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BPL Gear List Spreadsheet CONTEST


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  • #1217155
    Ryan Jordan
    Admin

    @ryan

    Locale: Central Rockies

    How do you use a spreadsheet program to plan for a trip?

    BackpackingLight.com announces a reader contest to crown THE BEST GEAR LIST SPREADSHEET.

    Rules are simple:

    Using a spreadsheet compatible with either OpenOffice or Microsoft Excel, create a spreadsheet “template” or “application” that can be adapted for any season, any trip, that anyone can use to help plan their gear and supplies.

    Submit your spreadsheet files as email attachments to:

    [email protected]

    Submission Deadline: December 1, 2005.

    (Spreadsheets submitted with viruses attached will be automatically disqualified.)

    All spreadsheet entries will temporarily be made available for download at the BackpackingLight.com Website.

    All submissions will be juried by their peers in the BackpackingLight.com forums. Winners will be selected by the BackpackingLight.com staff.

    1st Prize: $100 Gift Certificate to BackpackingLight.com
    2nd Prize: $50 GC
    3rd Prize: $25 GC

    Winning entries will be featured and available for public download at BackpackingLight.com.

    #1345190
    paul johnson
    Member

    @pj

    Locale: LazyBoy in my Den - miss the forest

    David Lewis,

    i’ve misplaced your email address (i’ll check some of my other email accts – can’t remember which one we used to correspond).

    do you want to collaborate on one or two entries?

    i’ll send you updates of 3 different functioning XL gearlists of mine.

    you add your design and layout skill to my functionality. you keep the prize. i get a better spreadsheet in return and the satisfaction of knowing it may help others (if we win anything).

    let me know – either way, please.

    #1345230
    Ryan Faulkner
    Spectator

    @ryanf

    is it a gear checklist that can be adapted to any season or trip what you are looking for?

    #1345266
    Ryan Jordan
    Admin

    @ryan

    Locale: Central Rockies

    Consider the power of a spreadsheet. Formulas and functions, especially, and how to harness that power to make a useful “application” for trip and gear planning.

    #1345274
    Douglas Frick
    BPL Member

    @otter

    Locale: Wyoming

    I don’t know whether or not this thread was meant for suggestions, but I have a few ideas I’d incorporate in a better gear list spreadsheet than my own.

    Using the ability to hide columns, or exploiting a wide monitor, allow several columns for: short name; longer description; comments in wrapping text; ability to add extra columns for size, price, volume (cc and in^3), place purchased, URL, etc. My memory isn’t what it was.

    Three columns for weight: grams, ounces, pounds#ounces. Entering a value in any field fills in the others.

    At least one level of grouped consolidation (outlining). This would allow keeping clothing separate from cooking gear, but would also allow something like “first aid kid” to have a detailed list of contents but be closed up and selectable as a whole. A hierarchy of levels would allow “first aid kit” to be included within the group “ten essentials”, along with other related items and groups.

    A “default” quantity column. For example, (2) butterfly bandages in the first aid kit.

    Multiple columns on the far right, easily extended, for making favorite packing lists, lists used for specific hikes, etc. Perhaps the column would simply be the quantity of items desired or taken (which is multiplied by the ‘default’ quantity when calculating weight). There should be a commentary entry somewhere for that list beyond the short column title for details of the hike, neccessity (or not) of gear taken, etc.

    Reporting: ability to print a packing list without extraneous details (price, other packing list columns) and non-selected items.

    Totals, of course, for weights of selected gear. Maybe total the price and volume columns, too.

    Ability to sort on various columns without losing the original preferred ordering.

    #1345276
    Ryan Faulkner
    Spectator

    @ryanf

    Doug,
    why dont you try something?

    #1345321
    Douglas Frick
    BPL Member

    @otter

    Locale: Wyoming

    >Doug, why dont you try something?

    Doing it right would involve more programming than I have time for right now. My gear list spreadsheet isn’t something I’d recommend to anybody.

