.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBHWO1T2gT7Qm8421QnM_cyueKS-6wb959aeerYGeA82ZLMeS3QSlPtk3mHrqK_SHaN4sDhL26DcBT7UlDuSPFnrgykWV2flUrIGtLTOXGk6qaDYLIQQSfthRwMCDHzQD54gT5cwxnUOT/s1600/IMG_4163.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBHWO1T2gT7Qm8421QnM_cyueKS-6wb959aeerYGeA82ZLMeS3QSlPtk3mHrqK_SHaN4sDhL26DcBT7UlDuSPFnrgykWV2flUrIGtLTOXGk6qaDYLIQQSfthRwMCDHzQD54gT5cwxnUOT/s400/IMG_4163.PNG" width="225" /></a></div>
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<b>Step 3: Drama Filter</b><br />
This is where the magic happens. Like the previous filter, Drama accomplishes a lot in one step. Drama adds local contrast, sharpness or 'pop' to an image. There are a number of different filter settings at the bottom, and clicking each will give you a good idea of what it does, but the default setting is way too strong and the saturation too low, giving the image a 'gritty' feel. You can adjust to suit your taste, but for me, less is usually more. I generally use Drama 2, but dial the effect down somewhere between +10 - +50%, and then I raise the saturation up until it looks normal. For this image, I set the filter strength at +25%, and the saturation at -15%. Toggle the before/after selector on the top right to see how far you have taken the effect. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVpPP9WS6z_lMmU87Tsjr1EBMrHihVGs_LoQavGghcgI5RHd6K-21qs-I470H-YbT3EdOtA967TkI2Kdhl2hCfGAUs3waa9TY0RBq4nUoAnHZJhhnXuRzfBJzSiWTIt9YOTKKyZ1RwMZA/s1600/IMG_4164.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVpPP9WS6z_lMmU87Tsjr1EBMrHihVGs_LoQavGghcgI5RHd6K-21qs-I470H-YbT3EdOtA967TkI2Kdhl2hCfGAUs3waa9TY0RBq4nUoAnHZJhhnXuRzfBJzSiWTIt9YOTKKyZ1RwMZA/s400/IMG_4164.PNG" width="225" /></a></div>
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<b>Step 4: Selective Tool</b><br />
We are almost done. Go over the image and have a closer look at the details. Faces are one area that require special attention, and in most cases, could do with a tiny bit of brightening. I used the Selective tool to make a little circle around my face, and then I brighten it just a little. In this case, I used +10% brightness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmljyZTAXxJdEV6q5sN_vMNeQvpyor15Gti25N8qOp0Ii5CSFDeE_VceyB8izYJuJGaic9kFZ2u2Opq2x9mbSXuHk_UW2auk8r6rBkskTml7NUCetR09tr-P5bdIXyf7ltaKjok8yydX8B/s1600/IMG_4166.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmljyZTAXxJdEV6q5sN_vMNeQvpyor15Gti25N8qOp0Ii5CSFDeE_VceyB8izYJuJGaic9kFZ2u2Opq2x9mbSXuHk_UW2auk8r6rBkskTml7NUCetR09tr-P5bdIXyf7ltaKjok8yydX8B/s400/IMG_4166.PNG" width="225" /></a></div>
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<b>Step 5: Vignette Tool</b><br />
In most cases, I add a vignette to isolate the subject. Some images look better with it, some look better without it. In this case, the bright areas to the right are distracting, and I used a vignette and moved it over the left center of the frame. The default Outer Brightness of -50 was fine, but I raised the Inner Brightness to +10. You could use some of the other filters, such as the Lens Blur to do it as well, but that look is a little harder to pull off.<br />
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The final image, as uploaded to Instagram, is on the top the page. I use these same 5 steps in about 90% of the images I upload to the web. Below is another before and after example I shot with my Sony RX100 of Laura at the National Mountain Bike Championship. Check out my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/adventurenomad/?hl=en">Instagram</a> feed for more examples!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-83984098771087806382016-06-24T19:38:00.002-07:002016-08-04T01:59:34.640-07:00Shooting Bali Rides<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Cool! I was invited to Bali to ride and shoot a video for Nina FiztSimons and Ramang Kristian who own and operate Bali Rides. I got to invite four of my friends down for this four-day gig, so I asked my wife, Laura, and long-time collaborator Aloysius Wee, President of the Kuala Lumpur Mountain Bike Hash Scott Roberts, and GoPro Distributor for Malaysia Khoo Boo Hian along for the ride.<br />
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As usual, the riding was superb. We got to ride new singletrack, including a moderate downhill track, which was about the maximum I could handle with my XC bike. The weather held up all four days, and the views were stunning! If you get a chance to go to Bali, give these guys a call.<br />
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I took what I thought was a minimum of gear for the shoot, but I've learned that I can pare it down even further. For my style of shooting, here's what I think I need:<br />
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<b>Main Camera: </b><br />
Sony A7sii. Full frame for shallow depth of field. Shoots insane low light. Useable video autofocus.<br />
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<b>Lenses:</b><br />
Zeiss 24-70mm f/4. Relatively compact and lightweight. A good general purpose lens.<br />
Sony 10-18mm f/4. Useable full-frame at about 16mm for ultrawide and timelapse shots. Also restores wide to normal perspective at 100fps at which the a7sii crops in 2.2x.<br />
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<b>GoPro:</b><br />
Hero 4 Black. For POV, drone shots, and anything that is going to get wet.<br />
Essential mounts: Vented Helmet mount, Chesty, Jaws Clamp, tripod mount, Selfie stick.<br />
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<b>Tripod:</b><br />
I use a tiny Slik Sprint Mini with the center column removed and a Really Right Stuff compact ballhead bolted directly to the legs.<br />
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<b>Drone:</b><br />
DJI Phantom. I'm still using the original Phantom with a cheap gimbal. I've two minds about using a drone. On the one hand, the drone is bulky, heavy and a pain to carry, set up and fly, but on the other hand, it gets shots like nothing else can.<br />
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<b>Sound:</b><br />
Rode VideoMicro on camera. I used this for the interview with Scott and also for the temple shots, but I should really use it all the time instead of the built-in mic. For really light weight adventures, I'm going to leave my wired lavalier mic and Zoom H1 recorder at home.<br />
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<b><strike>Slider</strike>:</b><br />
Ratrig Mini 35. Never used. There just wasn't time to set it up. All the sliding shots you see in the video are hand held and stabilized in post. That proved to be good enough for me to leave the slider at home for light weight travel.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-52622349203415018042016-05-26T00:02:00.000-07:002016-05-26T02:45:55.015-07:00Simply Awesome: The North Face Waterproof Lumbar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been looking for a way to carry my oversized iPhone 6+ for the times when I'm out and about, and keep it dry from sweat and sudden rain storms. Here in humid, tropical Singapore, both are a real problem. When I added the Sony RX100 pocket camera to my assortment of carry around items, I knew I had to find a solution.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqUJrTtFc3j0WykqJMmav8troPVFDMjbSzgjWaFTQ1gs-CIpZjVOKS-NK65D4Pzsk1HTKDIeXptmPmMXWONJW3XhucnOiwTY4O0ZzsqrYObQxDZWxMMUYtTuGfI7p-nwTXGKSE6W9xipH/s1600/KEN_2616_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqUJrTtFc3j0WykqJMmav8troPVFDMjbSzgjWaFTQ1gs-CIpZjVOKS-NK65D4Pzsk1HTKDIeXptmPmMXWONJW3XhucnOiwTY4O0ZzsqrYObQxDZWxMMUYtTuGfI7p-nwTXGKSE6W9xipH/s640/KEN_2616_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i>Laura models The North Face Waterproof Lumbar - Medium</i></td></tr>
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Enter the North Waterproof Lumbar Pack. It is a 4 liter (244 cubic inch) capacity, roll-top lumbar pack with fully taped seams. When I first saw this, I thought it looked gimmicky and could not be waterproof. Well, I took it home and held it under water for 30 seconds, and it did not leak. The pack also has three external pockets that aren't waterproof, that are useful for things like keys or snacks, but everything you need to keep dry has to go in the main compartment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J6z2DHafnzI7oD4m8NLcwWYDztUmZPDyt5yAqL9ZsaIH0kz0WIYunB-NWH_ZwrG6lh95mhEhD-MtiiKaUvhoaDJ9qRxFzaRJnI1RjjFlMKR4O3DfU9-eMvN4CSW2PUrT7ZAiAIUoQOdh/s1600/FullSizeRender+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J6z2DHafnzI7oD4m8NLcwWYDztUmZPDyt5yAqL9ZsaIH0kz0WIYunB-NWH_ZwrG6lh95mhEhD-MtiiKaUvhoaDJ9qRxFzaRJnI1RjjFlMKR4O3DfU9-eMvN4CSW2PUrT7ZAiAIUoQOdh/s640/FullSizeRender+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It has become my 'man-purse' of sorts. All my electronics and valuables, like pocket camera, cell phone, wallet, iphone lenses, spare batteries and memory cards, sunglasses earphones, and lens cleaner go in the main compartment. Keys (if your car key has an electronic remote, it needs to go into the mail compartment), lip balm, and other small items I don't need to keep dry, go in the outside pockets. In daily use, I tend to just clip the two ends of the roll-top together like a regular dry bag. It works to keep the bag waterproof, and is quicker to open and close, since I only make one clip, but does not look as neat as clipping the two ends and cinching it down the sides of the pack.</div>
