Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/

Excellent reviews and tests of hydration systems, packs, stoves, filters, etc, etc.  Worth a bookamrk, IMHO
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How someone who hands out fare cards from behind a piece of bulletproof glass is worth $55k  a year is beyond me. Nonetheless, NYC mass transit is at a standstill until they get their labor problems taken care of. How do you suppose folks are commuting? I was there for the last strike and remember seeing trucks full of people paying money just for a ride across the Brooklyn Bridge. Moral: if youre dependent on someone else for your transport, you are at their mercy.
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Im telling ya, a couple zip ties, some paracord, and a small roll of duct tape in you rbag turns you into McGyver…zipties (aka 'cable ties') are cheap, tough and damn handy. Stick a few in the bag and a few in the glovebox. You wont regret it.