Making Tracks For Your Hiking GPS

A GPS can be a good safety measure to have on a hike. I use it to set way points as I progress on my hike so that I can back tack if I am lost. To follow the trail I usually rely on paper maps, as GPX files for trails are not always available. When they are available it is very convenient to have them loaded in your GPS as a track to follow.

To find tracks for your hike first try searching Google for GPX files of the trail you want. For instance I searched "Bruce Trail GPX" and this was the first result, a full GPX track of the Bruce Trail. A GPX file like this is ready to be imported to your GPS unit as is.

What if you cant find a good GPX file of your trail? well you will have to make your own. This be can be very time consuming, fortunately there is an excellent online application for this task called GAIA GPS. GAIA GPS will automatically connect way points using its available database of trails. 

This is much much faster and easier than the alternative, which is to manually mark out the track point by point. The only down side to GAIA GPS is that it will only create routes, when what we want is tracks. Tracks make much more sense for hiking, they will show up as a line on a map to be followed, where as routes show up as you travel along them. Easy fix though, there are many programs that can convert routs into tracks. 

To do this go to the details page for your route in GAIA and download the route as a GPX file. Next import that GPX file in to your mapping software, I use Garmin BaseCamp. In BaseCamp right click on your route file and select "create track from selected route". Once you have created the track GPX file you are ready to import it to your GPS unit.

Happy trails!

ALICE Pack: faults and fixes

As a child my brother and I used to love going to the army surplus store, which in those days was truly an army surplus store carrying many ex-military items. I have always coveted those olive drabs, brown and camouflage patterns. I have always appreciated the rugged construction and utilitarian nature of the articles. I admittedly also think army gear is just dripping with finesse.  

Instead of doing what everyone else does and buying an Osprey, I opted to buy that most infamous of all military packs the ALICE. The ALICE pack or, All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment was a modular system adopted by the U.S. military in 1973. The ALICE system includes a myriad of load bearing equipment, but this article will be critiquing and offering suggestions for the medium field pack and frame only. The pack itself is extremely rugged and when used without the frame is an excellent ruck sack. Although it does have a few short comings.

Firstly, the two main closing straps are permanently attached to the bag and must be loosed fully and pushed aside to gain access to the main bucket. This is easily remedied by inserting two quick release clasps to the original buckle. I highly suggest not removing the original buckles, for if the new ones should break you can still use the old ones as intended.

Second failing of the ALICE field pack is its frame. The ALICE system was designed to be best suited for an average build of man around 5’9” tall. I am my self 6’1” and thus the ALICE frame is far too small for me, and so the frame is more trouble than its worth. I wonder if it would even be of use to a man which it fits, as the frame holds all the weight of the pack at far too great a distance from the body. This distance seems to, through the powers of leverage, pull you backwards in a most disagreeable way. I also found that the ALICE frame offered no satisfactory place to attach bed rolls, sleep pads, or sleeping bags.

A third complaint although minor, is the lack of a sternum strap. This can be easily remedied, in my case I borrowed one off of another pack that I owned. You can see I used green electrical tape to secure any loose webbing.

I was thus contrived to better the ALICE pack myself by attaching it to a Kelty style frame which lifts the pack higher and puts the weight closer to the body, whilst being longer would also suit my height and provide space for sleep gear.

Fortunately, the ALICE field packs modular design makes fitting it to any type of frame easy. The bottom of the pack has two lengths of webbing and a buckle for attachment. In order to attach the top of the pack to a different frame I suggest inserting a small stick in the pocket where the original frame once attached, and then lashing this stick to your new frame. 

The frame that I used was purchased on Kijiji for five dollars, not only was it larger than the ALICE frame but it was 212g lighter. You could also make your own pack frame.

ALICE frame on left 957g
Secondhand Kelty frame on right 745g

So, to any of you out there who were thinking about buying an ALICE pack, or perhaps currently own one that you’re not quite happy with I hope that this information is helpful. As I said, the ALICE field pack is a rugged and smart looking ruck sack. I love that it can be easily attached to a good frame (just not the ALICE frame).

The ALICE pack manual as a PDF.

Remember,

Nature is our salvation