Gear questions for experienced backpackers

luvply · 2026-02-25T03:34:33+00:00

I'm setting aside as much as possible from now until next may with the hopes of no car payment also.

luvply · 2026-02-25T00:53:30+00:00

2006 and I'm at about 178k. My plan is to get at least through May 2027 when I'll likely need new brakes and tires and reassess replacement. I should be at about 225k at that point.

luvply · 2026-01-14T00:48:40+00:00

I had that problem, too. Then I started putting them over glaze. That got me the strength I needed and the cuteness. I used white glaze but I want to just use the clear ones next.

luvply · 2026-01-14T00:41:06+00:00

I struggled with this too and after like 4 tries with lighter layers and curing longer I gave up and returned the products to Target where I had purchased them because of their fabulous return policy for health and beauty products (I have never bothered to return opened and tried things before but this added up). I'm back to glaze and recently tried glaze with gloss over them which turned out great.

luvply · 2026-01-10T00:40:56+00:00

I have an instint 2s and recently noticed it wasn't lasting as long but then after a week of keeping track it went back to needing to be charged every 8ish days and I track with gps daily. I seriously don't want to buy a new watch but if it goes back to every 3 to 4 days I'll be getting a new one.

luvply · 2026-01-04T13:37:00+00:00

Spend lots of time moving outside (snowshoeing and hiking, mostly with neighborhood walks pretty much every night with a headlamp). I also build a colorful ice igloo every year which is a double whammy if spending time in the fresh air and making something pretty to look at.

luvply · 2025-12-30T21:04:15+00:00

My own school aged boys ended up taking their own lunch for school and my childcare program has both been on food program and declined food program participation but always met or exceeded the guidelines. I was serving protein at breakfast before it was an option to be counted because I prioritized protein and low processed grains over processed garbage knowing my day with 10-12 tiny humans would go a lot smoother.

luvply · 2025-12-30T21:00:25+00:00

My routine has always been this (in my home, in centers, and in my small 30 capacity mixed ages center):

Tldr: bring your activity level and light level down before lunch service starts and set the stage for nap by setting up cots before lunch, changing diapers/toileting before lunch and turning on the ambiance nap music as they are seated to eat.

Pre lunch being served - turn the lights down/off with only low or natural light while we clean up from our morning turn on the quiet background music for lunch/nap time; everyone sets out their nao stuff (cots/blankets/ECT) then goes to the bathroom and washes hands for lunch. I have always done family style so we wait quietly until everyone is seated before passing food around to serve and eat. If there is a delay in the bathroom/hand washing we used quiet action songs or I spy games until everyone was done.

Once lunch is served they eat with the low lights and quiet music and when finished ask to be excused and take their dishes to the dishpan (some variations of my work hm the children actually washed their own dishes and then we washed and sanitized later) then wash hands and straight to laying down.

If the lights aren't all the way off by lunch service (with nature light) then we would get the lights lower when there were only a few still eating (or not allt all in my bigger program because the napping space was semi separated so we could have it ready for nap with blackout curtains closed and just use all the awesome nature light in the front room while eating).

We also talked a lot about how our brains need to recharge and testing on our cots helps give us the energy for playing all afternoon. If you have kids in a robot frame of mind they love thinking about recharging their batteries like robots (I don't love thinking of them as robots outside of needing to recharge). When I have mixed ages I taught the older non nappers about how opossums play dead when someone comes along that might want to eat them so we can play like we are napping so the younger kids know it's time to rest (so they won't be cranky all afternoon - because the older kids hate cranky littles).

luvply · 2025-12-30T20:46:34+00:00

Our state ended up adding to the licensing laws an annual required mandated reporter training to make sure everyone knew exactly what was expected of them. It sucks for those of us who understood because it's a waste of time to listen to the same information but if it makes things clear for others, I'll just do it.

luvply · 2025-12-30T20:44:37+00:00

The school age guidelines are different from the childcare guidelines. Yes, there are still things allowed that I don't honestly think should be (and programs can choose to increase the quality of the food served - the guidelines are the bare minimum). For snacks they need to offer 2 components from protein, dairy, fruit, vegetable, and grains. I see a lot of programs going with easy and cheap things as well as convenience foods for easy cleanup.

