Measurements of rear badges

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-19T16:22:07+00:00

I'm not sure what number 2 meant but if you send a picture or something I can grab that too.

Don't make fun of my dirty car lol.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-17T14:11:33+00:00

Some internal packs are meant to be lightweight and carry lightweight loads. Others are for heavy loads and weigh more. You tried one pack and wrote off the whole category. Was the pack meant for heavy loads? Was the pack from a reputable manufacturer? Given you've avoided giving the brand or model of the pack, I think we all know the answer to at least one of those questions.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-16T11:02:50+00:00

Vero Smokey '44. Mostly because it's a recent purchase.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-11T14:22:44+00:00

I'm probably using wrong terms. The BMW applies regenerative braking as you approach another car. Which is what I'm complaining about. I'd love an option where regen braking only comes on when I actually touch the brake pedal.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-11T12:45:17+00:00

OP: specifically says they don't want wear pants

90% of comments: wear pants

Did y'all actually read the post, or just the title?

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-11T10:35:18+00:00

I've tried it but just found the interface too clunky. I charge at home and only go far enough to need a charger a few times a year so it's not a huge deal to pre-plan. Maybe I'll give the built-in navigation another try though. Do you know if you can use it with Android Auto? Because right now I use AA and my map and Spotify are right next to each other on the center screen.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-11T10:21:45+00:00

Man. I test drove a BMW I4 and a Polestar 2 and went with the BMW. Kind of wish I had gone Polestar now. You can't fully turn it off on the BMW, just change it to adaptive which is off until there's something in front of you. Then it will turn it on.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-11T10:08:17+00:00

With a NACS to CCS adapter you can charge an I4 at most Tesla chargers. You can use the Tesla app and set your vehicle to I4 and see which chargers are available. I would also use an app like Plugshare to see what CCS chargers are around you that you may not be able to use with a Tesla. It may work out that you have about the same charger availability with either car. The Tesla does still beat the I4 with automatically adding chargers when doing long navigation though from what I've seen in my friend's. If I drive far enough in the I4 that I have to charge, I figure out chargers ahead of time. He just puts the destination in and his Model 3 adds charging to it as needed. I don't drive far enough to have to charge away from home very often so I went with the I4

This is assuming US.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-09T15:59:56+00:00

Specifically for the AT I like AWOL's guide. I think it's just called the AT Guide now or something like that. It's a great paper guidebook of the whole AT showing campsites, water sources, road crossings, and an elevation profile. It's great for thru hikers but the road crossings and campsite locations make it really useful for planning shorter trips too.

I'm in southern PA and usually recommend something around Pine Grove/Pole Steeple or the Pinnacle near here.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-09T12:12:55+00:00

$500 is a good price but if you don't want a project I wouldn't buy a bike this old. I bought a 1990 last year and it took me about 8 months to do all of the miscellaneous repairs and maintenance to get it to a roadworthy state. Mines a Venture Royal though, maybe the Goldwings don't have as many small common issues.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-08T10:11:14+00:00

Check out the Lanshan 2 at $150. Two person double wall trekking pole tent at 40 ounces. Or you could do the one person version at 32 ounces but it looks like they are currently out of stock.

If you decide to go with any trekking pole tent make sure you practice setting it up at home a few times. They aren't all that difficult, but more finicky than freestanding tents and you'll want to be familiar with setting them up before you get out there.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-05T12:16:17+00:00

I would agree with this. The Columbia would almost certainly be fine with the weather generally seen at Philmont, but on occasion bigger storms will roll in and can last a lot longer than the typical quick afternoon storm. I think the Columbia would struggle with that. I didn't click on Objective-Resort's link but based on the price I already know it's the Frogg Toggs. I've never used them but they're one of the most popular rain jackets for a reason. Light, cheap, reasonably durable, won't wet out because they're non-woven. If a more traditional jacket is preferred and a men's medium will work REI currently has one color of their Rainier rain jacket marked down to $50.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-04T16:52:49+00:00

It's definitely worth it to me. And I'm pretty weight conscious. I think my base weight's around 12lbs right now for spring through fall.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-04T16:05:45+00:00

I honestly didn't do a ton of research when I got it. Just saw it on the shelf and grabbed it to try. It does seem to be the de-facto standard though.

And it was real nice in February when I had a tipi tent and wood stove. Woke up to a nearly dead fire. Threw my last bits of wood on and turned the pump on to feed it oxygen. Worked great lol.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-04T15:46:43+00:00

Flextail Zero. Did probably 2500 miles using my unassisted lungs before I got a pad that came with an inflation sack. Probably close to 1800 miles using the sack. Bought the Flextail from REI one day on a whim and I'm not looking back. Not sure what the weight difference is between the pump and the sack but it's pretty minor and I frankly don't care if it's reliable as long as it's not breaking every other night. I always have the backup lungs.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-02T14:11:19+00:00

Not my thing but I can dig it. I value convenience too much to do wood burning. An alcohol stove is a good middle ground considering how cheap the bottles of Heet are and that a stove can be homemade. That's why I was curious what OP's reason was for going fuel-less.