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What is also cool is that you can separate the waterproof bag from the hip belt, and you could use that like a regular small dry bag. It will hold more than the items shown above, but keep in mind that the capacity is only 4 liters. On my scale, the whole thing weighs 249g, and the separated dry bag weighs 104g, so a pretty lightweight setup.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCUGSeC7CJBFNkhD3o7wtY3nZKAhrFjdVdhlzKRkxMyLFiXfx_H7ckqwPPx13j3PuHA2_dYlnl15Hjh38SJdqR6EimMxpsrCHG9fIQv0-NbK_wLg8JdUQDSRfpjuF2JXBTp4SdGO5dNu9/s1600/KEN_2616_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCUGSeC7CJBFNkhD3o7wtY3nZKAhrFjdVdhlzKRkxMyLFiXfx_H7ckqwPPx13j3PuHA2_dYlnl15Hjh38SJdqR6EimMxpsrCHG9fIQv0-NbK_wLg8JdUQDSRfpjuF2JXBTp4SdGO5dNu9/s320/KEN_2616_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The roll-top dry bag can be separated from the hip belt</i></td></tr>
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It keeps my valuables and electronics dry, and safely secured around my waist. It's the best outdoor 'man purse' I've ever used... Period. 'Nuff said.<br />
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The North Face Waterproof Lumbar is currently available at The North Face Singapore Stores. </div>
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<i>Disclosure: I am sponsored by The North Face Singapore. As such, I get gear from The North Face at no cost to me, or at a discounted price. The item reviewed above was requested for my own personal use. I just like it so much, that I felt I had to share it with you.</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com86tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-55394740984973107462016-05-04T23:57:00.001-07:002016-05-04T23:57:20.177-07:00Penny Board vs. Oxelo Yamba<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I wanted a small skateboard for transport and a little bit of fun. I'm new to skateboarding and didn't want to pay too much, in case I found that it wasn't for me. I borrowed my niece's 2-year-old Penny Board, and after a while, decided that pink wasn't really my colour, so I bought an Oxelo Yamba from Decathlon, which is a Penny knockoff.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv238-NVEjrSaRgG9TlLO3WoxZLh2u_IrmEKggS-_AB3SeLRkA0mn1h6AQr_Yzln4ZGw8_JIZ6xg3rANRxxKQp9x7A-KG_1porp4aLd8DgdUrATYdhz-DH7B-mUome4y6YOcMjIZb7kGlK/s1600/untitled_0516_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv238-NVEjrSaRgG9TlLO3WoxZLh2u_IrmEKggS-_AB3SeLRkA0mn1h6AQr_Yzln4ZGw8_JIZ6xg3rANRxxKQp9x7A-KG_1porp4aLd8DgdUrATYdhz-DH7B-mUome4y6YOcMjIZb7kGlK/s640/untitled_0516_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top: Oxelo Yamba; Bottom: Penny 22"</td></tr>
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From the outside, there didn't appear to be much difference. They are both roughly the same length, 22", although the Yamba is a little shorter, as you can see in the image above. The Penny weighs 1920g and the Yamba weighs slightly more at 1980g.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBD6JdyhJT8NLmSINPeqxlPe7koGc70FhsDEae9uBOOE3e-7MP_bnfMhYeu_2TFzOeQvCxZZPntjjuisBs4Y6_tOMhri4s7-GfMrtCLteG6N4Vq01eXdb7gTfWWQVqtn3BI8LLmmuR-Rcs/s1600/untitled_0516_1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBD6JdyhJT8NLmSINPeqxlPe7koGc70FhsDEae9uBOOE3e-7MP_bnfMhYeu_2TFzOeQvCxZZPntjjuisBs4Y6_tOMhri4s7-GfMrtCLteG6N4Vq01eXdb7gTfWWQVqtn3BI8LLmmuR-Rcs/s400/untitled_0516_1-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orange Yamba Wheel left; Green Penny Wheel right</td></tr>
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They both use the same ABEC 7 bearings, but the Penny cruised far longer than the Yamba. When I spun up the wheels, the 2-year-old Penny bearings spun for longer. Since my niece got a new Penny and didn't want the old one anymore, I took the old Penny bearings and installed them on the Yamba. When I spin up the wheels, the transfered Penny bearings on the Yamba spin for longer, but strangely, when I ride the boards, they both now go about the same distance, so something else is going on that works in the Penny's favor, and I suspect it may be the wheels. Read on...<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBEcFPouPd0zotvCykEL_nqZTGay0U0ZBeUP4hknr2RO4lOe8ofW7CmGvzJNWIvdK2OuvP-zkwCySPbjtv05JCcdgK8SjzpBQxbSWxsNRFS7C-dOhl2GE8cuOKw1F8wmWIZG58_J6mt5a/s1600/untitled_0516_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBEcFPouPd0zotvCykEL_nqZTGay0U0ZBeUP4hknr2RO4lOe8ofW7CmGvzJNWIvdK2OuvP-zkwCySPbjtv05JCcdgK8SjzpBQxbSWxsNRFS7C-dOhl2GE8cuOKw1F8wmWIZG58_J6mt5a/s320/untitled_0516_4.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yamba Hardware, 20g</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAx3qSLle9XQ6-RMVwiK0eNYlJznyGahzCs-kNPY-Hm76pTj7kdtH6i881ERcshfra_OBR_Ehyphenhyphen_7X8RzT1lax0L26C58dA2fsgHPzBRaDJH0a8CzD-vIo9STc9dxe8NvlXQVIZvW9mD70/s1600/untitled_0516_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAx3qSLle9XQ6-RMVwiK0eNYlJznyGahzCs-kNPY-Hm76pTj7kdtH6i881ERcshfra_OBR_Ehyphenhyphen_7X8RzT1lax0L26C58dA2fsgHPzBRaDJH0a8CzD-vIo9STc9dxe8NvlXQVIZvW9mD70/s320/untitled_0516_3.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penny Hardware, 15g</td></tr>
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Quality wise, the Penny seems better made all around. Penny's wheels have an inserted hard plastic cup where the bearings go, and the Yamba's wheel is just molded rubber. The cushions/bushings are taller on the Penny, and the mounting hardware (bolts, nuts, washers) weighs a little less on the Penny.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3YerWaEhKpopPOOCWaneNpTUtvqfjdjlN3W78wOKAFVXv5aNGEik81KOLcVtSCzdbK_8kdnDtPOgoL07M0ppQ7L5TCKX2FFnyIbpcdyB_jzG3VEZ5yZN5kYLUv2czHgFjdaglIfUZFuL/s1600/untitled_0516_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3YerWaEhKpopPOOCWaneNpTUtvqfjdjlN3W78wOKAFVXv5aNGEik81KOLcVtSCzdbK_8kdnDtPOgoL07M0ppQ7L5TCKX2FFnyIbpcdyB_jzG3VEZ5yZN5kYLUv2czHgFjdaglIfUZFuL/s400/untitled_0516_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2-Year-Old Penny cushions left; Brand New Yamba bushings right</td></tr>
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Performance wise is where is starts to get interesting. The biggest difference is in the deck. While they both flex, the Penny holds its rigidity better in the middle. I weigh 65kgs, and the Yamba sags under my weight. While I got used to it, if you are new and hop on the board, the sag is just one more movement variable you need to compensate for in addition to the forward movement, and side-to-side roll. I also prefer the grippier waffle pattern on the top deck of the Penny compared to the smoother, wave pattern on the Yamba.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-lfXWs03-yqSqyvlKW8nChL7lkqwPDbwtR_R6OcQzfyTqzWsDfTbHQX8nFg06xP02xuEp2tXUP5dZUbWVobfVhTlPrQWhNL7fn2GTeJMkxiaKOQ1oUfLpIVBwDhO3wY8qbepv-uNvBWG/s1600/untitled_0516_1-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-lfXWs03-yqSqyvlKW8nChL7lkqwPDbwtR_R6OcQzfyTqzWsDfTbHQX8nFg06xP02xuEp2tXUP5dZUbWVobfVhTlPrQWhNL7fn2GTeJMkxiaKOQ1oUfLpIVBwDhO3wY8qbepv-uNvBWG/s640/untitled_0516_1-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penny left; Yamba right</td></tr>
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The wheelbase on the Yamba is a little longer, and I found that it is not as maneuverable as the Penny. The Yamba tends to understeer, the Penny turns just where I want it to go. The upside is that because I put my feet on top of the trucks, the longer wheelbase actually gives my feet more room on the deck. <br />
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The Penny turns better, rolls better, and because of the more rigid deck, feels more stable too. Bottom line is that I prefer the Penny. The Penny costs twice as much as the Yamba though, and if you are lighter weight rider, or are riding to get to someplace as opposed to riding for fun, the Yamba can be good value. If you can afford it though, go for the Penny.<br />
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Amazon usually has the best prices for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Penny-Complete-Skateboard-22-Inch-White/dp/B00AMCQNI4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1462429876&sr=1-1&keywords=penny+board&linkCode=ll1&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=a071552167cab52b7734cc939d2f2129">Penny Boards</a>.<br />
Oxelo Yamba boards are available from <a href="http://decathlon.com/">Decathlon.com</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-49397966354953136572016-04-03T23:57:00.001-07:002016-04-03T23:57:32.183-07:00Best GPS Apps Of 2016<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Armed with GPS chips, mobile phones have become increasing powerful, and prices of such devices have fallen to levels within reach of many. The larger screen and ability to quickly and easily update apps and maps, make them a viable replacement for dedicated GPS devices in many cases. There are some caveats to using your phone for navigation, such as making sure you don't run out of power, and having a back-up, such as carrying paper maps or another mobile phone. Read more <a href="http://adventurenomad.blogspot.sg/2015/06/how-to-use-iphone-6-and-6-plus-for.html">here</a>. <br />
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There is no one single best app for navigation. Different apps have different strengths, different areas of coverage, eg. urban vs. backcountry. In no particular order, here are the GPS apps on my iPhone and my picks for the best GPS Apps of 2016:<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/MOf9Kxxkj7GvyZlTZOnUzuYv0JAweEhlxJX6gslQvbvlhLK5_bSTK6duxY2xfbBsj43H=w300" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/MOf9Kxxkj7GvyZlTZOnUzuYv0JAweEhlxJX6gslQvbvlhLK5_bSTK6duxY2xfbBsj43H=w300" width="200" /></a><br />
1. <b>Google Maps</b> (Free)<br />
