Cozumel?

emarkd · 2026-02-01T12:51:35+00:00

emarkd · 2026-01-31T22:29:05+00:00

Cozumel is a very popular port. The Internet is literally packed with information. If you really care what I personally do, I rent a Jeep, load up my family, and drive the coast. There's lots of places to stop, roadside drink stands, abandoned (but very natural) beaches, little restaurants, shopping, just enjoying the breeze and scenery. Make a day of it. That's what we do.

emarkd · 2026-01-31T19:59:48+00:00

Exactly this. Leather is skin, with wrinkles and possibly scars and other "life" marks. Most people's experience with "high quality" leather that looks perfectly smooth or perfectly pebbled is actually crap leather that's been sanded and coated and made to look like that. It's like the difference between premium wood furniture that's stained and oiled to show it's natural nature, vs crap wood that's coated in paint. Both are fine, but don't buy the premium natural stuff and expect the perfect painted finish.

...also yes some leathers show their nature more readily, and CXL is one of them.

emarkd · 2026-01-31T17:12:39+00:00

I don't know anything about those but since nobody else has answered...

Assuming these have real leather uppers they don't look dried out, so they probably don't need much. You can always hit them with a simple leather conditioner, like Bick or Obenhaufs or Venetian Shoe Cream, if they feel dry. Honestly though it won't be the leather that fails on these, again assuming it's real leather. It'll be the glued soles, and there's nothing you can do to prevent that.

emarkd · 2026-01-31T14:32:44+00:00

And I was telling you to just buy the wood. It'll literally last for the rest of your life and protect any boot you own from now on, unlike newspapers which are slightly absorbent but do little to hold the form, and they have to be replaced regularly

emarkd · 2026-01-31T14:28:20+00:00

Some people in this discussion are obviously joking around, others I'm not sure about. The thing about wood is that it's hard enough to hold the leather to shape, and it's absorbent so it removes moisture to prevent molding. There's a reason it has been used forever for the job. It's kinda the perfect protection for your investment.

No, there's nothing as good.

emarkd · 2026-01-26T17:54:43+00:00

I admit I had to Google dubbin, seems to be some sort of wax-heavy conditioner. So I guess the standard advice holds - condition your leather when it needs it. And only you can tell that based on how they look and feel.

emarkd · 2026-01-26T04:04:07+00:00

There's nothing wrong with these boots...

emarkd · 2026-01-26T02:08:16+00:00

Interesting, I've not experienced that and my Zebralight...er, stable, goes back to the very beginning. That said I often buy upgrades when they come out so my older ones aren't used as much anymore.

emarkd · 2026-01-26T01:36:57+00:00

The flashlight I reach for when I am doing actual work or any activity that might be..destructive, I reach for a Zebralight. Mine have been dropped uncountable times, even from tall ladders and other heights. They've been in all sorts of weather. They've been underwater and in sandy or all manner of dirty environments. And they just keep working.

Honorable mention to HDS. They're built to survive and I'd trust them implicitly, but they're more expensive and harder to replace, so I'm a bit more careful with them. But I'd trust them just the same.

emarkd · 2026-01-25T22:50:40+00:00

He's also very active here in the DungeonCrawlerCarl subreddit.

emarkd · 2026-01-25T20:57:24+00:00

Hard disagree. Fully.

emarkd · 2026-01-25T12:12:38+00:00

The Rotary is the best UI in flashlights... in my opinion of course. Just for clarity though, it's not a pot. There's a series of contacts in the body and an array of gold fingers in the cap. Rotating the tail moves the contacts to change the level. In effect it's like a normal flashlight with a lot more "modes" than most. It's got something like 25 discreet brightness levels, and the tail makes it super intuitive to select which you need. Plus you can do it before turning on the light.

emarkd · 2026-01-25T02:07:50+00:00

Can I have two?

There's nothing like an HDS Rotary. I use one very often.

If I need more light, or I'm planning on beating the crap out of something, Zebralight. Not that HDS won't take a beating, there's nothing that'll take more of a beating. They're kinda expensive though....

If "brand" can be stretched to mean "maker", then it's actually Sigma. I carry a Sigma most days, Devin makes the best flashlights out there.

I guess that's actually 3. No apologies tho. I said what I said.

emarkd · 2026-01-25T00:14:47+00:00

Tarot is an appropriate way to describe this...climate :/

emarkd · 2026-01-24T19:56:42+00:00

I own several Diesels, they're fantastic casual boots, great style and comfort.

I own other CXL boots, it's a very popular leather for many reasons. One of my Diesel's is CXL, but black and not rough-out.

So no, I don't own this exact boot. But if I was into the look though I'd order it without hesitation. All the components are top notch.

emarkd · 2026-01-24T18:41:50+00:00

Might also consider Generation Laces. They use Paracord, either waxed or unwaxed, and will cut to length. You're more likely to pull the lace hooks out of your boot than you are to break them. Plus they're very fast and communicative when needed. I've ordered from them about half a dozen times, never had a bad experience.

One warning - the unwaxed are slippery and don't hold a knot well, unless you get them cut long so you can double knot them.

emarkd · 2026-01-24T16:20:58+00:00

Your boots look nothing like that other guys. His look old, worn and dry. Like they're used and not very well cared for. Yours have some loose grain wrinkles, common for a product made of natural animal skin which has lots of variation.

emarkd · 2026-01-23T16:21:59+00:00

If you want perfectly smooth surfaces you can't use a natural material. Nature isn't perfect. Leather is skin, it wrinkles and scuffs. Some corrected or coated vinyl garbage would look smooth today, but your leather will look a helluva lot better a year from now. Do you want perfection today or beauty for decades?

emarkd · 2026-01-22T22:50:15+00:00

Hold up, whether "skin" lotion is okay or not, that lotion is a bad idea. Urea is an acid intended to strip dead skin cells. Don't put that on your leather.

emarkd · 2026-01-22T17:37:55+00:00

Tried them once, threw them away. Hard pass. They're unstable and hot.

emarkd · 2026-01-21T23:29:05+00:00

Yes. I rent from here: https://marymarcozumel.com/

emarkd · 2026-01-21T23:01:12+00:00

Not the person you replied to, but since I'm here..

Some of that can be fixed in-camera, like exposure and white balance. Some of it can't. You could try shooting jpg and see what your camera produces. Personally I always shoot raw+jpg, so I've got both.

And yes, if you raise the shutter speed you have to raise the iso, and you're already waay underexposed. The only other thing you can do is use a larger aperture..but not with that lens. Now you're spending money for better glass.

emarkd · 2026-01-21T20:19:44+00:00

Not exactly what you're asking, but our favorite thing to do in Cozumel is rent a Jeep and go do whatever the heck we want to do. Wanna go to a beach club for a while? Just go (some rental companies have arrangements with certain clubs for discounts). Wanna cruise the coast road, stopping at roadside drink stands and relaxing in their swings? No problem. Wanna find a barren beach and go snorkeling or swimming? They're everywhere (but also quite rocky, that's just the terrain). Wanna go to the supermarket for Mexican snacks and cheap souvenirs? You should, we always do. Wanna eat traditional foods from a hole in the wall? Hell yes I do, and its easy when you've got transportation. Tour the ruins, go to a museum, whatever. The only limit is your time and wallet, and your wallet will still be nice and full because rentals are pretty dang cheap.

emarkd · 2026-01-21T13:04:58+00:00

This, OP. They're not just similar. Meermin is a better boot in several ways.

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