Delaware Valley Orienteering Association

Topic created by WindWalker on Tue Mar 29, 2011 at 9:38 pm

WindWalker
Num Posts: 164
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map:
First O: 2011

#1 - leg protection for warmer weather? I should add I like to run. Full length O-pants? 3/4 O-pants with gaiters? O-socks? What do you like? Pros/cons of what's out there. After doing some searching it doesn't seem like there are alot of options.

#2 - What's the deal with the club gear? Still available?

#3 - Compass? I have a Silva map compass, looking at a thumb compass, worth it or waste of money? They say the arrow is faster and more stable?

#4 - Control discription card holder, which style works best? Good idea or not?

#5 - GPS - I noticed some people use the wrist GPS units like the Garmin Forerunner. I guess this is allowed? I understand it can't find controls, but it would be helpfull to know how far you went from the last control, could replace pace counting?


Thanks, Mike

Reply by edscott on Tue Mar 29, 2011 at 10:59 pm

edscott
Num Posts: 703
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Hickory Run 1:15000
First O: 1983

These things are mostly matters of personal taste, or will vary from one event to another.

Reply by Sandy on Tue Mar 29, 2011 at 10:59 pm

Sandy
Num Posts: 323
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Hickory Run 1:15000
First O: 1993

I'll take a stab at some of your questions.

#1:  Different people wear different things.  Some orienteer in shorts and gaiters.  I don't mind the heat, so I just wear my normal O pants.

#2:  There was a recent post that someone was taking over the club uniforms.  Can't recall who, but I assume that once there is some gear in stock an announcement will be made on the website.

#3:  Again, personal preference.  I've used a thumb compass for years and couldn't imagine using anything else but I know excellent orienteers who use a baseplate.  I like having compass and map in the same hand so the thumb compass is needed, but others like having the compass in one hand and the map in the other.  I'm constantly checking my compass to make sure my compass arrow is pointing in the same direction as the north lines on the map as I always hold my map in the direction I'm traveling.  But others do it differently.  See if you can borrow one at a local event to see if you like it.  I have an extra one and would happily let you try it.

#4:  Similarly, personal preference.  I've been using the kind that wraps around your wrist, but some folks hate that it gets all sweaty and like the kind that lie flat along your arm.  Many just pin the control descriptions to their shirt.

#5:  At any serious competition you are not allowed to wear any GPS device that has a display and at some not even one that only records.  At local events we just use the honor system and assume folks won't use any device, GPS or otherwise, to aid them on their course.  Many folks have Garmin Forerunners and use them for training to record their run for post-race analysis, but they never use the tracking or GPS information during the actual competition.  In fact, the club owns several that can be borrowed to use during local events for training.  I'm not sure who currently has them though.

Reply by furlong47 on Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 0:47 am

furlong47
Num Posts: 379
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Bucks County Community College
First O: 1994

Agreed, there's a lot of personal preference to most of these things. I've been orienteering for 17 years and only got a thumb compass last fall. I'm really picky about how things feel in my hands, so I waited until I was at an A-meet with vendors present so I could hold the different compasses and find the one that suited me. They also come in left- and right-handed, so you need to consider your map and compass technique. It seems that most people actually use the compass in their less dominant hand (so typically a left-handed compass) but I use it in my right.

I have a Garmin Forerunner - love it for reviewing after the course & entering in RouteGadget. Basically I press start and forget about it as there's no real advantage to trying to use in on course anyway. There are certain events where you can't wear them - I'm pretty sure anything under IOF rules, because I know I couldn't wear it on a WRE (World Ranking Event) course/class. I've seen other events that required the screen be duct-taped over, and some that only allow screen-less data loggers.

Club O-suits should still be available. The website still lists Tracy as in charge of them, but I thought someone else was taking over. I believe the 40th anniversary sweatshirts finally sold out as the last one was in the auction at the winter meeting.

Reply by DSevon on Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 6:50 am

DSevon
Num Posts: 65
Primary Club: DVOA
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First O: 2009

Be sure to consider attending DVOA's annual weekend training event at Hickory Run in September.  This is a great event to meets lots of people, see different types of gear, plus learning how to improve your orienteering.

Reply by Steve on Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 8:02 am

Steve
Num Posts: 402
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Paradise Farm
First O: 1993

As the purveyor of the sweat shirts, Julie was right, the last sweatshirt went in the auction. The hats were given to Dawn Singley and Scott Thatcher for junior fund raising.

I agree with most of the comments above as to personal preference, however, Sandy mentioned keeping the compass needle aligned with the MN lines on the map, even though she has the map oriented to her direction of travel. Since this may mean the map is "upside down", beginners should double check to make sure the needle is not pointed south.

I would also like to say that more advanced courses "require" thorn protection. In Europe, the AIDS problem has caused the O community to wear leg coverings. Also, ticks and chiggers are a problem, but without a roll of duct tape the long pants don't help much.

