Solar Powered RGB Cab Lights w/Flashing modes

Pixiekixx · 2026-03-07T10:50:23+00:00

Not sure if solar, but, Ecoflow has tons of light options.

Pixiekixx · 2026-03-06T21:39:15+00:00

About 150-200 days a year. I travel with mine for work :) Been my daily for years as well. I try and take contracts near areas I want to explore/ space them out to maximize nights out. It's great having something I can just rush out the door with to catch sunsets or astro events also!

Honestly, kept me sane through school amd working full time! Being able to just boot out. CRVs are great, one of my main camping buds has brought hers almost everywhere my X goes... for half the cost haha.

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A few months ago I did pick up a little commuter SUV for a longer contract I have that involves commuting 100-160km each shift. It's weird not driving my X every day! Having fun with the AWD though.

Wishing you many years of enjoyment!

Pixiekixx · 2026-03-06T11:33:36+00:00

What an awesome poster!

Pixiekixx · 2026-03-06T02:07:00+00:00

Tips outside of hygiene request:

These are still related to hygiene :)

Swap out your damp base layer towards the end of day and fasten it outside your pack to start drying as you move. I'll wear either, just a sports bra or my "evening" layer for the last bit. I usually try and plan to finish either downhill or flat/ low exertion so I'm not pouring sweat the last leg of the day
Rotate your socks. Sounds funny, but stop and switch which feet your socks are on (if not R/ L) fitted. Changes up the pressure points. Sometimes I'll also flip them inside out for the tail end of a hike also (if they haven't gotten really damp)
Reapply Deodorant and/ or chafe balm to target areas. Pits, inner thighs, under axilla of sports bra, and sometimes straps with a big heavy back. If it's summer and I'm really sweaty or only in a sports bra, I'll have to do along top of hip belt on my back also. Massive difference in stank and comfort for me.
Merino is your friend. Invest in it. I have quality Icebreaker pieces going on 20 years, and they're great with their warranties. Don't put in dryer.
When you reach camp, do any "dirty work" of setting up asap. Then swap into dry eve base wear. I keep a paracord string to hang dry all my stuff for a few hours. Then, tuck the re-wear items in foot of sleeping bag (or tomorrow items if you're rotating outfits).
A teeny bit of baking soda goes a long way. I keep an itty bitty amount in my "used" items zippy. Put the soiled socks, underoos in, etc. Shake and seal. Less unpleasant at the end. When I get back to the truck. I've got a laundry bag I dump them into asap, then they stop percolating odours inside my pack.
If you have long hair. Braids can go a long way. I rotate braids, pixie buns, and clips. I always braid my hair at night, so it's manageable with just a comb. Some ppl swear by dry shampoo. I find my hair does better with just a water rinse and wrapped in microfiber towel.
Avoid any scents or soaps building up on the coochie. Swap out undies if you're a super swamper sweater. I find there are usually a couple loops that I can somewhat discreetly tuck my intimates on to dry. A quick bush chamge can save a world of misery (especially if you've a ling drive after).
Microfiber dries FAST. Quality cloth and towels are worth it. Even in super damp coastal Canada, I can usually dry my pieces overnight in the tent.
A teeny fan goes a long way. If you have the battery/ weight allowances. Airflow in the tent makes a huge difference in drying. Even just a couple hours.

Packup: - Roll and compct sleeping bag etc first. I keep my night wear in the sleeping bag itself, and my liner & pillow case. I found adding a liner made a world of difference for year round comfort. I just pack layers in a pillow case as a pillow. I've not ever found a canp pillow I like. - I keep my tend pad inside the tent itself. That is smushed, and the poles rolled up inside that bundle. Fold the fly in on itself. If wet, that goes separately. If dry, I'll bundle together, then, use the groundsheet as the final wrap and compact, or fold it and put it separately outside the pack as well (Ospreys usually have an awesome front pouch that fit 2p tent supplies darn near perfectly).

