Back in 2018 I wrote that if I could only have one shelter it would be a MLD TrailStar. I still stand by that statement. This doesn’t mean the TrailStar is the best shelter — there is no best shelter — other than the one that keeps you warm and dry on a trip.
I’ve owned my TarpTent Scarp 1 for 15 years now. The Scarp 1 is built for serious conditions. It’s a 4 season tent. Much of the design is genius.
Continue reading Tarptent Scarp 1: My Favorite Shelter Of All Time
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