2023-12-16

The FMP Cutting Board

I previously mentioned that I install Rhodia pads in my Field Message Pad backwards, such that the thick cardboard backing is on top. This way when I open the pad, the cardboard provides a surface for writing on the back of the pages, where otherwise I would be writing on top of the FMP cover’s tool slots and the stuff carried within them. This means the other side of the pad has a less firm backing. On a fresh pad this is not an issue, but can become one as pages are consumed and the thickness of the stack of remaining pages is reduced.

My latest innovation in Field Message Pad technology is the addition of a cutting board.

I keep a number of thin HDPE cutting boards on hand at home. I don’t use these in the kitchen, where I care about my knives, but as project mats. If I’m gluing something, or cutting material with a utility knife, I’ll throw one of these mats down to protect the work surface.

I traced a 4x6” square out on one of these, cut it out with a utility knife, and gave the 4 corners a few passes with a file. The resulting piece slides down the back slot of the FMP cover, behind the notebook. With this underneath, and the Rhodia’s cardboard backing on top, I have a firm writing surface from the first page of the notebook to the last, on both sides of the page.

Being able to take notes on a stable surface while standing up, with the FMP in one hand and a pen in the other, feels like a super power.

Also, I always have an A6-sized cutting board with me now. Perhaps for impromptu charcuterie.

2023-12-13

links

Link Log 2023-12-13

Ctrl+Alt Museum Photos

Strange Days In Cupertino

There Once Was an Empire

Randall’s Adventure & Training Land Navigation Presentation

Monster in Paradise (Gunship, 2023)

2023-12-08

bicycle, gear, edc, repair

Screwing, Redux

Since I outlined it in 2018, my EDC tool kit has not changed much. It is still based around the same titanium Fix It Sticks, and intended primarily as a vehicular repair kit.

It is still carried in the same cuben fiber packing cube from Mountain Laurel Designs (since discontinued and replaced by the otherwise equivalent Ultra X 100 Packing Cubes), though said cube is much worse for wear. Some of the smaller bits have poked a couple holes in the bottom of the pouch. I’ve patched this with Tenacious Tape on both the inside and the outside.

The bit selection has been augmented slightly. Installed in the Fix It Sticks are my most frequently used 1/4” drive bits.

Torx T20s
Torx T25s
Phillips #2
Hex 4mm

In the bit holder, I carry additional 1/4” drive bits.

Hex 1.5mm
Hex 2mm
Hex 2.5mm
Hex 3mm
Hex 5mm
Hex 5mm x 50mm
Hex 6mm
Hex 8mm
Torx T8s
Phillips #0
Slotted 0.6mm x 4.5mm
4mm MicroBit Adapter, holding a slotted 0.25mm x 1.5mm

Keen eyed readers will notice two 5mm hex bits. The longer, 50mm bit is needed to reach into my Gevenalle CX Shifters to adjust the mounting bolt. This longer bit can also be used to provide a turning tool to be used with my Pitlock key. (In 2018 I discussed using the longer Torx T25 bit for this. I now carry a standard length T25s, since I need the longer 5mm hex for the shifters.) My rear Phil Wood Touring Hub takes two 5mm wrenches to remove the end caps. Doing this allows the cassette to be removed from the wheel, providing easy access to repair a broken drive-side spoke without messing around with cassette removal tools.

Mini Knipex Cobra Pliers are only used infrequently, but are so useful when I do need them that I put up with their extra weight in the kit.

The Fix It Sticks tire levels and chain breaker still live in the kit, though I have been debating removing the chain breaker. It is compact but heavy, and it has been about 15 years since I last had an incident that required a chain breaker on the road. It would definitely be in the kit for any multi-day trips.

My Pitlock key is on a Flex-o-loc key ring. The ring also holds a spare KMC CL559R Missing Link, a Maratac Titanium Peanut Lighter, and a CountyComm Titanium Piccolo Capsule that holds two small security bolts.

A small cuben fiber zip pouch holds my patch kit and one FiberFix, including that little spoke wrench that comes with the FiberFix (annoying to use, yes, but agreeably small and light).

2023-12-05

gear, review

Tools for Floor Sitting

I get my zafus from Carolina Morning Designs. Originally I bought one of their crescent models. This is what I took on the 10-day meditation retreat I went on in 2006. Some years after that I bought one of their standard models, and gave away the crescent zafu. I regret this slightly. Between the two, I think the standard round shape is the one to have. But I have been thinking about buying a crescent model again so that I can have one of each.

As with head pillows, buckwheat hulls are my preferred filling for a zafu.

