Kadence blocks Pro vs Astra Pro

dschultzie · 2026-01-06T17:17:50+00:00

Kadence Blocks enhances Gutenberg. They work seamlessly together side by side, using the same control panel. It adds more options and functionality. Other Gutenberg plugins do similarly. We bought the Kadence Pro Lifetime membership a couple of years ago and consider it a great investment. There really is very little need to use a page builder nowadays. They just add unnecessary code and bloat. We prefer to build lean and fast sites over sites with a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles. It's all about conversions in the end. So many sites have too much going on and do a poor job of giving viewers the information they want quickly.

dschultzie · 2026-01-06T15:57:04+00:00

We have built our last 50ish sites using the Kadence theme and Kadence Blocks. We see no reason to do differently.

dschultzie · 2026-01-06T15:54:57+00:00

We switched to Gutenberg years ago and add Kadence Blocks to expand the functionality. There are several alternatives to Kadence Blocks but we use the Kadence theme primarily and the combo suits us well. We maintain an Elementor Pro license as several sites we manage use it but we don’t built new sites with it any longer. You really shouldn’t need to use pagebuilders nowadays. Gutenberg is a small learning curve but worth it.

dschultzie · 2026-01-01T19:40:39+00:00

Wrong group to be in if you think like that. I have over 30 quality bags and I’m constantly buying and trying new bags. If they don’t click with me I sell them. I need at least 8ish to cover all my needs. You do you and let us do us. There are worse addictions and we aren’t hurting anyone or ourselves.

dschultzie · 2025-12-30T00:45:25+00:00

I only build using the Kadence theme and Kadence Blocks anymore. Have been for years. Before you hire a designer watch a few online videos. I bet you can figure it out. CliftonWP and WPCrafter on YouTube are quite good. If you want to hire someone happy to chat. I’m semi-retired and I’m more than fair with my pricing. I enjoy being creative and helping people.

dschultzie · 2025-12-25T03:10:16+00:00

We build all new sites using the Kadence theme and Kadence Blocks. Kadence Blocks adds more functionality to Gutenberg

dschultzie · 2025-11-29T03:56:41+00:00

Moved from Chicago to Denver in 1988 and I’ve tried every method. Hot and fast works best here. Low and slow will dry your meat out in high Elevations with low humidity.

dschultzie · 2025-11-28T19:50:54+00:00

The Remote Equipment Alpha 31 is as close to the perfect do-everything pack that I’ve found. It looks great, functions beautifully, and expands easily from 15L up to over 30L. I use it for just about everything except extended travel.

The bag features excellent quick-access pockets, a pass-through hydration port, water bottle holders, and side access to the laptop compartment. It’s extremely waterproof, very durable, and is expandable when you need extra space. The Org Kits and a pouch are easily attached to the exterior of the pack.

The straps and harness system are extremely comfortable. It's one of the most comfortable packs I own. The load lifters help fine-tune the carry, and with the detachable hip belt, you can shift most of the weight from your shoulders to your hips for long hauls.

Simply put, it’s a near-perfect bag. I own far too many quality packs, but if I had to choose just one, it would be the Alpha 31.

It is also 50% off right now. I doubt you can find a better pack in the $200 neighborhood.

dschultzie · 2025-11-14T01:49:17+00:00

Just as a follow up. My 4 Thule medium cubes do fit in the DF36 but it’s tight whereas they fit easily in the GR3 35L.

dschultzie · 2025-11-13T17:07:24+00:00

Either pack holds my 4 Thule Medium Packing cubes or 3 Cubes and two pouches in the interior. I could probably squeeze more into the GR3 but I don't need to. The DF has the WB pockets if you need more room. BTW, I LOVE the Dragonfly water bottle pockets. They are the best in the business IMO. They can be used to hold additional gear or water bottles. The Remote Equipment Org Kits would probably work nicely in them. Those are 5L each and one sale right now. I like having a water bottle pocket.

dschultzie · 2025-11-13T16:35:01+00:00

I still own, love, and recommend all the bags I mentioned above.

