Backpacking trip planning chart

[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.



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



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.



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

[markskor]

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?

[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.

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.

[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

[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.

[rlown]

Very nice! I've never laughed so hard!!

Stand behind my comment.. good work on planning.

[ERIC]

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.

[SSSdave]

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?

[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.

[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.