Garmin VIRB | The Loadout Room

Killer camera type – 1 each

1080p HD Action camera
Water resistant up to one meter for 30 minutes
Waterproof with mountable Dive Case to 50 meters ($40.00)
Mountable on just about anything
Internal GPS

As I reflect on my life, I can recall very few of the details. I’m not sure why this is. I suspect it’s the result of not taking enough time to reflect on things just after they occur.

Maybe this happens to all of us and I’m just feeling it more now because I have children who are becoming adults?

Regardless of the cause, I’m deeply dependent on my technical ability to capture my memories. As an active person, said memories happen all over the world and in many environments.

Last year I began what I call “Legacy Caching”: placing dead drops around the world for my kids and grandchildren to find. This strategy requires detailed mapping, photography and geocordinantes. All things that the Garmin VIRB can help me produce, but that’s not the only thing for which I’ll use this camera.

Reflecting and Finding

To a certain extent this will make more sense to those in their 40’s than it might to those in their 20’s, but, the ability to identify places on a world map, click on the links, and gain access to the memories that were created at those locations is one of my favorite things to do. Just the thought of it is tugging me now to go outside.

I also love getting somewhere with my family and pulling up the pictures and videos from our last visit, which was often years ago, and seeing what everyone looked like “back then”.

In a way the “B-Story” of my life has made me a director, photographer and editor of my own movie. This is a tale which I intend to be as epic as it is long. For that to occur I’ll need equipment and technology that allows me to quickly capture, edit and store all of the events that this world has to offer.

Garmin VIRB – GPS Video Camera:

A simple and slick camera with recording time up to three hours.

With ANT+ technology you can control the unit with external remotes. This year they expect to release a dedicated remote for the camera as well.

Getting Stable

One of the things I’ve noticed about using action cameras is the jittery images from all the action. You need a way to stabilize your shaky video. This camera incorporates digital stabilization so that your videos don’t look like you shot them while sitting in a bucket of ice.

This is also a very handy feature for incorporating this camera as part of your personal UAV package like the one I discussed in “Stop Preparing For Emergencies”

Freeze!

One of the drawbacks to using video cameras is that you may have to give up the still shot. Garmin thought about this and enabled the device with picture taking functionality as well. This allows you to hit a button, even while recording, and snag a still shot mid action.

You Were so Scared

The camera comes with “VIRB Edit” which is their free video editing software, with a twist.

The software will link up with other Garmin devices and allow you to insert things like your speed and heart rate. This way you will no longer have to rely on questionable testimony from your buddy as to how scared he was during his last free fall jump.

The Optional Dive Case

To this day the sea remains one of the most unexplored areas of the planet. There’s an entirely different world down there and I’ve found the best memories can be found just past six feet.