One of the best things you can do for your health and wellness is spend some time outdoors among trees and other sources of natural beauty. USDA&USFS jointly published Health and Wellness Benefits of Spending Time in Nature cites a number of studies which have shown time … “Get Outdoors”
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Today there is a wide range of ultralight shelters including traditionally designed tents using exotic materials to move them into the ultralight weight classification. Many of the ultralight shelter designs came from people’s experiences on long thru hikes combined with a desire to find the … “Tarp-tents and Other Ultralight Shelters”
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“How many IT staff does an organization need?” is a commonly asked and difficult to answer question. There is no magic ratio. There is no ideal staffing level. The appropriate number of a staff depends on what the IT organization is responsible for and the … “Estimating IT Staffing”
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I tend to prefer mildly spicy food with complex combinations of tastes. Southwest, Mexican, Indian, Thai, Fusion, Californian, and especially Pacific Rim. I can enjoy classic French and Vietnamese, but the subtlety is sometimes lost on me. Great meals involve more than food. It also … “Great Meals”
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Today I was deeply sadden by the news that Doug Goins had succumbed to his three year struggle with cancer. Like many people, and especially Candy, I will miss him, and look forward to seeing him in the next life. As I pedaled my way … “A Tribute to Doug”
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I just finish my second, one year long shopping diet. During the shopping diet I attempted to purchase nothing but food, household consumables like cleaning supplies, and items that wore out like the tires for my bike, light bulbs for the house, or toner for … “Retro on from my Shopping Diet”
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Over the last six years I have tried to answer the question “What is a Healthy Lifestyle?”. The following is a brief summary of what I have learned. By applying what I have learned I am in better condition in my 50s than I was … “Health and Fitness in One Page”
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Minimalism has become an important tool for my life. I like Joshua Becker’s definition of minimalism found on his blog becoming minimalist “The intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it”. Brian Gardner points out … “Simplifying Stuff”
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Great Stuff for Me and Maybe You. The complete list of gear and clothing for my life in 2018. I have an updated this year’s gear. Minimalism led me to simplify my stuff, keeping just the items that are regularly used and give me joy. I considered … “Gear in 2018”
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I am not a sound engineer or music producer. I do consider myself am an audiophile because I really care about the sound qualty of the music I listen to, but unlike some audiophiles, the audio equipment is only a means to an end and … “Mark’s Audiophile Journey”
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As mentioned in my 2018 Gear post, I love my Garmin 935, but it’s not the watch for everyone. The following are a list of sports watches that I would recommend to others. Garmin 935 Watch: is a do everything watch which is light enough that I … “Sport Watches”
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Updated December 31, 2019 ArcTeryx Norvan SL Rain Jacket is one of the lightest, most breathable rain jacket currently available. I can actually wear it comfortably jogging in cool, rainy weather. I can go for 15 minutes before I notice any moisture accumulation. As a reference, … “ArcTeryx Norvan SL Rain Jacket Review”
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I think most people would be best served packing light, and using a carry on size “travel pack” which is a cross between a backpack and soft-side luggage. Travel packs will often have light weight internal frames to make them easier to carry, handles on … “Travel Packs”
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Flashlights and headlamps let you continue your activities once it is too dark to see. The ability to expend the hours that we can do things is invaluable. Today, virtually all flashlights and headlamps use LEDs to produce light. I strongly encourage people to retired … “Flashlights & Headlamp”
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Many activities requires cutting things. Cutting needs varies: food preparation, opening packaging, trimming material to cover a blister, or hacking branches off a tree to build an emergency shelter. My Choice My every day carry (EDC) knife is a Victorinox Rambler Pocket Knife which is … “Knives and Other Sharps”
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Next to staying warm, the most important survive and comfort factor is to make sure you drink an adequate amount of safe water. This often means you need to carry water and be prepared to treat water. Not all locations have a continuous supply of … “Water Treatment & Containers”
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The purpose of the shell is to protect you from environmental conditions. Finding the right shell is quite challenging because staying dry and comfortable requires managing external moisture from rain, sleet, and snow as well as managing internally generated moisture from perspiration and sweat. There is … “Rain Gear”
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