An Odd Duck, a Little Elf, and a Lot of Water
Dana Dickson follows his curiosity through Minnesota’s waterways with a few digital breadcrumbs along the way.
Dana calls himself “a bit of an odd duck” among the typical Bad Elf users. His adventures involve a kayak, a paddle, and a good reason to see what lies around the next island. Maybe not so much where a utility water valve or park bench might be located.
He lives near Minneapolis, just two miles from the Mississippi River, and has kayaked since about 1995. Woods, rivers, lakes: Dana likes to wander. Luckily not all who wander are lost.
GPS helps him keep the story of where he goes (and not being lost)!
Into the fog
Long before his Bad Elf days, Dana learned what a handful of coordinates could do.
On a trip to Ontario’s Slate Islands, he and his companions faced a roughly seven-mile return crossing in thick fog. They could hear people they couldn’t see. His early handheld GPS (Global Positioning System) had no maps, so he entered coordinates he estimated from a paper topographic map.
The mission, as Dana tells it was “reach the destination and not paddle forever and go off the edge of the world!”
They arrived within 50 feet of his mark. The edge of the world would have to wait.
Every adventurer needs a sidekick
These days, a Bad Elf Flex Mini rides inside a dry bag in his kayak’s day hatch. Dana gives it extra protection for waves and rolls. The little elf keeps a record. Dana keeps paddling.
The Flex Mini Standard packs a multi-constellation satellite navigation receiver into a IP67 rated five-ounce package, connecting to phones and tablets through Bluetooth. The GPS provides 1.5–2-meter positional accuracy throughout North America and offers 24 hours of battery life while connected and logging.
Dane specifically saves tracks on the device and exports them afterward, leaving his phone’s mapping apps closed while he paddles. With his tracking routine, Dana says he gets three or four days between charges. Fewer battery chores. More room for the trip itself.
Yesterday’s trail, tomorrow’s quest
Dana paddles with a club and often heads to Voyageurs National Park, where a base camp becomes the starting point for day trips.
Afterward, he transfers his tracks through the Bad Elf Flex app into Gaia GPS. The map gives everyone something to explore together: their route, their speed, and where to head next.
“This is where we went today. Here’s where we want to go tomorrow. Look at the map and make some decisions” says Dana.
Think of it as a shared adventure journal, written in little dots!
Passing the map along
Dana brings that curiosity to the National Park Service’s Big River Journey on the Mississippi. He helps kids identify landmarks, find their position, and mark it on a paper map. The Mini rides in his pocket as he checks coordinates and the boat’s speed.
His navigation lessons have included another challenge: plan a route, paddle it using time and direction, then compare the recorded GPS track with the intended course. The map reveals how the adventure actually unfolded.
For Dana, those dots hold more than a route. They help friends plan another outing and young explorers learn to read the world around them.
An odd duck, a little elf, and plenty more water to wander. Want to be a Bad Elf like Dana? Please email us at sales@bad-elf.com to schedule a discussion today!
Happy wandering.
