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spicytunamaki
@spicy_tuna_maki
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Purchases That Improved My Life
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Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earbuds Earphones Titanium Black with Charging Case
spicy_tuna_maki
Take Music With Me Everywhere I Go and Not Have to Worry About Cable or Hair Snags
I listen to music a lot. Music is a big part of my life. When I was young, a friend of mine would bike over to my house. We would bike over to the arcade and hang out. The arcade was across from an indoor mini golf center and we would play mini golf sometimes as well. It was summer and he pulled out a music player and headphones and we just sat on the curb listening to music and enjoyed the summer weather.

We went back to my place and grabbed some food and hopped back onto our bikes again and biked through a forest. We found something in the woods that freaked us out for a bit, so we left and he went home and I headed home. We moved on to different high schools and never really spoke to each other again. I found out years later he was an executive at a company and has a few kids and seems happy and successful. I am very happy for him and wish him all the best in life.

I would continue listening to various types of music from pop to rock and heavy metal to new age/ethereal to classical music. I would be drawn to music that would uplift me or elevate my mood. Sometimes, I would cue up some ocean waves and rainstorm recordings and mix it in with new age music. It would be beneficial to me to listen to this type of music as it helps me focus while working or studying and it was helpful when relaxing. Even if there was an actual rainstorm out, I would still listen to music like this. I would use wired earbuds and wired headphones. I would also sometimes use speakers.

One of the things I really didn't like about conventional headphones is the hair and cable snag. Sometimes I would turn my head or lean back and the cable would pull and snag on the headphones. The headphones might get pulled off my head or just pulled out of position so that the audio output parts are not over my ears. Sometimes some part of the top band size adjusting mechanism that holds the two ear muff parts together would catch in my hair and pull on my hair. This can be painful. I eventually switched to a combination of speakers and wireless earbuds.

I am really happy that I got a pair of these Jabra 65t wireless earbuds. They really improved my life by getting rid of the nuisance of having a cable attached to headphones and getting rid of the resizing mechanism at the headphone band that can get caught in and pull on my hair. I really like being able to move about or shift around when seated without having to worry about pulling my headphones loose or pulling them off my head accidentally.

I once bought an expensive pair of headphones by Audio-technica. They were quite large and were considered a beginner's form of studio headphones. I had read the reviews on them and they were recommended by a lot of music enthusiasts. I liked that they fit quite well and were quite cushy. The sound quality was excellent and I noticed that the bass was very pronounced and very clear. Eventually, I wasn't comfortable wearing them as they felt quite heavy and were creating pressure points on temples. I used to be able to tolerate headphones, but I think I have changed and would much prefer earphones/earbuds over them.

I really like these Jabra 65t earbuds. They have excellent sound quality and they pair fast via bluetooth. I take them out of their case and they pair with each other then I turn on the bluetooth transmitter to pair with the earbuds. They are lightweight and very comfortable and stay in my ears securely and sometimes I forget that I have them on. I like putting them on sometimes because it drowns out the outside and surrounding noises and not just as a result of the music or audio playing. I like how when I am finished using them and put them back in the charging case, a red light goes on momentarily for each earbud I place in the case. It indicates that the earbud has been placed in the case correctly for charging. These are excellent earbuds and I just love them.
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Blunt Umbrella Sport 58" Golf Umbrella Wind Resistant
spicy_tuna_maki
A High-Quality Wind Resistant Umbrella To Keep Me Dry in Heavy Rainstorms with Strong Winds
Our dog was older, but still had some years left in terms of life expectancy. He had gotten really sick. My girlfriend and I wrapped him in a blanket and carried him to the car where he sat on her lap. We drove to the emergency vet's office and my girlfriend was crying the entire way there. It was raining heavily and I was trying to drive quickly, but not too fast and lose control of the car. We arrived at the emergency vet's office and it was still raining. We took our dog out of the car and carried him in. There was nothing that I could do to help him. We only wanted him at least to be as comfortable as possible when we were transporting him to get medical treatment. For a moment, I thought that I wouldn't mind if the rain stopped or if I had a large enough umbrella to cover my girlfriend and our dog as we brought him into the vet's office.

The vet gave him some medication that alleviated his symptoms. There was a girl at the vet's office crying when she was on the phone. She had brought in a large dog. She was crying on the phone to another person that she didn't have the several thousand dollars to pay for the emergency surgery her dog needed. She was also already stressed enough with her dog being sick. We wanted to help her, but there wasn't much that we could do.

The vet held our dog overnight for observation. We saw him the next day and he seemed much better than the previous day. We brought him home and fed him steak and cottage cheese. We thought we were out of the woods. A few days later, our dog got sick again. We brought him in to be seen by our regular vet this time. The vet gave our dog a similar class of medications as the emergency vet and held him for observation. We received a phone call several hours later to come in. Our dog was not responding to the medication. The vet had pushed the medication to the maximal limit for his bodyweight, but our dog was barely responding. The vet told us that we would need to keep the medication at those levels to maintain the current state that he was in. We were brought in to see him and my girlfriend immediately burst into tears. He would not respond to us or our presence. He would not respond to the sounds of our voices, so we made the decision. He was put to sleep in my girlfriend's arms.

Years had gone by since the passing of our dog. We later adopted a puppy. He loved going for walks. One time we took him for a walk in the woods and it started to rain. Just a few drops of rain fell onto his back and head and he started whining and fussing and didn't want to walk anymore. I had purchased a golf umbrella, the Blunt Sport umbrella, and had it with me and we tried to keep him covered as much as possible, but he didn't want to walk anymore so we scooped him up and carried him back to the car. He contined to grow and get older and we eventually bought him a rain coat and it helped. He didn't mind the rain so much and loved walking provided that the rainfall wasn't too heavy.

I bought the Blunt Sport which was the largest umbrella that Blunt carried. The reason why I picked out this particular brand and size of umbrella was because of the high-quality and coverage. I bought it for my girlfriend and I to walk in the rain when we really needed to go for a walk. I also had it in case we needed it when we were out and caught in a rainstorm. It was big enough to have sufficient rain coverage for two adults.

My two favorite umbrella brands are Blunt and Repel. Both are great, but the Blunt umbrella is more wind resistant and stronger. I found that there are really two types of rainstorms: light rain and gale-force rainstorms. If the rainstorm is of the former type, I would use the Repel or Blunt. If it was the latter, I would always use the Blunt. I like the Blunt a lot because of its strength against strong winds and it feels be well-made. It is one of the sturdiest feeling umbrellas I have ever owned.

I was in the market for a slightly larger umbrella. I had to choose between the Blunt Sport or the Blunt Executive umbrella. I felt it was worth it to go with the larger Blunt Sport golf umbrella. Golf umbrellas provide excellent rain coverage compared with other umbrella styles, but come at a cost of being big and bulky and a little more unwieldly in strong winds compared with smaller diameter umbrellas.

If I am ever in the city and walking around in a rainstorm, I am extra careful around other people. I would raise the umbrella as high up as possible if I were near other people with umbrellas. There are times I would tip the umbrella off to one side away from people if I were coming up near other people. I am lucky in that I don't have to go into crowded parts of the city during rainstorms. This umbrella is good for coverage, but not good for being in crowded areas. If I were ever using it in crowded areas, I would try to walk to the edge of the walkway as best I could and tip the umbrella away or raise it high up to avoid hitting others. I am glad that the tips and points of the umbrella are blunt to maximize safety for other people. I don't know of any other umbrella company that does this.

This is actually one of the things I love about this umbrella. It is strong and has a standard manual open and close mechanism, but the tips at the end of the umbrella ribs at the diameter are blunted. It doesn't revolutionize umbrella technology, but it does innovate on it a bit and I love this particular innovation. Some umbrellas have a push button open and push button close mechanism. This umbrella has a standard manual mechanism where you have to use both hands, holding the handle with one hand and pushing the slider/runner out with the other hand to open or pulling in the slider/runner to close. It is not as cool as other umbrella mechanisms, but it has a substantially sturdier frame and structure because of it. I was once caught in a strong and windy rainstorm with snowfall while heading to an appointment and the wind was blowing me all over the place causing me to stumble while walking. The Blunt Sport umbrella never gave in and never collapsed or inverted. In fact, in all the years that I have owned the Blunt Sport, it has never failed in a rainstorm.

