Backpacking trip planning chart

Grab your bear can or camp chair, kick your feet up and chew the fat about anything Sierra Nevada related that doesn't quite fit in any of the other forums. Within reason, (and the HST rules and guidelines) this is also an anything goes forum. Tell stories, discuss wilderness issues, music, or whatever else the High Sierra stirs up in your mind.
User avatar
SSSdave
Topix Addict
Posts: 3523
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:18 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Silicon Valley
Contact:

Backpacking trip planning chart

Post by SSSdave »

As someone with too much time on my hands now at mid winter, I had some fun playing with Excel (2007) charts function for a basecamping backpacking trip I hope to make this next summer of 2014 if we ever get some winter storms. As to my motivations, it will be a group trip so I'm advertising what it will be about to some others I know. As an old serious landscape photographer carrying crushing pack weights, my itineraries tend to be rather rigid time wise as I know all the places I will be dayhiking to for possible 4x5 work at each destination while considering variables like weather and conditions and their options. So in that sense my trips are rather different than almost all others on this board. Besides these three images, also have an MS Word docx description in all its boring details.

These first two Excel chart sheet are screen capture jpgs that have been reduced in size so the public cannot read the text while still being able to understand what they are. This first chart is where most of the data comes from. Its my regular fancy form I plug whatever day by day vertical hiking up down mileage where when trip information into. That data is manually input by examination of paper USGS topo maps.

Image

This elevation versus mileage graph uses data from the above Excel page as its source and is a scatter graph line chart.

Image

This is the chart I'm sharing here and is full size per the Excel sheet. It is a multi element bar chart. A screen capture of the input data in the format MS Excel expects to create the chart is below. Provides a picture of where time will be spent during the trip which reflects my interests of base camping and not having to lug my painful 60 to 70 pound packs in my old age too much. Thus lots of time at destinations. Due to the nature of the chart, I could not put hours of the day in the AM PM hourly format directly onto the chart but rather needed for data purposes to sequence them from 0 to 24 hours that I started from the 5am hour since that is the beginning of my waking day. So using the cell row column space outside the chart proper added those AM PM hours. On the chart itself playing with some of the Layout Insert tools added some cute graphic objects. Of course played around with the fill colors on most everything.

Image

HST forum sw truncates the right side of the chart. Here is the full chart:

http://www.davidsenesac.com/_a-z_evad/P ... s-2014.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

data

Image
Last edited by ERIC on Thu Jan 16, 2014 5:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: edited [img] tags to [rimg] to correct clipping off of photos
User avatar
markskor
Founding Member - RIP
Posts: 2442
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 5:41 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Crowley Lake and Tuolumne Meadows

Re: Backpacking trip planning chart

Post by markskor »

SSSdave wrote:As someone with too much time on my hands...
Wow!
Especially like the last chart, where you list your exact sleeping times - months in advance.
Might be interesting to read the silliness found in your first charts too.
Ever consider decaf?
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Backpacking trip planning chart

Post by rlown »

Don't worry too much about what Mark said. He's a little upset that you left out the 5 min "get up and pee" slots out of your sleep slots. :p

It's a nice idea, but that isn't how trips are planned (at least not mine.) we adjust as we go based on who is on the trip, state of the equipment (boot failure, unfixable air mattress, weather, etc.)

The thumbnail view of a trip is enough to plan. Mileage, altitude, elevation gain, terrain. Sleep happens when it happens, even during the day in a nice cozy nap after a hard day.
User avatar
oldranger
Topix Addict
Posts: 2861
Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:18 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Bend, Oregon

Re: Backpacking trip planning chart

Post by oldranger »

Dave

Am I reading your chart correctly? You sleep til 7? I'd have thought you would have to get up earlier to set up your early shots.

Mike
Mike

Who can't do everything he used to and what he can do takes a hell of a lot longer!
User avatar
SSSdave
Topix Addict
Posts: 3523
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:18 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Silicon Valley
Contact:

Re: Backpacking trip planning chart

Post by SSSdave »

Actually didn't copy some of the asterisks under the table so can understand your slight misunderstandings.

During the moon period in the deepest part of night, members of the group are allowed to wake up and enjoy some time looking at the night sky and moon, and join any choruses of howling coyotes that might be in the area.

Then see the little stars? That is when members can get up for a pee break although on most nights there is no star so they will need to hold it unless they followed my instructions of bringing along a pee bottle.

Also during the allowed sleeping period shown in gray, no one is allowed to otherwise rise earlier in the morning before the blue sections else it might disturb creatures in the vicinity especially the wood ants.

Finally those asterisks of the days showing clouds in the afternoon, those are days I've scheduled brief thunderstorms with the big guy up there.
User avatar
rlown
Topix Docent
Posts: 8225
Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Wilton, CA

Re: Backpacking trip planning chart

Post by rlown »

:thumbsup: Very nice! I've never laughed so hard!! :)

Stand behind my comment.. good work on planning.
User avatar
ERIC
Your Humble Host & Forums Administrator
Your Humble Host & Forums Administrator
Posts: 3254
Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2005 9:13 am
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: between the 916 and 661

Re: Backpacking trip planning chart

Post by ERIC »

SSSdave wrote:HST forum sw truncates the right side of the chart. Here is the full chart:
I edited your post to fix that issue. Next time try changing:

Code: Select all

[img][/img] to [rimg][/rimg]
It works.
New members, please consider giving us an intro!
Follow us on Twitter @HighSierraTopix. Use hashtags #SIERRAPHILE #GotSierra? #GotMountains?
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HighSierraTopix
User avatar
SSSdave
Topix Addict
Posts: 3523
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:18 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Silicon Valley
Contact:

Re: Backpacking trip planning chart

Post by SSSdave »

ERIC wrote:
SSSdave wrote:HST forum sw truncates the right side of the chart. Here is the full chart:
I edited your post to fix that issue. Next time try changing:

Code: Select all

[img][/img] to [rimg][/rimg]
It works.

Thanks Eric, I should have remembered that.

Am now wondering how many others on this board even know how to use spreadsheets?
User avatar
Jimr
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 2175
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 2:14 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Location: Torrance

Re: Backpacking trip planning chart

Post by Jimr »

Not only do I know how to use a spreadsheet, I have several with extensive VBA programming. By extensive, I mean in excess of 20 pages of programming.

The last thing I want to do is look at a spreadsheet at home.
If you don't know where you're going, then any path will get you there.
User avatar
maverick
Forums Moderator
Forums Moderator
Posts: 11821
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Backpacking trip planning chart

Post by maverick »

Dave wrote:
As an old serious landscape photographer carrying crushing pack weights, my
itineraries tend to be rather rigid time wise as I know all the places I will be
dayhiking to for possible 4x5 work at each destination while considering variables
like weather and conditions and their options.
Maybe you should consider digital Dave, RRS pano gear for example allows one
to get large detailed prints, even with some of it's limitations the weight saving
will allow you to travel longer distances and save what's left of your lower back
so you can continue backpacking into your 70's and continuing your photography.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer

I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.

Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member: http://reconn.org
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 60 guests