The DeLorme Weblog

November 1st marked the opening day of whitetail deer season here in the state of Maine. This is a special time of year for my family since we have a long standing tradition of gathering for hunting camp, spending time together telling stories about the good ol’ days and the one that got away…

I wanted to take a moment to share some of that hunting camp tradition with you and then show some videos of DeLorme’s new Earthmate PN-60w and inReach in action. While most things at hunting camp have a nostalgic feel, the technology being used is cutting edge and will keep you connected—no matter where you’ve gotten to during the hunt!

For those who’ve never been, going to a hunting camp is like taking a step back in time to an era before cell phones, cable television, and even electricity. I’m sure other hunting enthusiasts around the country will have pictures like these from their own camps; places with names like Bon Ami, Number Six, The Old Warden, and Stag-er-Inn.

At hunting camp you get your water from the cast-iron pump next to the sink and it’s as cold as the ice in the brook until the pump’s drained for fear of freezing the pipe in December.

Gas lights throughout the camp let you read big buck stories in Field & Stream while the loyal bird dog curls up on the couch she’s not allowed to sleep on at home. The magazine articles always make it sound so easy but I can assure you it’s not.

Red wool jackets and blaze orange hats hang on hooks and the backs of chairs while boots are arranged near the wood stove to dry. Camp slippers on the board above the stove are welcome should you need to make a trip to The Necessary in the night. Trinkets and trophies decorate the walls telling their own stories of camp and family and Maine.

Playing cribbage is a favorite pastime when the table isn’t serving up good food prepared for hungry hunters in from the woods. You’d be surprised by the appetite you can work up napping in the woods on a crisp fall day.

Of all these things though, it is the family and the stories that I value most. It’s staying in touch and sharing the excitement of being together at camp and being in the wilderness. That’s why I really am excited about DeLorme’s new inReach. It gives me the ability to send a message back to my mom, letting her know where I am on the ridge. I can tell my dad I flushed a bird or maybe even saw a deer! Who knows, maybe I’ll finally sit quietly, long enough to get that big buck and send a message for some help… not likely, but at least I’ll be ready!

Watch the video to see some of the exciting new ways we’ll be staying in touch at hunting camp. Granted, most of the excitement was around breakfast and cinnamon buns but the value of the PN-60w and inReach for sending two-way messages powered by the Iridium satellite network is clear.

Imagine how you might use a system like this at your own hunting camp. The satellite network powered by Iridium is global, pole-to-pole. You can exchange messages with friends and family regardless of how far from camp they are. For that matter, you can send messages to me in Weld, Maine, the next time we’re both out in the woods!

I hope you enjoyed your brief tour of our hunting camp here in the wilds of Maine. As a “thank you” for visiting I encourage you to go to our DeLorme Facebook page and post a picture of your own camp, hunting or not; you’ll be entered to win a PN-60w! From there the winner will just need the inReach to stay connected wherever they go!

Don’t forget to sign the camp log before you leave, my mother will be checking it to see if you enjoyed your visit. Good luck to all of you this season, enjoy your time in the woods and at camp!

Be safe out there,

Chip Noble
DeLorme