TrigpointingUK

With apologies to Barry for borrowing his 'Trig Tools' name

What items of equipment do trig hunters take on bagging trips in order to help
locate their prey? It might depend, to some extent, on the distance to travel
on foot, weather and the type of stations to be located. In my case, its also
constrained by nearly always preferring to use bus and train for intermediate travel.

The items I usually carry are:

maps and sketches...
OS paper maps usually both 1:25000 and 1:50000. Also for urban areas a print-out
of the Streetmap. Infrequently, hardcopy of a google maps aerial display is useful.
For passive stations, the station sketch (if such exists). I annotate these with
the target grid ref, notes from other bagger's logs regarding access, etc.

Locating devices
I always carry a compass, maybe use it one trip in three (useful in suburban areas
where all the streets look the same I usually carry a GPS but mostly to help narrow
down the search area for surface blocks. Otherwise no great enthusiasm for gadgetry; I
get enough of that at work and its more fun to depend upon ones own observations. Also
for surface blocks: long-bladed screwdriver for probing (stick a cork on the end to avoid the
blade poking a hole in things whilst in transit), trowel for unearthing stones, rubble and
(with luck) a trig mark. Rag for cleaning mud off trig marks. A tape measure. Old carrier bags
useful for kneeling on whilst digging. Secateurs and gardening gloves if brambles or dense
vegetation expected.

Recording devices
Camera nearly always. Cleaning cloth for same. Pen and paper always (scribbled notes on location,
condition, access, view, etc - quite often I can still make sense of these when read later).

Miscellaneous
Food and drink for a day trip, timetables, paperback to read whilst waiting for a train home, scrap paper
for writing. Spare clothing according to conditions. Accumulated junk in rucksack that needs sorting out.

Things I've considered but not tried...

Wire brush for cleaning grit off Flush Brackets

Pliers (not sure why)

Metal detector - probably not enough metal in a typical mark to be worth the trouble of
carrying it, but who knows...

Equipment to get over, under or through fences... maybe not wise to describe here
but web sites on Urban Exploration offer advice

Long telescopic pole (the type used for window cleaning) for attaching a camera for
inaccessible trigs

What do others carry?


Regards
Ted

Tools: I carry a long screwdriver (6" blade, ought to get a longer one), a good quality garden trowel, usually have a spade in car boot; secateurs and gardening gloves (the latter also useful for reducing incidence of blisters when probing hard ground).

Navigation: I have various POI files on my GPSr and also on my Satnav; for passives I usually have paper copy of sketch and a few helpful notes from TPUK in case there's no 3G at the site;

TPUK app on smartphone.

Rob

Hi folks,
I normally have camera and map along with trig app on my android phone. Being able to zoom in to a 9 metre scale usually puts me practically on top of the more tricky to find pillars and bolts etc. I tend to use it when actually looking for it doesn't work!

I tend to have a good study of previous pictures and logs and memorise them as best I can. Proves invaluable very often.

Aside from that I take very little. Most of my logs are of upland pillars which I visit whilst hillwalking. I'm completing the English Hewitts this year all being well. Also working on Eng/Wal Marilyns and county tops.
I keep meaning to pop a trowel and secateurs in the car. But yes, as said aside from that I generally dont have a lot of kit with me.