redneckbackpacker

[redneckbackpacker]

This is the Nemo Galaxi 2P tent, in earth brown. Overall, it’s roomy, vents decently with the rain fly on, and there’s a few little things that I really like about it.

Setup was quick, with only two stakes needed for the rain fly. The poles are all joined by a central wheel, so they extend quickly and easily. Everything besides the vestibule corners attaches to the poles, so all I had to do to set up was to drive the stakes for the vestibules. By myself, setup was less than four minutes.

Outside, the rain fly has little Velcro strips for military nametapes, which I promptly fetched from the house and stuck on to my new tent. The fly sits fairly taut without using all of the stakes, but six aluminum stakes are provided for added stability in high winds. The zippers didn’t snag while opening and closing the rain fly several times, either.

The inside is very roomy, tall enough for me to sit upright close to the edges. The tent is long enough that at 5'11" I had plenty of extra leg room to lie down. The floor extends about eight inches up the side walls, which should do wonders for keeping the inside good and dry. Ventilation is excellent, the inside isn’t much more humid and stuffy than the Carolina stuffiness outside, and without the fly the mesh tent is wonderfully breezy. Button the corgi also approved of it wholeheartedly.

My only complaints are easily remedied. There aren't enough guy lines supplied to actually guy even half of the tent, but 550 cord does a better job anyway (and why don't you have any 550 cord with you?). The tent also didn't come with a compression sack, so it's rather bulky when stowed, but a trip to REI will take care of that problem.

The doors have little magnetic retainers for keeping them open and there is a small pouch in the peak of the tent that diffuses light from a headlamp. I’m a fan of the brown color, it’s nice and subdued, not jarring with the landscape (though if you prefer the brighter colors, it also comes in lime green). At five pounds, it’s no superlight tent, but it’s easily split between two people and for the price (a birthday gift from my wonderful parents or $250 MSRP) it’s an excellent competitor for REI’s Half Dome or Marmot’s Tungsten. For a great two-man backpacking tent, look no further than Nemo’s Galaxy 2P.

[redneckbackpacker]

The Sierra Nevada brewery just outside Asheville, NC is like the Wonka factory, but with beer. Gorgeous location, too!

[redneckbackpacker]

The Sierra Nevada brewery just outside Asheville, NC is like the Wonka factory, but with beer. Gorgeous location, too!

[redneckbackpacker]

The Sierra Nevada brewery just outside Asheville, NC is like the Wonka factory, but with beer. Gorgeous location, too!

[redneckbackpacker]

The girlfriend took me up to Sylva, NC and nearby Gorges State Park a couple of weeks ago. It blows my mind how beautiful this state is.

[redneckbackpacker]

If I could do nothing but this all day, I'd take it in a heartbeat.

[redneckbackpacker]

Now I know why they call it Sunset Beach.

[redneckbackpacker]

Fishing wasn't so successful, but we did catch a good deal on some steaks.

[redneckbackpacker]

First fishing trip ever, and all we got was crabs.

[redneckbackpacker]

Work just don't exist out here in Sunset Beach.

[redneckbackpacker]

Side blog!

Hey all, I’ve started a side blog to document my journey in modding Skyrim, as well as an in-character journal (yes, RedneckBackpacker is a huge nerd).  It’s over at torgeir-mountain-hearth.tumblr.com , so go give it a look!

[redneckbackpacker]

[redneckbackpacker]

Jack LaLanne is my main fitness inspiration, hands down. He defined raging against the dying of the light. He was, is, and always will be a definition of the power of a human being.

The Late Great Jack Lalanne, Godfather of Modern Fitness

“That Jack Lelanne’s an animal!”

–Arnold Schwarzenegger

Today our culture is saturated with fitness gurus, men and women who made themselves into superstars with special workout programs and nutrition regimes.  All are standing on the muscular and very well toned giant named Jack Lalanne, the original fitness guru.  In addition, none can compare to him, not even Chuck Norris, because Jack Lalanne was no ordinary man, he was a superhuman, a beast among men.

Jack Lalanne was not always a human beast.  In his teenage years, he described himself as a “sugarholic” and “junk food junkie”, riddled with health problems and emotional issues.  Then one day, he decided to turn his life around, learning about exercise and nutrition, strengthening not only his body but his mind as well. In 1936 he opened the first health and fitness club in the United States where he would teach people proper nutrition and workout routines. Early on, Lalanne was heavily criticized by physicians, even discouraging people from joining his club.  As Lalanne himself commented,

“People thought I was a charlatan and a nut. The doctors were against me‍—‌they said that working out with weights would give people heart attacks and they would lose their sex drive.”

Lalanne’s health club was extremely successful, and he became more successful inventing exercise machines and equipment. Then in 1951, he hit the big time.  Lalanne’s goal was to spread his message of health, happiness, and strength to the entire country.  The new technology of television gave him a nationwide audience. Between 1951 and 1985, he hosted The Jack Lalanne Show, in which he would give health and fitness advice, exercise routines, life advice, and warn of the dangers of sugar and junk food. If you ever have a chance to watch an old episode, please do so, because he is extremely charismatic, and man of energy, passion, and vitality.  It’s a shame that he lived to see the country’s health collectively go downhill, with rising rates of obesity and chronic disease, all according to his predictions.

While Lalanne was doing his show, he performed several feats that showed people that he not only talked the talk, but walked the walk.  Just to name a few,

-He swam from Alcatraz Island, while shackled and handcuffed, towing a 1,000lb boat.

-Swam 6.5miles while towing a cabin cruiser.

-He did 1,000 jumping jacks and 1,000 chin-ups on live TV.

-Swam several miles, while shackled and handcuffed, towing 70 rowboats full of people. He was 70 at the time.

As Jack Lalanne aged, he did not slow down.  In fact every birthday he didn’t get a year older, he got a year tougher. He wrote several books on exercise and nutrition, giving tips on how to live to an old age and encouraging the elderly to exercise in order to prevent chronic disease, improve quality of life, and extend lifespan.  Even in his 90’s, he was still a human beast, lifting and working out everyday until he died at the rife old age of 96. The pictures below were taken shortly before his death.

Currently, Jack Lalanne resides in Valhalla, working as personal trainer to the gods.

[redneckbackpacker]

[redneckbackpacker]

Fallen Tree Stands Back Up

[redneckbackpacker]

When I talk about wanting a Camonest from Eagle's Nest Outfitters, this is that hammock.

[redneckbackpacker]

I miss my AR...