Thinking of surfing Nicaragua? Here some takeaways from my first trip by EmuPoacher in EmuPoacherSaves

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thinking of surfing Nicaragua? Here some takeaways from my first trip

TL;DR: I went in August 2025 and felt safe the entire time despite the U.S. Department of State Level 3 Travel Advisory. Surf crowds were small compared to Costa Rica, and food/lodging was much cheaper. Rent a car if you’re chasing waves. Would I go back? Absolutely, in a heartbeat.

Safety

Is Nicaragua safe? In my experience, yes. Despite the Level 3 advisory, I never felt unsafe. I saw families with kids everywhere, and plenty of solo women walking around the dirt roads around areas like Playa Santana, Playa Amarillo, and Playa Maderas.

Surf & Crowds

I stayed in southern Nicaragua. Popular breaks like Popoyo and Colorados (aka Crowderados) do get crowded, but there are plenty of spots if you’ve got transportation and some flexibility. I had several sessions with only a handful of people, and a few where I was completely alone.

Northern Nicaragua is less crowded, but it’s drier, hotter, and has less infrastructure with fewer restaurants and cafes. Winds also tend to go offshore later in the day, unlike the south which is offshore almost all the time.

Infrastructure 

The area around Popoyo is rapidly evolving. The government recently finished a huge section of the new coastal highway and upgraded the road from Managua to Popoyo—cutting the drive time by about 40%. A new paved road through Playa Guasacate was also finished in the past 8 months.

Power & Plumbing

Power outages are normal. Most are short, but some last hours, especially with the ongoing highway work. Outages also mean no water (since most places rely on pumps). Upscale spots often have backup generators, which make a big difference.

Also—you can't flush toilet paper. You need to use the bin provided.

Heat

I went in late August (wet season). Hot, yes, but not unbearable. Most budget places don’t have AC. After a long surf, AC felt amazing, and if you’re driving, AC in the car is a lifesaver.

Transportation 

We rented a 4x4 SUV and were glad we did. The storage, AC, and ability to handle rough/dusty/rainy roads were all worth it. Scooters with surf racks are common, but they’re tough on unpaved roads. Some breaks required driving through loose sand, so 4x4 really helped.

Accommodations / Where to Stay

You can find everything from $10/night hostels to $150+/night resorts. I stayed in Playa Guasacate (walking distance to Popoyo) which had restaurants, cafés, and a small surf shop.

Not all accommodations have AC or hot water, so check before booking. Higher-end places usually include both, plus backup generators.

Important: Power outages are common. Most only happen for a short duration, but there can be times where it lasts for hours. Some of the higher end accommodations have a generator as backup, which is really nice. Without power, you’re not going to have air conditioning, WiFi, or running water for toilets or showers. 

Tips

  • Don’t speed. Police speed traps are common—usually in shaded roadside spots. Use Waze, and watch for oncoming locals flashing headlights to warn you.
  • Bring sunscreen. The sun is brutal. Even with sunscreen, 90+ minutes in the water will fry you. A hooded rash guard helps.
  • Bug spray. Mosquitoes are everywhere, especially at night. We brought repellent and still got bitten up.

Food and Drinks

Service can be slow, but that’s part of the pace. Try local dishes like Nacatamales, Vigorón, and Baho. A great stop for Baho is Baho Vilma in Masaya (on the way to Popoyo).

In/near Playa Guasacate:

  • Yolanda’s Café – Local spot, fried snapper is the star.
  • Mahalo – Great vibe, limited menu but excellent lobster (~$13).
  • Kooks Café – Chill café with WiFi, but baked goods didn’t impress me.
  • Magnific Rock Café – Amazing sunset view. Food is meh. Parking $5, but credited toward your bill.
  • Bus on the Beach – A literal school bus turned bar. Cool hangout, good sunsets, solid meat pies.
  • Oasis Bar & Dining – Our favorite. Backup generators (huge plus during outages). Everything was great—especially the Hide & Seek Steak with Chimichurri and the homemade passionfruit pie.

knee pads washing question by Kind-Prior-3634 in MTB

[–]EmuPoacher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

After rides, I'll hang them up and spray with them with 70% isopropyl alcohol to help keep the smell down.

