The other day I was doing some research on the Internet and came across a website that was raffling off some backpacking gear. Now, I don’t know why the owner was giving away gear, it was a personal website, not a business. And curiously, it you went to the owner’s Facebook page and clicked the “Like” button; you would get an extra 4 chances to win the raffle.
“At this point they came in sight of thirty forty windmills that there are on plain, and as soon as Don Quixote saw them he said to his squire, “Fortune is arranging matters for us better than we could have shaped our desires ourselves, for look there, friend Sancho Panza, where thirty or more monstrous giants present themselves, all of whom I mean to engage in battle and slay, and with whose spoils we shall begin to make our fortunes; for this is righteous warfare, and it is God’s good service to sweep so evil a breed from off the face of the earth.”
The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, by Miguel de Cervantes
Continue reading LET’S BLAME OUR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS FOR TODAY’S PROBLEMS
What’s Up With That?
I must start by saying I usually hike alone. And by hiking alone, I mean going to places where I do not expect to see other people. That is a prime consideration for most of my trips. Now, I do not want to give the impression that by doing a lot of solo hiking I am especially brave or skilled. When you break it down, backpacking is just walking with your house on your back. Sure you need some skills, but it is not a big deal. Lots of people backpack. Mankind has been hiking since the dawn of time. It is nothing special – other than knowing when and how to avoid trouble.
It amazes me how many people hike with smart phones, or cell phones in general. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not anti-technology. I use my iPhone for business a lot. I travel and manage a field force of consultants with my smart phone. I check schedules, read reports, handle email, sync with my laptop, read books, listen to music, pay bills, and do a myriad of other tasks with my phone. I even talk to people on my phone. But I abhor and don’t utilize the “texting” function. I also keep it synced with my iPad. The smart phone allows me to be more productive when I am working. Continue reading Backpacking with a Smart Phone: Multi-Tool or Anchor?