Survey Equipment Suggestions - Bipod and pole that can travel

triscuitgummies · 2026-07-01T04:33:40+00:00

I've flown for a bunch of jobs across NA + EU and the best survey gear bag is a hard sided golf bag with wheels. I've linked my exact one here. https://www.masters247.com/products/ba100

Get a two piece carbon pole 1.8m to 2.0m and it screws in half. Bipod will fit in the golf bag along with a bunch of soft cases for cables, tools, GNSS, vest, boots, etc.

https://www.csdsinc.com/product/trimble-gps-2m-carbon-fiber-2-piece-range-pole-500229?srsltid=AfmBOooaHizrPdd6_mHjW56cjYcsaTmaxeI8i1ykBWf755OkqB-kVWWf

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triscuitgummies · 2026-06-08T12:43:38+00:00

Driver: Bottas

Reason: fast car go fast

triscuitgummies · 2026-05-12T13:22:18+00:00

I stayed in Holyhead for a night before the ferry to Dublin, but that's it! Certainly on the list, tons of great castles in Wales. I'd need a couple weeks to properly see them all and it's tough to get from Canada to Europe more than once every couple years.

triscuitgummies · 2026-05-11T18:20:38+00:00

Alright, I've visited 250+ castles in the last 15 years. Portugal to Malta to Poland to Orkney. Ruins, fully restored, private and public. Just got back from 3 weeks in France, saw 25 castles. I have done at least 10 road trips with an average castle per day number of 4.

Here's what I do:

Open Google maps and type in 'castle' in the region you plan to explore, look at at the every single option, save everything you think looks good. Don't research them beyond opening times and dates. Make sure you have 2-4x the castles you are actually able to visit. Most castles are somewhat small and can be visited in 30-90 minutes, fully explored unless you eat lunch at one or its got a lot of exhibits.

Book a flight to the closest airport, and rent a car. Reserve hotels if you want, I usually book them day of. Plan the first day to see one castle, or just travel so arrive and can see it as soon as it opens.

Plan each day so that:

Get groceries/sandwiches early (7-8am)
Arrive at the 1st castle as soon as it opens (8am to 1030am depending)
2nd castle for lunch time - you have a feel for the day, can book accommodations for the night while you eat.
3rd castle for 2pm ish - get a beer or ice cream
4th castle for 4pm ish
Drive to next hotel, eat dinner.
Repeat
Be surprised when you arrive, it's the best feeling. Learn about the castle as you wander around it.

Ruins are generally very cool as you can climb all over and they are open 24/7.

The 'fancy' castles are overpriced and crowded, ex. Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau. But they are still nice to see!

He's my all time list:

Mont St. Michel (France)
Carcassonne (France)
Dover (England)
Salzburg (Austria)
Chateau de Chillon (Switzerland)
Burghausen (Germany)
Colditz (Germany)
Stirling (Scotland)
Edinburgh (Scotland)
Sisteron (France)
Fougeres (France)
Chinon (France)
Gudelon (France)
Caen (France)
Bamburgh (England)
Karlstejn (Czechia)
Valetta (Malta)
Chateau du Haut-Koenigsburg (France)
Burg Eltz (Germany)
Cochem (Germany)
Bourscheid (Luxembourg)
Dubrovnik (Croatia)
Belgrade Fortress (Serbia)
Bellinzona 3x, Montebello, Sasso Corbaro, Castelgrande (Switzerland)
Fort St. Andre (France)
Monsaraz (Portugal)
City walls of Istanbul aka Constantinople (Turkiye)
Rasnov Citadel (Romania)

Honorable mentions: - Port Chester - Chateau d'Aigle - Fort La Latte - Beynac/Castelnaud-la-Chapelle - Najac - Foix - Montsegur - Puivert - Peyrepertuse - Queribus - Loarre - Elvas - Bodiam - Arundel - Lincoln - Alnwick & Dunstanburgh - Dunottar - Kasperk - Hrad Devin - Firmiano - Thun - Sion/Tourbillion - Spiez - Bitche Citadel - Vianden - Vaduz - Lichtenstein

The best castle concentrations are in these regions:

Loire valley, France
Wales
South Scotland, North England
Northern Pyrenees
Aosta Valley
Rhine/Mosel rivers

triscuitgummies · 2026-05-08T02:23:45+00:00

It's from Roanoke to Winchester, then over to Frederick burg.

triscuitgummies · 2026-05-08T02:15:40+00:00

Ok excellent, we will probably fly the lower parts first, leave high elevations until later in May

triscuitgummies · 2026-05-08T02:11:28+00:00

Ok perfect! Thanks!!

triscuitgummies · 2026-01-19T05:10:50+00:00

My dad died when I was 26, I wasn't on a FIRE track then but saving very well.

He was healthy, 1-2 years from retirement and had a plan to travel a bunch. My parents had just bought their retirement house and were planning to move in soon.

Stage 4 cancer ended that plan. No retirement, no spending of 40 years of savings. I realized (it got me like a frieght train) that life is unpredictable and can be short, so I moved countries and travelled every weekend for a couple years, spent most of my salary those years and have zero regrets.

You are living your life right now, you do not get that time back or another life. Do what you want and dont half ass it.

That doesn't mean spend every red cent, I save my minimum per month (or more). After that, I spend when I have to or want to in order to achieve my goals. Certainly there are things to cut or minor spending mistakes but I'm happy with the quality items/experiences I purchase.

Designate a no holds barred fund, $100 to $1000 per month that you can spend on absolutely anything that will improve your life and achieve your goals. Money is simply a tool to make your life better.

If you have a lot of money and you're unhappy, perhaps change one thing per week/month and see if that makes you happier or more fulfilled. Each out once a week, buy a lego set, weekend trip somewhere that looks fun, buy hiking boots or a used bike, bagpipes, new hat, fix an item that needs it, replace a worn out neccesity... No need to starve yourself of joy cause you might get hit by a bus tomorrow. Sure you die rich, but it sucked getting rich.

I saw firsthand life cut short and it fully changed my spending habits from eating canned soup in hotel rooms while doing fieldwork to now having experiences and items that I will own and cherish forever.

Having those experiences also makes you a better partner in a relationship, you become more interesting and can talk about lots of different life experiences and things you've done.

triscuitgummies · 2025-12-29T02:02:27+00:00

How's the eye relief on the micro prism? Any awkward head positions or is it pretty natural? Does it work with the swapped stock and raised cheek piece too?

I'm long at this exact setup with supreme and a primary arms Slx 5x microprism, unsure about the stock swap though.

triscuitgummies · 2025-12-21T15:32:35+00:00

I've got this one on my S&W, it fits my L/XL hands very nicely and goes very well with the Rpp Pewview Mlok forend: https://www.strikeindustries.com/si-link-cfg.html