There are a few ways to sit on a zafu, but all of them involve floor contact with the knees, lower legs, and feet. On some floors this can be less than comfortable. The solution here is a zabuton, which is a larger rectangular pillow that goes underneath the zafu. I have a 25” x 31” zabuton from Carolina Morning Designs and a 23” x 25” linen zabuton from Etsy.

The Carolina Morning Designs zabuton is filled with kapok fibre. This is a soft and fluffy material, sort of like a blend between cotton and down. The linen zabuton is filled with buckwheat hulls. While I like buckwheat hulls for structural pillows, the zabuton is used purely for padding. Buckwheat has less of an advantage here. I like both, but I use my kapok zabuton more often.

For all my Carolina Morning Designs pillows, I purchase their removable covers. Cleaning furniture is much easier when you don’t have to go through the hassle of dumping the stuffing. I do not have a removable cover for the linen zabuton, and filling all its individual baffles with buckwheat hulls was an annoying process that I do not want to go through again, so it only gets spot-cleaned.

Sitting on a zafu utilizes core and back muscles. For times when you want to be especially lazy, a chair with a back is preferred. The best option I have found is the HIHIP Floor Chair. This is extremely comfortable. Unlike many floor chairs, it folds, and thus stores (somewhat) compactly. This is actually the only chair I use at home. All other sitting tools or either pillows or stools.

After trying a number of floor tables over the years, I’ve whittled my collection down to two. The Nnewvante Floor Table and the Cooper Desk Pro.

The Cooper Desk Pro is what I use most often. It provides a 23.5” x 17.7” surface, covered with a faux leather that feels pleasant and is easy to wipe clean. It is height adjustable, from 10” to 15”. When deployed, the legs angle out slightly, which allows my own legs to fit under the desk if I am sitting in the chair with my legs straight out. The table also tilts at a few preset angles, but I almost never use this feature.

The Nnewvante Floor Table is only slightly larger at 29.5” x 17.7”, but in use it feels much larger than the Cooper Desk. I rarely need the extra surface area, so I don’t pull this table out as often. It also is height adjustable, from 10” to 15”. Where the Cooper Desk has five preset height positions, this one allows you to stop the legs anywhere within the adjustable range. That sounds nice, but in practice means that you sometimes have to do a little back-and-forth to get both legs at the same height. Because of this I just leave the adjustment at whatever height I have found most useful and then never touch it again.

The Nnewvante Floor Table has their brand name engraved in the surface. I find this to be distasteful. Noticeable advertising does not belong on furniture. The Cooper Desk Pro does have their logo on the surface, but it is subtle enough that I rarely notice it.

2023-12-04

tea, micro

I use spice jars to store tea at work.

The Progressive Prepworks PKS-410 Spice ProKeeper come with a shaker screen, but that’s easy to pop out, leaving you with a nicely sized container with a good lid and a decent seal. Tea usually should be stored in an opaque container, but since these are kept in my desk drawer, I’m not too concerned about light.

2023-11-30

links

Link Log 2023-11-30

Hiking by Transit

Commonplace book

Saturn V Apollo Flight Configuration

Bike messenger bag and kit, Philly PA

on writing to exist, and website graveyards

The Lunar Library II (Astrobotic, 2023)

Dark All Day (Gunship, 2018)

2023-11-29

admin, micro, media

I met someone the other day who asked what my blog was about.

I was briefly stumped. I try not to be about. I replied “Well, I think the last few posts were about notebooks, opera glasses, tea, and bicycle mirrors.”

If I wasn’t me, I would be in to me.

2023-11-26

gear, review, writing, edc

FMP Load-Out

My Field Message Pad is currently loaded with:

Pilot Vanishing Point, Fine Nib with a Pilot CON-40 piston converter loaded with Noodler’s Blue-Black. This is my new favorite human input device, but I got mine on eBay for a little less than half list price. I’ve been trying the blue-black ink for a few weeks now, but will probably go back to Noodler’s Black.
rOtring 800 loaded with Pentel Ain Stein 0.5 mm HB lead. This is another thing I only own because I found one for less than half the list price. I carried a rOtring 600 in the FMP for years, but I always get stressed about the thin metal tip. The 800 could conceivably be temporarily moved to a pocket if the situation warrants, unlike the pokey 600. And the twist mechanism is fun to play with. Both rOtring pencils are pieces of industrial art, in the same category as Curta calculators, but realistically they are no more functional than the much cheaper Staedtler 925. Quality lead made me reevaluate my previous dislike of mechanical pencils.
Fisher Space Pen M4. Sometimes you need to write off-planet. In pen.
Zebra Onamae Mackee. I used to carry a Sharpie. Then I decided to check if the Japanese had invented a better Sharpie. It turns out the answer is yes, they have.
CountyComm Titanium 15CM Ruler. For many years I carried the General Tools 300/1, but mine became bowed. This is a titanium knock-off of the same. The matte finish makes it harder to read, but I use this more as a straight edge than a measuring device. The bowed-ness of the General Tools stainless version is annoying in that application. The titanium version has been in my kit for 3 years and so far it is still straight and flat.

