biffnix

Thanks for the write-up! I own an original frameless Bears Ears, and have been eyeing the framed and hybrid versions. I appreciate the review.

I, too, don't think I'd have much use for the hybrid, since where I live (Bishop, CA) just about every nearby trail requires a bear can. For the few times I'm using it where I don't need a canister, I can use the bag-in-lieu-of-canister that I got with my frameless version, and it works really well.

I live in a small rural town in California (Bishop, pop 3800) that really isn’t near anything. The closest town with more than 10,000 people is Carson City, NV (another state) or Ridgecrest (120mi south) in another county.

Most higher paying jobs are in the government/education sector - CalTrans, County gov’t, K12 education, Bureau of Land Mgmt. , US Forest Service, Post Office, or utilities such as SoCal Edison or Los Angeles Dept. Of Water and Power.

Service industries aimed toward tourism make up most of the rest, but are lower paying, unless you own the business, of course.

Cheers.

It’s nice to not be on fire! I remember well how awful the air quality index was a couple of years in a row when the really big wildfires were raging. When the AQI is in the thousands, and yo can’t see more than a few hundred yards, you know it can’t be healthy…. So far this year, no big fires at all !

Heh. I live in Bishop, and never really thought of the baggage claim at the airport as particularly Wes Anderson-esque, but I suppose it is, if you frame the photo in this way…. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

I suppose a guy could do a lot worse. I do so love it here. But, may you and others who subscribe here bloom wherever you are planted!

It’s gotta be my Helinox Chair Zero. Sure, I’ve got to turn in my Ultralight credentials by bringing it, but damn, it sure feels great to sit comfortably, enjoy a nice cup of coffee in the morning relaxing and reclining in comfort, or chatting by a fire over dinner while sitting in pure comfort.

I don’t always bring it backpacking, but when I do, I never regret it.

Cheers.

I must admit, while the R5 w/15-35mm f/2.8 L lens is slightly lighter than my 6D with 24-105mm f/4.0 L lens (1578g vs 1865.4g), they feel about the same to me. So weight isn’t so dramatically different that I notice it as a feature of the R series bodies/lenses.

Perhaps I’ll notice it while backpacking, when every gram counts, but I really can’t tell much of a difference when carrying it on a strap while walking around.

But, the In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS) really is very noticeable, especially when using EF lenses like my older 70-200 f/2.8 L with the R5.

Ok, I’ll bite. Where did you grow up that you have never seen snow?

Sure. I’m definitely of the opposite mindset. “Buy once , cry once,” is my philosophy. I wasted too much time and money in my youth, so always try to save up for quality items.

Which isn’t to say that one can’t find inexpensive things that are of good quality, of course.

Cheers.

I've used so many picks over the years, but fairly recently, I've switched to the 1.5mm Classic Standard pick from Gravity Picks.

I bought a GHS Pedal (the Bonsai), and they shipped a Gravity unpolished standard pick with it. For some reason, I used it on whim, and I was hooked. I ended up buying custom picks from them, and always the Classic Standard 1.5mm unpolished. There's something about the unpolished edge which gives me just enough bite, on either my acoustics or electrics.

Of course, as I've gotten older, I no longer like particularly flexible picks, which I used to favor as a younger player. As my picking technique has improved, I've found that non-flexible picks just work better for me, and the tone I like. And Gravity Picks just give me that. If you haven't used them before, they're worth trying, if you like thicker, less flexible picks.

Yes, they're expensive. But, so worth it. Well, works for me, anyway. Cheers.

Very nice!