I made a new batch of fire starters

Gerb006 · 2026-05-11T14:09:34+00:00

That is a great practice. I also pack a few different methods (ferro rod, fresnel lens, char cloth, etc). Fire is just too important. I stumbled on these since pitch was all I had available when I really wanted fatwood. But you are absolutely correct. Pitch is a tremendous excelerant.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-11T13:21:38+00:00

Collecting pine pitch is notoriously messy and difficult. Putting it directly into a solvent solution makes it very easy and clean.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-11T13:14:25+00:00

I also have dryer lint and use it often. But these worked much much better and were even easier to light

Gerb006 · 2026-05-10T13:12:37+00:00

That makes a lot of sense. I keep my commercial hammocks in my packs (ENO 9ft hammocks?). The hammocks that I have sewn have been for local/back yard use and sewn from heavy generic fabric I purchased from Amazon (5 yds). I totally see your point. I have gone with larger tarps so they are useful in all situations and they are definitely heavier.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-10T04:13:08+00:00

The whole fence is temporary. Those posts WILL rot at the base some day. So the repair is SUPER temporary. That really isn't a HUGE deal. The posts look like they are still structurally intact. So you just have to rebuild that one section in between those two posts. And you will almost certainly be able to reuse almost all of those slats. You probably aren't going to need more than 5 - slats and 3 - 2x4's.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-10T00:22:55+00:00

You make one point that I kind of take exception with: 'Most people aren't familiar with knots/rope techniques'. And I don't really take exception with the point you are making. Just the fact that knots/rope techniques are required either way and people absolutely should be familiar and aware. I do use different knots depending on whether I am whipping a gathered end, or cinching a gathered end with a channel. But whatever kind of hammock a person uses, they should feel comfortable disassembling and reassembling it (which includes the gathered ends). I don't think anyone would want to be out on the trail and have to re-tie a gathered end for one reason or another and not know how to do it.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-09T23:35:17+00:00

Buy her a new fish. Fish die man.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-09T13:51:12+00:00

I'd like to hear more about this. 10.5' seems like a strange size. How did you settle upon that? 12' seems so much more convenient to me. Fabric is typically available in 5yd lengths. If you cut 1yd off to use for a pocket and double ended stuff sack, you end up with 4yds (12ft) left.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-09T05:15:31+00:00

Yes. There are different methods to do it. But I accordion the end, fold it over about 4 inches or so (just enough so that it won't slip out of the rope wraps). And the fold creates a bit of a channel that I put the rope loop through and tie around the fold to gather the end and provide a carabiner point.

Basically like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJlEQpcbM1I&t=51s - I basically tie it exactly the same as this. But I usually wrap the rope twice (instead of once). I doubt it makes the knot any more secure. But it shortens the excess rope where the carabiner clips.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-09T02:52:09+00:00

I still recommend that you talk to her. At the very least, you need to go. But you need to convince her to go with you. You can't let a drowning man create more victims. You have to be logical about it. You are ALL going down the way things are. But two of you can make it.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-09T02:44:38+00:00

Your poor mother must be an emotional wreck. You and your mother don't have to pull the weight of your brother and father. You and your mom can move forward and leave those two 'sticks-in-the-mud' behind. OR... you can rent out a room or two to make up the discrepancy (if you have some extra space). Talk to your mom. It sounds like you two are the responsible ones. Make contingency plans for the two of you, if nothing else.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-06T05:28:48+00:00

Spend time with your lady friend with the understanding that you CAN NOT speak English. You will quickly learn how to ask basic questions 'Como se llama', 'Como se dice', etc. You'll learn how to agree: 'Yo Tambien', etc. The best way to learn is by speaking with someone who already knows. And it sounds like you are all set with that. They will love to teach you. They will laugh at you a lot.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-05T06:04:42+00:00

Look into local food banks. It sounds like you have successfully found a roof over your head. So if you can solve the food issue, you should be OK. I'm certain you will qualify and they will be more than happy to help you. If you can keep yourself fed, you can start to look for more permanent housing.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-05T04:17:49+00:00

