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A
map bag is a vital piece of gear used throughout the
race. The top "heavy duty" zip lock does a good
job of keeping your maps, passport control book, and clue sheet
waterproof. We have found that after a year or two the zip
lock becomes worn and does not keep the contents 100% dry,
especially during white water rafting or river swims. We
also like to attach a small cord to the top which goes around the
navigator's neck. This allows easy removal when passing to
another team mate or simply taking it off your neck to get a
better look. In addition, we put cheap caribiner style clips
on the bottom so we can fold the map bag in half and attach it to
the top rings. This is especially handy while mt biking so
the map bag does not hit your knees. |
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UTM
plotters are very handy tools. Accurate
navigation during all stages of a race are vital skills for any
team. Being able to navigate quickly and accurately can mean
the difference between finishing and not finishing. We
always carry a plotter to accurately draw checkpoints. The
one shown is multipurpose for map scales 1:24,000, 1:50,000, and
1:100,000. In addition, the outside border has a scale which
we use to draw lines of declination directly on our maps.
Using the palm sized plotter takes the guesswork and estimation
out of plotting checkpoints via UTM coordinates. |
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Waterproof
maps are the only way to go. We
are strong supporters of taking a small amount of pre-race prep
time to waterproof all of our maps. We have discovered that
water proof map bags are not 100%, especially if the navigator is
sleep deprived and does not close the zip lock properly.
Waterproofing the maps is a good backup to preserve your most
vital gear, the map. We simply purchase clear contact paper
(the same stuff you use to line your kitchen drawers) from Home
Depot like stores. A roll costs about $5 -$6 dollars.
Then we cut the roll in strips and stick them to both sides of the
map, kind of like a lamination. We always leave about a 1/2
inch sticking out past the map edges to ensure a waterproof
seal. Once applied they allow us to take the maps out of the
map bag, even during rain storms, with no fear of ruining the
maps. The contact paper is very malleable and allows us to
fold the maps as we see fit. |
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