Category Archives: The Environment

Does Home Solar Make Sense?

pig with lipstick

When it makes sense, I love solar power. In my recent post of my all-time favorite camping gear our campers’ solar system was my favorite gear. In my post Solar for Backing I laid out all the considerations but did not say if it was a good or bad idea

If you want to carry this stuff, go ahead, it’s okay. Just isn’t my personal cup of tea.

In other words, I am not interested in carrying a bunch of electronic devices when backpacking, other than a headlamp and sometimes a camera and solar doesn’t make sense to me. I did try to be objective and present good information for those who are interested in solar for their backpacking trips.

Starting next month I will be on a fixed income, so planning to reduce my monthly fixed overhead has been a priority. The greatest opportunity for savings is our monthly utilities. For most people, the first thing that comes to mind is installing a solar system – especially since most of us have been bombarded by telemarketers and door-to-door solicitors over the past 4 or 5 years. When we get this volume of sales pitch bombardment, your first reaction should be “someone is making a ton of money and they are going to try and take advantage of me.” In other words,

home solar might just be a pig with lipstick

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Stove Bans

I have few backpacking acquaintances, fewer than I have fingers on my hands. And I have even fewer backpacking friends, and an even smaller circle of close friends. That’s how it should be. Just because someone likes you on Facebook or is your friend on one of the other social media sites, doesn’t mean they are true friends.

Anyway, my few backpacking acquaintances and friends know I go screw-shit when I see so-called gear or outdoor experts operate a stove in an unsafe manner. One of these fine folks (my acquaintances – not the so called experts) emailed me a “stove” picture. No subject in the email, no comments; nada. Just a picture. Guess he thought it would piss me off.

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A Call To Action (protect our wild lands)

ANOTHER POTENTIAL THREAT TO WILD PLACES

cautionIf you are reading this post, then you are probably one of my children, a camper, or a backpacker. You almost certainly value wilderness. These wild places are continually under attack by those who want to turn them into mines, clear cut the timber, turn them into expensive country clubs, or amusement parks. If we value our wilderness, we must continually be vigilant in their protection.

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California’s Water Nazis

swatzika

What’s Up With That?

sein_soup_nazi

Remember the Soup Nazi in the TV series, Seinfeld? Well, we have a new soup Nazi today. It is the Water Nazis and their chant is “No water for you today.”

Unless you are an ostrich with your head in the ground, you probably know that California is in the midst of a severe long-term drought.

In Palms Springs, California and other cities you can now be a water-Nazi, or now the politically correct term, Water Watchdog.

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