Senior Moments – Declining Eyesight (or how I returned my vision to normal)

Backpacking Gear, Senior Moments, , ,

A question that gets asked often in backpacking circles is, “How do I deal with my glasses/contacts on backpacking trips?” It’s a great question, especially for those who are new to backpacking or those who just got their first pair of glasses or contact lenses. 

The bad news is there isn’t a good answer. This is one of those things you just have to figure out for yourself. 

In this post, I’ll share my personal experiences. Probably best if you don’t expect an “ah ha” moment. On the other hand, I might share something you haven’t thought about or tried. For those who don’t need vision correction, you might want to read this anyway because the odds are you will need vision correction in the future.

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The Daylight Savings Time Conundrum

What's Up With That?

What’s Up With That?

A few days ago I had to drive to the hardware store. On the way, my phone rang. When I am driving I ignore the phone. IF the call is important, I can deal with it later. If it isn’t important, then I didn’t waste my time.

I went into the store, pick up the item I needed, and then walked around looking at a couple of things which might work for my next project. When I got back to my car, seeing my phone laying on the console, I remembered someone had called. Looking at the “Recents” list, I noticed the time on my phone was exactly one hour ahead of the car’s clock. Aha, we must have recently sprung forward; that is, we must have switched to Daylight Savings Time. What a pain… as I racked my brain trying to figure out how to change the vehicle’s clock. Ah, hell, just leave it. I don’t need to know what time it is anyway; a benefit of being retired.

It then occurred to me that almost everyone I know prefers to stay on Daylight Savings Time all year, and I bet most people in the US concur. So why don’t we?

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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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