Post by Peter Bakwin on Nov 1, 2009 23:00:48 GMT -5
Fastest Known Time (FKT) is an archive of fastest known times for various trails and routes. Latest news is given via my Twitter feed.
Help keep FKT Ad-Free! YOU can help keep us free of random banner ads by donating any amount. The site will continue to serve very limited ads from outdoor-industry companies that I have close ties with. I do not make any money from this site, I put in a lot of time and a little money of my own to provide this content!
To contribute, scroll to the bottom of this page and click on "Click here to remove banner ads from this forum." Make sure the page says "Fastest Known Time" in the upper right, and under "When To Apply" select the next full calendar month (i.e., if today's date is June 26, select "Jul 1 - Jul 31"). We're running roughly 60,000-70,000 page views per month (a bit more in summer, a bit fewer in winter). THANKS for your support!
Below are some important thoughts and guidelines. We appreciate discussion of these issues. Thank-you for carefully reading this BEFORE contacting me with questions!
How do you establish a speed record?
Buzz Burrell has proposed 3 common sense guidelines:
These three rules do not "prove" you have done anything. They just make it easier for a good person to believe you. See below for much more detailed information on the important issue of Verification.
Supported, self-supported, unsupported? What does it mean?
Age Groups: I do not, and do not plan to, keep track of age groups or oldest/youngest finishers. There are just too many combinations. FKTs are already a pretty "fringe" sport! If you want to compete at the age group level you should stick to organized races.
I recommend reading through this whole thread, which has many interesting things regarding all aspects of style, verification, etc.
HOW DO I VERIFY MY FKT?
You put in a huge effort and trashed your body for the next 6 months. You want people to believe what you say you did, right?
Verification is important. FKT activities have become more popular, and corporate sponsors are now often involved. More people are doing more things, which is great, but also makes it harder to determine the veracity of every claim. Verification is an integral part of the FKT. If no one believes you what's the point of claiming and FKT?
You need to start thinking about and planning for verification long before your FKT attempt!
-Satellite Trackers: Satellite trackers such as SPOT and Delorme are the gold standard for verification because they provide real-time tracking information that can't easily be doctored. For this reason, a real-time tracker is REQUIRED if you want your FKT to be recognized on any route longer than a couple of hours. A tracker is NECESSARY but NOT SUFFICIENT for verification - a timely, complete and detailed trip report and daily log is another key piece of information (see below). You do not need to make your satellite track public during your trip (and may not want to for safety reasons), but myself or some other objective third party must have access to the track during your trip, and the track should be made publicly available immediately after your trip. DO NOT come to me after the fact and say you didn't know a tracker was necessary or just didn't want to afford one! Also, a SPOT or DeLorme track is necessary but not sufficient verification - you still need to document what you did with a detailed report, photos, etc. (see below). You need to carry a tracker, and it needs to work - making sure it works is your responsibility. You wouldn't go into the wilderness with a new stove that you didn't know how to operate - similarly you need to understand how the trackers work and what their limitations are. In particular, satellite trackers need a clear view of the sky. Carrying the tracker on top of your shoulder is way better than in your pocket or the bottom of your pack. Also, trees can block the signal. The SPOT and Delorme trackers have a tracking mode and also can send user-activated messages. In tracking mode under dense trees you may find that the signal doesn't get through to the satellite very often, and you may find the device burning through batteries. For a long trip (like a thru-hike of the AT, for example) it's better to send a user-activated message several times per day when you are in a good location with clear view of the sky. You should also try to send messages when you are in locations that are hard to get to except on foot - this adds veracity to your claim (if all your messages are at road crossings people could think you just drove to each one). Test your tracker before you start your trip to make sure it works and you know how to use it! Also, if at all possible, have someone monitoring the track during your trip so that if the tracker isn't transmitting they can let you know. Note that the SPOT Trace device does not have user-activated messages and so is an inferior device for FKTs. COST: While these satellite tracking devices can be expensive, they are also super useful. Carrying one adds immeasureably to your personal safety, since if something bad happens you can use the tracker to call directly for help (again, the SPOT Trace doesn't have this feature). This seems especially important in an FKT setting, where you may be cutting corners on safety gear, and also pushing your physical limits. SPOT does rent trackers, click here to find out more. Other tracker rental options are available online.
