Jules and I picked up my mom and headed to Briones Regional Park for a quick hike to try out one of the new backpacks and the Garmin Rino GPS device. I wasn’t able to load the a topo map onto the Rino before we left so all we could see was a dotted line (our track) in a sea of tan, but it was interesting anyway. Here’s a short video I posted on youtube.
Recently Jules and I have acquired some new backpacking gear in preparation for some epic trips this summer.
First on the list is a fancy GPS device. Jules did some research and came up with the Garmin Rino 530HCx GPS/Two-Way Radio. After last year’s trip to Snow Mountain where we lost the trail a few times, we thought it would be a good idea to have a backup plan. We were never really lost while in the Snow Mountain area, but a few times we didn’t know how to proceed. When I say we lost the trail, we could still go back, just not forward. So with this handy device we can plan our route ahead of time and bring it out every so often to make sure we’re on the right track.
Garmin Rino 530HCx
Disclaimer: A GPS device should not take the place of a map, compass and planning. Always let someone know what your plans are.
Right around when I graduated from college I decided to get a framepack for all of the backpacking I was sure to do. Unfortunately I didn’t put any research into it and didn’t even test the fit. Despite all that I’ve been on many trips with it and it’s all worked out just fine except for a little chafing and perhaps a little more strain than was necessary. So Jules thought it was a good time for an update.
Osprey Aether 70
Enter the Osprey Aether 70. This 70L pack should get me through the long trips with comfort. I’m planning on taking it on my honeymoon. For those shorter weekend trips she got me something lighter and more agile.
Osprey Kestrel 48
Aren’t they pretty? I’m pretty excited to get out on the trails and start breaking these guys in. I’m tempted to take them in to work and just go on walks for lunch. Maybe I’ll try that this week
Next Tuesday begins four weeks of gaming madness for me. Seven titles are coming out in that time frame that I want to play. That’s over $300! (Don’t tell my lady.) Let’s run down the list.
Napoleon: Total War (Feb 23)
Despite its flaws, I loved Empire: Total War. It’s surprising to see a full sized release within a year of the previous game, but who am I to complain. I’m hoping they’ve cleared up some of the weird AI issues but I think I’d be pretty satisfied if was just an expansion.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (March 2)
I’ve purchased all of the Battlefield titles starting with Battlefield 2. The large maps, squad tactics and vehicle battles have improved with each iteration. And I think 2008′s Bad Company took everyone by surprise by adding a solid single player campaign to go along with the established multi-player experience that the Battlefield franchise is known for. From what I’ve played in the beta and demo, Bad Company 2 looks to be another great Battlefield title.
Supreme Commander 2 (March 2)
When I first played Supreme Commander in 2007 I thought it was going to change the genre. I remember seeing Company of Heroes at E3 that year and asking the attendant “Is that as far as you can zoom out?” The guy looked at me with contempt before his truncated “yes.” Three years later and it’s hard to believe that every RTS game has not adopted the ability to zoom out enough to see the entire map. I’m ready for more large scale warfare with looping factory queues, complicated patrol routes and synchronized, multi-faceted attacks.
Final Fantasy XIII (March 9)
The last final fantasy game that I played was Final Fantasy IX. The last one that I beat was Final Fantasy VI. This is the first time I’ve been interested in the Final Fantasy series in a long time. This isn’t a definite purchase for me yet but I’m feeling pretty optimistic about riding chocobos in the near future.
Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising (March 12)
I bought Dawn of War and all of its expansions and when I first played the second game I was disappointed to only play with four units instead of the army that I had previously commanded. But that disappointed quickly evaporated as I got deeper into the game. The RPG elements took over and I became engrossed enough to play through the campaign once on normal and again on the most difficult setting of primarch. I still harass snider and try to get him to play co-op with me. So I’m excited to play through another campaign and renew my co-op harassment.
Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight (March 16)
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed playing Command & Conquer 3. Previously I wasn’t much of a fan to the series, but the latest installment felt so polished that I quickly played through each of the campaigns. This is another game that I’m not positive I’ll buy, but I’m eager to find out how the addition of classes (offense, defense, support) changes the game. I’m more of a defensive RTS player myself.
God of War III (March 16)
Back in 2007, God of War II marked the end of the PlayStation 2 for me. It was the last game that I played on that console and even though I have a PS3 with backwards compatibility, I haven’t played a PS2 title since then. I was impressed with the GoW visuals in 2007 and from what I’ve seen of God of War III, I will not be disappointed.
So there it is, my next four weeks, all planned out.