The “Top Ten Lists” – Can You Trust Them?

Backpacking Gear, Camping, Hiking, Shelters, Tents, , , , , , ,

It sounds counter intuitive, but I spend much less time on the Internet since I retired, even though all my time is free time, that is, I can do whatever I like, as long as Joyce is happy. I keep myself busy around the house with many tasks, plus we camp more often, not to mention my time spent backpacking.

One thing I am seeing more and more on the Internet are Top Ten Lists for all kinds of consumer goods. Given a good portion of my readers are backpackers, this begs the question, “Can you trust these reviews?” The short, quick answer is, “No.” If it is, “No,” then where can one find good quality trusted reviews?

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Andersen Camper Levelers — 2 Year Review

Camper Upgrades

Normally I don’t like to do short-term reviews because there are just three important criteria:

  1. Does the product work as it should or is advertised
  2. Is the price consummate with the perceived value
  3. Is the product durable

Seems to me that 10 years of use is a good point to do a real review. In this case, Andersen offers a lifetime guarantee, so as long they don’t go out of business or discontinue the product, durability isn’t a concern for me. At this point in time, after two years of use, I don’t see a durability issue.

I really don’t like to use the term “best” when describing products, but the Andersen Camper Levelers are the best trailer leveler I have used, and I’ve used a few over the decades. Additionally, I’ll state it is one of the best camper products I’ve ever purchased based on my criteria list.

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Inflatable Boat Hull ID Plate Solution

Inflatable Boat
The original hull ID plate on a plastic board I made back in 2004, which was clipped to the grab robe. (By the way, astute readers will notice that this board belongs on the other side of the boat)

I’m in maintenance mode around the house. One thing that has been problematic from the time we bought our boat about 15 years ago is a solution for attaching the Hull ID number to our boat. Even though our boat is only 10 feet 2 inches in length and many folks would consider it almost a toy, we have to register it and identify the hull ID along with the current registration tag. ANY boat in California that is not solely powered by oars or paddles must be registered, and of course, registration means you have to pay a FEE to the government. My old solution, numbers painted on a plastic board hung from the grab robe, was technically illegal.

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Why I Replaced a Perfectly Good Water Pump – Hope You Avoid the Same Mistake

Camping

Just got back from a camping trip.

We left early on a Sunday morning. On Saturday afternoon, as I always do before a trip, I filled our fresh water tank and then ran the hot and cold water to purge any air, and to fill the water heater so when it is turned on there is no damage done by trying to heat an empty tank.

When I turned on the water pump it was extremely noisy and then it quit pumping water. Crap.

On our last few trips, the pump was louder than normal, but then I was wearing my new hearing aids, so I had not been concerned now that I can hear well.

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How the People’s Republic of California Almost Ruined My Christmas

The Environment, What's Up With That?

What’s Up With That?

It started out quite innocently. Joyce asked me what I wanted for my birthday. This is an annual exercise for Father’s Day, my birthday, and Christmas. Joyce asks what I want, and I reply, “Nothing.”

You see, I have everything I need. Not a lot of stuff, since what I need is limited. I have my library of books, backpacking and camping gear. I don’t need anything else, and I don’t need any new books or gear. My life is “dialed in.” 

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Preventing Blisters with Leukotape: a 10+ year review

Backpacking, Backpacking Gear, Hiking

A common ailment for hikers are foot blisters, and I would imagine more backpacking trips are cut short due to blisters than any other cause. 

Typically I want to use a product for at least 10 years before recommending it. Leukotape not only meets this standard but it is an amazing product – the best I have ever used for preventing and treating blisters.

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Type 2 Fun in the Yolla Bolly Wilderness

Backpack Trip Report,

According to this article at REI, “Type 2 fun is miserable while it’s happening, but fun in retrospect.”

At the end of October I did a 5-day backpacking trip with my friend Peter Vacco. Unfortunately our 3rd hiking partner, Doug, had to cancel at the last moment to attend to a family matter. He may be glad he had to miss the trip after all, because Day 3 of this trip was definitely Type 2 fun.

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