Technology and tools…

They can keep us safe, let us see in the dark, hear things that would normally escape us, and measure that which would normally be unmeasurable…

The old adage of “the more you know, the less you need to carry” doesn’t always hold true when you are going into the wilderness in order to discover and document High Strangeness. Technology helps to level the playing field when dealing with the paranormal. From the basics like backpacks and flashlights, to the more advanced options like the latest in full color night vision and high sensitivity digital recorders…what you chose to carry can make the difference between having some anecdotal accounts of strange activity and actually documenting the phenomenon.

Even with these tools, the phenomena can be elusive and tricksome. An inhuman scream that occurs when you’re changing the batteries, a mysterious light that won’t show up on your camera, expensive GPS devices that suddenly all begin to simultaneously malfunction… However, even taking into account that it may sometimes fail you, carrying the right equipment still gives you the best possible chance at documenting cryptid or paranormal activity.

What you can carry depends upon many factors… some within your control, others outside of it. Are you operating from a vehicle or hiking your equipment in? Is an item durable enough for a particular environment? What sort of limitations will that environment impose upon you and your equipment? How long can you keep it in operation in the wilderness, far away from the nearest power outlet? Can you afford the equipment that you believe that you need?

A day hike/legend trip that became increasingly more bizarre and threatening by the minute is what caused us to dive head first into actually investigating the strange phenomena that seems to abound in this region. We spent much of our free time outdoors, so we were already well equipped with hiking and camping gear. However, we had to undergo a crash course in the tools of the cryptid and paranormal investigator’s trade. We had to acquire an array of equipment in a fairly short time…and purchase it all out of pocket. Most independent investigators will never have the budget to work with that the teams on TV have…but, thanks to the growing popularity of Bigfoot and ghost hunting, equipment that just a short time ago was out of the realm of possibility for the average hunter can now be purchased. And purchased relatively cheaply.

Most people won’t be able to purchase everything that they need at once, so it is important to approach this strategically. Where do you plan on conducting your research? What are your priorities? Your resources? Your desired outcomes? Can you determine the difference between inexpensive gear that will serve your needs and junk that will fail you when you need it the most?

Are you looking to merely satisfy your own curiosity about the unknown? Then you might not need much of the video and audio recording equipment that others carry. Are you like us and you want to share your experiences with others? Then you will need some way of documenting those experiences. Either way, you still need to remain safe, fed, and (reasonably) comfortable in your quest.

We will break down the equipment that we use into the following categories: HIKING/CAMPING, SAFETY AND SECURITY, FOOD AND WATER, INSTRUMENTS/RECORDING/DOCUMENTATION, AND GENERAL/OTHER. Keep in mind that our equipment loadout is constantly evolving… we find a better way of doing things or we might discover that a piece of equipment was crucial in one active area isn’t worth its weight in another. So, this section will be constantly changing and evolving as well.