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So what did Santa bring (hiking related)?

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    • so my kids and I got alexa.
      Linked to spotify to play music
      Bad idea
      Wherever you are listening to music, someone else at home can remotely change your music.

      My son was workin out with track team, had music in weight room streaming from his phone /spotify

      I go in his room and tell his alexa to play Patsy Cline.

      Angry text ensues

      So of course I do it again for good measure.

      And play dumb.....

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Muddywaters ().

    • odd man out wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      i have a new girlfriend.

      her name is alexa.

      she does everything i tell her to do and she is very very smart.

      but she thinks the AT is 2,200 miles long. i blame wikipedia for that misinformation.

      i wish i had met alexa a year ago.
      Ask her how long a piece of string is.
      We call that cordage or Paracord.... keeps them blinkin!
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • muddywaters wrote:

      so my kids and I got alexa.
      Linked to spotify to play music
      Bad idea
      Wherever you are listening to music, someone else at home can remotely change your music.

      My son was workin out with track team, had music in weight room streaming from his phone /spotify

      I go in his room and tell his alexa to play Patsy Cline.

      Angry text ensues

      So of course I do it again for good measure.

      And play dumb.....
      Cof124

      Now that's funny, good job Dad, I like yur style! :thumbup:

    • muddywaters wrote:

      so my kids and I got alexa.
      Linked to spotify to play music
      Bad idea
      Wherever you are listening to music, someone else at home can remotely change your music.

      My son was workin out with track team, had music in weight room streaming from his phone /spotify

      I go in his room and tell his alexa to play Patsy Cline.

      Angry text ensues

      So of course I do it again for good measure.

      And play dumb.....
      Ha ha. Have gotten the "disconnect your Bluetooth!" text many times. Music is always playing in my house.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • I bought my daughter the Alexa but I keep forgetting her name and call her Alexis so she gives me the silent treatment. Don't ever call a woman by the wrong name...Danger Will Robinson!

      My daughter has now forbidden me to talk to her.

      It's really sort of creepy. The kids said they're developing (developed?) a feature where you can do psychotherapy. We played an RPG with her.

      It would be even more cool if I could make her sound like James Bond.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • i'm gonna enjoy using this thing. i set it up 2 nights ago, so yesterday was the first time i used it. i don't have a clue yet as to all it can do, but on day 1:

      when i got up as i walked from the bedroom to the kitchen:

      "whats the weather?"

      "read sports news"

      i then started cooking oatmeal:

      "set timer for 5 minutes"

      oatmeal finished:

      "add cinnamon to shopping list"

      got out the laptop to read the news:

      "play taylor swift" :)

      this is all in the first 15 minutes of ownership.

      did a lot of music during the day when i was in the house. i've been controlling music with a tablet. that was easy...but this sooo much easier.
      2,000 miler

    • max.patch wrote:

      i'm gonna enjoy using this thing. i set it up 2 nights ago, so yesterday was the first time i used it. i don't have a clue yet as to all it can do, but on day 1:

      when i got up as i walked from the bedroom to the kitchen:

      "whats the weather?"

      "read sports news"

      i then started cooking oatmeal:

      "set timer for 5 minutes"

      oatmeal finished:

      "add cinnamon to shopping list"

      got out the laptop to read the news:

      "play taylor swift" :)

      this is all in the first 15 minutes of ownership.

      did a lot of music during the day when i was in the house. i've been controlling music with a tablet. that was easy...but this sooo much easier.
      I know it's different now, but when we were growing up I can't tell ya how many times I'd here, "go look it up" from my folks referring to our large volume of britanica encyclopedias...and glad they did, it was my world! :) amazing how things change.

    • meat wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      i'm gonna enjoy using this thing. i set it up 2 nights ago, so yesterday was the first time i used it. i don't have a clue yet as to all it can do, but on day 1:

      when i got up as i walked from the bedroom to the kitchen:

      "whats the weather?"

      "read sports news"

      i then started cooking oatmeal:

      "set timer for 5 minutes"

      oatmeal finished:

      "add cinnamon to shopping list"

      got out the laptop to read the news:

      "play taylor swift" :)

      this is all in the first 15 minutes of ownership.

      did a lot of music during the day when i was in the house. i've been controlling music with a tablet. that was easy...but this sooo much easier.
      I know it's different now, but when we were growing up I can't tell ya how many times I'd here, "go look it up" from my folks referring to our large volume of britanica encyclopedias...and glad they did, it was my world! :) amazing how things change.
      As a young reader, I had a set of World Encyclopedias about 30 years out of date. But it was great for gaining background on current events. Perhaps this is why I've always been a history buff.

