(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best sports & outdoors

Maybe.

I'd set up somewhere in a National Forest in my general area (NC/SC/TN) with plenty of water sources, some fish and game, and an escape route if wildfires get too close.

I have enough Boy Scouts and armchair bushcraft experience to work with an axe and cordage to put together a decent enough shelter--it probably wouldn't take more than a month--and I'd try to setup a decent camp latrine away from water sources.

In addition to my BOB gear*, I'd spend some of the money on a used wheelbarrow, shovel, axe, splitting wedge, $50 worth of cheap cordage/bungee cords/carabiners/tarps/duct tape from Harbor Freight, $10 worth of BIC lighters (can still be used as firestarters once the fuel is gone to supplement the fire gear in my BOB), a gallon of bleach (santize the latrine, backup water purification), a decent cheap WalMart fishing rod/tackle (plus the license). Let's estimate $200 for all that.

Can I scrounge? I'd get a dozen or so free 5-gallon buckets from food service operations and several Arizona tea jugs out of recycling bins. I'd hit up the bulk Goodwill office to grab extra clothes/blankets/bandanas/towel for $.80/lb. I could probably even score a decent pot/pan and plate/flatware/coffee mug to go with the minimal cooking gear in my BOB, maybe even a grate from an old rusted grill. If you're going to be there a year, it's probably worth the couple of bucks.

I don't know much about trapping, but a handful of connibears and steel wire snares aren't too expensive and I'll be there a while so it might be worthwhile to spend $25 on those and a cheap bottle of musk. While I'm at it, let's get a couple of spring-loaded rat traps while we're at Harbor Freight to nail to trees and try get some tree-rats for dinner. At this point, I'm probably going to have to get a hunting license so let's upgrade to the annual premium fishing + hunting license for $50 as it has more privileges.

Let's add some speed-fishing hooks for $11 as well, assuming they're legal in the area.

Oh, I'd better total up what we have so far - $200 for misc tools, $75 for licenses/trapping stuff, and let's drop $25 on a basic cheap slingbow, $5 for an extra band, and $25 for a few cheap arrows from Walmart. Let's guesstimate we're at $300 at this point on tools and food procurement.

I don't plan on catching a lot of meals this way, but I need something to do with the time and if I can catch one critter a month it'll be great for the fresh food to supplement the beans and rice. Another guy in this thread did a cost analysis for a year's supply of rice/beans/oil for $227.88. Let's add a few iodized salt containers and cheap multivitamins from Dollar Tree and then go hit the salvage grocery store for cheap spices/teas. Say $250 for my food supply.

That leaves around $450 left. At this point, I feel like I have some of the basics covered and can start spending money/effort on a few things to make that year go by easier. I love coffee, but it's an expensive habit on a tight budget. Since I'll have an abundance of time, I'll get my coffee fix by buying green unroasted coffee beans - the cheapest bulk bag of green beans from Sweet Maria's is $5.50/lb but is $87.70 for a 20 lb sack and they have a 15% coupon code so let's estimate $90 shipped for 20 lbs. That gives me just under an ounce a day so it's a splurge but I'm willing to spend $100 to get the beans and a $10 french press from Ikea and I'm pretty sure it won't take me too long to find a couple of river rocks that would work as an impromptu mortar/pestle.

I also like to smoke a pipe maybe once a day which is maybe an ounce a week. I already have a spare pipe and tobacco in my EDC bag so this would go with me, but I'll make do with the cheap drugstore pipe tobacco marketed for RYO cigs at $14/lb shipped. We'll grab 3 of those 1 lb packs for $42 to keep me in my daily smoke.

I have a handcrank radio in my BOB and I could kinda cheat and say I already have that folding solar charger I plan on buying someday, but let's not and I'll cough up the $38 for this one. I'll have my battery bank and flashlight that's in my BOB plus my iPhone in my pocket and my Kindle I keep in my EDC backpack. The plan will be that I'll find a nice sunny spot to permanently mount the charger and I can go plug in the battery bank each day to keep my phone topped off. That way I have a radio for news and I can load a lot of music/audiobooks/ebooks/games to help keep me sane. I'm also going to buy an extra pair of earbuds from DollarTree as well as a few bars of Ivory soap a $9 Solar Shower from Amazon. Gotta stay clean and having a shower is a huge morale boost.

Speaking of books, I'm probably going to hit the library on my way out of town and check out a few survival/homesteading books. I'll have plenty of money to pay the late fines after I win the boatload of money from my uncle.

At this point, I've spent:

$350 on Tools/Food Procurement
$250 for boring basic calories food supply
$100 on coffee (important)
$50 in tobacco (likewise important)
$50 for electronics

So $700 total. Do the rules state I have stay in the woods, or can I walk into town from time to time? If so, I'll keep the rest of the money for a weekly walk into town to spend my $3.85 allowance and visit the library. If I can't, I'm going to probably spend the rest on a cheap used rifle and as many rounds as I can buy. I'll have my 9mm Glock and a few clips of ammo from my BOB, but that's no fun to hunt with. I'd also try to figure out a way to get a cheap guitar from somewhere if possible - I could probably figure out a song or two in a year.

Let's say the above plan is approved, and I'm going to the woods for a year. Hoo-rah! That's a lot of sacks of beans and rice - I'm glad I bought a used wheelbarrow! Once I get to a campsite I like, I'll start divying out enough rice/beans/salt into empty 5-gallon bucks and dig a pit to bury them in--probably two or three to make sure it's not all in one place if I didn't bury it deep enough and a bear smells it. The next order of business would be setting up a semi-permanent lean-to glamping shelter, cooking pit, latrine, a sand filter for pre-filtering water before adding into my Sawyer and storing it away in the Arizona tea containers.

I'd spend my days playing around with the hunting/trapping/fishing gear, reading, playing guitar badly, and writing in my journal. Once a week or so, I'd shower, put on my best shirt, and hike to town for a visit to the library and to buy a beer or some other treat. If could access Wi-Fi it'd be great to set up a blog--I could take pictures and write on my phone and upload to a free WordPress site whenever I'm in town. I'm pretty sure I could get a book deal out of this as well.

Continuing with more specifics:

> And this is a post asking for help, which I have a habit of not doing.

Mate, asking for help is awesome - it gives you a lot of input from other folks, some of which might be useful. Btw, you're way ahead of me in that regard (I'd use that as a source of pride).

> I don’t really know where to start (other than looking at the sidebar) but I’m desperate and definitely in need of motivation and advice.

Looking at the sidebar is a good first step. But if you're prone to getting overwhelmed and stuck in analysis paralysis (I know I am), a good fallback strategy is to dump all your impediments and ask for advice. The community can help with organizing them and figuring out how to work around them.

Motivation:

• making things easier: are you OK with the journey being long (but showing consistent and measurable progress)? That makes most strategies much easier. If not, list why not, and we can see if there are ways to gradually change your way of thinking on the matter.
  
• When reading your post, it looks like the goal of getting fit is overwhelming. You list several impediments, concerns and areas where you feel you lack knowledge. If we can address those, the goal can become more manageable (you'll know more about it), and then a strategy can be created to start tackling it.
  
  
  >I’m tired of telling myself I’ll start tomorrow
  
  Can you start right now? Let's say with losing fat. What do you think you can do right now (within the next 30 minutes):
  
  
• create a MyFitnessPal account
  
• get/order a kitchen scale. Digital's great, but the cheapest shittiest analog one is still better than nothing.
  
  • not enough money right now? See when you'll have saved enough. Set an alarm to order it then. If you don't mind waiting 2-4 weeks for delivery, grab one for 10-15 bucks from dx.com (e.g. this one)
    
  • don't know where to buy one? I used dx.com cause I'm a finicky cheap bastard, but the local *-Mart should have 1g-resolution ones for 10-20 bucks
    
• track the next meal you eat
  
• calculate your TDEE, so you know what's a safe daily calorie target (general consensus: 500 kcal deficit)
  
• take front and side pictures of yourself, so you can see how much you've progressed in the future
  
  If you can do at least the first, that's awesome - you've made progress. Trivial, but progress is progress. Next time you'll have one less impediment on your journey to getting fit. On the other hand, whenever you want more, you can continue with the meta-task of generating and tuning your strategy:
  
  
• optional: add the calorie/weight data in a spreadsheet (e.g. Google, or beeminder), if MFP doesn't show you fancy graphs to motivate you
  
• if you choose bodyweight fitness for exercise somewhere along the way, buy a pull-up bar or figure out what you could use for pull-ups. I use something similar to this $14 one. Bam! You've got all your exercise equipment ready.
  
  > I’m tired of feeling weak and waking up aching and depressed. Tired of binges, of fried food, of everything. I honestly feel like I’ve been wasting my life by not being physically well enough to enjoy the time I’ve been given so far and I want to change that. I’m at the point where something needs to change because there’s no point in me living like this anymore. I can’t fake anything anymore. My personality doesn’t match my body. I hate everything.
  
  Shit sucks, mate. But you can do it. If you've been sabotaging yourself, you can try with smaller and smaller goals, until you start making progress. You can gradually train your ability to put in more and more consistent effort into your goals (and start going for slightly larger goals), and you can get on your way to getting fit. The fact that you're making progress can be a source of motivation, and you can start feeling less unhappy. Then that stuff starts feeding on itself, like the downward spiral of depression, but in reverse.
  
  > I’m not sure where I’m going with this post other than ‘help.’ I’m looking for a friend or someone I can just talk to to help me get on track or at least help me start to figure out what to do.
  
  Right here for ya, pal.
  
  > I don’t know what a dead lift is.
  
  Starting Strength (the book) gives a lot of technical detail on the big compound exercises - squat, bench, deadlift, etc. Since StrongLifts was based on SS, let's see if they have something... Yup, the guy has full videos showing the big exercises, including the deadlift at 20:56 (the guy should've provided timestamps in the vid description, but whatevs). Related: the 'how to get started' section there seems very clear.
  
  > I don’t know what exercises are good for my body, as a beginner.
  
  The few exercises in SS/SL as far as I'm aware, but I'm a clueless guy and I'm just beginning the beginner routine in /r/bodyweightfitness. But let's see what the sidebar says:
  
  
• beginners should go full-body for a while
  
• examples of routines are shown in the linked resistance training section. These include SS, SL, a few other ones I have heard about, the BWF ones, and so on.
  
  My suggestion? If you've got access to barbells, go for SS/SL. SL looks nice, since it's got videos, a spreadsheets, free apps that tell you exactly what to do, etc. If you're like me and prone to postponing at the slightest chance of inconvenience, go for the BWF one. It's got fewer extras, but still got videos and form explanations, and doesn't require me to go to a gym.
  
  > I don’t know what cheap and healthy foods I should be eating.
  
  It seems like your priorities would be:
  
  
• avoid malnutrition
  
• lose fat
  
• do not lose too much muscle
  
  So,
  
  
• Avoiding malnutrition: get your RDA for macro and micronutrients. Too much research required? You betcha. Eat the usual crap you ate, but throw in a multivitamin just in case. Just the generic supermarket stuff.
  
• Losing fat? Track calories, eat less than your TDEE.
  
• Not losing muscle: eat enough protein. 0.82 g / lb of body weight is more than sufficient. Check out IIFYM as a nice continuation.
  
  But back to your original concerns:
  
  
• cheap: when going on a caloric deficit, you have at least two goals:
  
  • get your daily calories cheap enough. Carbs (pasta, potatoes, etc) are the cheapest. But you also need your protein, in which case chicken and eggs are probably your best bet. I eat the deli slices shit, because I lack the willpower to invest time in cooking, but will be graduating to cooking skinless boneless breasts later.
    
  • get enough volume to not feel too hungry. Vegetables do a good job here, see what's a cheap filler - cucumbers, lettuce, carrots in my case. Fruit is great too, but watch out for the carbs/calories there.
    
• healthy: lots of broscience and back-and-forth bullshit here. E.g. examine.com is a great source maintained by /u/silverhydra My current guidelines:
  
  • avoid trans fats. (Partially) hydrogenated vegetable oil; palm fat is also similar in effect.
    
  • saturated fats ain't that bad, but maybe still kinda bad. But I eat plenty of them at the moment.
    
  • dietary cholesterol largely has no influence on blood cholesterol. Which allows me to consume huge quantities of eggs (which are an excellent and cheap protein source)
    
  • nut fats are generally healthier (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, etc). Peanuts also happen to be cheap and high in protein, so they're a good cheap healthy snack to use to reach your daily calorie goals.
    
  • carbs - higher glycemic index ones are better (i.e. the ones that take longer to be digested). In practical terms, complex carbs and carbs in food with more fiber. Brown rice instead of white, brown bread instead of white, you get the picture. Whole fruit instead of juice and so on.
    
  • fiber. Keeps your digestive systems running better. 14 grams per 1000 kcal. Low on my priority list, but brown bread (and flax seeds) are a good source.
    
    But in general, just make the first step, and don't go into analysis paralysis. If you start getting weird symptoms, consult with a doctor.
    
    Still, the FAQ diet section describes a very good mindset for dieting, and dispels quite a few myths.
    
    To be cont'd.

It's definitely enough for a nice knife, though you might want to go a bit higher for a great knife. The KaBar BK2 is actually designed with things like batoning (hammering the knife through wood as a kind of faux hatchet using another piece of wood against the blade of the knife as the hammer itself) or chopping. It's a bit over $60, currently available for $69 to be precise, but as long as you don't flat out abuse it (prying heavy things, for example) it'll serve you well and quite possibly for the rest of your natural life.

At a lower price, you can get the Condor Bushlore, which at $35 is a perfectly valid choice that will serve you well indeed.

For an even lower price yet, the Mora Heavy Companion is from one of those few cheaper knife companies that does incredible work. I wouldn't baton with it, honestly, but even if you did it'd probably hold up just fine.

At a more expensive range, the Ontario Rat-5 is an amazing bushcraft knife. The Fallkniven Pilot Survival Knife is also an amazing knife. The Benchmade Bone Collector is spectacular knife made in D2 tool steel, one of the better steels available at that price. Another amazing knife is the Spyderco Bushcraft made in O1 tool steel. Finally, the Benchmade 162 is a pretty amazing knife.

One thing you'll notice about all of these knives with the exception of the Pilot Survival knife and the BM 162 is that they're all carbon steel knives. Carbon steel is a lot tougher than stainless (with a few very, very rare exceptions I'd never trust a long knife to be stainless steel) with the trade off of being a lot more of a hassle to take care of, since it needs to be regularly cleaned and oiled.

If you want a fire starter, carry a magnesium fire starter. With the carbon steel knives, you can probably strike it against the back of the blade to create the sparks you'll want and if not (like with some of the coated ones) you'll be carrying the striker anyway.

For sharpening, you'll want to get a decent sharpening setup and start stropping. A couple of easy sharpening systems would be the superior Spyderco Sharpermaker (usually available on Amazon around the $50 mark) or the Lansky Sharpening system which while cheaper isn't as good. You could take the time to learn how to free hand it, but most casual users don't care that much because it takes a long time to get proficient at freehand sharpening. Stropping is running the blade against something like smooth leather (usually smooth leather, actually) to remove burrs along the blade of a knife made by use and sharpening and the restore a blade to a better edge without removing metal. Stropping allows for a level of sharpness unachievable by sharpening alone and extends a knife's lifetime by allowing sharpness to be achieved for longer without removing metal from the blade. To learn how to strop, watch videos on YouTube or check out guides from the sidebar of /r/knives.

Finally, if you want a whistle, just carry a whistle. If you want a mirror for signaling, carry a small signaling mirror or mirror polish the knife you buy (a process where you sand the blade with increasing grit level sandpaper until it shines like the sun and you can see yourself in the blade).

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

You're overwhelming yourself before you even start, and that's a good way to crash and burn!

Let's go one thing at a time:

Finding a physician without insurance. If you're in the US... good luck with that. You can get some basic info from a FastMed, and they might be able to make a referral from there.

Mental health help can be found at r/BingeEatingDisorder/ or any number of similar subs. R/proED is very active, but tends to cater more to people who WANT to continue their eating disorders.

I strongly recommend against surgery. For one, it's expensive. More to the point, it's not entirely effective. You could lose all the weight and gain it right back, doing all kinds of damage in the process if you don't learn healthy habits along the way.

<br />
Calories. You are going to have to eat fewer of them, and there are LOTS of ways to do that. Whether you count them or not is up to you. Some people find that it helps, but for others it is a complete waste of time. You can get a free MyFitnessPal account if you want to try. You will, however, need to also purchase a food scale, and get in the habit of measuring every single thing you eat.<br />
<br />
It sounds like you were doing great on a plant based diet. My husband and I enjoy Mediterranean food. It's plant based, and we get a satisfying amount of healthy fats to keep those junk food cravings at bay. <br />
<br />
The seated exercises you were doing are a GREAT place to start. I've always been a walker, but my husband thought he would never be able to due to problems like yours. His legs and feet hurt, and he hardly tried. We found a series of three Kim Lyons DVDs that started out with seated exercises and graduated into walking exercises. <br />
<br />
Another thing that was helpful for him was a [pedaler](https://www.amazon.com/DeskCycle-Exercise-Pedal-Exerciser-White/dp/B00B1VDNQA). (Not that exact one, but something like it.) He would do 10 minutes a night, every night, no matter what. It hurt at first, and he couldn't get his toes all the way down on the pedals. Within a couple of weeks, he no longer had tight ankles. Now he is able to walk a mile with me every night. Soon, he will be able to join me for the full 3-5. BABY STEPS! You do what you need to do, at the pace you need. If it hurts, you're not going to keep doing it. <br />
<br />
They no longer carry it, but [this bra](https://www.danskin.com/p/DN4448/2-pack-seamless-sports-bra.html) is pretty similar to the one I use. I'm also unsure of my proper size, and probably won't bother measuring until I am a lot closer to my goal weight. If you try anything high impact, you'll be slapping yourself in the face with your tits, but it's fine for walking. If you are comfortable with the idea of a stranger touching you, you could get measured in a [Lane Bryant store](https://www.lanebryant.com/cacique-intimates/bras/sports-bras/P-10832) for one of their bras. Had it done once when I was much younger. I imagine they still do it now.<br />
<br />
If your boyfriend's shorts chafe you, just wear pajama pants or sweats. I walk in my regular old jeans when I go out. If I am exercising indoors, I just wear a tee shirt and panties. :-P Again - if it's causing you discomfort, you probably won't stick with it. Make the outfit as comfortable as possible, so you can focus on the exercise itself.<br />
<br />
Lots of people will say Intermittent fasting is great. I'd argue against it. It's a disordered behavior that anorexics have engaged in for centuries that has somehow become socially acceptable in the last decade or so. If you are trying to free yourself from disordered eating behaviors, this is not a habit you should pick up.<br />
<br />
Joining a gym is entirely optional. If you have the money for it, and feel like a personal trainer would help you learn how to exercise properly, then go for it. My experience as an obese person at the gym was absolutely dreadful. (Bullied daily by a trainer after declining his services until I could no longer bear to step foot in the gym.) Walking is free, and so is r/bodyweightfitness if you want to add in some strength training. <br />
<br />
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />
<br />
Ultimately, I would say the best thing you can do right now is to start with what worked for you before. Figure out what you struggled with the most, and tackle one problem at a time. <br />
<br />
You don't have to run a marathon tomorrow, and you certainly don't need to starve yourself. You don't have to lose 100 pounds by February. <br />
<br />
You do need to make changes that you can sustain for the rest of your life. This sub is a great way to learn more about those changes. Just remember that what works for someone else may not be what works for you, and that is perfectly okay. There's no magic bullet, and everyone is different.<br />
<br />
You're headed in the right direction! You can do this!

