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A good test to see if your batteries will last is to fully charge them and then put them in the freezer for 3 weeks. I'll be surprised if you can get more than couple of shots out of them.

One thing that helps to extend battery life is to disable the LCD screen. Look through the viewfinder to take pictures instead of using the screen. Also, don't review your photos until after your trip. Usig the LCD screen will kill your batteries quicker than anything.

You should consider bringing a disposable camera along for summit day, as I did. It was quite valuable when the batteries on my digital camera died.

Contact Mattyj

Thanks Scot, I will contact him/her. I do also have a Solio but with all my efforts I can not atach to my camera like an external source of power, because of the jack.

3 fully charged batteries

...me too, and I hope at least one will be okay for the summit day.

put them in the freezer

...you now I already thougth about this test, and I will do it this week.
I will not use the lcd at all, and probably review just the most important shots.
Nikon says the battery lose about 40% of the power when is exposed to cold enviroment, but if you keep the battery in a warm place it should regain at least up to 90%.
Well we will se after the freezer test, but I dont have 3 weeks
We also bring a second compact camera just in case.

Thanks all.

I have the big picture about what to bring what not from my other trips, just my curiosity made me to put this question.

We will have lots of dryed food, this time diferent brand like last time, probably some good beens+sousage, of course in cans, soups, lots of chocolate, crackers, and some meat cans if we can buy them in Ancorage. For hidratation I think the tea will be the best, but I brig some capuccino and hot chocolate powder too.

What others had/will have on there food list for this kind of trip?
Thanks.[/quote]

I have the big picture about what to bring what not from my other trips, just my curiosity made me to put this question.

We will have lots of dryed food, this time diferent brand like last time, probably some good beens+sousage, of course in cans, soups, lots of chocolate, crackers, and some meat cans if we can buy them in Ancorage. For hidratation I think the tea will be the best, but I brig some capuccino and hot chocolate powder too.

What others had/will have on there food list for this kind of trip?
Thanks.

I really liked M&M's. Lots of different varieties and I can still enjoy them after-the-fact, which I cannot say for all of the food items we took.

Ati, I too have the Solio and for the life of me can not get it t work for the camera. Frustrating. I don't want to lug the DSLR only to have it dead weight. About he only thig the Slio is good for is the Phone which is useless for the mountain except for the tunes. (from what I've heard) Scott

ScottyP wrote:Ati, I too have the Solio and for the life of me can not get it t work for the camera. Frustrating. I don't want to lug the DSLR only to have it dead weight. About he only thig the Slio is good for is the Phone which is useless for the mountain except for the tunes. (from what I've heard) Scott

I don't think the Solio works directly with the camera. You have to bring a separate battery charger to charge the camera batteries.

Yeah, I know that. But, my DSLR runs on AA's and the Solio charger is adapter is heavy. I am thinking the Coolpix with 3 batteries and use the Solio for the I Phone (tunes).

attimount wrote:Reading this topic I found lots of good info from those who already been there.

Regarding the training, I'm already tired from my job but I do my best to get in shape for the "big one" and since we still have lots of snow in the mountains we even tried the sled with one bag of cement and one box of tiles (I'm a tile setter), about 40kg, for a couple of hours...it was hard work.

Now I have a dilema too. Have enybody use a D90 or similar cameras on the mountain?
How many batteries did you bring? There is any possibility to recharge them at ABC?

Thanks.

I take a DSLR on the mountain every time I go. Here is an article I wrote on my blog about it. You can get away with two batteries. I bring a battery grip and put lithium AA batteries in it and it lasts the entire trip and then months after the trips. here is the link to the full article.

http://alasdairturner.blogspot.com/2009 ... s-ago.html

Alpinist wrote:A good test to see if your batteries will last is to fully charge them and then put them in the freezer for 3 weeks. I'll be surprised if you can get more than couple of shots out of them.