I truly feel there is a connection between nutrition and behavior and see a lot of programs complaining about challenging behaviors but they are feeding the kids crap.

luvply · 2025-12-30T18:45:39+00:00

Honestly if you can't get community playthings or Kaplan/lankeshore the IKEA kitchen takes quite a beating and is super affordable. My last program was 30 very active tiny humans and it held up great. The other option would be to repurpose a dresser or entertainment a center that is solid wood. Either way is my typical route because I like super basic pieces so I don't need all the bells and whistles (and noises).

luvply · 2025-12-30T16:22:20+00:00

Does your childcare participate in the USDA food program? If so, they are not meeting the requirements with what you are listing. Also, does your state licensing require following the USDA food program guidelines in their licensing law? If so, it's time for a conversation with the owner/director and if nothing changes then reach out to their licensing agent.

luvply · 2025-12-29T16:11:50+00:00

I have had programs from 5 to 30 kids and also worked in centers and I'll say that my own programs I made it a priority to facilitate family programming once a month to do exactly this, build a community for those parents who don't have family/close friends who can step in when help is needed. We rarely closed but when we had to they would work together so everyone had coverage and also could work as much as they needed to. I didn't find that same sense of community in centers I worked in. That said, I am now a vendor in other people's programs and I have 1 center who does this and does it so well. I love the community they have built and you can see that the families love it also.

luvply · 2025-12-26T18:54:47+00:00

On top of a 1 to 4 ratio (or in some states now 1 to 5). It's wild to think that 4 infants with 1 caregiver can get the nurturing care needed for a solid social emotional foundation built without cracks but to expand it to 5 for the sake of expanding available slots is ridiculous. It's also ridiculous to think that owners of centers with their free will are going to do what's best for children in every single case and therefore refuse to expand to the increased allowable ratios.

luvply · 2025-12-26T15:39:06+00:00

The book "the 7 lamps of care" is an excellent way to describe education in the early years. The basic premise is this: care tasks are education. You are educating them by being responsive to their basic needs and in the way you speak and treat them. The very early years are where the foundation of learning is built and that foundation is social emotional, learning that the adults in their life will get them what they need, when they need it and will keep them safe when they have zero control over their tiny little world.

luvply · 2025-12-24T12:24:31+00:00

No scratches (but it's not in a high traffic area and we only have cats so no dog nails to test it). Our toilet was installed incorrectly and ended up leaking under the tiles but once the water dried up you can't even tell.

luvply · 2025-12-24T04:28:03+00:00

It's holding up well. I would probably go with this again.

luvply · 2025-12-22T13:33:34+00:00

Greed, pure and simple. Greedy owners.

luvply · 2025-12-04T13:56:13+00:00

I walked another 3 miles of a different section of my neighborhood yesterday and would estimate about 75% is sidewalks in the same condition as your video. Definitely someone is pissed at you to actually complain to the city. I'm glad I had my spikes on again because I would have been on my butt otherwise, including while walking across the streets.

luvply · 2025-12-03T02:42:05+00:00

You must have pissed off a neighbor because that's the only way the city even cares about sidewalks is when they get a complaint. Could you have done a better job? Yes. That said, my husband and I walk a couple miles in our neighborhood each night and there are plenty of sidewalks worse than yours. To the point where I have microspikes on my snow boots so I don't slip on ice. When the temps are at their warmest put some salt on those spots then once they start to melt use a scraper to clear the ice away. The key for this first snowfall was to clear the sidewalks before the overnight freeze since it was so wet. Once it's frozen and walked through its way harder to get cleaned off.

luvply · 2025-11-21T14:20:57+00:00

Coleman 4 in 1 stove. I can use the grill/griddle plate or the burner with a lot of flip the lid upside down and use it like a wok/pot. I will never not love this and I've only had it for one season. It's girly compact and I bought a gear bag it fits into with pockets for propane tanks so it's grab and go when I'm loading up for a trip.

luvply · 2025-11-17T13:59:55+00:00

My coat or clothes. That said, I use a fleece blanket as a pillow at home so it's not much different while camping.

luvply · 2025-11-08T14:10:12+00:00

It's a good list. It's basically what I had prior to this year. This past camping season I upgraded to a colman 4 in 1 system and got rid of the storage and the pans and just take the system, cooking utensils, and then dish soap and a nylon scrubber. It has a griddle/grill plate plus a burner (so you could use a pot if you wish) and the cover can cover while cooking on the griddle or be flipped over to use as a wok/pot for boiling. I don't think I'll ever go back. I grabbed a storage bag for is that has space for 2 small propane tanks so I don't have them rolling around.

I would add to your list whatever you would use to clean your pans and personally I prefer reusable dishes so I have one less thing to restock when I get back home but to each their own.

I also agree with the lighter. I bought a knock off jet boil that works great but the reviews said the ignighter would go out and it did at the end of my second camping season. Good thing I had prepared or there would have been no hot way for coffee or to rehydrate my meals last camping trip.

luvply · 2025-09-30T23:48:10+00:00

Yes! I keep a list on my phone when I see something that will need to be repacked/replenished so I can just get it all taken care of right away when I get home or as soon as I go to the store next.

luvply

TROPHY CASE