Mountain Safety Research (MSR) WindPro II remote canister stove
Canister stoves are the most popular type of backpacking stoves these days. These stoves, often called “gas” stoves, have two advantages over “liquid” stoves (i.e. Svea 123, MSR WhisperLite, etc.): They are lightweight and incredibly easy to operate.
However, most suffer several deficiencies:
Work poorly in windy conditions
Some have inadequate pot supports
Some have precarious base support
Most work poorly or don’t work at all when the ambient temperatures drop below 30° F
The MSR WindPro II solves all these problems. Mitigating the above issues, one might think this is the perfect backpacking stove. Well, maybe. This post will take a journey past to see the evolution of canister stoves, and how they work to help you choose a canister stove if you are in the market to purchase one. Continue reading MSR WindPro II Stove: 10 Year Review→
The Svea 123 is probably the most reliable backpacking stove ever made. It is by far my favorite stove. It doesn’t do any one thing particularly well, but it ALWAYS works. Mine has worked flawlessly for 48 years.
The Svea 123 is an industrial work of art. It is aesthetically pleasing. Made of brass, over a period of time it develops a nice patina. However, as I stated, it doesn’t do any one thing particularly well.
The past year I have been using the WhisperLite more and more; to the point I recently bought a new version of the WhisperLite. In this post I’ll review the features and benefits of the WhisperLite and compare the original version to the newest offering. Continue reading MSR WhisperLite Stove: 35 Year Review→
Joyce and I built this retaining wall in 2007 and it hasn’t moved an inch.
Most of us are sheltered in our homes due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now might be a good time to plan your next project, whether it be a bathroom remodel, making your own backpack or sleeping bag, or even just painting a room. I’ll share some tips on planning big projects, which of course, can be applied to almost any task.
I have often written that a piece of gear ought to be tested for at least 10 years before doing an in-depth product review. Unfortunately a lot of gear these days is discontinued in just a few years, so there might not be a compelling reason to discuss gear that is no longer made. The Svea has been produced since 1955 and is still sold today.
The Svea 123 is probably the most reliable backpacking stove ever made. It is by far my favorite stove. It doesn’t do any one thing particularly well, but it ALWAYS works. Mine has worked flawlessly for 48 years. Continue reading Svea 123 Backpacking Stove: 48 Year Review→
Recently I wrote about how we got the most money for our “trade-in” by selling it to CarMax. That post explained the condition of vehicles in determining the wholesale value, and that our 2012 Ford Expedition was excellent in all categories. Part of the reason is I had installed mud guards (a.k.a. mud flaps or splash guards) to help protect against damage from stones, pebbles, gravel, and other flying debris. Having been 100% satisfied with our Husky Liners Mud Guards, I ordered a set for out 2020 F-250 Super Duty truck. Continue reading Husky Liners Mud Guards – Long Term Review→
About a week ago I went with Joyce to the grocery market, which I rarely do. I hate going to the market because it is so cold inside, plus I go bonkers when people are in the express lane with twice as many items as are supposedly allowed. We have plenty of food and staples at home. Since we both have been through a couple devastating earthquakes, we keep enough stuff at home to get us through at least a couple of weeks of isolation.
Joyce likes to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.
I had read about the panic buying, but was surprised how bare the shelves were after a couple of weeks of public shaming of the panic stricken people who swarm the stores. There was no bread, no canned goods, no cereal, no rice or beans. Not a problem for us. However a big problem for those who need these necessities.
Reflecting on this and the coronavirus, it should be obvious that larges segments of the population lack courage. I want to discuss courage in this post – what it is – and more importantly how we should think and act in this difficult time. If you are expecting I will tell you what to do, this isn’t a post for you. If you want to reflect on how you should live your life, you might find this of interest, or even valuable. Continue reading Courage in the Time of Coronavirus→
Regular readers of this blog know I hate to go to a brick and mortar store to buy anything, preferring to do all my shopping online. Online purchases can save a lot of time, money, and gasoline. My first choice for online shopping is Amazon. Amazon is quick, easy, and almost always accurate. But Amazon isn’t always the best. What follows are a three sites I use and how I use them. Continue reading Online Tools for Buying Automotive Parts & Accessories→
A few days ago I wrote about the new Ford F-250 truck we were considering purchasing this summer. Right about this time, Ford, GM, and Chrysler shut down all their U.S. manufacturing plants.
Joyce decided we should go ahead and get a truck now because she felt California would soon issue a “stay-in-place” order. With all these uncertainties, especially a stay-in-place order would probably stop all the sales of new cars and trucks, there is a good chance prices would go up once things settled down – definitely prices are not going to go down in the near future. So we went ahead and bought one last Wednesday, a few hours before the governor announced California would implement a stay-in-place order the following day for at least a month.
Today you cannot buy a new vehicle in the state of California.
During my research there wasn’t any good information on the new Super Duty 7.3L gas engine, especially the miles per gallon when towing a trailer. My plan is to start providing feedback on this metric. But first, we need to accumulate 1,000 miles to break in the engine, before we can tow anything. In this post I’ll share some my first impressions of the truck.
I’ll cut to the chase if you just want to know non-towing mpg so far. At the 386 mile mark on the odometer, with combined city and freeway driving (mostly freeway and remote two lane highways) we averaged 14.9 mpg, verified with the actual number of gallons we used (not the fuel average calculator on the dash). I was hoping for 14-15 mpg. During this driving we kept the truck at the legal speed limit. 65 or 70 mph on freeways, 55 or 65 mph on two lane highways.
This post will not be a review, but some first thoughts.