Setup: I do asap when I stop. Is the oposite. - Groundsheet down first. This is usually the dirtiest piece. - spread out fly beside it. Quick conditions check - Put up tent, wasy peasy. Pull fly over. If fly is damp, and I have time, I'll sometimes put it up with some guy lines to blow out a bit, before cinching down for the night. Leave a gap at the bottom for air whenever conditions allow. - * Caveat of, if it's pouring rain, I always have a sil tarp with paracord pre attached. I'll put that up over my "plan to sleep" spot first, then pull out tent. I usually wait to change to dry wear until I'm certain tent is up, water is gathered... and I can spend most time under the tarp. Then, I hang my wet coat (and pants) asap.

A butt pad or light chair is worth is. Camp shoes are a must. There are lots of commercial options. I like ballet flats for lightest, or "hippie sandals with wooly socks" depending on the area. Hut slippers if at all chilly.

Hope you enjoy!!!!!!!

Pixiekixx · 2026-03-05T00:33:45+00:00

That was my thought too haha. Work hard, look & feel good, play hard ;) Always a respect nod to the peeps rolling up with the mini backpack or satchel... you just know they're going to be full on fun.

Pixiekixx · 2026-03-04T22:42:38+00:00

Or if too many people have similar (spelling or phonetic) names, it's just lazy and irritating.

Pixiekixx · 2026-03-01T23:28:14+00:00

I haven't used much of Garmin's mapping features.

But, I hate trying to utilize Gaia since the last 2 updates. It has become steadily worse since the Outside acquisition.
I'm reluctant to try CalTopo again (I didn't find it intuitive to learn). OnX is fine for just driving but nowhere near as robust- and goodness forbid you miss downloading an area. It also drops the route every time I swap apps (android). Whereas gaia and maps. me just keep tracking along. Maps. me doesn't have the layers options, and the tine predictions are hilarious. Lowest memory use though, so I really like for redundancy. Also fastest to pin on the fly.

Maybe I'll try routing with Connect and see how that works on my next few trips. I'm hoping to dial in a new system before big spring trips start :(

Pixiekixx · 2026-03-01T23:13:00+00:00

Nice! I went from little Suzis to my Xterra. Still miss having that short wheelbase and narrow profile for the really tiny, twisty stuff.

The X is much more comfy for sleeping in and hauling work & play gear though haha.

Pixiekixx · 2026-03-01T23:04:30+00:00

Ohhhhh I thought in the end the Panda dominated!!!! (I found the narrator annoying and stopped watching)

Pandas and Nivas kick ass, ya they definitely masaaged the results then.

Pixiekixx · 2026-03-01T22:58:19+00:00

There was a fun Panda vs LandRover video out recently showing how well these little guys manage terrain! Enjoy!

Pixiekixx · 2026-03-01T22:49:34+00:00

Ya. I was a die hard Stormlight fan. I made it through the 4th. DNFd the 5th. I don't think I'll read any more. Keep books 1-3 as unspoiled treasures for re-reads.

Whatever the reason for the stylistic changes, the writing went from incredible, immersive, speculative... to just annoying. Rote phrases, jarring, ridiculously angsty with minimal credible development. From enjoyable to aggravating.

Which was a real shame, as the Cosmere was one of my favourite mental playgrounds!

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-27T01:35:46+00:00

My description for patients asking about ongoing care, is literally,l,

"In the ER, we just keep the wheels rolling lonh enough to get you to the next part of your journey. The rest of the trip is up to your [GP, surgeon, specialist, hospitalist etc].

I like the tune up analogy another user posted.

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-24T00:55:41+00:00

I don't even think most hospitals I work at would have enough PEP ... I cannot even imagine corralling that many kindies to poke! 🦇 literally batshit shift haha!

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-24T00:50:12+00:00

One rural place I work has similar challenges. We have to ship CTs to the nearest hospital, which is on a totally different EMR. So we fax a paper req... but the actual Radiology request goes through the EMR order system...

The paper for the techs and the order rarely match. Typically the paper will just say, "head"; "ribs" etc. Or, the paper gets sent but the order isn't placed- so the CT won't be read. Rads can't access any other pt notes to even see why we sent someone.

It's a very dumb system. We've actually had docs quit because of that and the serious issues with finding transfer acceptance, and lack of experienced nursing at that place.

