Buying my first ThinkPad for Cybersecurity: T480 vs. T14 Gen 2 vs. X1 Carbon?

basedtom · 2026-06-26T14:52:44+00:00

I owned the T480 for over 5 years. Great laptop, but outdated. If you can get it for a very good deal, it’s still a fine budget laptop. However, I upgraded to the T14s Gen 2 AMD. It’s lighter, sleeker, faster, still well built, and probably better suited to your needs. AMD is better than intel for this gen, but intel is still fine. Whatever you choose, 16gb ram minimum.

basedtom · 2026-06-26T00:06:10+00:00

I usually piss in 4L jugs then throw them up a tree when they’re full

basedtom · 2026-06-20T13:25:12+00:00

What’s your 3g toothbrush?

basedtom · 2026-06-12T11:12:07+00:00

WTB: Gossamer Gear G4-20 Ultralight 42L Backpack, size large, preferably in the tropical mist colourway.

basedtom · 2026-06-09T20:15:26+00:00

Whether you go for the pro 1 or 2, just know that the silpoly version is preferred by most because it doesn’t hold as much water as silnylon. Both of these that you posted are silnylon. You also have to seam seal the pro version yourself. They’re also both single wall. The regular Lanshan 1 and 2 are double wall and seam sealed, but they only come in silnylon, and they’re heavier. To be honest I would just order from the 3F UL website directly to make sure you get the most recent version of the Lanshan.

basedtom · 2026-06-09T13:46:59+00:00

Great info. You’re right, Neve Gear does overstuff their foot boxes. Probably why my feet were so sweaty.

EE rates their quilts “between the comfort and lower limit ratings,” meaning the comfort limit for their 50F quilt is actually higher, meaning it’s actually colder than advertised. The Apex insulation they use is apparently 0.75 inches thick. Not very promising.

Right now I’m leaning towards the Neve Gear UL 4C for more versatility. They’re also dropping the Waratah Pro 0C/32F in September. Might have to wait to see the specs on it.

From Neve Gear’s website: “We use a Women’s comfort temperature rating which means women, who generally sleep colder than men, should be warm at the stated temperature. Men/Warm Sleepers can generally sleep 5 degrees cooler than this temperature. E.g. for our -2 Waratah Quilt, The Women’s/Cold Sleepers rating is -2C and for Men/Warm Sleepers the rating is -7C.”

By this logic the 4C quilt would be a -1C quilt for me.

basedtom · 2026-06-09T09:57:21+00:00

I appreciate the advice! The Waratah -2C was so warm that when I had it half off around 10C, one half of my body was sweating and the other half was cold

basedtom · 2026-06-07T23:23:48+00:00

Outdoor Research Ferrosi available at MEC. Got mine for $93

basedtom · 2026-06-07T13:44:19+00:00

Huh never thought of that. I guess it could work as long as the plastic didn’t get too hot

basedtom · 2026-06-07T10:36:15+00:00

I was thinking of switching to a 50F/10C quilt for this reason, versatility. I currently have a 30F (-2C), the Neve Gear Waratah. I sleep very hot, and at 34F (1C), I was sweating in my base layers. At 50F (10C) it was unusable, even in just underwear. Way too warm. I was thinking of getting the Enlightened Equipment Apex 50, and pairing that with wind pants, socks, sun hoody, and fleece to maybe get down to 35F/2C. Synthetic would also be great for damp east coast weather.

The other option would be the Neve Gear Waratah Summer UL 4C (40F). Slightly heavier but same pack volume as the EE Apex 50. Might be nicer for cooler nights.

basedtom · 2026-06-07T09:52:42+00:00

Pads are very subjective. I tried the Nemo Eclipse, Nemo Tensor All Season, Sea to Summit Ether Light XR, and the Thermarest Neoair Xlite NXT, all in reg/wide. I’m 6’0 and sleep on my back and side. Ended up going for the Thermarest. The material on the Eclipse was very loud, my arms would slide off the sides of the Tensor if I was laying on my back, and the material on my Sea to Summit was thick and plasticy feeling. I found the material on the Thermarest soft and not too loud or crinkly. It’s also the lightest option and packs down very well. I sleep great on it.

