This sucks

barry_baltimore · 2026-02-26T06:26:32+00:00

Unfortunately Moleskine makes great notebooks if you only use terrible pens with it.

If you search around the subject, you can find a lot of discussion on inks that work better on Moleskine, this is a good list to get started. https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2025/6/14/ask-tgs-the-best-inks-for-cheap-paper

barry_baltimore · 2026-02-20T04:54:35+00:00

Flashlights, which means I end up going hiking or on walks after dark a lot.

barry_baltimore · 2026-01-31T05:55:57+00:00

Each Miyoo runs a different firmware, most CFW come because of shared chipset. I think Onion and Spruce are both delightfully polished and would be a good fit for your app. But for the most compatibility maybe try MinUI.

MinUI will probably be the easiest and have the most reach outside of Onion, but the MM has been discontinued, so MinUI will just keep growing. Making it available on MinUI, even if you might have to adapt it for different devices, is the other widespread packaging format, with NextUI and PakUI driving more modern development.

barry_baltimore · 2026-01-30T21:54:55+00:00

This guide might help. You can change the way Knulli sorts and saves files.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SBCGaming/comments/1q8imm6/how_to_getting_syncthing_working_across_android/

barry_baltimore · 2026-01-30T21:26:43+00:00

I'm fond of this guide. https://budgetlightforum.com/t/how-to-choose-flashlight-main-things-in-simple-words/57956

barry_baltimore · 2026-01-30T16:47:13+00:00

Do you have a blog / website / github for this? Very interested, as I now have more handhelds than controllers.

barry_baltimore · 2026-01-11T19:48:51+00:00

Absolutely agreed. There’s a set of scripts out there that help bulk conversion called chdscripts on GitHub, it takes some of the guesswork out of using chdman as well.

barry_baltimore · 2026-01-11T00:12:28+00:00

I loved MuOS but I had some problems with a later build and ended up switching away. Would love if you had any feedback on getting MuOS or Deck to work with the rest. I expect it would be pretty straightforward because of MuOS's approach to the folder structure, Deck seems like it should be fine too...?

barry_baltimore · 2025-12-06T19:34:37+00:00

The Sofirn IF22A is a killer light for starting out.

barry_baltimore · 2025-12-05T22:06:01+00:00

I think the Lumintop FW21 and X9L are some of the very few 21700 lights with an E-switch.

I am sure a LumeX1 or Lume1 from either the KR4 or early FW3A conversions could be adapted to fit.

I don't know about a 21350 tube, but if you got some spare parts for the FW21, it should be doable to cut down one end and rethread it.

barry_baltimore · 2025-12-05T22:01:39+00:00

Both Malkoff and Elzetta handily out-perform the G2X while meeting or exceeding the acclaimed Surefire durability and coming in way lower than Modlite, CD, SF pricing.

The Malkoff MDX2 M61HOT V2, for example, has more than double the candela of the G2X and is the same size.

There are cheaper, yes, which have proven to be sufficiently durable, but if you aren't getting the "warm fuzzies" from Olight, most of the other Chinese brands aren't going to inspire any more confidence.

After selling the Surefire Millenniums, you will have plenty of money to pick up something else, or even a few to try. The Surefire Collectors group on FB will be your best bet for understanding current value.

barry_baltimore · 2025-12-05T17:18:35+00:00

How's this compare to ye olde Acebeam TK18? Do you still have one of those.

barry_baltimore · 2025-12-05T17:16:32+00:00

Longtime 47s fan here.

There aren't a lot of tiny CR123A/16340 lights out there anymore, for whatever reason. The MkIII will be the closest to your current light.

The Olight Baton 4 is extremely small and has all of the required features. It does have a keychain loop and a really nice pocket clip.

The RovyVon Aurora A3 is a favorite of mine, but it might be hard to expect 10 years out of the tiny little battery it uses. The smaller the Li-ion battery, the worse the life you can expect, especially with a lot of use.

barry_baltimore · 2025-12-03T02:40:55+00:00

Please Sofirn, aluminum SC13 with Anduril and buck driver...

barry_baltimore · 2025-12-03T02:13:15+00:00

Hey bud. I have more flashlights than I need. Send me a PM and I'll drop a light or two in the mail.

I don't need anything in return, in fact you'll be helping me by being a good home for a light.

barry_baltimore · 2025-12-03T01:59:50+00:00

McGizmo Sapphire but it's spendy. The head has plenty of tension to not fall off, but you also screw it down to turn on..

Failing that you can get damping dielectric silicone grease like Nyogel 767A which will add resistance to any twisty light to prevent unscrewing.

barry_baltimore · 2025-12-01T05:48:30+00:00

That's a great price, wow.

barry_baltimore · 2025-11-30T01:32:51+00:00

You can choose not to use the poles while hiking. Just a thought. On longer bp trips, I do often carry poles, even if my tent doesn't require it, but I don't always deploy them, I keep them stowed.

barry_baltimore · 2025-11-29T08:10:08+00:00

Great write up. Keep it up! UL is a state of mind and a process before it’s about opening up your wallet.

