Open Letter to the Backpacking Cottage Industry

Backpacking Gear
08 McHale Pack smaller
McHale Bump Backpack. Dan McHale sets the standard for stellar customer service.

Last week I had dinner with a fellow lightweight backpacker. We were discussing gear (surprise, surprise) and our experiences with the cottage industry manufacturers. We both agreed that we no longer do business with the same companies because of their lack of communication and status updates. Both of us have purchased gear from most of the backpacking cottage companies, and we’re 100% in agreement on the companies we no longer wish to do business with. In all instances we agreed the products were top notch; we also agreed that your service sucks, and as such we are no longer willing to do business with you.

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Chaffing & Jock Itch

Backpacking, General Talk,

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I often hear or see hikers post questions asking for help in reducing “chafing” when walking. I never have this problem when hiking, but I did have a “chafing” problem for a period of about a month when I was in my 30’s. What I learned may be of help to others.

Note: I am not a doctor or medical professional so this is anecdotal and based only on my experience.

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Springtime = REI Dividend Time

Backpacking Gear, , , ,

rei dividend notice

Every spring many hikers, backpackers, campers, and others look forward to their REI dividend check. REI (Recreational Equipment Incorporated) is a co-op that operates retail stores and online sales. Founded in 1938, each year members receive a dividend based on their previous year’s purchases.

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Solar for Backpacking?

Backpacking Gear, Solar, , ,

Recently I wrote about our RV solar system, which is the best and most favorite modification done to our tent trailer camper. Do I use solar when backpacking? The answer is a simple, “No.” However, some backpackers find them useful. If you are one who is wondering about using solar as part of your backpacking kit, this article might be interesting or even helpful.

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Why walk (or hike, or backpack)?

Backpacking, Hiking, ,

evolutionLast fall I was visiting a client’s location in a small town in Pennsylvania. The weather was grayish and the temperature brisk, but it was the peak of the season’s autumn colors. The road in front of my client’s location look slowly rose to meet a small hill; a hill covered in multi-colored leaves. I asked a couple people how far it was to the top of the hill, “a mile or two,” was the consensus.

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The Hilton Alarm Clock

What's Up With That?

What’s Up With That?

IMG_0491When I travel, I normally prefer to stay in Hilton properties. One  unique feature about Hilton’s are their standard alarm clock. Easy to set alarms, buttons that have pre-programmed music by genre, automatic adjustment for daylight savings time, and backup battery to keep time in the event of a power failure and the inability to adjust the time.

By not having a “time set” the objective is to not allow housekeeping personnel or guests to change the time. The theory is that the time will never be wrong. Great idea; but often great theories don’t work in the real world. So if you want to learn how to set the time on a Hilton Alarm Clock, instructions follow.

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