April Showers

Instead of a single specific topic, I thought I'd share a few short updates on my life that probably won't ever make it into a full article.  Here's the quick rundown: (1)Tarpon Fishing in the Florida Keys, (2) Progress (or lack of) on my backpacking teepee, (3) Teaching my daughter how to tie flies, (4) My bum knees, (5) Memorial Day weekend camping, (6) Going west, young man

Let's dive in, shall we?

MYOG Backpacking Tipi - Part 1 Design

For a while now there have been a number of things pushing me towards going to a Tipi (tepee? teepee?) for backpacking.  Normally I'm a hammock guy, and it's a great solution for trips where I'm sheltering alone.  A recent 4-person trip to the Dolly Sods Wilderness was the first thing... Four of us carried two 2+ pound shelters... not bad, but probably improved upon with an ultralight 4-person solution.  The other thing that got me thinking about it was my desire to take my kids backpacking.  Real backpacking, not car camping, which would mean lots of weight on my shoulders and no real lightweight solution to sleep more than 2 of us together.  Putting someone in their own tent without Daddy would be a non-starter at their ages, so I need a big and light shelter for the whole family.  Enter my defining MYOG project for this winter... a lightweight backpacking tepee capable of sleeping 4 adults or a few adults and a lot of kids.

Ultralight Recycled Camp Shoes

I promised I share how to make some super simple, super cheap, and super lightweight camp shoes.  Recently I was stuck in the house for an afternoon and needed something to fill my time.  Looking around my gear room, my old trusty blue foam pad caught my eye.  Camp Shoes!  Time to grab the scissors...

Building a simple workbench

Before I embark on a winter's worth of projects, I needed to get a work area set up.  I had staked a claim to a corner of the basement that would become home to all (most) of my gear and my workshop.  The first major step was to get a workbench put together, as this would be the main focal point and working space in my little shop.

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.