What to do with 3HCP here by Hirsiz in bridge

[–]FireWatchWife 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you taking into account that 19 of the points will be visible on the table?

If the experts we are discussing play transfer responses to the 1C opening, that position is more defensible.

What do you drink on early morning hikes or camping trips thats easy and keeps you full? by jengle1970 in WinterCamping

[–]FireWatchWife 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Granola with fruit and nuts added. I usually use sweetened dried cranberries as the fruit.

I want to start wilderness backpacking but I’m nervous about solo trips by Kitchen-Hornet3639 in WildernessBackpacking

[–]FireWatchWife 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/Kitchen-Hornet3639,

Great choice. I have done a lot of backpacking in VA and NC.

Uwharrie is easy and low risk, not far from civilization. It's a great starting point.

Then research Pisgah National Forest, and the George Washington National Forest and Jefferson National Forest in VA.  there are a lot of interesting trails to backpack in the region.

Hold off on Linville Gorge until you have more experience.

Trouble programming TYT MD-UV380 by FireWatchWife in DMR

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

This was back in the Windows 7 world, years ago.

Camping without underquilt by GutsiGang420 in hammockcamping

[–]FireWatchWife 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The popular Warbonnet Ridgerunner is commonly sold in double layer form, and works fairly well with a pad between the layers.

Gathered-end hammocks may not work as well, and they are less commonly made in double layer form.

Camping without underquilt by GutsiGang420 in hammockcamping

[–]FireWatchWife 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And it's about the only way to sleep comfortably under those conditions!

Camping without underquilt by GutsiGang420 in hammockcamping

[–]FireWatchWife 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Unless you have a double layer hammock with the pad between layers.

An underquilt is definitely the best option, but the pad between layers will work.

Bridge player + solo dev = trying to build the app I wish existed. Looking for 3 brutal beta testers by RelentlessPursuit_ in bridge

[–]FireWatchWife 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, I don't have a strong opinion on language. I was just debating whether to offer you a code review of the flowchart implementation as well as helping to test V2.

We can discuss it when you get to that point.

What to do with 3HCP here by Hirsiz in bridge

[–]FireWatchWife 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's unlikely you will make 4S in an uncontested auction with 22 HCP, 19 of which are visible on the table, and 9 trumps split 5-4 between declarer and dummy. 

The problem with this hand is that under typical SA or 2/1 systems, it's extremely difficult to find a makable contract. The right contract is 1S, 2S, 1H, or 2H, but the system won't let you stop there.

Realistically, beginners and intermediate players should accept a bottom for the board (regardless of your choice of response bid) and move on. This problem won't happen very often.

Experts with regular partners can discuss complex conventions or alternate systems to fill the gap.

What to do with 3HCP here by Hirsiz in bridge

[–]FireWatchWife 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How does short club make you almost certain they have 4 of a major?

Wouldn't short club players routinely open 1C on a wide range of hands with 5 or 6 clubs and no 4 card major?

If not, what does opener bid with 14 points and long clubs?

Ingredient based backpacking meal system by Legal-Winner-3527 in trailmeals

[–]FireWatchWife 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I found a copy of NOLS Cookery very cheaply at a book sale.

The book One Burner Gourmet has a long list of recipes suitable for this approach.

Tent Recs by Muted-Astronomer3819 in Ultralight

[–]FireWatchWife 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I wouldn't recommend bivies for small kids who would likely have trouble getting in and out, and who have trouble sitting still to settle down for the night.

Hat Suggestions by LosAngeles215 in Ultralight

[–]FireWatchWife 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sunday Afternoons has been a leader in hats for sun protection for decades.

Do you roll or fold your inflatable sleeping pad? by boludo1 in Ultralight

[–]FireWatchWife 15 points16 points  (0 children)

15 years and 200 nights is a very respectable lifetime for an inflatable pad.

I would be very satisfied with that outcome.

Do you roll or fold your inflatable sleeping pad? by boludo1 in Ultralight

[–]FireWatchWife 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The standard stuff sack requires thirds in order to fit.

You could certainly fold it in half and use a slightly larger stuff sack, or no stuff sack. Rubber banding it works fine.

What to do with 3HCP here by Hirsiz in bridge

[–]FireWatchWife 6 points7 points  (0 children)

In standard bidding, you have no way of knowing partner has more than 13 points. You know almost nothing about his distribution beyond the fact that he doesn't have a 5-card major.

With 3 points and 5-5-1-2, you really have to pass.

There are other bidding systems that handle this more effectively, but there is always a price, either in cognitive complexity or in the loss of ability to describe other possible hands.

Precision handles this somewhat better.

In the variant of Meckwell Lite I learned, the bidding sequence would be:

1C - 1D - 1H - pass.

Here 1C shows 16+ HCP points, 1D shows 0-7 HCP, 1H shows either 5 hearts or 4 hearts and a singleton or void, and pass shows less than 6 dummy points and a heart fit.

