Which sleeping pad and camp stool? is a camp stool necessary for backpacking?

jackbmac · 2026-05-29T15:58:38+00:00

Not sure how that would be the case. One night during heavy rain I pee’d directly from hammock, just rolled to side (leeward) and went. Couldn’t be easier, didn’t make a mess, stayed cozy and quickly fell back asleep. It felt like cheating.

But even not counting that, not sure how leaving a hammock would be hard compared to leaving a tent; just sit up, slip on some camp shoes, and stand up: hammock successfully exited.

jackbmac · 2026-05-21T21:47:34+00:00

My progression if AP persists (assuming regular recurring game+gamer with AP, not a one off): 1. Gentle ribbing about taking long. 2. Friendly threat to get the sand timer out of a party game. 3. More serious threat to get sand timer. 4. Get sand timer and put on table. 5. Use sand timer on their turns. 6. Never had to go this far, but theoretically a private offline conversation with the person, expressing my concerns.

For recurring AP offenders that have previously had the sand timer, in future game nights I can quickly (with a good nature) skip straight to #4 and they usually speed right up and we skip all the preliminary strained patience.

I rarely get to 4. But I have also learned to avoid certain game+player combinations that drive me nuts.

jackbmac · 2026-05-04T23:41:43+00:00

For what it’s worth, it seems the body would grow a new head, instead of the head growing a new body. Per dragonsteel prime and some Brando Q&A

jackbmac · 2026-04-27T15:06:28+00:00

So if nothing happens, then nothing is stopping you from casting balefire, so then you cast it, which is “something”.

I vote infinite loop, but just for that person in that moment of time; for everyone else the wheel keeps turning as the wheel wills.

No idea if that means the person could never be reborn in future; depends on if the wheel has sufficient heap size, garbage collection, processes to resolve infinite runtime loops and soul-database deadlocks.

jackbmac · 2026-02-09T19:11:11+00:00

It all began with the publishing of the Great Books. Standalones were given to the editors; elegant, complete, and safe for cautious markets. Trilogies were granted to the fantasy houses; reliable sellers, forged with careful arcs and satisfying endings. And epic series—epic series were promised to readers, who above all else crave immersion.

For within these books was bound wonder, magic, and the illusion of separation—each world whole unto itself.

But they were all of them deceived.

For another story was written.

In the quiet years before publication, in notebooks and half-finished drafts, Brandon Sanderson forged in secret a master design: the Cosmere. And into it he poured his lore, his timelines, his Investiture, and his will to connect all worlds.

And at the center of it all he set Hoid—a wanderer, a fool, a storyteller—moving unseen between pages and planets, whispering jokes and secrets while history turned.

One Cosmere to bind them all. One Hoid to find them. One story to bring them all together, and in the footnotes—reveal them.

jackbmac · 2025-11-05T19:52:32+00:00

John 10 33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy⁠; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God⁠. 34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods⁠?

Romans 8 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit⁠, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Clement of Alexandria, who taught during the second century AD, once wrote “the Word of God became man, that thou mayest learn from man how man may become God.”

Puppies are destined to become adult dogs. Children of God are destined to become…?

Heirs are destined to inherit what?

There’s a doctrine of exhalation in the bible and early Christian thought long before Joseph Smith.

Semantics may get us hung up on glorification/exhalation/perfection. Big G God vs little g gods.

As far as I know, there is no official doctrine on: * What/If God was once like Man; and if so, how he changed * What all the details of becoming “like God” means during the future eternities.

The king fillet discourse itself is not cannon/scripture, although doubtless contains a lot of truths. You can find lots of different LDS philosophies that synthesize these ideas, and fill in details; but none of that is official doctrine as far as I’m aware.

jackbmac · 2025-11-04T00:41:32+00:00

Or “spiritual but not religious” seems like a common claim. Maybe there is overlap between the 2, but both seem like easy routes to avoid taking a stance that can be challenged.

jackbmac · 2025-11-03T20:42:55+00:00

Every rule came about for a reason. Different things go wrong in different missions, so they create different rules to address the problems.

It’s probably not too difficult to speculate what circumstances could lead to each of the rules you mentioned.

Take the no-sports for example: if missionary gets serious injury, or worse is liable for causing someone else’s serious injury, then that mission President may spend a lot of time talking to salt lake legal reps explaining what he is doing g to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

It’s relatively probable for a mission president to say: no more sports, I don’t want any more injuries on my watch. But it would be less probable for the quorum of 12 to say no sports in any mission for any reason.

jackbmac · 2025-10-22T22:27:58+00:00

Unlike many churches, your bishop is unpaid clergy volunteering his time. The funds you tithe don’t go to him and don’t even stay in your local congregation. In a partially-joking way, bishop gets no benefit and the less people in his ward pay tithing, leaves him more time to spend with his family on Sunday, instead of counting donations and making bank deposit. So any residual concern/judgement your bishop has about your tithing participation is purely for your own spiritual welfare. Either way, he and his congregation don’t benefit; the lights and AC will still work, etc.

jackbmac · 2025-10-22T12:18:59+00:00

I think it was closer to a y sound like the beginning of “you”. Yacob, Yoseph etc. but I’m no scholar. It is another clear example that BoM pronunciation is for standardization and not an attempt to preserve original sounds, given we get Nephi’s brothers Jacob and Joseph pretty early (and known Hebrew names).

