April 22, 2008

DeLorme Earthmate PN-20 - Skis the Arctic

Ed Viesturs will be setting out on the 2008 Canadian Arctic Trek for Earth Health with a Delorme Earthmate PN-20 in hand. The PN-20 is a WAAS-enabled, bright-color-screen handheld receiver capable of displaying multiple map and imagery types. He will have it outfitted with a customized mapset that has detailed TOPO maps and landsat images of the terrain he expects to cover as he skis 150 miles across Baffin Island on a trip that is designed to raise awareness about climate change.

More information on this trek and the long list of accomplishments can be found at Ed's website. While more information on the Earthmate PN-20 can be found at DeLorme, where they are also having a Spring Sale.

More on the expedition follows......

Ed Viesturs, America's leading high-altitude mountaineer, will be relying on the DeLorme Earthmate® GPS PN-20 when he sets out on the 2008 Canadian Arctic Trek for Earth Health. The PN-20 is a WAAS-enabled, bright-color-screen handheld receiver capable of displaying multiple map and imagery types.

Using data import and registration capabilities available in DeLorme's XMap® GIS software, the company's development team has customized the expedition's PN-20 receivers with high capacity SD Cards (SDHC) containing topographic detail maps and Landsat satellite imagery for the area the journey will cover.

This will be the second Arctic expedition in which Viesturs has used the PN-20. In 2007, he participated in polar explorer Will Steger's Global Warming 101 trek, a dog sled journey on Baffin Island to document how climate change is affecting the native Inuit population.

Viesturs said he was impressed with the PN-20's performance and simplicity of use, and was happy to be similarly outfitted for this year's expedition. Joining him will be John Stetson, a renowned arctic explorer and pre-eminent dog sled musher who will also be equipped with a PN-20. They will embark this week on a 150-mile ski journey across Baffin Island. The expedition's theme is Healthy Planet = Healthy People.
About the Earthmate GPS PN-20.

Consumers purchasing the PN-20 at storefront or online retailers will receive Topo USA® 7.0 software included plus an SD card and reader, and access to USGS 7.5-min. quads, aerial imagery, and NOAA nautical charts. The PN-20 is also available from DeLorme at 800-561-5105 or www.delorme.com. The PN-20 with XMap can found at www.xmap.com.

About the 2008 Canadian Arctic Trek for Earth Health
On April 25, 2008 Ed Viesturs and John Stetson will travel to the Canadian Arctic to mount a sledge hauling ski journey through one of the most beautiful and pristine areas of Northern Baffin Island. Their objective is twofold. First, to utilize and familiarize themselves with the equipment, systems, and strategy necessary for a possible future ski journey to the South Pole. Second, to showcase the effects of climate change already occurring in the Arctic regions. The expedition should last for approximately 20 days and Viesturs and Stetson plan to make daily progress reports via satellite telephone. Check www.edviesturs.com for the dispatches.