A 14mm binder clip secures used pages, allowing the pad to quickly be flipped to a blank (or currently in progress) page.

I still primarily use the Rhodia A6 pads. I install them backwards, so that the cardboard backing is on top. This provides a writing surface to more easily utilize the back of the pages. Otherwise I’m writing on top of the FMP’s tool slots, which is annoying. (The thing the Canadians got right is to put heavy cardboard on both sides.)

When expecting inclement conditions, I drop the fountain pen and the Rhodia, and install a Rite in the Rain *46. But given my druthers, it’s all fountain pen all the time.

2023-11-25

gear, writing

The Mnemosyne Memo Pad

The Field Message Pad remains my primary writing setup. One of its strengths is the ability to switch between pads from Rite in the Rain and Rhodia.

The Field Memo Pad is a useful substitute for quick and short notes. I have multiple, which I keep stashed in different places and bags. But its weakness is that it is dependent upon the Rite in the Rain pad. When not outdoors, I like having the option of switching to normal (fountain pen friendly) paper.

I recently discovered the Maruman Mnemosyne N192A Twin Ring Memo Pad. They label this as B7, which ISO 216 defines as 3.5 x 4.9 inches. But in fact the N129A does not meet the standard. It is instead 3 x 5 inches. This is identical to the Rite in the Rain 135, making it a perfect substitute in this kit.

The paper in the N129A is lined, rather than graphed. This is unfortunate, but for my application I’m willing to overlook this imperfection.

In one of my kits I dropped a magnet down the back pocket. This pad now lives on my refrigerator, perfect for grocery lists and other kitchen related notes.

2023-10-21

gear, review

Zeiss Terra Operatic Optics

As a gentleman of class and culture, I frequent the opera. I usually cannot afford to sit in the front. Thus I need opera glasses.

Last year I purchased a pair of Zeiss Terra ED Pocket 8x25 binoculars, intended primarily for this application. I think these are an excellent pair of compact binoculars for general purpose use.

As with my camera and rando bag, I keep Peak Design Anchor attachments on the binos so that I can carry them with the Peak Design Leash or other compatible straps. Dummy corded to one of the anchors is the Swarovski CL Rainguard. These fit perfectly on the Zeiss and help protect the optics from rain and dust when they aren’t in use.

Before purchasing the Zeiss, I borrowed a pair of discontinued Swarovski Habicht 8x20B binoculars. The smaller objective lenses on these made the package slightly more compact than that of the Zeiss, but I find the experience of actually looking through both pair of binoculars similar enough as to be practically identical (even in the low-light environment of opera). The modern version of the Swarovski is the CL Pocket 8x25. When one considers how well the Zeiss compare against Swarovski and the huge price difference between them, it becomes evident how good of a deal the Zeiss are.

The Zeiss binoculars, without strap or rain guard, weigh 325 grams or about 11.5 ounces. The discontinued Swarovski model tipped my scale at about 225 grams, so the extra money does contribute to a lighter package. But the Zeiss are light and compact enough for my needs.

When carrying the binos, I usually keep the lenses spread out. This creates a wider but flatter profile, which I find tends to carry better. I usually take the bus or train to the opera, and walk the midnight streets of Babylon home. With the lenses spread, and the strap worn cross body such that the binoculars rest on my side under an arm, I can comfortable conceal the package under a fitted and fashionable jacket with minimal printing. Most people probably think about binocular dimensions in terms of how much space they will occupy in a bag, but for my application I care more about concealment-when-worn. The Zeiss work well here.

In addition to the opera, I also frequently carry the Zeiss binos on bike rides. There are many abandoned artillery batteries and fire control stations around here that make for good spots to watch the world go by. With magnification.

I’ve not owned a good pair of binoculars before this. Over the past year of having these I have used them much more frequently than I thought I would.