I would use this umbrella mainly for walks in really wide ashphalt footpaths or in parts with gravel paths and really wide walkways. In this case, the umbrella's isn't really cumbersome or bothersome to other people. A few times, I had to use it in the city, but there was a heavy rainstorm and there weren't a ton of people walking along the sidewalk, so it worked out fine having such a large umbrella. I prefer using larger umbrellas because of the coverage and added resistance to strong wind gusts. This is especially true for windy rainstorms when the rain can come at you almost sideways. I walked in a rainstorm once with a compact umbrella and I was pretty much drenched after 10 minutes in the rain. I liked the large diameter of the Blunt Sport umbrella because I can use it to keep my girlfriend covered if she was loading anything into the car and I could keep her covered when she was getting into the car.

Final Thoughts: If you are deciding on umbrella diameter, I would recommend going with the largest diameter you are comfortable with. A larger diameter means more coverage. It is not enough that the diameter covers you and your clothing. The reason being is as you are walking rain doesn't fall straight down. It will get on your shoes and bottoms and even higher up on your person depending on wind. A larger diameter minimizes this. A larger diameter also means that the umbrella is more unwieldy and cumbersome and can get in the way and can also get caught in the wind more easily. It is also bulkier and more difficult to manage when closed compared to a small diameter compact umbrella that you can tuck into a bag. Personally, I like to use an umbrella with as large a diameter as possible and being mindful when walking around others. I am very happy with the Blunt Sport.
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I added Maxpedition flashlight holders to the main strapMaxpedition Positive Grip Zipper Pulls Black SmallMaxpedition Positive Grip Zipper Pulls Black SmallMaxpedition Gear 5-Inch Flashlight SheathMaxpedition Gear 5-Inch Flashlight Sheath
Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack Hiking Bag
spicy_tuna_maki
I Can Carry All the Things I Need for Hiking and Not Have a Backpack Press Up Against My Back
I love my Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack. It is so much less cumbersome than a traditional backpack for non-campus activities.

Before I got the Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack, I would put on a traditional backpack with the two straps on. My backpack would be heavy as I had some notebooks, paper, pens, a binder, a clipboard, and occasionally a textbook or two. I would walk to class and when I was in this particular area, my favorite route to get onto campus was not to walk around the museum, but to cut through an area called Philosopher's Walk. It was a semi-secluded area that went from the main sidewalk on a busy street that headed to a quiet path surrounded by trees that lead to campus.

I had travelled to other campuses before and I had found that these other ones had much better and more scenic paths and walkways. I went out west and found campuses with large woodlots and forested areas and a lot of tree-lined areas. The campus I attended unfortunately did not have such scenic and wonderful places. The closest alternative we had was Philosopher's Walk.

I was tired because I was up late preparing for a lab. I zipped down Philosopher's Walk and remembered looking up through the trees and seeing the sun peek through. I finally got to the laboratory and waited until we were allowed in. I put on my lab coat and started to get ready for the lab. The students began working on their experiments. My lab bench neighbor started working on her experiment. Maybe she was sleep-deprived too or she messed up a calculation or she wasn't using the equipment correctly, but her chemical reaction wasn't working correctly and her solution started bubbling really strongly. She stoppered the glassware with a rubber stopper and the pressure built up and the solution boiled even more so and shot the stopper across the laboratory. Then the solution boiled over out of the glassware and onto the heating mantle and created a fire. Everyone in the lab started freaking out and the teaching assistants (TAs) got everyone to one side of the lab and put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. After that, there were more safety protocols in place than usual and our clothing, belongings, and backpacks had to be placed in the lab coordinator's office and locked before we began labwork.

I completed my degree and didn't really need a backpack anymore to carry my books and belongings. I had switched to using a briefcase for work. I washed my backpack and for awhile, my backpack went from carrying a laptop, notebooks, and books to carrying groceries. I would load up groceries in my backpack and the racks on my bike and bike home. Eventually, I moved onto slightly safer but less environmentally-friendly options to get groceries and stopped carrying groceries in my backpack. My backpack sat on the carpet against the wall at my place.

I liked hiking. Actually, I loved hiking. I loved being out in the woods, but still close enough to my car and civilization so that I didn't feel completely lost in the wilderness. I liked trails that were surrounded by trees and bushes, but where the trail was still sufficiently wide. Most of my hiking was done during warm or really warm weather. It was just more fun and enjoyable this way. I needed to carry a water bottle with me and I liked to keep a few hiking related items with me as well. I thought I could make use of my backpack that was just sitting next to the wall at home, but it turned out to be too big and bulky for hiking. I could fit a 17" laptop in the laptop sleeve of my backpack and could probably load up 3 science textbooks in it and two water bottles and hand/face towels and snacks, but it would be too much of a pack for a 2-hour hike. I also didn't like how the backpack would line up with my entire back pressing my shirt against my back.

I searched and decided to buy a sling style bag. All of the ones I found didn't quite have the style or functionality I was looking for. One day, I stumbled upon a Maxpedition bag. It had this cool asymmetrical shape that I really liked and it was made of a sturdy and rugged 1000D nylon material that is resistant to abrasion and rot. There was a really large version, but I didn't like the shape and look of it. There was one that was a bit smaller called the Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack and that was the one I decided upon.

The reason this Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack hiking bag improved my life was that it allowed me to carry my hiking essentials with me, but it didn't press up along the length of my back like a traditional backpack did. It was also more compact which is suitable for hiking and I had ready access to anything I needed from my hiking bag. It only had one major strap as opposed to two in a regular backpack so I could pull the pack portion up to the front and access any part of the bag. If I wanted to grab a drink, I would pull the pack forward to access my water bottle from the water bottle compartment. I would use the front pouch to store a GPS device. I could also have another GPS device in the exterior zippered compartment that is under the main flap. The main flap had a large buckle, so it was easy to access and open even when I had gloves on.

I feel that this hiking bag can be great for a lot of different people. There is one thing that might need to be changed out by a majority of people after getting this bag. The one thing is the zippers. The zippers have a zipper grip, where you grab if you want to open or close the zippered pouches. The zipper grips are made of paracord (think of thick padded string). The problem that I had with these paracord zipper grips/zipper pulls is that they eventually all came undone and fell off. I ended up spending extra money and bought official Maxpedition zipper grips. They work like a dream and I wish that they came standard with the Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack.

One other gripe that I had with this bag and it will probably not affect 99.99% of other owners is that there are not enough places to store flashlights. Call me a flashlight fiend or fanboy or flashaholic, but I prefer to have at least two flashlights on my person if I am out hiking regardless of time of day. The bag has a top zippered pouch that fits a Surefire 6P nicely with room to spare. You could probably fit 10 Surefire 6Ps in the main compartment. What I wanted was easy and quick access to a flashlight or two if the sun were setting, so I added some flashlight holders. I attached these to the main shoulder strap and they work well for me.

I love this bag and I love hiking, so it works for me for that purpose. I have heard about other people buying a Maxpedition Versipack for travelling or for carrying camera gear or equipment for field work. I don't have experience using my bag for those purposes, but I have been very happy with it for outdoor excursions into the woods carrying a water bottle, food energy products, flashlights, batteries, and GPS devices. I have taken this bag on many hikes and have had it for years and it still looks like new. Overall, I am very happy with this bag and I will very likely be using this bag for many years to come.
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Surefire E1B-MV Backup next to Surefire 6P
Surefire E1B-MV Backup MaxVision Compact Flashlight
spicy_tuna_maki
I Always Have a Light Source On Me with a High-Quality Reliable Everyday Carry Flashlight
When we were kids, our parents would be at work and the kids would be at home and left to their own devices. We were mostly innocuous and didn't get into too much trouble. We would go to the park that was near our house and play on the playground and then get home before dark.

When we got home and after eating, we still wanted to play more. We had a table tennis table, but it was broken, so we had the table top put aside and stored somewhere else. The base of the table was metal and was a frame that had a rectangle top and it was made of metal tubes and it had four wheels at the base so that it was easy to move around.

It was getting dark outside, so we took sheets and covered the table tennis table base with them and made a fort. We took some chairs and more sheets and connected it so that we had a pretty large fort. Then we placed blankets and pillows at the bottom inside the fort for comfort. All the major parts of the sheets were clipped on and held together with clothespins. It seemed secure enough, so we turned off the lights and grabbed our flashlights, the old style type with the sliding switch. These are the flashlights where you pushed the switch forward to turn it on and if you pulled the switch backwards, it would turn the flashlight off. We shined our flashlights inside and around the fort.

