2011 Stormchase Chat & Banter

[dogs32]

I would say having a credit card is a must myself.....other cards can charge you for the service

Also note the dollar looks like it might get good by the time we go

[DubWeatherAddict]

I would say having a credit card is a must myself.....other cards can charge you for the service

Also note the dollar looks like it might get good by the time we go

Thanks Pat, ill look into getting one so.

Ye seen that too, for Euro to dollar its like €1 = $1.33 . Im gonna change over some money during the week maybe.

Keep the videos and the excitement level up Pat ha,

Ian

[TornadoJo]

Don't forget u can also get currency cards so you don't have to carry cash around. these are usually mastercard and can be used as debit cards when you're out there.

j x

[Cookie]

Don't forget u can also get currency cards so you don't have to carry cash around. these are usually mastercard and can be used as debit cards when you're out there.

j x

sounds like a good idea thanks

[Arron]

Yep they're ace, still got a couple hundred bucks left on mine from last year Fairfx is the one I've got but there's a few different ones out there.

[Ross B]

Yeah, I used one when I was out. Much better than a credit card for storm chasing as most of the time cash is used to split meals/buy booze anyway and thats all that you really buy when out there! Remember the interest rate fluctuates daily with one though.

Going to phone RBS in the next few days to see what storm chasing cover I can add onto my travel insurance policy, will let you know if they cover it

[Dorsetbred]

Don't forget the tripods, that was the biggest buy last year, I ditched the one I took in the hotel bin and bought another. A definate requirement, ask Pat he sits on his whenever he's in the field, like a little elf

[DubWeatherAddict]

Don't forget the tripods, that was the biggest buy last year, I ditched the one I took in the hotel bin and bought another. A definate requirement, ask Pat he sits on his whenever he's in the field, like a little elf

Ive been thinking about this also.... i need to find new one as the one i hav is quite heavy to be adding to my luggage. What weights tripods would YOU consider too heavy?

[Dorsetbred]

Ive been thinking about this also.... i need to find new one as the one i hav is quite heavy to be adding to my luggage. What weights tripods would YOU consider too heavy?

I think it's more about thinking that you have to include it in your luggage (unless you carry it on the plane) so every pound takes allowance away from other things.

The one I picked up in a local supermarket was about $28. If at the end of the trip you don't want to bring it home, ditch it, save you carrying it, you've only lost $28 or 9 beers.

[duckeyh]

I have no doubt with just the clouds,company ect....we will ahve a good time...

Its just on my mind from morning to night...I need help

Time to start checking all my gear...got to do something..lol

my goals this year are..not to get to drunk :w00t:

to not waste any shots on my canon....

Only film slow motion at night with close lightning.

Over all to make the best timelapse yet

to have my laptop working in the back of car for the first time

learnt alot through my mistakes last year..

Oh and to stock up on sweeties

I have some hairy ones left over from last year, especially for you! BTW do you need pillows ?

I think it's more about thinking that you have to include it in your luggage (unless you carry it on the plane) so every pound takes allowance away from other things.

The one I picked up in a local supermarket was about $28. If at the end of the trip you don't want to bring it home, ditch it, save you carrying it, you've only lost $28 or 9 beers.

I didn't ditch mine so have a feeling Craig and I will have to mark ours this year. Walmart is King for this kind of stuff otherwise we are bound to see a Best Buy or Radio Shack

Edited January 17, 2011 by duckeyh

[TornadoJo]

I managed to get a jessops tripod brand new at a boot sale for £15 so id reccomend checking out places like that as they can be things which are bout n used once n then sold on.

[Paul Sherman]

Pretty sure Tour 1 has just this minute SOLD OUT Just waiting for confirmation and then will update the thread.......and It is ANOTHER Return Guest

[DubWeatherAddict]

I think it's more about thinking that you have to include it in your luggage (unless you carry it on the plane) so every pound takes allowance away from other things.

The one I picked up in a local supermarket was about $28. If at the end of the trip you don't want to bring it home, ditch it, save you carrying it, you've only lost $28 or 9 beers.

Ye , if its possible to get a cheap one over there id glady just do that and leave it there... Less stuff in my luggage the better!

WHEN IS THE " GEAR CHECKLIST" STARTING?! .... ( It can never be too early to be prepared! )

[Paul Sherman]

Lol

Will start it soon, There are 3 New Threads to Start being

1. Virtual Chase Thread - (Practise makes Perfect)

2. StormChase BBQ 2011 - (Summer Venue)

3. Equipment Check List

Going to have to wait about a week for these threads when Paul M Gets back from Skiing as most of the 2010 StormChase Threads need to be put into the archive with 2007,2008 & 2009 Archives, we can then make a New StormChase 2011 Area and keep the Chat and Heads Up threads and start the new ones above.