-Cell Phone Trackers: Recently, many smartphone apps have become available that provide real-time tracking functionality somewhat comparable to the SPOT & DeLorme satellite devices. These apps REQUIRE cell service to work, but in many areas where such service is adequate they could provide a reasonable, cost effective alternative to a dedicated tracking device (SPOT or DeLorme). (It is incumbant on YOU to determine if there's actually sufficient cell coverage along your route to use a phone instead of a satellite tracker!) Note that most of these apps (such as the FollowMee app) are designed mainly to keep track of your kids or spy on your partner, so their functionality and features are oriented in that direction. I have not personally used any of these tracking apps, so can't recommend one over another. I hope people will try them and report back here (this thread) on what works & what doesn't. A couple apps designed for hiking/cycling are mentioned in the thread below - they seem to have many useful features as well as the tracking option. You would also want to operate these trackers in such a way as to not burn through your phone's battery too quickly, such as sending occasional & strategically located (far from roads) vs. frequent location signals.
- viewranger
- MotionX
GPS Watches / Strava / GarminConnect (etc.): GPS devices that do not report your position in real time (as do the trackers mentioned above) are very inferior as verification tools since their output can be tampered with. Nevertheless, these tools are popular for shorter (a few hours or less) routes. If you do use a GPS watch, I greatly prefer that you provide the raw GPX file from your GPS device, rather than (or in addition to) a link to your track on Strava (etc.) Strava and the others do things with the files, such as reporting moving time rather than total time, etc. The raw file has more detail and so is way more useful for verification purposes. Thank-you for complying!
-Photos: Photos can form an important part of your verification package. Some simple tips make them even more valuble as verification. Digital photos have time stamps and they may also have location data encoded in them. If you take photos with a digital camera you should be sure your camera's clock is set correctly! If you take photos with a smartphone, enabling location services for the phone's camera will result in each photo file containing location data as well as time, which is obviously great for verification. One problem is that many people simply post their photos to Facebook or Instagram, but these sites strip out the "metadata" (time & location), rendering the photos basically useless for verification. It's fine to post the photos on social media, but you also want to save the raw photo files and upload share them directly (for example via Google Drive) so that the metadata are retained. Of course, another way to encode location data in a photo is to photograph identifiable landmarks (signs, obvious features). You still need the intact time stamp for the photo.
-Trip Report: The most time-honored means of verification is a detailed trip report written ASAP after the completion of your trip (based on detailed notes taken during the trip, such as daily miles, where you were when, weather observations, people you met, etc.) Not only is the TR important for verification, it helps everyone connect with your EXPERIENCE of the trip. Isn't that what it's really all about anyway?
Disclaimer: We generally make no attempt to verify the accuracy of the records quoted here. If you think something is incorrect or misrepresented, please email the administrator and let's discuss it. Thanks.
Buzz Burrell on the Paine Circuit, Patagonia, Chile
Help keep FKT Ad-Free! YOU can help keep us free of random banner ads by donating any amount. The site will continue to serve very limited ads from outdoor-industry companies that I have close ties with. I do not make any money from this site, I put in a lot of time and a little money of my own to provide this content!
To contribute, scroll to the bottom of this page and click on "Click here to remove banner ads from this forum." Make sure the page says "Fastest Known Time" in the upper right, and under "When To Apply" select the next full calendar month (i.e., if today's date is June 26, select "Jul 1 - Jul 31"). We're running roughly 60,000-70,000 page views per month (a bit more in summer, a bit fewer in winter). THANKS for your support!
Below are some important thoughts and guidelines. We appreciate discussion of these issues. Thank-you for carefully reading this BEFORE contacting me with questions!
How do you establish a speed record?
Buzz Burrell has proposed 3 common sense guidelines:
[*]Announce your intentions in advance. Like a true gentleman, pay your respects to those who came before you, and tell them what you intend to attempt and when.