The forts were easy to set-up and it was inexpensive and one of the moments in my life where I had the most fun ever. Those were simpler times. Things weren't as they are now. This was years ago. Things have since changed and so has the technology used in flashlights. The flashlights back then were made using incandescent bulbs, they generated a lot of heat and were energetically inefficient, but they created a nice warm tint in the light beam. They were usually powered by "C" sized alkaline batteries or NiCAD batteries or maybe NiMH batteries. One other problem with those types of flashlights is that if you dropped it enough times or from a high enough height, the bulb will be damaged and the flashlight stops working. Current flashlights use LED "bulbs" or emitters which are more resistant to damage due to falling or being dropped.

When I got my Surefire E1B-MV Backup, I had moved into a new house. It was winter and we got hit with a big snow storm. The house was on a ravine lot so the area behind the house was a forest. I had a camera on at the back facing the deck area. I saw two eyes looking back into the camera. The camera has a single small LED light on it that lights up. The animal must have seen it and was intrigued by it.

I looked closely at the footage and I was pretty sure the animal was a cat. One of my cats had died before I moved into the house. It was quite small, so it could have been a kitten. If it was a kitten, I wanted to go and get it if I could and take it inside. It is no place for a kitten to be out in this snow storm. The snow was maybe a foot or a foot and a half deep at this point. I grabbed my Surefire E1B-MV and ran out onto the deck. I turned it on and shined it out into the back yard. The flashlight was able to light up the entire backyard like a floodlight, but I could not find the kitten. I went out and shined it in-between the houses and I still could not find the kitten. I just found a small area where the snow was disturbed. It must have ran off in the interim from when I grabbed my flashlight and ran out or the noise from me opening the door to go outside must have scared it off. The snow kept falling into the night.

The Surefire Backup E1B-MV is a compact flashlight that still provides a lot of light output, but it doesn't have that really cool warm light that my incandescent flashlight generated when I was playing in bedsheet forts. It is still great because of the light output and the tint although not perfect, is still close to white. The MV stands for MaxVision which means that it spreads the light around evenly to give you maximum visual awareness of your surroundings. In other words, it is a wall-of-light flashlight or it has a flood-type beam pattern. It does not have great throw, or spot capabilities, but the light pattern is still useful to light up objects that are not close by. Surefire is known for their reliability, so I like having this light on me whenever I am out so that I have a light I can depend on.

The head and body of the E1B is made of aluminum and it has Mil-Spec anodizing which is a sturdy protective coating. The pocket clip is a two-way clip that is made of stainless steel. The body is cylindrically shaped, but the head is somewhat rounded kind of resembling an apple.

The light is powered on by a clicky switch at the tail. From off, when you click the button, it turns on at full brightness. It has a momentary on and also from a full click on, you can half-press or full click off and full click on quickly and it will switch to the next setting, toggling between outputs 400 lumens and 5 lumens. I prefer a light that goes on full brightness first. With my other lights, you unscrew the tailcap to change out the battery. With the E1B, you have to unscrew the head to change out the battery.

The flashlight is meant to be powered by a single primary or non-rechargeable CR123A battery. I have a Fenix charger which was served me well. I use the Li-Ion 16340 700mAh rechargeable battery from Fenix. It seems like a good battery and I have not personally had any issues using it with the E1B. I like to charge up the battery every few days and especially after I use the flashlight for awhile. That way, I know that I have a full charge or close to a full charge whenever I leave the house.

When I go out, I like to have multiple lights on me when I head outside from home. I usually carry the Surefire G2Z MaxVision and the Surefire E1B MaxVision Backup. I would keep the Surefire G2Z in one pocket and keep the Surefire E1B in another separate pocket so that the flashlights don't rub against each other and scratch the anodized layer.

I love this flashlight and it has improved my life because I now will always have a high-quality and reliable light source with me whenever I need. It has two modes, high and low which makes the light versatile and so much more useful for various situations. I can use it to light up a room in the dark and it is useful at lighting up a trail in the woods while hiking. It has 400 lumens which is enough to light up the area where I am walking and it is a wall-of-light flashlight, but it still has sufficient throw to light up areas a hundred yards ahead. It is not as good as something with a larger and deeper reflector to light up things really far away, but it still produces plenty of light at a distance.

I also like that it has a low setting. Some of my other flashlights are considered tactical flashlights so that they only have a single mode and come on full power when they are switched on. I like having the Surefire E1B and being able to access a low mode whenever I am using the flashlight for more close-up work. I love having this light with me because of its small form factor and strong output and reliability. I usually would not go anywhere without it.
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Surefire G2Z-MaxVision, Surefire 6P, Surefire Fury DFTSurefire Fury DFT, Surefire 6PSurefire Fury DFT beamshotSurefire G2Z-MaxVision, Surefire 6P with M61W LED drop-in, Surefire Fury DFTSurefire 6P with M61W LED drop-in, Surefire Fury DFT
Surefire Fury Dual-Fuel Tactical 1500 Lumen, Single Mode 18650 Flashlight
spicy_tuna_maki
Bright and Reliable Flashlight for Spotting Things at a Distance
We had taken my dog to the vet's office to get his vaccine. We hadn't taken him for a walk in a while, so we took him to a nearby conservation area and parked the car. We put on his lead and harness and walked away from the parking area towards the trailhead. We were walking along and our dog seemed fine and also very happy and excited.

We then came across an older lady. She was by herself and she seemed somewhat composed, but also somewhat frantic. She asked if we had seen a large white dog. I said, "Sorry, we didn't see any other dogs." She then turned back and went somewhat off the trail. We proceeded further along and came across a man who was also looking for a big white dog.

We had gotten halfway through the trail and my dog started getting tired. He is normally very athletic and full of energy and ready to do zoomies at the drop of a hat. It must have been the vaccine that was causing him to get weak and drowsy. We were moving slowly now and our dog didn't really want to walk anymore. We scooped him up and carried him on the trail. The sky was a dark blue and purple with dark orange punching through. It wasn't dark yet, but the sun was definitely setting. Our dog was still whimpering a little bit. He had to be carried in a certain way because it seemed one of his legs was sore from the vaccine. He would let out a whimper every now and again.

I had this sensation that we were being followed. I guess the sounds our dog was making was drawing some attention. I looked back and didn't see anything. We proceeded along the trail and were about 1/3 of the way out. I had my Surefire Fury DFT with me and I shined the light back and I spotted a coyote further back behind us. I pointed my light directly at it and started walking towards it. It just stared at me. I walked towards it with my light still on it and started shouting, making noise, and kicking up gravel, and it walked away slowly and headed into the bushes.

I turned forward and we kept walking towards the end of the trail with our pace a little quicker than before. We kept walking along and finally made it out of the trail and to the parking lot. We took our dog and put him into the car and drove out of the area. He fell asleep on the drive home and when we got home, we put him on the bed and he kept sleeping. It was an exciting little trip, but I would probably avoid taking him out again after getting a vaccine.

I like Surefire because of their reputation for reliability and durability. I love this flashlight, the Surefire Fury DFT, where the DFT stands for dual-fuel tactical. This means that this flashlight can be powered using two C123A batteries or a single rechargeable 18650. It comes with a single 18650 lithium ion rechargeable battery that has a micro-USB port for charging. The battery is sometimes referred to as an 18*650 where the 18 means 18mm in diameter and 650 is 650mm in height. The flashlight has simple operation where you can click the switch at the back to turn on and click it again to turn off the light. When you turn it on, it will turn on at maximum brightness. This is how I prefer most of my lights. I have direct access to full power when I turn on the light. It has an orange peel reflector so the beam pattern is even and smooth. It has a good balance of spill and throw. I love the tint. It is actually the best tint out of all my flashlights except for my HDS high-CRI flashlight.

