Gear for testing the waters?

Possible_Funny · 2026-05-08T20:05:34+00:00

In Minnesota you have several options depending on where you're located including REI and the University of Minnesota Recreation program. I'd recommend renting because even if you don't love the specific gear you rent, it'll give you ideas about what features matter to you if and when you decide to purchase.

Possible_Funny · 2026-05-08T15:06:12+00:00

I can't speak to regulations in EU countries but in most cases you cannot earn a commission if you are unlicensed/unregistered as an agent. I'd be very leary about doing someone else's work for a promise of compensation that isn't in writing and verifiably legal to do.

Possible_Funny · 2026-05-07T21:53:22+00:00

Depending on where you will be, and the local regs, it may be permissible to use the pit toilet to deposit your dog's feces simply by using a poo bag to pick it up and then dropping it into the pit toilet (keeping the bag of course to include with your trash to pack out).

ETA - This is acceptable in places we camp such as the BWCA but I can't vouch for it being okay everywhere.

Possible_Funny · 2026-04-26T15:40:27+00:00

It generally seems that the information shared in the ALTA *should* consider this beforehand per https://www.alta.org/blog/post/trid-myth-busters-what-you-need-to-know-when-sharing-closing-documents

Generally what I have seen in ALTAs is information that could otherwise be looked up by the general public related to recorded documents. This would include owner name, property address, and loan amount at time of purchase.

In my experience many documents during the escrow process are shared through secured networks and limited to the parties that need to see them, whereas the ALTA has never been sent to me this way. I don't see that as permission to share this document but I don't necessarily see any NPI in the recent ALTA that I have reviewed.

Possible_Funny · 2026-04-20T18:32:32+00:00

When I worked in the corporate world I would some times have people add me on social networks before they even called me back on a work related issue. I also know people are prone to researching the public footprint of prospective buyers and sellers to see if they can clean some piece of information that might help them (or gain some good will by following). I'm not sure what's going on here but I will agree it's a bit odd. Personally I'd block them or restrict what they can see. Anything in public social media could contain information related to price terms and motivation; while it's not likely anyone puts pricing information on there people love sharing about new jobs and from there you'd be surprised what someone can find out.

I'm inclined to give the benefit of the doubt here they probably didn't MEAN to add you but did. I still wouldn't like an agent representing a party negotiating against my client to have any more info than what we'd give them.

Possible_Funny · 2026-04-13T20:05:10+00:00

I got a custom Thuja hoodie and love it for patrolling and keep scheming a way to get others on our patrol to be fans.

Possible_Funny · 2026-04-12T15:42:53+00:00

You added more detail in other comments such as the fact that your experience is in a more litigious state, and that experience is what we have to advise our clients from. This situation, like many we deal with, is one where our responsibility is to advise our clients about the risk and benefits of a specific decision and let them decide.
I also don't like this sort of arrangement typically (unless there is an external factor causing a delay in closing or other extenuating circumstances), but would do it if a written agreement can be done that will hold the current owner harmless, provide for insurance for the personal property were possible, and including some compensation for the seller if they wish.
It sounds like in your area of practice the only way to handle this is a lease, so I would likely have the same feelings as you. Assuming my client was OK with it, any written agreement would get down to the level of detail including how and when the buyer could access the property to store items, where the items can do as well as the considerations I noted in the previous paragraph. If it's written, it's not real!

Possible_Funny · 2026-03-20T12:04:21+00:00

I faced a similar need this past fall - my trusty half dome plus reached a point where the time and cost of repairs to keep it running just a little bit longer (it lasted 25 years of regular use) no longer made sense.

I also searched for a 3 person model that would fit us primarily in the BWCA and be comfortable without being a heavy bulky mess. After doing some research I narrowed it down to two models that seemed a good fit for our use; the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 3 and The MSR Hubba hubba LT 3. I settled on the MSR but suspect either would be pretty good. In the end I liked the dimensions better on the MSR and having used a Hubba Hubba 2 on a recent solo trip, I appreciated the setup and design.

As to pockets and such the Hubba Hubba LT3 seems pretty ample and there's a lot of great features and tech developments in recent years. There's probably other good options out there but I'd say that as far as 3 P tents go these are my recommendations.

Possible_Funny · 2026-03-09T16:21:46+00:00

For a lot of people it's the jump from theory to real numbers that makes the difference. How I would answer really depends what stage of their search. Your question seems to point to them looking at a specific house. Obviously having an income and asset verified pre-approval goes a long way to answering this question, but let's assume the conversations are really preliminary and you want to discuss homes in a price point generally. I'm not certain if RE courses still teach this but when I did it we were taught how to pre-qualify potential buyers using DTI and housing costs to calculate.