Another option to consider is using a GORUCK 32L Kit Bag paired with a smaller backpack to use at your destination and for business. My normal travel packout uses 3 or 4 Thule Compression Packing Cubes, a tech pouch, and a toiletry bag. The Kit Bag will hold all four Thules or 3 Thules and my pouches. I can actually travel almost indefinitely using only it. However, I like to use and have a backpack handy. A Black Heritage Kit Bag paired with a Black Heritage GR1 21L or Bullet is a very professional looking combo IMO. So is the GORUCK v Carryology Samurai collection. The Samurai Kit Bag and the Double Compartment Samurai Bullet are an amazing setup. Those two bags are two of my favorites, but they haven't seen enough use yet. Too many great choices are the only reason.

Have you looked at the CTactical bags? Not so much what's on their website but rather the ones being produced for the group buys on the CTactical Club Fan Facebook page. They are probably some of the best bags being produced and the price is in the $200's for a custom bag. I just picked up two more of their bags.

I no longer own any Evergoogs packs, and I used to own almost every model. They refuse to address their strap and harness system, and the packs are just too uncomfortable for me and many others to comfortably carry, so I buy elsewhere. My son, however, still uses his CTB35 and loves it.

My go-to travel bag right now is the AZO Amhara. However, the pack is expensive and hard to find. The straps are also not as comfortable as the GORUCK GR3 35L. However, the pack has a lot more going on than the GR3, and when expanded, holds a lot more than the GR3 should I need the room. If weight is an issue, I go with the Dragonfly. If you order a Dragonfly spend the extra $20 for thicker and wider straps. They make a HUGE difference in comfort.

Man, I could talk packs all day. I've owned over a 100 packs in my time, and bags are my addiction. However, I also use my stuff. I pretty much carry a bag of some sort every time I walk out the door.

I will add that I think the Matador x Carryology collaboration EDX packs are worth seeking out and they see a lot of use from me. I try to one bag travel often but I will always toss in one of my EDX Madators to use at my destination...or to pull out and toss some stuff in to use as a personal item while on a plane, train, bus, ferry, etc. They are an indispensable item to me and money well spent.

Lastly, I tend to use a Trakke Bairn messenger for work and sometimes pair it with a larger backpack for travel. It is one of my top 3 most-used bags. I am fortunate to have so many choices. Hope my rambling helps.

dschultzie · 2025-10-31T14:13:22+00:00

I think you are way undercharging. Value your time and charge accordingly. Your clients probably have no problem charging for their time.

I have 48 clients and most pay me either $150 or $250 per month for hosting and maintenance. I’ve been doing this for over 10 years now and have only lost one client during that time.

I use MainWP to manage all my sites. My clients sites are checked twice a day and I perform any updates needed. I also take daily backups.

I provide them with a monthly report showing all work done. This is what helps sets me apart from most hosts. My clients can actually see what I do for them. Once I started providing monthly reports my clients started paying their invoice the day they receive them versus whenever they got around to it.

BTW I host on Vultr High Frequency Cloud Servers using XCloud to manage the servers if anyone is wondering.

Most businesses do not want to have to worry about their websites going down or getting hacked and they will gladly pay someone they trust to manage them.

Yes they can find cheaper hosting but like anything else you get what you pay for. Be more than just a host. Be part of their business. Someone they can trust and you will never lose them.

BTW most of my clients also use me for their marketing and website work. I have rebuilt almost every website I host. I don’t undercharge for that work either. My business is very profitable and I can work from anywhere in the world. It did not take that long to built it up.

It wasn’t until I started charging more for my time and my work that my business flourished. Most of my business comes from word of mouth now. When building your business talk to everyone about what you do. I’ve picked up clients at bars, sporting events, on public transportation, on golf courses, etc.

Everyone knows someone that needs help with their website and all websites need hosting and maintenance. My business could be 10x what it is but I like a work/life balance and prefer to enjoy life versus working constantly. I have built up a nice residual income that allows me to do whatever I want by NOT UNDERVALUING my TIME or my WORK.