Well, I spent an hour typing this up before I accidentally hit refresh and deleted it all, so let's try this again.

Let me begin by saying that the T2E581, Weekender and camo NATO are all in good condition, they just don't get the wrist time that they deserve and that is why I am offering the lot up for trade. Ideally I would like to trade the whole lot for one watch although I'll consider offers for just one of my watches or pairings of one of my watches with the camo NATO.

First watch I'll describe is the Timex T2E581. It is a lovely watch that I very recently acquired in a trade, it just isn't my style and it hasn't (and likely wouldn't if I kept it) gotten the wrist time that it deserves. It is in good condition, although it does has a scratch that is barely noticeable around the twelve o'clock position. The watch's dial itself is a cream color with roman numerals (note the watchmaker's four (IIII) instead of IV) and a day and date window in the three o'clock position. The watch features the iconic indiglo feature, which is great at night, whether your out in the middle of no where or laying in bed and don't want to be blinded by the light of your phone.

Case Diameter: 40mm

Lug Width: 20mm

Water Resistance: 50m

Amazon lists this watch for just over $50. Link to Amazon page


Next is the Timex Weekender. I got this watch sometime in August and have only worn it a handful of times. The watch is in great condition and has no damage that I can see. The dial of this watch is an off-white color and the case is a silver color. The watch also features indiglo, just push the crown in and the dial will glow. The Weekender makes for a great beater and is great for camping, hiking, and whatever other outdoor activity your into. Included is the box, stand thing, and papers that it came with.

Case Diameter: 38mm

Lug Width: 20mm

Water Resistance: 30m

Along with the Weekender is the original blue with grey stripe NATO that it came with and a white with blue stripe Weekender NATO that I picked up at a flea market. Full disclosure: the white and blue strap appears a little worn and the white appears kinda discolored, although I did try to clean it. The blue and grey strap on the other hand is the strap that the Weekender came with and is in great condition. Both are comfortable and are 20mm wide, matching the lug width of the Weekender. Note that both of these straps are Weekender NATOs, meaning that they are one piece and slip through. Not sure if I described that well enough, but you can see what I'm talking about in the pictures if you compare them with the camo NATO.

Amazon lists the Weekender for just over $30. Link to Amazon page Note that I'm pretty sure the watch I linked is the white version and the one I am offering is off-white.


Last part of the lot is a high quality 20mm camo NATO strap. The strap is in excellent condition, it's actually never been worn. Like I said above, it's a great NATO, it's just not getting the wrist time it deserves so I figured I'd include it in this lot and see it go to a good home.

If I missed any details or if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or send a pm.

Happy Holidays!

I don't have any experience with LL Bean gear, but I don't see anything wrong with the those items.

When I started I intentionally bought cheap gear knowing it wasn't going to be as light or as durable as a backpacker would ideally want. I figured I might as well try some basics out before I committed to spending money on high quality gear.

The pack you list looks pretty small - only 2400-ish cubic inches. That could be a tight fit. I started out with this guy. Its an ok but certainly not "good" pack. Its not super durable or super comfortable, but it was inexpensive and it got me through my first 3 trips until I decided I liked backpacking. After that third trip I went to an REI and got help trying on lots of different packs before laying down a good chunk of cash on my Gregory.

I still use this tent. Although a couple pounds heavier than the one you list its worked out well for me and its less than half the price.

You'll also need some other gear to do overnights. REI has a good list here. Highlights include hydration (something to carry water and a water filter / pump / tablets / whatever), food storage, headlamp / lighting, etc.

Do you live anywhere near an REI? Along with having great staff to chat with about what might want to buy they occasionally have "garage sales" where they have returned / used items at crazy discounts.

Do you have the regular planet fitness membership or the black one?
http://www.planetfitness.com/membership-types

If you have the black one you're golden ;)

Other than that, get a good portable stove so you can make some food and boil water for tea or coffee.

Buy a jerrycan for water with a little tap on it, fill it up regularly, it also means you can wash yourself even if you don't have access to showers etc.

A small camping spade is good for number 2s in the woods :)

Get a mosquito net hammock, and maybe a cheap tent it means you can sleep outside or on campsites on hot nights.

Your biggest expense will be gas for the car.

Planet fitness is a good idea, but it's urban areas, I would do some (wild) camping more often.

I have no idea what campsites cost in the US per night, but if you do that every other night, or even once in 3 nights, it beats sleeping in a car park, and is cheaper than a hotel.

Have a look at some of the national parks, some of them have basic (cheap) camp grounds too. Campgrounds are really cool places to meet people, much better than a Walmart car park ;)

Shopping list:

Solar shower

Water carrier

Folding spade

Hammock

Cookware

Camping canister stoves are cheap, between $10 and $50
Cheap tent is around $50

Total expenses before hand, around $150-200 max.

I just went for the first items I found on amazon, there are probably cheaper or better products out there.

Source, I did a 6 month trip by bicycle through Europe, so not the same, but the basics are the same. You have the advantage of not being restricted by weight or size of items, which makes it cheaper.

If you need more ideas, packing tips or anything else, I'll gladly help ;)

Have fun, explore and enjoy, it's fun!

I was reluctant to try trekking poles because I thought I didn't need them and I had been hiking for years. To try out poles I snagged some Cascade Mountain Tech and I now really like them. Life savers for elevation and spiderwebs, haha.

For a cheap, but decent pair to try you could grab [these] (https://www.amazon.com/Cascade-Mountain-Tech-Trekking-Climbing/dp/B01055BZDA/ref=pd_sbs_468_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01055BZDA&pd_rd_r=AHB8XKJMJ4XVHCWDZ7TE&pd_rd_w=QLBlN&pd_rd_wg=UGPPr&psc=1&refRID=AHB8XKJMJ4XVHCWDZ7TE) ($20) and see if you like them. Cascade Mountaion Tech are generally considered the best cheap trekking poles, and you can upgrade if you do? I went middle of the road on those up above, and they're good enough to not upgrade, but saving 5-7 oz on mine with better poles would have been nice weight savings on something you pick up and put down constantly (way more than 5-7 oz in your pack). SO, my thought is, if you're not sure. By super cheap, and if you like trekking poles, buy nice and light YMMV.

I had the HV UL2 and ended up returning it. It was pretty darn nice, but I wanted something that was lighter, felt a bit more durable, and more flexible in terms of options for pitching so I grabbed the [Tarptent Saddle] (https://www.tarptent.com/saddle2.html). When I'm using the inner, on the saddle I feel ZERO need for a footprint, but I did with the Copper Spur, though you could always just repair... I also like that if there are no bugs I can pitch just the Saddle Outer Tarp with a ground sheet and total weight would be about 20 Oz. Either tent are pretty good options though.

EDIT: Added context.

Elevated camping is just a hilarious concept to me. As if one person in a planning committee was like "I want to do everything identical to regular camping, but sleep 2 feet higher", and since they were a generally nice person, everyone else politely nodded their head.

Like I'm legitimately confused as to its merits over an air mattress in a regular tent. Feel like it just dramatically increases the probability of accidentally falling onto the ground during a groggy morning or drunk night.

That being said, I'm confident that whatever camping option you have, you're going to have a BLAST! Firefly is an awesome experience- great people, great music, and great vibes all around. In addition to what other people have suggested, I'd highly recommend a reusable water bottle to bring into the festival, as well as a handkerchief in case it's dry and dusty. Also a cheap camp shower works wonders if you don't want to wait on line for a shower!

As you may or may not have recognized, this is the Condor Bushlore. Its blade is .125” thick made from 1075 carbon steel. The handle scales are walnut and the pins are brass (I think). The sheath is leather with stainless pins. These pictures are what it looks like after a weekend of extremely hard use in very damp conditions—I’ll talk more about this later. I took the pictures right after I cleaned it back up, and re-sharpened it.

I have been collecting knives for a while, and have quite a few, but did not own EVEN ONE fixed blade. I had a camping trip in the Finger Lakes region of NY, so I decided to pony up a whopping $31 and order one off amazon. When it arrived, the overwhelmingly positive reviews for the sheath were confirmed (it feels very high quality) as were the so-so reviews for the fit and finish of the knife itself. If you are looking for a fixed blade knife that is great to look at and fun to fondle, this might not be the knife for you. There is noticeable staining on the uneven handle scales, the pins and lanyard holes have grind marks on them (but are smooth to the touch), the grind is not a true Scandi (the blade had a secondary bevel when I received it, but it’s not a big deal, because I re-profiled it anyway), and the primary grind is actually uneven (this was brought out when I re-profiled it, one of the pictures shows this), and it came incredibly dull (hence the re-profiling).

So, how did it perform in the field? Very well! On two consecutive nights, in very damp conditions, it batoned through logs almost as thick as the blade is long, split about 9 bundles worth of wood (no-one had a hatchet) and performed other, less strenuous tasks like making wood shavings for kindling, carving tent stakes, and opening food packages etc. It was very comfortable to use, and held a good working edge for all of this. Now because it is carbon steel it did develop some significant surface rust, but that cleaned up very easily in just a few minutes.

In closing, this is a great camp knife for an incredible value. If you can get past the cosmetic imperfections, it’s an awesome little knife.

Let me know if you guys have any questions!

Honestly Id go fixed blade and I'd get something decently sized, ive been looking at the Becker BK2 (you can find this for $50 a few other places)
http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-BK2-Campanion-Fixed/dp/B001N1DPDE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302310192&sr=8-1

Reason why is that its alot easier to work with wood, fixed blades are going to be alot stronger then any folding knife, its just all around going to be better for most situations.

Things to look for in a knife, well to start with you have to think about what you may use it for, is it a survival knife are you going to have to use it to work with wood, make fires, or maybe pitch up a shelter? Maybe just for cutting bandages, moleskin? Prepping food?
Alot of people will argue about the type of steel, stainless is supposed to be harder to sharpen but honestly its a some metal with a sharp edge pretty much anything will do, just watch out for the $5 wall mart knives, reading a few reviews will help.

Don't buy a kbar or something like that, anything that comes to a very sharp point is used for stabbing people, not for cutting stuff and I hope you dont plan on doing alot of that.

How thick the knife is, thicker blades tend to be better for prying or hacking stuff, but they will be heavier too.
Watch out for how the blade attaches to the handle, alot of knives skimp out on the steel and the blade is kind of just glued on or lightly bolted on and it makes them really flimsy. I know with the kbar the steel for the blade goes all the way back and the handle is bolted on to the steel for the blade, most non-cheap knives should be like this.
Blade length, longer blades will be better for hacking/chopping think mechette, but it will be more difficult to use them to cut smaller things like moleskin, bandages, or doing food prep.
well that's a few things to look at someone else suggested a SOG seal pup that's a good knife as well something else to look at. I probably wouldn't spend more then maybe $60-70 and avoid anything super cheap.

Tent: Tarptent Notch - $314, 1P, 28oz (w/ stakes), trekking pole supported

Pack: If you order the HMG Windrider from backcountry.com (which currently has a 20% off coupon), you can easily return if it doesn't fit; the return label is only like $7. FWIW I have the HMG Southwest and it's my favorite piece of gear.

Warm Jacket: I'm sure someone can explain better, but a fleece is better for active warmth; it breathes and allows sweat/moisture to pass through. A down jacket is better for static warmth; it blocks wind and has a greater warmth to weight ratio. REI Magma 850 Down Hoodie is only $109 right now and a good entry/budget option from what I've read. The North Face TKA 100 Glacier Quarter-Zip Pullover is a good fleece option ($55 retail).

Trekking Poles: Cascade Mountain Tech, there are a few options but the cork handle with quick lock mechanism is the most popular I think: https://www.amazon.com/Cascade-Mountain-Tech-Collapsible-Trekking/dp/B00XM0YGW8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1542382742&sr=8-3&keywords=cascade+mountain+tech+carbon+fiber+quick+lock+trekking+poles

I started SL about a month ago -- also almost no upper body strength. No shame in the dumb bells. I'll see if I can find it, but there are some posts about it around here. It only took me a couple weeks to work up to the bar on almost all of the exercises (still using dumbbells for Overhead Press, though).

I started with the dumbbells that you can load weights onto: something like these. at a home gym to get comfortable building some weight.

It wasn't long at all until I moved to the bar (and it did get easier once I could use the bar.) Seriously, you'll be surprised at your progress in just a couple weeks. I still think that SL is a great beginning programming for learning form and incrementally building strength.

In just a couple weeks, I noticed a SIGNIFICANT difference in my upper body/core strength when I went to pick up my kayak...it was like "oh this used to be hard/impossible" now I felt like "what, did someone switch this thing out for a lighter one?" Have fun!

48L is pretty small if you are going to be doing any sort of camping etc. I'd recommend at least looking at a 60-65. Anyways, that's not what you are asking.

As far as cheap but sturdy, I bought both the Teton Fox for myself and the Teton Sports Explorer for my girlfriend and found them to be both fairly reliable. This was for an 8 week backpacking trip where I stayed in hostels through Europe (my gf was there for 5 of the weeks), so it didn't go through the rigor of camping, through I'd be willing to say that they would be entirely adequate.

For you, I would say that maybe the Scout or the Summit could be good matches.

Another advantage of going this cheap is that even if the backpack ends up breaking (again, not likely on the first trip), you'll be in a better position to understand what you do and don't like about it.

Oh and don't forget a raincover if they aren't built in.

TL;DR: Teton makes good cheap backpacks but I don't have experience with the smaller sizes. Also think about a slightly larger backpack.

Edit: Forgot to mention that I bought mine without trying it on first and it was close to the perfect size (could have used slightly longer straps over the shoulder, I'm 6'1"), but I have some decent experience with backpacks. For the most part, if you read enough of the reviews you'll find people of certain sizes fitting/not fitting.

Edit dos: Even more thoughts. It's free to try on backpacks in stores, and worth your time just to get accustomed to what the various sizes actually feel like and what sort of features you like. Once you try a few you'll get the hang of it.

>can't afford a gym

buy yourself 3 dumbells: 5/10 20/25 and 45/50 (all in lbs.) and this should be enough. You could alternatively get an adjustable weight set like this. Most places this will cost you under 30$ (thought the 45 can be expensive)

Every single muscle group you want to work with can be hit with these weights. There are hundreds of exercises you can do with only 3 basic weights, but in the interest of keeping this post short I will give you two:

The 5/10 lb is great for exercises which lift away from your body (Side/Front Lateral Raise)

The 20lb is great for weighted ab crunches (lie on the floor with the back of your knees on a chair and hold the weight straight up, then using only your abs try to get the weight as high in the air as you can.)

Beyond those you can do the obvious lunges/bicep&tricep exercises.

If you have a strong tree or a park with jungle gym you can do pullups. Let me tell you, pullups are one of the best confidence building exercises you can do. You will start not able to do any and after a month you'll be doing a dozen.

I'm no expert but I can tell you that working out does not need to be expensive, and you do not need a gym membership. The only reason I go to a gym at all is because it's free with my tuition and means I shower for the price of soap & washing a towel once a week

I'm lucky that I don't have a long commute. But this is by far the best way to get to work!

Edit: with links!

Little info on the bike for any others who are curios.

Bike: 2016 Raleigh Furley (on discount was ~$750 with tax). I love this bike it's awesome. Chromoly steel, real soft ride. Single speed so it's 0 maintenance. Last but not least, disc brakes. Not the best, but they are much better than rims especially in weather of New England.

Tires: Gatorskins 25mm

Honjo Fenders: Superb, takes a while to install. I could have a used a few more brackets to hold everything together better too. Definitely going to get a mudguard for the front maybe the back as well.

Rack is the Topeak explorer for disc brakes. Two Ortlieb back roller city panniers.

Misc: I have a cateye volt 700 for front light and the cateye rapid x3 for a tail light, both are super bright even in the daytime!

Bike computer: Old nexus 5 that I hold on with a quadlock to track everything to strava. I use Ipbike which hooks up to my duotrap and my scosche heartrate monitor.

Maybe you can still find some swatch automatic chronographs based on the C01.211 but they are basicly disposable.

Also the chinese airforce with the ST19 allows a mechanical chronograph for quite cheap, (not automatic) but reliability is an issue, sizzle watches also has this http://www.sizzlinwatches.com/proddetail.php?prod=ticino-military-aquachrono-watch which is Panerai inspired and uses a chinese 7750, dont expect reliability or accuracy,

Unless you want to buy a 2nd hand Seiko 6138, i dont think you should go for anything mechanical under 700-900 bucks which is what entry level swiss 7750´s cost.

Now quartz wise, you were right to look Casio, Seiko and Citizen. The japanese still make some of the best quartz movements around, Casio makes bottom bargin watches which are amazing.

If you want something sporty, Omega speedmaster Inspired
http://www.amazon.com/Casio-EF503D-1AV-Edifice-Stainless-Steel/dp/B003URWNOG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425228660&sr=8-1&keywords=casio+edifice+chronograph

Something Millitary Inspired ?
http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SSC231-Analog-Display-Japanese/dp/B00I1M0FZ4/ref=sr_1_39?ie=UTF8&qid=1425228771&sr=8-39&keywords=Seiko+chronograph

Or maybe something with a bit of class to it
http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-Black-Chronograph-Leather-SPC083P2/dp/B00BQL3XAQ/ref=sr_1_45?ie=UTF8&qid=1425228771&sr=8-45&keywords=Seiko+chronograph

I haven't used that backpack you're looking at but I can tell from its design, that it doesn't look like it'll carry the weight comfortably if you're planning on a 3 day backpacking trip in wilderness. This pack is probably better for normal travel so if you're car camping and have access to amenities then this pack should do fine. It also doesn't look big enough to carry a tent, sleeping bag, food, water, etc.

Assuming you'll be deeper in wilderness and using a tent, sleeping bag, pad, etc., I would recommend something that will carry comfortably (aim weight toward your hips and reduce weight on your back) and there are better options out there. You'd want a backpacking backpack at least and you can probably find lots of options within (or close to) your budget.
Below are a few suggestions within a few different price ranges (not sure how strict your budget is).
Side note: I used to own the previous version of the Teton - it was my first backpack - for the price it did a pretty good job and never had any major complaints:

TETON Sports Scout 3400 60L

Mountaintop 55L Backpacking Pack

Mountaintop 65L Internal Frame Backpack Hiking Backpack with Rain Cover

50L Hiking Backpack EocuSun Waterproof Camping Backpack Outdoor Sport Lightweight Backpacking Bag

Hope this helps - have fun on your trip!