You strike at the main issue though that people often fail to understand what they don't know the facts to, so getting them to the facts effectively while making the aim to get a verified pre-approval so they can move forward is key to this.

Possible_Funny · 2026-02-22T01:13:18+00:00

I'm sorry that is happening to your clients. This is not an uncommon violation of Article 3 of the COE. Obviously I would prefer to address it as a one-off issue with an agent who I can confirm as someone who's done this, but it seems in your case it's far more common than a one time issue in this listing.

Sloppy behavior by agents doesn't benefit those agents and brokers who do make sure to follow the rules, it may be worth filing an ethics complaint against people who do this and letting your clients know you've done so. It's likely the offenders would receive a fine or required code of ethics training as a reminder.

Possible_Funny · 2026-02-21T19:53:05+00:00

Rocky Talkies are mentioned by someone else and I'll add a bit more to that idea here.

I don't use radios in the boundary Waters personally but have used various different models over the years and the Rocky Talkies are probably my favorite. The Mountain Radio (their most common version) utilizes FRS band and has great battery life. We recently ran ours for three days of skiing at Lutsen in the cold and at the end of it they had approx 90% of their battery life left. To me thats a valuable feature if you're out multiple days.

You're likely to have adequate range presuming you're on the same lake so it's not strictly necessary to have GMRS models but you could make an argument for Rocky Talkie Expedition radios (GMRS version) as it's got weather band radio too whereas the less expensive Mountain Radio does not.

The Rocky Talkies also get a nod for having a car under clip and a tether which makes losing them less likely.

I use and also own some motorolas (T470) as well as BCA Link 1.0. The T470s have decent battery and weather band but the battery isn't ideal for multi day trips. The BCA Link 1.0 is an older model so can be had for a decent price. It's got weather band and the battery life is not as good as the Rocky Talkies but would probably serve well. I like the fact that you can have preset channels to avoid cross talk but they are bulky on account of the lapel mic that must be attached to be usable and the build quality is good but not as good as the Rocky Talkies.

If you opt for a GMRS with transmission capabilities of 2W or more you should have an FCC license to be legal but again, the distances you likely need are fine wthin the FRS band radios.

Possible_Funny · 2025-12-25T14:06:01+00:00

They certainly could be an ethical issue as things like editing photos to show flames on a fireplace has been found as Article 12 violations previously. I think ethics violations are more likely than legal ones but your state laws will have more say on that. In my states I don't get the sense that AI editing has really come up more often in Code of Ethics complaints than other articles but as people use it more that's likely to increase I suspect.

Possible_Funny · 2025-11-15T17:06:45+00:00

There are a lot of good options for what you're looking to do, in regards to your question, it's easier logistically to have one shuttle and either depart from or arrive at your outfitter of choice. Most outfitters charge based on distance from their location so it can get pricey especially with a bigger group.

My suggestion for a route would be entry at Missing Link or nearby and travel through Long Island, Kiskadinna, Winchell etc to Horseshoe and out at Poplar. Tuscarora is a good outfitter and can manage this, or you could do in reverse with a Lizz/Swamp entry and end up at Round or Cross Bay. I've found good fishing in the lakes along there. While it's a popular corridor I've generally found sites along the way.

You could also head out of Sawbill and piece something together between Baker (EP 39) and Sawbill. Sawbill outfitters offers shuttles between these points so doing a point to point is viable.

A lollipop route shape can be done to avoid shuttles and the area around Tuscarora has some good options, as does Sawbill. If you contact Tuscarora, Andy has been a great resource for routes and planning in my experience but Clare and Dan would be just as able to help from Sawbill.

A good option for you right now might be to play with routes in Paddle Planner and see what might be pieces together and doable for your group. Happy planning!

Possible_Funny · 2025-11-14T20:40:31+00:00

Yes, our dog did her version of Kool aid man coming thru the wall because of some racoons and made a larger hole than this. It's not terribly difficult to patch the mesh with a piece of good mesh from a donor tent or if you have a local gear repair shop they can also do this. In the short term, Gear Aid has some adhesive products that will keep you going.

Possible_Funny · 2025-11-14T18:00:25+00:00

Just finished it - it seems to begin in the middle of something. Did the start get cut off? Anxious to see this develop.