2023-10-20

links

Link Log 2023-10-20

Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: California: San Francisco area

How to Secure Your Tent for Strong Winds and Storms

A Brush of Violence (Daniel Lawrence Wilson, 2023)

Naval Weapons: US 16-inch/50-caliber Mark 7

An Improbable Future

Whole Earth Index

2023-10-19

tea

Snow Dragon

My go-to Chinese green tea is Red Blossom’s Pre-Rain Dragonwell. I usually keep a supply of this stashed in one of my Airscape canisters. A couple weeks ago I saw that I was running low, and so saddled up to ride over to Red Blossom for resupply. (The guy who typically works weekends now recognizes me and no longer needs to ask my name to pull up my account which makes me feel like I spend entirely too much money there.)

Instead of coming back with more Dragonwell, I ended up with a couple ounces of Snow Dragon. They describe this as combining “an heirloom white tea cultivar with a traditional green tea crafting style for an entirely unique taste, reminding us of a less vegetal and slightly creamier-tasting Dragonwell.” I have found this description to be apt. Typically I do not truck with white tea, but this white-tea-crafted-as-a-green-tea is quite good. I think I still prefer Dragonwell as my regular green tea, but I plan to pick up more of the Snow Dragon to keep things interesting.

Meanwhile, I have run out of genmaicha, so this weekend I will be paying a visit to the ladies at Chato. One must keep the tea larder stocked while on the path to satori.

2023-10-16

micro, bicycle

My drive-side chainstay is cord wrapped.

I use the reflective Ironwire that Lawson makes for Durston, tied in a spiral French hitching wrap. It helps to protect the chainstay, but mostly it looks cool.

At 2mm, Ironwire is slightly thicker than the 1.7mm Kevlar cord that ships with the FiberFix Replacement Spoke, but my guess is that I could unwrap some of this cord and use it with the FiberFix hardware. I have yet to break a spoke this eyar, so I haven’t had an opportunity to test this.

2023-10-15

bicycle, gear, review

Hafney FR-06 Mirrors

Last May I lost my right-side Sprintech Drop Bar Mirror in the baggage car of the Amtrak Coast Starlight. The right-side mirror is less useful than the left-side, so I didn’t bother about a replacement until after pedaling the 1,200 miles back home.

Upon returning, I decided to explore what other mirror options there may be rather than immediately purchasing another Sprintech mirror. I rode with a Take A Look Helmet Mirror for a few weeks, but found it to be less convenient than a mirror mounted to the bike. I messed with the D+D Oberlauda UltraLite Bike Mirror for a couple days. It’s a nice mirror, but I couldn’t find a mounting position that I was happy with on my drop bars. (While messing with this mirror I ended up moving my bell from the left to the right side.) Finally I purchased an FR06 from Hafny Components. I was immediately smitten with this, and bought a second FR06 for the other side a few days later.

The Hafny FR06 uses actual glass for the mirror. It is slightly convex – though less so than the Sprintech – and has a blue tint that does a great job of cutting back on glare. The optical clarity of the mirror is really excellent. This is entirely unnecessary for the application, but once I used it I didn’t want to go back to Sprintech’s chrome-coated ABS plastic.

The FR06 fits snugly into my Rene Herse Rando Handlebars, even with the tail of my leather tape tucked in. After inserting, a bolt is tightened to expand the assembly, locking it into place. The mirror itself is attached to the mounting assembly via a ball and socket joint. A separate bolt allows this joint to be locked in place. Since the mounting assembly can be rotated in addition to the pan-and-tilt of the mirror joint, positioning everything takes a little trial and error. Once the correct position is found, everything can be tightened down enough such that a smart smack will not cause anything to budge. Or it can be left loose enough to allow for in-flight adjustments. I’ve switched between both approaches, and in neither case have I had any issue with visual clarity or the mirror moving of its own accord, even on rough gravel roads.

I mount the FR06 with the logo-side of the assembly facing down. I think this is considered to be upside down, but it allows me to tilt the mirror up a few degrees higher than I otherwise could, providing a better picture of what’s behind me above the actual road surface. With the logo on the assembly facing up I found that the mirror ran into the top of the assembly just 1 or 2 degrees shy of where I wanted it.

The shape of the FR06 mirror is different than the old Sprintech. I don’t find the shape of one to be superior to the other. Both provide me with the image I want to see at a quick glance. But the higher quality look and feel of the Hafney offering makes me happy, and I think contributes to the overall sex appeal of my ride. This is something I prioritize.

2023-10-10

knife

Naniwa Professional Chosera Stones

I’ve used a King 1000/6000 grit combination stone as my primary home sharpening system since 2007.

