Technology and the Outdoors

By now, many of you have probably read the story that appeared in the New York Times that took a look at the effects of technology on our ability to concentrate, and how going outside, and more specifically getting away from all the technology that has pervaded our life, helps us to clear our minds. In that story, a group of researchers who study the brain, took a trip through the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah, a place that offers no cell phone or Internet service, and completely devoid of technology, except for what you bring with you. Some of them were skeptics about the impact of technology on the way we think, while others though that tech overload could adversely effect our concentration. They discovered, that the quiet calm of the outdoors, away from those distractions, did indeed change their perspectives on a great deal of things.

Following up on that story, the Adventure Life published this piece in which site editor Steve Casamiro shares his thoughts on the subject, coming to the same conclusions that many of us already have. A healthy dose of Mother Nature goes a long way to helping keep us focused, happy, and mentally healthy. But he also notes how useful some technologies can be in the backcountry, such as GPS, satellite phones, and so on. Technology like the SPOT Messenger could potentially save our lives and iPods seem like a piece of gear we seldom leave home without these days. The question is, should we be taking all of this stuff and how does it effect our enjoyment of our time out in the woods?

This is a subject I've wrested with a bit myself in recent years. After all, I use a great deal of technology to write about doing things outdoors. I am decidedly a tech nerd. I love gadgets and gizmos, and I think of ways that I can keep them well charged while on an extended trip away from civilization. But that said, I usually leave my cell phone behind and I'm quite content with unplugging from the Internet for awhile. That said, having my iPod along as been useful in a number of situations and a GPS is a tool that holds a lot of a value as well. They'll both probably continue to find a place in my pack.

Like all good things, technology should be used in moderation. It can be very distracting, even at the best of times, and these days we're often multitasking on our laptops, while texting friends and Twittering our every move. All the while, music, television, or both, drone on in the background. I head outside to get away from some of that, and it's important to remind ourselves of that very thing from time to time. After all, if you're reading this blog, you more than likely have a love for the outdoors, and it is would be a shame to miss a spectacular sunset or a rare creature on the trail just because we're too busy picking out the next song on our iPods.

Your thoughts?

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New North Face App for iPhone Helps Find Trails

The North Face has launched a new app for the iPhone entitled Trailhead that serves as a database of more than 300,000 trails from around the world, offering up suggestions for hiking, mountain biking, backcountry skiing and more. The free app also uses the iPhone's built in GPS and compass for route tracking no a real time, interactive map, and measures speed, distance, and elevation as well.  As if that wasn't enough, the app also allows users to search for a trip based on location or activity, and share photos and notes from the field with Facebook and Twitter integration.

Trailhead joins the company's first endeavor into the app eco-system, The Snow Report, which offers up the latest information on the amount of snow at your favorite ski resort. That app is also free, and includes 24, 48, and 72-hour snow fall reports. It also has avalanche advisories, resort Twitter feeds, plenty of more information specific to the resort of your choice. It's a great option for skiers looking to hit the slopes this winter.

I grabbed the Trailhead app and found it to be a nice addition to my iPhone. It found a number of popular trails in the area, and offered up some nice information on them. This will really come in handy when traveling though, and you feel like going for a hike, but are unsure of where to go. The app is powered by EverTrail.com, so you know there is plenty to learn from it. Besides, you just can't beat the price!

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The iPad is My Perfect Travel Companion

This past weekend I had the opportunity to take a quick, but great, trip to the Florida Keys. You'll be hearing a lot more about what I did down there soon, but let me assure you that it involved riding persona water craft at 50 miles per hour through some amazingly beautiful settings.

Since the trip was a fairly short one, I decided to use it as a travel experiment of sorts. Generally when I travel, I take my laptop along so that I can stay in touch via e-mail, surf the web, and get some writing done while I'm on the go. Now, I love my MacBook Pro, and when compared to most laptops on the market, it is fairly thin and light, but even with that in mind, it still adds bulk when you're trying to travel light – something that I always seem to be trying to improve on.

Enter the iPad. Apple's tablet was released this past spring, and has already had an impact on the way we consume media, surf the web, and think about how we interface with our computers. I bought an iPad on day one, and a week later it came with me to Nepal. On that trip, I realized how amazing the device is for travelers. It can hold all your music, serves up HD video, allows you to e-mail friends back home, and generally does most things that a computer can do, albeit in a much smaller package. It also serves as a good e-book reader and allows you to bering along digital magazines as well. When you throw in the outstanding battery life, in excess of 12-hours, you get a hint of what the iPad can do.

On this most recent trip however, I had the chance to test the iPad as a productivity device. I've now had it for several months, and I've adapted to its on-screen, touch keyboard quite well, and with the addition of Apple's Pages app, I had a full featured word processor on the tablet. With all of that in mind, I took the bold step of leaving the laptop behind, and traveling solely with my iPad.

I'm happy to say that my little experiment was a big success. Not only did the iPad keep me well entertained and connected while traveling, it also allowed me to actually get some work done. With several writing deadlines looming, I was able to use my time on the flights to actually get some things accomplished. Yes, I actually worked on multiple articles/stories right on my iPad, and felt like I was missing very little at all.

Factor in the fact that the iPad weighs just 1.5 pounds and can not only replace your laptop but the books we carry with us when we travel, and you really can improve your ability to travel light. I also had a huge smile of satisfaction on my face when I passed through security without having to take my iPad out of my bag. Laptops, without exception, always have to be removed.

All of these factors and more, make me very happy to have an iPad to take with me on future adventures. It really is my perfect travel companion.

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Wend Magazine Now On iPad!

Fans of Wend magazine will be delighted to learn that the outdoor adventure mag with an eco-sensitive slant is now available on the iPad. And not just the current issue, but all back issues as well. Digital subscribers need only login to the Wend website to gain access to iPad optimized versions of the magazine that look and perform spectacularly on Apple's latest wonder gadget. iPhone and iPod Touch users haven't been forgotten either, as the online edition of the magazine now works on those devices too, albeit at a slightly smaller screen size. :)

If you aren't already a digital subscriber to Wend, click here to sign up. It's quick, easy, and free. So whether you're reading on a Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone, or some other device, you'll get access to a great magazine with lots of interesting content, that you can take with you anywhere. On top of that, no trees were harmed in the making of the digital version of the mag either.

In regards to the iPad, I picked up one of the devices before departing for Nepal, and I have to say it makes an excellent travel companion. It is lightweight (1.5 pounds), but holds all of your movies, music, TV shows, books, apps, games, and more. Great for using on a long plane flight to keep yourself entertained. The best feature of all? The long battery life, in the neighborhood of 12 hours or so with video use. That means you can actually use the thing on a long trip without fear of it becoming useless after a few hours. I'll be posting more thoughts on the device in the future, but needless to say, there are a lot of reasons that it will be a boon for travelers in the years ahead.

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