For decades there has been this “rule of thumb” circulating in backpacking circles that one pound of weight on the foot is equivalent to carrying five pounds on the back.
This statement begs several questions:
Let’s explore these questions and more.
Continue reading Backpacking: Does 1 Pound on Your Feet Equal 5 Pounds on Your Back?
Last week we returned home from a two-week trip to visit family in Georgia. In the middle of this visit we rented a Mercedes Benz 15-seat passenger Sprinter van with a high roof and a diesel engine. Tall vehicles suffer on mileage due to the additional wind resistance, which sparked my curiosity as to what the fuel consumption (miles per gallon) would be.
We rented the van to make a trip from Atlanta, Georgia to Orlando and then St. Petersburg, Florida. Over 1,000 miles of freeway driving and a couple hundred of city driving. I was somewhat surprised to see our mileage was right at 23 MPG. This was on the dash trip computer and and verified by some old fashioned math on my part.
It got me thinking about the decision I made back in 2020 when we bought our Ford F-250 Super Duty truck, primarily for camping and hauling the occasional heavy or bulky items. At the time I did my research and decided to buy a new truck with a gasoline engine, not a diesel. Today I stand by that decision — it was the best option for us. But for some folks a diesel engine is a better choice.
This article will review the pros and cons of both diesel and gasoline engines in tow vehicles. At the end of this post is included a 100,000 mile cost analysis of the Ford F-250 diesel (6.7L Power Stroke HO) vs gas (7.3L Godzilla). Keep in mind there is no “best” option, only the best option for each individual situation.
It’s been 4 years since the last update to our towing mileage statistics. We have a lot of data (miles) now, and the mileage has been very consistent on every camping trip.
Continue reading 2020 Ford F-250 7.3L “Godzilla” Gas Engine Towing MPG Update 09/20/2025
I’ve hated Barney and what he stood for ever since he first appeared on television in 1992 on the show Barney and Friends. My kids, who were 5 and 7 at the time, loved him. Worse than that, they were constantly singing the Barney song, I love you, you love me . . .
Fortunately in the early ’90s the Internet and the World Wide Web became a thing. Thus, began the backlash against Barney. A new song, I hate you, you hate me . . . a Barney spoof became popular. There was even a Barney hate group: the I Hate Barney Secret Society, which was part of a broader cultural movement of “Barney bashing,” a phenomenon that included college events and online platforms dedicated to disparaging the character.
And there we have it: in the ’90s you could love or hate Barney without fear. There were a lot of things (including people) we could hate or love without fear.
Today, in 2025, all of this has me worried. I might be at risk of arrest or even more serious consequences for engaging in “hate speech” by sharing the fact that I hate the purple dinosaur named Barney.
I installed the Samlex 2000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter in our camper 12 years ago. Other than having to turn it on when camping, it has been one of those “out of sight, out of mind” things in life. In other words — it just works as designed — I give little thought to it.
Our Samlex inverter is a model PST-2000-12. It is an industrial grade piece of equipment that has been bolted to the floor of our Milan travel trailer in the front storage compartment. It has withstood the rigors of 29,820 miles of towing, quite often over dusty and bumpy dirt roads.
The Samlex PST-2000-12 stands out as a premium, reliable, and efficient inverter. It’s especially well-suited for applications where power cleanliness, safety, and ruggedness matter — like mobile workshops, solar off-grid systems, or mission-critical backup setups. While it’s priced at a premium, its durability, certifications, and performance justify the investment for users needing dependable and clean AC power.
Continue reading Samlex 2000 Watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter: Long Term Review