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Like it or not, Google is one of the best apps for GPS. It is extremely powerful with excellent maps, including some offroad trails, a searchable data base, real-time traffic information, and turn-by-turn navigation for driving, walking/biking, and public transportation. It requires data for use, and it is my default app at home where I have a data plan. You can store a small portion of a map, like a city, for offline use, but that doesn't work for me, and so I don't use this app when I travel.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/TidpZc1GK9JlItE5FH9MUTxjCZNojTz_LlmDKwJTVRUQg-XZ8ugANLLTrCMT9UuHj9c=w300" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/TidpZc1GK9JlItE5FH9MUTxjCZNojTz_LlmDKwJTVRUQg-XZ8ugANLLTrCMT9UuHj9c=w300" width="200" /></a>2. <b>Here Maps</b> (Free)<br />
<span style="text-align: justify;">Here Maps was originally developed by Nokia and is now owned by three German automotive companies - Audi, BMW and Daimler-Benz, Map presentation is not as slick as Google Maps, but both app functions similarly. The big difference is that it can do it Offline - meaning it does not require online data to function. To have offline navigation capability, you will need to download the map of the country (not all countries are supported) and store that on your phone. Once the map is downloaded, you will have a searchable data base, turn-by-turn navigation for driving, pedestrian, and public transportation. You can also get real-time traffic information by choosing to use the app online. Here uses its own maps, so it may be better or worse than Google, depending on where you are.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">3. <b>Maps.Me</b> (Free)</span><br />
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<a href="http://a5.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Purple69/v4/72/b0/0d/72b00d68-eb72-76b6-eda0-9e2d07d4eccb/icon175x175.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://a5.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Purple69/v4/72/b0/0d/72b00d68-eb72-76b6-eda0-9e2d07d4eccb/icon175x175.png" height="200" width="200" /></a>If there is a no-brainer navigation app to download, it's Maps.Me. For an offline GPS app with a searchable database, it's extremely responsive, fast to load app with a very small footprint. Just to give you an idea of how remarkably compact the map data file size is, Singapore on Here Maps is a 112MB download, while it's just a 7MB on Maps.Me. It also claims to cover every country in the world. It uses the open source OpenStreetMaps data, which can be either good or bad, depending on contributors to the mapping database. Often, I'm able to search out locations like a small hotel or coffeeshop that cannot be found on Here Maps. Other times, it misses completely where Here or Google Maps will find it. It offers turn-by-turn voice instructions can be enabled for driving and walking/biking, but no option for public transportation like Google or Here. The map presentation looks quite nice, and various points of interests and landmarks pop up as you increase the scale, which is great for travellers on foot or bike to orientate themselves while moving around a city. It's strength is being able to search out and find things that travellers would be interested in - parks, trails, coffeeshops, hotels, etc. For my use, it has replaced Maplets on my iPhone. I have not noticed any battery drain for Maps.Me, but I do notice that Maps.Me selects the GPS so it is always on, regardless of whether you are using the app or not. </div>
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4. <b>Gaia GPS</b> (Paid)</div>
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For backcountry navigation, Gaia GPS remains my app of choice. The availability of USGS Topo Maps for the USA and a host of other downloadable wilderness maps, and features such as being able to create a route manually on the iPhone itself, and power saving features make it a clear winner. Gaia GPS can be used offline, and in addition, also selected for use in 'Flight Mode', which means the phone is off. In the backcountry, this is a good thing, since it is unlikely that there is a phone signal, and your phone isn't left searching for a signal. Note that the search function is poor, and it doesn't do turn-by-turn navigation, so it's not a GPS app for urban use. For a write-up on navigating with Gaia GPS on your iPhone, read <a href="http://adventurenomad.blogspot.sg/2015/06/how-to-use-iphone-6-and-6-plus-for.html">this</a>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-4420332109899949202016-03-03T16:40:00.000-08:002016-03-03T16:40:56.630-08:00The Newbie's Guide to Setting Up The Sony A7s Mkii for Video<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So you've got yourself a Sony A7sii, and have yet to decide how best to set up the gammas, gamuts, autofocus modes, sound levels, etc. If you're a newbie, you've probably come to the right place. I have been experimenting on the best ways ways to set up the camera, to get the best results for an amateur filmmaker (like me), for adventure or travel. This means that the camera has got to be quick, easy to use and produce good results. There are a lot of options on this camera, and I'll cover what I think are the most important ones a newbie should know.</span><br />
<br />
<b>Base Frame Rate</b><br />
I shoot NTSC 24p with a PAL A7sii. This means I get an idiotic reminder everytime I start up my camera, slowing down an already slow start up. I do this because I prefer the look of 60 and 120 fps slowed down to 24 fps in my editing program versus the look of 50 and 100 fps slowed down to 25 fps. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAUIPSqUmSffZYtmoHwPOpDGL9oNIYLdwF9oDJPm4qOd9s5CswrwXblbf_JACdSE3KzzUfT7jovnIsXn2PQSxqnUR9SWh8tI0H3YDRMOMgENqpUhOVNulvUbfxntK2eZhq3iF_YnyFNqd/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-03-04+at+8.37.12+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAUIPSqUmSffZYtmoHwPOpDGL9oNIYLdwF9oDJPm4qOd9s5CswrwXblbf_JACdSE3KzzUfT7jovnIsXn2PQSxqnUR9SWh8tI0H3YDRMOMgENqpUhOVNulvUbfxntK2eZhq3iF_YnyFNqd/s640/Screen+Shot+2016-03-04+at+8.37.12+AM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Customized Buttons</b><br />
I configured the C1 button to start and stop movie recording.<br />
C2 button is set to Clear Image Zoom. This gives a better image than simply cropping in post. It is not useable for RAW stills, and for the 120p video mode (which is already cropped in 2.2 times). <br />
<br />
<b>Configuring Movie Mode</b><br />
Mine is set to XAVC S 4K, 24p 100M, Aperture Priority Auto, Auto ISO, Auto White Balance, Metering Mode Multi, Continuous AF, Wide. This is my 4K mode. I use this when I want the highest quality (gives me options to crop or stabilize in post), or for low light (24p will give me the lowest shutter speed). I've selected Autofocus On by default, and set to Continuous Wide on all my video modes. Video AF is usually useable, but slow on the A7sii. If I want manual focus, it's a quick flick of the AF/MF switch to MF, and toggle the button (see 'Back Button Focus' in <a href="http://adventurenomad.blogspot.sg/2016/02/setting-up-sony-a7sii-for-adventure.html">Setting Up the Sony A7sii for Adventure Photography</a> to set this up). I use Aperture Priority and let the camera select the shutter speed and ISO automatically. I find that works well for me and allows me some creative control while not slowing me down. I use the exposure compensation dial if multi metering mode isn't giving me what I want. Auto White Balance on the camera has been working well for me.<br />
<br />
Memory 2 on the Mode Dial is set to XAVC S HD, 60p 50M, with the other settings the same as above. This is my 1080p 60fps mode. I'll use it when something is moving or when I might want slow motion. It's quite a good, general purpose frame rate, and I'd use it more often, except that in this mode, the camera goes into 'P' Program mode and I can't control the aperture.<br />
<br />
Memory 1 is set to XAVC S HD, 120p 100M. This is my extreme slow motion mode. I sometimes use it if I need more reach as the camera crops in 2.2 times. It's a huge crop. It changes my 10-18mm E-Mount lens into a more useable 22-40mm. The camera also goes into Program mode on this setting.<br />
<br />
<b>Gamma, Gamut and LUTS</b><br />
Gamma refers to how the camera treats the difference between the dark and the light areas of the image, and Gamut refers to the range of colors available. A LUT (Look Up Table) converts the gamma and gamut into a 'look', in this case, a 'film look'. To a newbie, Sony offers a bewildering choice of Gammas and Gamuts. I scoured the internet, keeping an eye out for looks that I liked, tried out the ones I liked, and decided on one which worked best for my workflow in my video editor, Final Cut Pro X. I use Cine2 Gamma, S-Gamut3.Cine, with the Detail (Sharpening) at -7 in conjunction with <a href="http://www.filmconvert.com/">FilmConvert</a> LUTs. Technically, you don't need to use a LUT, but I found a yellow/green cast in my footage that was difficult to correct. <a href="http://adventurenomad.blogspot.sg/2015/11/testing-sony-a7s-mkii-for-adventure.html">Initially, I thought this was due to the use of Auto White Balance</a>, unfortunately, that was the color that came out of this camera. The good news is that LUTs, like the ones used by <a href="http://www.filmconvert.com/">FilmConvert</a>, are able to take color and gamma information and, quite easily, convert it into something pleasing.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/157590006" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<a href="https://vimeo.com/157590006">Test Settings and Grading Sony A7sii</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/adventurenomad">Kenneth Koh</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Sound </b><br />
