Tag: Olympus Tough TG-7

MOLLE II Patrol Pack

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This is my current carry on our hikes. I have two 2-liter bottles full (on the start), a bit of emergency equipment (knife, saw, fire kit, snack, boo-boo kit, bug spray, head net, emergency blanket and tarp, and a compass), and my GPSr. Captured with TG-7, 6.37mm, 1/80sec, f/2.5, ISO-160, SOOC.

About a year ago, I found and bought a milsurp MOLLE II Patrol Pack. I have a number of backpacks in my inventory (too many) and have been through a few more. I keep coming back to milsurp because of the MOLLE system, which allows me to hang pouches and equipment from the pack readily. I like having pockets/pouches to stow gear and the PALS webbing makes it easy to hang gear on the outside of the pack.

The pack came without a stiffener/pad combination (a sort of frame), but the seller was kind enough to send along a set he thought would fit. I struggled to get the frame into its pocket, but made it happen. (This was expected.) But, I thought the frame was a little too long for the pocket. Nonetheless, I used it for a year (at least) before deciding to cut a little from the bottom.

A couple of weekends ago, I set up a folding table in my side yard and pulled out the frame. I carefully measured the pocket dimensions (three times), then decided to remove a half-inch from the bottom of the frame. I drew a line with a Sharpie at the cut and used a pair of electrician’s shears to make the cut. I then rounded the bottom corners to reduce the likelihood of abrading the inside of the pocket.

It was fairly easy (now that I know the process) to reinsert the frame and try on the pack. The curve that had formed at the middle of the rucksack/frame was much reduced. I decided to wear it for a while before removing any more material.

The last few outings with the pack were much improved. The bottom edge of rucksack no longer digs into my lower back a little. I think it is where I want it to be, but will continue monitoring to determine whether another adjustment is needed.

These packs are relatively rare. I had to hunt for mine. I think they were issued in the 1980s as part of the infantry pack system (see here). Because it is long discontinued and there is quite a bit of demand for milsurp packs, they are not cheap (I paid about $100US for mine) and are not common. However, I think they are worth the search.

I tried a MOLLE II Assault Pack, but found the extra size and the thinly padded straps to be not what I needed or wanted. With a reasonable loadout, the straps dug into my shoulders too much and so the pack was abandoned. Fortunately they are not expensive (or were not at the time). I also had the large ruck for a time, but it was not carryable for me.

I have also been through a number of civilian packs over the last few years. My favorite is an Osprey Stratus in the 20-liter size. It is very comfortable, if a bit small (the 36-liter is much larger). It will work well as a day pack or for an ultralight enthusiast.

As much as I love the suspension and comfort of the Stratus, the hip belt interferes with the EDC on my belt and the bottle pouches on the sides are a little small for my stainless Nalgene bottles. Therefore, I gave up on the Stratus (still have it though) and continued the search.

The milsurp canteen pouches (although not matching in ACU) readily carry a 1-liter stainless Nalgene bottle and I have one affixed to each side of my pack. The front pouch, intended to carry a standard protective mask, holds an assortment of small gear. I keep a small boo-boo kit, headnet, fire kit, mylar emergency blanket, snack, tea kit, bug juice, and a number of other small items in this pouch. The main pouch has room for overnight gear if that is needed. I generally have an emergency tarp/blanket in the main compartment and not much else. I do sometimes store a cover if the weather is cool or inclement. I removed the parachute webbing from my sample.

The shoulder straps are comfortable enough for light to moderate loads. I currently carry about 20-pounds of water and gear. I think they straps would be less comfortable once I passed about 30 pounds.

In all, I think this pack fits my use case. It is a keeper.

Life is good. I am grateful.

Granite and Pine Cone Texture

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Found a bit of broken granite on the trail. I like the texture of the rock juxtaposed with the pine cones and needles. Captured with TG-7, 11.09mm, 1/500sec, f/5, ISO-100, JPG with black and white conversion in PhotoLab7.

While hiking with The Girl a couple of days ago, I came across this bit of broken granite on the trail. The combination attracted my eye because of the interplay of light and texture. So, I paused for a few minutes to make a capture and corral The Girl. (Maybe that order should be reversed.)

I enjoy the rock outcrops of the Carson Range in the area that we are hiking. There are a couple of large outcrops that we have visited and will visit again. Perhaps they will provide some additional images.

It is time for coffee. Life is good.

Daily Regimen

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At the turn-around point, we break for water and a quick rest. The Girl posed for me. Shot with TG-7, 12.73mm, 1/125sec, f/3.9, ISO-200, JPG SOOC.

I have been busy enough with trading and work lately that there is not enough energy left at the end of the day to post anything here. That does not mean that I am inactive, though.

The Girl and I continue to hike daily, generally up near Spooner Summit where the air is cooler and there is less traffic. We also get in an evening walk most days about dusk here in town. We have a half-mile loop that gets her outdoors, gives an opportunity to eliminate and sniff around a bit. She might bark at another dog if we encounter one. And I get away from the desk or whatever has me occupied.

I am exercising the Olympus Tough TG7 on our outings. I want to learn to use the camera and test its capabilities. So far I am impressed. It performed for me in the field during out last field walk. I am still working on that field report and will be including images from the camera in my report.

I am researching Graphene OS for a new phone. Although I have been aware that BiG Tech (and probably many others) is snooping around in our data, it was only last year, when Apple and M$ kicked off their AI craze/affectation/love affair/infestation (choose your favorite object), that it became a real concern. It should have much, much sooner. But, it is what it is.