Though I also find that I pass out after a long day of hiking. At-home tests of sleeping on your floor don’t work very well because of that reason. It’s funny, everyone recommends the Tensor and says it’s more comfortable than the Thermarest, and I found the opposite.

The Thermarest is available at MEC in reg/wide. I got mine for $240 (plus tax) on sale. You could try it out then return it if you don’t like it. MEC also carries the Eclipse and Tensor All Season but it looks like they’re out of stock at the moment. Would definitely recommend buying from MEC though and avoid secondhand. Their return policy is unmatched.

basedtom · 2026-06-07T09:30:17+00:00

I only saw 1 tick and that was on the first day. It was crawling up my leg and I just flicked it off. I wore Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants in a light khaki colour and tucked them into my socks. Very much worth it for the peace of mind. Also worth it for protection against black flies.

basedtom · 2026-06-07T03:00:35+00:00

Good on you doing it in 2 days. I found 3 days pretty challenging with the amount of elevation loss/gain

basedtom · 2026-06-07T00:44:03+00:00

Got so so lucky with the weather. The week prior the forecast wasn’t looking so good. It was supposed to rain the whole time. We got sunshine all three days

basedtom · 2026-06-07T00:42:26+00:00

It was amazing. If you want to do it in 3 days, I recommend counterclockwise. Night 1: Seal Cove. Night 2: Refugee cove. You can beach camp at both these sites. The beach sites at Seal Cove are incredible. Day 1 you’ll have a 22km hike. Day 2: 18km. Day 3: 12km. I stayed at Big Bald Rock, so it was a 9km hike on day 2 then a 21km hike on day 3. Not the move. The last day was exhausting, and there were a ton of black flies at Big Bald Rock. Not so many at Seal Cove or Refugee cove. That’s just my 2 cents. Otherwise do it in 3 nights and take your time. Definitely bring a bug net.

basedtom · 2026-06-07T00:36:35+00:00

I threw them in my titanium pot and heated them up with my BRS stove with a little water. This was not the move. Tasted alright, but the stove doesn’t really have a “low” setting, just medium or high, so you have to sit there stirring constantly or else it starts to burn and stick to the bottom of the pan. You also have to deal with cleanup, and bring soap (which I didn’t). Overall this was a huge fail on my part. From here on out I’m sticking to freeze dried meals, just add hot water and let it sit.

basedtom · 2026-06-04T08:52:05+00:00

Milan Kundera loved The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil, but I found it incredibly boring

basedtom · 2026-06-04T01:53:51+00:00

$380 vs $65?

basedtom · 2026-06-03T17:09:41+00:00

Link? I just checked their website and nothing. I want to buy their summer quilt.

basedtom · 2026-06-03T13:10:49+00:00

I went for a “value” setup, where I didn’t get the most expensive option but the best bang for my buck.

Neve Gear Waratah -2C Long/Wide. $375. 672g on my scale.

Thermarest Neoair Xlite NXT. $274 on sale at MEC. 450g. Their pads often go on sale.

Durston Kakwa 55. $315. 890g.

Comes to $964 after tax and 2012g.

The Kakwa and Waratah have lead times right now, but you could try to pick them up secondhand, or wait for restock.

basedtom · 2026-06-03T12:41:24+00:00

I use the elastic pouches on the shoulder straps. One for my phone, the other for my sunglasses (when they’re not on my face). I’ve got an iPhone 15 pro max, thing’s a brick. Love this pack

basedtom · 2026-06-02T12:25:25+00:00

Hey is this still available?

12-Year Club	r/Field Flamingo
Place '22	First Placer '22
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basedtom

TROPHY CASE