This flashlight has improved my life because I like having a reliable light source whenever I am in the dark. It is also one of my brightest flashlights. I like how it has excellent throw so that I can use it to spot things at a distance. I like the quality and durability of it. It has not had any issues for the entire time I've had it. My equipment sometimes gets banged around and the flashlight has been functioning without issue. I have not torture tested it, but I feel that it is solidly built and will last me a long time and will be able to handle years of use. I feel that the only weak point with this is the battery. You have to make sure that the battery is fully charged before use, but also the battery can fail, so it is a good idea to carry spares and backups.
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Tilley Endurables Hiker's Hat T4MO
spicy_tuna_maki
Keeps the Sun and Rain Off My Face and Accompanies Me on My Adventures
My cat was sick. He was so sweet. He was not eating, but at the same time, he was trying to eat and trying to drink. He was just too sick. He began wasting away and got sicker. It didn't help matters when the younger cat kept trying to pick on him. Pretty much every day I would hear the sick cat squealing and trying to run away when the younger cat would chase him and bite him. I would always have to separate them. He was a Maine Coon and he was a gentle giant. Ever since we got the younger kitten, the older cat would always be gentle with her.

The older cat used to be strong and hearty. He would be able to scale a wardrobe in one leap. He was the biggest cat I ever owned. Now, he gets chased by the younger cat and cannot even jump onto the bed. I held him on my lap and tried petting him. I could feel that his body was getting bony and he was having trouble with life. I knew it was time to let him go. We eventually took him to the vet's office and we wrapped him in a black towel given to us by the vet. We tried to drive home afterwards, but I almost threw up. We stopped by a park and walked around for a little bit. The only silver lining in all this was that the air was fresh and it was sunny and a little bit warm. I missed my cat so much.

Some months went by and then some years. We were out hiking and I had brought along my hiking hat and bag. We got to the trail head and parked the car. I put on my hiking hat and bag and got out and locked the car door. I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I thought it was a fox and then I saw it was a cat as it got closer. The trailhead was really far from residential areas as it was in a somewhat remote area. The cat came up to me and started rubbing its head against my pants and boots. I crouched down to pet it and it was very friendly. There was no one else around. The cat had no harness on and no collar. It was just really strange to see in that part of town. I stayed back as long as I could with it and thought I could adopt it, but my current cat is kinda feisty and would probably not take too kindly to the new cat. I walked along the hiking trail and the cat followed us around for a bit, but then ran off towards the parking lot.

We completed our hike and went home. Later that night, we drove back to the trailhead and tried looking for that cat or any signs of it, but could not find it. I left some cat treats just in case the cat would find them. I went back the next day and the cat treats were gone and we could not find any sign of the cat.

I've gone back to that hiking trail countless times and never encountered that cat or any other cat again. I was worried that something might have captured that cat. I feel bad that I didn't get it at the time and take it home and at least try to get it some place safe.

They say that whenever you have a Tilley hat, you will have a strange experience. It started out with someone who wore their Tilley hat on safari and an elephant took it off the person's head and ate it and it came out intact afterwards. It is not necessarily an eery or paranormal experience just some sort of strange happening that will stick in your memory. This cat experience was one of such experiences I had in recent memory.

There was another time, I was walking around a park space that surrounded a large pond. It wasn't quite summer yet, but the weather was nice and the temperature was very warm. There was a part with woods and then another part was a paved trail that went over an area with a bridge next to a quiet road. It's a strange place and it was in the city. I walked to the area before the bridge and there was a man sitting on a park bench with his family. He had on one of the Tilley airflo hats like the one I wore. He kinda glanced over at me and saw me and looked back towards the water. A few people walked past me and I saw another man with a Tilley hat on as well and he looked at me and gave me a bit of a nod. For a long time, I never really saw anyone else with a Tilley hat again. One day, I went back to the original "cat trail" and I walked by an older gentleman on the trail and he had on a Tilley hat, airflo type, and as he walked by, he looked up at my hat for a bit, said, "Hello," and walked past.

I wanted a Tilley Endurables hat for as long as I can remember. I remember walking by and window shopping at their shop in Toronto, Ontario. I would also check them out whenever I was at the Sheridan Nurseries in Markham, Ontario. It was a nice shop and lots of nice workers. They carried old stock, so a lot of them were made in Canada. I wanted one made in Canada and in my size, so eventually, I found one made of cotton at the sail.ca store in Oshawa, Ontario.

I love my Tilley hat. I leave it in the car so it will always be available to me when I am out hiking. I originally wanted one in black, but it was not available in that color, so I picked out one in gray-blue. I like the sizing and the fit and it stays put on my head. I almost never use the wind cord on my chin for the hat unless it is really windy. This hat does have a slightly larger brim than other hats, so the wind cord is essential for windy days. It is made of high quality materials and feels really well-made and durable. Tilley was originally made for sailing, so the hats float, though, I have not tested this. The wind straps are there so you minimize the chance that the hat blows away on the water. I like having the hat with me because it comes in handy in the winter when it gets cold and the hat helps me to stay warm. It is also useful in keeping the sun off my face and it keeps the rain off my face as well during rainstorms.
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It comes with batteries and a lanyardSurefire G2Z, Surefire 6P, Surefire Fury DFTSurefire G2Z versus Surefire 6PSurefire Backup E1B, Surefire G2Z, Surefire Fury DFTSurefire SC1 spare battery carrierLi-Ion 16650 Rechargeable battery from Orbtronic, great cell
Surefire Flashlight G2Z MaxVision (G2Z-MV)
spicy_tuna_maki
A High-Quality and Reliable Flashlight with Great Output
My girlfriend and I had gone out on our bicycles and got to a path. We weren't really paying attention to the sunset time and thought we would be okay as we had lights on our bikes. We were going through an area of the path that was heavily forested. We figured we would be okay so long as we stuck to the main trails. We were biking along and lost track of time and how far we were from the exit. By the time we had turned around, it was already getting dark. We had our lights on and they seemed bright enough. Then, my girlfriend's light went out. We were using some cheap flashlights I had purchased. The electric circuitry or soldering probably didn't like all the bumps while being mounted to the handlebars of our bikes.

We were then only left with my flashlight and it was pretty much pitch black at this point. We still had quite a way to go to exit the forested area. We kept pedalling and all the jostling caused my flashlight to start flickering. It went out briefly and I stopped to fiddle with the light. It was pitch black now and we had nothing to light our way. I unscrewed the flashlight, took out the battery and put it back in and finally managed to get the flashlight back on. We kept pedalling and eventually got out of the woods and got home.

After that experience, I stopped buying cheap flashlights. I only bought flashlights from Fenix, Surefire, and Elzetta. They are good flashlights. Fenix generally gives cooler functions and more output and Surefire and Elzetta are great for reliability with good lumens output. As much as possible, I always try to keep at least one Surefire on my person and another flashlight with me as backup. If I am going to be out for a long time, I try to have at least two flashlights on me, maybe more.

There was one time my girlfriend and I went hiking. It was also starting to get dark. We were on the trail and about a 45 minute walk from the parking lot. It was unusually hot and humid. We each had our flashlights on. Then we heard what we thought were children laughing in the dark in the woods and bushes around us. It felt as though they were very close. We could not see them. Then we realized it wasn't children, but coyotes. They were all around us, vocalizing, barking, and howling in the night. I had turned on another flashlight at this point to maximize the light around us. I had my Surefire Fury and my Surefire G2Z, excellent and bright lights. I lit up the area around me and my girlfriend had another one of my Surefires on. The sounds of the coyotes kept up with us for most of the way, following us, but not too closely. I had one light shining back as we made our way out of the trail. We made it out to the parking lot and I still had my lights on. I got my girlfriend and our dog into the car, then I got into the car. I had a lot of trust in my lights that they would not fail me. I charged the batteries before heading out and also kept primaries (non-rechargeable batteries as backups). The flashlights may have dimmed slightly while being used, but they never flickered or shut off. The only thing they did was increase in temperature as the LED bulbs gave off heat.

I really like my flashlights and they improved my life because I feel that I can trust my safety to them. I have a good reliable flashlight with me to provide light whenever I need and to light my way through the darkness. I specifically picked the brand Surefire because of their reputation for reliability and dependability. I like having a flashlight on me most of the time because you never know when you might need light. The body styling is somewhat unusual, but I prefer it because of the grip options and how it feels secure when holding. If I am ever in a building and the power goes out, I can light my way out and help others as well. It is good to have a reliable flashlight on me if I am ever outdoors and it starts getting dark.

