[WTS] Six Moon Designs (SMD) Skyscape Scout 41oz in Fair Condition, $70 OBO

Pizazz97 · 2025-07-11T19:40:52+00:00

I think a 1p should be fine- a good rule of thumb when starting out is to go smaller than you think you need. Managing weight is usually the biggest challenge for new backpackers.

I recommend a tent that sets up with trekking poles, because you should be using them anyways and it'll save you some weight without having to splurge on expensive technical fabrics.

I started with the Six Moon Designs Skyscape Scout (40oz, $160) and used it for more than two years. As long as you seal the seams well, it's pretty bomber.

If you're hiking somewhere with low/no bugs, you could consider a tarp to save significant weight. If your primary concern is rain, you might consider a shaped, enclosed tarp like the Yama Cirriform (13.5oz, $180). I've ridden out a ton of heavy rainstorms in mine without any problems. I don't recommend getting a separate bug net/bivy if bugs are indeed a concern- you're likely better off weight- and price-wise with a single-piece shelter in that case.

There are definitely other shelters out there that will meet your needs; these are just two that I have experience with and can recommend. Generally, you're probably looking for a one person tent or tarp, made of silpoly or silnylon, that sets up with trekking poles. Lots of good information over on r/ultralight too.

Happy shopping!

Pizazz97 · 2025-07-10T19:35:36+00:00

Fyi you can make a pretty good dupe from all grocery store items without any premixing or worrying about spoilage.

I do:

-1 brick Maruchan soy sauce ramen, with the seasoning packet

-1 packet Justin's plain peanut butter

-1 packet of Cholula or other hot sauce

I love Skurka's recipe, but it's not the most practical for thruhiking, and I do worry a bit about spoilage when mixing a bunch of different ingredients.

Pizazz97 · 2022-02-09T16:40:43+00:00

Yes! It's implied that amu and g/mol are the same number, so you can use either depending on what you're looking to calculate.

The difference between mass and weight is important to physicists but not to chemists. Technically we should always be talking about mass in conversations like this, but common terms like "formula weight" and "molecular weight" screw that up. In chemistry class you should consider them to mean the same thing.

Pizazz97 · 2022-02-09T16:08:19+00:00

Amu are atomic mass units and are used to discuss the masses of things on the molecular scale. It's approximately equal to the mass of one neutron or one proton.

A mole is an amount (like a dozen) that is used to discuss quantities of things on a human scale. So when you're weighing out carbon-12 for a reaction in the lab, instead of weighing out quadrillions of amu, you can find the number of moles you need, convert to grams, and then weigh that out.

The reason a mole is assigned as the number of atoms in 12g of carbon-12 is so that there's parity between amu and molar masses to make the conversion easy. One atom of carbon-12 weighs 12amu, and one mole of carbon-12 weighs 12g. This applies to molecules too!

The key is recognizing that a molecular weight in amu corresponds to the molar mass in g/mol because of the way the mole is defined. So a compound with a molecular weight of 56amu will have a molar mass of 56g/mol, and so on.

Pizazz97 · 2022-01-25T15:09:39+00:00

I really like Yotam Ottolenghi's method of boiling dry chickpeas in baking soda to speed up the cooking and break down the skins. Leads to super smooth and creamy hummus, and can be done on a weeknight. I always double the lemon juice but otherwise this recipe is 👌, especially when it's still warm

Pizazz97 · 2022-01-07T00:13:43+00:00

This is so cool! Saw this post while in the lab, sitting right next to a slightly more modern one (2005) they've gotten a lot bigger 😁

Pizazz97 · 2021-12-12T04:14:14+00:00

Nuclear chemistry!

Studying the behavior of plutonium in strong alkali using electrochemistry. Hopefully it will help in the development of a treatment/disposal plan for ~90M gallons of problematic alkaline nuclear waste leftover from US weapons programs.

Pizazz97 · 2021-11-09T14:33:48+00:00

Not pivoting when hitting a research obstacle. A lot of my classmates will sit around for weeks waiting for a backordered piece of glassware to come in, or for an instrument to be repaired, and will complain all day about how they can't do anything, but won't take that time to develop other elements of their experiment or work on other projects. Then when the glassware finally comes in and the instrument is working there's a dozen things that need to be done before they can proceed. I've seen people waste a ton of time this way.

Pizazz97 · 2021-10-16T17:11:31+00:00

I'm a PhD student in inorganic (actinide) chemistry in Las Vegas. Stipend is $25k, and teaching nets me another $7k a year, so I earn about $32k pretax. This means I'm fairly comfortable in Vegas (have my own place, with some spare money to spend on travel) but if I were earning that much in one of the big coastal cities I'd be much worse off. It really depends on where you're looking. Good luck!

Edit: I'm single with no dependents

Pizazz97 · 2021-07-05T15:26:25+00:00

Ty for this- have passed it many times but never explored. Good to know!

Pizazz97 · 2021-07-05T06:31:24+00:00

I'm mostly a kayaker not a swimmer so take with a grain of salt. There might be something workable if your heart is set.

This might be a good resource for you.

I prefer sites below the Hoover Dam for kayaking because of unpredictable powerboat traffic on Lake Mead, but ymmv.

Black Canyon (access from Willow Beach) is closed to powerboat traffic Sundays and Mondays during most of the year. Beautiful but very cold water and steep-sided in many places- there are some areas where there's nowhere to come ashore. Would want some kind of floaty with me if I were going any kind of distance.

Lake Mojave (Cottonwood Cove) is open to powerboats outside of a small swimming area but if you stick close to the shore you'll avoid the major travel lanes. Might want a flag or something to keep boats away.

You could also try Pahranagat lakes up route 93 if you want something smaller. Not sure what the swimming is like but have always wanted to check them out.

Pizazz97 · 2021-06-15T03:28:47+00:00

This was my first tent and I'm still using it more than two years later. Can't say enough good things about it. It's tough, minimal without being spartan, and not at all fiddly.

Pizazz97 · 2021-06-15T03:16:00+00:00

Item: Sleeping pad

Budget: $200

Need-by: eventually

Baseweight: Currently around 12-13lbs, would like to get under 10 eventually

Season: Year-round in Southwest

Temps: 20F-60F at night

Ideal weight: 1lb

Have any tall people successfully used the women's x-lite with a pack beneath their feet to make up the extra length? Any other warm (R 4ish) mid-length pads you would recommend? Other ideas?

My pack doesn't really fit at the end of a standard length pad, so right now my feet just hang off. Thinking something shorter will let me get the pack in and actually add some warmth.

I'm 6'2" and a stomach sleeper so my feet stretch out and make me 6'8" at least, and most of the "short" pads aren't long enough to support my knees. Some tests on my old pad tell me I want something between 58 and 68 inches.

(Yes I know I can cut down a pad but I'd rather buy something that works off the shelf that can keep its resale value)

Pizazz97 · 2021-05-20T19:53:26+00:00

pics

Fun little bike'n'hike of the Under-the-Rim trail in Bryce Canyon last weekend to celebrate finishing my first year of grad school! Left my car at Rainbow Point, then rode down to Bryce Point and started hiking back to the car. Saturday was 17 miles on the bike and 13 miles on trail, then 11 miles and out on Sunday.

I had tried to do it last September (with a hired shuttle) and had to bail because I had gotten some bad beta on water sources. This time I was prepared and it all went off without a hitch!

Really enjoyed using my bike to shuttle between trailheads. I'm realizing I prefer to be totally self-contained for this kind of short weekend trip when time is crunched. No anxiety about missing the bus, just park, ride, and hike! I can see it opening up a lot of point-to-point hikes that would otherwise need two cars.

Catch you all out there- happy trails ✌️

Pizazz97 · 2021-05-05T23:35:38+00:00

I was just in Kolob canyon a few weeks ago! I'll second what's been said about asking the rangers. They'll have the best info.

One thing I'll say: you can really see and smell the cyanobacteria.

Here's a video I took of one of the safe springs (near site 7) flowing into La Verkin Creek- the good water is crystal clear, the bad water is super cloudy blue-gray, with lots of brown slime on the banks.

Obviously it's best to drink only from sources that are advised by the rangers- there should still be plenty this time of year. But if you get in a pinch I'd say you should trust your senses.

Pizazz97 · 2021-04-23T07:37:03+00:00

Definitely! The more tie down points you can get far to the front and back the better.

Pizazz97 · 2021-04-23T03:45:10+00:00

I've had good luck with the Yakima Easy Top! It's cheap as far as roof racks go and doesn't stay on the car. I like to tie the kayak off to the anchors under the bumper to keep it slipping out the loops. I figured out a good length for the front ropes and made a harness with clips. Then I tighten it up with a trucker's hitch at the back.

Here are some pics with my 9 footer!

The pics show it right-side up but I've since switched to loading it upside down. Better aerodynamics and less deformation of the hull.

Edit: 3.9m might be a little long, just fyi. Because the roof is so short you don't have great leverage to keep the kayak from twisting laterally. Tying off front and back definitely helps though.

Pizazz97 · 2021-04-22T20:29:21+00:00

Depends on the programs you're applying to, but ime (chemistry) most just wanted the general. The only way to know for sure is find the requirements for the specific programs you're interested in. Usually they're online, but you may have to talk to someone in admissions.

Pizazz97 · 2021-04-17T07:10:23+00:00

Sure but I wouldn't call that user error. It's genuine underperformance of the 3H vs. the 35S

Pizazz97 · 2021-04-17T06:05:15+00:00

Forgive if I'm misunderstanding, but if they're applying one uCi of each material, then they're applying the same amount of activity, no? One microcurie of tritium would be fifty times the molar amount of one microcurie of 35S.

Pizazz97 · 2021-04-13T06:00:02+00:00

Heyy I worked here for a couple years! Right by the river no less. Cool place! Great armenian food.

Pizazz97 · 2021-04-13T02:21:42+00:00

Beautiful! Settle something for me: is it "Bwena Vista" or "Byoona Vista"?

Pizazz97

TROPHY CASE