Trevor Mitchell is the Final Space on Tour 1 Btw

[DubWeatherAddict]

Lol

Will start it soon, There are 3 New Threads to Start being

1. Virtual Chase Thread - (Practise makes Perfect)

2. StormChase BBQ 2011 - (Summer Venue)

3. Equipment Check List

Going to have to wait about a week for these threads when Paul M Gets back from Skiing as most of the 2010 StormChase Threads need to be put into the archive with 2007,2008 & 2009 Archives, we can then make a New StormChase 2011 Area and keep the Chat and Heads Up threads and start the new ones above.

Trevor Mitchell is the Final Space on Tour 1 Btw

Virtual Chase Thread!?!..... hahahaha! LOVE IT!!

Ye thats a good idea indeed, a clean up so to say and focus then on 2011 ,

Will look forward to these new threads

Oh by the way, i know yas probably hav it on dvd ( if u not , u shouldnt be goin on these trips !haha ) , but Twister was on yesterday

Always a great one to watch .

Ian

[icbinb]

Regrettably I won't be able to make the Cardiff meet up, as I need to save every penny for America!

Plenty to sort out, looking forward to meeting everyone on tour 1, and seeing Paul, Tom and Ian again. Can't wait!

[dogs32]

:w00t: yes my tripod was the biggest :w00t:

Abit worried about lightning though..lol

Whats this about these cards? where do you get them from?

Pretty sure Tour 1 has just this minute SOLD OUT Just waiting for confirmation and then will update the thread.......and It is ANOTHER Return Guest

I will guess...Ian :smiliz19:

lol...thx Claire...So I dont need Pillows..

I will remember that

Thanks Pat, ill look into getting one so.

Ye seen that too, for Euro to dollar its like €1 = $1.33 . Im gonna change over some money during the week maybe.

Keep the videos and the excitement level up Pat ha,

Ian

cheers mate...will do....

Edited January 17, 2011 by dogs32

[Tom Lynch]

We sat to the north east of Pine Bluff, Arkansas and had one or two close CGs 2010

PLEASE NOTE THIS DOES CONTAIN SOME STRONG LANGUAGE - Sorry I missed it. I will edit it again tomorrow evening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHtX-4aicD0

Tom

[ian cameron]

tom tut tut it was you nwith the bad words my money was on Paul lol

Trever totaly understand fella better to see you out there chasing tour one im sure there will be a few buds on that tour anyhow look forward to seeing you out there

[John Hanrahan]

Trevor Mitchell is the Final Space on Tour 1 Btw

Good man Trevor! Delighted your heading out again. I had a great time with you and Andy last year. You'll have to look after Tom and Ian for me. BTW the dynamic between Paul and Ian is the exact same as between meself and Paul, which can be fun ..... to look at from a far.

[ian cameron]

Good man Trevor! Delighted your heading out again. I had a great time with you and Andy last year. You'll have to look after Tom and Ian for me. BTW the dynamic between Paul and Ian is the exact same as between meself and Paul, which can be fun ..... to look at from a far.

John I dont know what you mean

[Arron]

Ah nice one Trevor!

[Paul Sherman]

Thought I would put a quick post in here for the Newbies just in case they were wondering what " A Typical Chase Day " entails......Well there are several different types of Chase Day and if I go just off 2010 hopefully you will see how things are quite a bit different on Chase Days

1. The Wake Up & Be In Chase Target Zone Chase

If we do the hard work and are already in the Chase Zone and our target area these days are quite leisurely and Breakfast is between 6 and 9am, Check out time in 99% of the Hotels is 11am so after a quick look at the Morning Models we all meet in the Hotel Car Park at 11am. The Chase target and type of day we are expecting is explained to everyone whilst Cars are loaded with luggage. May 23rd 2010 was this type of Chase and as things were not expected to go bang until 5-6pm we went to Walmart and grabbed some Food for a Picnic and headed to a local State Park whilst keeping an eye on the Models via Internet and the Barons. Things did indeed kick off at 4pm and we chased in the area until Nightfall.

