MYOG Projects for this Winter

So I've been thinking about a number of new projects to tackle this winter in the Make-Your-Own-Gear (MYOG) department.  I'm not afraid to tinker, so here's what I'm thinking about working on over the winter, in no particular order.  As I write these up, I'll link them here so it will be a quick reference to all my winter projects.  Links to similar projects I used as a template or for inspiration are on the individual project pages.  If you have any thoughts, ideas, or other projects I can turn to for inspiration, feel free to leave a comment.

My Limmer Boot Journey - Part 2 (First Impressions)

Recently I decided to invest in a pair of high-quality, full leather, old-school hiking boots from the Limmer Boot Company in New Hampshire.  You can read all about the ordering process in Part 1.  I then proceeded to do exactly what Mr. Limmer told me NOT to do, and immediately took them out for a 2-day, 20 mile backpacking trip to Dolly Sods.

Backpacking Dolly Sods - October 2014



Dolly Sods in early October, 2014

 

Three friends and I headed to Dolly Sods Wilderness near Davis, West Virginia recently for a weekend of backpacking and taking in the fall color.  We chose a roughly 20 mile route and planned to hike it in about 2 days, hoping that we had timed the trip with the peak of the fall colors, and I have to say the trip worked out extremely well.

My Limmer Boot Journey - Part 1 (The Order Process)

 

I love backpacking.  I really do.  I don't do nearly as much of it as I'd like to, nor do I do enough to justify really awesome gear.  But that doesn't stop me from being a gear whore.  I've trended towards ultralight over the past 10 years, just like everyone else.  And then I got this bug.  This idea in my head that I should buy a pair of "lifetime" boots... You know the ones - really sturdy, full leather, resoleable.  The kind you leave in your will.  And total overkill for my purposes.

But that didn't stop me from searching.  At first I considered full custom, but my feet are pretty normal, and I just couldn't justify the near or over 4-digit price tag of a full custom boot.  So I settled on an off-the-shelf boot from a high-quality manufacturer.  There are numerous options, but for a variety of reasons I set my sights on Limmer Boots. 

How to Make Your Own Chamois Lube

An important but often neglected (or at least rarely discussed) aspect to cycling a lot is the need to lube up the old grundle to keep from getting saddle sores.  There are lots of off-the-shelf solutions out there on the market, but I think it's a bit overpriced for something that I'm just going to rub up against my man parts and sphincter.  Can't live without it, though, so I make my own.  Here's how: