Equipment – Page 2 – Modern Anachronist

The Son of Fessick

So now I need a vehicle to replace the Excursion.

I need something smaller to navigate city streets.

I need something big enough to fit the family. My kids are about to be teenagers, so I need a reasonable back seat. My brother’s boys are older than my kids, and they don’t really fit in the back of his Nissan Titan.

I need something that will tow my utility trailer. It has a weight rating of 3,500 pounds, so I don’t really need a tow monster.

The Ford Maverick actually does most of what I need, but the back seat isn’t big enough for the kids. I actually recommended that my brother buy a Maverick for his boys to share, the oldest just got his license.

I cycled through the midsized trucks and really none of them had a backseat that was useable.

I started looking at the full sized trucks, and the prices for new trucks are just stupid.

But then I stumbled across a dark horse – the Honda Ridgeline.

It’s mocked as NART (Not A Real Truck), but the capabilities of the Ridgeline meet my needs.

Test drive is scheduled.

Keeping the ratchet straps from becoming a wretched mess

So when you buy the nice straps they have all kinds of sweet extra features

Reusable case
Velcro straps
Built in soft shackles*

So satisfying…
to pull this out of the tongue box

Camp Coffee (Hipster Style)

(part 3 of the ongoing coffee series)

In terms of pack space & weight, this pour over filter definitely beats the Moka pot & French press.

I’m not as fond of the coffee, but I put most of that on me. Pour over coffee is an art that requires dedication and patience, neither one of which I have in great supply early in the morning.

Sometimes it’s the little things

Back in the days when I maintained foreclosed homes, I saw these installed in basements all over Philly. They never had the outer can, just the grinders, so I left them there. I finally broke down and bought one, and couldn’t possibly be happier.

Camp Coffee (French Style)

(part 2 of my ongoing coffee series)

The French press is probably the way I make coffee at camp most frequently. And surveying my friends’ campsites it seems to be the most popular with them as well.

Camp coffee (Italian Style)

I’ve been on a lifelong journey to find the best way to make coffee at camp. And like all things in life, it’s the art of balancing comprises to find the thing that’s best for you.

Ignore the pot of water, that’s for cocoa for the first child.

Coleman Peak One 442 Rebuild

This is the first backpacking stove I ever bought (Spring 2001, probably). And my first liquid fuel Coleman appliance. I had a fuel leak below the valve, so it’s time for a rebuild.

Ridge line in detail.

The ridge line is a critical, but fairly simple part of the tarp setup. I started with a 50’ length of reflective paracord. Some people use a 30′ long line, this one may become shorter in the future.

Some people don’t like paracord, but it’s a known quantity for me and I’m not convinced that the alternatives are significantly better.

My ridge line starts with a bowline. The bowline never gets untied.

The bowline. Probably my most used knot.

MSR Mini Groundhogs

The basic stakes included with most tents are terrible. One that came with the tarp bent the first time I put it in the ground.

Amazon Affiliate Link

The MSR mini groundhogs are a joy to use, though they are quite painful if you try to push them in by hand. No worries on that though, they are short enough that they are easy to push in with your boots.

Poler two man tent – First impressions

Not a review, as I haven’t actually slept in it yet. These are my initial thoughts after unpacking and setting it up in the backyard.

Stuff sack has compression straps. The straps are sewn on for most of the circumference.

First off, I got this tent on clearance at $75. List price is $250. I’m going to give a seventy-five dollar tent a lot more slack than one costing more than two hundred dollars. I bought this tent for the kids. They are both getting into scouting and I wanted a tent that they could carry and set up.

First off, it’s heavy. It weighs eight pounds. This is not suitable for a through hike of the AT. That being said, it’s perfect for car camping especially if you have a small car, or trips where you have to walk in from a distant parking lot (music festivals).