So, I just went through my Amazon orders and pretty much every single thing I saw that I bought for myself I thought was the best thing I ever purchased.

With great pain and strain, I narrowed it down to these three things:

• Inflatable Japanese Soaking Tub // I've always desired a deep bathtub that is in the Japanese soaking tub style. I had dreams of remodeling my bathroom to put in such a bathtub but when I priced it out the price tag had a lot of figures and made me very nervous. This device packs up to the size of two furled full size golf umbrellas side-by-side, but also fits into my existing bathtub and creates the soaking tub I so desire. Oh, and it cost under $100. Far less than a bathroom reno.
  
  
• Klymit Static V Insulated // It truly is a super crazy comfortable sleeping pad/mat for side sleepers. I camp with a quilt, rather than a sleeping bag, but that hasn't been a problem.
  
  
• ThermaRest Ultralight Cot Knock Off // At $40 vs $100+ for the name brand, but with the additional cost of 2 lbs, I am really happy with this cot. It is delightfully comfortable and I use it when traveling. I can sleep on my side without any sore spots developing.
  
  Edited to add links.

You really need to go and try some packs out or better yet Buy a few and load it with what you think you will be carrying do not have the store people stuff bags in there it's not the same as having gear in there they fell much more different. I ended up with a Osprey Black and a Green Pack. I also have a Kelty Lakota 65 for longer hikes.

Osprey is the lighter of the Brands Gregory and Kelty are more heavier and more durable, but if you take care of the packs even the ultra light ones will last you. For $150 you won't be getting the Higher end packs they cost more then that, Or you can try a REI Garage sale and get lucky.

Trips like the one's you posted are great for light packs like the Osprey 65 you can pack a bunch in that pack and still feel like nothing is on your back. The only thing I don't like about Osprey is the side zippers I am a larger man and they don't work too well with my form lol.

This TETON Sports is a great pack it's not the lightest but for the money and the ENTIRE pack is nylon so it's tough as nails, I used it for a few year before upgrading to a lighter packs. I do not regret this at all.

here is a new version

https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Adventurer-Ultralight-Backpacking-Mountaineering/dp/B016ZXEDCQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_sims?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Internal-ALUMINUM-Backpack-Backpacking/dp/B000F34ZKS/ref=sr_1_5?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1500753362&sr=1-5&keywords=hiking%2Bbackpack&th=1

Not sure about your friend's budget, but I have a Scosche Rhythm and it works great. It's just a HRM, nothing else, not even an app! It's super basic but pretty good; I also have a Fitbit Charge HR and the data from each is usually pretty similar.

I pair the Rhythm with an app called Digifit, which analyzes the data provided by the HRM. There are other apps you can use as well, but that one works best for me. (Android phone, btw.)

As has been posted alreadg I do like the Gerber LMF II, but another one to consider, and what I think i will be putting on my pack is the Becker BK2 Campanion. Or it's twin the Becker BK22. They are made in the USA by Kabar out of 1095 crovan steel. This knife is a beast for its size it is good for a chopper, but is still small enough to do delicate work.

https://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-Campanion-Fixed-Blade/dp/B001N1DPDE

https://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-Companion-Polyester-5-25-Inch/dp/B00BT49UVG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504101875&sr=8-3&keywords=Becker+bk2

The only real difference in the two is the sheath. They are great knives straight out of the box, but with a few personalisations they get even better.

I'd be happy to elaborate on that here or by PM but, will not bore everyone here if not needed. If the BK2/22 isn't your particular ideal check out the rest of the Becker line. Ethan has designed many great knives something is sure to fit the bill.

Mountaintop 40 liter pretty good for 40 bucks, however I'm upgrading again soon. This one is great and I've had it for about two years now with no sign of wear and tear but I wish I had gone with a 50 or 60 liter bag as the 40 really strains for space on a week long trip. Its perfect for about three days however and that's usually what I do anyway. here's some pics of mine the thing I was most concerned about was support and this does a decent enough job, I'd say 7/10. It has molded foam support which is good but a external frame style seems better to me ( however that's a opinionated subject ) id reccamend going ahead and getting either this one or a larger Teton, or the larger version of mine if your planning on staying out for more than 5 days or so. Less than that and I'd highly recommend mine :)

I mean no disrespect, but I also tend to be rather blunt: There is a lot of work that needs to be done to this bag. It seems really thrown together, out of an amalgamation of random stuff that's vaguely "outdoorsy".

Firstly, the bag itself. There's probably a reason it was in the trash, and my suspicion is that it wasn't because it was well built, durable, and comfortable. Good bags can be had for not much money and there are definitely used options on Craigslist and at outdoor store garage sales if you're on a shoestring budget. Your bag has to be able to take the abuse of multiple days and many miles of rucking.

FOUR knives? And they are all folders to boot? And you're trying to tell me this isn't "bloated"? Come on. Get one good multitool like a Leatherman, or keep the Gerber if you must (you don't need 87 bits for your Gerber in the woods, either). Maaaybe carry a fixed blade, too, if you really think you'll be needing it.

Mess kit: That looks bulky as hell, and aluminum has an incredibly low melting point (something like ~1200F) which is easily attainable in a mature fire. Hello melted mess kit. If you are really just bugging out you shouldn't need to cook anything. Calorie dense food bars, jerky, nuts etc. should be sufficient. Get a super small mess kit like this amazing one from GSI Outdoor and use this very cheap but decent backpacking stove and you have a lightweight, highly functional way to cook, boil water, and drink for under $25.

Blade sharpener? If you somehow manage to dull all four of your knives in a few days you're doing something wrong. Save the blade sharpener for the Zombies-Are-Attacking INCH bag or whatever.

Sunscreen and bug repellent are both great. that said, you are carrying almost as much sunscreen as you are water. Embellishing, of course, but that's a fucking lot of sunscreen.

I would also seriously work on flushing out that medical kit. If you don't have much first aid training, that's fine (though you should get some) but a basic boo-boo kit will be really functional. Gauze, small band-aids, some medium sized non-stick pads, alcohol wipes, burn cream and/or antibiotic cream, tweezers, rubber gloves, pain relievers, anti-diarrheals, generic antihistamines (for regular allergies and allergic reactions), etc. etc. Avoid pre-built medical kits and avoid things you don't know how to use.

The MSR filter is actually fantastic, can't fault you there. That said, something like a Sawyer Mini would be a fair bit lighter, and has integral water storage should you need more.

Metal water bottle: Looks like a thermos, which is great for keeping your coffee warm on the way to work but is single-use and heavy in the backwoods. I'd suggest changing it out for a widemouth single-walled metal container like those from Klean Kanteen because now not only do you have a way to store water, but you also have a way to boil it! And you can cook in it if absolutely necessary. And you can fill it up with hot water and add it to your sleeping bag to stay warm.

Wait...where is your sleeping bag? I know you mentioned having some miscellaneous camping gear in your car, but what if you need to abandon your car? Look at even a simple bivy sack like this one from SOL. Coupled with a lightweight tarp and you have a functional survival sleep system. Throw in a small inflatable pad for insulation from the ground and you can survive in all but the most inclement of weather.

Lose the rat traps and 200(!!!) fishing hooks in exchange for calorie dense food bars and other foods that need little or no preparation. Try to stay above 130 calories/gram and pay attention to things that are high in protein, fiber, and fat. You're bugging out, remember? Not sitting around camp all day with a cold one and your rod in the lake.

Substitute your few cheap (read: heavy and unreliable) flashlights for one good one. Something like a Four Sevens Quark AA2 or something from Fenix, Nitecore, or Olight. It will be reliable, well built, and powered by an efficient driver to produce multiple modes of light and provide for good run time. Get something that takes standard AA or AAA batteries. Avoid CR123As.

Noticeably lacking are things like a map and firestarters. You mentioned a ferrocerium rod. Instead of spending $7.00 on a decent one of those, get three BIC lighters and a pack of waterproof matches in a container. And save a couple bucks in the process. Ever started a fire with a ferro rod? It sucks. I've done it. I do it for fun and honing my skills occasionally. But a simple ass BIC will work 100 times better in almost any situation.

Add a high quality, water resistant topographical map of your region. Do you know how to use that compass? I'm not talking about pointing it north, but for things like triangulation or magnetic declination or navigating to a point on your map by finding a bearing. There are tons of Youtube videos out there that will help you in understanding these techniques if you don't already. A compass by itself is near useless.

How about things that you're more likely to encounter?

Throw in a charger for your phone, or maybe one of those $5 burner flip phones and a $10 minutes card in case yours dies. Take the battery out (should be removable on a cheap pay-as-you-go bog standard phone) and write important numbers on the inside.

How about wiping your ass? Go to your nearest Walmart and hit the toiletries section. You'll find bins of $1.00 miniature travel accessories. I'd recommend a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant bar, personal wet wipes (preferably biodegradable), Chapstick, and some baby powder or Gold Bond. Throw it all in a gallon Ziplock or a small pouch. Now you can survive in the woods AND survive overnight a friend's house after you get too drunk and can't drive.

I see nothing for cold weather gear. I know it's summer but depending on where you are night time can still be cold as hell. Add a beanie, wool gloves, a fleece underlayer, a poncho or rainproof hard shell jacket, and a change of GOOD wool socks.


Lose the 9 million feet of paracord. 50ft should be plenty sufficient (if that) especially considering the inner strands are strong enough for most applications.

I think that covers all my major gripes. Back to drinking and being an ass.

If you really want a monster sized knife, sure. But I'd definitely get the carbon steel version that some others have suggested as well. It sounds like their quality isn't too bad.

However, I don't know if I'd really want to take something that huge hiking. Maybe SHTF-type hiking I suppose.

A couple of knives that I'd think would be similar priced or less (and have proven reputations) and would slightly more practically fall into the "only 1" category:

• Ka Bar Becker BK2
  
• Ka Bar Becker BK16
  
• Condor Bushlore - there are other Condor models that are great values as well, but might need a little touchup love.
  
• Morakniv - there is even one with a firesteel built into the handle
  
• ESEE 4 (this might be a tad more expensive)
  
• Ka Bar Becker BK7 or BK9 if you really want a huge knife, but I would definitely consider something smaller to piggyback on the sheath.
  
  Good luck regardless!

Thanks all, great feedback! Getting ready to check out stuck on the $100 referral code. ALL of their accessories ... are much cheaper elsewhere in variants.

So, how best to spend it? Per @Kraphtyone, shoes for my wife seems like the best bet (spending an additional $25)?

​

Shoes: I still don't understand options with the shoes to buy elsewhere (more so for my giant wide feet). Do I need to buy a particular type of cycling shoe with certain cleats?

​

Heart Rate Monitor: Is this the recommended option? http://amzn.com/B00JQHTJS2 - what about sharing? Would you recommend something over the wrist or chest for sharing?

​

For shelter, you really have a choice, tent, tarp and hammock, or tarp and net tent. If you want to hang around camp, you might want a bigger tent. If you plan to do hiking, many people only use the shelter to sleep in, and go with something small and lightweight, like a small solo tent, or even bivy.

I would point you towards some lightweight hiking gear here. That gives you the option to hike off to primative sites, carrying your shelter and supplies on your back. You don't necessarily need to go to the ultralight extremes that serious distance hikers go though.

You could start with a tent like this or this. If you wanted to get more serious into distance hiking, you would maybe spend more on something even lighter in weight (like maybe 2 lbs).

In Florida, I like the combination of a bug bivy (like this ) and a good tarp (like this). Though you would need poles as well. Hikers tend to use their trekking poles (like these). You would also need paracord (550 cord works well) to pitch a tarp.

For a stove, I mean something like this. Those are inexpensive and work fine.

For clothes, you can probably use mostly things you already own. Avoid cotton and linen. Synthetics like nylon and polyester will dry much more easily and do a better job in the heat and humidity in FL. And if you are going to go out there now, in hunting season, make sure you have some things that are bright orange. The hunters can be more dangerous than the bears.

As for bears, you don't really need any special container. Just learn to hang a stuff sack with any food or toiletries which have any scent. Using an odor barrier bag as a liner isn't a bad idea though. They'll generally leave you alone unless they smell what they think is food (and their sense of smell is very strong).

For shoes, again existing walking shoes are probably fine for now. Especially if you stick to sites off existing hiking trails to start.

For now, I'd start with a less primative site in a campground in someplace like Ocala. You can explore from there (there are sites near to trails), and have an idea next time you go out where you might want to try more primative camping. For now, focus on developing skills like how to use a compass, how to pitch a tent or tart, learning usefull knots for pitching tarps or hangning bear bags, etc.

It probably is a good idea to have a sleeping pad right off. A RidgeRest Classic might do the job for about $20. You can spend more on an inflatable pad if you think you will be more comfortable.

How to mount rings indoors?

I am completely new to the RR but want to start in the next week (home fitness with goals of core strength). I was going to get a pull-up bar but it seems just as easy for me to mount rings as it would be a bar. These were mentioned in a recent post:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SAEPY72/
I have 8.5' ceilings and am 6' tall (160 lbs; 35). I plan on using the kid's playroom in the mornings for this (along with the free app by mazurio). If this is a horrible idea, let me know but looking at the progressions getting the rings right away seems smart. (Some background: I was in crazy good shape as a swimmer till about 15 years ago, but even till 10 years ago still running marathons and doing triathlons. After that it was just soccer and surfing but since having kids 4 years ago I am pretty sedentary with a programming job, and want to turn that around for my core/posture and really my long term health. Would like to fold in some aerobic work with the RR eventually, but I see rest is super important so will see.)

Woke up to rain, and the gear worked great!

I made sure to tie small drip lines to all of my suspension (including the tarp suspension) and not a drop came in. Even had the tarp relatively high and in porch mode all night (for the view of the moon).

Hammock is just a cheapo Grand Trunk that has served me faithfully for about four years without any trouble. Although I'm deciding that the extra comfort of moving up to an 11 foot hammock will probably be worth it soon.

Eno tree straps

Eno profly tarp

homemade PLUQ worked wonderfully during the ~50 degree non-windy evening.

Jungle blanket: This was my first time using it instead of a bag, and man oh man was it great. Was nice and cozy down to 50 degrees, and I didn't get tangled in it like I do in my sleeping bags. Recommend 100% if you don't want to drop the dough on a down topquilt. Maybe even if you do, since this seems way better in the wet than down would.

River is the Potomac, and I got it all there on my bike. About 40 miles outside of DC

First of all - congrats!

Second of all, IMO the best knife to get as a present for groomsmen is the Buck 110 Folding Hunter:

• Good looking, easily recognizable classic knife.
  
  
• It's made in the US.
  
  
• Could actually be used and will not fold during normal use (good strong lock).
  
  
• Comes with a good quality leather sheath.
  
  
• Well within your budget.
  
  Plus you could get it engraved and make the present even more special.
  
  Cheers and good luck!

If you check DCRainmaker's website you can compare watches to find the right one for you. He reviews almost everything in detail. I would suggest you get one that has ANT+ at least so you can add any other device besides the HR monitor.

It looks like the Polar V800 does not have ANT+ and only works with a HR strap. From what I have been reading among the reviews, the watches that have a HR on the wrist alone are not as accurate as a HR strap. Some people like a HR strap but I hate dealing with the batteries, gel and that damn strap wrapped around me. I instead got a Scosche Rhythm+ armband strap that goes on your forearm or bicep. Its has ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity so I can view my heart rate on my watch (Garmin Forerunner), or my phone if I want, or just on my phone only.

I have gone through a couple of watches myself until I found the one that works for me. If you decide to buy another watch go through Amazon and dig. You'll find some good deals out there. I am currently in rehab to get my heart back in shape and when I compare the Rhytm+ do the heart rate monitors, it is exact. The nurses even were impressed. Good luck!

Not only do people fidget to relieve anxiety, but they also have found that people that move around a la fidgeting/physical activity are able to focus better, learn easier, and solve problems a lot quicker.

If you're a big time fidgeter you may have had someone compliment you at least once for how smart you are for [fill in the blank]. That could be computers, interior design, art, music, etc. Of course I mean people other than your parents - everyone thinks their offspring are all special little snowflakes.

One footnote to that however is you may have some form of ADD/ADHD, but that's ok if fidgeting helps you focus which it sounds like it does.

If you get a desk job like I have (and your employer allows it) you could get a DeskCycle and peddle your way to the top of the corporate food chain...or at least not be that one person at the office that incessantly clicks their pen open and closed all the time.

Those are the poles, I actually edited my reply, perhaps while you were typing out yours.

I cant really say anything about the tent, you will have to trust the reviews. It still looks a bit heavy at almost 7lbs but with your budget I am not sure how much better you can do. You would need to bump up to probably close to $200 just for the tent. (For example: my wife and I took the marmot limelight 3 person tent out and it weighs in at just under 7lbs, I still felt it was really heavy splitting the cost.)

That sleeping bag has actually been debated recently. For the price it is hard to believe the claimed rating, there are concerns that it wont be warm enough. If you do go with that one you might want to try it out somewhere close to home/car first if you can.

I don't have a lot of experience with specific sleeping pads but the klymit static V insulated is a pretty popular budget option and has a 4.4 r value. It is currently $55. Its comfortable enough , my wife used that one when we went out.

If you happen to be near an REI check and see if they are having a members garage sale on December 1st, many locations are. They can have some huge discounts on gear, you just have to be careful before you buy as there are no returns. I got a 3.4lb 2 person tent for 60% off and the REI magma 10 sleeping bag for 50% off. The prices might be a little more than your current budget but you can really find some awesome prices on quality gear. If you aren't already a member it will be $20 to join (lifetime membership).

I'm going to recommend an exercise program to you called Strong Curves. It's designed specifically for women and focuses on building lower-body strength (specifically in the butt) to enhance our figures.

It has its own subreddit, /r/strongcurves, and the community there is very helpful. The sidebar has tons of useful information to help you get started. If you want to see some butt transformations, just search the word "progress" in the subreddit search and you'll see people going from butts like yours to really very substantial butts.

The SC book outlines about 5 different plans that range from plans for complete beginners, to plans for people without access to a gym, to plans for people that want to go all out. All the exercises in each plan are described in details with pictures in the book. You can also Youtube each exercise for in depth descriptions of how to do each one correctly.

More about the book: you can buy/pirate/borrow/check out from the library. Here's a link to amazon. I found my first copy on piratebay, but bought a used copy online because it's nice to have a physical book to reference.

I've seen a lot of progress using it and I'm a couple months in. The beginner's plan suggests an hour long session 4 times a week. You can totally skip the warmups at first just to get a feel for everything. With a set of dumbells (I have these), it's extremely approachable and very effective. I think it will give you a lot of confidence.

Let's see...

http://www.fedtacticaldirect.com/Kershaw-Camp-10-1077_p_49809.html

Kershaw Camp. Great kukri style blade on a budget that performs excellently.