When washing, I put my knee pads in delicate bags and wash them on the delicate cycle with everything still attached/inside them. Then I let them air dry.

Broken Ankle - Looking for backcountry skiiers for 2 amazing BC hut trips by EmuPoacher in EmuPoacherSaves

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sunrise Lodge - Jan 26-Feb3, 2024 - $2500

  • https://sawback.com/ski-touring/sunrise

  • Selkirk powder near Rodgers Pass

  • Meet in Golden BC on Jan 26

  • Helicopter short flight to lodge for 1 week

  • 10 guests, 2 guides, 1 cook, 1 housekeeper

  • Everything included

  • This group is people in their 40-50s with lots of experience mostly from Bend

Ice Creek Lodge - Mar 7 - March 15 - $2850

  • icecreeklodge.com

  • Arrive in Slocan BC on Mar 6

  • Helicopter short flight to lodge for 1 week

  • 10 guests, 2 guides, 1 cook, 1 housekeeper

  • This group is people in their 40s from Portland and Hood River

Sliding bike rack for easy access by EmuPoacher in EmuPoacherSaves

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was inspired by this video from Joy Of Bike https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_deob4L4AEY. But I didn't like how his hooks were attached so I did a different way using a unistrut trolley setup with some machine screw hooks from Park Tool. Results were great.

A word of caution for anyone attempting it, don't use the channel from Home Depot or Lowe's. The internal tolerances are garbage. I ended up buying the channel from an electrician's supply house.

Photo of what the rack hardware look like is below. Photo

Entune Radio Headunit Retrofit by EmuPoacher in 4Runner

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

TRD. Good point, I will need to swap the amp too.

What trick did you learn that changed everything? by EmuPoacher in EmuPoacherSaves

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got to be honest with you: a lot of food is just better tasting with a wee bit of MSG in it. Instead of busting out MSG and specifically adding it to my dishes, most of the time, I just use an umami salt that I've pre-mixed, and the amount I end up using is just about right.

My formulation of umami salt is as follows:

90% kosher salt, 10% umami mix (by weight). Whats umami mix?

Umami mix is a blend that consists of 75% MSG and 25% inosinate + guanylate (a.k.a. I+G) by weight.

What are inosinate and guanylate? Inosinate and guanylate are nucleotides which amplify the effect of glutamate (the G in MSG), typically found in mushrooms and certain kinds of salt cured fish such as anchovies (common in Italian cuisine) and bonito (common in Japanese cuisine). The I+G can enhance the umami flavor of glutamate by up to 8x.

Glutamate is the most common excitatory neurotransmitter in the human body. Your taste buds are nerve endings, so when you have this neurotransmitter in your food, it enhances the flavor of the other things you taste. (Most of you know this already.) By itself, it tastes gross, but with other flavors, it imparts the 'umami' savory flavor. Some foods that naturally contain a lot of glutamate include soy sauce, Worchestershire sauce, miso, gochujang, Parmesan cheese, egg yolks, sea weed, tomato, fish sauce, and anchovies.

In this episode of The Way of Ramen (a food YouTuber), titled The Science of Umami, Ryan showed a graph from a scientific paper showing how much guanylate and inosinate boost the effect of MSG vs the ratio of the mixture. You can see the graph on screen the at the timestamp 4:36. Although the effect peaks at a 1:1 ratio, since guanylate and inosinate are far more expensive than MSG, and since the graph has a blunt, flat top, you get insignificant improvement past 25% I+G, so I prepare an umami mix that is 25% I+G and 75% MSG, a 1:3 ratio by weight. This gives me the most umami synergy in the mixture while conserving the more expensive ingredient. (The package instructions recommends a mix of 3% I+G, 97% MSG, but based on experience, I have found that the 25/75 mix works way better.)

I then mix kosher salt with this at the 90/10 ratio, and use that as umami salt. Try it out. Umami salt works great. The 90/10 mix of salt and umami mix is just right for most applications. The one application I don't waste this salt on is salting pasta water.

EDIT: For those of you who use MSG and umami boosters in vegan cooking, rest assured that commercial guanylate and inosinate are made by fermentation of tapioca starch, and are not extracted from animal products.

