My wind speed gauge

[gumpus]

Breezy today with wind overpowering the river current.

This is what a 15+ mph headwind looks like when measured with coonhound ears.

 

[ppine]

In Wyoming. we used an anchor chain for a wind gauge.
I was coming off the N Platte R once and the wind blew my Wenonah off the top of the truck when it was parked.

 

[dougd]

I used to judge windspeed with my Sadie Dawg's ear's as well. Thanks for bringing back the memory!

 

[recped]

I carry a real Anemometer on my trips, ok it's a dirt cheap version which might not be 100% accurate. I use it to justify (to myself) taking a wind bound layover day which I do frequently on my long solo trips.

 

[Alan Gage]

I thought it was a turn signal.

Alan

 

[Guest]

I carry a real Anemometer on my trips, ok it's a dirt cheap version which might not be 100% accurate. I use it to justify (to myself) taking a wind bound layover day which I do frequently on my long solo trips.

I like the anemometer idea, and have considered its potential verification worth in the past, when standing wind bound on some lakeside or bay shoreline, thinking to myself “The weather radio forecast of “Winds 15-20, gusts to 30 doesn’t seem right. That last blast almost blew me off my feet”.

I print out the 10 day (haha) local area forecast just before a trip, write down the current weather radio forecast every day I can find one, and compare it to the previously recorded days-out predictions, for a weather eye on forecast accuracy and what is unexpectedly changing.

Air (and water) temperature is easy with a little mini zipper-tab style thermometer, but I am wholly guessing at wind speed, perhaps with some conformational “Ain’t nobody paddled in this wind” bias. OK, once bias confirming the wind was too much just before two folks showed up in short, overloaded rec kayaks. They were wet and cold. And lucky.

I would have appreciated some in-camp wind speed reading on trips when the forecast said “Gusts to 50”. I carry a lot of stuff, why not an anemometer on open water trips?

Anyone have a recommendation for a small, fairly hardy, not very expensive handheld anemometer?

 

[dougd]

Real cheap, a book of matches. If you can light a smoke with a single match you're good to go, if it takes the whole pack than stay at camp.

 

[Guest]

Real cheap, a book of matches. If you can light a smoke with a single match you're good to go, if it takes the whole pack than stay at camp.

Yes, Doug, I have resorted to the multiple matches flame, using three or four matches at a time, although never a whole book in desperation. I do still carry a book of matches (why?) and a couple Bic’s stashed here and there. And one of these.

https://www.rei.com/product/783683/windmill-delta-stormproof-lighter

That Delta Windmill is at least 15 years old, been dropped on rocks, thoroughly wetted (if not long term submerged) and piezolectic lit (many) thousands of times. I haven’t been in a wind yet that will defeat it; when it is blowing like stink I don’t even bother trying the Bic, I just keep the Windmill ready in my pocket.

That Windmill lighter was a gift from a friend; I would never have spent (IIRC at the time) $70 on a freaking lighter. It is now one of those precious pieces of gear that, if I lost it, I’d immediately buy another. Or, discontinued of course, something like it.

Plus with a Conk suggested adapter I can refill it in the field from an iso-butane stove canister.

 

[recped]

Anyone have a recommendation for a small, fairly hardy, not very expensive handheld anemometer?

I have one like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pocket-Han...d-Test-Wind-Meter-Electronic-Mo/261876878079?

You can spend a lot more if you want greater accuracy.

 

[Guest]

I have one like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pocket-Han...d-Test-Wind-Meter-Electronic-Mo/261876878079?

You can spend a lot more if you want greater accuracy.

I don’t need immaculate accuracy; close enough would be good enough.

But I don’t do E-bay, and have been resisting frivolous Amazon-type purchases. I don’t need some minimum wage warehouse shipping slave dying of Covid-19 for my anemometer.

Or new bath towels, or fragrant oils or other bored-at-home retail therapy purchases.

If you don’t really need it just say no to those on-line purchases for a spell.

 

[gumpus]

In Wyoming. we used an anchor chain for a wind gauge.
I was coming off the N Platte R once and the wind blew my Wenonah off the top of the truck when it was parked.

One time on a club paddle on the Huron River it took two people to hold down my tandem canoe at the put-in with gusts around 50 mph. During the paddle we heard three trees break and fall and throughout the paddle it looked like fish were jumping everywhere but it was just little twigs and branches hitting the water.

 

[gumpus]

I used to judge windspeed with my Sadie Dawg's ear's as well. Thanks for bringing back the memory!

You can borrow the coonhound any time.

 

[gumpus]

I thought it was as turn signal.

Alan