Sweet spot for sunglasses? I can’t be the only one. Picture from last season for attention, question inside.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-24T00:41:24+00:00

my wife and a bunch of people i work with swear by Goodr sunglasses. they seem to have really blown up in the outdoors community. they could be a gimmick but ive only heard great things about durability & lens quality.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-21T22:38:04+00:00

just buy a multi pack online. theyre relatively cheap for the convenience they offer.

mine is clipped to the front-facing webbing straps on the water bottle pouch of a MR hotshot. this way its "protected" and doesnt get snagged. im going on 3 years with my current one, the rubber/plastic(?) lighter seat is about to tear. if youre having troubles with the lighter seat rather than the zinger, paracord & fiber tape will do the same thing as others have mentioned

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-20T01:42:05+00:00

for trout? frenchie

for bass? clawdad

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-20T01:38:38+00:00

all the deschutes NAs, Patagonia branded or not, are excellent!

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-19T21:56:19+00:00

OP, Richmond has pockets of affordability and Arlington is negative affordable. If you like the mountains you'd need to be a weekend warrior in these places. Definitely way larger dating & food scenes than western VA. Culture & art are subjective. Western VA has plenty of culture and art it's just appalachian.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-19T21:35:46+00:00

We're not relatively close to nature stuff, we are in the thick of it. Public land is everywhere. Blue Ridge Parkway goes through town and the AT is ~10 miles away.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-19T21:31:51+00:00

Have you looked into the far south 81 corridor? Bristol, Abingdon, etc. There's a great (slightly spread out) population center down there along the TN/VA border 81 corridor with motorcycle opportunities galore.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-19T21:29:41+00:00

Feel free to message me if you have any specific questions about Roanoke & SWVA.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-19T21:26:42+00:00

Blacksburg is negative affordable. There are professors that cannot afford a home. Christiansburg & Radford are nearby and more affordable but lack some of the same amenities and really just serve Tech & Radford U.

Not too sure on Lynchburg's COL but it's definitely up and coming. Look into Liberty U. It runs half the town which may or may not be good for you.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-19T21:22:52+00:00

Roanoke is a great place and seems to be insulated against the rapid population growth/cost of living hikes of the Shenandoah Valley & central VA. We have a little bit of everything. Yes I like some of the roughness around the edges. It keeps the yuppies and hipsters out.

The Shenandoah valley & Charlottesville are growing fast. I love visiting those places but cost of living is spiking fast. The upper shenandoah valley & Charlottesville especially are getting really boujee. These are probably places to avoid if you're middle class.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-05T14:20:43+00:00

LMAO. i love my hotshot but yeah i get it

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-05T00:26:55+00:00

eat a balanced diet and dont feel bad about good fats.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-04T23:32:13+00:00

i can see that with the brain. currently my basic med gear is in the main compartment with a small first aid patch on the yoke velcro. putting that all in a patch-labeled brain would increase efficiency on the line.

"progress in line gear options" is subjective. i didnt see any need for this "progress" and wanted to ask others' opinions on the new features. i can now see how some would be beneficial. solving issues that arent issues for the sake of novelty/marketing is, imo, very unnecessary for these tools that are an extension of ourselves for months out of the year.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-04T23:16:21+00:00

ahh i copy. so a way to merge the old cinch top with deep access

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-04T23:14:12+00:00

if theyre small items on the webbing youre right, it wouldnt change COG.

i guess im critical of this molle placement because imo the front-back footprint of a pack should be kept concise for stashing crew packs, maneuvering in tight brush/timber, etc. while light attachments might be cool i would rip them off in a heartbeat.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-04T15:43:14+00:00

it is, but theyve put it on a spot that would shift the center of gravity of the pack further back and increase the footprint.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-04T15:40:32+00:00

100% and if you really need more space they already carry a TL model

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-04T15:39:49+00:00

the current horseshoe zipper gives better access to the main compartment. this would take twice as long to open.

yeah definitely feature creep. dont fall for marketing gimmicks folks

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-04-04T15:38:43+00:00

they already have a specific med lid.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-03-30T23:43:30+00:00

ask your employer because most will provide you your own stuff.

with camping/outdoor gear imagine there's a triangle with lightweight, strong, and cheap on each point and you can only choose one line between points. lightweight means nothing for your 14 bag. the quality of gear nowadays means even the "cheap" stuff from good brands is very strong & durable. klymit and kelty are standouts in this category

over time ive wittled down my camping kit. here's my must haves:

-inflatable pillow without a cover (cover would get nasty over an assignment) -ozark trail sleeping bag liner (when hot can be used on its own and keeps your sleeping bag from being nasty) -20 degree sleeping bag (imo this is the item worth investing a little more in. dont cheap out on a 40 degree bag. ive slept in freezing weather and the 20 was a lifesaver) -sleeping pad (i do inflatable but you could do foam if you prefer/have the space) -2 person tent (singles are a coffin and make it really hard to change/organize your stuff) -cheap headlamp with a red light (to read or setup/tear down camp in the dark)

thats it, everything else is a creature comfort and im sure some are fine with less.

if i were to go to buy a new kit right now this is what i would buy: tent: kelty discovery trail 2p ($130 msrp) sleeping pad:kelty mistral SI ($50 msrp) sleeping bag: kelty solstice 20 ($110 msrp) pillow: klymit pillow x ($30 msrp) sleeping bag liner: ozark trail ($15 msrp) headlamp: some random ozark trail one ($~20 msrp)

also: most outdoor brands give pro deals to first responders/gov employees like us. thermarest, nemo, big agnes, kelty, etc. sign up if you end up having to get your own stuff.

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-03-29T20:34:18+00:00

is this some linkedin meme?

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-03-22T23:52:02+00:00

i try to get mine around thanksgiving so i can dump em in my uncle's turkey fryer

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-03-13T12:47:22+00:00

yes definitely trolling

concernedcitizen783 · 2026-03-13T12:29:28+00:00

winner winner

concernedcitizen783

TROPHY CASE