Have you ever noticed that hot dog buns come in packages of 8 and hot dogs usually come in packages of 10? So if you want to buy an equal amount of buns and hot dogs you need to buy 5 packages of buns and 4 packages of hot dogs. That’s 40 hotdogs! Do the math – there is no smaller combination. Continue reading Camping and the Hot Dog Conundrum
Back in October I saw that it had already happened at Lake Mead Recreational Area, one of the National Park Service (NPS) units. Instead of posting a rant about this technology on my return home, it seemed prudent to give it some thought and wrap my mind around a subject that twenty years ago I knew was probably going to happen. Sometimes it is best to let thoughts stew for a while in the brain, before dishing out opinions.
I normally don’t write about politics here. However, this subject needs attention.
There has been much conversation about the violent protest last month, and criticism of President Trump for what he didn’t say, and then what he did say. The criticism keeps coming back to the point that many Americans and most of the media/press think the office of the president is the moral authority of our country.
Continue reading Is The President of the United States The Moral Authority of America?
This post isn’t a condemnation of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), but a caution that all USGS Topo maps aren’t created equal. In fact, I think the USGS is one of the very few worthwhile government services. So let’s take a look at some of the inconsistencies of these topo maps that might cause problems for those walking in wild areas.
Continue reading The Inconsistencies of USGS Topo Maps: WTF?
There are 4 months left in the year and I am beginning to see articles about The Best Backpacking Gear of 2017 and My Favorite Backpacking Gear of 2017 on the Internet. I don’t read these kinds of things any more because the “new” gear is generally no better or lighter than the 2016 lists of stuff, 2015 lists, 2010 lists, or even marginally lighter or better than gear that was sold 40 years ago in 1977.
There is one piece of equipment I recently saw that has some promise, but I didn’t read about it in one of those “best” or “favorite” gear articles.
Continue reading UL Backpacking and the Coming Financial & Environmental Crises