Discussion: Survival preparation for Laramie

It seems that the controls at the 2008 US Orienteering Championships will have manual punches as opposed to e-punches.

This leads to a few other important questions:
* Does Laramie have electricity and running water?
* Will there be paved roads, or should I rent a vehicle with high clearance?
* Are the local tribes aggressive, and should I bring weapons to protect myself?
* How much cash should I bring to bribe the local authorities in case of trouble?
* Would it scare the locals if I bring a camera, or have they seen one before and know it is not harmful to have their picture taken?

Laramie is not the backwater you may think it is.

No, the problem is that it has quality terrain and a terrific mapper, but no other support staff. LROC has a membership of one; other volunteers are coming from quite a distance away.

If you were to have volunteered to set up and run e-punch, I'm sure they would have been thrilled.

Until USOF requires that championship events MUST use electronic timing, clubs have the option to do it the old-fashioned way. [Like EMPO's short/long championships of 2006 (before we owned any SI equipment).]

That said, some of the roads in the State Forest lands are dirt and can be rutted. High clearance will give you peace of mind that you won't bottom out, but with care, the roads to all the starts can be navigated with your typical road coupe. [To be safe, don't put your rental car key in your jacket pocket. :-) ]

Don't miss The Altitude restaurant/brew pub. Their food and beer is outstanding. Having been to Laramie 3 times in the past, this is one restaurant we're sure to return to. Maybe we'll see you there.

Remember, everyone will be using pin punches, so will have the same chance for delay/fumbling/etc. at the controls.

Maybe this competition will earn me a nickname that reflects my Viking heritage, such as "Mikkel Fumblehands".

At least it shouldn't be 40 degrees! Frozen hands and pin punches don't work well.

The weather in Laramie, however, will be brilliant, warm, and sunny during the day (not counting passing showers), chilly and refreshing overnight. :-) (At least, that's been my experience in past visits.)

In case of a cold spell, maybe you could put out some strong ale on the course from the brewhouse you mentioned.

I understand that the real reason why the US Champs is using manual punches is because high-pitched beeping noises are known to attract these.

Edit: Okay, I've been informed that the above video may have been faked. But here is a video of the African honey badger, which is of course is a milksop compared to the variant found in Wyoming. I've even heard rumors, although I cannot vouch for their veracity, that the badgers found in Wyoming migrated from the Area 51 region of Nevada.

An attack badger is nothing compared to an eastern river beaver.