Reply by Trazy on Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 9:57 am

Trazy
Num Posts: 23
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: French Creek East
First O: 1983

This is a good topic & I love it.  I believe I will share a little of my own input.

#1 -  To wear long pants, 3/4 pants or shorts, gaiters or not, etc.  I believe the choices are personal for everyone.  If doing white or yellow courses, then gaiters and long pants are not usually necessary.  The more advanced the courses, then the more protection you may want to wear.  Since I usually do green courses, I normally wear long pants and gaiters, sometimes I may wear 3/4 pants and gaiters or O-socks, if it's hot and I know the park well enough.  

Few people love the O-socks.  Others may find it clingy and pretty hot & sweaty to wear. 

#2 -  The deal with club gear.  It looks cool!!  It can show where you come from and which club you usually associate with. I also like the type of material which is wick-dry and stays close to your body, rather than hang loose or get caught on branches/thorns.  For the past few years, I was the manager for the club uniforms, but have decided to pass the duty to someone else for now.  Currently, Mary Frank has them.  I've been going through some difficult adjustments and haven't been able to attend as many events or put in as much focus into the club uniforms during the past year as I should have.  Since I am not sure how much longer my personal adjustments will take, I didn't feel it was fair to the rest of you and have passed the duty on to Mary for now, until someone else wants to volunteer to take over.  I enjoyed serving you and thank you for giving me this chance. 

#3 -  Compass?  I prefer my thumb compass especially since I do the advance courses.  I do not like running with a regular compass bumping against my chest or having the string get caught on something.  Not ony that, having a thumb compass allows you to hold your place on the map, so that you don't have to take more time to find the route or even select the wrong route.  For example, maybe you just finished control #3 & on your way to #4, if not wearing a thumb compass, you double check route and may be doing # 8 to # 9 which may be a parallel route to the one you were trying to follow or you may accidently skip to the  next leg.  I've made these kind of mistakes while using the regular compass and made less of these mistakes with the thumb compass.  Again, it's an individual choice. 

#4 -  I love the clue sheet card holder.  sometimes the clue sheet may be on back of map or in a corner of map, which forces you to unfold the map or flip it over, then you lose track of where you are at on the map.  Being able to look at clue sheet on your arm saves time from having to unfold or flip map and finding your appropriate place again.  I prefer the one that goes from my wrist to inside corner of my elbow, rather than the one that curves sideways around the arm, so that I can easily glance down at my arm while I am running.

#5 -  I never use a GPS wristband.

Go Orienteering & have fun doing it!!

Reply by Vadim on Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 10:27 am

Vadim
Num Posts: 221
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Stuckey Pond
First O: 1983

#5 GPS unit would NOT help you in the woods at orientering events; most likely it would disturb you more than give any aid. We use GPS watches (like Garmin Forerunner) ONLY for the post-race analysis like uploading tracks onto RouteGadget, etc. You have to rely on your navigational skills.

Reply by WindWalker on Wed Mar 30, 2011 at 8:45 pm

WindWalker
Num Posts: 164
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map:
First O: 2011

Thanks for the great feedback.

Ok I'll try and contact Mary and find out what is available in the club stuff. After seeing what my legs looked like at MT Penn after just doing the orange course I need something. I'm leaning towards 3/4 pants and gaiters.

Sandy, would love to try out your thumb compass, I will be at the event this Sunday. Or if anyone else that is going to be there has a spare for me to use, that would be great. I promise if I break it I will replace it.

I measured out 164' (50 meters) tonight and started working on my pace counting.

Didn't see a classified section on the site, but I would be interested in second hand gear if anyone has anything they have setting around collecting dust. Just tossin' it out there. 

Thanks, Mike

Reply by Sandy on Thu Mar 31, 2011 at 12:51 pm

Sandy
Num Posts: 323
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Hickory Run 1:15000
First O: 1993

Sorry - won't be at Governor Dick this weekend, will be at the A event in Ohio.  But you should be able to catch me at any of the rest of the events in April if you don't find someone else this weekend.

Reply by edscott on Thu Mar 31, 2011 at 2:29 pm

edscott
Num Posts: 703
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map: Hickory Run 1:15000
First O: 1983

I keep a spare in the car.  It is a Sylva which I don't like nearly as well as my Moscow.  You are also welcome to use my Moscow.  My plan is to go out early so I should be back a bit before noon if I do Green and 11ish if I do Brown. 

Reply by WindWalker on Thu Mar 31, 2011 at 9:20 pm

WindWalker
Num Posts: 164
Primary Club: DVOA
Fav map:
First O: 2011

Sandy, good luck in Ohio.

Ed, I'll look for ya and maybe we'll cross paths on Sunday. I'm signed up to help collect controls after the event, so it was suggested I plan a later run.

Thanks, Mike