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Kershaw-Cryo-Spring-Assisted--11101

Kershaw Cryo. Hinderer design for a cheap price! Small blade, but feels big in the hand. The Cryo 2, the larger version, will be coming out soon.

http://www.amazon.com/Mora-Made-in-Sweden-511/dp/B004GAVOUU/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1372063610&sr=1-2&keywords=mora

http://www.amazon.com/Mora-Companion-Heavy-Duty-Knife/dp/B009NZVZ3E/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1372063610&sr=1-3&keywords=mora

Moras. 1095 carbon steel, strong and used to do a lot of good things in the woods. Very tough, very sharp, very cheap.

At higher prices, the BK2

http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-BK7-Combat-Utility/dp/B001IPMG8K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372063915&sr=8-2&keywords=bk2

http://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-BK2-Campanion-Fixed/dp/B001N1DPDE


And of course, the tried and true classic Kabar

http://www.bladehq.com/item--Ka-Bar-Short-USA-FightingUtility--16358

A few to get you started, though, with knives, you generally get what you pay for. Generally, you'll want to figure out exactly what you want in knives, especially in how you use them to find the best deals and blades.


Collecting knives is an expensive habit that ends up going into 500 dollars knives and 1k customs. ;) Budget and collecting don't mix!

Since I'm new at this (I have however been camping in wilderness multiple times for 3-5 days, just never backpacking) I've been reading a ton of guides. I don't have a huge budget since this is something I'm just getting into, but looking around at different reviews this seems to be the best stuff I can get within my price range. If anyone cares to take a look and possibly give any suggestions I would appreciate it.

• Tent - I wanted a two person because the weight difference between this and similar-priced one person tents didn't seem large enough, and more importantly I plan on backpacking with SO or my sister, so the split weight from only having one person carrying a tent seems better.
  
  
  
• Backpack - Once again, budget, but seems to be exactly what I need.
  
  
  
• Sleeping Bag - I'm in Louisiana, so nearby backpacking spots such as Texas don't warrant me buying a super low F rated sleeping bag. I don't want to be burning up and I figure once I get to the point where I'm hiking in colder weather I won't mind dropping more cash on a better rated sleeping bag.
  

$300-400 is plenty of budget. You should be able to get a reasonably durable knife, flashlight, and wallet for about $50 a piece.

You could get a Saddleback wallet, which have been popular on reddit. Many different sizes and layouts to choose from. The front pocket ID wallet is popular. I personally prefer Bifold wallets though.

Many of the flashlights suggested are $50 or less, such as the FourSevens Preon line.

After that, you just have the knife left, with about $70-$130 spent depending on your taste. You could get a perfectly acceptable knife from Kershaw or Spyderco for about $50. Any knife from either manufacturer in that price range should be satisfactory, though make sure to at least google a review of it first. I personally own a Kershaw Leek and while it is a good knife, I would not recommend it to you. It's rather delicate.

If you'd like to spend more on a knife, go for some of the more expensive Spyderco knives, or Benchmade. The Benchmade mini griptillian is one of the most highly reviewed modern pocket knives. many different handle colors, blade colors, and blade shapes are available. It's expensive, but you can even design your own.

By this point, you may have spent as little as $163, not factoring in shipping. If you're looking for a true survival knife you need a fixed blade. Folding knives are very helpful, but if you want a "stranded on a desert island" knife or a "lost in the woods, days from civilization" knife, you need fixed blade. The Becker Knife & Tool BK 2 (made by KA-bar) is a great example of such a knife. It's too big to carry on your belt daily without scaring people, but if you keep it in a bag or a car then it's fine. This thing is truly indestructible. The blade is a 1/4" thick. You could use it as a hammer.

$150 is plenty of budget for a good knife. This one is just slightly over that budget but will last you the rest of your life. It's kind of my dream survival knife.

The Fallkniven F1 is very popular as well and right in your price range.

Currently I use this knife which is also very good.

If you want to go a little less expensive still, Becker makes some good ones such as the Bk16. I know the Becker doesn't look anything like "hand made", but I have the BK2- I used paint remover to take the black coating off the blade, replaced the plastic handles with micarta and stained it to look more like wood, and built a leather sheath for it. It's a beautiful knife now. Too bad it's so goddamn heavy.

You could also go with something like the Mora bushcraft. I have that one also, very decent knife.

You could even just get a regular Mora or a Condor bushlore which are even more economical options.

We actually went in late March, but Utah had a much colder winter/early spring last year. It got to the upper thirties overnight, and all three hammockers used sleeping bags and inflatable pads for warmth. I personally used a 0-degree Teton Leef bag and insulated Klymit Static V, and slept in thermals, fleece, down vest, and a beanie. I like to sleep warm, haha.

I'm confident enough about the trees that if I had a permit for #5 right now, going just off what I remember, I'd bring a hammock and maybe a bivy sack just in case. I'm like 90% sure it'd be fine. The campsites are beaten down enough that going to ground wouldn't be super difficult anyway. Note, though, that the trees in #4 are pretty low and bendy, so don't be surprised if you wake up on the ground anyway.

BTW I found a blog of someone that camped at #5 but the only picture that says it was taken from the campsite was this one.

edit: you HAVE to go see Kolob Arch; it's amazing.

Speaking in general, if you are dealing with programming/cs, you are going to have to be sitting in front of a computer most of the time.

However, there are different areas that you can get into that might involve more moving around, or things you can do as a general developer to be more active.

If you are just a run-of-the-mill SD/SE/SDE (like myself), you can often request a different ergonomic situation, or do something yourself. I've seen people who don't like to sit, so they put their desks on "stilts" so they can stand in front of their computers. This way you can be up and about while you are programming. There are options for this if you are at a cubicle as well. Most companies have a team that has something to do with ergonomics that you can talk to about these things. Another thing that I've seen people do is get these small devices with pedals on them so that they can pedal underneath their desks while they are programming.

Some companies (not all) have areas where you can go if you feel like you've been sitting at your desk too long to play games like ping pong or foosball. You can also go out for a run or exercise on your lunchbreak.

If you're ambitious and work hard at your career, you could end up being promoted to a software development manager (managing a team of developers) or a technical project manager (working with multiple teams on a higher level project with a focus on technical knowledge). These jobs require a lot more moving up and about than a normal developer. There are also entry-level positions for project managers as well.

Aside from that, that's pretty much as active as it gets in CS. If that's not what you meant by "being active and moving around" then I'm not sure this is the right field for you. But there are definitely CS-based positions available where you have to move between groups to work on projects.

Hope this helps :)

Welcome here! I'll jump in on some of this....

I've worn Fitbits for several years - like 'em and think they're probably very good as pedometers and overall activity trackers during the day. But they really don't work well for strenuous exercise. The technology with the optical sensors simply doesn't react quickly enough to be accurate.

Much more accuracy with a chest strap heart rate monitor (I think gold standard) - my choice, a Wahoo tickr (https://www.amazon.com/Wahoo-TICKR-Monitor-iPhone-Android/dp/B00INQVYZ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496324625&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=heart+rate+monitor&psc=1). But I've used cheaper models in the past like this Garmin (https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-MAIN-61562-Heart-Rate-Monitor/dp/B000UOD5QM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1496324625&sr=8-4&keywords=heart+rate+monitor) and they do fine. A lot of people seem to like the Scosche arm bands (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JQHTJS2/ref=twister_B00KWHQJJW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) - I can't speak to the accuracy of those compared to a chest strap.

Regardless of what you go with, you'll want accurate heart rate feedback to sync with your bike (Bluetooth and/or ANT+ connectivity). Unless they've changed things with the newer Fitbits, I don't believe your Fitbit will sync with the bike's Android tablet - you'll want your HR monitor to "transmit" to your tablet so you can follow your heart rate data/zones on the tablet as you ride. [One nice thing you've probably noticed tho - the bike now syncs/uploads your workouts to your Fitbit page - with accurate heart rate data from the bike assuming you're using an accurate HR monitor, so you don't have to log your workouts separately to Fitbit.]

Here's the mat that we use under our bike (https://www.amazon.com/SuperMats-P-V-C-Treadmills-Machine-2-5-Feet/dp/B004IJI7HW/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1496325854&sr=1-1&keywords=supermats) - priced reasonable enough, and works fine. One note - if you're putting the bike on anything other than a hard surface (i.e. carpet), get a thick piece of plywood to go under the mat - really helps with stability.

I use Jaybirds and wouldn't ride without them, but there are much cheaper (and more expensive) options for Bluetooth earbuds. My wife doesn't like riding with earbuds and went with a small external speaker (https://www.amazon.com/SoundTorch-Generation-Bluetooth-Portable-Waterresistant/dp/B01GY84TFI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496325454&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=bluetooths+speakers&psc=1) that seems to put out pretty decent sound. Regardless of what you go with, you'll want to use something other than the speakers on the bike - they put out plenty of volume, but they're on the back of the tablet and sometimes the instructors sound "muffled" and can be hard to hear.

For what it's worth, my input.... ;-)

ps - Final thought on your concerns about moving the bike. Wheels are at the front, where most of the weight is with the flywheel and tablet, so I think you'll be fine - it's designed to be tipped at the front and wheeled into place.

Hey all, newbie here! I've been trying to learn how to pivot for a month or so I would say, and I don't think I've gotten anywhere.

​

I feel like part of the problem might be my board. I'm not trying to blame my materials instead of my obvious deficiency of course, but I can't help thinking about it. Currently I have the Quest Super Cruiser. It weighs 10 lbs and the wheels have a durometer of 80A.

I have a really old, crappy skateboard that I can do a pivot on with relative ease, which I guess isn't surprising as it's much shorter and lighter. But I also tried my friend's board briefly the other day and I felt like it was much easier to pivot (still couldn't manage it all the way). Her wheels were definitely harder (85A).

​

I looked up lists of longboards other people recommend for freestyle, and they were all around 7 and a half pounds, except they had a tad softer wheels. I'm pretty confused at this point.

​

I looked at a YouTuber I watch's set up video, and I think I know now that I want 85A wheels. Would this solve the problem though? I'm also aware that the pintail-ish shape isn't ideal for this style, but I hadn't done enough research when I first bought it. So would getting a different shape help too? Would it be worth it?

​

So, what's the main issue here? The wheels, the shape, the weight, all of the above, something I'm overlooking, or just not enough practice?

Edit: Thanks everyone! I managed to get it down :-)

I'm 6'1" but with a 7" basement ceiling, I don't see pullups happening unless I'm gonna stick my head between the joists each time lol. Same with OHP unfortunately.

I'm looking at normal height racks now, I assumed that with only 2-3" of clearance I would have trouble assembling the rack, but it sounds like that isn't the case. The Powerline PR200X is the current frontrunner.

I don't have a fear of falling backwards or anything, I've been lifting for quite some time and I know my limitations. It looks like I could certainly get a squat stand for much less than a full cage, but I still have concerns about stability. However, I am fairly certain I can just bolt a stand into my basement slab, which would cure stability issues I would think. Also, a cage would allow for some attachments, like dip bars, which would I would definitely want. I'm wondering if I can actually get a good squat stand with safety arms for less than 400 shipped, which is what I'm looking at for the Powerline.

Great, super light, can hold in hand for better trail illumination or clip on to a hat for hands free.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LUO028U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_b2l2Cb31GDXSB

Awesome headlamp. Super light, lots of levels and a red light and lockable. Get it from Litesmith.com with the shock cord band for an even lighter option.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077Z3LNX9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Q3l2CbTEV8FDE

I have both and love both.

TarpTent and Six Moon Designs are the 2 that come to mind. You should shoot them an email with your questions, they may even provide special pricing for scout troops (some cottage manufacturers do). The SMD Lunar Duo Outfitter is comparable in size to many 3 person tents, but marketed as a 2 person because they're generous with space, and usually goes for ~$125 during their holiday sale (which should be coming up soon—I got 2 as gifts last year). They're made in the U.S. and have great reputation.

That should leave you enough money left to get a pair (or 3!) of Cascade Mountain Tech Quick Lock Trekking poles, or one of the Al or CF tent poles SMD sells (I'd get trekking poles since they're stronger and serve double duty. The recommended ones have been thoroughly reviewed and are currently considered the best bang for your buck).

All good recommendations.

• Below 60F and a pad with higher R-value would definitely be valuable.
  
• I use a 700ml pot on most of my trips. The 550 was cheaper and still holds 2 cups which is the most I need so I tried to choose it for the money savings. There are some cheaper options out there too (basic steel 'cups'), but I went with Toaks brand because I'm familiar and confident in their quality/weight/cost combo. Options are good though.
  I also recommend going to local thrift shops for cookware. Often you can find a random pot for $.25 that does the job.
  
• Full size Squeeze is definitely nice. I have both the Mini and Squeeze. $20-$45 was enough range where I thought to recommend the cheaper option for new hikers, but you are right - it may not be worth the time/effort lost. I do have the Squeeze on my other list, so there's that.
  
  
  Amazon links for recommended items:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Klymit-Insulated-Static-Sleeping-Orange/dp/B00ANRW7DI
  
• https://www.amazon.com/TOAKS-POT-750-Titanium-750ml-Pot/dp/B009B98FGW
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP131-PointOne-Squeeze/dp/B005EHPVQW

You gotta be more specific in your original questions buddy.

First of all, there are 2 reasons to remove an animal from a trap. To rescue (and minimize harm to the animal), or to harvest (and minimize damage to the trap). Here in bushcrafter land, I wouldn't usually assume you aren't planning on eating what was caught in the trap.....

It does sound like you are looking for the rescue side of things, and this is for a film, and you are looking for realism..

A swiss army knife or basic folding pocketknife are fairly realistic options for what a typical person might have with them with just a general plan of being 'prepared'. Something like 4-5inch Condor Bushlore is a decent approximation for what a more bushcraft oriented person might have with them in a wilderness setting. Someone who is going out intentionally to rescue animals from traps though, that is an entirely different question! For that you'd want a blunt tip, the type found in rescue knives, and/or EMT scissors.

For realism, most of us here know enough about the various types of knife that we could likely give you good answers - but you really should explain what kind of realism you are actually going for.

Average outdoorsy person with basic 'preparedness' is likely to have something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Army-Huntsman-Leather/dp/B000IOI0NC/

Or this:

https://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Spine-Fixed-Blade-Camping/dp/B07DDCG3HD

Average Joe who has no idea of what makes a knife good or useful is likely to have something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Tac-Force-Police-Assisted-Tactical-Rescue/dp/B01LZ0T3N9



Average bushcraft subreddit user probably has something similar to:

https://www.amazon.com/Condor-Tool-Knife-Bushlore-Hardwood/dp/B002CC6BPM

but wishes they had:

https://www.amazon.com/Benchmade-162-Bushcrafter-Drop-Point/dp/B00B0E1MB6

Someone going out with them intention of rescuing persons or animals would probably be carrying something like this though:

https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Rescue-Tool-Pocket-Fluorescent/dp/B000PX0LKG

https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Assist-Orange-Handle-Rescue/dp/B0012G6KI2

https://www.amazon.com/LEATHERMAN-832590-Raptor-Shears/dp/B07N6P2RCB

https://www.amazon.com/DGX-Titanium-Coated-Stainless-Shears/dp/B01B2YF0AM

And then finally, I'll say this - pretty much anything sharper than a butter knife can be used to safely rescue an animal from most situations. Hell I could probably do it with a can opener or nail clippers. So just decide what sort of situation you expect your characters to have intentionally been prepared for, and go from there.

https://www.amazon.com/GI-P-38-Can-Opener-5-pack/dp/B005EAIXAU

That you're camping in Australia reminded me of this recent post in which a blogger recommends this biker-focused swag tent. Seems to be a fair deal and while I have no experience with it the blogger reckons it's a good bit of kit as you Aussies might say ;-). Most likely you won't be borrowing your parent's tent. The car-camping type tents don't really get along well with motocamping. Sleeping bags and maybe the air mattress or sleeping pad are more likely, or a bit of cooking equipment. I'll throw out some random recommendations based on stuff I like and let you decide how it fits into your $500 =).

I find backpacking equipment seems to parallel motocamping equipment in many respects. You aren't as concerned about weight on the motorcycle, but you do need compact and reliable. You may want to consider a backpacker's inflatable sleeping pad, [this is the one I have] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ANRW7DI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1). It's no mattress but it insulates you from the ground which helps keep heat in, and it provides a bit of cushion too. It will fit inside the swag, a hammock, or any compact backpacking tent, and it packs up small. I have this tent which legitimately sleeps two as long as you don't mind being close (tested with my girlfriend) and should fit a twin sized inflatable mattress which would be substantially more comfortable than the camping pad I linked above. To make an addition to your luggage, I can't recommend a tank bag enough. I have this tank bag which is truly a bargain and should fit any motorcycle.

I would also check out Aerostich's Camping Section for some ideas. Being that you're in Australia I'm not sure if you want to buy directly from them unless you can't find an item anywhere but their website, but there are tons of ideas you can get from their store that you might not find other places.

Now I'll just list off several items I can think of that I like to pack for motocamping (most are small and multi-functional items, and a few specific get-my-ass-out-of-a-jam things):

Tire plug kit, some way to put air back in the tire (compact air compressor, CO2 cartridges, bicycle pump, etc), several feet of 550 cord (AKA paracord), extra bungee cords, extra cargo net, zip ties, electrician's tape, heavy-duty trash bags (maybe 3 or 5), a small supplement to my bike's OEM tool kit & a multitool, a first aid kit that includes bug bite relief (and anything else you might want specific to the area you're traveling), a sam splint & triangle bandage, a couple ways to start a fire (waterproof matches stored in a watertight container & a cigarette lighter usually), one or two of those mylar emergency blankets, a little mild dish soap.

You might not feel the need to carry all that on a 3 day trip but a lot of it is small, cheap, and multi-funcitonal. Trash bags are to keep trash under control at camp and emergency waterproofing for gear/people, so you want the thick ones.

If you're really strapped for time, something useful (and relatively inexpensive as far as workout equipment goes) that I've found is this [stationary peddler] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B1VDNQA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).

It's designed for office workers, but I use it while I game on my desktop. I've found it very useful, quiet and discreet. Also nice for days when it's really cold outside, or when I wake up feeling depressed or especially unmotivated to get my butt into workout gear and out the door. It could be useful to you if you spend a lot of time in an office, or have periods where you're at home and have 30m to an hour of random free time but can't get to the gym.

Apologies if this pitch comes off saleswoman-ey, haha! I'm a big fan of convenience/anything that makes making good choices easier.

Many people will have different opinions on which watch/brand is "best". It all comes down to what you value most: battery life? satellite acquisition time? super accurate pace? All GPS watches will tell you distance, time, pace, and splits. Most of them, however, will usually round your pace to the nearest 5 seconds.

Two biggies for me were satellite acquisition time and battery life. I started out with a Garmin FR10, which was a great starter watch, but I found myself standing around for 5, 10, even 15 minutes just waiting for it to find a signal! I now have a Garmin FR230, which is way speedier due to its ability to use GPS and GLONASS. I am even able to pick up a signal while still inside. I can turn my watch on while I tie my shoes, and by the time I'm done, it has acquired a signal and I can start my run right away.