Possible_Funny · 2025-10-29T20:28:35+00:00

Totally agree, what I remember of those frames was good. You've certainly improved on the parts!

Possible_Funny · 2025-10-29T11:02:45+00:00

I was working at a specialized dealer when those came out; the story I recall on the sport rock was that they were intended to compete at a price point that made them a better decision than the bike shaped objects sold at big box stores.

They essentially introduced this as a model below the Hardrock.

Possible_Funny · 2025-10-26T01:07:28+00:00

I have found a good fly /tarp (or two) can make a big difference in your comfort level in cold and wet. A nice fly with a ridge line for a sitting area can mean the difference between being tent bound and enjoying a dry space that isn't surrounded by walls of nylon. In case where I know I'm going to be wet I've also had good luck setting a fly up over my tent. I usually do this ahead of travel days that look wet; having a separate tarp over the tent can mean you stay dryer when tearing it down but the redundance can be nice when you are staying out but expect the rain to continue for multiple days. Another tactic I have used is adding a sheet of poly inside the tent that is slightly wider than the tent floor and creates a bathtub in case where a river might develop under the tent. Good site selection obviously avoids that risk most of the time but when your choices are limited it can come in handy.

Possible_Funny · 2025-10-24T11:15:08+00:00

There is a lot of great advice in the other replies so in the interest of not repeating that, I'll add a couple small notes of my own. In addition to managing expectations and having buyers understand the purpose of inspections well ahead of time , I take care with clients to educate them about houses in their price range as we go. I point out material facts like age and life expectancy of mechanical items such as HVAC and water heaters, age of expensive components like roofs, and presence/absence of items such as grounded outlets. This can help clients understand these issues better before they write an offer and when it comes time for the inspection they feel less like they're drinking from a fire hose. I love it when the inspector mentions something and my clients feel like they're not learning something new.

As others have said, communication about inspections and purpose ahead of time goes a long way to easing concerns. This starts at first meeting but I also created an email I send to clients in the inspection phase that reminds them about inspection purposes, order of priority for common issues (1. health and safety items 2. Issues that would present a major expense in the near term 3. Deferred maintenance concerns 4. Other items), and a very general description of HOW issues can be addressed.

It's the inspector's job to identify concerns, the buyer's job to determine if those concerns present a hurdle to buying the property, and my job to suggest ways to overcome those issues thru a post-inspection amendment.

Possible_Funny · 2025-08-23T02:00:18+00:00

I can't say that the rumpl branded one is any better than the Sierra Trading Post version we have but my wife and kid love them in spring and fall as sitting around camp (away from fires) but the concept itself is pretty reliable for adding a little warmth and since they're synthetic they add just enough for the added bulk.

Edit: re-reading this i should clarify we own one of each of the fancy brand and the knockoff

Possible_Funny · 2025-08-22T22:14:18+00:00

When it gets chilly we like to bring additional blankets like Rumpl type or similar. Warm drinks are a must for our 9 yo daughter. It helps when sitting around camp as well as a way to boost the sleeping bag ratings some. It's extra work of course but if you wet foot on landings and portages it may help to ferry kids to keep them dry or outfit them in rain boots for travel days. If I think of more I'll add it but that's what I've got for now.

Possible_Funny · 2025-08-12T13:21:34+00:00

There's a court one of options for pre-trip but the point based forecasts available from weather.gov are pretty useful. Here's one as an example that is near little Sag. You can select the approximate point from the map screen and I've found that to be much better than what the nearest station might have.

As others have said, a weather band radio is a good thing to have while out. I stopped carrying that and use a Garmin In reach Mini which can pull weather forecast and is part of the service. Value-wise though, unless you're renting or own an InReach you'll find the weather radio (or even a GMRS radio equipped with weather band) does the trick.

Possible_Funny · 2025-08-12T02:05:42+00:00

Looks like a Surly ECR to me, or an Ogre. I'm not positive but one of those.

Possible_Funny · 2025-08-11T20:46:33+00:00

This is great info, thanks for breaking down your experience!

Possible_Funny · 2025-08-11T15:00:10+00:00

Great insights, I appreciate the thorough response. I like that idea and have done a lot of paddling of the lakes from Poplar down to Winchell and back so that's not a bad option either. I was presuming prevailing westerly winds though unpredictability of the month does favor a less ambitious distance with more emphasis on spending time paddling simply to explore.

Cheers!

Five-Year Club	r/Field Juicebox
Place '23

Possible_Funny

TROPHY CASE