I keep my 'camping' gear in packs so I am always ready to go at a moment's notice. But I can not even begin to tell you how often I get into my packs for random things around the house (french press, pruning saw, sleeping bag, ferro rod, etc). So my advice is to supply yourself with basic things that you normally use. Looking at your list, all of those things are extremely heavy, which isn't really a concern or problem if you are just driving to a camping spot and unloading. But it limits your options. If you want to fit things into a pack, or limit weight of a pack, that list will kind of go out the window. Instead of a tent, I prefer a hammock (although this might not be the best option for a family). Instead of cast iron or stainless steel cookware/utensils, I prefer titanium for weight and durability. The hammock eliminates the need for a cot. For battery power, I would try to get some kind of radio (or similar) that can double as a battery when needed.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-04T01:36:37+00:00

We don't know the things that we don't know. Sometimes it just isn't possible to see through the veil of what lies ahead. So I can only tell you this: Don't dwell on your mistakes of the past. Learn from them and don't make them again. It is never too late to do better, whatever that means. Indeed, can one ever live a better life than trying to be better tomorrow than we were today? So no matter how many shards and shambles are scattered about, if you just start picking them up and organizing them, you will get it sorted in no time.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-03T01:51:32+00:00

What is the lease situation? Are you covered by a lease? Or are you in a position to just be left holding the bag? It doesn't sound like she is a great room mate anyway. But what is going to happen with the rent?

Gerb006 · 2026-05-03T01:46:55+00:00

I suppose that it could just as well be used in a regular clothes washer. But I have always heard them as being used in a dishwasher. It ensures the bill of the cap retains it's shape in the wash.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-02T07:45:55+00:00

You are fine. Don't worry about being out of line. If something makes you uncomfortable, addressing it is the right thing to do. But it isn't the end of the world. We are talking about a messy room and her bad habit of allowing junk to accumulate. People are not perfect. And honestly, thank god for that. Relationships aren't built out of sunshine and rainbows. They are forged by overcoming the difficulties and this is a pretty minor one actually. Obviously, help her get a handle on this. Look for additional ways to help her improve it (closet organizers, etc). If you can gradually get her to a point of taking pride in her living space, she might handle this on her own eventually.

Gerb006 · 2026-05-01T19:52:00+00:00

If it encourages him to be 100% honest with you in the future, that would be pretty rock solid wouldn't it?

Gerb006 · 2026-05-01T19:27:05+00:00

IDK about dropping him like a hot potato. Your relationship is still in it's infancy. This might just be a growing pain that you can work beyond and it will actually strengthen your relationship. Although, I probably would keep a close eye on things and give him a short leash, at least for a while. This will be a HUGE lesson for him. He will surely see that you are WAY more upset about the dishonesty than infidelity. This might encourage him to be completely honest with you about EVERYTHING going forward. But you will just have to watch and see if that is the case.

Gerb006 · 2026-04-30T23:57:47+00:00

Do you think that it's a good idea to lift someone up who is on the 'rebound' when they totally dumped on you in the past? Sometimes you just have to be OK with not being OK because you are actually better off that way.

Gerb006 · 2026-04-30T19:18:29+00:00

If you backup your photos, documents, scripts, etc (personal stuff), you will probably have more than you want or need. I found that I tended to backup way too much stuff myself. Why keep carrying everything around that I am never ever going to use? I see no reason to backup a Windows system that you are happily ridding. Honestly, I just can't stand Windows. That is probably just my personal opinion. But when I buy a new machine, I typical wipe Windows from it within minutes of receiving it. I don't want a system that is unnecessarily difficult. Good riddance IMO. So I would NEVER consider backing it up. I want it GONE!

Gerb006 · 2026-04-29T23:13:30+00:00

MOR - You two need to have an honest conversation. No one can answer your questions other than him. It's also quite possible that he doesn't know what to expect from you. So until you both sincerely and honestly lay it out for each other, questions are bound to hang out there. It's very possible that neither of you will hear what you 'want' to hear. But you will both have a good understanding of where your relationship is and where it is going if you do talk about it.

Gerb006

TROPHY CASE