I find the built-in mics to be be pretty good for capturing ambient sound, and use these settings in general.<br />
Audio Recording Level 20<br />
Wind Noise Reduction Off<br />
<br />
These are the settings that I'm using now. I hope this was useful to get you started in setting up your own Camera.<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-8315746584297582302016-02-29T16:08:00.002-08:002016-02-29T16:08:20.623-08:00Free Online Filmmakers Seminar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The world's largest free online event for filmmakers is happening in less than 24 hours. I signed on a week ago, which means I've been getting a weeks worth of spam email... Seriously though, I've only gotten about an email a day, 'encouraging' me to sign up for their paid program. <br />
<br />
The program looks legit, so it's worth the hassle. Check it out at <a href="http://cinesummit.com/?utm_source=nfs&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=cs5">CineSummit.com</a><br />
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FHCUWvH1F9E" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
If you remember Brandon Li, whom I <a href="http://adventurenomad.blogspot.sg/2015/11/a-world-to-share-q-with-brandon-li.html">interviewed</a> a while back, he's one of the filmmaker's contributing to the seminar.<br />
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r0tetrGi5p8" width="560"></iframe></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-59972993940744782712016-02-20T23:06:00.004-08:002016-02-20T23:39:54.360-08:00Accessories for the Adventure Shooter's Sony A7s MkII<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here are some accessories that I use for my Sony a7sii, but could work for any alpha a7, a7r, a7s mk1 or mk2 adventure shooting kit. Some, like the SDXC Memory Cards and a Screen Protector, are what I'd consider to be 'must haves', the others are nice to have.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><b>64GB SDXC Memory Card</b></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I know I read this somewhere before buying my camera, but in the excitement, I forgot all about it and as a result, could not shoot 4K video until I went back to the store to buy new SD cards. Take note that SDXC cards of at least 64GB size are required, the the memory cards from your last camera might not work. I thought the Sony's were best 'bang for buck' and that I wouldn't have to worry about compatibility issues, and got 2 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ND1LFPW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00ND1LFPW&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=7WRQA7H4EYAMUAHS" rel="nofollow">Sony Class 10 UHS-1/U3 SDXC up to 95MB/s Memory Card</a> in 128GB size.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Extra Battery</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For adventure or expedition shooting, you probably won't go through as many batteries as say, a wedding shooter. The Camera does come with 2 batteries in the box, and although I've yet to go through more than 2 batteries in a day of shooting, it's worth picking up a 3rd battery as a spare. I stopped using 3rd party batteries and only recommend using original Sony NP-FW50 batteries for consistent performance. Sometimes, there's a deal from Sony to purchase an extra battery when you buy your camera. Be aware that there are fake batteries circulating in the market.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WX9BO10/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00WX9BO10&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=ZE2FWANWFQ24FOSO" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00WX9BO10&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=advennomad-20" height="107" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Mindshift GP2</i></td></tr>
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<b>Mindshift GP2</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I keep my memory cards and batteries in a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WX9BO10/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00WX9BO10&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=KR3GYVAC4CPRDW5J" rel="nofollow">MindShift GP2</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00WX9BO10" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. It's made for Gopro accessories, but will hold 2 SDXC memory cards and 2 Sony NP-FW50 batteries. I number my batteries and cards, and the clear holder allows me to see which card/battery is next up to cycle. It's lightweight and allows me to secure way to store and organize those essentials.</div>
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<b>LCD Screen Protector</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Before you take the camera out of the box, put an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015900NVQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B015900NVQ&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=CHUKBIM67ESHWJH7" rel="nofollow">LCD Screen Protector</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B015900NVQ" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> on it. I had mine for just a day before I went back to the store to put a screen protector on, and the screen was already scuffed.</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<b>Peak Designs Leash Camera Strap</b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011XMVW2S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B011XMVW2S&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=NISV5EU3PP7JLDDW" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B011XMVW2S&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=advennomad-20" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Leash, by Peak Designs</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Consider the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011XMVW2S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B011XMVW2S&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=HUQDCPRNM3QVPF5U" rel="nofollow">Peak Design Leash Camera Strap</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B011XMVW2S" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. I frequently take the strap off so it doesn't interfere with me moving the camera around and either snagging (hence ruining the shot) or making some kind of noise that will interfere with the built in camera microphone. I'm used to homemade solutions, but the Leash is the best, lightest and most adjustable design I've seen, and will allow you attach their 'anchors' directly to the camera lugs, thereby eliminating the need for the triangular mounts, which could be a potential source of noise as well. I also bought their <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H7K4QPQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00H7K4QPQ&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=NMX6GG7Q56S2AAJT" rel="nofollow">Standard Plate</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00H7K4QPQ" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, so I could attach the strap to the plate and have the camera over my shoulder hanging lens down, a much more ergonomic position. Note that the strap is thin, and may not be the most comfortable for heavier setups.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0069S2K9Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0069S2K9Q&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=27WNK5ZVJPN4WVZT" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B0069S2K9Q&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=advennomad-20" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Think Tank Body Bag</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B011XMVW2S" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Camera Body Pouch/Bag</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I like the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C843OO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000C843OO&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=TK5SIFXIOFT7JYW2" rel="nofollow">Newswear Body Pouch</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000C843OO" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
that I've been using for years. It fits the a7sii with 24-70mm lens, but with the hood stored in the reversed. I've recently acquired the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0069S2K9Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0069S2K9Q&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=TH2VOLATF5X6YQ6K" rel="nofollow">Think Tank Body Bag</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0069S2K9Q" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, which is larger and can store the same body lens combination (or a larger lens) with the hood in place, ready to use. These bags are the ultimate in flexibility and lightweight for the adventure shooter. I can use them as a <a href="http://adventurenomad.blogspot.sg/2007/01/replacement-galen-rowell-chest-pouch_30.html">chest pouch</a>, mounted as a holster on a belt, or chucked into any backpack. The velcro flap gives quick access to the camera, but dust protection is not so good.</div>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<b></b>