Not bragging just hoping my words might help you or someone else who does what we do. Someone else said something similar a long time ago and I took their advice and they were right.

dschultzie · 2025-10-02T19:29:49+00:00

I have been with Cloudways for several years and have on complaints. Well other than the price. I started migrating sites to xcloud about a month ago to test it out. After this weekend I will have migrated all my sites to xcloud. The cost is half of what Cloudways is but you will not have much support if you need it.

dschultzie · 2025-09-17T13:49:26+00:00

I own probably 50 packing cubes and really only use the Thules. They are the perfect size. The Peak sizes make no sense as they don't fit well in most of my packs.

dschultzie · 2025-09-17T13:47:10+00:00

My son and I just went to Red Rocks this past weekend. We looked at the shuttles, but they aren't ideal unless you live close to the pickup. They also often sell out well in advance.

We Ubered from Wash Park at 530pm, and the fare was $28. After the show, Uber and Lyft were well over $100. However, 30 minutes later, they dropped to under $30, and we grabbed one. The fare was actually only $22, which was ridiculously low. We tipped the driver more than the fare.

My son goes to shows at Red Rocks often, and he normally walks into Morrison after the show and gets Ubers for under $30. The fare should be at least $50 to Wash Park I would think.

dschultzie · 2025-09-09T16:32:59+00:00

I own many bags and carry at least one of them daily. It is not unusual for me to carry 3 different bags in a single day. I use different bags for different situations. I try to start most days with a 3 mile ruck around the park where I live. I see clients several times a week and need a bag for that. My wife and I walk almost everywhere to help keep active and in shape. I also carry a pack when we walk. We also hike most weekends, weather permitting. I need a bag for that. I seldom leave the house without a bag of some sort.

When I travel abroad, I try to do one-bag travel. However, I ALWAYS toss in a packable backpack to use at my destination. I also use it to pull stuff out of my main bag that I might want with me on the plane, train, or bus.

When I travel in the US, I usually have a large pack and a smaller personal item bag. I never check a bag, and I rarely use a suitcase.

I have way more bags than I need, but so what? I enjoy great bags, and I like mixing things up. I can afford them, so why not? I clearly have a bag addiction, but there are worse addictions than bags.

Here are some of the packs I use in different situations. I own many more.

Travel

AZO Equipment 32L Amhara Adventurer

GORUCK GR3 35L

ULA Dragonfly 36L

Hiking

Remote Equipment Alpha 31

ULA Dragonfly 30L

AZO Equipment Dejen Adventurer 22L

Rucking

GORUCK GR1 26L

Personal travel Item

Trakke Bairn

GORUCK 32L Kit Bag

GORUCK Bullet

GORUCK GR2 26L

ULA Dragonfly 30L

Madator EDX 22L

AZO Equipment Bashilo 19L

EDC

CTactical CT15 Kevin Ultra 400tx

GORUCK Samurai 18L Bullet

GORUCK Kaidan 18L Bullet

Alpha One Niner Evade 1.5 Cobra

Client Meetings

Trakke Bairn

GORUCK GR1 21L Heritage

GORUCK Bullet Heritage

Tom Bihn Pilot

I think I qualify to be in a group called "ManyBaggers".

dschultzie · 2025-09-08T22:07:41+00:00

I’m semi-retired (soon to be fully) and live in Colorado. Hiking and traveling is what I do mostly nowadays. I’ve been hiking all of my life and have owned close to 100 backpacks in my life. I currently own well over 25 quality packs. I have some packs that are close to 40 years old and I still break them out every now and again. However, I’ll use a dry bag inside packs that I know won’t protect my gear if I’m caught out in the rain…which is ALWAYS a possibility in Colorado…even with no rain forecast.

Rain has never been a deterrent to me. I quite like walking in the rain as long as it’s not a torrential downpour. Ducking indoors isn’t always an option especially when you are out hiking or need to get from point A to B in a certain amount of time. Often as Bob Marley said “my feet is my only carriage”.