Recently I bought a new set of Naniwa Professional Chosera stones. I needed to purchase a 400 grit stone to touch up a particular blade, and thought that I’d gotten enough use out of the King combination stone over the past 16 years to justify replacing it with separate 1000 and 5000 grit stones. I also purchased a Naniwa Stone Box and Stand for each of the three stones. I have a Shapton Pro 1000 that came with a similar box and have come to greatly appreciate its convenience.

The Naniwa stones are splash and go, so I do not need to plan to soak them before use. Because I store them in a case that also functions as a stand, I don’t need to think about digging out my stone clamp. The case also allows the stones to dry. When I’m done I can just rinse the stones off, pat them dry, and toss them back in the case until next time. I store the Naniwa stones on a shelf in my kitchen, not far from the strop. All of this reduces the barrier to sharpening, thus increasing the likelihood of sharpening.

In the past I’ve noticed that I will sometimes think I ought to sharpen a knife, but will procrastinate due to the need to dig out the supplies and soak the stones. With this new setup I can start sharpening within a few seconds of having the thought.

Thus far I’ve found the Naniwa stones to work faster than my others. I don’t know if that is because they are still new, or if they will retain that advantage throughout their life. This new setup isn’t cheap, but so far I’m glad I acquired it.

2023-10-08

links

Link Log 2023-10-08

Five Tibetan Rites

Noodler’s Ink Selector

Hideo Kojima’s Closet Picks

Vampire: The Masquerade - L.A. By Night

Compendium of tips for sharpening serrated knives

Fully automated data driven authoritarianism ain’t what it’s cracked up to be

2023-07-24

links

Link Log 2023-07-24

I’ve seen the future. Apple wasn’t there.

Tea as Hepatoprotective Agent: A Revisit

The Story of Titanium

Plain Text Journaling

Anime Architecture

The Last Stand

2023-07-17

water, review, gear

Hydro Flask Lightweight Trail Series Bottles

I’ve been using the Hydro Flask Lightweight Trail Series bottles for about a year and a half. They are the first double-wall insulated stainless steel bottles I’ve found that are light enough for me to want to carry regularly.

I first purchased the 21 oz when I happened to come across it on sale. I liked it enough to purchase the 24 oz a month later when I had an REI coupon. A couple months after that I purchased the 32 oz at full price.

I primarily use the bottles to keep cold water cold. I also sometimes use the 24 oz bottle to keep hot tea hot. I’ve not timed how long they hold the desired temperature, but they do so for at least as long as it takes me to drink whatever is in them, thus resetting the clock. They do not insulate as well as my Zojirushi SM-SA48-BA, but the Hydro Flasks are better as daily, general purpose bottles.

When buying a bottle, one of the things I look for is standard threading and neck diameters. I strongly dislike being locked in to proprietary lids. Hydro Flask meets this criteria, allowing me to replace their stock lids – which are adequate – with better options. The 21 oz has a standard narrow mouth. Mine wears a Topoko Straw Lid B. The 24 oz and 32 oz have standard wide mouth openings. Mine both wear the humangear capCAP+.

If not using the humangear capCAP+ on the wide mouth bottles, a splash guard is wanted. The old Guyot Designs SplashGuard will not work, nor will the newer HydraPak WaterGate. I have found the BottlePro SplashPro to work well.

I have used the 21 oz and 24 oz bottles most. I first EDCed the 21 oz for about 8 months, before deciding that I really wanted those extra 3 oz of volume. The 24 oz has been my EDC for the past 8 months. Both carry well on the bike in a King Cage Iris Cage.

Without any lids, the three bottles register on my calibrated scale as:

7.80 oz, or 221.1 grams, for the 24 oz bottle
8.59 oz, or 243.4 grams, for the 24 oz bottle
10.80 oz, or 306.2 grams, for the 32 oz bottle

The bottles are not available in a raw finish. All three of mine are in the obsidian color, which is a nice chocolate brown. The paint does chip, particularly along the bottom, but this doesn’t bother me. One could probably avoid this by using one of those silicone boots, but these are not compatible with bike cages. I have dropped the bottles, and they do dent, but again, this does not bother me. If you’re looking for a pristine beauty queen, these bottles may not be your cup of tea. If you’re looking for functional, lightweight tools for a warming planet, these are great options.