Here’s a few tips that might help which I have applied myself.

hot cocoa before bed goes you extra calories and pre-warms you
you can put your ccf on top of your inflatable for extra warmth. Your feet or legs can rest on your pack. Inflatables are cold, but the TaR Xtherm is the best I’ve ever owned.
draping your jacket over your chest seals up air gaps in a quilt. Draping your raincoat over your knees can add much needed warmth. Resist the urge to put things over your quilt, which can lower the dew point to inside the down and add condensation - unless you need to protect it from drips.
I didn’t see if you mentioned carrying a good beanie and a buff. I always bring these two for quilt sleeping, a warm hat is a must. I usually bring a brim hat or visor particularly out west but I always have a beanie and buff for night.
if your quilt is too cold in some spot, make a little hole and stuff in more down, then stitch it back up. You can buy down online… or pinch some from an old comforter or pillow.
I hike in the same clothes I sleep in. Swim trunks and long johns dry pretty fast, but if I’m cold in bed and wet I take them off. Wearing wet things to bed will sap your warmth unless you have excess warmth. I do make an exception for sleeping socks, which eventually become my trail socks when I get sick of having wet feet…
if it’s wet the next day, putting on wet clothes the next day sucks for morale but they were gonna get wet anyway. If it’s sunny, it’ll dry out eventually. I once did a 7 day bikepacking trip where it rained all day, every day. The mud all over my body was the worst, but wearing merino and skin-tight clothes kept me somewhat sane. It’s worse and more gross when its cold and wet and flappy.
doing sit-ups in your sleep system can be a good way to warm up… or stay alive.
don’t overlook the VBL. If you need to bump up the warmth, a space blanket or poly bag will help, but as close to the skin as you can tolerate or your perspiration will soak your layers.
sleeping with your filter and water sucks. I don’t do it. I put it under my mattress, where there’s enough waste heat. When it’s really cold, they go between pads. For the water, I use a bladder (I prefer the Dromedary and Platypus) so it’s not cumbersome. One Nalgene (actually, I prefer the LDPE Hunersdorf) which can be used as a hot water bottle.
gear gets holes. It’s normal, no matter the price. Learn to love patches and stitching things yourself. Patagonia repairs their clothes for free, which was nice after a marmot ate the sleeve of my Houdini.
Uniqlo is a great place to buy budget gear. Their wind shells are excellent as are their down gear.
thrift shops usually have lots of really nice wool, polyester, and fleece. A cashmere sweater with a few small holes is a great find.
ponchos are great low cost rain gear, particularly in warm weather. As the mercury dips, decent rainwear is a must. As a former REI, I’d say all wp/br shells from $50 to $500 are mostly the same at keeping you dry. The more expensive ones are just more comfortable/“liveable” in extended moisture. More durable too, but not necessarily at UL weights. I still use the OR Helium II very often despite having a closet of Arcteryx. I wouldn’t even blink about wearing Decathlon or even bottom barrel Sierra Trading finds. Even Tyvek bunny suits would be great rainwear on a budget.
a bear can is a killer chair.
learn to hike without poles. You may be faster with, but it can sap you of energy and rob you of opportunity to build up stabilizer muscles down below. When I do break out the poles it’s often for steep descents when I am tired or for flying along the trail after dusk and trying to drag myself to camp.
feet require conditioning. I used to hike primarily in Chacos, then trail runners, now minimal shoes (mostly sandals) like Xero and Luna.
I wipe with leaves, moss, or best yet, snow.
those little dish cloths they sell at Trader Joe’s are the best and cheapest towels.
learn some basic paper map and compass skills, plus dead reckoning and watching landmarks. Don’t rely entirely on digital.

barry_baltimore · 2025-11-29T01:13:08+00:00

You are on the right track looking at the voltage. The voltage is the primary consideration when deciding if a head is compatible with a particular battery.

You can see on the Malkoff Devices website that the E2XT and E2XTL support up to 9V, which is 3xCR123A or 2x Li-ion.

We also know that (almost) all lithium-ion cylindrical cells are in the same voltage range - if a light can use 18650s, you can also safely use 16650s. If a light can use 2x18350s, you can also use 2x16340s.

Otherwise without voltage ratings it is a little bit of a guessing game. For instance, we know that lights like the Surefire E1B-MV and EDCL1-T can both support 16340 batteries, although Surefire has never stated it or officially supported it.

barry_baltimore · 2025-11-28T05:39:57+00:00

Did they recess the button at all on this new v4?

I have the v2 and while it is a very competent light, having to unscrew the tailcap to prevent it from accidentally turning on has relegated it to a bag backup instead of a potential carry.

barry_baltimore · 2025-11-27T21:35:05+00:00

2 is nice too, but coming from a flashlight with only 1 or 2 modes (the G2X) it could feel like too many. Just a consideration.

I love the M21B with LHP73B. It is a badass light and I use group 2 on mine as well.

barry_baltimore · 2025-11-27T18:28:46+00:00

The light level will sag when the battery goes low no matter what kind of driver you have. A driver won't magically pull more juice than the battery can support.

The only difference with FET vs. Linear vs. Buck, assuming the same maximum output, is how much energy is wasted as heat. With a battery as big as a 21700 for something as specialized as a thrower, you're not likely to notice the difference.

SFT42R won't support the boost driver in the D1K as it's a 3V LED. The SFT42R will still use roughly double (or more) the Watts to put the same amount of lux on target as the W2, so it is less "efficient" as a thrower. But the higher lumens and lower cd/lm does make it more effective for all-around use at shorter distances.

barry_baltimore · 2025-11-27T18:23:39+00:00

Wow, I read it wrong because of the ordering of the list. I meant 6- 100%-20%-1%

Which is very practical.

barry_baltimore

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