I like using the flashlight with rechargeable batteries. One advantage is that I know that my flashlight is close to a full charge and I can estimate how long I will have light for. I like to ensure that my batteries are charged up if I am going to be out for extended periods. I usually plan out where I am heading and if I am going to be out for longer at night, I usually carry at least two additional flashlights for backup. I like to have non-rechargeable batteries as well in case the rechargeable batteries were not charged or if the circuitry in the batteries was not working. #edc #everydaycarry
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spicy_tuna_maki
Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earbuds Earphones Titanium Black with Charging Case
Take Music With Me Everywhere I Go and Not Have to Worry About Cable or Hair Snags
15
2b9658231286de66b7027c03bacbb37744bb21b948f72fc8d624459762b9315fee0c54134cbb6381bb1ed0808333a.jpg
9
spicy_tuna_maki
jabra-elite-65t-wireless-earbuds-earphones-titanium-black-with-charging-case
15
2b9658231286de66b7027c03bacbb37744bb21b948f72fc8d624459762b9315fee0c54134cbb6381bb1ed0808333a.jpg
Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earbuds Earphones Titanium Black with Charging Case
I listen to music a lot. Music is a big part of my life. When I was young, a friend of mine would bike over to my house. We would bike over to the arcade and hang out. The arcade was across from an indoor mini golf center and we would play mini golf sometimes as well. It was summer and he pulled out a music player and headphones and we just sat on the curb listening to music and enjoyed the summer weather. We went back to my place and grabbed some food and hopped back onto our bikes again and biked through a forest. We found something in the woods that freaked us out for a bit, so we left and he went home and I headed home. We moved on to different high schools and never really spoke to each other again. I found out years later he was an executive at a company and has a few kids and seems happy and successful. I am very happy for him and wish him all the best in life. I would continue listening to various types of music from pop to rock and heavy metal to new age/ethereal to classical music. I would be drawn to music that would uplift me or elevate my mood. Sometimes, I would cue up some ocean waves and rainstorm recordings and mix it in with new age music. It would be beneficial to me to listen to this type of music as it helps me focus while working or studying and it was helpful when relaxing. Even if there was an actual rainstorm out, I would still listen to music like this. I would use wired earbuds and wired headphones. I would also sometimes use speakers. One of the things I really didn't like about conventional headphones is the hair and cable snag. Sometimes I would turn my head or lean back and the cable would pull and snag on the headphones. The headphones might get pulled off my head or just pulled out of position so that the audio output parts are not over my ears. Sometimes some part of the top band size adjusting mechanism that holds the two ear muff parts together would catch in my hair and pull on my hair. This can be painful. I eventually switched to a combination of speakers and wireless earbuds. I am really happy that I got a pair of these Jabra 65t wireless earbuds. They really improved my life by getting rid of the nuisance of having a cable attached to headphones and getting rid of the resizing mechanism at the headphone band that can get caught in and pull on my hair. I really like being able to move about or shift around when seated without having to worry about pulling my headphones loose or pulling them off my head accidentally. I once bought an expensive pair of headphones by Audio-technica. They were quite large and were considered a beginner's form of studio headphones. I had read the reviews on them and they were recommended by a lot of music enthusiasts. I liked that they fit quite well and were quite cushy. The sound quality was excellent and I noticed that the bass was very pronounced and very clear. Eventually, I wasn't comfortable wearing them as they felt quite heavy and were creating pressure points on temples. I used to be able to tolerate headphones, but I think I have changed and would much prefer earphones/earbuds over them. I really like these Jabra 65t earbuds. They have excellent sound quality and they pair fast via bluetooth. I take them out of their case and they pair with each other then I turn on the bluetooth transmitter to pair with the earbuds. They are lightweight and very comfortable and stay in my ears securely and sometimes I forget that I have them on. I like putting them on sometimes because it drowns out the outside and surrounding noises and not just as a result of the music or audio playing. I like how when I am finished using them and put them back in the charging case, a red light goes on momentarily for each earbud I place in the case. It indicates that the earbud has been placed in the case correctly for charging. These are excellent earbuds and I just love them.
Blunt Umbrella Sport 58" Golf Umbrella Wind Resistant
A High-Quality Wind Resistant Umbrella To Keep Me Dry in Heavy Rainstorms with Strong Winds
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16
spicy_tuna_maki
blunt-umbrella-sport-58-golf-umbrella-wind-resistant
8a72d76df424eb11de4818685c3df7fbca0b1bcc163031a463e39242fc87dc43ce7079d1e109c9d39bfd66cd31bf6.jpg
Blunt Umbrella Sport 58" Golf Umbrella Wind Resistant
Our dog was older, but still had some years left in terms of life expectancy. He had gotten really sick. My girlfriend and I wrapped him in a blanket and carried him to the car where he sat on her lap. We drove to the emergency vet's office and my girlfriend was crying the entire way there. It was raining heavily and I was trying to drive quickly, but not too fast and lose control of the car. We arrived at the emergency vet's office and it was still raining. We took our dog out of the car and carried him in. There was nothing that I could do to help him. We only wanted him at least to be as comfortable as possible when we were transporting him to get medical treatment. For a moment, I thought that I wouldn't mind if the rain stopped or if I had a large enough umbrella to cover my girlfriend and our dog as we brought him into the vet's office. The vet gave him some medication that alleviated his symptoms. There was a girl at the vet's office crying when she was on the phone. She had brought in a large dog. She was crying on the phone to another person that she didn't have the several thousand dollars to pay for the emergency surgery her dog needed. She was also already stressed enough with her dog being sick. We wanted to help her, but there wasn't much that we could do. The vet held our dog overnight for observation. We saw him the next day and he seemed much better than the previous day. We brought him home and fed him steak and cottage cheese. We thought we were out of the woods. A few days later, our dog got sick again. We brought him in to be seen by our regular vet this time. The vet gave our dog a similar class of medications as the emergency vet and held him for observation. We received a phone call several hours later to come in. Our dog was not responding to the medication. The vet had pushed the medication to the maximal limit for his bodyweight, but our dog was barely responding. The vet told us that we would need to keep the medication at those levels to maintain the current state that he was in. We were brought in to see him and my girlfriend immediately burst into tears. He would not respond to us or our presence. He would not respond to the sounds of our voices, so we made the decision. He was put to sleep in my girlfriend's arms. Years had gone by since the passing of our dog. We later adopted a puppy. He loved going for walks. One time we took him for a walk in the woods and it started to rain. Just a few drops of rain fell onto his back and head and he started whining and fussing and didn't want to walk anymore. I had purchased a golf umbrella, the Blunt Sport umbrella, and had it with me and we tried to keep him covered as much as possible, but he didn't want to walk anymore so we scooped him up and carried him back to the car. He contined to grow and get older and we eventually bought him a rain coat and it helped. He didn't mind the rain so much and loved walking provided that the rainfall wasn't too heavy. I bought the Blunt Sport which was the largest umbrella that Blunt carried. The reason why I picked out this particular brand and size of umbrella was because of the high-quality and coverage. I bought it for my girlfriend and I to walk in the rain when we really needed to go for a walk. I also had it in case we needed it when we were out and caught in a rainstorm. It was big enough to have sufficient rain coverage for two adults. My two favorite umbrella brands are Blunt and Repel. Both are great, but the Blunt umbrella is more wind resistant and stronger. I found that there are really two types of rainstorms: light rain and gale-force rainstorms. If the rainstorm is of the former type, I would use the Repel or Blunt. If it was the latter, I would always use the Blunt. I like the Blunt a lot because of its strength against strong winds and it feels be well-made. It is one of the sturdiest feeling umbrellas I have ever owned. I was in the market for a slightly larger umbrella. I had to choose between the Blunt Sport or the Blunt Executive umbrella. I felt it was worth it to go with the larger Blunt Sport golf umbrella. Golf umbrellas provide excellent rain coverage compared with other umbrella styles, but come at a cost of being big and bulky and a little more unwieldly in strong winds compared with smaller diameter umbrellas. If I am ever in the city and walking around in a rainstorm, I am extra careful around other people. I would raise the umbrella as high up as possible if I were near other people with umbrellas. There are times I would tip the umbrella off to one side away from people if I were coming up near other people. I am lucky in that I don't have to go into crowded parts of the city during rainstorms. This umbrella is good for coverage, but not good for being in crowded areas. If I were ever using it in crowded areas, I would try to walk to the edge of the walkway as best I could and tip the umbrella away or raise it high up to avoid hitting others. I am glad that the tips and points of the umbrella are blunt to maximize safety for other people. I don't know of any other umbrella company that does this. This is actually one of the things I love about this umbrella. It is strong and has a standard manual open and close mechanism, but the tips at the end of the umbrella ribs at the