Often people will have a single layer of clothing for their legs. Generally legs need less protection from weather than the torso for several reasons. Moisture management is typically less challenging and in most activities (other than climbing) your legs generate more heat than your … “Pants”
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The purpose of the insulation layer is to keep you warm. There are a number of factors which effect how much insulation a person will need to be comfortable for a given set of conditions. The most significant is the level of activity, or what … “Insulation Layer”
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Everyone has their own definition of “softshell” which makes the marketplace quite confusing. My definition of soft shell is any single layer garment which is designed be worn in a wide range of conditions putting an emphasis on breathability over absolute protection from external conditions. … “Softshells”
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Windshirts, sometimes called windbreakers or wind-shells are one of the most versatile pieces of clothing you can use. A simple, unlined windshirt can ounce per ounce provide more warmth than many other clothing items because wind speeds up convection cooling significantly. In many cases a … “Windshirts”
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Good base layers will wick moisture away from your body. In warm weather a wicking base will help keep you cool by provide significantly more surface area than your skin to promote evaporation of your sweat. A base layer can provide addition surface area only if … “Base Layers”
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In extremely cold vapor barriers can be part of an effective clothing or sleep system. According to the book Secrets of Warmth by Hal Wiess, the human body gives off moisture for three reasons: (1) as a fear response, (2) as sweat to cool us down when … “Vapor Barriers”
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I recommend clothing that can be comfortably worn day after day for a wide variety of activities. My clothing is typically made from technical fibers or merino wool which provides good mobility, decent durability, is light weight, fast drying, and odor/strain resistant. I use mostly … “Recommended Clothing”
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Make sure that you are bringing footwear which is comfortable and appropriate for your chosen activities. Nothing has the ability to spoil your entire adventure like wearing uncomfortable footwear! Shoes are extremely personal. Just because a shoe is well regard doesn’t mean that it will be good for you. … “Footwear”
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There have been numerous articles such as You Walk Wrong, Your shoes are killing you which promote the benefits of going barefoot or wearing minimalist shoes. These articles note out feet is well engineered and actually does a better job on removing stress from your knee and hip than … “Barefoot & Minimalist Shoes”
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The dominate culture in the US prizes freedom and choice above all else which has led us to have one of the most individual oriented cultures. Garret Kell’s article entitled The Second-Most Important Book for Every Christian is a great antidote to the individual focus we are … “Christian’s Second Most Important Book”
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A number of my younger friends have asked for advice regarding personal finance. This is an attempt to summarize what I know. If you want more in-depth information I would suggest checking out my goodreads “money” shelf. People are more Important than Things: Don’t Make … “Personal Finance Advise”
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The best source of information is your EARS. Form your own opinions, don’t just accept what other people say. Believe what your ears tell you when listen to music! Remember that many people who write about audio are biased in one way or another. Beyond that, … “How to Evaluate Audio Equipment”
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You should always chose your speakers first, and then select components which work well with the speakers you have selected. All speakers have flaws which you must choose between so speaker preference will be extremely personal. This is often demonstrated by people who agree about … “Speakers”
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Headphone Community Sites Inner Fidelity head-fi.org super best audio friends head-case.org headwize headphone.guru General Communities Audio Asylum Audio Circle Hydrogen Audio diyaudio Audioholics Reviews Digital Audio Review retrevo – review and info aggregation site Stereophile 6moons Stereo Mojo tnt-audio Positive Feedback AudioReview.com avguide.com high-endaudio.com Used Gear … “Audiophile Websites”
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All devices which play digital music contain a DAC. In many products, like the headphone jack on most laptops, the DAC is very low quality. In these cases, using an external DAC can significantly improve the sound quality of your digital music. Most DACs provide … “DAC and Players”
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Headphone amplifiers were almost un-heard of until the 1990s, though many receivers and integrated amplifiers had fairly good quality headphone jacks. As headphones have grown in popularity, and fewer people are purchasing classic stereos, headphone amplifiers have emerged as a product category. The “headphone jack” … “Headphone Amplifiers”
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Headphones are becoming the dominate way people listen to music as people shift from using records and CDs played through a stereo to streaming services played through a smart phone. Unfortunately, many people are using the earbuds provided with their smart phone, tablet, or laptop which … “Headphones”
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I have written early a bit about the important Christian practice of offering hospitality. Often this hospitality is in the form of opening our homes to others. We we can also extend hospitality beyond our homes by providing meals to others. In the last 30 … “Hospitality Delivered: Hints When Providing Meals”
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Review Item: ZPacks HexamidOptions: Cuben with NettingManufacture Year: 2010Listed weight: Cuben shelter, guylines, and bag 8.9ozWeight as delivered: tarp+attached guylines 8.3ozMSRP: US$259 I have a first generation which uses three zippers that meet at the top peak. Joe has now switched to a single zipper to save … “ZPacks Hexamid”
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This was original called “Books that Changed Me” but should have been called “Books that I Highly Recommend”, “Mark’s Canon”, or maybe “Books that I Think Should Change Me”. I now have a separate list which is Books that Really Changed Me. I am now … “Recommended Books”
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