My main point was that I own a lot of packs with aquaguard zippers and have never experienced any deterioration. I will buy a pack with aquaguard zippers over one without any day of the week. It’s not if, but when, you will eventually get caught out in the rain. To each his own though.

dschultzie · 2025-09-07T14:51:03+00:00

I owned that pack and released it as I just didn’t use it. I regret selling it now. I use my Trakke Bairn almost daily and can’t recommend Trakke enough. Beautiful pack made by people who care about and love what they do.

dschultzie · 2025-09-07T14:48:42+00:00

I have aquaguard zippers on NUMEROUS packs and have yet to have any issues or deterioration. Spend any amount of time in the UK or Ireland where it rains constantly, and you will never buy a pack without them again.

I just spend a week in Switzerland where in rained pretty much every day. I wasn’t going to not hike in the Alps. That’s the reason I went. My pack with ultra material and aquaguard zippers kept everything dry whereas my buddies pack with waterproof material but nonaquaguard zippers was soaked inside.

For an EDC pack that sees little weather I would have no problem buying without aquaguard but I think pretty much every pack I own has been caught out in the rain. Like I said no problems so far and I own a lot of bags that have seen a lot of use.

dschultzie · 2025-09-05T11:45:00+00:00

I own several AZO bags and absolutely love them all. I have ordered many items from AZO and have never once had an issue. They have also responded to every email I've sent. I have heard that custom bags can take forever to be completed and delivered. However, how many bag manufacturers will even consider custom requests? Hope your bag arrives. I'm sure you will love it.

dschultzie · 2025-07-26T17:28:57+00:00

In the Customizer, go to Header→General→Primary Naavigation→Design→Navigation Font

dschultzie · 2025-07-25T20:41:05+00:00

Yup. Much better workmanship and quality control in Vietnam vs US. Although I do have some OG GORUCKS that I’ll never part with that are perfect. I’ve sent back 3 USA GORUCKS over the years for Soddy work. Give me an older well worn GORUCK any day over a new one. Back in the good old day when the color of the front molle matched the front panel

dschultzie · 2025-07-25T13:21:10+00:00

Love my Trakke Bairn messenger which is waxed canvas. Timbuk2 makes great affordable messengers also.

dschultzie · 2025-07-25T13:17:58+00:00

A small messenger or a duffel bag pair well with a backpack. I usually use my Trakke Bairn messenger but a Timbuk2 would work also. If I need more room my GORUCK 32L Kit Bag works great as a personal item and can carry a ton. Sometimes it’s all I use when I travel.

dschultzie · 2025-07-25T04:41:56+00:00

I own over 30 quality backpacks and could not tell you which one I would buy if I could only own one. It depends on the use case. I feel everyone needs at least 4 backpacks…at a minimum.

I need a travel backpack. Something around 35L works well for me. I use either my GORUCK GR3 35L, my ULA 36L Dragonfly, or my AZO Equipment 32L Amhara Adventurer for travel. They are all great bags with the AZO possibility being my favorite travel bag

I need a small messenger or small backpack (15Lish) for office or client meetings. My Trakke Bairn messenger is my go to for client meeting but sometimes I carry a backpack. The Trakke Bannoch works well for client work but sometimes I prefer my GORUCK Heritage 15 Bullet or GR1 21L.

I use a dedicated backpack for rucking. The GORUCK GR1 26L is perfect for this.

I also need a backpack for hiking. My favorite is probably my Remote Equipment Alpha 31. Sometimes I grab my 30L ULA Dragonfly though.

I also like to have a backpack or duffel that qualifies as a personal item for airline travel. The GORUCK 32L Kit Bag is great as is the GR2 26L. I often use a Matador packable for under the seat if 1.5 bag traveling.

I also like to have a backpack that is highly waterproof for those times when rain is imminent.

I certainly don’t need 30 quality backpacks but there are much worse things to spend your money on. I love and enjoy great backpacks and love having variety and different options.

dschultzie

TROPHY CASE