One thing that helps to extend battery life is to disable the LCD screen. Look through the viewfinder to take pictures instead of using the screen. Also, don't review your photos until after your trip. Usig the LCD screen will kill your batteries quicker than anything.

You should consider bringing a disposable camera along for summit day, as I did. It was quite valuable when the batteries on my digital camera died.

If you put batteries in the freezer for 12 hours it is no different than 3 weeks. If they are cold you will not get as much use out of them, but you can still get 70 percent or so depending on the battery. As soon as they warm up you then get that energy.

Alasdair wrote:

Alpinist wrote:A good test to see if your batteries will last is to fully charge them and then put them in the freezer for 3 weeks. I'll be surprised if you can get more than couple of shots out of them.

One thing that helps to extend battery life is to disable the LCD screen. Look through the viewfinder to take pictures instead of using the screen. Also, don't review your photos until after your trip. Usig the LCD screen will kill your batteries quicker than anything.

You should consider bringing a disposable camera along for summit day, as I did. It was quite valuable when the batteries on my digital camera died.

If you put batteries in the freezer for 12 hours it is no different than 3 weeks. If they are cold you will not get as much use out of them, but you can still get 70 percent or so depending on the battery. As soon as they warm up you then get that energy.

Batteries also lose their charge over time. You'll get less use from batteries that were in the freezer for 3 weeks than you will for batteries that were in the freezer for only 3 hours. It's a more accurate simulation of the conditions on Denali...

My first battery lasted for 2 weeks, taking around 70 photos per day and not using the LCD screen at all. My 2nd battery died on summit day after only a couple of days of use. I kept them both in my sleeping bag at night but 2 weeks is a long time to hold a charge... Thankfully, I brought a disposable camera with me.

Alpinist wrote:

Alasdair wrote:

Alpinist wrote:A good test to see if your batteries will last is to fully charge them and then put them in the freezer for 3 weeks. I'll be surprised if you can get more than couple of shots out of them.

One thing that helps to extend battery life is to disable the LCD screen. Look through the viewfinder to take pictures instead of using the screen. Also, don't review your photos until after your trip. Usig the LCD screen will kill your batteries quicker than anything.

You should consider bringing a disposable camera along for summit day, as I did. It was quite valuable when the batteries on my digital camera died.

If you put batteries in the freezer for 12 hours it is no different than 3 weeks. If they are cold you will not get as much use out of them, but you can still get 70 percent or so depending on the battery. As soon as they warm up you then get that energy.

Batteries also lose their charge over time. You'll get less use from batteries that were in the freezer for 3 weeks than you will for batteries that were in the freezer for only 3 hours. It's a more accurate simulation of the conditions on Denali...

My first battery lasted for 2 weeks, taking around 70 photos per day and not using the LCD screen at all. My 2nd battery died on summit day after only a couple of days of use. I kept them both in my sleeping bag at night but 2 weeks is a long time to hold a charge... Thankfully, I brought a disposable camera with me.

2 weeks is not a long time to hold a charge, and batteries do not loose their charge over 3 weeks. The worst thing you probably did up there was keep the batteries in your sleeping bag. Its moist in there and you probably discharged them due to moisture contact.

When batteries get cold the stored energy in them looses its potential and the battery is not able to give up as much stored energy. That energy does not just disappear. Its still there. As soon as you warm the battery it is able to release that energy again.

Either that or you have a bad battery. I have been in the Alaska range seven times and never had a battery failure. I never keep my batteries or my camera warm. I use brand new ones on cold mornings and I use the older ones on warm days so I use up all the energy in them.

Thanks for all the input guys, lots of great tips to take on
Board. I'm two weeks out now , just want to go, I'm sick of training , between having doubts of wondering if I've done enough that is ! Thanks again

Thanks for all the input guys, lots of great tips to take on
Board. I'm two weeks out now , just want to go, I'm sick of training , between having doubts of wondering if I've done enough that is ! Thanks again