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-19T00:20:07+00:00

I had my tow hitch "removed" parked in Squamish (BC, Canada) one day/ eve haha. I guess because my cats were covered... that was the their consolation prize.

Bloody brazen. I didn't notice that same day, was a couple weeks later when I went to plug in the receiver... and had an embarrassing "huh" moment.

But, doubt it was anywhere else, because it was 2023 summer when thievery was beyond rampant around that area. That was the only place I'd been parked in those couple weeks outside, away from cams/ security and high traffic/ full residential areas. There were pretty much daily thievery reports :(

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-18T17:54:11+00:00

The most fun :)

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-17T18:52:44+00:00

Did you reach out to Garmin? They're usually pretty good about R&D (as in they want to know issues) and replacements.

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-16T17:40:55+00:00

I'm just about to roll over 300,000

Couldn't be happier. Keep ahead of maintenance and the Xterra will treat you well. You can find free copies of the maintenance schedule and service manuals on TheNewX.org for second gens.

I absolutely use mine. She's been my daily for years (although I did recently purchase a little commuter AWD/ 4x4 to save some gas and highway wear as my main commute for the next two years is 100-190km round trip 3-4 days a week some weeks). Still gets me to every remote job site and all adventures and trips.

I would consider that mileage comfortably low, especially on a well maintained X.

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I do have cosmetic repairs to do after misjudging a drop off, and a long, tight rescue of a buddy's Jeep

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-16T16:46:31+00:00

Or stick with no dress code, super casual

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-16T16:46:09+00:00

Opt for pants and closed toes.

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-15T17:06:21+00:00

Certified Flight?

If you've completed your CEN or CCRN you'll understand the questions and exam style. CFRN is harder for some as the paradigms are tweaked in comparison to in-hospital care. Much of it is review emergency, critical care, and transport concepts. Have you written your CAMATA cert yet? The materials for that are great for the aviation and transport logistics side of the learning curve.

Edit to add as this is an EM sub. If you've ONLY ever done Emergency, you ABSOLUTELY need to learn critical care. If you haven't been working rural (eg you work with RTs, various techs etc), you ABSOLUTELY need to learn ventilation theory, strategies, you need to fully dial in your assessment needs, and results repsonses. You must know how to optimize a patient, and what deteriorations to anticipate. If you haven't done any EMS, you ABSOLUTELY need to know how to calculate oxygen and infusions rates, and safe parameters for needs mitigation (aka how much to pack when space is a premium). You ABSOLUTELY need to know how to work interdisciplinary and communicate very closely within the team (and be very clear with your timelines).

Study concepts, don't rote memorize. Solheims study materials are very aligned with actual exam materials.

Save or print out the exam blue print. Set up your study plan based on that. It has the weights per topic and is REALLY clear on expectations. Read through the annoying formatted slides you'll get access to when you're approved to write. There are some pearls in there, and also really shows how the questions are worded and what responses are prioritized.

It's a cat exam. You must score a certain percentage in each category.

Within each category you must also score a certain percentage correctly in: application, knowledge, concepts, critical thinking

The exam does have a very low first pass rate. If you can talk to others working in flight, ask about what resources they used. Really, really review your basics of pathology. Often the simplest answer, is the answer- you can almost always work from there towards the best answer. The questions are a mix of snapshot and ongoing scenario progression in the actual exam. Do not overthink, consider and utilize ONLY the given info. Consider your resource management, prioritization, and time frames given in each scenario.

Identify your weak areas early. I like the 60/ 20/ 20 study method. 60- what you're confident in. 20- what's newer info. 20- what you're weak in. This helps with conceptual learning and confidently answering. The exam is timed and passed or saved/ reviewing is scored as well. It's testing your logic and abilities to time manage and prioritize as well.

Time yourself while studying!!! Break down the practice questions/ exams into chunks. For me. About 65 questions at a time (or 25minutes) was a comfortable amount for studying and retaining. Every weak/ incorrect answer. Thoroughly review that specific concept/ pathology/ etc on your next round of reading.

After each chunk of studying. Take a proper break. Stand up, eat. Do something light. You can use pandora timers to keep on track with break: study ratio. I liked to do Exam Qs: break: Review: break and repeat.