2023-05-05

links

Link Log 2023-05-05

The Godziliad

Everyday Carry

Plastic Container Guide

Make Your Own Rain Shoe Covers

GPSJam GPS/GNSS Interference Map

Blue In Green (Yuko Mabuchi, 2019)

2023-05-02

gear

On Wild Rags

The wild rag or neckerchief is an eminently functional tool. Worn around the neck, it protects from ultraviolet radiation. When wetted, it provides evaporative cooling. When dry, it can be used as a towel. It offers warmth when the mercury drops, and protection from the wind. It can be used as a furoshiki to bundle items together, or be tied into an impromptu bag. It may be fashioned into a sling, or used to tie a splint. The devolution of the wild rag into something as dumb as the modern necktie is the greatest crime perpetuated by Fashion since the invention of the high heel.

I bought my first wild rag at a used clothing store in 2004, though it wasn’t till seeing a suspiciously similar looking one as part of Viggo Mortensen’s costume in Appaloosa a few years later that I started to think of it as practical field equipment. By 2009 it was a standard part of my backpacking accouterment. Some time later the wild rag graduated to being just normal clothing, particularly when it is unusually hot or cold out. (The original rag that I bought used 19 years ago remains in the rotation.)

The standard size for a wild rag is 36” x 36”. This is larger than a pocket snot rag, which is typically 22” x 22”. It is large enough to be wrapped twice around the neck, with the tails still long enough to be easily knotted in the front. The wild rag will also usually be offered in a larger 44” x 44” size, but I find this too large to be worn.

The most common way to secure the wild rag around the neck is via a square knot. Being a gentleman of taste and culture, I sometimes tie mine in a half windsor. The so-called buckaroo square knot is another option, but I think it is pretty goofy looking. The only buckaroo I want in my life is Banzai.

A slide can be used in place of a knot. I have a couple of slides which are simply elongated ovals of leather with a snap in them. They work, and look nice, but are not as secure as a good knot when flying down a mountain on the bike. One could also use a woggle, but this is associated with people who march around in brown shirts, which I am allergic to.

The proper material for a wild rag is silk. People will try to sell you polyester rags, or blends of silk and cotton. Both are less functional than real, natural silk. The range of weather conditions in which silk remains comfortable is unusually wide. Avoid all imitations.

Silk rags are primarily offered in either Crepe de Chine or Charmeuse. Charmeuse looks and feels incredibly luxurious. It is very soft. One side is shiny and the other matte. But it is also warmer and slightly heavier than Crepe de Chine. Crepe de Chine has a rougher, pebble-like texture to it. It is lighter weight (by about 10 grams for the finished scarf) and better for warm weather, but still useful in the cold. Jacquard, where a pattern is sewn in with a lighter colored thread, is usually applied to Crepe de Chine fabric. Start out with one Crepe de Chine rag, then get one in Charmeuse. Next buy a few more of both, because this is an addiction.

Hems should be serged. Many sellers of silk wild rags offer the same patterns. They’re probably all buying the same bolts of fabric from the same suppliers. When you choose a seller, what you are really buying is the hem. A silk wild rag is not just a piece of fashion, but a durable, long-lasting tool. Serged hems will provide a longer service life than a hem which is simply rolled and stitched. You may save a little on the price with a lesser hem, but you will be disappointed in the long run. I wasted money before learning this lesson.

The best places that I have found to purchase a wild rag are Cowboy Images and Wild West Rag Co. Both apply serged hems to real silk. I’ve bought from both in the past and will buy from both again in the future.

Alternatives like shemaghs and neck tubes have their place, but my preference sits strongly with the silk wild rag.

2023-05-01

micro, radio

APRS becomes a more useful expedition messaging service with the addition of SMS and email gateways.

These gateways bypass the traditional APRS messaging requirement that both parties be online at the same time. With the SMS Gateway and Email Gateway, I can send a message to someone back in the world, and the message will arrive on their computing device as normal SMS or email. Critically, both gateways store messages for 24 hours and allow receivers to request unacknowledged messages be resent. This means that someone can reply to my SMS or email at any time, even when my radio is off. I just have to turn on my radio at least once per day and instruct both gateways to send me any new messages.

I’m interacting with both gateways directly from my Yaesu VX-8DR but this thread on the Expedition Portal forums provides a good introduction of using them via APRSdroid.

APRS gateways also exist for weather reports, WhatsApp messaging, and requesting the nearest repeaters.

2023-04-30

gear, footwear

Softstar Chukka Resole

The Softstar Shoes Hawthorne Chukka is one of my favorite shoes for everyday wear. I bought a pair in “Hickory” (brown) in 2016, and liked them enough that I went back and bought a second pair in “Onyx” (black) one month later. The chukkas feature a stitched leather midsole with a glued outsole, which means they are resolable. The outsole they ship with is an 8mm Vibram Super Newflex (Vibram catalog number 8868), which Softstar calls their “Geo” sole.

