Date: December 22, 2019

Time of Day: 11am

Subject: Pacific Northwest forest ambience (single perspective). Trying a dedicate “drop recording rig” while going on a trail run.

Location: Capilano Pacific Trail, North Vancouver

Distance Covered: 12km (Drop Rig @ 5km)

Notes:

I’ve tried balancing trail running and field recording before, but it has a few big drawbacks;

• The running suffers due to stopping and starting whenever an ideal sound source is located

• The recording suffers because someone nearby (no idea who) is breathing really heavily

• Additional safety risk. Trying to dress appropriately (especially in winter) for something that is suitable for running, but then sitting/standing for extended recording periods is near impossible.

So my intention was to head out on a trail run that was an out-and-back, so I would double back and return to where I came. Stash my recording rig along a trail head or somewhere early enough to maximize recording time. Then return and collect the recording rig on my way out.

George Vlad recently posted a great video detailing some of how he accomplishes his wonderful unattended field recordings (LINK). He uses a waterproof drop bag as a way to conceal and protect his recorder while leaving it unattended.

I opted for the same trail area as yesterday, I know it well and it would allow me the most confidence when leaving it.

Recorder was stashed around 5km into a 12km total run, which provided about 30 minutes of unattended recording time.

The rig and waterproof bag worked great, any issues with this recording were due to the time of day and location choice. Waters were still moving fast from the recent rainfall and with the dam still open it’s hard to avoid the sound of rushing water within the whole area. Random pass bys of the rig from hikers or runners had great localization and the frequency response of the recording was quality from overhead plane bys. But I feel it was a bit too washy for much use beyond experimentation.