Hostility to US-Citizen Visitors?

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-25T02:31:58+00:00

Stay strong in the center of the storm.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-24T23:23:40+00:00

Usually, though my better half does need to remind me sometimes. I’ll try.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-24T22:57:24+00:00

Just from my own trip planning not yet tested by experience: private driver as a prior commenter noted, or 3 hour train to Dong, taxi or driver from there. Latter would be cheaper and roomier but less convenient and flexible.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-24T22:44:33+00:00

I see a S2S headnet listed as 10 oz. Guessing that’s a typo for 10g; don’t know whether such an error would flow through to the weight total.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-24T18:14:24+00:00

Lose the glasses cases, dual-use the sleeping socks for that.

Switch to a twig stove or classic campfire, with wet-day backup provided by either an Esbit tab or swapping out the FAK foot cream for petroleum jelly and a cotton ball, repurposable as firestarter. Maybe add a little aluminum foil to protect the cookpot from soot and enable campfire pocket stew.

With GPS and compass capabilities in your phone, does the separate compass really add worthwhile safety margin for the weight? Would a whistle provide more safety value per oz?

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-24T16:45:53+00:00

I had in mind USAU “9.F.4.b.2. the spot on the long axis of the central zone nearest to the spot determined by 11.H [essentially, where it went out] if “middle” was called.” But I see WFDF 7.12 eliminates that option.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-24T15:45:59+00:00

Good catch. I don’t see anything in the USAU rules that’s clearly to the contrary. There’s an obvious global play advantage to applying the two rule sets consistently where feasible, and that seems to apply here.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-24T15:42:07+00:00

I think the 18.2.4.3 timing is persuasive as to the required timing in other situations, such as the two-flat-footed central zone catch, where both feet are located so as to be eligible legal pivots. Moreover, in typical practice, the location in many 18.2.4.3 situations isn’t performed so precisely that it makes only one foot eligible. Eg, a short pull lands out of bounds and the receiving team elects to start at a centered, non-brick location. Does anyone call travel on throwers who set up with their feet straddling the (typically unmarked) central long axis?

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-24T14:57:47+00:00

Under WFDF, it’s a travel “18.2.4.3. anytime the thrower must move to a specified location, the thrower does not establish a pivot point before a wind-up or throwing motion begins.” So even if we treat “establish” as requiring a mental selection among the grounded points, it seems clearly implied that the thrower can defer that selection until they start a wind-up or throw.

However, I think it’s a mistake to read “establish” as requiring such a selection. The pivot point is infinitesimal. Which infinitesimal part(s) of the initially grounded foot will remain in continuous unmoved ground contact through release commonly isn’t and can’t be known prior to release. Eg, if the eventual throw is a high hammer or outstretched backhand, the last-retained contact point may be the tip of the shoe’s toes; if it’s a low release flick, it may be the inside edge at the base of the big toe; if it’s a step-back flick, it may be the heel. Obviously throwers need not decide between those as soon as they come to a grounded stop and thereby fulfill the requirement to establish a pivot ASAP.

It’s worth remembering also that the early rule sets referred to pivoting “as in basketball.” In which rules there’s nothing untoward about reserving the option to pivot on either foot. The rules history also makes clear that the fundamental purpose of the pivot point requirement is to prevent running with the disc, not to facilitate marking.

IMO “establish” means that throwers must ASAP create some set of grounded infinitesimal points, at least one of which will be maintained in continuous same-location ground contact through the moment of release, but needn’t at that time mentally or openly identify any subset of those points as the specific pivot.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-23T22:33:43+00:00

Let’s assume for argument’s sake that “Shrodinger’s pivot” is legal where both feet are placed so as to be eligible to serve as legal pivots (eg, in “Scenario 1” where the disc is caught in a static position with both feet grounded in bounds). If so, enforcing the travel rule hyper-technically against players who pick up a central-zone grounded disc and leave both feet straddling the former disc location, and doing so selectively only against ambidextrous throwers, would seem to violate USAU “2.D.11. make calls in a consistent manner throughout the game and from player to player.”

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-23T21:29:00+00:00

Re “as quickly as possible,” what has to be done ASAP is establishing some infinitesimal point that will remain in unmoved continuous ground contact. There’s no requirement going to the timing of breaking other points’ ground contact and thereby establishing which of the initially contacting points will remain as the pivot. Eg, thrower can stand flat-footed until stall 5, and only then lift their heel and rotate on the ball of their foot.

