Katadyn BeFree Water Filter: 6 Year Review

Backpacking Gear, ,

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you might remember when I bought a Katadyn BeFree water filter back in August 2018? Well, I bought it with a gift card I had lying around, not because I was in dire need of one, but because I had everything I could possibly want. I wrote about it in this post.

I’ve been using the Katadyn BeFree water filter for a while now, and I’ve finally reached the point where I can share my thoughts on it. Let’s start with the good stuff, and then we’ll move on to the not-so-great, and then the bad.

Continue reading Katadyn BeFree Water Filter: 6 Year Review →

Adventure before Dementia

Backpacking, Camping, General Talk, Senior Moments

Senior Moments 

Well, maybe not senior moments. We try to avoid senior moments. Seems many seniors are just waiting to die, we’re out living.

We just returned from a couple of weeks of camping in the desert. It was a totally relaxing. I didn’t take any pics, so you’ll just have to use your imagination and picture the amazing scenery and wildlife we saw, like a whole herd of majestic big horn sheep.

But here’s something that caught my eye: I saw this really interesting spare wheel cover on a travel trailer that said ‘Adventure Before Dementia.’ The phrase sounds pretty catchy, and it also made me think about our own lives. It’s all about perspective, you know? What it means to you can totally change depending on how you look at things.

Continue reading Adventure before Dementia →

In Defense of Freedom (Units) part 2

What's Up With That?, , ,

What’s Up With That?

Yesterday I wrote about Freedom Units — what it is (joke about the American measurement system) — and how to defend its use. The conclusion being, it really can’t be defended other than tradition and familiarity.

If I can’t really defend it, I thought perhaps AI, or specifically ChatGPT, could make a case. So I asked the bot to write an article in defense of Freedom Units.

Continue reading In Defense of Freedom (Units) part 2 →

In Defense of Freedom (Units) part 1

Backpacking, Camping, What's Up With That?, ,

What’s Up With That?

My friend Paul recently shared a series of articles about his camping and backpacking trip to Big Bend National Park. In Part 2, he recommended a Driving Guide for visitors to the park. (by the way, I recommend you read Part 1 and Part 3 of Paul and Joan’s recent adventures in Texas).

He said, “If you decide to drive the backroads of Big Bend, we found the $7 backcountry road guide a great purchase. You can get it online or at the visitor centers. It has mile-by-mile descriptions (sorry to those in the civilized world, it only lists Freedom Units TM), a brief description of the routes, and even some history.” <bold is mine>

I was curious about the term “Freedom Units.” I’m not really into slang words or phrases, and I don’t know much about current urban dictionaries. So, I did a quick search online, and I found out that Freedom Units is a joke about the Americanized Imperial measurement system that the United States uses.

Guess what? Only three countries in the whole world officially use the Imperial System: the United States, Liberia, and Myanmar (also known as Burma). The rest of the world uses the metric system. I don’t mean to knock Liberia or Myanmar, but they don’t come to mind as places that are at the forefront of scientific research. The United States is.

Also, I found out that every country in the world, except these three, has laws that require people to use the metric system.

So, what’s the deal? Is the metric system some kind of communist plot? Is there a good reason why the United States should keep using the Imperial System? Let’s take a closer look at this topic.

Continue reading In Defense of Freedom (Units) part 1 →

California Bans 1-lb Disposable Propane Canisters

Camping

What’s Up With That? 

Guess what? California just made history! They’re the first state to ban the sale of those disposable propane cylinders. Starting January 1, 2028, you’ll only be able to buy refillable propane canisters and cylinders in California. So, here are a few questions to ask:

Is this just another crazy move from the Golden State, or is it something we should actually cheer about?

Why did they make this decision?

And what are the alternatives?

I’ll break it all down for you!

Continue reading California Bans 1-lb Disposable Propane Canisters →