diameter are blunted. It doesn't revolutionize umbrella technology, but it does innovate on it a bit and I love this particular innovation. Some umbrellas have a push button open and push button close mechanism. This umbrella has a standard manual mechanism where you have to use both hands, holding the handle with one hand and pushing the slider/runner out with the other hand to open or pulling in the slider/runner to close. It is not as cool as other umbrella mechanisms, but it has a substantially sturdier frame and structure because of it. I was once caught in a strong and windy rainstorm with snowfall while heading to an appointment and the wind was blowing me all over the place causing me to stumble while walking. The Blunt Sport umbrella never gave in and never collapsed or inverted. In fact, in all the years that I have owned the Blunt Sport, it has never failed in a rainstorm. I would use this umbrella mainly for walks in really wide ashphalt footpaths or in parts with gravel paths and really wide walkways. In this case, the umbrella's isn't really cumbersome or bothersome to other people. A few times, I had to use it in the city, but there was a heavy rainstorm and there weren't a ton of people walking along the sidewalk, so it worked out fine having such a large umbrella. I prefer using larger umbrellas because of the coverage and added resistance to strong wind gusts. This is especially true for windy rainstorms when the rain can come at you almost sideways. I walked in a rainstorm once with a compact umbrella and I was pretty much drenched after 10 minutes in the rain. I liked the large diameter of the Blunt Sport umbrella because I can use it to keep my girlfriend covered if she was loading anything into the car and I could keep her covered when she was getting into the car. Final Thoughts: If you are deciding on umbrella diameter, I would recommend going with the largest diameter you are comfortable with. A larger diameter means more coverage. It is not enough that the diameter covers you and your clothing. The reason being is as you are walking rain doesn't fall straight down. It will get on your shoes and bottoms and even higher up on your person depending on wind. A larger diameter minimizes this. A larger diameter also means that the umbrella is more unwieldy and cumbersome and can get in the way and can also get caught in the wind more easily. It is also bulkier and more difficult to manage when closed compared to a small diameter compact umbrella that you can tuck into a bag. Personally, I like to use an umbrella with as large a diameter as possible and being mindful when walking around others. I am very happy with the Blunt Sport.
Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack Hiking Bag
I Can Carry All the Things I Need for Hiking and Not Have a Backpack Press Up Against My Back
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Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack Hiking Bag
I love my Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack. It is so much less cumbersome than a traditional backpack for non-campus activities. Before I got the Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack, I would put on a traditional backpack with the two straps on. My backpack would be heavy as I had some notebooks, paper, pens, a binder, a clipboard, and occasionally a textbook or two. I would walk to class and when I was in this particular area, my favorite route to get onto campus was not to walk around the museum, but to cut through an area called Philosopher's Walk. It was a semi-secluded area that went from the main sidewalk on a busy street that headed to a quiet path surrounded by trees that lead to campus. I had travelled to other campuses before and I had found that these other ones had much better and more scenic paths and walkways. I went out west and found campuses with large woodlots and forested areas and a lot of tree-lined areas. The campus I attended unfortunately did not have such scenic and wonderful places. The closest alternative we had was Philosopher's Walk. I was tired because I was up late preparing for a lab. I zipped down Philosopher's Walk and remembered looking up through the trees and seeing the sun peek through. I finally got to the laboratory and waited until we were allowed in. I put on my lab coat and started to get ready for the lab. The students began working on their experiments. My lab bench neighbor started working on her experiment. Maybe she was sleep-deprived too or she messed up a calculation or she wasn't using the equipment correctly, but her chemical reaction wasn't working correctly and her solution started bubbling really strongly. She stoppered the glassware with a rubber stopper and the pressure built up and the solution boiled even more so and shot the stopper across the laboratory. Then the solution boiled over out of the glassware and onto the heating mantle and created a fire. Everyone in the lab started freaking out and the teaching assistants (TAs) got everyone to one side of the lab and put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. After that, there were more safety protocols in place than usual and our clothing, belongings, and backpacks had to be placed in the lab coordinator's office and locked before we began labwork. I completed my degree and didn't really need a backpack anymore to carry my books and belongings. I had switched to using a briefcase for work. I washed my backpack and for awhile, my backpack went from carrying a laptop, notebooks, and books to carrying groceries. I would load up groceries in my backpack and the racks on my bike and bike home. Eventually, I moved onto slightly safer but less environmentally-friendly options to get groceries and stopped carrying groceries in my backpack. My backpack sat on the carpet against the wall at my place. I liked hiking. Actually, I loved hiking. I loved being out in the woods, but still close enough to my car and civilization so that I didn't feel completely lost in the wilderness. I liked trails that were surrounded by trees and bushes, but where the trail was still sufficiently wide. Most of my hiking was done during warm or really warm weather. It was just more fun and enjoyable this way. I needed to carry a water bottle with me and I liked to keep a few hiking related items with me as well. I thought I could make use of my backpack that was just sitting next to the wall at home, but it turned out to be too big and bulky for hiking. I could fit a 17" laptop in the laptop sleeve of my backpack and could probably load up 3 science textbooks in it and two water bottles and hand/face towels and snacks, but it would be too much of a pack for a 2-hour hike. I also didn't like how the backpack would line up with my entire back pressing my shirt against my back. I searched and decided to buy a sling style bag. All of the ones I found didn't quite have the style or functionality I was looking for. One day, I stumbled upon a Maxpedition bag. It had this cool asymmetrical shape that I really liked and it was made of a sturdy and rugged 1000D nylon material that is resistant to abrasion and rot. There was a really large version, but I didn't like the shape and look of it. There was one that was a bit smaller called the Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack and that was the one I decided upon. The reason this Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack hiking bag improved my life was that it allowed me to carry my hiking essentials with me, but it didn't press up along the length of my back like a traditional backpack did. It was also more compact which is suitable for hiking and I had ready access to anything I needed from my hiking bag. It only had one major strap as opposed to two in a regular backpack so I could pull the pack portion up to the front and access any part of the bag. If I wanted to grab a drink, I would pull the pack forward to access my water bottle from the water bottle compartment. I would use the front pouch to store a GPS device. I could also have another GPS device in the exterior zippered compartment that is under the main flap. The main flap had a large buckle, so it was easy to access and open even when I had gloves on. I feel that this hiking bag can be great for a lot of different people. There is one thing that might need to be changed out by a majority of people after getting this bag. The one thing is the zippers. The zippers have a zipper grip, where you grab if you want to open or close the zippered pouches. The zipper grips are made of paracord (think of thick padded string). The problem that I had with these paracord zipper grips/zipper pulls is that they eventually all came undone and fell off. I ended up spending extra money and bought official Maxpedition zipper grips. They work like a dream and I wish that they came standard with the Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack. One other gripe that I had with this bag and it will probably not affect 99.99% of other owners is that there are not enough places to store flashlights. Call me a flashlight fiend or fanboy or flashaholic, but I prefer to have at least two flashlights on my person if I am out hiking regardless of time of day. The bag has a top zippered pouch that fits a Surefire 6P nicely with room to spare. You could probably fit 10 Surefire 6Ps in the main compartment. What I wanted was easy and quick access to a flashlight or two if the sun were setting, so I added some flashlight holders. I attached these to the main shoulder strap and they work well for me. I love this bag and I love hiking, so it works for me for that purpose. I have heard about other people buying a Maxpedition Versipack for travelling or for carrying camera gear or equipment for field work. I don't have experience using my bag for those purposes, but I have been very happy with it for outdoor excursions into the woods carrying a water bottle, food energy products, flashlights, batteries, and GPS devices. I have taken this bag on many hikes and have had it for years and it still looks like new. Overall, I am very happy with this bag and I will very likely be using this bag for many years to come.
Surefire E1B-MV Backup MaxVision Compact Flashlight
I Always Have a Light Source On Me with a High-Quality Reliable Everyday Carry Flashlight
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Surefire E1B-MV Backup MaxVision Compact Flashlight