    #1345412
    David Plantenga
    Member

    @indianadave

    Dr. RJ and all,

    I love contests and this one sounds right up my alley, but I need a ”visual” example of what BPL is wanting in the contest’s spread sheet?

    I agree with Douglas Frick, this is starting to sound complicated and involving a LOT of time.

    Simple example Please?

    #1345417
    David Lewis
    BPL Member

    @davidlewis

    Locale: Nova Scotia, Canada

    I really like my sheet… but it’s very simple. Doesn’t have any real “features”. I will submit it anyway though. It’s a nice, simple sheet and, as a result, very easy to manage.

    #1345418
    Ryan Faulkner
    Spectator

    @ryanf

    David,
    It may not be wise to help my competitor, but here is a spread sheet of Ryan J. lost coast gearlist

    Lost Coast Gearlist
    I think this is a good example of what they are looking for. (correct me if I am wrong)

    Good luck :-)>

    #1345441
    David Lewis
    BPL Member

    @davidlewis

    Locale: Nova Scotia, Canada

    How do people prefer to see their totals… in pounds and ounces (i.e. 1lb, 8oz) or in pounds with decimals (i.e. 1.5 pounds).

    Also, for subtotals (if you use them)… say for just your big three… do you like to see the total as just ounces as well as pounds and ounces or pounds with decimals? In other words… if your big three subtotal is 38 oz… would you like to know that… or would you be happy to just see 2.5 lbs (or 2lb 8 oz).

    #1345443
    paul johnson
    Member

    @pj

    Locale: LazyBoy in my Den - miss the forest

    David,

    as you know from the gearlists that i sent you, i like to see both.

    the decimals are good because you can do spreadsheet formula math just by referencing these subtotals “cells” with no need to ref. each cell (or range of cells) containing the values that contributed to each subtotal.

    i like the “lb oz” for “pretty” uses. here in the States we typical think in lb & oz & not decimal pound values. other than some common decimals (e.g. 1.25lb, 3.75lb, and 4.5lb) i find myself mentally converting the decimal values into the “lb oz” equivalent.

    hope some others will reply with their preferences.

    #1345446
    Jim Colten
    BPL Member

    @jcolten

    Locale: MN

    How’s about if we think/act globally and also include decimal kilograms?

    #1345447
    Mark
    BPL Member

    @mlarson

    Locale: SoCal

    I use pounds.decimals and oz.decimals so I look like I’m being progressive and metric without actually having to learn the ‘other system.’ The lbs,oz style drives me crazy, though.

    I’m slowly getting acquainted with grams, so I usually toss that in as well.
    -Mark

    #1345448
    kevin davidson
    Member

    @kdesign

    Locale: Mythical State of Jefferson

    I would like to see both Oz. and Grams. I correspond with people internationally and like to be the proper, polite cosmopolitan when sharing info.

    I often use lbs. for just the final tally, preferring oz. recording, for consistancy ( and in the UL world, a good part of the equipment is sub-lb. anyway). I find lb. plus decimal (i.e. 1.25#), awkward,can be imprecise (many people round off), and un-natural. If you want to go decimal, go metric.

    My digital scale also registers lbs./oz as opposed to
    decimal expressions.

    #1345451
    David Lewis
    BPL Member

    @davidlewis

    Locale: Nova Scotia, Canada

    Thanks for the feedback :) So it’s a dead heat… LOL

    I’ve always used pounds with decimals. I like pounds. Kilo’s mean nothing to me. But I find pounds and ounces a little confusing. My thought process goes something like… “ok… 1 pound, 4 oz… so… 16 oz to a pound… so that’s how much of a pound… a third? no wait… a quarter? a pound and a quarter? is that right?”. For Paul… the oppostire is true! :)

    Still, I guess pounds and ounces is more correct. It just makes the formulas for the totals more complicated since you have to put in logic to format the results… rather than simply taking the total ounces and dividing by 16.

    Good feedback about including total weights in kilo’s.

