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  1. N

    Fun with 3D Printers

    I always liked side-of-head lights like that old maglite strap, forgot the name. But the angle was bad -- the strap is too low on the forehead or too high in back. Figure I'll try printing a pre-angled clip for 20mm strap. // Headlamp bracket to mount lamp to nylon strap v1 // requires tweaking...
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    Outdoor Research Backcountry Organizer

    I have the mystery ranch version, size large. It's over-built and clunky and I probably wouldn't get it again, but it's not enough of a complaint to replace it.
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    We are our own worst enemy

    There's some room to hate first-generation cybertrucks. There are probably some silly design decisions on there that would frustrate people who could otherwise use a utilitarian electric pickup.
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    Lightest threaded barrel .22

    Yes, but the Minimalist has a threaded barrel. I wonder if the threaded barrel minimalist indicates they'll eventually offer factory threaded base models. Machine shop threading vs factory threading is a cost that is a little hard to justify on cheaper rifles.
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    Lightest threaded barrel .22

    Suppressed bolt 22s are quieter than pistols. Both are pretty quiet. You just need a full-size .22 suppressor on the pistol.
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    Lightest threaded barrel .22

    Rascal Minimalist is light. Consider carbon barrel Bergara BMR also. I have both, and the Minimalist is fun, but it's hard to compare to the BMR with a light prism for field accuracy.
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    Bivy vs tent.

    It might sound silly, but I'll pack a bivvy to have, not to use. If weather forecast shows 0% chance of rain, and I plan to sleep in the open, but don't want to get in trouble if the forecast is wrong. I've camped with people who don't bring either if the forecast says 0%, which feels crazy. If...
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    Cook pot comparison

    Stoves that are cooking-friendly like that snow peak or primus stoves do badly when boiling water in smaller cookware. Heat is wasted to the side. You can actually get more boils per gram by turning them down a bit to push less heat to the sides. Or boil water in a wide 1.3l pot and note the...
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    The BEST pad for side sleeping???

    Is the problem comfort or cold? If comfort, have you tried just putting a cut down closed cell foam mat below the inflatable under hipbone? When I used a thermarest z lite, I'd just put a single fold in the middle so I had 3x padding under hip.
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    Why don’t the Kowa Genesis Binos get more love?

    Isn't... objective diameter / magnification ... a rough indicator of how forgiving a given optic will be with eye placement? Exit pupil? It's why 6x should be normalized on ultra-compact binos. And why 8x44 and 8x50 are extra forgiving.
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    Hauling meat with a bike: Trailer vs Racks & Panniers

    I've done multi-day desert tours on a stout touring bike where rear rack water weight alone was 60 pounds. It tests the limit of rack, frame, and rider ability. It wildly changes the ride characteristics. You really need to experience riding with it to know. Consider a lightpole that you'd...
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    Why don’t the Kowa Genesis Binos get more love?

    Getting an open-box-discount pair of the 8.5x Genesis is what convinced me to start saving up for a Kowa spotter. Tracked a daytime large rocket launch with them. They are flawless with blue sky high-contrast where chromatic aberration starts to hurt midrange binos.
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    Fun with 3D Printers

    Random low-complexity on-demand stuff is where I find the most value. I wouldn't know how to search for this bauble on a site that sells hardware. Throwing together a parametric cad file doesn't take that long and can be used into the future. Settings are for 2.2mm dyneema (throw line). .scad...
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    New Mystery Ranch Metcalf

    Wanted to hang the 10kg dromedary bag from the frame. Bumped # perimeters, upper, lower layers by 25% for strength. Full fill isn't necessary for 22 pounds. Could probably hold 50 with this reduced fill. Also, "random seams" or similar is very important with sharp inner corners being both stress...
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    Mystery ranch spare parts/Customer Service

    I suddenly have some concern that they went to third-tier suppliers on unmarked hardware. I.e. not ITW/UTX/Duraflax nylon hardware but overseas ABS harwdware. One of the new 3/4" unmarked g-clips shattered in my hand. I have plenty of aliexpress hardware to compare it to, and the brittleness...
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    Best headlamp (waterproof with replaceable batteries)

    Zebralight is the only one that left me walking in the dark. When mine failed, it took two 18650s with it by the time I realized they were being drained to zero volts upon insertion. Some sort of short, not sure where.
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    Best Range Finders

    There are a handful of CR123 cell rangefinders by various manufacturers. Vortex viper is one. Sig has one. It seems like a nitpick, but I really hate being forced to buy/carry those smaller cells that most rangefinders use.
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    Explain Trekking Poles

    I suspect you can find a similar scenario to bicycle components. Above a certain price, you start to get weaker and more finicky components, because you are paying only for weight savings. While light gear is justifiable, there is a whole zone of diminishing returns where truly neurotic...
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    Sleeping pads & wide or regular

    I am 6'6" and can use both interchangeably in the summer. A more compact pack is sometimes nice. In the winter, calves and feet on the ground is not ideal. While this is more about long than wide, those seem to go together with some manufacturers.
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    Necessity of Sleeping Pads

    The sleeping pad baseline is a $7 foam pad, not no pad at all. I will defend closed cell foam pads, though, especially if temperature allows and geology is harsh, which is a combination that can occur in the West.

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