This is not a Product Review
I just bought a Katadyn BeFree Filter. It came with a 1.0 liter soft-sided water bottle.
Back in 2013 I wrote about water filters and how they weren’t on my radar as something to purchase. So why did I buy this thing? Am I compromising perceived convenience for more weight and more hassle? Or am I open to considering things that just make sense? Continue reading Katadyn BeFree Water Filter
Why would one want to polish a backpacking spoon?
For many years my favorite spoon was a Sea to Summit Alpha Long Handled Spoon. Made from anodized aluminum, it was perfect for eating meals from a freezer bag. Most of the time I “cook” my meals in a freezer bag (see Freezer Bag Cooking). Back in February I lost my spoon on the last day of a backpacking trip (the last meal of the day).
My friend, Doug, gave me a titanium long handle spoon, which was identical in size and shape as the one I lost. Both the anodized aluminum and the titanium spoon had one quality that about drove me nuts. Continue reading How to Polish a Titanium Backpacking Spoon
A year ago I introduced these shoes in this post. I really wanted to “love” them. Continue reading Furoshiki Shoes: 1 Year Review
It’s big news today. Countries are hacking into sensitive websites, some media outlets publishing fake news stories, trolls on social media trying to influencing elections and generating discord among the populace. The liberals and the conservatives both agreeing our way of life is at risk. And yet no one asks the question, “Why is it that people can be influenced so easily?” Why are people not skeptical of things they hear, see, or read? Why don’t people do a little research instead of just accepting someone’s opinion or fake news report? Perhaps the problem isn’t fake news or trolls.
Perhaps we have become our own worst enemies.
I was thinking about this when I realized that some of the popular posts on this blog reflect the same lack of skepticism or skepticism in the face of the facts. Continue reading Fake News, Internet Trolls, and PopUpBackpacker
That was I question I received from a friend who reads this blog. Further he mentioned that he had been told that nitrogen would:
I’m not a scientist but was once considered a tire industry expert before I retired. So we need to first look at the difference between compressed air and compressed nitrogen, and then recognize who is advocating nitrogen filled tires. We will also explore the answers to the bullet points above. Continue reading Should I Replace the Air in My Trailer & Tow Vehicle Tires with Nitrogen?
Recently I wrote about our Honda “EU” series generators for use in extremely hot weather to run our camper’s air conditioner. One thing I didn’t discuss in much detail was the limited fuel capacity their built-in gas tanks have. At the time I mentioned I would be purchasing an after-market extended run fuel tank. The generators barely had enough fuel capacity to run through the night, and had it been hotter or more humid they would have run out of fuel.
Disclaimer: Usually I include a disclaimer if I receive any commission from any links in a post. After researching tanks, I only found one that I was comfortable buying – that is, given my professional experience working with fuel systems, the one I bought was the only one I felt was safe. I paid the regular price, I don’t know the seller, and there is no financial benefit for me to review the product. I could have linked to some tanks that might generate income for me, but I am unwilling to do that.
This post will review the extended run fuel tank and accessories. Continue reading Extended Dual-Run Fuel Tank for Honda Generators
Ah, it’s a common malady for some campers. Running out of propane on a camping trip is truly inconvenient – especially if it happens during the middle of a cold night and your furnace quits running.
Most portable propane tanks usually don’t have gauges. If they do, they don’t work well – probably better to say they don’t work at all. So what is one to do? Continue reading “Are we out of propane, Again?”
I’ve been using these for 10 years, so we can call this a real gear review, based on extensive field use.
Over the past 10 years I’ve taken them on almost every backpacking trip I’ve done. On some trips they are the only bottles I use, especially when I need the absolutely lightest pack possible, as in the picture above.
Other times I bring them as extra water storage for my night camp, when I use Gatorade bottles for drinking water as I hike during the day. I recently wrote about this in this post where I will just roll up the Platypus soft bottles and store them in my pack where they take up little space. They Platypus bottles are light and durable, but they are far from perfect. Continue reading Platypus Soft Water Bottle: Ten Year Review
This is a 20+ Year Product Review
When I started backpacking there was no such thing as “specialized” water bottles. We just used canteens. At first heavy aluminum ones then these plastic ones below – all found at Army-Navy surplus stores for really cheap!
Today, we have so many specialized water bottles available to us, which is kind of crazy. Do we need to purchase hiking specific bottles just to walk, when we can get free ones?
If you do a search for “water bottles” on www.rei.com the result lists 222 items!
So which is “best?” If you do a Google search for “backpacking water bottles” many of the search links will include “best backpacking water bottles.”
Best is what works for you. For me, most of the time, best is a re-purposed (recycled) Gatorade bottle.
Continue reading The “Best” Water Bottle (backpacking & hiking) is Free
It has been almost five years since we bought our Milan 26RLS travel trailer. Hard for me to reconcile the fact that each year seems to accelerate faster and faster towards the end of the game. When we bought this trailer it replaced our 2006 Fleetwood Niagara that had been “totaled” by our insurance company when vandalizing thieves destroyed it.
That whole process meant we didn’t go camping all summer. Once we got our new Milan the first order of business was to install a solar system and other electrical upgrades prior to its maiden voyage. At the time I was working so there wasn’t a lot of time to shop for the needed materials and components. Fortunately the best deals are on the internet if you know what you really need. There is one exception: batteries. Since 6 volt deep cycle batteries weigh over 60 lbs. each, in 2013 shipping costs made the internet cost of lead-acid batteries prohibitive. Not having a lot of time, and no local retailers close by that sold Trojan brand batteries, I compromised and bought a pair of Exide 6 volt golf cart batteries. At best, at the time, I hoped they would last for 5 years. Continue reading When Should I Replace My RV Batteries: Testing and Ponderings