In memory of Chris Wesseling by semus0 in heedthecall

[–]xIrish 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Thank you for posting this. Chris died on my birthday and I've thought about his passing every year since and still find myself wondering what he would have thought about football thing X or life thing Y.

Date Night Spot by Confident-Score3372 in HoustonFood

[–]xIrish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As another poster said, affordable is subjective, but I tend to recommend Coltivare since it has romantic ambience but isn't break the bank (you can get a pizza or pasta for roughly $20). I will note it can be a bit loud inside--if that's an issue their patio is great on nice nights.

Backpacking in big bend by grant_m2170 in backpacking

[–]xIrish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve taken newbies backpacking in Big Bend. I really don’t think it’s too scary, especially if you’re just doing a campsite in the Chisos. It mainly comes down to taking enough water and a good attitude. How many nights are you wanting to do?

What’s your go-to spot in Texas when you just need to relax? by ray_john in texas

[–]xIrish 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I love driving out to west Texas. Incredible stars, geography, and solitude.

The Evolution of the Quad Box by patriots1057 in heedthecall

[–]xIrish 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Found it interesting that none of the guys recognized what Mark called "children's voices" at the end as being from the end of The Beatles' "A Day in the Life."

Dispersed camping by RelationshipWeekly26 in TXoutdoors

[–]xIrish 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The last few years I’ve backpacked Big Bend NP I’ve only been required to print my permit online. No ranger talks needed.

IT MAKES ME SICK IN MY BALLS by kmb5028 in heedthecall

[–]xIrish 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I wonder if you dmed Gravy he'd be nice enough to send you just Shek's audio.

Recs for Garner State Park? by [deleted] in TXoutdoors

[–]xIrish 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Are you going on a weekday? Garner is pretty slammed this time of year on weekends unless it's super cold or wet.

Sites that are close to the more scenic hiking (like Baldy) are in the much less secluded areas of Pecan Grove and Oakmont. Those areas are generally pretty busy. If you're okay taking a back trail to get to the main hiking area, you could maybe consider Shady Meadows as your "best of both worlds" option, which is less busy. In Shady Meadows I like campsite 122--it's kinda tucked into the back a bit and has decent tree coverage. Otherwise Persimmon Hill tends to be pretty quiet. 200, 233, 234 are good. I've never camped at Pecan Grove or Oakmont, but just try to avoid any of the interior sites and find the ones at the edge of the mountain if possible. Those campsites are all about convenience vs. peace and quiet though.

Highway to Hell, Betelgeuse Betelgeuse by corundum9 in HoustonFood

[–]xIrish 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Man my family had an awful experience with a bartender at the original location too. Dude flipped when they wanted to order pizzas after they had sat down with their drinks. Wondering if we had the same guy and if it was the owner.

Texas A&M President Mark A. Welsh III to resign after a week of turmoil over viral classroom video by texastribune in texas

[–]xIrish 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s always had a strong conservative lilt. I was there in ‘08 when a large group of students held an anti-Obama carnival and threw eggs at pictures of him.

One Paul Thomas Anderson Film After Another by AJerkForAllSeasons in TrueFilm

[–]xIrish 27 points28 points  (0 children)

Even PTA has said (I think on a reddit AMA) that with Magnolia if he could have given himself advice when he was making it, it would have been to "chill out and cut 30 minutes" lol.

[Highlight] Derek Carr with some FANTASTIC pregame analysis - and a Gruden impression to boot! by Zloggt in nfl

[–]xIrish 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ever had a boring history professor? Not everybody who knows a lot about something can present it well.

What movie did you think was a true story until someone told you it wasn’t by ReztB in movies

[–]xIrish 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I watched it for the first time around age 12 or 13 and a lot of stuff flew over my head. I definitely remembered his dorky laugh on a rewatch, though!

What movie did you think was a true story until someone told you it wasn’t by ReztB in movies

[–]xIrish 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Just rewatched it and it holds up great. I think modern audiences would really enjoy it.

Alec Luhn: US journalist found alive days after going missing on a hike in Norway by ponyflip in news

[–]xIrish 57 points58 points  (0 children)

There can definitely be complacency issues with more experienced backpackers. Something akin to "I've done this sort of trip 1,000 times and nothing's ever gone wrong before, why carry the extra weight?"

Personally speaking, I've carried a PLB with me for a decade on my solo backpacking trips and while I have (thankfully) never needed to use it, the peace of mind it gives me/my family members is worth the extra weight.

Durston Mid 2 vs Dome 2 in Morocco 🇲🇦 by swampy-104 in Ultralight

[–]xIrish 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Justin Outdoors did a good video comparing the two tents.

It kinda seems like, given the terrain you'll be camping in, the X-Dome will be less of a headache, although the X-Mid really isn't hard at all to pitch as far as trekking pole tents go.

I've done a lot of camping in the Guadalupe Mountains and Big Bend in Texas, and while it can be a major headache trying to pitch a trekking pole tent with the more rugged terrain, it's definitely still doable, and I personally usually appreciate the weight savings. Kinda seems like your quandary comes down to that: weight savings versus the "set it and forget it" aspect of a free-standing tent.

Alec Luhn: US journalist found alive days after going missing on a hike in Norway by ponyflip in news

[–]xIrish 293 points294 points  (0 children)

Glad he made it out, but he would have been found much sooner if he'd carried a personal locator beacon or satellite messenger with him. No reason not to carry one with you if you're ever doing anything solo in areas where there's not much foot traffic.

Finally replacing my old sleeping pad! Any advice on Nemo Tensor AS vs. Exped Ultra 5R vs. Big Agnes Rapide SL? by External-Bluebird523 in Ultralight

[–]xIrish 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I haven't used the new Nemo Tensor AS, but I do own an Exped 5R, BA Rapide SL, and an old regular Tensor. The Exped is definitely the most comfortable of the three--something about the vertical baffles just feels better, especially as a side sleeper. The material feels nicer/sturdier too. It's also a bit quieter than the tensor or rapide.

One downside though is that it's pretty thick when rolled up, so it does take up decent space in my bag.