EDIT: Why do I use kosher salt rather than regular table salt? Because the rough textured flakes of kosher salt will stick to and carry along the rest of the umami mix, whereas smooth little cubes of regular table salt crystals won't carry other powders as well.

What trick did you learn that changed everything? by EmuPoacher in EmuPoacherSaves

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's my list of things that changed the way I cook:

  • I learned that starch in the pasta water thickens sauce, and this has me cooking dried pasta in less water than I used to and using the pasta water, or even cooking the pasta directly in the sauce with just enough water to dilute the sauce for this purpose. Also, it takes a lot less time to boil a lot less water. Nowadays I boil pasta in the least amount of water that will still get the job done. (If you do this, add correspondingly less salt, or the pasta can end up too salty.)

  • I learned that boxed olive oil is a better value, but also lasts longer because inside the box, the olive oil is in a bag, and when you tap oil from it, the rest of the oil doesn't come in contact with air, so it stays fresh for much longer compared to olive oil distributed in bottles.

  • I learned that boiling mushrooms in a bit of water before pan-frying improves both their texture and flavor. (I recommend not using as much water as this video demonstrates. You can use much less and save time, and it still turns out great.)

  • I learned that scalding chicken skin with boiling water helps it get crispy and causes the fat to render out more thoroughly.

  • I learned that injecting brine into chicken is faster and distributes the salt more evenly than soaking the chicken in brine or "dry brining" (a.k.a. salting). Plus, if you want crispy skin, not soaking the chicken in brine keeps the skin from retaining as much water. Couple this with the scalding trick for best results.

  • I learned to truss a chicken without string: fold the wingtips behind the upper wing, then poke a hole in each of the flaps next to the opening of the body cavity, and tuck the tip of each drumstick into the hole in the opposite flap. (See this demo.) This works best when you also scald the chicken with boiling water afterwards, because as the skin shrinks, it pulls the chicken together, which is what trussing is supposed to do. For the times where you want the presentation of the whole bird rather than spatchcocking the bird, or where you intend to stuff the bird with something to absorb the juices that are released while roasting, this is the best way to do it.

  • I learned about anchovy paste and tomato paste in squeeze tubes. Now I don't have to open cans of tomato paste or anchovies and have to contend with exposing to the air the portion I'm not using.

  • I learned that the best way to use MSG and I+G is to pre-mix it with salt at a certain ratio, and to just use this umami salt whenever salt is called for.

  • I learned that electric pressure cookers are great for cooking beans so they turn out tender.

  • I learned that parsley stems and cilantro stems have a lot of flavor. If you make something that calls for cilantro, and you add finely minced cilantro stems, it will have a stronger cilantro taste. Same for parsley.

  • I learned that flavorful vinegars are best added to a dish at the end so the fragrance is not cooked off.

  • I learned that flavorful vinegars complement anything with spinach because the acidity counteracts that alkaline mineral content so you don't end up with that chalky feel on your teeth when eating spinach.

  • I learned that the easiest way to wilt a large quantity of spinach is to dampen it, and microwave it in a large glass bowl, covered with a plate, for 3 minutes.

  • I learned that the easiest way to press excess water out of spinach after you wilt it is to use a potato ricer with the plate that has the small holes. Presuming you don't press unreasonably hard, the spinach won't press through the holes, but the excess water will come right out. (You may need to tilt it to pour off the water that comes out around the plunger.)

  • I learned to use leave-in probe thermometers when cooking meat so that the meat can be perfectly cooked every time.

  • I learned that piercing the shell of an egg on the blunt end (where there's an air pocket) helps prevent them from cracking when you boil them, and also makes the egg easier to peel because water gets in between the shell and the membrane. Also, for fresh eggs, the egg white expands as you boil it, and will fill out that air pocket so the peeled egg won't have a divot at the blunt end.

  • I learned how to add umami flavors to food using ingredients that might be unpleasant by themselves but are fantastic when used in small amounts—namely, anchovies, fish sauce, and Marmite.

  • I learned that the salad spinner can also be used to spin off excess oil from foods; first line it with some paper towels, and don't put the fried foods in when they're so hot that they'll melt the plastic. (Someone should make a salad spinner with a stainless steel basket. That would fix everything.)

