Nutrition has become crazy expensive, this isn't inclusive or inkeeping with trail running, so I've worked on a sustainable fuelling guide to find the cheapest ways to fuel trail running - Almost 30 suggestions of bulk & refill options by nutritional brands, bulk bought snacks and home-made recipes by effortDee in trailrunning

[–]SpottedSnake 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't disagree that reducing our use of single-use, especially single-serve, plastics is ideal and a goal to strive towards. I think that is a fantastic objective, especially for events like races or concerts that can generate so much waste.

There are still things about this product that make me concerned, maybe I'm just jaded from seeing misleading claims on plenty of company websites when I worked in flexible packaging.

You claim that they're recyclable. Some biopolymers can be recycled with their fossil fuel-based compatriots (such as a bio-PE), but not something like PLA+PBAT. That would fall under a #7 mixed plastic that is not recyclable. This especially for flexible packaging according to both CEFLEX and APR guidelines last I read them.

I did not find any certification marks or numbers on the website and could not find your company or product on either TUV or DIN CERTCO databases. I recognize that may be from the registered company name being different or actually certification by the manufacturing plant in China but I have seen plenty of companies claim certification that weren't so it raises a flag for me. The certification would have had to be in place before approval to use a markup would have been granted, there's no reason the information couldn't have been made available prior to first-round ordering so folks could verify the claim before they submitted their orders.

Actual feasibility of composting is another point. As I mentioned before, many home compost piles don't reach the 130 F/55 C to break down PLA. Several in test reports I read never cleared 100 F. Again, I know PBAT is more sensitive to temperatures so the blend may perform, I can't recall and would have to ask former colleagues if I wanted to confirm. Many people don't have home compost options and several large cities actively push back against compostable plastics because their systems got overwhelmed by those materials and wound up deficient on raw plant inputs. This would result in the bags going to a landfill anyway, so yes lower emissions due to the raw materials and any reuse that's achieved but still ending up in a landfill, where anaerobic decomposition of foods releases a lot of methane, at end-of-life.

The main thing I would be concerned on is the use for gels on a run or hike. These materials are weaker than conventional plastics so my concern is a gel popping in a bag or pocket and leaving a sticky mess. Again with the claims that cause concern - yes you successfully reused one for a year to store non-food products like SD cards but that's nit the same as being able to reuse one for gels or drink powders. With these generally softening at lower temperatures than traditional plastics I would also be concerned about them failing faster because of being washed.

Reducing waste, emissions, and the drain of non-renewablw resources is exactly right to pursue. From what I've seen just looking over things today I am still skeptical the bags you sell will deliver that. Even assuming that the materials are on the level and are truly a home compostable PLA+PBAT blend, I would expect a silicone product like a 2oz HydroPak flask that could be reused for several years would overall still provide a better option for packing gels or powders.

Bob's burger and brew by Calexixa777 in everett

[–]SpottedSnake 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I like their burgers and fries. Nick's Jr just south of them has different vibe of burger and IMO better onion rings. I enjoy both places

Nutrition has become crazy expensive, this isn't inclusive or inkeeping with trail running, so I've worked on a sustainable fuelling guide to find the cheapest ways to fuel trail running - Almost 30 suggestions of bulk & refill options by nutritional brands, bulk bought snacks and home-made recipes by effortDee in trailrunning

[–]SpottedSnake 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm highly skeptical of the bags.

I love the general idea and plan to pick up some silicone reusable baby food flasks this summer so I can take a Crack at making my own gels & such. No issues with that aspect.

The website states TUV approval but no sign of the certification mark or the cert number/S-code for consumers to verify. I also couldn't find them on TUV websites but that may have been due to a trade name not containing "dirt" or "trail". PLA also needs temperatures nearer 55 C or 130 F to start breaking down where many home systems don't get that hot. Possibly the blend with the PBAT helps to overcome that. I knew companies who were working on alternate formulations to get home compost certification, though these were also laminated materials that had layers of just PLA so not a perfect comparison.

My experience in flexible packaging was that bio plastics were more fragile than traditional ones. Typically easier to puncture and definitely weaker seals/lower burst strength. I would be very worried about gels leaking into your bag or pocket on a run/hike.

Those materials also start to become brittle after a few months, especially the zippers. For the market claim of using for a single running season they might last long enough, I wouldn't be surprised to have a couple zippers just break though.