2. Dual Risk Areas

Sometimes with the Plains being so vast there can be 2 or even 3 areas of Interest and it is up to the Forecasters to go with the area that will always offer the best Tornado Chances, but with this in mind we also need to keep an eye on the subsequent days weather. So for Instance if there is a Risk in Texas and South Dakota....but the next days weather is in Iowa we will always favour 2 days chasing over 1 day (Exceptions to this is when there is a good Moderate Risk or nailed on High Risk) May 17th 2010 was a good case study for this with a Risk down in S Texas but also the next day (18th) in the Oklahoma Panhandle, so we used the 17th as a Travel and Positioning day and reaped the rewards on the 18th, if we had chased and ended up down near Austin on the 17th we would have missed the Tornadoes on the 18th.

3. Travel and Chase On Same Day

Changeover days were not kind to us in 2010 with not once but twice brilliant Chase Opportunites when we changed over at DFW. May 19th 2010(High Risk) was the biggest challenge with us sitting on the Tarmac with an Outbreak occuring NW of Oklahoma City, this day also had a dual risk zone with an Outflow Boundary NW Of Oklahoma City in the High Risk area and also Dryline Storms further south extending into Northern Texas, luckily we got onto the Supercell furthest South and got onto 4 Tornadoes. 31st May 2010 was also skin of our teeth as we had changed over and staged the journey to Colorado, we travelled all day and just as we pulled up to the Storm got into position to watch the Campo Tornado (All 3 of them)

4. Blue Sky Bust

Not too many of these in 2010 but nearly Lol. May 6th 2010 we sat in Target zone for literally 7 hours with just a few fluffy white cumulus clouds, all was nearly lost until the Cap broke at 8pm with a Single Storm, these days can be very boring with lots of throwing footballs around or watching Youtube Clips on the Internet. Have had High Risk Blue Sky busts before without a single cloud..........Now that Hurts! The SPC Like our Met Office are not invincible.

5. Giving Up IS The Sensible Thing To Do

Again this hardly ever happens, but on May 10th 2010 this was the sensible thing to do, Storm Motions were at times 70-80mph and remember the Storms do not follow curvy roads so to keep up is impossible not to mention unlawful with breaking speed limits. After falling behind Storms on this day last year we found a straight West to East Road in Southern Kansas and were travelling at 80mph, we still did not get anywhere near the back end of the storm we aere parrellelling. This is the first time in 7 years I have had to do this, add into the fact nightfall was coming and the terrain in SE Kansas and SW Missouri is dangerous then we did the right thing.

6. Travel Days

Sometimes when a Big fast moving trough enter the Plains the risk days can flip flop all over the place, we can be chasing in Nebraska with another SW Trough coming through 2 days later in Texas so the in-between day is sometimes used as a Travel day with the vast distances we have to cover. April 30th 2010 is a good example of this, we ended 29th in Northern Kansas and travelled through Missouri on the 30th to end the day on the Arkansas/Missouri border in readiness for the High Risk in Arkansas on the 1st May 2010.

7. Down Days

If a Ridge Pattern enters the Plains it can mean a few days of "No Weather" anywhere in the Chase Zone, we use these days to visit The Big Texan Restaurant, Greensburg, State Parks or other areas of Interest whilst always keeping an eye on when the next Storm risk will occur. May 29th 2010 we were in South Dakota so used this day to Visit Mount Rushmore with the next Chase day being May 30th in Northern Nebraska. It is rare for nothing to happen during May and June as even when there are Ridge Patterns you can always get Upslope Flow (Easterly Winds riding up the Rockies) and decent Storms to Chase in Colorado just East of Denver and rest assured we will chase absolutely anything, if it has a chance of Thunder and Lightning we are there. Sometimes these Chases can turn out to be memorable as well. A few years back me and Ian Cameron were doing exactly this, a "See Text" Risk was issued by the SPC (Which usually means Uk Style Thunderstorms) So we chased and only saw about 5 Chasers the whole day, One Storm went mental and turned Supercellular even producing a Tornado near Greeley (Colorado)

Hopefully I have covered most bases but any other questions from the newbies then just Pm Me.

Cheers

Paul S

[DubWeatherAddict]

Hey people.... Anyone staying / stayed here? http://www.granddfw.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp

Its seems to be right in the area of the airport , which id like, less hassel for me the better

Or is it better to go to the hotel wer everyone is meeting on the 20th?

thanks,

Ian

Paul... Nice read there, everyday theres something on here to keep the excitement up! ha

[Paul Sherman]

Hey Ian

Dont think it matters where you stay on the 20th Mate, Just got to make sure you meet us at the Car Rentals at the Airport at around 2-3pm on the 21st as that is where the 3 SUV's will be to pick everyone up upon departing and starting the Chase

Paul Michaelwaite will send you and everyone else an Info Pack about 3 weeks before you are due to fly letting you know where and when too meet up with us.

Paul S