Best products from r/California

While winters in CA are pretty mild, they can be pretty wet for the SF Bay Area. I doubt you'll be where snow falls, so tire chains probably won't be a necessity unless you're planning on going towards Tahoe or into the High Sierras.

Most Americans only take a week or so of vacation time when they do get away from the grindstone, so 7-10 days is pretty much what we're used to.

A travel tip to help you orient yourself: Even numbered highways run East/west, Odd numbers are North/South, for example Interstate 5 goes through California, Oregon and Washington, while Interstate 80 crosses entire the country, pretty much coast-to-coast. (In Sacramento, there's the 80/80 split - Business Route 80 runs through Sacramento, I-80 cuts around it for a shorter trip).

If you want to save a few bucks, consider renting a car that's long enough for you to sleep in. Car Camping isn't an uncommon practice, and your car will probably be better insulated than a thin nylon-skinned tent.

Also consider buying a Thomas Brothers guide, as relying on your phone for maps/directions can be an issue in the more remote areas (and using a phone internationally can be very expensive).

If you are interested in California and our 'Water Issues' I highly recommend you read "The Dreamt Land" by Mark Arax. Super interesting and historical account of how we got were we are with our water resources:

Amazon: The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California

I'm not posting this comment to be mean. I picked up a solar charger on Amazon a few years ago to use while on a backpacking trip. I had no idea if something like that would even work but it worked great!

Anyway here is an example of such a device. This happened to be the first one that showed up on Amazon when I searched for "solar phone charger" but there are many different kinds available now.

They are inexpensive enough that I would recommend anyone get one of these, even if you're not currently plagued with these power outages.

no one has a right to property and in order change that, you're moving away from our most fundamental principles, all men created equal and what not, and moving toward the the imperialistic hierarchies that we fought against. we'd create a california class that would make it even harder for someone to be a part of. when purchasing goods and services, we're all equal. anyone out of state with the money and resources to live here has just as much of a right to do so as you do. i get it, life isn't fair sometimes, but is there a more fair system that doesn't restrict the opportunities and rights of others?

> I have never even had the chance to visit another state so I don't know where I would go.

unless you're native american, the vast majority our ancestors, so most likely yours too, had never been to the U.S. before moving here but they did it without the internet or any of our modern conveniences yet here you are.

> The state has more than enough room to support everyone

room, maybe... but resources? have you looked into our water issues? you might want to check out the book Cadillac Desert. there's indicators that show the potential is maxed out.

If anyone wants the paranoid conspiracy theory nutter version of what Agenda 21 is, here you are -- note the author.

I'm sure it was actually written by the "co-author," but it's an OK yarn nonetheless if anyone likes post apocalyptic sci fi.

Relevant to this thread, the actual 351 page document does not contain the words "weapon" or "firearm," and it was promulgated over two decades ago. So far we haven't actually seen anyone trying to take all newborns away from all mothers, etc, which incidentally is not actually called for in said document. It's got a lot of feel good stuff about the rights of traditionally marginalized groups, taking care of the environment, and so on.

The Great Thirst is a good book on the historic situation.

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Thirst-Californians-Water-History/dp/0520224566

I don't think drones have near the carrying capacity to make it efficient. They are being used for information gathering on a smaller scale.

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EDIT:

"The best heavy lifting drone is none other than the Alta 8 from Freefly Systems. Made for professional drone users, this drone is exceptionally expensive. With a 36-inch diameter wing-span and 8 powerful motors, the Alta 8 is capable of lifting up an unbeilievable 18 kilograms. It comes packed with auxiliary sensors such as accelerometers, barometers, and GPS."

A gallon of water weighs 3.78 kg, so it could carry 4.76 gallons of water, provided all the other equipment required was weightless. Just to add insult to injury, that drone costs a whopping $17k!

I got the book years ago. It's great, too. Website came first tho.

This is a bit of a myth IMHO. Fast food is incredibly expensive compared to like, bags of rice and beans you can buy. Bananas are literally 10 cents each at my local Trader Joe's. Carrots are $1/lb.

This bag of rice is like twenty bucks and could feed a family of 4 for a week.

I recommend you lead the charge in solving that supposed problem.

I use THIS for my phone. It works really well. Not sure if it will fit your GPS though.

I used my Nikon D7000 with my 50mm 1.4/f lens and my 15-200mm lens. To edit, I used Final Cut X. I love GoPros though. My friend brought a GoPro but he didn't bring the right charger so we didn't really get to use any of that footage.

Try this one, it's good supplemental reading to Cadillac Desert.

https://www.amazon.com/Water-Power-Conflict-Angeles-Supply/dp/0520050681

The gold standard on this topic is definitely Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner.

https://www.amazon.com/Cadillac-Desert-American-Disappearing-Revised/dp/0140178244

Except there's already more convenient options for handling dog waste, as well as biodegradable options, which free plastic bags from the store never were.

California Republic Cases Custom Engraved For iPhone 7 Plus Phone, Natural Wood Case https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8HY55H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_t23hybEH0HCYG

If you're really interested I highly recommend The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism. It starts out with a (lengthy) biography of everyone involved before getting into the fight for the "soul" of the GOP after TR left office. It's incredibly well written and researched.

Well, if things are as bad as you make out, what do you care about bullet trains?


Tell you what, I'll read a bunch of articles on /r/population if you read a Julian Simon book.

China does not think "all that h2 stuff is garbage". Quite the contrary, they are prioritizing hydrogen/fuel cells as detailed in the "Made in China 2025" paper. FC excerpt here: http://www.ihfca.org.cn/file/FCV%20Tech%20Roadmap.pdf

Hydrogen is how to store excess solar energy

>LA Times: California invested heavily in solar power. Now there's so much that other states are sometimes paid to take it http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-electricity-solar/

Solar Hydrogen: The Fuel of the Future

So does amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Inteplast-Group-THW1VAL-Thickness-Thank/dp/B004MDM6LC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412144402&sr=8-1&keywords=Inteplast+Group+THW1VAL

I read this book years ago and it talks all about the water shortage in the west. It has always been a problem and we've been slowly depleting underground stores for generation.