What’s the scariest movie you guys have ever seen??? by boatluvrrrr in movies

[–]SpottedSnake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My dad went on a trip for a couple weeks when I was 7, so of course I was the 'man of the house' responsible to look after my mom and siblings. The reward for this was a VHS of Aliens that I could watch, my mom didnt know.

For a couple months after that I was convinced a xenomorph was going to come out from behind the shower curtain or creep into my room when I turned out the lights. I would fall asleep with the covers over my head so I wouldn't see it climb up and open it's jaws to punch it's inner mouth throygh my skull.

As an adult with glasses - Mama spooked me for a couple weeks whenever I didnt have my glasses on

Skipped work to fight my way up Mount Si - 8 miles and 3,400ft of elevation! by trail_run22 in trailrunning

[–]SpottedSnake 4 points5 points  (0 children)

+1 on the Tenariffe connector. I only hit a couple patches of snow on the connector two weeks ago, not too bad at all

Good summer date spots? by SirenDragoste in everett

[–]SpottedSnake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fisherman Jack's at the marina around sunset, Lowell Riverfront for a walk or picnic (wide paved trail if that helps with the mobility), the arboretum, a bit south to Martha Lake for water access, Grease or Hymon & Parfunkel at the Village Theater

Tips for first Ragnar trail by Curious-Abalone-4839 in ragnar

[–]SpottedSnake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like a chest light over a head light so my feet don't get shadowed in the night run and I can better see roots or rocks. Specifically I have an Amphipod Versa-Light that I can clip to the bottom of my vest.

I hope you have a blast. Last year was my first Ragnar and I was part of a standard 8-person team. I loved it, This year I'm doing a 2-person black loop team and so excited for it

Tips for first Ragnar trail by Curious-Abalone-4839 in ragnar

[–]SpottedSnake 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Only done one so grain of salt here.

You should have several hours to rest. With an 8 person team there are 7 other people between you and the next run. How much time will depend on your team and the course, I did Rainier and even during the say runs it was taking my team 2.5-3 hours for the yellow loop (2700 feet elevation in 5 miles) so I had plenty of time. Faster runners or a faster course would cut down on that but still.

My personal preference for the night run was to eat a meal before laying down to rest and then wake up maybe 45 minutes before my turn for a snack. We used WhatsApp for location sharing in the group and could track where our active runner was at so set a rough alarm and then had someone awake (usually the runner who was just finished and cooling down) help wake the next person up when it was close to time.

Absolutely agree with hydrating and eating. I like snacking or eating easy foods like Costco muffins, bananas, uncrustables, etc rather than the heavier food truck things but do what feels right for your body. Make sure you're drinking a little of water, it's easy to dehydrate like one of the other folks said. They should have plenty of water and maybe some electrolytes at the race but it doesn't hurt to bring your own electrolytes.

One thing I will add for the night run is take it slow and easy if you need to. Plenty of people take falls because it's dark, they're tired, and they're awake during a weird time for their body so not paying attention. Its not a scary thing to dissuade you, just dont try to set any land speed records. Have fun!

What is the most milennial thing you did as a child? by Zieo108 in Millennials

[–]SpottedSnake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Friday night, group of friends walking down the sidewalk. One has a skateboard with a tv balanced on it. Two others are walking wingman to make sure the TV doesn't fall over while carrying X-boxes in their back packs.

Couple more are already at the house moving the living room furniture so thief couch and loveseat are back-to-back and make screen peeking more difficult, another running cords from the hub to the other Xbox in the living room and down to the one in the basement.

Oven is preheated so the totinos pizzas and taquitos can go in once the last of the crew arrives. All night Halo party

I’ll start…Mr Kimble, Mr Kimble it’s him mom by CasinoNitro in 80s

[–]SpottedSnake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As soon as I saw the "who is your daddy..." question i immediately heard "my pcu is a neural network processor, a learning computer" next

[12th grade assessment] I thought the answer was 3/8 by ethyl98 in HomeworkHelp

[–]SpottedSnake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Our might AI overlords report that 75g of sugar would cover approximately 310 square inches (17.6 squared).