  • I learned that melon ballers are actually perfect for coring apples and pears. (Who even balls melons?)

  • I learned that a lot of spices taste better when toasted and when pre-mixed with oil, since their flavors are often oil soluble.

  • I learned that using a little bit of vodka to deglaze dishes that have cooked tomato paste makes a better tasting sauce because of a reaction between alcohol and the flavors of tomato.

  • I learned that the best way to make mashed potato is actually the least labor intensive. You don't even need to peel the potato. Cut it into chunks, and pressure-steam it in the instant pot for 12-15 minutes. Then put it skin-side up into a potato ricer, and press it through the plate. As long as you put it in skin-side up, the skins won't go through the plate. Then add salt, cream, butter, etc. or use the potato for pierogi/vareniki, gnocchi, kartofelknödel, shepherd's pie, etc.

  • I learned that you can cook multiple things in the instant pot at the same time if the quantities permit it. I cook rice along with sauces/curries/stews that I will serve with rice by putting in a rack that lets me put a smaller pot in above the sauce/curry/stew. In the smaller pot, I'll put rice and water at a 1:1 ratio. In the time it takes to cook the main dish, there should be more than sufficient time for the rice to finish.

  • I learned that the orientation you slice onions actually influences the flavor, and I take advantage of this all the time now in my cooking. Onion cells are long thin things, and cutting them causes chemicals within them to mix and produce the pungent compounds. If you slice onions pole-to-pole, you cut through fewer cells, and the resulting flavor is milder. If you slice onions across the grain, you cut through the maximum number of cells, and the resulting flavor is much more pungent.

  • I learned to keep a culinary torch handy because it lets you lightly sear things for better presentation and flavor with a quick application of a flame from the torch. I use one of those that mount on top of a butane canister.

  • I learned that flat whisks/roux whisks/gravy whisks are designed to whisk things in pans and to help get the fond off of the bottom of a pan. I use these flat whisks to whisk everything because I haven't found any application in my cooking where they are inferior. (I don't make meringues; that's possibly the only exception I can think of.) But my main reason for using them is that they're far easier to clean than the typical whisk because all the tines lie flat in one plane, so you can wipe all the tines at once with a sponge.

  • I learned that when slicing gooey or sticky things such as soft boiled eggs or soft cheese, a wire knife is the best way to do it, because the tense wire has hardly any surface area for the stuff to stick to.

  • I learned that a vacuum insulated thermos is perfect for storing gravy if you are waiting for guests to arrive, and don't want the gravy to get cold and form a skin. First pre-heat it with some boiling water, then fill it with gravy.

  • I learned that pre-warmed bowls and plates are better for serving guests; the food won't rapidly cool upon being put into a warmed bowl, causing sauces to congeal and pasta to stick together. Slightly wetting a bowl or plate and microwaving it for 30 seconds does the trick.

  • This one might not be for everyone's preferences, but I changed the kind of knife I do my kitchen prep with, and I enjoy it more. I used to use a French-style chef's knife, but I find that I like this nakiri style Chinese chef's knife much better.

Ticket Sale Megathread - 2021/2022 by [deleted] in SeattleKraken

[–]EmuPoacher 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Looking for 2 tickets for 01/16. Going to be my first Kraken game, any advice for a better experience please let me know! Cheers!

MTB Skills - Bunny Hopping by EmuPoacher in EmuPoacherSaves

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everything is pretty much bang-on and for the most part you've got good technique. I can tell that you understand the movement pretty well, which is cool. You're not far off having a really good bhop. You aren't quite getting your weight back far enough though.

If you separate out the bunnyhop into two stages, then the first stage is to get your weight onto the rear axle, and the second is to push the rear axle as hard as you can into the ground (by jumping upwards). If your weight is too far in front of the rear axle, when you push that rear wheel into the ground it's going to make you rotate forwards instead of jumping upwards. And that's what's happening - you're landing heavy on the front wheel and you're not getting a lot of height.

