@SpiderLegs
In aviation the same joke is:

Q: How to you make a small fortune in aviation?
A: Start with a large one.

I've lost 3/4 of an inch height over the past two years, with a 1/4 inch loss in the past 3 months. All in my spine as discs compress. (Despite hanging from a bar and decompressing every other day.) It would be worse if I were female. My 90 year old friend has lost 2 and a half inches over the past ...

@xsproutx I've been working harder at staying hydrated. (Some Naturopathic doctors on the radio that I listen to say "If you're feeling thirsty, you're already dehydrated.) As I said above, I don't eat much nowadays is it is. But during my few outings, I tend to lose my appetite. (I've hypothe...

As I think about it more, it might not have anything to do with adrenaline for me. A long time ago I could an entire pizza myself. Nowadays, half a pizza it almost too much. Sr. portions, I guess.

Speaking of two servings, often I can only eat one serving at the time. (Stomach in knots, perhaps all the adrenalin/cortisol built up from the excitement of planning a trip?) So I take a Mylar bag along. (Or a used thick plastic bag that my chew sausages came in. Both seal well.) I shake the two se...

My Cloudline socks arrived today. (Very fast delivery from ordering, unlike Darn Tough.) I bought them on a July 4 Sale, 25% off. Now there's 30% off. PM me if you want the Discount Code. The Cloudline Apparel person said that their Light Cushioned Hiking Crew socks would be the closet match to my D...

Chlorine Dioxide (which is what AquaMira produces) is used not only to disinfect water. It is also used, among other things, as a deodorizer, often used to deodorize rooms. But it will also deodorize clothing. The only caveat is that you can't use it (or shouldn't use it) if your clothing has metal ...

A couple thoughts: 1) For preparing your meal, I thought that I was the first to come up with this idea. You can use the footwell of your sleeping bag/quilt, or use your puffy jacket as a Koozie when you rehydrate your meal. Makes a BIG difference in texture of meat and noodles. Then I saw an Influe...

@LindaAnn
Tnx. Never heard of them but am checking the link now.

Thanks for the confirmation and for the tip. When I first started buying backpacking stuff (in 2019) I didn't know anything about anything, including all the variation in socks. Thick/Thin, Cushion/No, wool/synthetic, which is best? I initially bought a thickish pair of another brand's socks, but ne...

I have had two pair of Darn Tough socks, one pair since 2019, and its replacement style since 2023. The oldest pair developed a small hole (near the ankle) in one sock, which is usually what triggers most people to think about replacing their socks. The other doesn't have any holes, but has noticeab...

I'm about to send in two pair of Darn Tough socks for (free) replacement. (I think that I have to pay postage both ways. Certainly to them.) Since I didn't want to be without hiking socks for my training hikes, I just bought a third pair of the same model directly from Darn Tough. I was a bit disapp...

@CannondaleKid When I was a teen, I could hear the 15KHz flyback transformer in CRT TV sets. That stopped in college. Held okay until the last year or two, despite my early years of flying without ear protection. FWIW, the hearing aid works fantastically well, especially for an OTC type. Last month...

"A 72-year-old man from Green Valley is recovering after a rattlesnake bit him on both ankles while walking in the dark near his home." "The man was walking along the roadway when he felt sudden bites on each ankle, accompanied by the sound of a rattlesnake's rattle." In additio...

@big_load Agreed. As for fit: I've been using my Baltoro for a couple years now on my "adventures" but only this year did I fully understand how to tweak it to work with my body. (I printed a 3D spacer to compensate for one of my shoulders being 1/2" lower than the other.) Good write...

An update to my review of the 2025 Gregory Paragon 60: Before sending it back, I decided to try backpacking with it today, for an hour, with my actual loadout for a normal backpack trip. (30+ lbs.) (I printed a 3D bottle holder to mitigate the fatal flaw with the Paragon's pocket.) I initially wrote...

I just received my 2025 Paragon 60 (M/L) today, an "upgrade" from a 2019 Baltoro 65. I was excited and planning to write a full review. But I haven't even taken it out for a test. it's going back immediately. I like that it's more comfortable (back mesh) [NOT - see my update below], breath...

Dixie Wanderlust is her channel.

A popular Influencer (who is trying to Thru-Hike the AZT late, and trying to take care of her 6 mo old baby along the way via zeros) posted a video the other day about her encounter with a rabid skunk and a rabid fox at the 150-ish mile mark. Here's Game & Fish about it. Two other recent hits ab...