In an era of ultralight gear and high-tech fabrics, one of the most useful pieces of backpacking equipment remains remarkably simple: the ordinary cotton bandana. Cheap, lightweight, and endlessly versatile, a bandana earns its place in any pack by serving dozens of functions—often when you least expect it. For backpackers who value multifunctional gear, a cotton bandana is hard to beat.
Continue reading The Cotton Bandana: One of the Best Backpacking Gear Items Ever!
It is extremely important that the tongue weight of your trailer is within the specifications of the tow vehicle manufacturer and the trailer manufacturer. Almost all specifiy that the tongue weight should be between 10% — 15% of the trailer’s gross weight. In addition you should not try to tow a trailer that exceeds to the total gross weight specified by the tow vehicle manufacturer and the trailer manufacturer.
In this post I’ll discuss why you should follow the tow vehicle manufacturer’s specifications, how to use the Sherline Tongue Weight Scale and why I recommend it.
Continue reading Sherline Trailer Tongue Weight Scale: Long Term Review
Yesterday I wrote about what to do in an encounter with a mountain lion. A lot of what I wrote applies to bears. But not all of it. Plus there are three kinds of bears in North America that can be encountered: black bears, brown bears (grizzly bears) and, if you are half-crazy like my very dear friend Peter, polar bears.
Each kind is different is several respects and encounters often need different strategies.
Continue reading Book Review: Bear Attacks — Their Causes and Avoidance, by Stephen Herrero
There are a few questions people, who don’t backpack, often ask me. For one, most ask, “How many miles did you hike?” In a way, this is kind of amusing to me as I wrote in How many miles did you hike? To be fair to those who ask the question, it is a part of our nature and intelligence to quantify things around us — something that separates us from all other creatures on the planet.
The other question I get is, “What about mountain lions?” Then a series of “what-if kind of questions.” Often bears or rattlesnakes are substituted for mountain lions.
So let’s examine what one should do if they encounter a mountain lion on a backpacking trip or even a day hike.
Continue reading What To Do If You Encounter A Mountain Lion While Hiking?
In the news . . .
From the Wall Street Journal (Dec 15 2025):
Ford Motor said Monday it expected to take about $19.5 billion in charges, mainly tied to its electric-vehicle business, a massive hit as the automaker retrenches in the face of sinking EV demand.
Ford, which has lost $13 billion on its EV business since 2023, said it would bolster its lineup of gas-powered vehicles while shifting to hybrid and so-called extended-range electric vehicles that include onboard gasoline engines.
I warned my readers 3 years ago.