Month: January 2021

  • Working From Home: The Gear That Actually Helps

    In the past, I worked from home for almost 5 years, then back to the office I went — and like everyone else I found myself back home with little other choice to be had. Since I never planned to work from home again, I needed to rediscover a whole bunch of stuff to make my setup function well and to set up a comfortable and productive space. Even with a head start on knowing what I might need/want, I still needed to get it all together again and in place.

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  • Member Journal — 1/25/21

    This week: upgrading our masks; Rucker 3.0 25L first impressions; dropping some bed knowledge for you to sleep on; and my at home EDC.

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  • Wndsn High-Viz Quadrant Telemeter

    Note: this item was provided at no cost for review.

    Wndsn XPD has been making these neat Quadrant Telemeters for a while now. To be honest, they are one of those items I have been aware of, but confused by. What are they for?

    So when Wndsn asked if I would like to try one out, I jumped at the chance to get my hands on one. I, you see, am not someone trained in astrology, astronomy, navigation, or really math. So, as a pretty basic guy who is interested in cool stuff, this little card both baffles me and intrigues me.

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  • Topo Designs Mini Quick Pack

    I picked up this tiny sling from Topo Designs while it was on sale for a mere $30. At 2.5L this is about as small as you can reasonably go, while still holding everything you generally want to carry. But, while simple, I didn’t expect it to be as odd as it is.

    Overall, I’d pass on this one, but allow me to explain why.

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  • Member Journal — 1/18/21

    This week: newsletters are blogs; ban hammer blowback; CO2; cocktails; dealz.

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  • The Wirecutter Missed AGAIN: Ignore their Best Knife Sharpeners

    Edge Pro Apex. Enough said, nothing else you need. Done.

  • GORUCK Rucker 3.0 25L Launched

    GORUCK has released the Rucker 3.0 in the 25L configuration (finally). I picked one up in Coyote Brown right away. There’s a ton new about this bag so the short run down of the 25L:

    • New Lumbar Support
    • New fabric against your body to be more comfortable
    • Two ruck plate pockets to hold up to 65lbs
    • Integrated reflective stripe so you don’t get murdered by cars, well at least not without being seen I guess. Anyways.

    From what I have heard of the smaller models, this bag is killer. Mine comes next week. I can’t wait.

  • Code of Bell X-Pod Sling Pack (S)

    When Code of Bell came out, their first bag was a large cross the back sling. It looked cool, the strap setup and bad ass pictures. I don’t know any bag nerd who looked at the pictures and felt like it would be a bad bag. And yet, I loathe cross the back bags like that. One strap is not better that two, it is worse in almost every way.

    But, given my obsession with finding a good sling to use as my purse, I knew I needed to get a Code of Bell bag, specifically the small Sling Pack called X-Pod. It is essentially the larger bag, shrunk down to a much more manageable size. I have had this bag for a while now, and since it is topping the price scales compared to the other slings I have reviewed thus far, I took more time putting this together.

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  • Member Journal — 1/11/21

    This week: why I left Twitter; Signal; work stuff on personal devices; top tip; mass loaded vinyl; Morgrie; and tripod desk.

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  • Visiting Seattle and the Pacific Northwest — Before I Forget Everything

    Surprisingly, over a dozen people, from readers to coworkers, have asked me about the Pacific Northwest since I moved away. Specifically, along the lines of “I really want to visit/move there, can you give me some tips”. I used to keep a page for members on all my recommendations, but it is long gone. So I thought I would memorialize all my thoughts on the Pacific Northwest, with a bias towards the Seattle region, before I forget it all.

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  • Member Journal — 1/4/21

    This week: the reminders I get from taking time off; why people always blame phones for their distractions; odds and ends; and my quarantine bag of choice.

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