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Let’s talk about why cheap LED candles from Amazon were my power outage MVP.
Start with a charged phone with things like Apple Pay, and stored credit card numbers. Then add underwear.
When I posted about how I feel people think incorrectly about Bug Out Bags, I knew I was going to have to detail out my thoughts on more. I am reluctant to do this, as a bag like this should be highly customized to: where you live, what you know how to do/use, where you might go, what your plan is, and all that other good stuff. But, I also know it is hard to conceptualize a bag like this without actually seeing examples. So, at the end of this post I am going to detail how I have my emergency bags setup — for my entire household. It might be tempting to skip over the top and just get to the bag contents, but by doing so you’ll miss my tips on how to prepare a kit like this for yourself.
In other words: buckle up, get some coffee, this is going to be long — this is a guide, not a review.
The pandemic has broken many things for me, from shopping to news.
Reminders is a truly great app, and really all most of us need.
During the week of Thanksgiving 2020 I upended my task management life and moved away from Things (which I have been using for a while) and moved all in with Reminders.app. At the time, I had been finding more and more friction in my life with any app I chose that is not a system level app (this is same reason I prefer Notes) and so I moved to Reminders for a very simple, and silly reason:
Telling Siri “Remind me about THIS on DATE.”
That string is so powerful. I can, by triggering Siri, have my Reminder link to an email or a web page I want to be reminded of at some future date, or future date and time. This means I can stop storing stuff in my mail inbox and place it where I need it: Reminders.
How to keep your knives sharp for a really long time, without breaking the bank.
For quite some time, I have advocated either waterstones, or the Spyderco Sharpmaker for sharpening your knives. It was the exact setup I used, and it was only recently that I realized there was something much better which is still cost effective out there. This is that story…
It’s 2021, and if you want to know what makes for a state of the art iOS app, CARROT fucking weather is that app.
This is the best backpack released in 2020, and a really compelling offering for everyday, and travel.
Note: this bag was provided at no cost for review by Tom Bihn.
I first wrote about this bag here, in a preview and I have continued to test and play with the bag since then. The Shadow Guide 23 is a really good bag, and one which I think will excel for both the light travelers, weekend adventurers, and office going crowds. It is a strong contender for being one of the most versatile bags you can own.
I am not qualified to say these things are the best, but I sure do like them.
I am listing this stuff in this post because I don’t have the qualifications to actually review this stuff, and the breadth to know how it compares to others in the same category, but dang do I love these things. So here goes:
Privacy is at the heart of everything, because computers make exploiting things really easy.
Working from home should not be painful and sad. Here’s some stuff to buy away that pain and sadness. Well, some of it at least.
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.
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. You must be a member to read the rest of this article. (Already a member? Log In.)
You can find the distance of something using a string and a plastic card, no batteries needed. Crazy, right? I’m told it’s actually ‘math’.
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.
It looks stellar, but functions poorly.
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.
Our homes have terrible ventilation, and so you should consider a fan. Also, remember when social networks only grew a backbone after it was clear Trump was leaving office?
Edge Pro Apex. Enough said, nothing else you need. Done.
Edge Pro Apex. Enough said, nothing else you need. Done.
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…
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:
From what I have heard of the smaller models, this bag is killer. Mine comes next week. I can’t wait.
This is one really clever and well designed sling, I love it.
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.
I left Twitter, and found a tripod desk which looks cool.
So I have one place to send people to, here’s what I know, and what I suggest. You’ll probably hate it.
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.
Screen Time is a screen which shows you pointless information, and yet some people have made a business out of telling you how what you see there is bad, and what you should instead try to see. I can’t.