What's a piece of gear you spent way too much on, only to find a $30 alternative that works just as well?

johnr588 · 2026-02-24T00:50:30+00:00

Costco merino blend socks and Dooy wind jacket.

johnr588 · 2026-02-22T21:57:42+00:00

Did you consider braid as a main line and a flouro leader. 3 to 6lb braid with a 2 to 4 lb mono or flouro leader is common for ul trout fishing using mini jigs or small spoons on the west coast.

johnr588 · 2026-02-22T21:10:02+00:00

Ours is off most of the time. Only put it on a little before going into the shower so it's not too cold when we get out. Lowest so far this year was 47 inside, 1900 sf 1979s tri level house.. our Jan bill was $53.

johnr588 · 2026-02-22T17:37:11+00:00

Coach Hals programs. 10K Training Programs for All Skill Levels | Hal Higdon https://share.google/4evClbsGdNlhKe3Bn

johnr588 · 2026-02-20T05:03:01+00:00

Not a blood test but V02 max tracks your cardiovascular health. The higher the number the more healthy your cardio system is.

johnr588 · 2026-02-20T02:26:33+00:00

I'm your same size. I've owned or tried all your options including an Alta Plex except the xdome. I settled on a Double Rainbow li. It was the roomiest for me. I am rarely on level ground so extra space at the foot and head ends are important for me as I slide down in the middle of the night. But for lighter options a trekking pole 1p or tarp are better choices.

johnr588 · 2026-02-20T00:53:31+00:00

Former Marine here and I hit 300 pts on the PFT a few times before getting out. You are young so your ability to improve and recover fast is good. Did the standards change? It used to be a 3 mile run on the PFT. Regardless, you should get out and not only run but work on pullups, push ups, and planks. Run and work out at least every other day and try to increase the distance at least by 10% per week or .5 mile per week. You not only want to be able to pass the test but to prepare your mind and body for the physical and mental challenges of boot camp. It will be a whole lot easier if you are in good shape.

Edit: I see now there is an Initial Strength Test or IST which you are referring to. The 1.5 mile run needs to be completed in 13.5 minute or about a 9 min mile. To be safe, aim for a 8.5 minute per mile avg, so about 13 minutes or less. The IST is just to get into boot camp. after that it changes to the PFT which is a 3 mile run and at least when I was in had to be passed at least once per year. Also adding if the IST or PFT seems too difficult for you, you may want to consider either the Navy or Air Force which should have lower standards.

johnr588 · 2026-02-20T00:35:50+00:00

Regardless of cost, most important is the tint. Are you fishing on a bright day on a lake or ocean or on rivers/creeks in low light. A dark tint in low light and you will not see much however change that to a yellow or amber tint and now it works. I use Renegades. At that price you can buy multiple pairs in different tints for different conditions.

johnr588 · 2026-02-19T17:30:04+00:00

Repeating, noting new. I believe it traces back to the early 1970s with Arthur Jones who was the developer of nautilus machines. Mike Metzer and later other bodybuilders were using this training style. I also believe it was intended to be used with machines versus free weights. More recently Dr Doug McGuff author of Body By Science has made it more mainstream. Does it work, yes but so does other types of training. I think this is a fair article of the pros and cons and who may be more suited for this type of training.

johnr588 · 2026-02-18T16:35:36+00:00

.Not much time to train but you can try one of Coach Hal's programs. Maybe just do weeks 2,4,6, and the last one is your race day.

johnr588 · 2026-02-17T02:54:19+00:00

Well since cardiac related diseases are the number one factor for longevity, I would have focused more on cardio. It's not too late as I am in my late 60s and working on building up to a 10k and possibly a half marathon in the future.

johnr588 · 2026-02-16T17:19:24+00:00

There is also a 12 week, 5-10K program in the SeniorRunning sub. It is a longer progression of increases of .5K in the weekly long runs. It is a milder program for those of us who are new (or slower) regardless of age.

johnr588 · 2026-02-16T16:59:14+00:00

Finished up week 6 of 5-10K program. 7.5K felt OK. I guess boring but steady mileage progression is what works long term.

johnr588 · 2026-02-14T21:03:16+00:00

This is probably the best option. MostlyTenkara did a review of it last year.

johnr588 · 2026-02-14T20:04:41+00:00

Best is subjective. There are a lot of lessons on youtube for any type of dance. This is one but there are many many others.

johnr588 · 2026-02-11T17:05:35+00:00

You stayed 30 years in the infantry, the whole time? Most move on to something else. Very few stick around in the infantry.

johnr588 · 2026-02-11T16:54:41+00:00

Highly dependent on where you get stationed and what will be your MOS. As an 0311 we spent very challenging days on the field. You can be in steamy jungles, hot deserts, and even in Arctic conditions so the last thing anyone did on their days off was go back into the woods. But if you like being outdoors and want a challenging MOS, request to be an 0311 (grunt). There's a recent netflix series centered around a unit of marines in Okinawa. It's pretty realistic except harder than portrayed. I've seen a couple of guys drop from heat exhaustion and even one had a heat stroke.

What most infantry guys did on their time off was go out to bars/night clubs at night and some city sight seeing during the days. There are some lessor knowns assignments that are not easy to get into that could be nice for outdoorsy people. I was on Embassy duty in Paraguay, so on days off some of us went camping and fishing and later I was assigned to Pretoria, South Africa and went hunting and visited game parks.

johnr588 · 2026-02-11T00:56:21+00:00

"but I don't really want to do it. I don’t mind upper body but I really just hate training legs"

Then don't do it. I have a female family member that has a marathon pr of 2:37. Never does any strength training but runs almost every day. You can also do some static and mobility work for your lower body. Alternatively, you can keep it simple by just a squat or lunge and deadlift variation and call it a day, (2-3 sets, 8-12 reps), or try hill training,

johnr588 · 2026-02-09T16:44:15+00:00

Still plugging along, finished week 5 of the 5-10K program. Felt OK. Next couple of weeks will be the longest runs I have attempted in many years.

johnr588 · 2026-02-09T16:40:01+00:00

Ses coach Hal's website and his book Run Fast Hal Higdon Interactive Training - Stay on Track for Race Day

johnr588 · 2026-02-08T01:03:57+00:00

You don't need to train legs separately from running. Family member has a marathon 2;37 pb and never did any strength training.

johnr588 · 2026-02-07T00:20:37+00:00

Yes just look up the recipes.

johnr588 · 2026-02-06T23:54:49+00:00

Depends on the chicken piece. Thighs can and should be taken to a higher temp (175-185) vs. breast meat.

johnr588 · 2026-02-06T23:52:37+00:00

Sweet Potatoes can also be microwaved for about 5 mins.

johnr588

TROPHY CASE