This past February I decided it was time to resole the brown pair. They had begun to feel a little slippery on wet concrete, and when I flipped them over to look at the bottom I could see that I had worn the rubber away completely in some spots.

When I visited my neighborhood cobbler, he did not have any sheets of Vibram Super Newflex. He did have a sheet of Vibram Newflex (Vibram catalog number 8870). I went with that.

Newflex is denser and a bit stiffer than Super Newflex, with a classic herringbone tread pattern that feels like it ought to be better for dirt. Newflex is what Softstar uses on their Dash and Primal running shoes (they call this one “Omniflex”) and is what Luna uses to build their classic Leadville Sandal, so the material has strong trail running credentials.

The resoled chukkas are probably a few grams heavier than they would be with Super Newflex rubber, and perhaps ever-so-slightly stiffer, but when wearing them I do not notice a difference in either department. With a fresh coat of Obenauf’s oil I think the refreshed shoe looks great.

I liked the Newflex sole enough that I went back to the cobbler 6 weeks later and had him resole my black chukkas. These weren’t as worn down as my brown pair, but were still worn smooth on the balls of the foot (there is a pattern here).

Resoled leather footwear is better than new. You get fresh tread, but keep your well-worn leather that has already molded to your foot. I’m looking forward to wearing both these soles down and revisiting the cobbler in another 7 years.

2023-04-29

micro

I stopped taking photos of myself around the time the word "selfie" entered the popular lexicon.

But the kids tell me that websites like The Instant Gram are all about self-portraits that show off your hot bod. Apparently it is great for one’s sense of personal worth. So I figured I’d dust off that particular skill set. I think I have some real winners.

2023-04-19

links

Link Log 2023-04-19

R+E Cycles Celebrates 50 Years of Community and Manufacturing in Seattle

Rim Dynamos Can Now Generate 70% More Power Than Hub Dynamos

How to use a nasal spray properly | correct and incorrect ways

A School of Strength and Character

Fan Edit Central Database v2

Summer of Muslimgauze

2023-03-21

gear, review, edc

Evaluating the 16340 Battery

16340 batteries are rechargeable batteries in the same form factor as CR123As. Last year I purchased 4 different 16340s to try out:

Two of these have integrated Micro USB ports for charging. That’s a nice feature, but the current iteration of my electronic support package contains a (now discontinued) Olight UC Universal Magnetic USB Charger (the Foursevens USB Flex Charger appears identical in every way but the logo), so I can just as easily charge the other two batteries when out and about.

Over the past few months I cycled through all of these 16340s in the Elzetta Alpha. The Alpha, carried on a Pocket Shield, is still my EDC light. Each battery performed in a manner than seemed identical to me, despite their slightly different specs. They worked great. Until they didn’t.

As a CR123A is consumed, the light output diminishes. This provides ample visual warning that it is time to change the battery. All of the 16340s caused the Elzetta to put out a steady amount of light right until the battery died. There is no visual warning that it is time to charge the battery. You just go to switch the light on and nothing happens. Or it switches on and you get great light for 10 seconds, and then it dies.

The life cycle of the 16340 only works if they are put on a fixed charging schedule that is built around maximum likely use. I don’t want to mess with that for my EDC light, so I’ve moved the Elzetta Alpha back to disposable CR123A batteries.

I’d be happy to save money by using the rechargeable 16340 batteries in an application that was less mission critical. But for all the devices I currently have that take a battery in that form factor, the CR123A is still superior. (Eneloops are still great, however.)

This article was modified 2024-02-23.

2023-03-19

gear, review, bicycle

The Carradice Super C Handlebar Bag and its Modifications

I bought my Carradice Super C Handlebar Bag sometime in 2010 or 2011. I think I learned about it while reading one of the blogs of Emily Chappell as she was preparing to leave her London courier job to ride around the world.

There’s no shortage of bicycle handlebar bags out there. Most of them have more intriguing designs than the Super C. The Super C is a simple box. The sides and bottom are rigid (with corrugated plastic). Inside, it has two open top pockets on either side and a zippered pocket near the back. On the outside, either side has mesh pockets. These do not expand much. I move my shoulder mounted OC to one of these when I am not wearing a backpack, but otherwise these external side pockets are mostly useless.

The Super C has two killer features that I think make it superior to the vast majority of its competition.