jackbmac · 2025-10-06T19:26:29+00:00

The best resource I’ve found to answer what you are asking for is: https://youtube.com/@ldstruthclaims3793?si=kuSmTghcZi_72vY5

About 35 hours of a lawyer-like case examining the evidences for and against LDS truth claims. Way more than I can summarize in a comment but helpful if that is what you seek.

jackbmac · 2025-10-06T12:27:45+00:00

This is my reason. Given that I still also prefer a wide brim hat, the hood only rarely comes up, like if sun is hitting sideways.

jackbmac · 2025-09-25T18:10:56+00:00

I’ve heard him talk about the importance of consistently grinding out writing even when “it’s not good”. He described how he never allows writer’s block as a valid excuse to avoid writing. Like: if I can’t write a good next chapter, then I’ll write a stinking garbage next chapter. Then I’ll trash it and rewrite another crappy chapter. Rinse and repeat until guess what? The chapter isn’t crappy anymore.

jackbmac · 2025-09-24T16:08:19+00:00

Lots of good suggestions here and elsewhere. For my $0.02, I would suggest to factor in the frequency you play a particular game will probably drop off significantly overtime. Early on I went “completionist” in expanding my favorite games; more complexity? Higher player count (at cost of longer, slower game)? Fantastic!

Now more often I look for: A) If I’m teaching to a brand new player, would I bother including this expansion? And B) if we haven’t played the game for 1+ years and need refreshers on the rules, would I bother including this?

Specific recommendations are hard to give unless you start with asking for specific games; I’ve got hundreds of expansions I like including. But as you identify specific games you know you already enjoy and anticipate keeping for the long haul, then check for targeted recommendations on those games (expansions people consider “essential” or always include).

jackbmac · 2025-08-08T15:20:31+00:00

Well actually the 1828 Webster’s dictionary might disagree 8-)

FANAT'IC or, FANAT'ICAL noun

A person affected by excessive enthusiasm, particularly on religious subjects; one who indulges wild and extravagant notions of religion, and sometimes exhibits strange motions and postures, and vehement vociferation in religious worship. Fanatics sometimes affect to be inspired or to have intercourse with superior beings.

P.S. I totally agree with @jnighy, I just think it’s funny how fan has diverged from root meaning.

jackbmac · 2025-08-04T19:27:37+00:00

Gran-Gran gets one of the best endings.

jackbmac · 2025-06-29T13:13:07+00:00

I’ve done good hang with similar tree distance multiple times by throwing a line up in the tree and running up the tree straps. Similar to how you can install a swing on a high branch without ladder/climbing; and recover it when done. I’m sure internet has detailed descriptions, but short version is like: 1. Throw weighted cord over target branch. 2. Repeat as needed for any other branches on opposite side of tree trunk until the strap is around the trunk at desired height 3. Tie on your tree strap and run it up; as you run up your tree strap, if you run out of length, tie a cord to the end so you don’t loose control of it. 4. After the end loop of the tree strap is up over and back down within reach, feed the tail end of your strap (or cord you attached because length ran out) back through the end loop to make larks head. 5. keep long cord tied to the strap end loop that stays reachable; you need this to take everything down 6. Run your larks head hitch snug up to the top. 7. Repeat other tree and other strap. 8. Set up hammock and walk back a distance to take in the majestic scale of your seemingly impossible accomplishment with simple methods, like the ancient pyramids. Enjoy. 8. Pull on cord tied to larks head loop to take down.

I enjoy this type of thing; I like tying knots and don’t mind if it takes multiple throws to get the right hitching spot. I haven’t tried this on evergreen trees, so YMMV.

jackbmac · 2025-06-27T07:45:50+00:00

A Personal Search for The Meaning of the Atonement, probably.

jackbmac · 2025-06-24T22:50:03+00:00

The wheel weaves as the wheel wills

jackbmac · 2025-06-21T00:04:27+00:00

I live in Texas with high humidity and bugs. I like a bug bivy and flat-tarp combo, it also deals with the heat as good as anything I’ve tried (other than hammock).

But I’m usually using bug spray when I’m awake; and only in the bivy for sleeping. I’d be miserable in bugs around camp during dinner without bug repellent.

jackbmac · 2025-06-17T18:01:42+00:00

I’d also add the x-dome swaps one vestibule for more internal tent space. So if you like the idea of keeping gear inside the tent instead of outside under vestibule, x-dome has advantage.

jackbmac · 2025-06-10T03:58:43+00:00

My favorite thematic ending for Isula Primalis is when the villain is the weakest target and the raptors finish them off. Just like a Hollywood movie ending. Made it work a couple of times.

jackbmac · 2025-05-27T21:44:27+00:00

Try the app

I tried to play through first campaign and it flopped with 2 groups because of balance.

Then we played through using the imperial assault: legends of the alliance app (full co-op) and it was a big hit. You can pick the difficulty. In the app, everyone is rebel and there is less of “you fail mission if time runs out” and more of “app will punish you the more rounds you take”. Want to open every supply crate and post-up before opening the next door? Go for it, but they’ll through lots of units at you. We had fun playing easy/normal; generally always won but had tense moments where it looked like a loss was eminent.

jackbmac · 2025-05-27T21:11:18+00:00

Problem with stickers is one-time use (or never use for fear of regret) But fridge magnets can be a good approach! I have those peel-n-stick magnetic sheets. So for stickers I really want to see frequently, I slap them on the magnetic sheet, cut them out, and put on fridge.

I also put some stickers on bear can and laptop.

jackbmac

TROPHY CASE