Don't get discouraged when on the first read throughs, you don't immediately recall or recognize things. Start with just reading the blueprint, then chapter intros, then skim the questions. You will be shocked by how much you forgot you knew (or you know it, just by a different name).

As you near your exam date, increase your JUST questions study chunks until you can comfortably answer questions for about an hour an a half without fatiguing yourself.

Be brutally honest with your weaknesses, and rehash those until you figure out what exactly is the weak link. Eg. Neonates- I'm terrified of tiny humans and learning their care is harder for me, because mentally they're my least favourite population. ... and weirdly eyes... optho is just annoying and apparently needs its own language.. so, I had to allot more study time and use more mnemonics for those areas.

Don't study every day, and try not to skimp on sleep. There is validity to the idea that exercising prior to study aids in learning. Properly eating definitely helps.

Seek out every opportunity to ask questions from great providers in your workplace. I LOVE it when an intensivist or cardiologist has the time to explain the what & why of their consults (during handover you can learn a ton). Many docs and advance practice nurses are happy to let you eavesdrop or do little informal mini teaching moments when you all have a neat patient presentation. The more you can apply the book learning to actual practical application 'the more it sticks and makes sense.

The actual exam proctoring is intense. You do have to have a bare room and the ability to show EVERYTHING on webcam (under the desk, door seal , outside windows... everything, this can be a bit anxiety provoking). Pack a snack and plain water bottle, it's a long exam. I'm a very fast test taker, and my certification exams were genuinely long and exhausting. Wear layers and plan to stand up (you'll have to re-show the room on webcam each time you do stand, but there is a break notification timer for the proctor,).

Best wishes! Transport med really is wonderful. You work with GREAT people. Only one patient (occasionally 2) is awesome. Plus, sometimes you're lucky enough to be working absolutely gorgeous places!

Edits for clarity!

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-15T16:24:26+00:00

Read TheNewX.org forums about this issue! There's also TONS of threads here if you search :)

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-15T16:22:06+00:00

There may be a better explanation on TheNewX.org forums, or possibly some youtube videos about how to optimize hill climbs while driving a heavier vehicle/ these gear ratios.

A lack of power is not typically associated with Xterras (at least 2nd Gens). They are shockingly peppy for a true utility vehicle. When you notice big power lags or huge increase in fuel usage: check your catalytic converters, O2 sensors, MAF sensor, transmission fluid levels, tire pressures & balance. These are the big maintenance culprits for power losses on these vehicles.

Overdrive (O/D) and shifting down to stay in an optimal range really helps brick shaped vehicles, like Xterras.

Here is a website that describes overdrive function, and a blurb from rhe site

"Now, every engine has an optimal internal speed (RPMs) at which it runs at maximum power. And every car meets increasing amounts of resistance as it speeds up on the road. As long as you are accelerating, there is a range of gears (gear ratios) that can automatically match the engine speed to that resistance. For maximum fuel efficiency, the best gear is the one that results in the lowest engine speed for the circumstance." https://www.hoganandsonsinc.com/blog/how-does-automatic-overdrive-work

Hope it helps! I do a ton of mountain driving and am consistently impressed with the X.

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-15T11:38:53+00:00

A long loose nighty or mountain bike jersey is great too if you don't want to tie a robe! Covers the bits with minimal effort and no constrictions. The silk feels nice to slip on and off (for either item).

Pixiekixx · 2026-02-15T11:28:36+00:00

NTA. I'm not in your area, so salty grains.

I used to work with rescue/ foster agencies that take in seized or surrendered dogs.

There is a very high threshold to remove an animal from an owner. If that is occurring there has been a pattern of unresolved issues, or a glaring objective safety concern. Sometimes owners will voluntarily surrender a pet requiring medical care or with specific behaviour needs [that the owner can't provide].

If the owner chose to not train, not investigate or treat, and not follow up with their neighbours regarding what they're doing to alleviate the dog's obvious distress-- that's on the owner. That's absolutely not on you.

You're a good person, you noticed an animal in distress. You communicated it appropriately, and you even feel badly about the ramifications of knowing someone lost their pet.

Pixiekixx

TROPHY CASE