Recent content by Roger M.

The key phrase IMO is at the end of your sentence - "you would believe". This is a topic that is heavily influenced by one's personal beliefs, and is also a topic that folks tend to feel quite strongly about. IMO, a two way radio needs somebody on the other end (who may not be there), and...

I wish you'd posted this before I invested in another system! I live (literally) just down the road from your shop in Victoria, and would love to be able to "buy locally" for my overland needs! I suspect my 4-stage Aqua-Research system is somewhat different from the ALB system in terms of...

I consider all emergency communication systems to be essentially obsolete except full bandwidth satellite two-way communication systems. I get that two-way radio is also a lifelong and well established hobby, but that doesn't automatically make it a solid back-country emergency comm system ...

You'll always find differing opinions as to brands, so read this as a personal take, one based on personal experience. I own a few Bluetti power stations, from their 200L on down to the EB3A that I use to charge my watch and phone when camping - with another three Bluetti power stations in...

It doesn’t matter how “waterproof” any given rooftop tent claims to be when folded up, they all let water in eventually. In winter, when not using the tent a lot (if at all), mold WILL develop if you don’t air your tent out regularly. Obviously, if you live in Southern California, this is much...

I used cast iron while camping for decades, and have half a dozen different Lodge and Butterpat pieces, but I put it all away a couple of years ago when technology simply bypassed any need to cook with cast iron while camping. I did keep using my 8" Lodge cast iron pan for bacon for a year or...

Not inexpensive, but quality never is: https://elliscanvastents.com/products/cowboy-bedroll

Great info. Autohome should be considered non-existent in Canada, and West Coast Offroaders avoided. You can tell everything you need to know about a retailer by how they handle a challenging situation. In this case both manufacturer and retailer utterly failed all legitimate purchaser...

Think small or small thinking?

Starlink Mini fits onto a backpack while hiking with no problems. Pictures of such a set-ups abound. It doesn’t need but a tiny battery for emergency comm’s, and the unit itself weighs next to nothing. Will there even be anything called “InReach” within the next three or four years? I may...

Garmin's inability to "read the room" is really quite surprising. As the StarLink Mini has arrived in Canada, and my purchase of the same, combined with the Apple iPhone now offering satellite communications, I finally (after many years) cancelled all my commitments to the Garmin In-Reach...

Anderson would like you to believe that their specific branded crimper is required for a quality crimp, but for those of us that have used both unbranded crimpers and the Anderson crimpers, we know that's 100% false. Which is not to say that the Anderson branded tool isn't a high quality tool...

The "Freedom" suspend plan won't be available as one of the new plans though, and unless you have an expensive "Pro" account, you'll no longer be able to suspend your account in the months you're not using your In-Reach.

With what’s on the horizon, and what’s already here, Garmin should be dropping prices on subscriptions and devices Like crazy. A new $500.00 In-Reach and some pretty unattractive new plans have the stain of a company like Napster … first to the plate, but did everything they possibly could to...

Theres lots of nice DC fridges around, but when it comes to fast, dependable service, I’d go with a large, widely available brand like Dometic (in North America). Solid product and support, excellent software and apps, and a Dometic dealer in pretty much every mid-size town in North America.