First, it mounts with a Rixen & Kaul KLICKFix bracket. This piece of Teutonic wizardry allows the bag to be attached or detached from the bike in about two seconds. Most other bags utilize straps of some sort, which are fine if you’re out in the back of beyond, but fiddly for frequent donning and doffing. In an urban environment, I want to be able to quickly pop the bag off my bike and throw the strap over my shoulder whenever I park. When disembarking a ferry or train, I want to pop the bag back on the bike immediately so that I’m not causing people to stack up behind me and wait while I’m routing straps. When I’m walking around with the bag over my shoulder, I don’t want to worry that I may discover a loose strap fell out when I get back to the bike. The KLICKFix addresses all of these concerns. When the bag is on the bike, it is held securely. I’ve had the Super C on plenty of miles on bumpy gravel with my skinny 32mm tires, and never had an issue. I’m sure there is some maximum recommended weight limit for the bracket, but I’ve never thought about it. As long as you aren’t loading the Super C with lead, it’ll probably be fine.

Second, the Super C has a detachable light bracket on the bottom. Either because of their height or how much real estate they take up on the bars, most handlebar bags (including the Super C) are not compatible with lights mounted on the handlebar. Most bags do not provide any alternative solutions for a headlight, instead expecting the user to workaround the problem with some sort of fork mount solution or an accessory cockpit bar mounted above the handlebars. Those alternatives work, but I find them annoying. The Super C provides a simple bracket that pops into the bottom of the bag. Anything that can mount to a handlebar can mount to the bracket. If you don’t need the bracket, you can twist it off and leave it at home.

The rest of the Super C is pretty basic. I’ve made a few modifications that make it more useful to me.

A D-ring on either side of the bag allows a shoulder strap to be mounted. I keep Peak Design Anchor attachments on mine, to which I usually keep attached the original model of the Peak Design Leash. When I’m out on a weekend ride, I’ll often have a camera or binoculars in the bag. Both of those have Peak Design Anchors on them. Keeping Anchors on the bag as well allow me to have a single strap I can move around to whatever thing needs it.

The lid of the Super C sports a removable map case. It attaches via two snaps near the handlebar-side of the bag, routes under a piece of webbing on the opposite side of the lid, and then folds back over itself. This was a key feature in the pre-pocket-computer-age when I bought the bag, but these days I rarely attach the map case. Instead, I used my awl to add what I will optimistically call bartacks on either side of the webbing, just a few millimeters from the edge. This provides a channel which allows me to slip in a Duraflex Siamese Slik Clip on either side. That, in turn, allows me to attach a simple zippered pouch on the top. I appreciate having something like this for small items I may want while underway.

On the underside of the lid, I added a similar length of webbing with clips on either side. This allows me to run another pouch inside, which won’t get buried in the main compartment. I frequently clip my first aid kit in here.

The lid of the Super C closes with two side release buckles. These are very inconvenient to open or close when underway. You can do it if you’re motivated, but it takes concentration of effort. This shortcoming is where the Super C differs from most randonneuring bags on the market, which usually close with a piece of shock cord that gets pulled back and looped around the stem. Fortunately this is easy to add. I routed shock cord through the webbing that the buckles attach to, and ran an ITW GTSP Cordlock through either end. This works great to secure the lid, and makes it easy to get into the bag midflight.

I left the shock cord much longer than it needs to be to wrap around my stem. The front of my bag has a JK/47 Cyberpunk pin, secured via locking pin backs. If I close the lid with the buckles rather than the cord, I can use the cordlock to extend the length of the loop enough to run underneath this pin. That gives me a “V” of shock cord on the top of the bag which I can use for extra carrying capacity. I use this to carry lightweight but bulky things, such as a puffy jacket in an UltraLiteSacks Zippered Cube Ditty Bag.

The front of my Super C also features a panel of loop velcro. Since the bag has a hard liner, I glued it on instead of sewing it. I think I used Fabri-Tac. Originally I thought I’d use this to mount my Orfos Pro light, but later I decided that using shock cord to attach the light to the Super C’s light bracket was a better option. Now the loop panel is just used for fun morale patches – mine usually sports the emblem from Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.

Carradice products are handmade. They include a tag where the maker writes their name. My Super C was made by Kelly.

2023-03-11

links

Link Log 2023-03-11

My Obsession

Apollo Remastered

The Loaded Touring Bike

The Kremlin Has Entered the Chat

This lens gives you a glimpse into another world.

Closer (Kawehi, 2013)

2023-02-19

bicycle, micro

No longer will I lay my bike down in the dirt like a savage.

I bought a Click-Stand. My Max-5 model weighs 3.4 oz, including the fat foot for soft ground. I tried it out on a picnic ride today and it worked great.