Comments for Applied Vitals

Comment on Charleston Area Adventure Competitions by jason

jason — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:05:51 +0000

Hello Dominic

If you would like a quick “tutorial” in UTM plotting and compass navigation I’d be more than willing to show you the basics. I train regularly in the francis marion forest and I could meet you on a sat or sun anytime before the swamp fox race. If u are interested let me know.

Comment on Cracked Face on Forerunner 310XT by Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:47:10 +0000

Thanks for the post Dominic. The exact same thing just happened to me as well. I’ve used it for 2 months and pulled it out of my bag with the glass all shattered. What does your make shift glass protector look like? Can you post an update to this with a picture?

Thanks again!

Comment on Selecting A Hydration Pack by Dominic

Dominic — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:22:20 +0000

TIP: How to remove the air from your Camelbak hydration pack and stop the water from sloshing around.

Turn the pack upside down (so that the hose connection point is now on top) and suck the air out from the tube. Now with the air removed from the bladder, the water won’t bounce around and make noise while running.

This may seem obvious, but it took a couple uses for me to figure out. My first attempt was to fill the bladder to the very tip top before putting the back lid on. This method won’t work – there’s no way to fill it all the way up, leaving no air pocket.

Comment on Cracked Face on Forerunner 310XT by adam

adam — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:41:17 +0000

I just cracked mine in the exact same manner (and the screen was already scratched due to bouncing around in my bag to and from work for weeks) – good to know it can be repaired, nominally speaking.

Post something when you do find a way to protect the bezel – I’d be interested in doing the same. Thanks.

Comment on Charleston Area Adventure Competitions by Dominic

Dominic — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 06:35:06 +0000

It’s becoming clear that my level of fitness isn’t going to be the critical factor in my first adventure race with navigation. I’ve been following the Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race and reading accounts of adventure race participants . . . to learn that accurate navigation is paramount. I have one month to get some UTM plotting experience under my belt for the Palmetto Swamp Fox Adventure Race. Unfortunately, there aren’t any groups, clubs or classes in the Charleston area. And entering the race solo means I’m only bringing my experience to race day.

Comment on Charleston Area Adventure Competitions by Dominic

Dominic — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:21:55 +0000

I registered for the Palmetto Swamp Fox Adventure Race in the solo category. My training is on track for a great race, but I need to work in a few kayak sessions before the race to improve my paddling. I also need to get a few pieces of equipment, like a larger hydration backpack that can carry tools, rope and the gear for this 10-12 hour adventure race.

Comment on Survival Gear Headed to Haiti by Lemmings

Lemmings — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:40:29 +0000

Shoot me an email – what is in the pack, size of box, weight of box, cost of box, etc.

Lemmings

Comment on Packing for Panama by Dominic

Dominic — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:50:35 +0000

Some hindsight on what I packed for Panama…

The number one surprise from my trip to Panama was never using bug repellent. I didn’t get a single bug bit in Panama – amazing! I was anticipating a bug orgy like Costa Rica, or even worse Belie, but it just wasn’t the case.

The other item that was never used was my first aid kit, thankfully.

Not explicitly mentioned in my video showing items that I packed were my Keen sandals. They were indispensable. My father didn’t bring any foot ware for the beach or water and had to purchase some flip flops during the trip. Flip flop thongs ended up being useless on our river hikes when exploring for waterfalls. Keens on the other hand were perfect!

I opted to not bring hiking shoes and that was just fine – I brought running shoes instead.

Bringing dry bags (waterproof bags) was another great move. We didn’t have to thing twice about bringing our cameras, passports or anything else on adventures up rivers, out in the ocean or on rainy days.

Comment on Cracked Face on Forerunner 310XT by appliedv

appliedv — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:18:55 +0000

Forerunner 310XT returned from Garmin’s repair shop in under 10 business days. The refurbished unit appears to be just about new and is working fine.

Setting up the sync again with Garmin Connect was required since I received a different unit in return. The firmware was also reset. I was surprised that an older version of firmware was put on the unit and I needed to upgrade as soon as I received it. Perhaps this unit had been on the shelf for a while.

The only thing left to do is to implement a homemade face protector so I don’t crack the glass face again. $99 for a repairs/replacement was a fair charge, but I don’t want to pay it again.