When we were kids, our parents would be at work and the kids would be at home and left to their own devices. We were mostly innocuous and didn't get into too much trouble. We would go to the park that was near our house and play on the playground and then get home before dark. When we got home and after eating, we still wanted to play more. We had a table tennis table, but it was broken, so we had the table top put aside and stored somewhere else. The base of the table was metal and was a frame that had a rectangle top and it was made of metal tubes and it had four wheels at the base so that it was easy to move around. It was getting dark outside, so we took sheets and covered the table tennis table base with them and made a fort. We took some chairs and more sheets and connected it so that we had a pretty large fort. Then we placed blankets and pillows at the bottom inside the fort for comfort. All the major parts of the sheets were clipped on and held together with clothespins. It seemed secure enough, so we turned off the lights and grabbed our flashlights, the old style type with the sliding switch. These are the flashlights where you pushed the switch forward to turn it on and if you pulled the switch backwards, it would turn the flashlight off. We shined our flashlights inside and around the fort. The forts were easy to set-up and it was inexpensive and one of the moments in my life where I had the most fun ever. Those were simpler times. Things weren't as they are now. This was years ago. Things have since changed and so has the technology used in flashlights. The flashlights back then were made using incandescent bulbs, they generated a lot of heat and were energetically inefficient, but they created a nice warm tint in the light beam. They were usually powered by "C" sized alkaline batteries or NiCAD batteries or maybe NiMH batteries. One other problem with those types of flashlights is that if you dropped it enough times or from a high enough height, the bulb will be damaged and the flashlight stops working. Current flashlights use LED "bulbs" or emitters which are more resistant to damage due to falling or being dropped. When I got my Surefire E1B-MV Backup, I had moved into a new house. It was winter and we got hit with a big snow storm. The house was on a ravine lot so the area behind the house was a forest. I had a camera on at the back facing the deck area. I saw two eyes looking back into the camera. The camera has a single small LED light on it that lights up. The animal must have seen it and was intrigued by it. I looked closely at the footage and I was pretty sure the animal was a cat. One of my cats had died before I moved into the house. It was quite small, so it could have been a kitten. If it was a kitten, I wanted to go and get it if I could and take it inside. It is no place for a kitten to be out in this snow storm. The snow was maybe a foot or a foot and a half deep at this point. I grabbed my Surefire E1B-MV and ran out onto the deck. I turned it on and shined it out into the back yard. The flashlight was able to light up the entire backyard like a floodlight, but I could not find the kitten. I went out and shined it in-between the houses and I still could not find the kitten. I just found a small area where the snow was disturbed. It must have ran off in the interim from when I grabbed my flashlight and ran out or the noise from me opening the door to go outside must have scared it off. The snow kept falling into the night. The Surefire Backup E1B-MV is a compact flashlight that still provides a lot of light output, but it doesn't have that really cool warm light that my incandescent flashlight generated when I was playing in bedsheet forts. It is still great because of the light output and the tint although not perfect, is still close to white. The MV stands for MaxVision which means that it spreads the light around evenly to give you maximum visual awareness of your surroundings. In other words, it is a wall-of-light flashlight or it has a flood-type beam pattern. It does not have great throw, or spot capabilities, but the light pattern is still useful to light up objects that are not close by. Surefire is known for their reliability, so I like having this light on me whenever I am out so that I have a light I can depend on. The head and body of the E1B is made of aluminum and it has Mil-Spec anodizing which is a sturdy protective coating. The pocket clip is a two-way clip that is made of stainless steel. The body is cylindrically shaped, but the head is somewhat rounded kind of resembling an apple. The light is powered on by a clicky switch at the tail. From off, when you click the button, it turns on at full brightness. It has a momentary on and also from a full click on, you can half-press or full click off and full click on quickly and it will switch to the next setting, toggling between outputs 400 lumens and 5 lumens. I prefer a light that goes on full brightness first. With my other lights, you unscrew the tailcap to change out the battery. With the E1B, you have to unscrew the head to change out the battery. The flashlight is meant to be powered by a single primary or non-rechargeable CR123A battery. I have a Fenix charger which was served me well. I use the Li-Ion 16340 700mAh rechargeable battery from Fenix. It seems like a good battery and I have not personally had any issues using it with the E1B. I like to charge up the battery every few days and especially after I use the flashlight for awhile. That way, I know that I have a full charge or close to a full charge whenever I leave the house. When I go out, I like to have multiple lights on me when I head outside from home. I usually carry the Surefire G2Z MaxVision and the Surefire E1B MaxVision Backup. I would keep the Surefire G2Z in one pocket and keep the Surefire E1B in another separate pocket so that the flashlights don't rub against each other and scratch the anodized layer. I love this flashlight and it has improved my life because I now will always have a high-quality and reliable light source with me whenever I need. It has two modes, high and low which makes the light versatile and so much more useful for various situations. I can use it to light up a room in the dark and it is useful at lighting up a trail in the woods while hiking. It has 400 lumens which is enough to light up the area where I am walking and it is a wall-of-light flashlight, but it still has sufficient throw to light up areas a hundred yards ahead. It is not as good as something with a larger and deeper reflector to light up things really far away, but it still produces plenty of light at a distance. I also like that it has a low setting. Some of my other flashlights are considered tactical flashlights so that they only have a single mode and come on full power when they are switched on. I like having the Surefire E1B and being able to access a low mode whenever I am using the flashlight for more close-up work. I love having this light with me because of its small form factor and strong output and reliability. I usually would not go anywhere without it.
Surefire Fury Dual-Fuel Tactical 1500 Lumen, Single Mode 18650 Flashlight
Bright and Reliable Flashlight for Spotting Things at a Distance
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Surefire Fury Dual-Fuel Tactical 1500 Lumen, Single Mode 18650 Flashlight
We had taken my dog to the vet's office to get his vaccine. We hadn't taken him for a walk in a while, so we took him to a nearby conservation area and parked the car. We put on his lead and harness and walked away from the parking area towards the trailhead. We were walking along and our dog seemed fine and also very happy and excited. We then came across an older lady. She was by herself and she seemed somewhat composed, but also somewhat frantic. She asked if we had seen a large white dog. I said, "Sorry, we didn't see any other dogs." She then turned back and went somewhat off the trail. We proceeded further along and came across a man who was also looking for a big white dog. We had gotten halfway through the trail and my dog started getting tired. He is normally very athletic and full of energy and ready to do zoomies at the drop of a hat. It must have been the vaccine that was causing him to get weak and drowsy. We were moving slowly now and our dog didn't really want to walk anymore. We scooped him up and carried him on the trail. The sky was a dark blue and purple with dark orange punching through. It wasn't dark yet, but the sun was definitely setting. Our dog was still whimpering a little bit. He had to be carried in a certain way because it seemed one of his legs was sore from the vaccine. He would let out a whimper every now and again. I had this sensation that we were being followed. I guess the sounds our dog was making was drawing some attention. I looked back and didn't see anything. We proceeded along the trail and were about 1/3 of the way out. I had my Surefire Fury DFT with me and I shined the light back and I spotted a coyote further back behind us. I pointed my light directly at it and started walking towards it. It just stared at me. I walked towards it with my light still on it and started shouting, making noise, and kicking up gravel, and it walked away slowly and headed into the bushes. I turned forward and we kept walking towards the end of the trail with our pace a little quicker than before. We kept walking along and finally made it out of the trail and to the parking lot. We took our dog and put him into the car and drove out of the area. He fell asleep on the drive home and when we got home, we put him on the bed and he kept sleeping. It was an exciting little trip, but I would probably avoid taking him out again after getting a vaccine. I like Surefire because of their reputation for reliability and durability. I love this flashlight, the Surefire Fury DFT, where the DFT stands for dual-fuel tactical. This means that this flashlight can be powered using two C123A batteries or a single rechargeable 18650. It comes with a single 18650 lithium ion rechargeable battery that has a micro-USB port for charging. The battery is sometimes referred to as an 18*650 where the 18 means 18mm in diameter and 650 is 650mm in height. The flashlight has simple operation where you can click the switch at the back to turn on and click it again to turn off the light. When you turn it on, it will turn on at maximum brightness. This is how I prefer most of my lights. I have direct access to full power when I turn on the light. It has an orange peel reflector so the beam pattern is even and smooth. It has a good balance of spill and throw. I love the tint. It is actually the best tint out of all my flashlights except for my HDS high-CRI flashlight. This flashlight has improved my life because I like having a reliable light source whenever I am in the dark. It is also one of my brightest flashlights. I like how it has excellent throw so that I can use it to spot things at a distance. I like the quality and durability of it. It has not had any issues for the entire time I've had it. My equipment sometimes gets banged around and the flashlight has been functioning without issue. I have not torture tested it, but I feel that it is solidly built and will last me a long time and will be able to handle years of use. I feel that the only weak point with this is the battery. You have to make sure that the battery is fully charged before use, but also the battery can fail, so it is a good idea to carry spares and backups.
