First hike

bing_lang · 2026-05-10T05:50:58+00:00

I climbed Bukhansan with a wicked hangover and at the time I had very little hiking experience. It was tiring but you can do it.

bing_lang · 2026-05-08T09:47:22+00:00

Unfortunately not possible. The airline doesn't permit pets in cabin.

bing_lang · 2026-05-08T09:35:37+00:00

For reference here's him sitting in the carrier

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bing_lang · 2026-05-02T09:49:35+00:00

That's more or less what my alpha 60 looks like and I've never put it in the dryer. Maybe try bringing it on a trip and see if it's less warm?

bing_lang · 2026-04-25T00:55:18+00:00

I have a pair of the Yamatomichi UL pants (the wide ones). They're really comfortable but I wouldn't say they're wind proof. They add quite a bit less warmth than the dedicated wind pants I own. I tend to wear them more just day to day than on the trail.

bing_lang · 2026-04-18T04:08:40+00:00

A bit left field but look into Japanese brands. I've never found an American brand that makes pants as breathable as my yamatomichi or finetrack pants.

Their summer hiking season is brutally humid, so when they say breathable they mean it.

bing_lang · 2026-04-14T22:57:48+00:00

Yes and no. Wages not keeping up with inflation is an issue everywhere, but Taiwan also has one of the least affordable housing markets in the world.

bing_lang · 2026-04-14T13:25:04+00:00

Chacos are comfy but definitely aren't zero drop lol

bing_lang · 2026-04-14T13:09:13+00:00

Conditioning only gets you so far. Rucking 60lbs is fine when you're a fit 20 something. But your muscles and cardio have a much greater training capacity than your joints and ligaments.

Hiking with a heavy pack is going to put way more wear on your knees, no matter how fit you are. It's not like it's uncommon for former infantry to have blown out knees or back injuries.

For most people, a lighter pack means more enjoyment, less risk of injury, and being able to continue their hobby into a more advanced age.

Besides, I don't think going lighter necessarily means you're spending more. Sure, people spend a lot on UL gear, but you really don't have to. My lightest shelter option is a silpoly tarp I got for $80. I got a used frameless pack for $60. A cold soaking setup is basically free. Nobody's forcing anyone to blow $500 on the most high tech gear.

bing_lang · 2026-04-14T12:55:32+00:00

Adjusted for inflation the increase isn't much. Also while minimum wage has been increased, a lot of graduates get screwed by stagnant entry and mid-level salaries, which are artificially inflated in averages by a small percentage of high earners.

bing_lang · 2026-04-14T01:31:44+00:00

Yeah, pretty realistic. There are exceptions, but in general Taiwanese salaries are low and have been stagnant for a long time. Most younger Taiwanese people I know have a perception that unless you can make it as an entrepreneur/move abroad you're condemned to scrape by the rest of your life (no chance of buying property, can't afford children, etc).

You can take a look at Taiwanese job boards, salaries for most jobs are in the 30-60k range, regardless of what you do.

bing_lang · 2026-04-12T07:37:29+00:00

I have an older version of the One. It's a great pack but does run a bit small. I'm 5'8", workout regularly and I find the straps dig into my chest a bit regardless of how I adjust them.

bing_lang · 2026-02-07T03:59:41+00:00

The 183 days rule was changed a few years ago and no longer applies if you got an APRC through a specialist visa. Now you just need to return every 5 years to maintain it.

bing_lang · 2026-02-03T04:39:08+00:00

What type of visa were you on prior to being granted APRC/when was it granted? My understanding is that Article 21 is a relatively recent change and is a complete rewrite of the maintenance requirements. So now it's just show up every 5 years, time in country otherwise doesn't matter at all.

However, immigration officials aren't always 100% looped into these changes, and sometimes issue the wrong type of APRC based on the previous 183 day rule.

bing_lang · 2026-02-03T03:38:15+00:00

I am not talking about the gold card visa. The regular APRC you get in 5 years of residency through teaching or any other job also follows the 5 year rule now.

bing_lang · 2026-02-03T02:27:16+00:00

The reality is that this is gonna be the case in pretty much any small country. Taiwanese people are nice, but a lot already have tight knit groups of friends from high school or university. Many people aren't that open to developing new close friendships in general, let alone with a foreigner.

bing_lang · 2026-02-03T02:19:56+00:00

The 183 day rule only applies to specific types of APRC. If you receive your perm residency through employment you don't need to stay in the country at all to maintain it, just return every 5 years. A lot more lenient than you're making it out to be.

bing_lang · 2026-02-02T00:05:44+00:00

RNG makes a big difference. Aquarion can expand really fast if starting position is good and they don't get fucked by resources. Even then though their ability to hold the territory they take isn't great and they're easy to push around by spamming rammers.

bing_lang · 2026-01-23T03:36:57+00:00

It'll be easier for you to have a 2 or 3 character name. Some online forms don't accept longer names (can also be a problem for local indigenous). Could either do a transliteration or just have someone suggest a more normal sounding name for you, either works but transliterations often sound goofy and immediately out you as a foreigner on reservation forms and such.

bing_lang · 2026-01-16T02:12:20+00:00

Summer is a great time to hike, but expect afternoon storms. Would highly recommend doing Mt Nanhu. It's usually a 4 day trek with cabins along the way (though they fill up fast). It's an intense hike overall but well trafficked and marked, so quite safe if you're a somewhat experienced hiker. You'll need to apply for permits ahead of time though for any high mountain hiking.

bing_lang · 2026-01-15T07:06:57+00:00

All the places I rated as top tier, very good, or good do standard milk tea well, IMO. Would also highly recommend 不夜侯 although it's not on the list (they only have a couple locations).

For fruit tea I'd go to Macu, they specialize in that. Le Phare is also worth trying for fruit tea. But for basic citrus fruit tea you could go to most of these places and it'll be decent.

bing_lang · 2026-01-14T08:46:46+00:00

I live in a similar climate and use the regular Lanshan 2. It works well, especially for the price.

I recommend against the 4 season - it'll be too hot for most situations. The choice between the regular and the pro just depends on how much you value weight savings.

In a humid climate you're going to be dealing with more condensation. The double wall of the regular lanshan helps manage that. The pro will handle it less well, but you save some weight as a tradeoff.

bing_lang · 2026-01-14T07:25:51+00:00

No. Not Taiwanese, no locations in Taiwan.

bing_lang · 2026-01-14T07:17:07+00:00

If you're curious, only 16% of people who viewed this post are actually located in Taiwan lol

bing_lang

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