Optical HR tech is fairly new, so you won't find too many watches implementing it. Additionally, you have to remember that you will have to wear the sensor directly against your skin in order for it to pick up your HR, so if you live in a place where it may be cold enough for you to wear multiple layers a majority of the time, a watch with an integrated optical sensor may not be the best investment. Instead, you may look into purchasing a separate optical HR monitor such as the Scosche Rhythm+, which connects to Bluetooth/ANT+ compatible devices and can be worn on your forearm.

My recommendation would be the Garmin 230 (or 235 if you are dead-set on getting a watch with an integrated optical HR sensor) since it fits your requirements. I have had good experience with Garmin devices, their customer service is great, and their products work well. I hope that helps!

I am definitely considering this cheap Simmons .22 mag scope, but I'm wondering if it's worth spending a little more for something like a Nikon Prostaff for almost three times as much.

Hadn't seen the RAR in wood. They look super nice, but the durability of a plastic stock is definitely a bonus. Not so much the flex you mentioned... The Savage B22 could also be interesting in a very similair price range.

Packs- Your pack is usually recommended to be one of the last things you pick up. That being said the Osprey Exos is a great pack and one of the staple packs you'll see. Wait until you get all of your gear and then go to REI or another outfitter and see how big of one you think you'll need.

Sleeping Bags- It generally won't get too cold so you can get away with a 30 or 40 degree bag. Right at the start of your trip it may be a little brisk so just have an extra fleece on hand. A lot of people like the Enlightened Equipment Revelation quilts. They're great and lightweight, but expensive and some side sleepers don't like them.

Tents- There's millions of options, Big Agnes, Six Moon Designs, HMD, and tons more I can think of. The Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 2 is popular and lightweight, its going for $265 online right now. If that's too expensive I'd say go for the Six Moon Designs Skyscape Scout for $125.

Trekking Poles- These aren't super important unless your tent requires them. Best ones I've seen for a decent price: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XM0YGW8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cooking- You can go the alcohol stove route, I don't like it because you'll end up carrying more weight in alcohol than with a regular stove. The BRS 3000t is probably the lightest and cheapest stove you can find. For pots just a simple titanium pot will work.

Good luck on your hike!

Honestly? You're going to want to just go to a knife forum- this is a good example of one, or BladeForums.com is another- and just immerse yourself in it. Read posts, ask questions, salivate over knives, etc.

Here's a guide on knife grinds and the differences between them. Here's another.

Some good, popular companies for folding knives are Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw, and Cold Steel. All of these also make fixed blades, but only Cold Steel has anywhere near as many fixed blade designs available as they have folders.

Some popular companies for fixed blade knives are Ka-Bar, Morakniv, Ontario Knife Company, ESEE knives, BlackJack Knives and Fallkniven.

Any knives by any of those companies will likely be good, solid knives for whatever their intended purpose is- which brings us to another point, the intended purpose of a knife.

Different knives are obviously intended for different things, and a good knife for bushcraft might make an incredibly shitty one for cooking, with the While the Becker BK2 might happily slash apart a log or firewood, it's so fucking thick that it'll take a lot more work to push it through food, for example. Alternatively, while the Benchmade 530 is a great EDC knife that will happily cut food or cardboard all day, if you try its super-thing blade against wood or rope you'll be in for a bad time and might even need a new knife. Basically, there isn't really any knife that's "good" for everything. There are knives that are BAD for everything, but that's a different story entirely.

If you have any questions about anything I said, feel free to ask. Like I said- that's a good way to learn about knives.

I'm not sure where you live, but buying gear in Scandinavia will cost a pretty penny. You probably need an ~15F/-10C bag to be comfy (as the weather looks to low around freezing). Else look for a COMFORT RATING around freezing (32F/0C). While a $300+ bag will probably be "better" (by better I mostly mean lighter) you should be able to find something reasonable for quite a bit less assuming you don't live in Scandinavia. Both of the bags you were looking at are from reputable companies, I can't read them (google translate isn't working for the site) but if they are within the ratings above and are acceptable in size/weight they will be fine. Make sure to get a good mat if you don't have one. I recommend klymit. Hope this helps!

Yeah, it helps to have a routine. I found it easier after forcing myself for 2-3 days, the 4th/5th day got easier to do. I also have a hard time keeping myself motivated day after day.

I got these last summer: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VCDXNS/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1.

It was like $7 cheaper than. But I find I can have each dumbbell with a different weight, allowing me to work on different muscles without needing to swap weights, making it easier to stay motivated as less work is needed. The point of this for me was to just get my body to wake up in the morning and to kick up my metabolism early in the day, before eating anything.

Also, doing this in the background helps too. Like I wake up and often watch last nights daily show or some late night thing. So instead of just sitting there and watching the 20-30 minutes, I will stand and do the weights while watching it.

As for the eggs and sausage, The night before, cut up a regular sausage (the ones that are just a bit bigger than a hot dog). Cut it in half length wise, and then into cubes. And put them in a small tuperware into the fridge. In the morning take it out and throw it on a pan that has heated up a bit. Toss the sausage around until it starts to cook and sizzle. While it cooks mix 2 eggs, a pinch of salt/pepper, and a tablespoonish of milk. Add a tad of oil (if needed, depends on your sausage) and pour the eggs over the sausage. Cover for ~ 2 min.

On a plate put some mixed greens, I like a 50/50 spinach/Lettuce blend, with a balsamic vinaigrette drizzled over. When the omlet can slide around the pan: flip it, sprinke some shreded cheese, and slide off the pan onto the plate, letting one half flop over the other. Sprinkle with more salt/pepper as desired.

Takes about 5 minutes to do, and is really tasty. cleanup is a plate, bowl, Tupperware, pan, spatula 2 forks and a knife.

I am stationary RV living right now. It has it's challenges but is workable.

We buy 5 gallon jugs of water from Walmart (at the refill area) since we don't have running water. I wash dishes in the sink using REALLY hot water, tongs, and a washcloth.

For the bathroom, we can use a bathroom in a house here on the property we are at but when we move to my property, we'll use a composting toilet. We can empty the tank about weekly otherwise. Shower, we have a camping shower bag because our shower doesn't have water. Works well. Set in the sun, the water gets hot. Although, I am okay with cold water also.

To help with heat... well that is the hardest issue. We use fans a lot and parked in the shade which helped. If we had power hook up, I could run a small window A/C. If you are in a dry climate, a mister sprayer with ice water in it is very nice. To keep the heat out of the RV, we are looking into grills for cooking outside. I also cover the front window to keep it from heating the cabin area.

To help with cold... we bundle up. We also talked about putting up RV skirting next winter to help with insulation. We used a small Mr Heater to help warm up the place. For sleeping, I have a heavy duty sleeping bag and a mummy bag. I can sleep in -50F weather (not that I am going to... but I could if I wanted to).

You can make it work. The hardest part for us is water when money is tight and emptying the tanks once a week.

I don't use disposable dishes because I am too poor. We have cats and a dog. I worry about them overheating but I am working on a plan to build an outdoor animal area for the cats too.

Also, /r/vandwellers and /r/GoRVing are good resources for ideas and help.

I can't speak for this particular tent but I have spent my fair share of time in cheap tents... Here is all I can say...

You get what you pay for. A cheap tent will be too hot, or too cold. A cheap tent will leak. A cheap tent will tear. A cheap tent will not hold up....

If you plan on doing this 3 day trip and that is it, I would say go for it. If you don't mind a little discomfort, just get the cheap tent. If you plan on camping/backpacking a few times a year, bite the bullet and get a nicer tent. Budget camping can be tough, but you have a few alternative solutions...

Hammocks: Camping hammocks seem to have grown in popularity over the past few years. They are excellent in warm weather. Hammocks will feel very cold very quickly if the temperatures drop. There is no insulation beneath you without adding it yourself. They can be a little bit cheaper than tents, but they can get pricey quick if you get the tarp, bug net, blankets, pillows, etc... Eno is the most popular brand, but consider cheaper alternatives such as Grand Trunk.. I have this particular hammock and it has served me well.

REI outlet (or other online stores): The REI website has a portion dedicated to gear that is last years model and simply needs to be sold. I have seen $300 tents drop as low as $150. Keep an eye out for a great deal on new gear!

REI Scratch and Dent Sale: From time to time, REI will do a giant sale on gear that has been returned. While some gear may actually have a defect, the generous return policy of REI allows customers to abuse the company. It is said that some customers think that REI stands for "Rent-Every-Item." During these sales, items will drop in price anywhere from 30-70 percent off retail value. Consider an REI membership and participate in sales.

Roughing it: I am not sure about the campsites you will visit or the weather you are to expect. If it is warm and dry, a quilt on the ground, a pillow, and a light blanket can suffice... Once again, this is very conditional and not advised in adverse weather or climates....

This answer assumes 1) you want a few knives to cover different uses and 2) you can dig in the couch cushions for $3.53 or you can wait for Amazon's prices to fluctuate just a little bit. The price on the Kershaw jumped $3 just while I am typing this up...

EDC: Kershaw Blur, $54.17. I'm a little goofy, and I like the serrated tanto even though it looks like ass. I assume for most people, they'd prefer the straight blade. I've had one for a few years, and it works great. Just the right size, comfortable grippy handle, and I love the opening mechanism.

Camping knife: Condor Tool and Knife Bushlore 4.375-Inch Drop Point Blade, $36.41. The QA on fit and finish is apparently an issue with this company, but I didn't notice any problem on mine. It's not going to win a beauty competition, but its a hard worker. One of the comments on Amazon says it's the AK-47 of the knife world. I'm inclined to agree.

Inconspicuous Folder: Opinel #8, $12.95. I don't actually own one of these, so caveat emptor, but they come highly recommended by the hive mind. It's a classy looking folder that you could carry around in your suit's jacket pocket or your briefcase.

Hi! I'm a beginner and I'm shopping for my first board. I have an Amazon gift card so I'm kinda limited to just Amazon boards. I was pretty set on picking up the Quest Super Cruiser and some Zealous bearings because basically every beginner picks this board up to learn longboarding and the bearings would replace the standard crappy ones, but I just found this new board on Amazon called the Quest Super Cruiser Remix (basically a shorter version of the original Quest board). I can't find that many reviews online about it, but it's shorter (i'm on a college campus with tons of pedestrians so this would be a huge plus), and has a sick design (I love blue lol). Any thoughts on the board? Should I get the original black Quest 44" or opt for this "Remix" at 36"?

Link for OG Quest Board: https://www.amazon.com/Quest-QT-NSC44C-Original-Longboard-Skateboard/dp/B008EZNY4W/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=quest+board&qid=1569023486&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-3

Link for Quest Remix Board: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Cruiser-Bamboo-Longboard-Skaeboard/dp/B01HD50Q1M/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Honestly I think you're going to be paying a premium IRL when you could get a Quest from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Quest-Cruiser-Artisan-Longboard-Skateboard/dp/B008EZNY4W/ref=sr_1_1?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1458321531&sr=1-1&keywords=longboard

it was my first board, and it served its purposed.

Once you make your noob mistakes on a cheap board you'll have a small clique of skaters who will let you try out various board setups and be able to purchase your first high-end board with confidence.

/r/longboarding was super helpful for me. Awesome community, awesome mods, and awesome content. 10/10

Don't forget your safety gear.

Have fun


EDIT: One think I forgot to mention in hindsight I think learning on a board using mediocre bearings and whatnot is good.

The first time I bombed a hill using a Landyachtz with non-shit hardware I think I quite literally said "holy fuck this is fast!"

I wasn't skilled enough for that board....

A few moments later I was on my ass.

First off, you two rock seriously. I am amazed by the generosity, and wish I had the means to do the same. Just know, even if its not me thats selected, the gratitude and appreciation is there.

That being said. The item that I want/need that is on my WL is this here (Its in my random stuff list, first page): http://www.amazon.com/Competitor-729-Olympic-Weight-Bench/dp/B00245LJX6/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=GZ23EIUTDBK0&coliid=I1BHEALAEBYP80 I have finally cleared out the space in my spare room and will be turning it into a workout room. I really want to, and need to get healthy. This is part of my plan to do so.

And onto part two (its in my camping gear list).... C'mon...gimmie.
http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Trunk-Ultralight-Hammock-Forrest/dp/B001AIHB76/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3MBIYM75BTZOF&coliid=I1457MYHZJCKIR&psc=1

And last but not least...while I can not see what you two look like at this current moment, your beautiful souls are shining through and making you two look amazing, seriously.

I have an Teton outdoors scout 3400. It's a 54L bag that is really comfortable and has some good features and is pretty affordable the msrp is about 140, but you can find it on amazo ng for about 80. It a good quality bag at a pretty good price and it comes I a couple different colors. It also has a great warranty that protects against defects for the entire lifetime of the bag.


TETON Sports Scout 3400 Internal Frame https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F34ZKS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qNgyCbX0KY5RM

Hey I made a very similar contest to this a couple weeks ago! Kuddos :)

I would love to get this wonderful weekender watch! I love it how easily you can swap straps!

Have a wonderful day!!

You know I put a set of rings up in one of my spare bedrooms and was doing pull ups consistently on them before I heard him talking about it maybe 4 months ago because the pullup is such a great movement. I liked the idea of just hanging so I switched to doing my pull ups at the gym and just using my home rings as a quick stretch when I wake up or if I've been on the computer too long. I didn't have any health issues before but I really think its has made me feel less tight in my back and it's definitely helped with posture. I've also noticed a bit more grip strength at the gym because I'm basically greasing the groove by doing it so frequently.

https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/greasing-the-groove-how-to-make-it-work-for-you

Here are the rings I bought. They've been amazing.

https://www.amazon.com/Diameter-Gymnastics-Rings-Buckle-Straps/dp/B00SAEPY72/ref=pd_sbs_200_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00SAEPY72&pd_rd_r=JSZ5GHFFQM0EV0DB1MNN&pd_rd_w=Ej8Po&pd_rd_wg=4oe47&psc=1&refRID=JSZ5GHFFQM0EV0DB1MNN

I thought they were going to be junk for how little I paid for them but they are well built and the nylon webbing is very high quality.

I have a few tricks with how I set them up. Let me know if your interested and I can take some pictures.

I have a Garmin FR230 and am interested in heart rate training. I also have Apple Watch S2, which seems to give me inconsistent readings. For that reason I sort of scoffed at wrist HRMs and didn't get the Garmin FR 235 that has an HRM.

Now what are my best options? I see the Scosche RHYTHM+ mentioned around here as well as various chest straps. I could also sell off and get the 235 if folks think the HRM is pretty good.

If it matters I'm doing Pfitz 18/55 training so there will be some long runs where the effort must be very dialed in. Thanks!

I have a Grand Trunk Brand Hammock that looks and feels just like the expensive Eno hammocks, but i got it off Amazon for $19.99. It doesn't come with straps, but I found an awesome set of straps for $4.99 on Amazon as well. If you are interested, let me know and I will send you the links!
Edit: spelling, and heres the link for the hammock: Grand Trunk Ultralight Hammock (Forest Green) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AIHB76/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VHywxbV0QYDTV

I use this

G-raphy Camera Insert Bag with Sleeve Camera Case (Orange)

and put in in the bottom most part of whichever hiking bag I'm using. For my larger pack (65L) (https://www.amazon.com/Teton-Sports-Internal-High-Performance-Backpacking/dp/B000F34ZKS/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3QLFXUFBOG8OX&keywords=teton+backpack+65l&qid=1550902518&s=gateway&sprefix=65l+teto%2Caps%2C151&sr=8-2).

I put it in the sleeping bag compartment like arcana73. Then use the outside loops of the sleeping compartment usually used for tents for the tripod. Want to keep that weight low for stability and to maximize comfort. That insert bag holds my canon 6d body, my 70-300mm, my 50mm pancake, and my 14mm rokinon wide lens. I use a seperate bag I got for my iOptron skytracker to hold filters, remote shutter, additional sds, and so on. For my tent and sleeping bag I simply just put those in the main compartment, opting usually for a light hammock set-up when the weather's good.

​

Overall I think a larger backpacking pack will do wonders for the duality you want, leaving room for food and supplies you'll need for those few days. Just be sure to get a nice insert to organize your gear and make sure you get a bag that allows it to be readily accessible like with a sleeping bag compartment, it will save you alot of headache of not having to take out all your stuff to get to your camera!

​

PS When looking into his I'd recommend also getting some external mounting system for your camera onto your packso you can minimize stopping time for fool around in the bag to put the camera in and out. Something like the Peak Design's clip (https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjig_Pfm9HgAhUVjcgKHef7BOMYABAIGgJxdQ&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESEeD2tnd3YimtpuoDUrupzsjx&sig=AOD64_1VNtF2qgoCRHRekkWs4nNs0xkT6Q&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwj21Ozfm9HgAhWtm-AKHQoIC58Q9aACCDc&adurl=https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1086507-REG/peak_design_cp_2_capture_pro_camera_clip.html/?ap=y&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2L7jBRCBARIsAPeAsaMvphVGvlxGsKqAxoQjry9wyVVOGvLmxwoq7sOaB7o-6ePuao0kMUUaAmGkEALw_wcB&lsft=BI%3A514&smp=Y) helps a lot with this subtle annoyance.

Get a more "mature" looking haircut, anything longer and unkempt always makes you look younger.

Try not to wear anything super trendy. Will help you keep a wardrobe longer (avoid large patterns in shirts, especially pants). Try to keep everything you buy more on the classic, "toned-down" side, i.e. flat color chinos, simple button-down shirts, and get some chukkas or nice shoes. Follow /r/frugalmalesashion for the best sales.

Try to avoid sneakers and athletic shoes.

If you get simple stuff (J Crew, Gap are best for pants IMHO as well as shirts) (Clarks or others for shoes) and take care of them (esp your shoes) you can keep them for a longer time and avoid having to get rid of stuff because a certain trend is over. Most of my button down shirts are several years old and khaki chinos and a pair of plain dark, well-fitting jeans (Levi's are almost always on sale) won't go out of style

ALSO get a watch

and gear an outfit that will let you tuck shirts in if you can, that always makes you seem more mature if you do it right (don't tuck a dress shirt into jeans. avoid dad moves)

If you go up to $30-40 you can find a lot of great american made knives in that range like a Kershaw Skyline ($35), Salvo ($30), or Buck 110 Paperstone ($30) Classic ($35), Vantage Avid ($34)
BTW, a good pocket clip shouldn't be uncomfortable in your hand. None of the pocket knives I've owned have dug into my hand at all. The Buck is a nice option if you don't want a clip though.

They may not be at Costco though, they really come and go. This is my recommendation as well, but I had to buy mine off Amazon (link). They did well when weighed ~250lbs and a far heavier pack than I have now; they lock really well and did great with a lot of elevation. Saved my butt on one trip and I definitely used them thoroughly.