[*]Be an open book. Invite anyone to come and watch or, better yet, participate. This makes your effort more fun and any result more believable.
[*]Record your event. Write down everything immediately upon completion. Memory doesn't count.
These three rules do not "prove" you have done anything. They just make it easier for a good person to believe you. See below for much more detailed information on the important issue of Verification.
Supported, self-supported, unsupported? What does it mean?
[*]Supported means you have a dedicated support team that meets you along the way to supply whatever you need. This generally allows for the fastest, lightest trips, and for an element of camaraderie and safety, since someone knows about where you are at all times.
[*]Self-supported means that you don't carry everything you need from the start, but you don't have dedicated, pre-arranged people helping you. This is commonly done a couple different ways: You might put out stashes of supplies for yourself prior to the trip, or you might just use what's out there, such as stores, begging from other trail users, etc. Long distance backpackers are typically self-supported, since they resupply by mail drop or in stores. A subset of self-supported style has become the standard for some of the longer thru-hiking routes, such as the AT and PCT. We'll call this the Williamson Standard, since it was first clearly articulated by Scott Williamson (see the PCT thread.) Williamson said (in part): "I will NOT have anyone following, or otherwise meeting me in prearranged manner to give me support. I plan to do this hike ... as a backpacker, carrying all of my food, equipment, and water [note that using natural water sources along the route is allowed] between resupply towns, which I will walk into and out to pick up prepacked and mailed food boxes or purchasing food, in these towns. ...I will not be getting in a vehicle for any reason during this attempt, if I do it means the attempt is off. I will be following the official PCT route, no detours, road walks or alternates of any kind. For me the style of this undertaking is more important than breaking the record itself."
[*]Unsupported means you have no external support of any kind. Typically, this means that you must carry all your supplies right from the start, except any water that can be obtained along the way from natural sources. The longest trip I'm aware of using this style is Coup's 20-day thru-hike of the Colorado Trail. For most people, carrying enough food for more than a few days to one week will be prohibitive. Unsupported also means unaccompanied! (i.e., no pacers) Can a "team" be considered unsupported?: Read and discuss here. It's controversial. Further note: Some people get really crazy about what does or does not fit into "unsupported". I've had long conversations about this especially with Jeff List, who very thoroughly documented the opinions I expressed here.
Age Groups: I do not, and do not plan to, keep track of age groups or oldest/youngest finishers. There are just too many combinations. FKTs are already a pretty "fringe" sport! If you want to compete at the age group level you should stick to organized races.
I recommend reading through this whole thread, which has many interesting things regarding all aspects of style, verification, etc.
HOW DO I VERIFY MY FKT?
You put in a huge effort and trashed your body for the next 6 months. You want people to believe what you say you did, right?
Verification is important. FKT activities have become more popular, and corporate sponsors are now often involved. More people are doing more things, which is great, but also makes it harder to determine the veracity of every claim. Verification is an integral part of the FKT. If no one believes you what's the point of claiming and FKT?
You need to start thinking about and planning for verification long before your FKT attempt!