<b>Zeiss Lens Cleaning Wipes and a Chamois</b></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N5QUIMG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00N5QUIMG&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=6K3KUYBTNPXHDWPO" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00N5QUIMG&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=advennomad-20" height="155" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Zeiss Cleaning Wipes</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
A friend gave me a box of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N5QUIMG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00N5QUIMG&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=6K3KUYBTNPXHDWPO" rel="nofollow">Zeiss Lens Cleaning Wipes</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00N5QUIMG" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> and since then, I've ditched my Lenspen in favor of them. Nothing wrong with the Lenspens, its just that I never throw the old ones away, and I just don't know which have been around long enough to have picked up enough grit on the cleaning pad to be dangerous. The Wipes are one-time-use, so I know they are clean. I bring one wipe for every 3-4 days, plus one spare, or about 3 wipes for week long trip. I also carry a reusable chamois (synthetic, microfiber) to clean, and wipe off fog or moisture from the lens.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007JT7ITG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007JT7ITG&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=7QSEUADS55E7ZXUG" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B007JT7ITG&Format=_SL250_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=advennomad-20" height="200" width="153" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sea to Summit Dry Bags. <br />They have nicer colors.</i> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Ultralightweight Dry Bag<img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00N5QUIMG" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Think Tank Body Bag (above) does come with a waterproof cover, but for extended periods in the wet, and also for unforseen circumstances, I prefer the security of a fully-waterproof dry bag. I use a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007JT7ITG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007JT7ITG&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=VVDLNWEGRC6LY3HU" rel="nofollow">Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Dry Sack</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007JT7ITG" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, which is lightweight and folds small out of the way. The 13 liter size fits my camera with body bag, and a spare lens. Or, a plastic bag stuffed into your camera bag will do in a pinch.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-3802253788975213192016-02-18T17:01:00.000-08:002016-02-18T17:01:14.430-08:00The 10 Commandments of Lifelong Fitness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Aging sucks! There really is nothing good about growing old, except maybe I'm not so hot-headed and my ego is kept in check... Everything else, not so good. Starting with this blog post, I've added a new 'Aging' category, to share what I've learned with you.<br />
<br />
Ned Overend, one of my guru's on the subject, a man who manages to stay on top of his game, regardless of age, talks about how he keeps in shape in this Outside video:</div>
<script height="309px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=MzMyN2JkYjc5ZWFlOTg1N2FkMjk5MmI5&ec=12aDl1eToOA0vb960GAoxk50qCJyQNWB" width="549px"></script></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-88901434736001383472016-02-16T07:02:00.002-08:002016-02-22T05:52:35.001-08:00Burma Rising<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1OtSwUr4vfhTjeJpib_lKt7ormrZg_leSetAVN9apg9M6Kvh6YcLj1yufkgj0MzuN91Fm4cuL1pfO2GD6CzKAr14wIrvlZutOez429r8UrxjDzHP4RQfvKHeIv1WJwB8wqFBKcLqxrgn/s1600/KEN_0116_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS1OtSwUr4vfhTjeJpib_lKt7ormrZg_leSetAVN9apg9M6Kvh6YcLj1yufkgj0MzuN91Fm4cuL1pfO2GD6CzKAr14wIrvlZutOez429r8UrxjDzHP4RQfvKHeIv1WJwB8wqFBKcLqxrgn/s400/KEN_0116_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Balloons over Bagan, Myanmar. </i> </td></tr>
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Myanmar, also known as Burma, is a country of contradictions. It's a land of jaw-dropping beauty and a people who have endured decades of oppression and hardship. Until recently, it was isolated from the rest of the world, and its unique culture has survived the 21st century relatively unscathed. Burma is rapidly catching up with the 21st century, and not all of it good. Certain technology, like cellphones, is cheap, and even poor farmers have smartphones and can be seen texting from atop water buffaloes. Plastic bags litter the landscape, as basic needs like trash disposal, health care, and infrastructure (power, roads, etc) are either practically non-existant. Buddhism plays a major role in the country, providing a system of basic education, health care and a moral code for the people.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;"><i>A monk grabs a photo with his cellphone at the Temple of 582,000 Buddhas, Thanboday, Myanmar.</i></span></td></tr>
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My wife, Laura and I were there for some biking and photography/filming. Laura is recovering from a slipped disc and was not sure how much biking she could do, and so we opted to take a supported tour from a local operator. This turned out to be a good thing, because her back was far from recovered. We flew into Mandalay, and visited Bagan and Inle Lake. We also visited Yangon from an earlier trip, and clips from that trip are also included in our trip video below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQEj57KRkUXfFlkK9DpvQcEK9x2i5cvd3vh3fXHKj6i0Kze0mCSm2yYEZD3EDV5ZDKoA3ZXjrUKPwx3LNwfZ_rgx0Wp_EE7PTRZcWc_p92s3GA5e8mey6K-mNnWtQgXRNWzF9wJCrWBUf/s1600/KEN_0116_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQEj57KRkUXfFlkK9DpvQcEK9x2i5cvd3vh3fXHKj6i0Kze0mCSm2yYEZD3EDV5ZDKoA3ZXjrUKPwx3LNwfZ_rgx0Wp_EE7PTRZcWc_p92s3GA5e8mey6K-mNnWtQgXRNWzF9wJCrWBUf/s400/KEN_0116_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>End of the day, Bagan, Myanmar</i></td></tr>
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We didn't have much information on biking when we planned our trip, and we didn't know how much biking Laura could do, so we wrote to a couple of companies and asked if they could take us to the places we wanted to see, and to do some biking as well. All the biking was planned on road, usually tarmac, but occasionally some dirt road. The paved roads were extremely busy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMjmGONXGQhI-FkT9wACGW35JmNz3muk-mLjUpkKlhnW4cqsvevrNutSMTfe5MccXuIJhwclujj_OHVgUO3gVS7gEomGvTjm9RdJe-ONf6Zd-NJx9GkjkyLD5x1Vjhj50JTbKeBTxHxQk/s1600/KEN_0316_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMjmGONXGQhI-FkT9wACGW35JmNz3muk-mLjUpkKlhnW4cqsvevrNutSMTfe5MccXuIJhwclujj_OHVgUO3gVS7gEomGvTjm9RdJe-ONf6Zd-NJx9GkjkyLD5x1Vjhj50JTbKeBTxHxQk/s320/KEN_0316_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Fisherman, Inle Lake, Myanmar</i></td></tr>
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<div>
Our guide was extremely accommodating, and although not a mountain biker, took it upon himself to find more dirt roads to escape the traffic. I experienced the graciousness of the Burmese people, saw the beauty of the land, and came away with a feeling of hope for the country.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/155521167" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe>
<br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/155521167">Burma Rising</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/adventurenomad">Kenneth Koh</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
Best time to visit is in the Burmese winter. It's cool and dry in the mornings and evenings, and the quality of light for photography is amazing. We find prices to be on the high side for South East Asia. Hotels and transport are expensive, probably to some sort of government tax, and food and labor are relatively cheap. Exchange your currency (new, large note US dollars are preferred!) in Burma, and buy a SIM card for your phone at the airport.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-11600277191531031732015-12-21T23:18:00.000-08:002016-02-20T23:39:54.274-08:00Top 12 Bikepacking Videos of 2015<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img border="0" src="http://bikepackersmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/2015_videos.png" height="191" width="400" /><a href="http://bikepackersmagazine.com/top-12-bikepacking-videos-of-2015/"><i>http://bikepackersmagazine.com/top-12-bikepacking-videos-of-2015/</i></a></div>
<br />
I'm stoked to have my video make Bikepacking Magazine's <a href="http://bikepackersmagazine.com/top-12-bikepacking-videos-of-2015/">12 Best Bikepacking Videos for 2015</a>. I'm honoured, and also humbled, to share this accolade with so many well crafted short films. It's really motivating for me to further my craft. I can't wait to make the next one!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-67561745402394541732015-11-07T07:43:00.001-08:002016-02-20T23:39:54.365-08:00Testing The Sony A7S MkII For Adventure Filmmaking<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In a previous blog post, I wrote about how the <a href="http://adventurenomad.blogspot.sg/2015/09/sony-a7s-ii-is-this-ultimate-adventure.html">Sony A7S II might be the ultimate adventure filmmaker's camera</a> and about how it might be a replacement for my <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20rel=%22nofollow%22%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L8YWT5G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00L8YWT5G&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=NRWO2MAJLQYMKEMS%22%3EPanasonic%20LUMIX%20GH4%20Body%20DMC-GH4GC-K%2016.05MP%20Digital%20Single%20Lens%20Mirrorless%20Camera%20with%204K%20Cinematic%20Video%20(Body%20only)%20-%20International%20Version,%20No%20Warranty%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00L8YWT5G%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Panasonic GH4</a>. I went ahead and bought an A7sii from Sony, and a used Zeiss 24-70mm f/4 lens, and that's what I used for the video below.<br />