What I realize is that it is going to take some time to extract myself from the data suck. I am working on a Linux test bed to determine if I can operate my business in a Linux environment and still function. I think it will start with the phone and then work into the computer. I am due for a new phone number now that it is out in the wild and I receive many (too many) spam calls.

Anyway, here I go…

The ARRL Field Day for 2025 is approaching quickly. We have a place picked to camp, play a little radio, and fellowship. It looks like there will be some shade and some water. My hope is that the insects are not too bad. It will be good, regardless.

The Girl posed for me a couple of days ago. I made the capture. I am grateful for her, and so many others. Life is good.

Olympus Tough TG-7

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This is my new Olympus Tough TG-7. It will be the camera I use specifically for field work. It replaces a Panasonic ZS-40 that is not weather, water, and dust resistant.

This little camera came into my inventory last weekend. It is the replacement for an aging (and not well) Panasonic ZS-40. The latter served as a travel and field work camera for a several years, but was set aside a couple of years ago because of my dissatisfaction with its image quality.

I pulled it from storage a couple of years ago for a big field project. I found it inferior on a job site because it is susceptible to dust and sand. In fact, I thought it was damaged by a few grains of sand in the lens body. However, it seems to be working.

I did an important field walk a couple of weeks ago. I did not make any images or field notes. I should have. I did not want to use my phone as a camera. I should have.

What this told me is that I need a purpose-built tool for making images when I am working in the field. I need to ramp up my field notes as well, and back them up with images. So, that is my self-chastising for this failure.

That set me looking for a suitable replacement for the Panasonic and for my iPhone. Aside: I think the latter might be on its way out as well. More on that another time.

After a bit of research (a couple of hours), I decided that the Olympus Tough TG-7 might be an appropriate candidate. It is waterproof, dust proof, and drop resistant. (Supposedly, it is drop proof to two meters.) I chose red because it is more readily visible than black and less susceptible to solar heating.

After a few test shots, I ordered additional batteries and a lens hood/filter adapter. I will keep a UV filter on the camera despite it having protective glass over the lens.

I am carrying it on daily outings so I can learn to use it. It is quite capable and has a reasonable zoom range (optical). I am taking it to the field next week for its first thorough test as I need to document an extensive field walk on new projects.

My initial impression is that this is a solid compact camera. Despite the small sensor size (1/2.3 inches), the image quality seems much better than it should, based on previous experience. The SOOC JPEGs look good and I have posted several on this weblog already (the Daily Doggo being the most recent).

Not that the camera needs another review, but i will post my thoughts on the camera for my use-case later this summer, once I have more experience with it. There are lots of technical reviews out there, so I will provide a more subjective review based on my experience with the TG-7 in field use.

I think this is a good purchase and well worth the cost. We will see.

Now The Girl is ready for her daily outing. I think I will hit Subway for a breakfast sandwich and we will go up to our Spooner Summit site and get in a good hike. Then I can attend to completing my preparations for several days in the field.

Life is good. I am grateful.

Daily Doggo

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A serendipitous capture of The Girl apparently sticking her tongue out at me. Shot with Olympus TG-7 and SOOC.

We are hiking up near Spooner Summit on USFS lands these days. The heat, ticks, and other hikers drove us from our routine at Silver Saddle Ranch to elevation. Well, mostly it was the ticks that made me move higher.

Ticks are exceptionally bad this year. In fact, it is the worst that I recall. I am not sure exactly why this is the case nor do I know if this is an anomaly, a periodic occurrence, or a trend. I just know that I removed more ticks from her (and me) this year than any other I recall.

The hikes up near Spooner are better for me anyway. I thought that she needed to walk on the flat as she still favors the injured leg. But, her vet assures me that her surgery is healed. So, her favoring of that leg must be residual soreness or psychosomatic. She hurt for so long that it might have become habit.

She loves the Spooner hike. There are abundant chipmunks to entertain her. I am still reluctant to let her chase hard and I am also reluctant to let her get more than about 30 meters from me. The last year and change of rattlesnake and coyote encounters has me gun shy.

I am carrying my milsurp Patrol Pack II. I have two canteen pouches affixed to the sides. Each of these will hold a 1 liter Nalgene bottle nicely. I keep a few emergency items in the pack as well, just because.

I am carrying the little Olympus TG-7 on these walks now. I want to familiarize myself with the camera (learn to use its features). That means practice. I have field work coming up and that will mean putting this equipment to work. That is the reason I bought it.

On this particular outing she asked for water at our turn-around. I always pause at this location for a water break anyway. She loves to roll around in the DG and gave me the look in the header image. I was ready and made the capture.

The little Olympus makes better images than I expected. They are far superior to the Panasonic ZS-40 that I used to use. That camera, while handy, is not well-suited to field work and does not make very good images.

I love the look The Girl gave me. Well, I love The Girl.

I am grateful. Life is good.

Daily Doggo

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I am working with a new compact camera, an Olympus Tough TG-7. I added a flash diffuser to the to the kit and used it to make this capture. I think I was beyond the working distance. Olympus TG-7 SOOC.

On Saturday, I took delivery of a new camera. It was purchased as my primary work/field camera. It is an Olympus Tough TG-7 compact. I will do a first impressions review of it shortly. But, I think it will be what I need.

The Girl posed for me. So I made a capture.

Life is good.