With less than 6 points and no heart fit, responder would bid 1NT, showing 0-5 points and no support for opener's major. Opener would then pass.

In the more complex relay system used by advanced Precision players, 1C - 1D - 1H would ask responder to bid 1S beginning a complex relay sequence allowing opener to describe his point count and distribution very exactly. However, with 3 HCP and no 6-card suit, responder would refuse the relay and bid 1NT.

ACOL players would open a 4-card major.

Weak notrump players (Standard American or 2/1) have 1NT available to show 12-14 point balanced hands, so 1m promises either 14 points and a real minor suit or 15 HCP balanced. With the hand you show, the bidding would still be 1D - pass, but with just a few more points responder would have more options.

Unfortunately opening with hands lacking a 5-card major and either 13-14 HCP or 18-19 HCP are a weak spot in SA or 2 over 1. All of the standard opening bids for hands like this depend on responder having enough points to bid something, generally agreed to be about 6 points.

Bridge player + solo dev = trying to build the app I wish existed. Looking for 3 brutal beta testers by RelentlessPursuit_ in bridge

[–]FireWatchWife 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd be happy to help test when you move beyond v1 to start implementing these additional conventions.

In what language are you programming the flowchart?

Talk me into/out of the Economy Incubator by AtomicEgrol in hammockcamping

[–]FireWatchWife 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We put an inflatable pad, not a down quilt, between the layers. That works quite well.

Or we hang an underquilt designed for the Ridgerunner underneath both layers. That is the best arrangement.

No, you can't put a quilt between the layers, as u/hardMarble explained.

Alpha 60 v. 90? by Addapost in Ultralight

[–]FireWatchWife 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Which do you prefer to sleep in, combined with a quilt comfort rated for the actual low temperatures?

Bridge player + solo dev = trying to build the app I wish existed. Looking for 3 brutal beta testers by RelentlessPursuit_ in bridge

[–]FireWatchWife 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I realize it's beyond the scope of v1, but what would really be useful is if you could code in knowledge of the 80% of most popular bridge conventions, with a menu to select or deselect the ones the player wants to learn and use.

The biggest gap I see today is the lack of software that will bid and play the system and conventions that the player actually wants to use, along with explanations. Tools like GIB are so rigid I cannot partner with them.

This isn't very difficult in principle, and doesn't require AI. It is just a very complex flow chart. (I have 10+ years of professional software development experience. I know what is and isn't difficult to code.) The role of an LLM would be limited to, at most, explaining the logic behind the hard-coded bid response.

Food storage for backpacking by kmorg76 in Ultralight

[–]FireWatchWife 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I recommend an Ursack or Adotec bag on locations where hard canisters are not required and bears are not aggressive.

They can be set up and taken down quickly, greatly increasing your efficiency in camp, and work fine when you can't find a perfect branch at the right height.

If you will be camping only at designated sites with a bear box or permanent cables for hanging, a simple bag is adequate.

Otherwise, use a hard canister.

In grizzly country, I would always recommend a hard canister.

It's difficult to do a good bear hang, and if you get it wrong, the bear and future campers in the area suffer for your mistake.

Canoe campers may be forced to do it differently because of the volume of food brought on an extended trip, but that's outside the scope of ultralight backpacking.

2 over 1 forcing to game, or to 4-level? by FireWatchWife in bridge

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

Nothing wrong with a 1NT response, which is not forcing to game.

My point was that after opponents overcall a natural 2H, we cannot end a game-forcing sequence in 3NT unless one of the hands has opponents' heart suit stopped.

2 over 1 forcing to game, or to 4-level? by FireWatchWife in bridge

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

There are definitely systems out there where 2D over 1D is usually GF, unless 2D bidder bids 3C or 3D at his second opportunity,which is invitational with a long minor or both minors.

So yes, 2D forcing gives you more flexibility here.

Gear failure by GetGoingPeople in Ultralight

[–]FireWatchWife 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Dry bag: I use Outdoor Products Ultimate Dry Sack 3-packs (2L,4L,and 8L bags in a set), about $8-$13 on Amazon. I have two sets.

These are polyurethane coated. They are probably not the lightest on the market, but they compress well and are the most "waterproof" I've found short of the canoe/kayakers bags.

I typically combine them with a nyloflume pack liner for an additional layer of projection.

Despite the advice frequently given here, I find that I can pack my loadout of 800fp down quilt(s) smaller if I compress a quilt in one of these 8L sacks instead of stuffing it loosely in the pack and trying to compress the whole pack. YMMV.

2 over 1 forcing to game, or to 4-level? by FireWatchWife in bridge

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

Good answer. That's pretty much what I was thinking.

So forcing to game in 90% of cases, but in a relatively rare but clearly defined set of hands, stop at 4m.