It's not the initial style you were thinking about, but just for some variety, the Casio edifice series is pretty well received around here, and they have a good quality chronograph on sale currently for $39.99. If you like how it looks, you can't go wrong. With a leather band this thing is very pleasing to the eye.

http://www.amazon.com/Casio-EF503D-1AV-Edifice-Stainless-Steel/dp/B003URWNOG

Bring rain boots just in case. Last year's mud fest turned into a shoe graveyard and I ruined several shoes that I brought.

Also Walmart /camping stores have solar powered shower bags for real cheap (like under $20) bring a big jug of water and dedicate that jug solely to shower water, its not the cleanest feeling (if you don't have a shower tent you can wear a bathing suit and wash up outside of your car) but i certainly hope youre not going to a camping festival thinking you're going to be clean anyway, its definitely better than waiting in a long line and paying for a shower

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0009PUT20/ref=mp_s_a_1_sc_1?qid=1452773074&sr=8-1-spell&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=solar+powerd+showe+bag

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010GSU294/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1452773182&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=shower+tent&dpPl=1&dpID=41VMyC7Bm0L&ref=plSrch

*sorry about the links I'm on mobile

Touch crowd. Since I don’t know where OP lives I can’t recommend a bike shop but it’s worth taking the time to get the right shoes and cleats. It’s worth the effort.

As for HRM straps, this one seems popular with the crowd here. Scosche Rhythm+ Heart Rate Monitor with Armband, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JQHTJS2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_gNGvDbYMG1RX2

And I like the Jaybird X4 for wireless earbuds. Jaybird X4 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones for Sport, Fitness and Running, Compatible with iOS and Android Smartphones: Sweatproof and Waterproof - Black Metallic/Flash https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GVCZPSJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jPGvDb75T1BX2

I'm a big hammock fan, so I'm sorry if I get long winded. Been through a few hammocks in search of perfection (never worn one out). I started with this one, have the most experience with this one, most recently started using this one. Used hammocks to cover the south half of Wisconsin's state parks in 2013 on a CB750 wearing this backpack.

Finding trees the right distance was (impressively) never a problem for me. I've been thinking there should be a way to hang one side on the motorcycle should the need arise, but haven't yet had to test it. I'd really like to be able to hang from the motorcycle on one side and the frame on that pack on the other side, but don't know if the pack will support a person (hasn't been warm enough to test since I thought of this).

In terms of rain, I started with a generic big blue tarp from a hardware store. This was a bad idea, thing was bulky, loud, and inflexible to the point of being hard to work with. Now I use this and it does the job pretty well. I used a large size of this tarp for a while, but the one I got was too big and ultimately heavier than needed.

I'm sorry to bust your bubble, but hammocks can get cold at night. I used this sleeping pad, after a while added this to keep the shoulders warm. Sleeping on what feels like a massively oversized menstrual pad never felt right, plus they get a little awkward in a hammock. Everybody I've heard from recommends underquilts for proper insulation, and it took me until this year to bite the bullet and get one (they're not cheap). I just got this yesterday, and intend to test it tomorrow night.

This book has been widely recommended. I haven't read it yet, but at $4 for kindle, that's not a bad price. You can read it on a smartphone or computer with the kindle app (which is free).

It wasn't until I typed this all out that I realized how much money I probably spent on all this stuff. I didn't buy it all from Amazon, just convenient links.

Not sure what you plan on doing and how much weight you'll be using, but I'm finishing up assembling my frugal low-space garage gym. I got a few new items because they were not too expensive and hard to find on Craigslist (squat stands and bumper plates namely).

• Beater barbell off Craigslist ($45)
  
• Squat Stands new off Amazon ($70) - if you're doing a lot more weight and/or space isn't an issue, I'd recommend something like this or this
  
• Bench off Craigslist ($50)
  
• 180lbs Diamond Pro Bumper Plates from Walmart 160lb set + 2x10 set ($227) - with free shipping, it's easy to add on in the future
  
• 4x5lb + 2x2.5lb steel plates off Craigslist ($20)
  
  Total Cost: $412 (or 3.2 months of my CrossFit membership)
  
  It's not the most awesome home gym, but fits in the corner of my garage, and is heavy enough for me to do my Starting Strength routine and progress a bit before I need to add on.

I was looking for transportation that didn't require too much maintenance or storage for work. I (impulsively) settled on this Quest 44" board today.

I have 0 experience riding anything like this, but I figured youtube and safety gear have me covered

I feel like I should leave something here for discussion, but I'm just super pumped and felt like sharing (and didn't feel like junking up your sub with a "my first xyz!" post)

I love my small forest axe. Best survival purchase i've made. I wouldn't stray from that idea, unless you decide to refurbish an antique hatchet. I've seen people fix up sixty year old plumb scout hatchets to gransfors quality.

For knives, i use my moraknive survival and the condor bushlore. The bushlore a hardy-ass knife and it's only about thirty bucks. I use the mora regularly. That particular one is what i have, i picked it up based on the thickness of the blade, but they have far cheaper ones if you don't want to throw down that much. I believe you can get an almost identicle knife without the firesteel for around 15 bucks cheaper.
Good Review on the bushlore

Machete-wise, i love my Condor Parang. It's giant, it sharpens well, it holds an edge, and it's tough as nails. The thing is 1/4 inch thick. It's big. It also comes with a sexy leather sheath of equally high quality and durability.
I've also played around with the full size bear grylls Parang by gerber. Thing cuts like you wouldn't believe, with great weight length and balance. I use the condor, my survival bud uses the gerber. They're about equal in different ways.

Body-Solid Powerline Power Rack (PPR200X) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VLRVSC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VrFvDbXQW3M4D


Titan 6' Technique Olympic Bar https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0791NWM3N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_gsFvDbDJH4MXE


Titan X-2 Power Rack Dip Bars https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078WGS73S?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


CAP Barbell Olympic 2-Inch Plate Rack https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013SZC8S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rUDvDb4QKP220


PROCIRCLE Wood Gymnastic Rings -... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0129IIMZA?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


Harbinger Polypropylene Weight... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001P0S3XU?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share


PowerBlock Elite Dumbbell 70lb Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UG4GFA4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OsFvDb4T80D8Z


About 500lbs of random plates I got cheap. Most of it was bought used but in good condition. Took me a while because I was really patient so I’d find what I wanted.


I’m pretty happy with all of it. I was most concerned with saving space and getting stuff that had high enough weight capacities. I’m not lifting really heavy weights, so it’s all good for me but might not work for everyone.


I’m considering getting a stand or some matts, or maybe a few kettlebells.

Pictured

On the left is my first long gun, a Ruger American Rimfire model 8301. It has a Simmons 3-9x32 scope on an Evolution Scope Base. It currently has no other mods. I've considered dropping in the Timoney trigger, but I feel like this firearm is AOK in the current configuration. This was the second time I have fired the RAR with the scope on it. The first time was about a week ago where I shot it off of bags to get it zeroed in. Today, I shot standing/unsupported. That was a challenge. I loaded 5 rounds at a time. I learned that doing an upper body workout a few hours before going to the range can make a light firearm feel really heavy. I think I'm going to try using the higher comb cheek riser to see if I can get a more consistent cheek weld without having to contort my neck so much. My focus this range visit was shooting with both eyes open, and getting as consistent groups as I could. I fired 50 rounds of CCI Blazer. Now it makes sense to me why people shoot prone, use a monopod, or a bipod. Shooting off hand made me realize how much I move when firing. It was a great training experience that will carry over to how I shoot my other firearms.


On the right is my most recent long gun (I picked it up yesterday), a bone stock Ruger PC Carbine model 19101 (non-treaded barrel with 10 round magazine version). This was my first range visit with the PC Carbine. I was extremely excited to get some range time with this one. Prior to this, I had only fired: .22LR, 12 gauge, and .223 from long guns. The .223 was when I took a rifle course at Sig Sauer Academy (loaner MCX).

First Impressions of the PC Carbine

To me, it had all the fun of shooting a 10/22 with a bigger boom.

I was skeptical about trying to use ghost ring sights. I have horrible eye sight, and could not get a sight picture with Tech Sights on a 10/22 to save my life. However, these were really easy to use. I'm going to wait a while before trying it with a red dot sight.

Recoil was fine. It is a 9mm, so it was not bad by any stretch.

Trigger feels pretty good to me as far as break and pressure. If an aftermarket company releases a metal trigger (the actual trigger component), I'd strongly consider adding that.

The only thing that felt a bit odd was the magazine release. I'm going to add the Taccom one.

The surprising thing to me was that it would fit in a cheapie bag that I picked up for my shotgun. So, I'm not planning on picking up a specific bag for this firearm anytime soon.

I'm on the fence about magazines for this thing. Pmags for Glocks are pretty cost efficient compared to the cost of the Ruger SR9 mags. So, I have some research to do.

Eventually, I'll throw a picture of my three Rugers up on here.

Not pictured is my Ruger 10/22 Sporter model 1102. I have made some tweaks to it. So far, it has the Ruger BX Trigger, Volquartsen auto-bolt release, extractor, and then I just got in the Surestrike firing pin and bolt handle. It has the same scope that I put on the American Rimfire but on a Monstrum rail. I still need to zero in the scope for this one.

​

I'm doing my first camp in a long time next week with the scouts too. We are in Utah, but expect 30s overnight.

I am taking a cot, with an insulated sleeping pad, and a 0° bag. My son is fine in his 0° bag in a hammock, he's done a few at this temp without being too cold (even without an underquilt or pad).

I'm also a side sleeper, and feel too tight in mummy bags. I picked up a Teton Sports Polara bag, it was a little cheaper a month ago when I bought it. It's really nice. I tested it out with the cot and insulated pad, and it was very comfortable. It has a built in fleece liner that won't get all twisted because it clips and zips into the bag. They unzip fully, so you can get 2 and make a double bag. You can remove the fleece liner for warmer weather.

I will also be trying out an inflatable pillow for between my legs instead of a body pillow.

Check with your local REI store, see if they have a garage sale between now and the camp. You can get lots of stuff at about 70% off. I got my insulated stratus pad for $20 that's normally $100. Klymit makes a decent one that's well reviewed on Amazon and cheap.

Because I am rusty with camping, and getting involved with the local scouts, I will be camping more in the future, but have little to no supplies. I'm building my new supplies now. I have been reading a lot of Outdoor Gear Lab reviews, I like their reviews, they compare different brands instead of just reviewing one product at a time. That's what lead me to the Polara sleeping bag. They also usually have a budget pick.

I would strongly recommend something like this: http://www.amazon.com/CAP-Barbell-40-pound-Adjustable-Dumbbell/dp/B000VCDXNS#

You can then also use the plates with something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Sunny-Threaded-Chrome-Barbell-60-Inch/dp/B004EFYPBC/ (For legs, even /r/bodyweightfitness will tell you bars are useful for legs. With a bar at least you can deadlift, at least easier than with DBs -- if you try DL with DBs, don't smash your junk!)

Note that those are all "standard" (ie 1in) bars, vs "Olympic" (2in) bars. Standard are cheaper, but barbells for standard tend to only go up to ~250lbs (decent but not super heavy for legs stuff. You'll have to do volume if you max out at 250+). On the plus side, standard 1in dumbbells have "spin locks" which I find super useful for home gym things.

Going from 30lb-40lbs with those is just the cost of 10lbs worth of plates (which can often be found for $1-1.50 per pound), much less than the cost of a new set of 40lb DBs. Plus, bar if you want one.

Also, 1in plates and handles/bars are almost always, everywhere, for sale on craigslist, often for very cheap.

I have a similar set as the one on Amazon and bought plates as I needed them. I can currently load up 90# on each handle. (Can't do much with it - I use that weight for deadlift progression..)

That's a reasonable start to a home gym -- inexpensive, compact, versatile.

Do you have game on your land? Maybe check reddit, craigslist, the bulletin board in town, and see if anyone would be willing to help you for a few hours in exchange for a place to hunt? I saw that offer on AirBnB a while back, you could camp for free for a week, with 2 hours of help per day.

Maybe empty out the qounset hut and make that more habitable, so you aren't all cramped together in one room all the time? Make it a simple retreat, just somewhere that you can decompress, sit in a chair and drink a beer, maybe take a solar shower out back and spend a few minutes naked in nature? Maybe she could read a book for an hour, or listen to the birds? Smoke a doobie and listen to Adele? Yall need to carve out some space for your emotional state and have a retreat from EVERYTHING - or else you're going to get so snappish and short with each other as all the stress is piling on. Good luck man, you're long on heart and grit, and you'll handle stuff. Baby steps. You're learning.

Cascade Mountain Tech trekking poles

These are carbon fiber so very lightweight

Cork handles so your sweaty hands grip a little better than foam

Flip lock adjusters = much better than twist lock

You'll get all the differnt ends to put on the bottoms, but unless you are in snow or are hiking on pavement you don't need any end on the pole, you want the hard tip. The big round ends are called snow baskets, you only need them in deep snow. The ones that look like feet are for trekking on flat hard surfaces like a road. The ones that look like stumps are for covering the tips when you are travelling so the tips don't poke things. Look up a few youtube videos on how to use them. Improper use will help you 10%, proper use will help you 100%.

Hey! I was in that general are too up until recently. I'm no mold expert but I can only suggest my own setup, which may come across as a non-answer, but I don't sleep on a mattress: I sleep on an inflatable air mattress, like for hiking (this one specifically). Super minimalist but for whatever reason I feel comfier than on big real mattresses. I haven't had mold/mildew problems with that inflatable mattress, mainly because…there's no 'inside' really for the mold spores to cling to, and if it gets dirty it's super easy to disinfect the outside of and just wipe down.

If you're a big-bed sort of person, there are definitely bigger (like full-sized) inflatable mattress options out there. I also like mine because with limited space, I can roll it up and stow it every morning and basically have loads of floor space back

So that's an option

The Condor Bushlore is an inexpensive option, and weighs about 12.3oz. If you're planning on batoning wood with your knife, you'll want it thick enough to withstand the force, and long enough to be able to hit the tip-side of the spine poking out from the other side of the log. Since your budget is a lot higher than that, you might want to shop around for something higher-quality.

Check out the Blind Horse Bushcrafter or Woodsman. Not sure what they weigh, but I'd be happy to lug around the extra weight of one of those beauties.

EDIT: Also note that O1 tool steel rusts very easily. Be prepared to maintain those blades quite a bit. It's very tough, though, and decently easy to sharpen. I read somewhere that, when polled, most knifemakers would choose O1 for their personal blades. It's the same steel as in the Ray Mears Woodlore knife.

We have both the Jungle Gym XT and WOSS equipment at my gym and in my experience the WOSS higher quality (and cheaper, I think).

https://www.amazon.com/WOSS-AttacK-Trainer-Made-USA/dp/B00K3ZF07U/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1481303920&sr=1-3&keywords=suspension+trainer

But, for the OP, if you have a place to hang a suspension trainer, then I would highly suggest you just get gymnastic rings instead. Same price or cheaper and more generally useful. The forced connection point of suspension trainers always feels a bit weird to me and rings have a long successful history in gymnastics. /r/bodyweightfitness will be more than happy to help you get your ring game on point.

https://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Gymnastic-Rings-Straps-Buckle/dp/B00SAEPY72/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1481304015&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=gymnastic+rings

^ Go with wood rings if you get rings, don't cheap out for plastic. Wood rings feel nice in the hand and plastic rings feel like garbage.

Others have mentioned it but the Ka-Bar Becker BK2 is widely loved as a survival/do everything knife.

If the BK2's blade is too big and heavy for you, you might consider its little brother the BK16.

Also consider one of the Scrapyard Knives like the 311, 411, or 511.

Good luck!

The Condor Bushlore is another great knife in the thirty-forty dollar range. Heavier and more robust than a Mora, but still a pleasant looking, non threatening blade. The leather sheath is a nice bonus too. I love my moras, but i can't help but think of them as a little disposable.

It's tempting to go for the big knives, but in my experience, unless I actually needed the extra chopping power specifically from my knife (for instance, because I couldn't spare the weight or room for a good hatchet or folding saw) big knives just weren't worth the extra weight and bulk because they're a lot harder to use for making feather sticks or any fine work that involved small cuts and even the best big knives don't chop as well as a mediocre hatchet. Case in point: Here's a picture of a log after 10 chops with the tiny (1.2lb) Gerber Bear Grylls Survival Hatchet ($35) and the Ontario RTAK II (~$100) which is supposed to be one of THE BEST chopping knives available.

Even when I traded up from the RAT-5 (which was already a big, bulky knife, to the Becker BK7, I used my Mora a LOT more often than the big knife. Now that I have the ESEE 4, I rarely ever touch the Mora anymore.

That being said, some people genuinely do benefit from the big knives but you're not going to know that until you get some experience. If I were to start over I'd probably get a Condor Bushlore, use the crap out of it, learn how to sharpen it and build the experience to know what kind of knife I actually need.

I'm going to post a link to my gear that I have. Everything in the picture is about $800 total

https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/arck5m/2019_gear/

Definitely shop around for sales. The Gregory backpack in my post, I was able to find it for $130 online and then they had a first time 20% discount that I applied, ended up getting it for $106 after S&H. That was with Campmor.com.

You definitely don't need to spend a lot on a water filter system. Most people here and in r/ultralight will swear by the Sawyer Squeeze. It's about $30, not really going to find it cheaper elsewhere unfortunately, trust me I tried. Tablets would probably work just fine to be honest, especially in the Smokey's. I did an Outward Bound 14 day backpacking trip in Pisgah which is next door to it and we only used iodine.

My sleeping bag in my post, normal MSRP was $340. I got it for $170 at an REI garage sale in Dacemeber. Saved a lot of money there.

For a sleeping pad, really depends on if you're a side sleeper or not. If you sleep on your side, you do not want to get a closed cell foam pad, which is that one's you mentioned earlier about people using them down to their butts. Personally I have the REI Flash insulated and it's comfortable and not too expensive. Another popular pad here and on r/ultralight is the Klymit Static-V insulated which is about $90.

For trekking poles, personally I would absolutely invest in a pair. Especially in the Smokey's, the terrain isn't always forgiving when you're carrying a larger backpack and they'll help with any stream crossings. The one's I have are these. Very cheap, but very durable. Definitely no need to buy $100+ poles.

Definitely keep shopping around though if you find something you like.

Bulking is all about moving heavy objects. You can find heavy things anywhere, sometimes for free.

This set of dumbbells would be a good start for a small investment.

You can take a cheap yoga ball and fill it with water up to a weight that's heavy for you and use it for a lot of things. Then fill it up a little more every few workouts. Look up slosh ball exercises.

Call around to some local tire shops and see if you can find a large used tire to take home for free and use that for tire flips.

Make your own atlas stones

Resistance bands are cheap and can work well

The trusty iron gym you can find at WalMart

Single bags of sand or concrete are the best bang for your buck for heavy and cheap I'm not sure how durable sand bags are but you can try making some and using those for modified dumbbell exercises

You can also find great deals on used weight sets on craigslist which can sometimes get you a good sized set of plates, a bar and dumbbells. You can get a set of 1" plates and a bar and still do a lot of things with them without needing a bench. Typical used pricing for these is less than $0.25/lb so you're looking at $50 for 200lbs of weight.