Tilley Endurables Hiker's Hat T4MO
Keeps the Sun and Rain Off My Face and Accompanies Me on My Adventures
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Tilley Endurables Hiker's Hat T4MO
My cat was sick. He was so sweet. He was not eating, but at the same time, he was trying to eat and trying to drink. He was just too sick. He began wasting away and got sicker. It didn't help matters when the younger cat kept trying to pick on him. Pretty much every day I would hear the sick cat squealing and trying to run away when the younger cat would chase him and bite him. I would always have to separate them. He was a Maine Coon and he was a gentle giant. Ever since we got the younger kitten, the older cat would always be gentle with her. The older cat used to be strong and hearty. He would be able to scale a wardrobe in one leap. He was the biggest cat I ever owned. Now, he gets chased by the younger cat and cannot even jump onto the bed. I held him on my lap and tried petting him. I could feel that his body was getting bony and he was having trouble with life. I knew it was time to let him go. We eventually took him to the vet's office and we wrapped him in a black towel given to us by the vet. We tried to drive home afterwards, but I almost threw up. We stopped by a park and walked around for a little bit. The only silver lining in all this was that the air was fresh and it was sunny and a little bit warm. I missed my cat so much. Some months went by and then some years. We were out hiking and I had brought along my hiking hat and bag. We got to the trail head and parked the car. I put on my hiking hat and bag and got out and locked the car door. I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I thought it was a fox and then I saw it was a cat as it got closer. The trailhead was really far from residential areas as it was in a somewhat remote area. The cat came up to me and started rubbing its head against my pants and boots. I crouched down to pet it and it was very friendly. There was no one else around. The cat had no harness on and no collar. It was just really strange to see in that part of town. I stayed back as long as I could with it and thought I could adopt it, but my current cat is kinda feisty and would probably not take too kindly to the new cat. I walked along the hiking trail and the cat followed us around for a bit, but then ran off towards the parking lot. We completed our hike and went home. Later that night, we drove back to the trailhead and tried looking for that cat or any signs of it, but could not find it. I left some cat treats just in case the cat would find them. I went back the next day and the cat treats were gone and we could not find any sign of the cat. I've gone back to that hiking trail countless times and never encountered that cat or any other cat again. I was worried that something might have captured that cat. I feel bad that I didn't get it at the time and take it home and at least try to get it some place safe. They say that whenever you have a Tilley hat, you will have a strange experience. It started out with someone who wore their Tilley hat on safari and an elephant took it off the person's head and ate it and it came out intact afterwards. It is not necessarily an eery or paranormal experience just some sort of strange happening that will stick in your memory. This cat experience was one of such experiences I had in recent memory. There was another time, I was walking around a park space that surrounded a large pond. It wasn't quite summer yet, but the weather was nice and the temperature was very warm. There was a part with woods and then another part was a paved trail that went over an area with a bridge next to a quiet road. It's a strange place and it was in the city. I walked to the area before the bridge and there was a man sitting on a park bench with his family. He had on one of the Tilley airflo hats like the one I wore. He kinda glanced over at me and saw me and looked back towards the water. A few people walked past me and I saw another man with a Tilley hat on as well and he looked at me and gave me a bit of a nod. For a long time, I never really saw anyone else with a Tilley hat again. One day, I went back to the original "cat trail" and I walked by an older gentleman on the trail and he had on a Tilley hat, airflo type, and as he walked by, he looked up at my hat for a bit, said, "Hello," and walked past. I wanted a Tilley Endurables hat for as long as I can remember. I remember walking by and window shopping at their shop in Toronto, Ontario. I would also check them out whenever I was at the Sheridan Nurseries in Markham, Ontario. It was a nice shop and lots of nice workers. They carried old stock, so a lot of them were made in Canada. I wanted one made in Canada and in my size, so eventually, I found one made of cotton at the sail.ca store in Oshawa, Ontario. I love my Tilley hat. I leave it in the car so it will always be available to me when I am out hiking. I originally wanted one in black, but it was not available in that color, so I picked out one in gray-blue. I like the sizing and the fit and it stays put on my head. I almost never use the wind cord on my chin for the hat unless it is really windy. This hat does have a slightly larger brim than other hats, so the wind cord is essential for windy days. It is made of high quality materials and feels really well-made and durable. Tilley was originally made for sailing, so the hats float, though, I have not tested this. The wind straps are there so you minimize the chance that the hat blows away on the water. I like having the hat with me because it comes in handy in the winter when it gets cold and the hat helps me to stay warm. It is also useful in keeping the sun off my face and it keeps the rain off my face as well during rainstorms.
Surefire Flashlight G2Z MaxVision (G2Z-MV)
A High-Quality and Reliable Flashlight with Great Output
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Surefire Flashlight G2Z MaxVision (G2Z-MV)
My girlfriend and I had gone out on our bicycles and got to a path. We weren't really paying attention to the sunset time and thought we would be okay as we had lights on our bikes. We were going through an area of the path that was heavily forested. We figured we would be okay so long as we stuck to the main trails. We were biking along and lost track of time and how far we were from the exit. By the time we had turned around, it was already getting dark. We had our lights on and they seemed bright enough. Then, my girlfriend's light went out. We were using some cheap flashlights I had purchased. The electric circuitry or soldering probably didn't like all the bumps while being mounted to the handlebars of our bikes. We were then only left with my flashlight and it was pretty much pitch black at this point. We still had quite a way to go to exit the forested area. We kept pedalling and all the jostling caused my flashlight to start flickering. It went out briefly and I stopped to fiddle with the light. It was pitch black now and we had nothing to light our way. I unscrewed the flashlight, took out the battery and put it back in and finally managed to get the flashlight back on. We kept pedalling and eventually got out of the woods and got home. After that experience, I stopped buying cheap flashlights. I only bought flashlights from Fenix, Surefire, and Elzetta. They are good flashlights. Fenix generally gives cooler functions and more output and Surefire and Elzetta are great for reliability with good lumens output. As much as possible, I always try to keep at least one Surefire on my person and another flashlight with me as backup. If I am going to be out for a long time, I try to have at least two flashlights on me, maybe more. There was one time my girlfriend and I went hiking. It was also starting to get dark. We were on the trail and about a 45 minute walk from the parking lot. It was unusually hot and humid. We each had our flashlights on. Then we heard what we thought were children laughing in the dark in the woods and bushes around us. It felt as though they were very close. We could not see them. Then we realized it wasn't children, but coyotes. They were all around us, vocalizing, barking, and howling in the night. I had turned on another flashlight at this point to maximize the light around us. I had my Surefire Fury and my Surefire G2Z, excellent and bright lights. I lit up the area around me and my girlfriend had another one of my Surefires on. The sounds of the coyotes kept up with us for most of the way, following us, but not too closely. I had one light shining back as we made our way out of the trail. We made it out to the parking lot and I still had my lights on. I got my girlfriend and our dog into the car, then I got into the car. I had a lot of trust in my lights that they would not fail me. I charged the batteries before heading out and also kept primaries (non-rechargeable batteries as backups). The flashlights may have dimmed slightly while being used, but they never flickered or shut off. The only thing they did was increase in temperature as the LED bulbs gave off heat. I really like my flashlights and they improved my life because I feel that I can trust my safety to them. I have a good reliable flashlight with me to provide light whenever I need and to light my way through the darkness. I specifically picked the brand Surefire because of their reputation for reliability and dependability. I like having a flashlight on me most of the time because you never know when you might need light. The body styling is somewhat unusual, but I prefer it because of the grip options and how it feels secure when holding. If I am ever in a building and the power goes out, I can light my way out and help others as well. It is good to have a reliable flashlight on me if I am ever outdoors and it starts getting dark. I like using the flashlight with rechargeable batteries. One advantage is that I know that my flashlight is close to a full charge and I can estimate how long I will have light for. I like to ensure that my batteries are charged up if I am going to be out for extended periods. I usually plan out where I am heading and if I am going to be out for longer at night, I usually carry at least two additional flashlights for backup. I like to have non-rechargeable batteries as well in case the rechargeable batteries were not charged or if the circuitry in the batteries was not working. #edc #everydaycarry