-Satellite Trackers: Satellite trackers such as SPOT and Delorme are the gold standard for verification because they provide real-time tracking information that can't easily be doctored. For this reason, a real-time tracker is REQUIRED if you want your FKT to be recognized on any route longer than a couple of hours. A tracker is NECESSARY but NOT SUFFICIENT for verification - a timely, complete and detailed trip report and daily log is another key piece of information (see below). You do not need to make your satellite track public during your trip (and may not want to for safety reasons), but myself or some other objective third party must have access to the track during your trip, and the track should be made publicly available immediately after your trip. DO NOT come to me after the fact and say you didn't know a tracker was necessary or just didn't want to afford one! Also, a SPOT or DeLorme track is necessary but not sufficient verification - you still need to document what you did with a detailed report, photos, etc. (see below). You need to carry a tracker, and it needs to work - making sure it works is your responsibility. You wouldn't go into the wilderness with a new stove that you didn't know how to operate - similarly you need to understand how the trackers work and what their limitations are. In particular, satellite trackers need a clear view of the sky. Carrying the tracker on top of your shoulder is way better than in your pocket or the bottom of your pack. Also, trees can block the signal. The SPOT and Delorme trackers have a tracking mode and also can send user-activated messages. In tracking mode under dense trees you may find that the signal doesn't get through to the satellite very often, and you may find the device burning through batteries. For a long trip (like a thru-hike of the AT, for example) it's better to send a user-activated message several times per day when you are in a good location with clear view of the sky. You should also try to send messages when you are in locations that are hard to get to except on foot - this adds veracity to your claim (if all your messages are at road crossings people could think you just drove to each one). Test your tracker before you start your trip to make sure it works and you know how to use it! Also, if at all possible, have someone monitoring the track during your trip so that if the tracker isn't transmitting they can let you know. Note that the SPOT Trace device does not have user-activated messages and so is an inferior device for FKTs. COST: While these satellite tracking devices can be expensive, they are also super useful. Carrying one adds immeasureably to your personal safety, since if something bad happens you can use the tracker to call directly for help (again, the SPOT Trace doesn't have this feature). This seems especially important in an FKT setting, where you may be cutting corners on safety gear, and also pushing your physical limits. SPOT does rent trackers, click here to find out more. Other tracker rental options are available online.
-Cell Phone Trackers: Recently, many smartphone apps have become available that provide real-time tracking functionality somewhat comparable to the SPOT & DeLorme satellite devices. These apps REQUIRE cell service to work, but in many areas where such service is adequate they could provide a reasonable, cost effective alternative to a dedicated tracking device (SPOT or DeLorme). (It is incumbant on YOU to determine if there's actually sufficient cell coverage along your route to use a phone instead of a satellite tracker!) Note that most of these apps (such as the FollowMee app) are designed mainly to keep track of your kids or spy on your partner, so their functionality and features are oriented in that direction. I have not personally used any of these tracking apps, so can't recommend one over another. I hope people will try them and report back here (this thread) on what works & what doesn't. A couple apps designed for hiking/cycling are mentioned in the thread below - they seem to have many useful features as well as the tracking option. You would also want to operate these trackers in such a way as to not burn through your phone's battery too quickly, such as sending occasional & strategically located (far from roads) vs. frequent location signals.
- viewranger
- MotionX
GPS Watches / Strava / GarminConnect (etc.): GPS devices that do not report your position in real time (as do the trackers mentioned above) are very inferior as verification tools since their output can be tampered with. Nevertheless, these tools are popular for shorter (a few hours or less) routes. If you do use a GPS watch, I greatly prefer that you provide the raw GPX file from your GPS device, rather than (or in addition to) a link to your track on Strava (etc.) Strava and the others do things with the files, such as reporting moving time rather than total time, etc. The raw file has more detail and so is way more useful for verification purposes. Thank-you for complying!
-Photos: Photos can form an important part of your verification package. Some simple tips make them even more valuble as verification. Digital photos have time stamps and they may also have location data encoded in them. If you take photos with a digital camera you should be sure your camera's clock is set correctly! If you take photos with a smartphone, enabling location services for the phone's camera will result in each photo file containing location data as well as time, which is obviously great for verification. One problem is that many people simply post their photos to Facebook or Instagram, but these sites strip out the "metadata" (time & location), rendering the photos basically useless for verification. It's fine to post the photos on social media, but you also want to save the raw photo files and upload share them directly (for example via Google Drive) so that the metadata are retained. Of course, another way to encode location data in a photo is to photograph identifiable landmarks (signs, obvious features). You still need the intact time stamp for the photo.
-Trip Report: The most time-honored means of verification is a detailed trip report written ASAP after the completion of your trip (based on detailed notes taken during the trip, such as daily miles, where you were when, weather observations, people you met, etc.) Not only is the TR important for verification, it helps everyone connect with your EXPERIENCE of the trip. Isn't that what it's really all about anyway?
Disclaimer: We generally make no attempt to verify the accuracy of the records quoted here. If you think something is incorrect or misrepresented, please email the administrator and let's discuss it. Thanks.
Buzz Burrell on the Paine Circuit, Patagonia, Chile
