The Tangle

The Tangle

I love gadgets as much as anyone. So much so that I can honestly say I love cell phones these days for everything but the actual phone feature. And the fact that electronic devices are getting smaller and smaller means it’s getting increasingly easy to take all my gadgets with me wherever I go and never have to go through withdrawl from my music, email, photo taking, movies, etc.

Only problem: while the devices have shrunk, the cables stay the same size, and it’s coming to the point that the mass of cables can easily be larger than the portable electronics themselves. Because of this, and my obsession with pushing the envelope of packing light, I’ve had to re-think my approach to powering and connecting all my gadgets.

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Right Is Wrong: Driving on the other side of the road

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As international destinations go, England or Australia aren’t a huge stretch for those of us from the US. We speak the language, the food contains about the same percentage of deep fried things, and you can still find The Simpsons on TV at least once a week. The one big stumbling block that doesn’t really come up until it’s staring you in the face is that in these countries, among many others, driving for an American is the equivalent of a psychological experiment.

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I’ve Always Wanted To Try That: Scuba Diving

I've Always Wanted To Try That: Scuba Diving

Whether you’ve been snorkeling in tropical waters or just watch a lot of “Shark Week” on Discovery, odds are you’ve pondered getting SCUBA certified at some point. The ability to immerse yourself, literally and figuratively, in such an alien environment right at your doorstep is very enticing. Rarely do you get a chance above water to be so intimately surrounded by such a brilliant variety of active plant and animal life that you can examine up close and personal. And these days, with most every holiday destination near water offering trial dives and certification courses, it’s remarkably easy to start diving.

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Ben’s Energy Wrap

bens-energy-wrap

Of all my friends, I count Ben as one of the more valuable sources of field-tested information for hiking. Ben has hiked across the desert in Israel, walked the entire PCT in a summer (with dog in tow), and tramped around the backwoods of Washington and Oregon doing forest surveys.

The guy has done some walking.

And when it comes to food, he knows what packs well and what’ll keep you going, so naturally on one of our climbing trips, he turned me on to a recipe for a wrap that’s easy to throw in a pack, gives you tons of energy, and tastes great.

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