I saw on the Javad website they make a 3-section rover pole. When combined with their backpack (or any backpack I guess) you can stash your GPS rover in there and hike in to wherever without having to lug that equipment in hand. Of course the rover isn't heavy, but going through trees and brush it gets cumbersome, especially in snowshoes. I like the idea of having a backpack that my rover can be packed into until I get to wherever I'm going.
Does anyone use a similar setup? I don't have Javad GPS gear (and maybe I can just buy the j-rod and j-pack from them) but is there another company that makes something like this, or do you have an alternative? It would be nice to have my hands free and everything neatly packed up where it won't be getting constantly snagged.
I use an old prism pole, 2' long sections, 3 of them, to make a 6' long pole. I can break it down into sections short enough to slide into a case on my saddle and not be beating myself or my horse up as we ride through the brush. I have to add the measurements of any point (tip) I add, or any quick release I use, but I am not stuck on having to have a standard 2m pole.
I have a pole that is made up of 6 ~1' sections (makes a 1.8 m rod), collapses down and fits in a small pouch. The only problem is that the bipod or tripod attachment does not collapse down. I have used it for hike in points. Besides hike-ins, we have had points that were long motorcycle or bicycle rides into the back country. So if I want to do a longer occupation I need to either bring along a bipod or make one (MacGyver style). Ted would be proud (obscure reference for board old timers).
Backpacking the rover sounds like such a good idea, until Murphy's law bites you and you just hiked 20 minutes up a steep grade to find out the base isn't set. I use RTK most of the time and like to set up the base and rover before I go anywhere. I tug along the rover, rod and data collector along with the shovel and metal detector and sometimes the rebars and lath with my arms and fingers like an octopus. The Hammer, map, nails, whiskers, flagging, caps, pliers, markers, pens, tape measure, laser distance meter and magnifying glass in my vest.
Oh and my phone and leatherman on my belt.
Just works for me. By the time I put everything into a backpack, I could have traveled 1000'.
billvhill, post: 409890, member: 8398 wrote: By the time I put everything into a backpack, I could have traveled 1000'.
If it stays in your back pack, it's always there. There isn't any putting everything into a backpack.
I am a firm believer in the concept of the utility belt or go bag with a shoulder strap that has a collection of necessary items.
Not many places around here that are not accessible by ATV and I have two Plano gear boxes full of everything from hub sets to rebar and various hand tools and power tools and room for my TS in backpack.
Will hold 3 tripods and prisms and tribrach, prism pole with 3 legged pod.
If I am making a journey on foot I take four 4ft sections of rover pole that is usually enough to put my antenna at a height that will receive a good signal.
When I have no 3 legged pod I use tent staging hooked to vegetation or tent stakes (90d nails) to hold the pole upright.
Monte, post: 409818, member: 11913 wrote: I use an old prism pole, 2' long sections, 3 of them, to make a 6' long pole. I can break it down into sections short enough to slide into a case on my saddle and not be beating myself or my horse up as we ride through the brush. I have to add the measurements of any point (tip) I add, or any quick release I use, but I am not stuck on having to have a standard 2m pole.
I like that idea. The type of work I do involves marking approximate (+/- 1 foot) property lines by tying flagging on trees. Other than the rover, the only piece of gear I need to haul is rolls of flagging.
