The Permanent Portfolio, Investing, Finance and Random Thoughts.
Posts by craigr
Casio Pathfinder Solar Powered Compass and Altitude Watch Model PAG-240
03 weeks ago
The altimeter/barometer is really handy. Not only will this watch tell you elevation (including max, ascent and descent rates). But it has a graphing feature for the barometer so you can track high and low pressure systems moving in. In other words, you can see when storms are coming! It’s like a weather station on your wrist. I love this watch for outdoor use.
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Glissading Down Mount Saint Helens
0Ever slide down the side of a mountain on a huge snowpack? I did and it’s a blast! Here is my attempt at capturing the moment coming down Mount Saint Helens.
Here are some tips for you to safely glissade:
1) Don’t wear crampons when glissading. You’ll catch a spike and tumble out of control, break a leg or otherwise do really bad things to yourself.
2) Speaking of control, have your ice axe ready to self-arrest if you get into trouble.
3) Don’t go too fast. You need to make sure you won’t go into a crevasse, hit a rock or otherwise get injured.
4) Also you may rip the bottom of your pants out if you’re not careful. Some people will carry hard sheets of plastic to use when glissading.
5) Have fun!
Kydex vs Zytel vs Leather Sheaths in Freezing Temps Test
03 weeks ago
As a follow-up to my post about Kydex sheath problems, I decided to put a number of sheaths to the test. I simulated getting my knives wet (as I live in a very wet area) and then put them in the freezer to simulate freezing up overnight in a tent.
I tested sheaths the Fallkniven Zytel, ESEE Kydex, Bark River Kydex, Kellam Leather, Bark River Leather, etc.
In a nutshell from best to worst:
Best – Fallkniven Zytel
Second – Leather
Worst – Kydex
The Fallkniven Zytel was developed by people that live above the Arctic circle in Sweden so this did not come as any surprise. Their Fallkniven F1 is also the Swedish Air Force survival knife so obviously the military tested it as well. The leather sheaths did OK within reason. The Kydex sheaths? The ESEE was OK however the Bark River and brand-I-will-not-name version froze up. I have never really been happy with any Kydex sheath for many reasons beyond this and I just try to avoid them now.
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Katadyn Mini Water Pump Filter Review
03 weeks ago
For many years I carried this neat compact water filter from Katadyn. At about 10 ozs. it was the lightest thing going and was OK for solo use (it would be too slow for more than one person though). I really like this little guy and think you would too if you want a pump.
Admittedly today I’m using the GravityWorks Water Filter instead or Aqua Mira if I really want to save weight. However this pump is probably one of the more rugged and definitely the most compact of the ones I’ve used. The ceramic filter is also easy to clean in the field and lasts for thousands of gallons.
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Emergency Fire Mythology
03 weeks ago
I read a lot of stuff about people that think if they get into an emergency outside and need to warm up they will just whip up a fire. Many will even will claim that they can start a fire anywhere, anytime, no matter what. Well I’m mortal and spend a bit of time outdoors and I’ll admit that that sometimes I’ve been in conditions so bad that there was no way anyone was starting a fire.
In this video I just talk about the realities of starting a fire in an emergency. The takeaway is this: If a hiker doesn’t bring enough clothing with them to survive overnight in the coldest temps they’re expecting, then they’ve seriously screwed up. Good clothing is a hiker’s #1 piece of survival gear, not their fire skills and Rambo knife!
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