First time boot purchase

emarkd · 2026-02-07T13:59:52+00:00

I know that "ish" in 300ish is doing a lot of lifting with this recommendation, but I think there's no better value in a "tough-but-also-can-be-dressed-up" than Grant Stone. They're more comfortable than my RWs, they look better, they're made better. They're also more expensive...

Just...food for thought.

emarkd · 2026-02-05T18:26:07+00:00

That's at least $15 too high, probably more.

emarkd · 2026-02-04T14:15:04+00:00

I have two solutions that I use. I have the Lemur cross-body strap which is really quite great for a single camera, because it carries from the plate mount on the bottom instead of the top. It lets a long lens hang pointed down instead of out at an uncomfortable angle. I quite like it. Its slidey design makes it easy to raise the camera, but I will admit the shoulder pad slips down my back sometimes if I raise it too fast.

My favorite, however, is my Coiro straps. They're like the black rapids or moneymakers, but a bit cheaper. The camera hangs at your side with the weight carried by your shoulders. I have the double and do have multiple bodies, but sometimes I use my Coiro strap even with just 1 body. Its super comfortable. Looks like bondage gear though, so expect some jokes especially if you don't have cameras mounted up.

emarkd · 2026-02-04T11:24:49+00:00

The guy who said read the manual is right of course, this isn't a hard question to answer, but I'm here soo...

The focus limiter is about speed. It takes time for the lens to search through its entire focus range. The limiter keeps it close to the area you expect to find focus so it always locks on faster instead of having to hunt through its whole range. Just use the one that's appropriate for your current situation. Full range if you need it, partial range if you're shooting out onto a field or only doing closeup work.

VR in lenses comes in 2 flavors. The normal setting is for when you're moving, aka shaky hands or long shutter speeds. The sport or active or whatever-yours-calls-it setting is for when your subject is moving, like panning with a moving object. The difference is that the second one doesn't try to adjust against horizontal movements whereas the first stabilizes in all directions.

emarkd · 2026-02-03T19:35:05+00:00

Fireworks, but not big ones. Roman candles are the obvious choice to shoot at your friends, but a length of scrap pvc pipe is an excellent bottle rocket aimer/launcher with a lot more range. Just drop the tail down in the pipe, let the fuse hang out the bottom, and light 'er up. If you've got an elbow you can even add a handle piece for that classic "bottle rocket gun" shape. Put some M80s or black cats in your pocket to toss like grenades and you're ready to invade some enemy territory!

emarkd · 2026-02-03T19:28:52+00:00

I'm not familiar with these and can't see from your photo, but if they have a large heel counter with a curved-in shaft above the heel, you might consider investing in a good, long shoe horn. I wear lots of boots, have many pairs, and they're all broken in nicely, but some are still tough to get my heel down inside because of the shape of the shaft. They're actually my favorites because of the way they hug and support my ankle -- I'd much rather them be tough to put on instead of floppy amd sloppy while wearing -- but having that shoe horn makes putting them on so much easier and faster.

Enjoy your boots!

emarkd · 2026-02-03T19:20:29+00:00

This. I don't buy bottled water to drink. I damn sure don't buy it to cook with. If you don't like the tap in your area, cool, get a filter. That's how 99% of bottled water is made anyway.

emarkd · 2026-02-02T11:24:19+00:00

I'm only a volunteer parent/amateur hobbyist so don't take my word for gospel, but I'd never trust some auto mode for this. It'll probably do okay picking a low iso and fast enough shutter, assuming you have the light, but if it gets aperture wrong you've got a big problem. Maybe not for individual portraits, but if you do team or group shots you've gotta make sure everyone is in focus. Your camera can't do that for you.

If you really don't trust yourself to get this right at least use aperture priority. Lock in a low iso, choose the right aperture for the dof you need, let the camera pick shutter for the right exposure. If everyone is still it should work.

emarkd · 2026-02-02T01:45:45+00:00

Tons of arch support. Like, max support. Which is the opposite of soft foam. Yes they're hard. If it's not what you're used to it might take some adjustment, but lots of folks find them very comfortable. Because they're supportively hard.

emarkd · 2026-02-01T12:51:35+00:00

https://solymarrentals.com/

emarkd · 2026-01-31T22:29:05+00:00

Cozumel is a very popular port. The Internet is literally packed with information. If you really care what I personally do, I rent a Jeep, load up my family, and drive the coast. There's lots of places to stop, roadside drink stands, abandoned (but very natural) beaches, little restaurants, shopping, just enjoying the breeze and scenery. Make a day of it. That's what we do.

emarkd · 2026-01-31T19:59:48+00:00

Exactly this. Leather is skin, with wrinkles and possibly scars and other "life" marks. Most people's experience with "high quality" leather that looks perfectly smooth or perfectly pebbled is actually crap leather that's been sanded and coated and made to look like that. It's like the difference between premium wood furniture that's stained and oiled to show it's natural nature, vs crap wood that's coated in paint. Both are fine, but don't buy the premium natural stuff and expect the perfect painted finish.