    I’m Canadian BTW… so I use both systems. We are officially metric… but the British / US influence means we still think in imperial for a lot of things. For instance… miles mean little to me… farentheit means nothing to me… other than I know that 32 is 0 and 100 is freekin’ hot! But when building… I can’t even fathom building in metric. Same goes for weight. Kilo’s (as I said before) mean nothing to me. That said… I weigh all my gear in grams and then convert since grams are a smaller unit of measure and my scale doesn’t display decimal ounces… just whole ounces.

    #1345452
    Bill Fornshell
    BPL Member

    @bfornshell

    Locale: Southern Texas

    My preference is metric, I have burned into my memory that 1oz is 28.35grams. Grams are easier to work with when the weight is really low.

    The up side for me is a really great OHAUS Triple-Beam gram scale bought used about 15 years ago cheap. Today they are still a little less than $100. They measure to 1/10 of a gram.

    The down side is I have a Mac Computer and will not be able to use what ever spreadsheet (windows OS) you come up with.

    #1345453
    Anonymous
    Guest

    David Plantenga, I think Ryan has given all the information needed. It’s a contest after all.

    #1345454
    kevin davidson
    Member

    @kdesign

    Locale: Mythical State of Jefferson

    I would prefer sub- oz. expressed as decimals–
    as in 1.6 oz. Never 3.7 # but 3# 7.2 Oz.

    I get the most precise measurements on my dual system scale if I measure in grams then convert to oz. ( by multiplying grams by .03527). Measuring by oz. I can get fractional figures to the closest 1/8 oz. on my scale but down to 0.1 g in metric mode.

    Bill, I too, am a Mac user. There is Microsoft software for the Mac of course–you can use Excel (blecch!)– and read spreadsheets created by the Windows equivalent versions.

    #1345455
    David Lewis
    BPL Member

    @davidlewis

    Locale: Nova Scotia, Canada

    Anon… when designing anything you need to understand how the end product will be used, who will be using it, what they want and need from it, etc. I’m not asking Ryan for more info and I don’t care if I win or not. I just want to understand what other backpackers like and then make the best solution I can with the time, tools and skills available to me. If we were all to design in a vacum for fear of giving away our ideas… we probably wouldn’t end up with a very good solution.

    #1345456
    David Lewis
    BPL Member

    @davidlewis

    Locale: Nova Scotia, Canada

    Bill… I’m on a Mac. No problemo if you have Excel.

    #1345459
    Bill Fornshell
    BPL Member

    @bfornshell

    Locale: Southern Texas

    Kevin please don’t take this as a comment directed to you but if I wanted all the problems associated with MS products I would be have bought a computer that runs windows os.

    I would neve put an MS product on my Mac. That is like opening a door to all the worlds computer problems.

    I don’t have a thing against Bill Gates he does a lot of good with his money. My theory about windows is that if it was perfect the Chinese would not have to stay on there toes coming up with new pirated copies of the new versions or something like that.

    #1345462
    kevin davidson
    Member

    @kdesign

    Locale: Mythical State of Jefferson

    Bill— no offense taken.
    I know many Mac and Linux people who feel the same way. I personally detest Microsoft products
    as inelegant buggy bloatware.

    However, installing and using Excel will not corrupt your Mac. Although it might corrupt the user. ;-)>
    I unfortunately have to use Excel and Word for some business purposes.

    Have you updated to OSX “Tiger” yet? It rocks!

    #1345466
    Anonymous
    Guest

    The end product will be used as a gearlist; backpackers will be using it; they want a gearlist template that can be adapted for any season, any trip, that anyone can use to help plan their gear and supplies.

    Rules are simple:

    Using a spreadsheet compatible with either OpenOffice or Microsoft Excel, create a spreadsheet “template” or “application” that can be adapted for any season, any trip, that anyone can use to help plan their gear and supplies.

    #1345468
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Bill Fornshell, go download OpenOffice for Mac OS X. It’s free but a huge file.

    http://porting.openoffice.org/mac/2.0.0rc3.html

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