I'm in exactly the same boat. After trying out various long boards like kryptonics dropdown and a couple others, I found the Quest Super Cruiser Longboard the easiest to ride. It is Very stable. I have the kryptonics as well and a regular skateboard too. I find myself just using the Quest board all the time.

Very stable. Long and wide enough so I feel pretty easy to maintain balance when pushing.

You might consider the Condor Bushlore, especially if he's just getting into bushcraft, or even at an intermediate level. http://www.amazon.com/Condor-Bushlore-4-375-Inch-Walnut-Leather/dp/B002CC6BPM

Edit: I also agree that the Mora Classic is excellent and at the right price point, but I think the Condor Bushlore is also an excellent value and is in a few ways a step-up from the Mora. Its full tang, larger, and has an excellent leather sheath.

It’s actually a cheap Simmons from Amazon. It surprisingly nice and clear! It feels pretty sturdy as well. It’s an awesome scope for the price!

I know some of these are kind of 'MFA Hivemind' items, but still sure bets for your price range:

Timex Weekender: 'wear with anything' watch. Grab some straps too.

Uniqlo OCBD, gets recommended like twice a day.

Bit over your limit, but this BB shirt is reduced and nice as hell

Bespoke Post Weekender bag at $45, most colours sold out but you can still snag it in Natural.

These LL Bean Mountain Town Boots are on sale for $49 at the moment; definitely worth it if you're needing a rugged pair of boots.

Levis 511s in Rigid Dragon. Slim fitting, dark wash jeans in tons of sizes for $40.

Here's a few:

Becker BK-2 carbon steel, decently sized though maybe big by your definition. This knife will take anything you throw at it, comes with a sheath.

The ESEE Izula is also pretty popular around here, definitely a lot smaller.

Can we get specifics on:

Carbon/Stainless?

Approx length?

Price range?

These will help us figure out what would be ideal.

EDIT: clarity

Probably not, unless you have something to insulate you from the ground. You need a sleeping pad, and not just a regular air mattress. Something that is specifically designed to keep you warm when sleeping on the cold ground. Sleeping pads are usually rated by an "r-value". The higher the "r-value", the warmer it should keep you. There are cheap foam pads to very expensive inflatable pads. Doesn't look like you're form the US, so I am not sure how hard it would be to get your hands on a Klymit Insulated Static V, but they're pretty affordable, comfortable, and warm. They're not great for backpacking but they are great for car camping.

Here are some options:

Ka-Bar:

Mark 1 Kraton handle

BK5

Neck Knife

Condor:

Bushcraft Basic

Kephart Knife

Bushlore

Basically-a-Mora-options:

Hultafors Heavy Duty

Cold Steel Finn Hawk

Ka-Bar's 1095 is pretty damn good. The Magnum Camp Knife is bigger than you were looking for, but it's a solid value. Condor knives are very high value, but can be rough around the edges. The Hultafors and Cold Steel knives I linked are stainless, but should do well in a kayak. All these knifes will take a beating and should be useful for a wide variety of tasks (some better than others, of course, but I wanted to offer a wide selection of size, shape, and grind).

I made a thread, check my post history. The rings I do push-ups, fly, row, dips, etc etc.

I got my barbell from Rogue in their clearance area. It's the B&R bar since I like the feel of raw metal. The knurling isn't too bad.

Editing to add more: Here's a link to build your own platform that I followed. It would be better to have a helper with the materials because they're kinda heavy to lift/position by yourself. Especially the horse mat. I used 3/4" plywood and 3/4" MDF for the top part so I used 3/4" horse mat to try to make things as flush as possible.

I got this flat bench from Amazon. I'm happy with it. An adjustable would have been preferred but this serves it's purpose just fine and didn't break the bank.

Here are the rings I have, also from Amazon. I compared them to my friends Rogue rings and the differences are minimal. They might be a little "rough" but after using them for a bit, they'll break in and be fine.

All said and done, my whole setup was right around $1500 and I can do almost anything I want.

I'm convinced the Rhythm+ is working great and with movement as well. Here's the review I mentioned above. Amazon reviews are positive as well.

Now I hope the Fitbit HR and Surge yield similar results with it's HRM!

Here's a link where I tried my best to give directions to the rope swing. Just explore it.

Also, just my 2 cents, but don't buy an ENO. They're trendy and what not, but they're really over priced and, if you plan on using it for camping or backpacking, not a great option. Head over to /r/hammocks and search around.

I've had an ENO for 2 years and it's too frayed now for me to feel comfortable in it. I treated it as nice as you can treat a piece of outdoor equipment. This is much cheaper and supposed to hold up much better.

I have a 10/22 paired with this cheap Simmons scope. I am very happy with the setup. It's clearly not a top of the line scope but after dialing it in it holds well and has served its purpose pretty well for me. Should be good enough for the kids.

Right. The shower is the killer. Showers make the burn soooo much more tolerable, but logistically it doesn't scale well. Evaporator systems clearly have limited effectiveness. They can evaporate enough water for a small camp, but there's no system that effectively evaporates the shower water for 50 people. (if somebody else has a different experience, I'm always happy to be contradicted). But with 50 people the need to evaporate is greater.

Here are my two solutions to the problem:

1. Conserve on shower grey water. Instead of using a traditional gravity fed solar shower bag use a pump pressurized garden sprayer set on coarse mist. You will be amazed at how clean you can get with just a liter of water when its under pressure, and pumping it up tends to last half of the shower. Just re-pump and finish.
   
   
2. Make camp members responsible for hauling out their own grey water. If everybody takes out a few gallons of shower grey water with them, its really no burden at all. Many hands make something something. This has the double effect of encouraging conservation and engages your whole came in resource management and planning.

OK! I found other awesome stuff!

Another butt stock holder for a riffle

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B001F0GF58/ref=mp_s_a_1_63?qid=1427648441&sr=8-63&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=hunting&dpPl=1&dpID=41hAOujc2sL&ref=plSrch

&

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B001AIHB76/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1427649115&sr=8-2&keywords=hammock&dpPl=1&dpID=41WSWpSPuqL&ref=plSrch&pi=SY200_QL40

Those hammocks are awesome! He can relax while he waits for deer or whenever he wants!

Edit: changed hammock link for prime one

Another treadmill is an option, or a stationary bike (I have this one and I like it, it's nothing fancy though), an elliptical, or a set of dumbbells that you can use for both strength and for added weight when doing an aerobic workout.

Of course there are others, but those are my suggestions. Look on Craigslist or something similar and see if you can get something for free or cheap, then you might be able to get more than one! Unless you're well off, then go straight for more than one from Amazon. ;)

The Grand Trunk hammocks are pretty good I think. Pretty cheap too and great warranty service.

http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Trunk-Ultralight-Hammock-Forrest/dp/B001AIHB76/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375726639&sr=8-1&keywords=hammock

I have this Scosche monitor. It works great. It does not have its own display, but sends a signal to RunKeeper in real-time, and you can monitor your heart rate on your phone continuously if you want.

What I prefer to do is get the "audio cues" from RunKeeper, every 1/4 mile, with my pace info and heart rate. This is just the right amount of feedback for me, and I can just leave my phone in my pocket.

Try these cascade mountain tech poles. I have them and love them. I've put them through a couple hundred miles and accidentally stepped on them a couple times and seem to be doing great. Pretty light weight (about 8 oz per pole). I love the long cork/ foarm handles and straps. My only beef is that the tip covers fell off somewhere when hiking. But I've heard people bought them for as low as 28 dollars at costco in the northwest. When I find them at costco I'm going to get 4 or 5 pairs and give em out to friends they are so good.

yeah, if you're not even sure you'll like sleeping in a hammock, a cheap one is the way to go- I have this $19 Grand Trunk Hammock

http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Trunk-Ultralight-Hammock-Forrest/dp/B001AIHB76

though it doesn't come with a suspension. A quick way to make one is to get ~16 feet of 1" nylon webbing, cut it into 2 pieces, tie loops at the ends with overhand knots, then on each tree, loop one end through the other end (of the same length of webbing), then hook the metal loop of the GT ultralight to the end of the webbing reaching from the tree. then do the same with the other 8 foot length on the opposite tree.

if you can get even a half-decent night of sleep in that (provided you are warm enough, etc- summer is the best time to try it out), you will probably love sleeping in a hammock while camping.

If budget is really a concern, then no equipment workouts, like Convict Conditioning, are the best choice.

If you want equipment, just get a gym membership, it will pay for itself pretty quickly. I bought a $40 dumbbell set thinking that I'd just add on weights as I needed them. You will almost certainly need to buy weights faster than you come out ahead financially. The next step up is 4 10lb plates, which is ~$40, and that brings your weight total to 80lbs. The next is 4 20lb plates, which is ~$80, and brings your weight total to 160lbs. If you're doing squats or deadlifts, you'll outstrip this within a few months if you follow a linear-gains program like StrongLifts or Starting Strength. Consider that StrongLifts has you start squats with just the bar (45lbs) and increases weight by 5lbs each session (3 sessions/week). You're at 160lbs in less than 8 weeks, making your investment of ~$160 at least twice as expensive as most gym memberships for the given time.

If you want to do barbell training, you should also invest in a bench and rack, which can be costly in terms of both space and money. This is a good idea long-term if you can afford it.

I felt the same way like last week. I would suggest thinking about your future or things that make you feel good. For some ideas, how about:

A) New clothes. Shirts, Pants, Shoes, Jacket? :)

B) Bathroom. a Body Brush, Shower Gel, Lotion, Shavers, Bath Salts/Gel.

C) Personal entertainment items. Video Games, Books, Movies, Microphone for your PC, MP3 Player. Could be anything that you've been thinking about.

D) Self-improvement. Barbells, Medicine Ball, Aerobic Stepper, Protein Powder, Running Shoes, Water Bottle.

Hope this gives you an idea :)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002CC6BPM/ref=pd_aw_lpo_200_tr_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GR55ZR4H7T6DHD4B2NBN
Love this knife, great craftsmanship and just feels nice. Totally worth the 55$. Just keep the blade clean and wipe off any debris (it's best to oil it).

the model you linked is not only super heavy, but I doubt would get you near comfortable. you will also need to pair either bag with matching r value ground insulation. for instance a pad like this
https://www.amazon.ca/KLYMIT-Insulated-Static-Camping-Orange/dp/B00ANRW7DI/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1494229667&sr=1-1&keywords=klymit+insulated+static+v THis is a huge mistake many people make. The ground insulation is paramount.

The model below is a better option.

https://www.amazon.ca/Sports-TrailHead-Ultralight-Sleeping-Orange/dp/B007JTLKCC/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1494229515&sr=1-1&keywords=teton+sleeping+bag

It's also better to NOT compress your bag. Line your pack with a trash compactor bag, push the sleeping bag into the bottom of your pack. Not in a stuff sack.

https://youtu.be/J1UZvwPnA_o

If you go for trekking poles, I can recommend this set: Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Fiber Quick Lock Trekking Poles. They're great, especially for the price :) I've got a set with the foam handles, and they're still going strong after a couple of years :)

I just bought this scope 4 weeks ago along with these rings. Great deal. 900+ reviews with 4.5 rating. I mounted it and it is truly a great scope.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KOSB34/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Rings: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000V2DNG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Rail: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CJ67E6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Total cost was like $60 on Amazon.

I got this Harbringer on amazon a while ago and it's been great. I usually try to get the best quality everything but like you said I didn't wanna break the bank on a dip belt. Definitely recommend it!

Thanks for your input, but I'm really not looking to learn all of this stuff. I really just want to get a decent board online or somethin', fully setup, and be done. Sorry if I sound ignorant, but I just wanna get somethin' good and be done.

I'm thinking of picking up one out of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008EZNY4W/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NR4MCUW/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B008EZNYOW/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

Which would ya say is the best in terms of durability, stability, and handling. I'm really looking for something that can make swift turns, pick up speed, and be stable.

Sorry that I'm incredibly uninformed on how all this works. But I really just wanna pick up a solid, decent board that can do those things.

Also, my neighborhood has some rocky, bad roads, sometimes. Sometimes its solid, sometimes its jagged. Which one of those boards above can keep up with it while still being stable?

If those can't do the job, could you link something that could thats >100$?

spending around 30 will get you a good pair. Theres some for 15 but of course they are not as good (skinny plastic rings, skinny belt and buckle).

Ive had these for a month and love them
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SAEPY72/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

theres also Nayoya (plastic), Rouge, and any other on amazon with good reviews.

Most people seem to prefer wood (for more advanced stuff), and have makings on belt so there easy to match up

also keep in mind the strap length

I'm only on the first month, but I've found that (at least at this point) I can successfully modify "The Booty-ful Beginnings". I'm pretty weak though, so I won't need to worry about reaching the limit of my dumbbells for a bit. There is a section of Strong Curves for at home, so that might be what you're looking for.

I use an exercise ball, yoga mat, [these dumbells] (http://www.amazon.ca/Cap-Barbell-RSWB-40TPB-Dumbbell-Pounds/dp/B000VCDXNS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426466158&sr=8-1&keywords=dumbbells) - I found them for under $50 not so long ago though - and my couch. I think I'll grab a chin-up bar soon though. Working well so far, and will until I need more than 40lbs... After that I might just have to go to the gym, but depending on your goals it might not matter as much.

Hey Guys so I'm completely new to longboarding, and I am excited to try it out, I had a few questions on which board I should get. Amazon has a 44 inch Quest Super Cruiser that I'm thinking about getting, but I read some of these comments and some of you guys recommend getting something smaller. So should I get a 44 inch or 34 inch?
(Here's the board I'm thinking of getting, http://www.amazon.com/Quest-Cruiser-Artisan-Longboard-Skateboard/dp/B008EZNY4W/ref=sr_1_1?s=action-sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1425448111&sr=1-1&keywords=longboard)

Thanks for all your help

I would say the best pull up bar to use would be the one that extends and wedges itself between each side of the door frame like this. The one you're talking about would probably be fine because it spreads your weight across the architrave.

PS I'm glad to hear I've enlightened someone!

Hi there, I have always wanted to get into longboarding but never had the money to pay for one. Recently though, I was looking online and came across this longboard: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B008EZNY4W/?tag=beginner-longboards-20. I eventually want to get into dancing but at the same time I don't want to have to buy another one later on, should I just spend more money and get a landyachtz (as suggested by my local skate shop) or should I make this purchase? Any help would be great, thanks!

Seems alright to me, however I own one as well and I personally prefer one similar to this one because of the red seconds hand. Its a small detail but I think it makes the watch more aesthetically pleasing. Definitely fine for wearing every day

Pros: classic design with a lot of history behind it, fairly rugged, easy to sharpen, holds an edge, not too heavy, inexpensive, good for batoning wood, I've opened plenty of cans with mine

Cons: if you spend more money you can get a slightly better steel in some knives

This is the one I have.

Ka-Bar 2-1212-3 Black Fighting Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BSY9D0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_c2wNzbZPACSBG

A good alternative could be the Becker BK2 variant of the KABAR which is a little newer and more heavy duty. Better at batoning and holds up a little better. But to me it has more of a kitchen knife appearance instead of the traditional KABAR military/survival appearance.

Ka-Bar Becker BK2 Campanion Fixed Blade Knife https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001N1DPDE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dgrNzbTY2SGCD

Both are solid outdoors knives though.

You could buy a sturdier one that you drill into the wall. The guys at r/bodyweightfitness might have some suggestions if you are a heavier weight. For reference, back in 2016 I bought this, which has an option to drill into the wall, but I'm 115lb so I didn't try that and like being able to easily store it away when not in use since I'm in a small apartment and hang this on my guest bathroom doorframe. I also bought these olympic rings since they are easy to store when not used.

Generally, I'm weary of buying equipment that takes up a lot of space, is hard to store/get rid of, is pricey and that I wouldn't use regularly. r/bodyweightfitness helped me figure out some realistic options, so hopefully it can help others here who want a low-cost solution

I'm a person that loves to eat her sweets, but I also have this need to get out and exercise. So the fact that my job has be sitting down too much is wearing on me. TrollX, being the AWESOME community they are, clued me into the fact that these things exist! So now I'm totally budgeting for a desk cycle, I'm really excited about future desk excursions to nowhere. The ladies that introduced it lost quite a bit of weight using it and it didn't put undue stress on their joints!

I don't have that model, but do have the Desk Cycle. I keep it under my desk at work and try to use it a few times a week. It is completely silent and except for my knees bobbing up and down, no one would realize I am using it. You can set the resistance and get a pretty good workout on it. It is on the pricier side but I enjoy using it and it helps me concentrate.

https://www.amazon.com/Gymnastic-Olympic-Straps-Buckles-Training/dp/B00SAEPY72/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1481127597&sr=1-2&keywords=titan+fitness

I just got these and I love them. The straps are very high quality and the wooden rings have a great feel. Also I'd highly recommend some chalk, it makes performing on any pair of rings much better.

I’d recommend the Peloton shoes and mat. The rest of the accessories are garbage

My recommendations:


Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones, Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L7PSJFO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OXyBCb5JSY0ZE

Clean Bottle 2-Pack 22oz. Water Sport Cycling Running No Mold Easy Clean

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S9RY8FE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_AYyBCbSGR54MG

Scosche RHYTHM+ Heart Rate Monitor with Armband, Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JQHTJS2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_aZyBCb218X9F9


KinHwa Microfiber Sports Gym Towel Fast Drying Fitness Sweat Towels Multi-Purpose Travel Towel for Men and Women Workout 3 Pack 16Inch x 31Inch

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B2BGD2Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_OZyBCb2MYFBG7

I have two 22LR rifles, one with a Simmons 3-9 rimfire scope for about $40, one with a Vortex Crossfire 2 3-9 for more like $120.

The simmons is sufficient, but the extra $100 does buy a significantly sharper view. So I guess it depends on what your wallet likes. I would point you to the nicer glass, especially if you're practicing distance/bullseye shooting.

FFP is really only important for helping you figure out how far or how big a target is. You don't need such a thing for rimfire shooting IMO.

Wasn't quite what I expected when looking for meal ideas this morning, but... I've used a standing desk for four or five years now. I've used drafting chairs and the kickstand stool like you linked (tip: save hundreds and make it yourself; this is a good companion footrest).

Both of them are okay for fixed-height standing desks but I just bought the IKEA crank-based adjustable height desk. I can only use the stool (or stand) for a limited amount of time, and the drafting chairs just aren't as good as the better normal-height desk chairs. With the adjustable desk, I can invest in a good quality desk chair for sitting but still switch to standing whenever I want.

I still stand, and use my seat-on-a-stick, but I also wanted to take good care of myself when I needed to sit so I think the adjustable desk is worth it.

As an aside, if you want to terrify observers and get a little bit more exercise, I often pair my seat-on-a-stick with one of these. I've only fallen once...

One day I'll win these giveaways... LOL. Thanks as always for your generosity!