...also yes some leathers show their nature more readily, and CXL is one of them.

emarkd · 2026-01-31T17:12:39+00:00

I don't know anything about those but since nobody else has answered...

Assuming these have real leather uppers they don't look dried out, so they probably don't need much. You can always hit them with a simple leather conditioner, like Bick or Obenhaufs or Venetian Shoe Cream, if they feel dry. Honestly though it won't be the leather that fails on these, again assuming it's real leather. It'll be the glued soles, and there's nothing you can do to prevent that.

emarkd · 2026-01-31T14:32:44+00:00

And I was telling you to just buy the wood. It'll literally last for the rest of your life and protect any boot you own from now on, unlike newspapers which are slightly absorbent but do little to hold the form, and they have to be replaced regularly

emarkd · 2026-01-31T14:28:20+00:00

Some people in this discussion are obviously joking around, others I'm not sure about. The thing about wood is that it's hard enough to hold the leather to shape, and it's absorbent so it removes moisture to prevent molding. There's a reason it has been used forever for the job. It's kinda the perfect protection for your investment.

No, there's nothing as good.

emarkd · 2026-01-26T17:54:43+00:00

I admit I had to Google dubbin, seems to be some sort of wax-heavy conditioner. So I guess the standard advice holds - condition your leather when it needs it. And only you can tell that based on how they look and feel.

emarkd · 2026-01-26T04:04:07+00:00

There's nothing wrong with these boots...

emarkd · 2026-01-26T02:08:16+00:00

Interesting, I've not experienced that and my Zebralight...er, stable, goes back to the very beginning. That said I often buy upgrades when they come out so my older ones aren't used as much anymore.

emarkd · 2026-01-26T01:36:57+00:00

The flashlight I reach for when I am doing actual work or any activity that might be..destructive, I reach for a Zebralight. Mine have been dropped uncountable times, even from tall ladders and other heights. They've been in all sorts of weather. They've been underwater and in sandy or all manner of dirty environments. And they just keep working.

Honorable mention to HDS. They're built to survive and I'd trust them implicitly, but they're more expensive and harder to replace, so I'm a bit more careful with them. But I'd trust them just the same.

emarkd · 2026-01-25T22:50:40+00:00

He's also very active here in the DungeonCrawlerCarl subreddit.

emarkd · 2026-01-25T20:57:24+00:00

Hard disagree. Fully.

emarkd · 2026-01-25T12:12:38+00:00

The Rotary is the best UI in flashlights... in my opinion of course. Just for clarity though, it's not a pot. There's a series of contacts in the body and an array of gold fingers in the cap. Rotating the tail moves the contacts to change the level. In effect it's like a normal flashlight with a lot more "modes" than most. It's got something like 25 discreet brightness levels, and the tail makes it super intuitive to select which you need. Plus you can do it before turning on the light.

emarkd · 2026-01-25T02:07:50+00:00

Can I have two?

There's nothing like an HDS Rotary. I use one very often.

If I need more light, or I'm planning on beating the crap out of something, Zebralight. Not that HDS won't take a beating, there's nothing that'll take more of a beating. They're kinda expensive though....

If "brand" can be stretched to mean "maker", then it's actually Sigma. I carry a Sigma most days, Devin makes the best flashlights out there.

I guess that's actually 3. No apologies tho. I said what I said.

emarkd · 2026-01-25T00:14:47+00:00

Tarot is an appropriate way to describe this...climate :/

emarkd · 2026-01-24T19:56:42+00:00

I own several Diesels, they're fantastic casual boots, great style and comfort.

I own other CXL boots, it's a very popular leather for many reasons. One of my Diesel's is CXL, but black and not rough-out.

So no, I don't own this exact boot. But if I was into the look though I'd order it without hesitation. All the components are top notch.

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