<br />
I took it to the climbing wall, and used it the way I would be using it outdoors, to see if I liked the way it handled. I climbed with it, anchored myself to a bolt and shot the climber below me. I liked how I could turn the camera on with one hand (very Nikonesque), and the grip, although short, was sufficient. The setup, with the Zeiss 24-70, although not light, was well balanced, and the 5-Axis Stabilization worked very well. All in all, it worked out well for me. Check out the test video below:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/144973081" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/144973081">Adventure Testing Sony A7SII: A Day At The Climbing Gym</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/adventurenomad">Kenneth Koh</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
Password to view: 'nomad'<br />
<br />
I shot this video as a quick test to see if the Sony A7s Mkii would work for me as an adventure filmmaking camera. Meaning if I could get used to the handling of the camera, and if if I could get it to work with the way I shoot, and get the results I wanted. I wanted some creative control, but not be overburdened, and so I chose to control only the aperture, and left White Balance, Shutter Speed, ISO and (mostly) Autofocus in Auto. Everything was recorded at 4k resolution, 24fps, and the aperture was left wide open at f/4. I used the Autumn Leaves Creative Style in camera with the saturation and sharpening turned all the way down, the Dynamic Range Optimizer set to 4, and white balance set to Auto. The light in the gym was a mix of sunlight filtered through the skylight, and florescent light. All shots were hand-held (except for the title clip where I used a slider), with a little stabilisation (Coremelt Lock and Load) applied in post on about half the clips. Editing was done on FCPX, with some color balancing, contrast, grain and a vignette added in some shots. Voice over was recorded on location, using a Audio Technica ATR3350 lavalier mic plugged directly into the camera. The whole thing was shot in about 2 hours, and the edit took about a day.<br />
<br />
Here's what I liked about the A7sii:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>What I found most useful was the 5-axis stabilisation on the camera. I had that on the Olympus OMD EM5, and missed that feature sorely when I sold the camera to buy the GH4. </li>
<li>Video Autofocus - It can be a bit slow for faster moving subjects, but it's surprisingly useable. </li>
<li>ISO freedom. It was a bit dark in the subway station, but ISO wasn't even a concern. </li>
<li>Internal 4k, but I already had that with my GH4.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Here's what I didn't like:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Ergonomics and the Menu System could be better... but then you already knew that ;)</li>
<li>Mine's a PAL model, and I need to set it to NTSC to shoot 24p and 120p. Every time I turn on the camera, I get a warning that the camera is in NTSC mode. There is no way to disable or turn off this warning. Seriously? Every time? Don't you think once would be enough?</li>
<li>No way to set up a custom button to shoot in APSC Crop Mode. I've set up one of the Memory Recall settings on the Mode Dial to shoot 120fps, which also puts me in APSC Crop mode, but that activates Program Mode and I have no control over aperture or shutter speed.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I've only had the camera for a week, so I've got a lot more learning to do. I want to play around with some of the other color profiles, and I need to buy and test out the Time Lapse App. One other big unknown for me is how the small Sony batteries perform in extreme cold. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Will I be replacing the GH4 with the A7sii? I think so, although it was closer than I thought. I really liked the 5-Axis Stabilization, which comes in very useful for a one-man, run and gun type shooting. Video Autofocus has difficulty with subjects moving too quickly to and away from the camera, but is otherwise very useful. The image quality is very nice, both at 4k and in the APSC Crop at 120fps, with an organic feel and nice subject separation. My main issue is with the weight. In order to keep the weight reasonable, I've chosen to replace my M4/3 <a href="http://adventurenomad.blogspot.sg/2013/07/3-best-lenses-to-take-for-expedition.html">standard 3 lens setup</a> with focal lengths that range from a full-frame equivalent 14-280mm for a single 24-70mm f/4 zoom. In doing so, I'll lose a lot of focal length range, but that's the tradeoff for the features on the Sony I think are worth having. </div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-56245120105710589362015-11-04T04:16:00.000-08:002016-02-20T23:39:54.353-08:00A World to Share: Q&A with Brandon Li<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="p1">
Brandon Li is a former MTV Reality Series Producer/editor where he learned documentary style filmmaking. In 2013, he sold everything he had, and is now literally living his life out of a suitcase, editing projects on a MacBook Pro with the hard drives velcroed to the back, travelling and making award winning short films about the cultures and people he visits.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/480980320158629888/OUIuAdO4_400x400.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/480980320158629888/OUIuAdO4_400x400.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Brandon Li. Image courtesy of Brandon Li</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="p2">
I'm stoked to have had the opportunity to interview Brandon about his life and the art of travel filmmaking. His short films buzz with energy and have won numerous awards. Check out what Brandon has to say and see some of his work in the blog post below.<br />
<br /><span class="s1"></span></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="213" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/116044343" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/116044343">Gateway to the Ganges</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/rungunshoot">Brandon Li</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>On the Nomadic Lifestyle, Travel and Inspiration</b></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“I draw most of my artistic inspiration from that feeling of being in a new place. When everything is new to me, it's easy to feel inspired to shoot. It's constantly exciting and interesting, but at the same time I frequently feel uprooted or disoriented by the constant moving. I've had a lot of days where I would wake up wondering what country I was in.” </i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<i><span class="s1"></span><br /></i></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“I really don't have much other than my camera gear and about 5 days of clothes. If it doesn't fit in a suitcase and a backpack, I can't own it. Language barriers are a constant issue. I get lost a lot. I frequently have little doubts, like when I'm lost wandering the streets of a new country with all my bags… and it starts raining!”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<i><span class="s1"></span><br /></i></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“It is difficult to stay grounded, but what makes it worthwhile is getting to immerse myself in other cultures instead of just passing through like a tourist.”</i></span><br />
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/129171397" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/129171397">Tokyo Roar</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/rungunshoot">Brandon Li</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>The Method, Process and Technique</b></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“I consider the commercial work and the personal work to be practice fields for each other. I learn things doing my commercial projects that I want to apply on independent films, and then I figure out techniques on those films that I can bring back to the paid gigs. I always want to push my abilities a bit further with each film.”</i></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“For my personal projects, I improvise based on the people and landscapes I encounter while wandering around. I look for things that can't be planned; this is what I feel gives a film energy. For instance, filming a mountain at sunrise is much more interesting to me if there are children playing a pickup game of football in the foreground.”</i></span><br />
