Today is Groundhog Day. We desert dwellers do things much differently than most people, such as the ability to BBQ in t-shirts and shorts 365 days a year. We have a different perception of spring and couldn’t care less if Punxsutawney Phil can see his shadow on Groundhog Day. You might enjoy our version: Mojave Maxine.
Well, it’s just a product review. And these just happen to be the best damn lightweight backpacking shoes on the planet. How can I make such a claim? Continue reading Long Term (10 year) Product Review: Salomon XA Pro 3D Trail Running Shoes
Almost three years ago I wrote about the proposed land swap between the BLM and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (ACBCI), and why it was a bad deal for the public.
A couple days ago I received an email from the BLM with links to three documents. Having spent considerable time reading all of this, I think it is a good deal for the public and the tribe. Continue reading Update: BLM – Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Land Exchange
The biggest problem with travel trailers and RV’s is things rattle and move while traveling on the roads and things get worse if you are a person who is happy to drive on dirt roads to get to the best campsites. This vibration causes things to come loose and sometimes causes things to break. It is inevitable – not a question of probability, but when. Continue reading A History of Repairs to Our Milan Travel Trailer
Yesterday was not a great day. First, I was contacted by one of my gasoline credit card companies that unauthorized charges had been made. Not a huge deal, since I am not liable for these criminal activities, but it is a little inconvenient that I cannot use my card any longer and will have to wait 7-10 days until a new card arrives.
The second event, unrelated to the first, is my website was hacked by another criminal. I am sharing this and what I had to do, in hopes it may help others to avoid my experience.
Continue reading PopUpBackpacker — HACKED!!
I like Mountain House freeze-dried meals. I bet there are few people who have eaten as many of them as me, since they have been one of my backpacking staples for over 40 years.
Many people tell me they are bad for a person’s health and these same people doubt they taste good. Of course, these are opinions and more than likely are not based on any personal research or knowledge. So what is the verdict?
If you stop by my campsite (or home), I will probably offer you a glass of wine; to be exact, a glass of Gallo Family Cabernet Sauvignon. In the campground we usually have a glass in the late afternoon when we take Corky for a walk, and then cook dinner. The best part about these wines is that they can be had for $4.99 – $5.99 when they are on sale in the 1.5 liter size bottle. But I don’t buy them because of the price. I enjoy them.
For most people, myself included, the primary function of a compass is a simple “field check,” which is orienting the map to North using your compass and then visually associating the terrain to the map. Basically you know where you are, but you need to check details for such things as deciding if is best to hike to the left of a large rock outcropping or right when you are off trail or the trail has become too faint to follow.
Continue reading How to Orient Your Map Quickly With a Compass
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.
Ah, perpetual energy without solar panels or a generator!
Readers of this website normally can’t contact me, because there isn’t a “Comments” function, nor is there an “Email” button. But hey, this is the Internet Age, and it shouldn’t be too difficult to contact me if one really wants to. Then of course, it is more than likely I will ignore you. However, in this case, I recently received an interesting inquiry worth discussing.