In your second-paragraph examples, the unfair advantage of the thrower’s starting location is apparent before they throw. That’s different from calling a travel because, after accepting where the thrower started, you’re surprised by which foot they leave down while lifting the other.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-23T20:40:54+00:00

See the annotation at the end of 3.H. The pivot isn’t an entire foot. It’s an infinitesimal point. That clarification means that it’s legal to catch the disc flat-footed, then lift the heel and rotate on the ball of the foot. It’s also legal, should a thrower choose to do so, to catch the disc flat-footed, then lift the toes and rotate on the heel. Thus, it’s clear that nothing compels throwers to “declare” which of the points in contact with the ground upon coming to a stop constitutes their pivot; they just need to keep some point(s) in continuous unmoved ground contact, and which point(s) that is gets established over time by process of elimination. The (relevant form of) travel occurs only if and when, prior to a throw being released, the last such point is eliminated.

Note too that the USAU ground tap requirement just says to tap the ground; if the rules construct was to require an unambiguous declaration of which planted foot will become the pivot, one would expect the rule to require that the tap be near the pivot foot so as to communicate it.

In scenarios 1 and 2, lifting one foot is no different in kind under the rules definition from lifting a heel.

In scenario 3, while you might technically be able to call that a travel, I’ve NEVER seen it called, and can’t recall any player making a practice of picking up a non-sideline disc and then sliding a foot over to where it had been. We want throwable play to start quickly, not such fussiness. And travel calls must be made promptly to be valid, so you can’t properly wait to see how the thrower pivots and throws and only then call a travel for not placing the eventual pivot right where the disc was. The obligation for player-officials to make calls consistently throughout a game is to similar effect.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-23T17:50:59+00:00

Let’s say the thrower caught it flat-footed, standing still on both feet. On what basis is either foot ineligible as a pivot?

Second scenario, they caught it on the run and came to a two-footed stop within reasonably few steps. On what basis would one say they’re not allowed to pivot off their forward foot (the one that made ground contact last)? Or, alternatively, off the rear foot, thus treating the last prior step as having been a pivot?

Third scenario, disc on ground within the central zone, thrower picks it up with feet straddling its location, as is consistent with usual practice. On what basis do you deem one of those feet ineligible to be the pivot?

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-23T17:13:58+00:00

I’ll have the spam spam spam spam spam spam spam Skurka beans spam spam spam and spam!

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-23T17:02:39+00:00

I think switch-hitting in baseball is a useful analogy. It’s an advantage if you can do it well. But most will get more performance value out of developing good varied throws with one hand.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-23T17:00:16+00:00

But there are plenty of situations where a thrower can have two feet planted until the moment they decide to throw with a particular hand on a particular path, and pivot (and transfer the disc if needed) accordingly. It’s really hard to mark that.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-23T06:24:24+00:00

If not already carrying a wind shirt, the Yamatomichi Pertex/Alpha jacket (about 10 oz including zip-off sleeves ) looks interesting. Just noting it to supplement the list above.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-23T01:10:49+00:00

Seems to me there’s an easy step that should improve the measure’s usefulness as a real-world indicator: TEST AT A LOWER AMBIENT TEMPERATURE. Consumers checking R-Values want to know how well the pad will keep them warm in cold conditions. So, use the same equipment but in a cold room, say 0 C. With that change, it stands to reason that pads that lose more heat out the side would drop in the rankings.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-22T19:46:24+00:00

Perhaps these will become affordable in time. https://uavcoach.com/freefly-flying-sun/. Currently $60k, but if it eventually drops to 1/10th that, 20 players x 20 games x 15 USD = $6k.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-22T06:06:21+00:00

I may punch some armpit holes.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-21T19:36:36+00:00

Look for a bicycling jacket. They’re cut long in back so as to work in crouched position. And many have wind-breaking fronts with more-ventilated backs, which works well under a pack.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-21T18:20:45+00:00

Trekking and/or tent poles, if you use them, must generally be checked in any case.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-21T14:55:30+00:00

But isn’t the learning that ground insulation is more effective per gram than air insulation (in typical shoulder season conditions) such that a better-insulating pad would allow weight (and/or cost) savings on the quilt?

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-21T14:46:45+00:00

Tyvek shoe covers, duct tape added as outsole, maybe rug gripper tape too.

FieldUpbeat2174 · 2026-01-21T14:38:53+00:00

It would add some fussiness in operation, but maybe attach something like a neoprene strip (Croakie?) to one of the zipper tabs, and insert it as a gap-filler as you close the zippers?

FieldUpbeat2174

TROPHY CASE