<span class="s1"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“My reality TV experience taught me how to spontaneously shoot scenes that feel complete. Basically I shoot "coverage" - wide, medium, close. I try to encourage people to ignore the camera, another skill from reality TV. It's a game of getting close without being intrusive, and it just takes practice (and lots of mistakes).”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<i><span class="s1"></span><br /></i></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“In editing, I put together this coverage like one would do with a scripted film, re-arranging shots to make the scene flow naturally. Once I have a few key scenes edited, I'll figure out the bigger storyline of the whole video. That's the main challenge. The most difficult part of editing is getting the pacing right so that the film seems to follow a natural trajectory and ends satisfyingly. This just takes many, many revisions.”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<i><span class="s1"></span><br /></i></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“I consider shooting to be kind of a sport, so I make sure I get out there and shoot as often as possible and improvise new techniques. I think techniques are as important as gear. Most of my camera moves are done just by moving my body in the right way, and most of my edits are simple cuts with no fancy effects or plugins. If you're not getting the shots you want, try changing your technique before acquiring more gear.”</i></span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3cFXN5-OJ88ZMyseXJCi9-Wk8H88xsUQYgjVPPwc42QCmE8a15LLikURSvmHdALAp4pzdJxa2xvMquZfRI-vZh_JGlTV4kqJhhhnQtvKbPREZkAIG6sM5bb_VeJChoxr99Bkuhmokvh3/s1600/PastedGraphic-2.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3cFXN5-OJ88ZMyseXJCi9-Wk8H88xsUQYgjVPPwc42QCmE8a15LLikURSvmHdALAp4pzdJxa2xvMquZfRI-vZh_JGlTV4kqJhhhnQtvKbPREZkAIG6sM5bb_VeJChoxr99Bkuhmokvh3/s320/PastedGraphic-2.tiff" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>Brandon shooting in Guam (<a href="http://chamorrofilm.com/"><span class="s2">Chamorrofilm.com</span></a>). Photo by Jessica Peterson</i></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Tools of the Trade</b></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“I like shooting with any camera that can deliver the image and still fit in a backpack. That's my main requirement - I have to be able to travel easily with it.”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<i><span class="s1"></span><br /></i></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“GH2 was great for a while, but then the A7s came along with a myriad of superior features, such as low light performance, zebra stripes, peaking, slow motion, etc. Plus, the A7s is actually a pretty tiny camera provided you aren't using the larger, heavier lenses for the system. It's lighter than the Gh2 body.”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<i><span class="s1"></span><br /></i></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“I've just recently bought a Sony A7rii, which I used on my last personal project along with the Sony RX10ii and a few GoPros. I like shooting 4k, even if I will be outputting a 1080p final film, because it allows me to crop and re-frame my shots in post.”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<i><span class="s1"></span><br /></i></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>"<span style="font-family: inherit;">If I had to choose 3 lenses to travel with, they would be the Sony 24-240mm, Nikon AIS 50mm f/1.4, Sony 10-18mm. First requirement is covering the "normal" focal lengths. As a travel filmmaker, I rely on my zoom lens quite a bit to frame distant subjects. It's not a fast lens (f/3.5-6.3) but the Sony cameras have good low light performance so I can still use it for most circumstances. Second requirement is having shallow depth-of-field ability, which the 50mm takes care of. That Nikon lens focuses quite close, so I can use it for macro-type shots as well as normal portrait stuff. Also, because it's adapted, I can remove it from the adapter to do lens whacking (special defocus effects). If I had to lose one perspective it would be the ultra-wide one. I can almost always re-frame my shot, or just step back, to get that wide perspective."</span></i></span><br />
<span class="s1"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/136405903" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/136405903">Balinese</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/rungunshoot">Brandon Li</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Where to Next and Chilling Out</b></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“I usually pick my locations to be near my potential future projects. It's kind of a tricky game planning where to be - I don't want to fly off to a remote corner of the globe and then book a shoot in London, for instance. I just use my best intuition.”</i></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><i>“I've been to Tokyo twice this year because it's just awesome. I love re-visiting places and catching up with friends.”</i></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<i><span class="s1"></span><br /></i></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>“When I chill out, I'm the laziest person on earth. Earlier this year I rented a beach shack in Goa, India and spent a week just watching the sun set every day.” "Maybe I should learn to play racquetball or something?”</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Brandon's portfolio site <a href="http://unscripted.com/"><span class="s2">unscripted.com</span></a> showcases his personal and commercial works, and his tech blog </span><a href="http://rungunshoot.com/">RunGunShoot.com</a> describes shooting techniques using minimal equipment.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-11674392514414399312015-09-21T00:56:00.000-07:002016-02-20T23:39:54.276-08:00Sony A7s II: Is This The Ultimate Adventure Filmmaker's Camera?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A travel and adventure camera should be lightweight, rugged, and simple to use while offering good image quality. Last week, Sony announced the Mark II version of it's legendary low light camera, the A7s II. Here are my thoughts as to why I'm considering this as a replacement for my Panasonic GH4 in 2016, and maybe why you should be considering this camera too.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sonyglobal.scene7.com/is/image/gwtprod/ee96746aaa26253ffb49a49935811d4a?fmt=png-alpha&wid=1014&hei=396" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://sonyglobal.scene7.com/is/image/gwtprod/ee96746aaa26253ffb49a49935811d4a?fmt=png-alpha&wid=1014&hei=396" height="155" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sony A7s II</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I got my Panasonic GH4 in 2014, I considered 3 cameras, each with its own special 'party trick': The first generation Sony A7s with it's legendary low light sensor; the Olympus OM-D E-M1 with 5-Axis Image Stabilization, and the Panasonic GH4 with internal 4k recording. The Sony A7s Mark II combines all these 'party tricks' into one camera.<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>5-Axis Image Stabilization</li>
<li>Low Light Sensor</li>
<li>Internal 4k Recording</li>
</ul>
For a fast and light, run and gun, adventure/travel type photographer/filmmaker, these features are killer. <br />
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<b>5-Axis Image Stabilization</b><br />
I would put this feature at the top of the list. It's the only feature I miss, moving from my Olympus OMD EM5 to the Panasonic GH4. While it's useful for still photographers, it's simply incredible for videographers. It's almost like having a gimbal/steadicam built into the camera. Technologically, it's quite a feat that Sony has been able to stabilize a sensor 4 times the size of the M4/3 sensor like the OMD EM1.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WOjLajognmI" width="560"></iframe><br />
<i>With a little stabilization with software in post-production, this would look very solid</i><br />
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<b>Low Light Sensor</b><br />
Low light shooting on the A7s is a different league and opens up new shooting possibilities (I'm thinking pre-dawn alpine starts). The A7s sensor also has more dynamic range than the GH4, and the new A7sII should be the same or even better. Higher dynamic range will allow more flexibility in post processing, both for still images in for video. The A7sII has a full frame sensor, which will give me more options with depth of field.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CVLBHMbRMW4" width="560"></iframe>
<i>Check out the low light capability of the A7sii in this video from Sony</i><br />
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<b>Internal 4k Recording</b><br />
While the original A7s had the ability to shoot in 4k, it could not record this internally. The new A7sII adds internal recording capability, which keeps the 4k setup compact, lightweight and simple. This was the one killer feature the GH4 had over the original A7s.<br />
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<b>Other A7sII Benefits over the GH4</b><br />
<b>USB Charging</b><br />
One advantage the A7sII has over my GH4 is that the batteries can be recharged in camera by USB from an external battery, saving the need to carry a charger and cable. It also makes it easier to possible to recharge in the field using a simple external battery like the Anker that I usually carry to recharge my iPhone and Gopro. The A7sII battery doesn't last as long as the GH4, but they are also about half the size and weight, so I think that's a wash. <br />
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<div>
<b>'Always On' Depth of Field Preview</b></div>
<div>