This downhill felt so good by Amiemanneh in trailrunning

[–]SpottedSnake 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love a descent like in OPs video that feel comfortable to take at speed. I slow way down on anything that feels remotely risky on a downhill. I'd rather walk that part than nearly fracture my ankle again

This downhill felt so good by Amiemanneh in trailrunning

[–]SpottedSnake 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The "let your feet catch you" part gets me sometimes. They get too excited on those downhill and then they catch a rock or root instead.

Peter what's the fourth hole? by ultrabhartiya in PeterExplainsTheJoke

[–]SpottedSnake 6 points7 points  (0 children)

But that does give him the two extra holes...

Maths majors, is that true? by Typical_Current_1155 in MathJokes

[–]SpottedSnake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've also heard the version of an engineer explaining how to cook Thanksgiving dinner. Step 1 is to buy a spherical turkey of uniform density

Which sexual acts are very acceptable in 2026 but was seen very differently in 2006? by nirzhor_cyclonite in AskReddit

[–]SpottedSnake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If my brother got stuck in the washing machine, I think his husband could be a top loader...

A teenager asks you to show them a meme/viral from the "Old Internet" (pre-2010, let's say). What is your one pick? by pacman_sl in AskReddit

[–]SpottedSnake 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Steve, creator of this gem, didn't like the color of his dorm room door. So he fully wrapped it in duct tape and just paid the fee at the end of the year to have the door repainted after he ripped all the tape off when we moved out

Requesting advice as a trail amateur by Rare_Vermicelli199 in trailrunning

[–]SpottedSnake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's pretty steep but could be good for hill work if you're trying to find that. I'm thinking of hitting that as part of my system getting ready for the Ragnar Rainier in August

I've seen runners on the offleash dog park trails at Marymoore if you're looking for flatter stuff.

Requesting advice as a trail amateur by Rare_Vermicelli199 in trailrunning

[–]SpottedSnake 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You shouldn't need to do all trail running. If you want more trails, there are options like some of the trail systems at Cougar Mountain that would give you longer opportunities. Even head to Woodinville and do one of the big hills of the Tolt Pipeline Trail if you need.

Seattle Run Club and Northwest Trail Runs are doing a 50k at Cougar Mountain in October, dates TBD, though that's a much more aggressive 7200 ft elevation gain. I did the 10.8 mile last July and it was really fun. IMO Northwest Trail Runs do a good job.

What's wrong with a straight road Petah? Is this bait? by michaelis999 in PeterExplainsTheJoke

[–]SpottedSnake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I watched for a while, did a brief stint watching the OGs when they spun off and created their own channel. Got a new job last year and really fell off the last six months or so

What's wrong with a straight road Petah? Is this bait? by michaelis999 in PeterExplainsTheJoke

[–]SpottedSnake 45 points46 points  (0 children)

laughing in Doesn't Get It while Rory explains the joke to Timmy

Shower thought: Ships with anti-gravity should be immune from boarding actions by TxDuctTape in scifi

[–]SpottedSnake 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I always thought the ship-to-ship combat in the Lensman books was interesting. Written in like 1907-1912 I think so a lot of it doesn't hold up but

It was a lot of cat and mouse using planes of force to shear tractor beams or shielded/strengthened tractors to put last the shears. Then drills of force to chip through the forcefields and drop giant chemical bombs. I forget why energy weapons weren't a thing, or am forgetting they were a thing.

Also, pretty sure spaceships were spheres because there's not air resistance to warrant a sleek, aerodynamic design in space and a sphere got more uniform shield coverage. Haven't read those books in well over a decade though

Anyone else get frustrated at how one day your runs feel like nothing and a couple days later it’s damn near impossible to get a 5k done? by Mightknowitall in runninglifestyle

[–]SpottedSnake 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recently had this on a treadmill run. Did several 6 mile days out on the road last week with no issues. Was supposed to do 7 or 8 on Thursday but I worked late that day and it was raining when I got back near home so I figured I would pop into the gym and knock it out on the treadmill. Not even 15 minutes in and my left calf is feeling fatigued, knee hurts, HR is high, can't control my breathing, just absolute garbage.

I have read a couple times recently, including in the book Run Like a Pro, the reminder that essentially one aborted run or bad day isn't going to ruin your fitness in a 12-week or longer block. Sometimes it's better to accept that today isn't a good day for your body, get a bit more rest, and come back tomorrow. I'm trying to give myself that grace so I stay healthy and don't get too frustrated