      Lest we forget.....


      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

    • meat wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      For Christmas, I bought myself a new Purple Rain hiking skirt as the others are too big. gif.014.gif

      I debated buying a Banks Fry-Bake but wasn't sure I'd use it. frybake.com/
      Cool, I like it! Do they just put fire on top? Or both top and bottom?
      I believe there's a twig fire on top and compressed fuel for the bottom. It got me thinking about biscuits and how cool it would be to eat fresh ones while hiking. Which in turn made me want to learn to make biscuits. :)
      Lost in the right direction.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Traffic Jam ().

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      meat wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      For Christmas, I bought myself a new Purple Rain hiking skirt as the others are too big. gif.014.gif

      I debated buying a Banks Fry-Bake but wasn't sure I'd use it. frybake.com/
      Cool, I like it! Do they just put fire on top? Or both top and bottom?
      I believe there's a twig fire on top and compressed fuel for the bottom. It got me thinking about biscuits and how cool it would be to eat fresh ones while hiking. Which in turn made me want to learn to make biscuits. :)
      I was down your way this summer, Virginia Beach anyway, and bought some "White Lilly" flour which is soft summer wheat and made great biscuits, I've since found a place up by me to get it though just last week noticed they don't have it, so I'm relegated to poking around some more or getting my friend to buy it as he travels down south quite frequently. If you are unaware they say the best biscuit come from this flour, but there are other brands o'coarse ("soft" summer wheat) vs our hard winter wheat up here in the east that they mill...love me some biscuits!

      Yup that pan looks pretty cool, I only carry a pot right now but never baked in it yet, though I did pick up a small muffin pan that fits inside, and am gonna try steam baking in it.

    • meat wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      meat wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      For Christmas, I bought myself a new Purple Rain hiking skirt as the others are too big. gif.014.gif

      I debated buying a Banks Fry-Bake but wasn't sure I'd use it. frybake.com/
      Cool, I like it! Do they just put fire on top? Or both top and bottom?
      I believe there's a twig fire on top and compressed fuel for the bottom. It got me thinking about biscuits and how cool it would be to eat fresh ones while hiking. Which in turn made me want to learn to make biscuits. :)
      I was down your way this summer, Virginia Beach anyway, and bought some "White Lilly" flour which is soft summer wheat and made great biscuits, I've since found a place up by me to get it though just last week noticed they don't have it, so I'm relegated to poking around some more or getting my friend to buy it as he travels down south quite frequently. If you are unaware they say the best biscuit come from this flour, but there are other brands o'coarse ("soft" summer wheat) vs our hard winter wheat up here in the east that they mill...love me some biscuits!
      Yup that pan looks pretty cool, I only carry a pot right now but never baked in it yet, though I did pick up a small muffin pan that fits inside, and am gonna try steam baking in it.
      We used to make biscuits over a fire when I was a kid. We would mix up the dough pretty stiff for rolled biscuits and wrap the dough around a green stick no more than 1/2 inch thick.(the dough, the stick could be fatter.) Cook carefully over fire until done, unwrap the stick as we ate them, yummy!

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      For Christmas, I bought myself a new Purple Rain hiking skirt as the others are too big. gif.014.gif

      I debated buying a Banks Fry-Bake but wasn't sure I'd use it. frybake.com/
      Uh neat find - but well, hike me thru this, fry bake is kind of a Trinidad style of fry-baking bread or quick bread. Why do we need a $50 pot/pan that all backpack stuff can do already? You could put wood coals on any lid. A nested pot with three pebbles can work with boiling water between them to regulate and diffuse the temp. I see a bunch of pots when I think we both know its more of a technique or skill.
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • SandyofPA wrote:

      meat wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      meat wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      For Christmas, I bought myself a new Purple Rain hiking skirt as the others are too big. gif.014.gif

      I debated buying a Banks Fry-Bake but wasn't sure I'd use it. frybake.com/
      Cool, I like it! Do they just put fire on top? Or both top and bottom?
      I believe there's a twig fire on top and compressed fuel for the bottom. It got me thinking about biscuits and how cool it would be to eat fresh ones while hiking. Which in turn made me want to learn to make biscuits. :)
      I was down your way this summer, Virginia Beach anyway, and bought some "White Lilly" flour which is soft summer wheat and made great biscuits, I've since found a place up by me to get it though just last week noticed they don't have it, so I'm relegated to poking around some more or getting my friend to buy it as he travels down south quite frequently. If you are unaware they say the best biscuit come from this flour, but there are other brands o'coarse ("soft" summer wheat) vs our hard winter wheat up here in the east that they mill...love me some biscuits!Yup that pan looks pretty cool, I only carry a pot right now but never baked in it yet, though I did pick up a small muffin pan that fits inside, and am gonna try steam baking in it.
      We used to make biscuits over a fire when I was a kid. We would mix up the dough pretty stiff for rolled biscuits and wrap the dough around a green stick no more than 1/2 inch thick.(the dough, the stick could be fatter.) Cook carefully over fire until done, unwrap the stick as we ate them, yummy!
      That's a fun Grandpa - daughter skill - I can do that with Ashley!
      Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! :thumbup:

    • SandyofPA wrote:

      meat wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      meat wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      For Christmas, I bought myself a new Purple Rain hiking skirt as the others are too big. gif.014.gif

      I debated buying a Banks Fry-Bake but wasn't sure I'd use it. frybake.com/
      Cool, I like it! Do they just put fire on top? Or both top and bottom?
      I believe there's a twig fire on top and compressed fuel for the bottom. It got me thinking about biscuits and how cool it would be to eat fresh ones while hiking. Which in turn made me want to learn to make biscuits. :)
      I was down your way this summer, Virginia Beach anyway, and bought some "White Lilly" flour which is soft summer wheat and made great biscuits, I've since found a place up by me to get it though just last week noticed they don't have it, so I'm relegated to poking around some more or getting my friend to buy it as he travels down south quite frequently. If you are unaware they say the best biscuit come from this flour, but there are other brands o'coarse ("soft" summer wheat) vs our hard winter wheat up here in the east that they mill...love me some biscuits!Yup that pan looks pretty cool, I only carry a pot right now but never baked in it yet, though I did pick up a small muffin pan that fits inside, and am gonna try steam baking in it.
      We used to make biscuits over a fire when I was a kid. We would mix up the dough pretty stiff for rolled biscuits and wrap the dough around a green stick no more than 1/2 inch thick.(the dough, the stick could be fatter.) Cook carefully over fire until done, unwrap the stick as we ate them, yummy!
      I never did that, but "bird brain" use to make bread sticks too.

    • TrafficJam wrote:

      I bought my daughter the Alexa but I keep forgetting her name and call her Alexis so she gives me the silent treatment. Don't ever call a woman by the wrong name...Danger Will Robinson!

      My daughter has now forbidden me to talk to her.

      It's really sort of creepy. The kids said they're developing (developed?) a feature where you can do psychotherapy. We played an RPG with her.

      It would be even more cool if I could make her sound like James Bond.
      Dynasty's Alexis Carrington?

      TrafficJam wrote:

      For Christmas, I bought myself a new Purple Rain hiking skirt as the others are too big. gif.014.gif

      I debated buying a Banks Fry-Bake but wasn't sure I'd use it. frybake.com/
      Hiking in a rain skirt was awkward when I tried it. What has been your experience?

    • CoachLou wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      I have a ULA rain kilt, but I only use it when it is raining.
      If I had a rain Kilt, it would never get used.....I hate getting wet.
      Well that is sort of the idea, in the summer with warmer temperatures to keep the rain off your shorts.

      While they call it a kilt (more manly sounding), it is probably more of a skirt since it is a solid wrap around, with no cutout in the back. Had a guy I met at the Inn at the Long Trail in VT who hiked in a real kilt explain that to me.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • WanderingStovie wrote:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      I bought my daughter the Alexa but I keep forgetting her name and call her Alexis so she gives me the silent treatment. Don't ever call a woman by the wrong name...Danger Will Robinson!

      My daughter has now forbidden me to talk to her.

      It's really sort of creepy. The kids said they're developing (developed?) a feature where you can do psychotherapy. We played an RPG with her.

      It would be even more cool if I could make her sound like James Bond.
      Dynasty's Alexis Carrington?

      TrafficJam wrote:

      For Christmas, I bought myself a new Purple Rain hiking skirt as the others are too big. gif.014.gif

      I debated buying a Banks Fry-Bake but wasn't sure I'd use it. frybake.com/
      Hiking in a rain skirt was awkward when I tried it. What has been your experience?
      It's not a rain kilt but a very comfortable skirt.

      purplerainskirts.com/

      I had a Doh! moment a few days ago and will try to alter the ill-fitting skirts.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • CoachLou wrote:

      Here it is packed.......75L.....dry winter 23 .2, but the complete hooch, WM Puma, neo, cook kit, down puffy, toiletry kit, and cheese cake tin is in there :thumbsup: I will try to field test it Sunday morning

      uh oh...the latest new guy over there to give a buncha "don't take this and don't take tips" isn't gonna like that pack one bit!
      2,000 miler