Weekend activities! (old thread reanimated)

[professor]

No a flint and steel is easier to make a spark. You’re carrying steel for wood cutting, food prep etc You gather tinder when dry and carry it for when it’s raining.

I carry depending on trip a Toaks 550, Alpkit Kraku, MSR Peizo, Snow Peak Hot lips, Primus 100g canister, Jetboil canister stand.

My knife I keep a firestarter as a backup if Peizo doesn’t work.

If I’m truly intending to cook I’ll also nest a wider pot such as a Toaks 700ml.

If just for day hiking or overnight I’ll switch to alcohol cooking as lighter smaller, 60ml will do a dinner+breakfast, but switch to mini Bic lighter as harder to light with ferrorod, with ferrorod as backup. Alcohol is harder to fail but gets heavier than gas for more than a few days, and hates wind

If an overnight I’ll not pack a charger just a 10000mah Anker Powercore

[professor]

I ignored lockdown

Every cop thinks a cyclist is knackered after 5 miles when in reality it’s after 165 miles.

Just didn’t wear lycra, and go slowly when passing roadblock

BTW there’s going to be another pandemic not too far in future, population increase, urbanisation, and encroaching into nature will bring it again. Viruses need hosts, and needs them bunched together and guess what we do…

I wasn’t remotely scared in the last one I only took care to not give it if I got it. Can’t infect others on a bike

[thebassline]

That is really cool. The “backpacking” I do is out in the woods with hiking and tent camping. The US doesn’t lend itself to backpacking travel with how massive and sprawling it is but I am always jealous when I see people take a month or more to backpack Europe. Sounds like you had an adventure.

[thebassline]

That is a nice setup. I also carry a 10000mah Powercore for anything less then a few days overnight. I’ll take a 25K mah for anything more than 3 nights.

[professor]

Well you can do backpacking in USA, the most common you hear are the Pacific Coast Trail following the ridge of the Rockies Mexico-Alaska, and the Appalachian trail.

Europe employees often give 6 weeks holiday / year. When I worked in USA I had 15 days. So USA is more of a long weekend type, while UK often a week or more.

Europe is denser populated there’s far less wilderness than USA has.

[thebassline]

Yeah, I’ve done parts of the Applachian trail (I’m east coast USA). I meant urban backpacking, rail travel, etc. Europe lends itself for urban exploration and travel, not so much with US. My dream would be to do the Pacific Coast Trail or Continential divide.

[professor]

Well you do have Amtrak, I’ve seen some tourism type vids.

But yes USA/Canada lower population density means less well served by mass transit and more car dependent.

I drove across USA and Canada a few years ago. 9000 miles. I had camping stuff with me in case couldn’t get a hotel/Airbnb and didn’t want to risk a Winnebago in the mountains.

Car touring we’d buy regular food en route and cook in kitchen but we found just periodically buying ice at gas station kept a regular cooler box at freezing, we’d drain melt water out bottom and add fresh ice every couple of days , so I’m puzzled who’d want the Anker freezer thingy, more things to fail and the cost.

[Chiquinho]

In our days such hitchhiking is not possible anymore.
Too dangerous for both parts.
Hiere in Europe you could use a special ticket called Interrail

Interrail.eu | 1 rail pass, 33 countries

Think this is not so bad.
But I don’t know about the condition to take part and get this ticket.

[thebassline]

Yes, this is the rail system I am referring to. Nothing in the US compares to this in regards to convienience and speed except possibly the Acela train in the Northeast (so I’m told).

[professor]

I’d be guarded saying less safe, stats suggest opposite, what you may be referring to is media is more prevalent now so it gathering up all the bad news as entertainment, the most exaggerated wins and then advertising in-between a series of hyperboles.

I prefer to use local knowledge, and the world isn’t too bad. E.g. not been a European war for 70 years.

[Chiquinho]

I never used this system
Was not available in the “old times”
But I think its great fro young ones to use and travel.
For most US citizens is really strange to travel one hour and reach another country with another language.

Here in Germany the most young ones speak English.
But in France its not so easy.
And even if one finds someone who seems to speak English one will not understand.
The french accent is horrible often when they try to speak English.

Please forgive me , all French friends here.
But that’s my opinion.

When speaking a view words of french, its absolutely great of course.
Was always perfect for me.
Don’t speak much French!

For those who know such a latin language like Spanisch, Italian, Romanian and Portuguese
there is not a huge problem to talk with people in the countries speaking such a latin language They will understand and its really more funny.

One thing I have to mention:
Whenever you met someone, PLEASE ask him if he speaks your language,
Don’t attack him with English first, this is not polite and may lead to confusions.

Only a few words in the language spoken in the country you are visiting will help a lot
and you are welcome!

.

[professor]

Latest gadget from China

Has advantage can use a windshield as no canister to overheat and less of a hotspot under my Ti pot than the BRS3000T.

USA you got a reasonable local energy system including Canada but Europe is reliant on imported fuel and if Germany has a bad winter then rest of Europe goes off-grid. Last winter was mild hence nothing of note happened.

[Chiquinho]

Last winter was mild hence nothing of note happened.

True!
Not all know that here.

[professor]

I think it’s best to be prepared so you’re not fearful.

[professor]

When I worked in Munich, I’d ask in German, thinking respectful and sign I’m trying to integrate, but my reply came back in English. Probably as my German was too bad - accent?.

When I worked in Paris, I’d ask in French but I got a blank face back. I also thought my accent was off so tried to hone it.

I then worked in Montreal, used my Paris honed French, and I was told “you sound too Parisien”.

I worked in USA and met a German and I was keen to practice my German and they said I was sounding Bavarian - German accent.

I worked in Houston - around the time of the Gulf Oil spill. My Australian accent came in handy.

Can’t win.

I find my German skills are lost fastest, probably as it’s the most dissimilar to English. French is just English sounding drunk.

Best just speak English. Rude. But works.

[ndalby]

Best option, always ask (in host language) if English is understood…while it’s nice to try converse in the mother tongue of your host country, some accept with affection, some treat it as a slight insult…or probably an annoyance of accent😂

[professor]

Be careful

[Chiquinho]

That’s what I meant.
For example:
In Portugal often people are starting to speak English with me first, knowing I am a stranger.

But when responding them in Portuguese
they are more than delighted and we are having much fun.

I mostly answer them .: “In Portugal, normally Portuguese is spoken, isn’t it?”
(Em Portugal, normalmente fala-se Portuguese, ou nao?)

[Chiquinho]

and they said I was sounding Bavarian - German accent.

I would really like to hear you speaking Bavarian!

When speaking English I am often told I have an American accent.
I know where it comes from.
Being a child I was often together with american kids.
I even went to an american kindergarten.
Later I often visited an american youth club and when playing in a band we
often played in US institutions here.

In school this was not so pleasing, because most of the teachers had an Oxford accent.
So they did like mine.

[Chiquinho]

Nice finding today,
While in the US is the memorial day I found a “canteen” water bottle from the Wehrmacht
dated 1941.

Good condition.
Meanwhile those things are getting rare, though the true collectors die out.

The colour of the coating is not a normal one.
Normally its grey.
So I will have to do some further research.