I am new to the watch & reddit game. Read posts on reddit and went out and got the Casio EF503D-1AV for $39.99 (Super deal somehow, thanks camelcamelcamel) + Croc strap $12.71 & the MDV106-1AV for $40.99 with the NATO strap for $5.95. Two watches and two straps for $99.64. I love them both. The straps are from Clockwork Synergy straps using a 15% coupon. Thanks for the help.
Amazon links:
Diver: https://www.amazon.com/Casio-MDV106-1AV-Stainless-Steel-Watch/dp/B009KYJAJY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467421208&sr=8-1&keywords=mdv106
Chrono: https://www.amazon.com/Casio-EF503D-1AV-Edifice-Stainless-Steel/dp/B003URWNOG/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1467421297&sr=1-1&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=ef503

I recently purchased my home gym, all in all, it was about $1300.

I bought this half rack - $350

This bench - $100

This bar and set of plates - $250

These Dumbbells - $600

These Rings - $34

This belt - $27

Total if you buy it all today: $1361

I looked to get as much of it as I could while it was on sale, or discounted. I also went to raise.com and got something like 15% off a Dick's Sporting Goods gift card, so I got it for an even better price.

It allows me to do basically everything I need to do, and I've bene loving it! Let me know if you have any questions.

I'm getting into longboarding now that all of my friends are; however, I currently do not own a long board. My friend has an extra one that I have been borrowing, the Quest Super Cruiser 44". I like how easily this board can turn, but dislike the size of it.
The two I'm currently looking into are the White Wave Rocket and the White Wave Missile which seem to have nice quality for a good price.
My only issue is I am not sure which one to go for. The main difference seems to be the length (31.5" vs 28") and the trucks (180mm vs 5").

Just curious on opinions/advice for a longboarding newbie.

What you want is called a chronograph, which at least in the world of analog watches means a stopwatch right on the main dial, with a dedicated button to start and stop. Such a watch should fill your "quick access" requirement just fine.

Cheapest would probably be the Casio Edifice (example one two three) line of quartz chronos, but there are others, e.g. Timex Fly-Back (another [in white] (http://www.amazon.com/Timex-Intelligent-Fly-Back-Chronograph-Leather/dp/B0053EXKVE/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1368595494&sr=8-13&keywords=quartz+chrono) ) There are may other brands like Pulsar, Citizen, Festina or Bulova who offer cheap quartz chronos; even some Seikos go for under $150.

Now of course if you need more features from your stop watch, like multiple timers or lap-times you'll have to look into digital sports watches, there are also plenty of them around (g-Shock is recommended most of the time). Here I's recommend trying them out in a store because usually you won't find the description on how to access the timers on the web easily.

These Cascade Tech carbon fiber poles are pretty great, lightweight at 1lb for the set, and recommended at their pretty low price. Currently $43 on Amazon; however, Costco frequently has them for $30.

Also, I highly recommend this Tillak UL camp chair. It’s more durable than cheaper options on Amazon, and slightly lighter, at about 1.5lbs. Even better is the Helnox Chair Zero, but it’s a little pricier. I have both. The Tillak is a little more comfortable, the Helinox packs smaller and lighter.

It all really depends on what level of comfort you want/need. Like any type of outdoor gear, you can spend stupid amounts of money. This one seems really well reviewed and is very inexpensive. Plus it's lighter than even the lightest, most expensive tents.

It wouldn't work for winter camping, but you could buy some netting and something like this and have a really nice set-up for less than $100. Heck, even a tarp and rope could make a serviceable rain fly. It might not pack up really small for the bike, but it's better than nothing.

I bought some of these for my first set of poles. Andrew Skurka has a pretty good write up and for $45 I figured it would be worth giving them a shot. So far they have been great. Right at about 16oz for the pair.

I'm in the same boat. I've bought a balance disk for my chair, which helps keep my core engaged and improves my posture. I also got a standing desk (your employer might be willing to get you one - mine did!) which I use for a few hours a day. I don't like standing all day as it's not great for my lower back, but it's nice to stand for a bit. I am planning to eventually purchase a deskcycle. There's elliptical versions of this you can purchase as well if that's more your style. Lastly, I try to walk around and do some light stretches periodically throughout the day. I wouldn't really constitute any of this as exercise (although the deskcycle could be if you were diligent about using it), but it does make my body feel a heck of a lot better than just sitting, motionless for the entire day!

For that price I would go with This

Grand Trunk is a well known company that has a great reputation. Also, once you factor in shipping, it's actually a couple bucks cheaper. Both of them have pretty lackluster hanging solutions, so you will probably want to pick up something different for either of them.

• Adjustable Bench ($129.45)
  
  
• Squat Rack ($119.07)
  
  
• Barbell + Clamps ($67.89)
  
  
• Treadmill ($379.99)
  
  
• Dumbbell Set ($119.97)
  
  
• Plates Set ($369)
  
  
• Another set for a really good deal ($49.99)
  
  Total cost of all that is 1235.36 dollars. Then you save up for..
  
  
• This bad boy with all the parts ($1280.10)
  
  And you're all done. :-) That is all you need for the gym. You cover everything there. Start from there and keep working forward. You can toss in a yoga mat or two. It shouldn't be too hard to get + his clients would most likely love to workout in a private space where they pay less & get a free training session or two.

this one works perfectly for me:

http://www.amazon.com/Harbinger-28900-Polypropylene-Weight-Belt/dp/B001P0S3XU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343656041&sr=8-1&keywords=dip+belt

People will say leather is better but mine is holding up very well. I put as much as 70 lbs on it for doing dips. Works great

So I've never longboarded before. My friend let me try it this past week and I have to say, it's more fun the riding my bike. However, I know absolutely nothing about buying a longboard. I just went on amazon to see what kind of longboards there were. I saw a few that looked ok and were relatively cheap

http://www.amazon.com/Atom-Drop-Through-Longboard-Inch/dp/B00M3IIGJE/ref=dp_ob_title_sports

http://www.amazon.com/Quest-Cruiser-Artisan-Longboard-Skateboard/dp/B008EZNY4W/ref=pd_sim_468_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=414JEqVb6ML&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1VQFCMDFV8VRGJRB9MQ5

http://www.amazon.com/Atom-Longboards-91047-Drop-Through-Longboard/dp/B0056IY39K/ref=pd_sim_468_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=41sL7Ohe4yL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1VQFCMDFV8VRGJRB9MQ5

Could anyone tell me if these are any good or if I should be looking somewhere else to buy a longboard?

you're competing against this at $20, so a $30 hammock would be pretty reasonable.

No way I would buy for $50 when I can get the aforementioned product for less than half the price.

edit: The camping/backpacking crowd might give you some great support if you can get a good price/weight value.

Cascade Tech Carbon Trekking Poles

Check these out. Have em and love em. Great budget option. Recently switched out the tips for some BD tips and couldn’t be happier!

I can't sleep without a sleeping pad and there have been many many times where I was happy to have one. I have the Klymit V. It's not super expensive, it rolls up to about the size of a nalgine and is SUPER comfortable, as well as insulated.

On Amazon. After tax, it cost me $99 to have this thing shipped right to my door.

http://www.amazon.com/Barbell-Power-Rack-Exercise-Stand/dp/B00HYQP72O?ie=UTF8&keywords=cap%20power%20rack&qid=1465311729&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1


And, I'm not gonna lie. It's not the sturdiest rack in the world. I can easily make it sway side to side (albeit not much; it still feels decently solid enough). And I can do chinups and pull ups, but I wouldn't be trying to fucking swing from the pull up bar. But...for $94, you're not going to beat it! I've racked up to 250 lb on it, and it seems to have been fine. It's rated at a 300lb max, and I'm sure if I actually get to the point where I can consistently bench/squat that much damn weight, I'll actually invest in something more robust. For my current fat out of shape ass, I'm benching 110 5x5, so I have nothing to worry about for a little while.

Also, for what it's worth, it has holes that allow you to bolt it down to a platform if you wanted to.

I'm happy with the purchase, for $94!

Watch

Strap

I was never a fan of bracelets, especially since I have small wrists and the sizing makes the clasp sit awkwardly. I had a devil of a time finding a small, quality strap but finally managed to, even though shipping from Germany takes a bit of time (2 weeks, in this case, slightly prolonged because of holidays I'm sure).

The padding helps the strap match the case thickness better, but it's rather inflexible and the shortness of the strap doesn't help there. Overall, though, I'm quite happy with how it turned out.

These are ok. if you want an everyday,versatile watch, i'd probably go for the popular one with olive or blue/grey strap that you can find on amazon. I get compliments all the time and they look great with a leather strap. (FYI price is higher than when i bought it a couple months ago. it was around 26/27.00
http://www.amazon.com/Timex-Unisex-T2N654-Weekender-Watch/dp/B004VR9J0A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1382558920&sr=8-4&keywords=timex+weekender

You'll be fine with a decent rimfire scope. If you get serious about it you can invest later. I have two rimfire scopes, both around $40: a Simmons .22 Mag Fixed Power 4x32mm and a Simmons .22 Mag Variable POwer 3-9x32mm. They work fine for plinking with .22 and a friend of mine uses his for small game hunting.

More expensive scopes will work for .22, and are definitely nicer, but part of the expense is making them robust enough to withstand the recoil of much more powerful centerfire rounds.

The Teton line has served me very well. I also use it as my general suitcase, since it passes all the carry-on requirements. The rain-fly is a very nice feature, and the adjustable lumbar support and waist belt are really nice for tall guys like us (though I'm only 6'2").

Of course, I'm only going on 2+ years of (relatively) heavy use, some camping, some backpacking through Europe, and multiple trips to visit family back in Ohio.

"Best" is really subjective.

For those on a budget or need to build multiple bags, here's some great, cheap packs. Suitable for most backpacking (maybe not hardcore extended adventuring/mountaineering). Great value for the money.

Small

Medium

More sizes available. Search Teton Backpacks on amazon.

Rings are not expensive, around 30$ the pair. You just need somewhere to hang them from (garage rafters, tree, pullup bar, ceiling mounts, park, etc), it's better if it's something high, as it will allow you to do more things, but even a simple doorway pullup bar is enough to do the basics like rows, pullups, dips, and pushups. It also has the benefit of not taking a lot of space (wich I personally consider a huge pro)

On them you can do anything from rows, pullups, dips, muscle ups, ring pushups, toes to bar, and L-Sits, to planches, levers, iron crosses, malteses, etc

These should do (any other brand will too).

I have $80 in Amazon gift cards to buy a first longboard for a birthday present for my girlfriend. Just looking for something nice and easy to cruse with. Can anyone point me in the right direction as to what to get? Heres what I've picked out so far. Which of these looks best?

http://www.amazon.com/Kryptonics-Swallowtial-Longboard-Complete-Skateboard/dp/B00EWP1BGQ/ref=sr_1_39?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1407953148&sr=1-39&keywords=longboard

http://www.amazon.com/Quest-Cruiser-Artisan-Longboard-Skateboard/dp/B008EZNY4W/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1407953306&sr=1-2&keywords=longboard

http://www.amazon.com/Atom-Longboards-91003-Pintail-Longboard/dp/B002KD4YRA/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1407953545&sr=1-3&keywords=longboard

Open to any other suggestions. I know $80 isnt going to get me much, but its really all I can spare right now. Thanks guys and gals

Is your dorm room a tiny single? If you have a spare doorway somewhere, pull up bars are pretty cheap. My roommate has one of these that can be put on and off. He tends to not use it very much though and leaves it buried in his room, so I bought this for myself. Unfortunately I had to put it on my room's entryway door (would have preferred a place inside out of view like the closet, but was worried about the walls) but it sits high enough to not be very noticeable. Supports use three screws into either side, the bar itself is easy to remove, and I haven't had any issues. Great for just running through a few pull ups, chin ups, and leg raises whenever going in and out.

Thanks for another giveaway!

I'd be interested in the this nitecore nu25 (though like you I dislike lights with fixed batteries, the weight will be nice for super long hikes)

Onto the discription! What this is is my grandfather's Winchester Model 290, which retailed for the very expensive price of $75 new in the 70's. I had shown an interest in firearms for years now, so on my 18th birthday my dad dug this out of the attic and said, "You get it working and we'll go shooting." Luckily there was a gun cleaning kit with it, also from the 1970s. I cleaned out the gun, and put 350 rounds of .22 through it with 2 minor feeding hiccups.

The range trip confirmed the barely adjustable plastic sights were indeed crap, as I had ascertained on the internet, and I ordered the cheap .22 scope with dovetail mounts for the gun. I don't expect it to be winning any accuracy awards and is going to be used as a plinker, so I didn't need a high budget, ultra clear scope. I ended up just going for the Simmons .22 mag It works. Nothing fancy.

I really just like how the rifle looks with a scope. It seems very natural and rounds out the look. I'll most likely go to zero it in the next few days.

OP, I want you to follow this routine:

http://www.nick-e.com/reddits-bodyweight-fitness-recommended-routine/

It's all body weight fitness and you don't need any weights. What you'll need is fitness rings and a pull-up bar you can hang in the door way. Those two items are inexpensive and I think both items are 25-30. That routine takes about 45-1hr and it starts off light. If you use your knees, I would suggest getting a gym mat or use pillows.

But very important all this means nothing if you do not have a good diet consisting of lots of protein. And it also helps to walk/jog 30min a day.

If you have any questions, PM me. Sorry, I'm at work spitballing what I know.

Last, checkout r/bodyweightfitness


Wacces Exercise Fitness Gymnastic Rings https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FMZBK4S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_jAeAxbTRB8G1R. $20

Sunny Health & Fitness Door Way Chin Up https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016BNDXI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zBeAxbQASAYPB $12

Your strap on the submariner looks great. On a related note, I would love a red october for my Casio Edifice arriving tomorrow. :)

I've never had an issue using the Hr monitor. I can understand when moving it can be a bit off but shouldn't be anything crazy. I also use a hr band that goes on my forearm and it's very accurate. I find the chest ones to be uncomfortable after a period of time.

Scosche RHYTHM+ Heart Rate Monitor with Armband, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JQHTJS2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_VvLIyb63KR8C0

I've tested the Apple Watch, Scosche, and the equipment used at my doctors office and they all hit the same number ever time. Just thought I'd share. :)

This is going to sound like overkill but on a recent car camping trip I used a coleman cot with my klymit insulated static v and I slept better than on some beds. I am in my late 30s and a side sleeper and the klymit pad is great even without the cot.

I realize you said you wanted something more compact, but if you change your mind the inexpensive 3-9x simmons rimfire scope works pretty well. Only thing I don't like is adjusting it (clicks / detents for the turrets aren't very strong, and it takes a bit of back and forth between windage/elevation adjustments to get it set right). Once sighted in it works great though and holds zero well. It's a set and forget setup, not really meant for adjusting elevation to suit target. I sighted mine for 100 yards and just hold over/under as needed for other ranges.

Ok ya. So it didn’t connect the whole work out. And my Steel hr Nokia watch didn’t stay connected either bc it was too loose. Going to get the one recommended. Is this the correct one everybody! Is the best place to get it amazon?
Scosche RHYTHM+ Heart Rate Monitor with Armband, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JQHTJS2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VrEvCbB5J1ZNQ

I'm a fixed blade fan, though what's "EDC" for me (large knife in a belt sheath) isn't for most people. However, a full tang, fixed blade knife will always be more "indestructible" than a folder, so I stand by my opinions.

The KA-BAR BK series are extremely tough knives. My favorite is the BK-2: https://www.amazon.com/KA-BAR-Becker-Campanion-Fixed-Blade/dp/B001N1DPDE/. This is about as close to "impossible to break" as you can get. It's a big, thick chunk of steel and I've used it for everything from cutting rope, splitting wood, removing tile and grout, and as a pry bar.

At about half the price is the Ontario 499: https://www.amazon.com/Ontario-Force-Survival-Knife-Black/dp/B001CZDQPI/ It's smaller than the BKs and has a rough finish, but it's extremely tough. It has been indestructible as far as I can tell: I TRIED to break it by banging it into hard logs and carelessly batoning with it and it barely lost an edge. Great knife for the price.

I could give you some strong examples of folders, but I know other commenters on here will do way better than me on that.

It's going to be hard to find a good quality knife of that size with serrations.

My suggestion would be the Essee 4 https://www.amazon.com/ESEE-Sheath-Blades-Micarta-ESEE-4P-B/dp/B00UY4NS6K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527453497&sr=8-2&keywords=essee+4

Or a Kabar BK2 https://www.amazon.com/Ka-Bar-Becker-Campanion-Fixed-Blade/dp/B001N1DPDE/ref=pd_sbs_200_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001N1DPDE&pd_rd_r=FWQNG5WTZ9CEV0ZC6D3V&pd_rd_w=tjCQ6&pd_rd_wg=CtqJV&psc=1&refRID=FWQNG5WTZ9CEV0ZC6D3V


I would also suggest going to a brick and mortar store and handling each one to make sure they fit your hand well.

To clarify, the Nitecore NU25 (Amazon link).

I love it! Super light, rechargeable, very bright, decent battery life, redmode. Perfect for a weekend trip.

I'll recommend the Wowtac A2S NW as well - brighter and way longer battery. It's a little heavier, but that pays off with more battery life (and an interchangeable cell).

My friend has the Teton 4000 65L pack.

Material is most certainly a cut above the thin stuff you'd expect on a Walmart pack but not quite the same level as mainstream packs like Osprey, Gregory etc. Don't abuse it and you'll be fine.

They make a 55L, the 3400 series, as well.

Double to triple the budget of the Teton packs and you're into the Osprey Volt (60L or 75L) or the Atmos (50 or 65L).

Sworkit is an app that will put together a routine (cardio, stretching, or strength). You choose the type and how long, as little as 5 min, and then it guides you through. I find it super helpful to wander off to a less-populated corner of the office and do a short stretch routine.

If you mean something you can do at your desk, maybe one of those desk pedaler things? I think they look awfully silly but I'd really love to have one anyway.

I have the Klymit Insulated Static V Recon and have been happy with it. I've used it down to about 0c (32f ?).

It's a little less expensive if you don't mind the blaze orange. But overall fairly competitive compared to brands like ThermaRest.
https://www.amazon.com/Klymit-Insulated-Static-Sleeping-Orange/dp/B00ANRW7DI

Check out this comparison of sleeping pads with R values and other stats, it might help you find the right combo for your needs if the Klymit doesn't interest you.
http://sectionhiker.com/sleeping-pad-r-values/

Cheap Backpack Suggestions?

Looking to get a lighter pack, but not looking to spend a lot at the moment, as I will probably get a better pack later once I know my needs better.. I have a two night backpacking trip in about a week in Red River Gorge. I'll be using my hammock. I have found these four:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LPJUNYW/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_4?smid=A14Q688O8PFMTG&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DZK65W8/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_5?smid=A38N1X0G3NLPB&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C7V8Y38/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=A14Q688O8PFMTG&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F34ZKS/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_7?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Thoughts? Better suggestions? Prefer Amazon due to quick shipping.