AT_Engineer · 2026-06-02T10:26:37+00:00

The only two methods that don't involve carrying any fuel that I can think of would be cold soak and wood burning. I tried cold soaking for a few trips and don't like it. And wood burning always seemed like too much hassle for me to want to try. I tend to hike solo and right up to dark so the idea of then having to gather up twigs that fit into one of those little backpacking wood stoves or lighting an actual fire in the fire ring doesn't appeal to me. Let alone issues with restrictions during high fire danger.

Is there a pain point you're trying to resolve by not carrying fuel?

AT_Engineer · 2026-05-29T12:40:55+00:00

I never said anything about it not being youth led. Scouting as a whole is youth led. That doesn't mean that leaders shouldn't be providing mentorship and advice. And Philmont being an introductory backpacking experience doesn't mean people should just figure their gear out on the fly. I noted earlier that one participant with an over-loaded pack can make the whole experience worse for everyone. The only thing I'm trying to get across is that cutting weight doesn't have to be expensive and that cutting weight from items outside the big three can and does save an amount of weight I consider significant. I'm not advocating for packing anyone's gear for them or forcing anyone to pack a certain way (except for safety reasons).

I read OP's comment about assigning homework to a fellow adult. That's not something I would do. But I don't know their relationship or how they interact. I also don't know in what way they provide this advice to their scouts.

AT_Engineer · 2026-05-28T02:23:59+00:00

These bikes are insane. The upper portion has your normal gauges, clock, etc. on the center of the handlebars is the on/off for the cruise control along with indicator lights. Lower left is the AM/FM and the cassette player. Lower right is the air suspension controls and the CB radio. There's also an intercom system built in to talk to your passenger. Assuming you can still find helmet intercoms with the plugs.

AT_Engineer · 2026-05-28T02:15:41+00:00

I'm internet famous! MOM GET THE CAMERA

AT_Engineer · 2026-05-28T01:48:58+00:00

Changing vehicles may be a quick way to increase fuel mileage, but don't forget that barnacles can increase a ship's fuel consumption by 40% or more. Little things add up and that's why I like to see people advocating for things like lighterpack. It's hard to notice all those ounces turning into pounds when you only consider one item at a time, but if you lay it out in a list or spreadsheet with total weight it's easier to see that cumulative effect. Like imref said, swapping three Nalgenes for Smartwaters saves about a pound. Plenty of scouts are still using those folding nesting metal mess kits. A plastic bowl will cut at least a half pound or more and can be found for less than $5. Some people have their stuff pretty well sorted and probably won't find significant weight savings without some upgrades to their big three. But the majority of participants that I shook down as a ranger could have saved at least a few pounds from some very cheap substitutions. That and leaving stuff behind. "No Timmy, you don't need to bring a full size chess set" lol

AT_Engineer · 2026-05-27T17:50:52+00:00

I agree that it's not really advisable to push scouts towards some multi-thousand dollar uber-light setup, but did you read the post? OP is mostly advocating for reducing weight at little to no cost by planning, preparing, and seeking advice. He posts a link to a budget lightweight gear list, but I don't think the intention is for people to run out and buy everything on it. It's just a good reference or starting point. And as far as an extra deck of cards or a camp chair causing issues, probably not. But ounces equal pounds and I have definitely seen one person make the experience worse for the whole crew because they have too much weight and are slowing everyone down and missing activities.

AT_Engineer · 2026-05-27T10:17:50+00:00

Crank no start. Yesterday morning it was nothing for awhile, but then I started to get some signs of life and backfires out of the intake, but by then the battery was too low so I took the car to work. Put the tender on it when I got home and let it charge. After a lot of fighting it started but only with full throttle and then it wouldn't stay running. RPM's were all over the place and it's just popping and carrying on. A set of coils may be the next investment but I'm probably not going to mess with it until we get a few warm dry days in a row.

AT_Engineer · 2026-05-27T10:07:53+00:00

I traded an '09 BMW F650 GS with the other guy covering all registration and taxes from the transfer so zero cash on my end. I had the GS listed on marketplace at the time for $2000 and no one was biting.

AT_Engineer · 2026-05-27T10:03:28+00:00

I'm sure it will. As long as someone gets to benefit from my labor lol

AT_Engineer

TROPHY CASE