One of the least used buttons on cameras is the Depth-Of-Field Preview button. Cameras normally keep the lens apertures stopped wide open to allow the maximum amount of light in for a bright viewfinder and make it easier to manual focus. When you press the Depth of Field Preview button, the lens is stopped down to the selected aperture, the image gets darker, and shows you what is acceptably sharp or blurred. The A7s II can be selected to have the Depth of Field Preview 'always on', which means as you change the aperture, you can view the resulting depth of field changes 'live' on the LCD or EVF. </div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Ability to Transfer RAW Images Wirelessly to iPhone</b></div>
<div>
I shoot RAW still images. It's nice to be able to grab a RAW shot off your camera, then send it wirelessly to your smartphone where you can do some basic editing, then upload it to social media. The A7sII can do this with RAW files by converting them on the fly to JPEG images, which it then sends to your IOS or Android device. If I wanted to do this on my GH4, I would need to shoot 2 copies on the camera, use the JPEG files to transfer to my iPhone, then come back home and delete all the JPEG files that I didn't need in the first place. </div>
<div>
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<b>Useable Continuous Autofocus in Video Mode?</b><br />
Technically, the GH4 can rack focus by touching the screen. Practically, I have not been very successful with this and tend to use manual focus. Continuous AF in the A7sII video mode looks very useable in the following video clip.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1IehRNPtiP8" width="560"></iframe>
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<i>No details on how the AF works for video, but this looks very useable</i><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Downsides</b></div>
A7s II, which has a Full Frame sensor, comes with some downsides when compared to a Micro Four Thirds camera like the GH4.<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Weight</li>
<li>Cost</li>
</ul>
<b>Weight</b><br />
The A7s body and lenses, while lighter than comparable full frame equivalents from Nikon and Canon, are significantly heavier than the Panasonic GH4 kit that I'm presently using. The A7sII body weighs 584g. 480g for the GH4. To replace the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0028Y5GKK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0028Y5GKK&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=NMITS5WPUZOHP6QT">Panasonic 7-14mm f/4 Lens</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0028Y5GKK" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />(300g) I'm currently using, I'll need the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NGTN25C/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NGTN25C&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=SZDT7CVLUBHCLTHO">Sony 16-35mm F/4 Lens</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00NGTN25C" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
(518g). Some increase in weight is to be expected, stepping up from M4/3 to Full Frame. Sitting here at my desk, it's hard to imagine what an increase in load will feel like on my shoulders and back 3 days into a multi-day adventure, but I can tell you I won't like it. As a side note, the A7sII battery doesn't last as long as the GH4, but they are also about half the size and weight, so I think that's a wash, weight wise.<br />
<br />
<b>Cost </b><br />
You get what you pay for. If you are coming from a Full Frame camera, the A7s II may be reasonable, or even cheap. Coming from a Micro Four Thirds camera, I find the camera and lenses expensive. Again, you get what you pay for, as it's a step up from M4/3 to Full Frame, just something you should factor into your considerations.<br />
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<br />
<b>Final Thoughts</b><br />
The Panasonic GH4 is the best handling camera I've ever used. It is a great balance between image quality for its size and weight. I've used it in wet/humid, dry/dusty conditions, and it has not failed me yet. But it's not particularly great in low light, nor does it have 5-Axis Image Stabilisation. Ultimately, my decision to switch will rest on what Panasonic comes out with the GH5.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5506823735797902171.post-84969086503454969322015-09-10T16:14:00.000-07:002015-09-10T16:14:13.648-07:00Tools for Bike Travel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I travel often with my bike, and I can't travel with all my tools when I fly with my bike. To save weight, I bring a minimum of tools, which I keep in a little travel tool box. These are an addition to the typical bike tools that you should always have with you, like a bike multitool, pump and tire levers. These are the tools I may use to assemble my bike at the destination, then they stay behind with my bike box or in the car. Here are some tools you should consider bringing with you when you travel with your bike.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81GgcXx80tL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81GgcXx80tL._SL1500_.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ritchey 6-Bit Bicycle Torque Key</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SU865SA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00SU865SA&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=Z3SBAHR57SP4EPY7">Ritchey 6-Bit Bicycle Torque Key</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00SU865SA" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
Carbon parts and titanium bolts require some care to fit. Both over and under torquing the bolts could affect the ride, and shorten the life of the parts. I love the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SU865SA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00SU865SA&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=Z3SBAHR57SP4EPY7">Ritchey 6-Bit Bicycle Torque Key</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00SU865SA" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> as it's compact and lightweight, and really fast to get bolts on and off with the 'spinner'. I use the 5Nm preset mainly for my stem faceplate bolts, but I think it's also a good 'general' use torque, and better than my 'feel'.<br />
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<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71bb4fO4nTL._SL1200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71bb4fO4nTL._SL1200_.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Topeak D2 Smartgauge</i></div>
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2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051LQ0X4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0051LQ0X4&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=HUIYSOTRDBELWCRQ">Topeak D2 SmartGauge</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0051LQ0X4" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
Getting consistent tire and shock pressures is one key to riding better. I use a floor pump at home, but I don't bring that when I travel. This gauge can check tires, front and rear shock pressures. I do bring a travel tire and shock pump, but I can use whatever pump is available to me, and still maintain consistent pressures.<br />
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3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C14LLG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000C14LLG&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=LBRP23VXRNQ7A7ZH">Park Tool HR-8 Hex Wrench (8mm)</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000C14LLG" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
It's easy enough to get a pedal on with a bike specific multi-tool, but after a long ride, it can be tough getting the pedal off if you cannot apply enough torque. One solution is to throw a long-armed 8mm allen key into the travel kit. I use mine to get the pedals on, and it stays with my bike box until I return to take the pedals off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CCPPfo6HS._SL1000_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CCPPfo6HS._SL1000_.jpg" height="320" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Leatherman New Wave</i></td></tr>
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4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002H49BC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002H49BC&linkCode=as2&tag=advennomad-20&linkId=GUAICXPDX4G4474H">Leatherman New Wave Multitool</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=advennomad-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0002H49BC" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />
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A bike specific multi-tool comes along with me on every ride, but a general purpose one, like the Leatherman Wave pictured above, can be a useful addition to the travel kit. I use a tool like this to cut up and pull out the staples on cardboard bike boxes, slice fruit and duct tape. The little screwdriver can be useful for sunglasses, the file used to deburr sharp edges after a crash, and the pliers useful for taking apart power links. I've heard of the saw being used to cut up some wood to rig up a chain guide for a single speed conversion when the derailleur broke. It's mainly a basecamp/hut/car tool as it's too heavy to take along most rides, but I sometimes carry a smaller/lighter tool on epic rides.<br />
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5. Old Inner Tube<br />
If you have an old inner tube that is no longer useable as a spare, throw that in with your travel kit. They can be cut up to use as shields or shims to protect your frame, rubber bands, GPS retainers. I have also seen them used with tent pegs as a splint for a broken frame.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092175990506368732noreply@blogger.com1