Wilderness camping with 4x5.

[John Bailey]

Dear Wayne

If you are seeking a good GPS system, I heartily recommend Garmin products! I have owned five or six of their products and each one has been better than the last. They are terrific GPS receivers and will provide you with good data which is easy to understand and easy to operate. I would first look at the Etrex Vista. I know money is always a consideration, but I would not skimp on GPS-that said, I find the whole Garmin line from entry level to the top of the line will probably satisfy your needs.

Look at this unit for starters:

http://www.garmin.com/products/etrexVista/

As Kerry stated, don't rely 100% on any electronic device, but you will find this is an excellent addition to your pack. You might be surprised how often you will use a GPS unit even when you are back in the city or traveling. Many have world wide capabilities and they have downloadable CD maps to give you detailed maps of almost any destination.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

John

[Wayne Crider]

Thanks all for your responses; I'll be doing some local camping here in Florida to test out equipment and loads before I head west. My first real trip will be in northern AZ just after Easter, and probably NW of Sedona unless I find a more attractive area with better scenery. Later in the summer I have a free flight to anywhere and will probably go to Colorado, maybe Rocky Mountain NP. (I also wanted to ask about top hikes in Colorado.) I have a friend outside Denver who will pick me up and drive me most anywhere. It's nice to have friends and family all over.

One question that I forgot to ask is, what kind of lighting are others carrying?

Now film holders. 5 too many? Not enough? I suppose you can hike all day and not see a shot, but I usually can find plenty, so my problem might be stopping too much. At least tho I won't have to worry about security running me off from commercial property. I also need a replacement for a dark bag, if needed? Mines to heavy. Thanks

[Mark Windom]

For lighting I use a mini Maglite and the Petzl Tikka.

Film holders and a changing bag or tent can add quite a bit of extra weight. I would look into a Quickload system depending on the type of film you are using. With only 5 film holders you may be loading and unloading them alot more than you would like to. The last thing you want to do is get into some great light and burn your last sheet before it's gone.