Hiking

[ZeitHeld]

Phew. That $350 watch is about $300 out of my price range.

[shapeshifter]

you ain't kidding... lucky for you the release of that product brought down the price of the previous version called the forerunner 305. at $199 msrp you should be able to find one for a lot less on craigslist, ebay or resale shop. these miniture wrist gps's do not display maps but are great for recording the track after the fact.

the handhelds may be the route you want to go for convenience. when money isn't an issue the rino 530hcx are a pretty good choice for collaboration in the wilds or even the big city. i keep a few of these and use them when i need a handheld map display even though there are better choices for visual display if two way communication/locator isn't necessary. those maps can get expensive unless you aren't beyond hacking your way through the overgrowth.

keep an open mind to the other brands available out there. in the early years i used a handspring visor (read palm pilot on steroids) with a gps module for satallite navigation but remember that nothing compares to knowing how to use the trusty compass and a map!

[Rana]

nothing compares to knowing how to use the trusty compass and a map!

Yup.  No batteries, no spotty coverage... though I always feel like a cranky old fart when I point out stuff like this.

For after-trip mapping, you might take a look at wikiwalki.com - it's a site where you can draw your routes on a map and get info about things like distance, elevation loss/gain, etc.  You can also register (free) and save your trails.  It's pretty cool (and unlike the similar mapping software at Runner's World, it allows you to map routes that go "off trail").

[shapeshifter]

heheheh... not to worry, after all that walkin' yesterday - i am a cranky ol' fart!!!

really like that wikiwalki there rana! looks like something we can all use to "share the ride".

[Marnee]

I like to use MapMyRun.com.

[Hawkeye]

We went on a light hike in my KSOs. The small rocks were a little painful, but not as bad as I thought it would be. The large rocks were nice foot massagers. My KSOs had excellent grip on the rocks and going down steep downhills I didn't feel like I was slipping the way I would in normal shoes. Being closer to the ground and having ankle flexibility helped me feel more steady and connected the ground.

There was one water crossing where we had to rock hop, but our KSOs still got a little damp from water seeping in from the bottom between the toes. Not too fun since it was cool out. I really would like something a little more water resistant.

Fun. We're going again on Tuesday.