[pct-l] Digital Camera on Thruhike?

[at2002 at earthlink.net (Gary Wright)]

On Saturday, May 31, 2003, at 01:50  AM, Christopher Power wrote:

> I'm planning a PCT thruhike for next year.  Does anyone have any advice
> or experience with using a digital camera on the PCT?

I was surfing the net and found an interesting sight that talks
all about digital cameras in the backcountry.  I thought it
might interest pct-l members: 
http://www.cliffshade.com/dpfwiw/backcountry.htm

One item that caught my eye that I hadn't heard before was a
warning about using microdrive cards above 10,000 feet:

> With a 512MB or 1GB microdrive easing your memory concerns, you can 
> worry about having all your eggs in one basket instead. The fragility 
> implicit in the egg metaphor is apt. Mechanically, CF cards are far 
> more robust than any portable storage solution involving a hard drive. 
> The 512MB and 1GB MDs seem to be fairly durable (less so the 340MB 
> models), but tiny moving parts mean limited shock resistance? 175 Gs 
> in operation and 1,500 Gs powered down. A 3-foot fall onto a hard 
> surface could easily do one in. IBM also warns against microdrive use 
> above 10,000 feet, where the reduced air pressure could allow the 
> read-write head(s) to drop down onto the spinning platter. (Ouch!) For 
> 512MB and 1GB microdrives, IBM recommends a temperature range of 0 - 
> 55?C operating and -40 - 65?C non-operating.