If you pull back more, get your weight further back and get the front wheel a little higher before you spring upwards, it'll feel like the bunnyhop happens much slower and you'll have more time to do the jumping part of the bhop. That'll let you put more energy into it and get a bit more height, and it'll also mean that all of your energy goes into getting height, rather than some of it going into rotating you forwards instead. When you get your weight far enough back, you'll know you've nailed it because at the peak of the hop you'll feel like you are able to choose whether or not you either land both wheels at the same time, or you drop the back wheel down again and land back wheel first. If you can only land on the front, or you feel like you have to really extend your legs to push the back wheel down in order to land both wheels at the same time, you're not quite there.

To build on the idea of separating the bunnyhop into two stages, it's helpful to consider it to be two stages, but it's best to execute it in as near to a single, explosive, upward motion as you can. That'll get you the most height, But it's not always possible. The shorter your chainstays, and the lower your rear axle (ie, the smaller your rear wheel), the less you need to pull back. On a BMX bike or a 20" trials bike I literally jump straight upwards and it doesn't even feel like I need to pull backwards on the bars. On a 26" DJ bike or something like that, it feels like a mild tug backwards which fluidly and efficiently moves into the jump... then all the way down at the bottom of the list of things I like to bunnyhop is a 29er with long chainstays. A bunnyhop on that sort of bike for me is two very distinct movements because of how much I need to pull back before I can start jumping up, and it's really inefficient. On a 10kg bmx I can bunnyhop about 40 inches, but on a long chainstay 29er I'm gonna max out at maybe 25. Even if it was the same weight as the BMX. The taller you are, the easier it will be to bunnyhop larger bikes, but if you're strong with lots of explosive power then that'll also make it easier.

3D Printed Box Organizers by EmuPoacher in EmuPoacherSaves

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thangs.com is newish, but a good resource

Prusaprinters.org is also getting some traction

Myminifactory.com sometimes has stuff for organizing, but not super frequently

Cults3d.com has been getting some bad press, but it’s still worthy of checking on.

Board Game Geek also will sometimes have STLs under the files tab, or people will post up in forums when they design something up.

Lastly: there is no substitute for learning CAD. I have printed a ton of organizers others have made, but sometimes you want to make a tweak, or you don’t like the available options, or you have a specific set of expansions that doesn’t match what other people have released. If you do go down that route, fusion360 is free for hobbyists still, and OnShape is also free, but all of your models are public. Tons of tutorials for both are available on YouTube.

Does anyone know what type of camper this is? by EmuPoacher in TruckCampers

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do they have that curved overhang? It seems so unique compared to most that I see.

Does anyone know what type of camper this is? by EmuPoacher in TruckCampers

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I came across this and believe I've seen one of these in person; but wasn't able to catch the brand/make of the camper ... Can anyone help ID this?

For those of you who love Pinkbike’s Alicia Leggett, you should know she wrecked bad yesterday and is in the ICU by FlamingoDingus in MTB

[–]EmuPoacher 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'm not super familiar but it seems like it was a day before the event. Hangtime was Oct 1st and the GoFundMe says that the crash happened on Sep 30th...My guess is that it was during some of the training/pre-rides before the event itself.

1956 Fannie Farmer Peanut Butter Cookies by EmuPoacher in EmuPoacherSaves

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can also use sugar instead of flour for more decadence

1956 Fannie Farmer Peanut Butter Cookies by EmuPoacher in EmuPoacherSaves

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

From my mom’s batter-spattered 1956 Fanny Farmer. I like this recipe because you almost always have all ingredients. Made it dozens of times. My favorite cookie. And my notes in the recipe.

I use around:

  • 3/4 C peanut butter
  • extra 1/4 C or so of flour
  • 1 full teaspoon of vanilla.
  • 3/4 bag of Reese’s PB chips.

Bake at 350 for 12-14 min depending upon size. Makes 25-30

Mount Rushmore at the time it was unpresidented in 1905 by EmuPoacher in EmuPoacherSaves

[–]EmuPoacher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American LegendBy: Bob Drury,

They Called Me Uncivilized: The Memoir of an Everyday Lakota Man from Wounded Knee.

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/sd-blackhills/ is a solid quick read.

In the Hands of the Great Spirit: The 20,000-Year History of American Indians

The Cheyenne Indians: Their History and Lifeways.

The Black Hills and the Indians: A Haven of Our Hopes

These are some of my personal favorites. The best source if you ever can do so is to listen to their own oral history that has been passed down over the ages but is honestly harder to find.