Just another WordPress site

Blog

  • Base Layers

    I used to believe a good base layers will move moisture away from your body.  In warm weather a wicking base will help keep you cool by provide more surface area than your skin to promote evaporation of your sweat. In cold weather convection cooling tends to be the bigger issue than evaporation…  so a wicking base layer which pulls water away from your skin helps you stay warm. I don’t believe this anymore. Generally I think you want a base which retains little moisture.

    First, most base layers aren’t particularly good at wicking. This has been my experience in the field and demonstrated in lab tests by people like Stephen Seeber. There are many materials which are very good at absorbing moisture. This is a bad attribute except when in hot and low humidity environments.

    In warm weather, I want my sweat near my skin so when it evaporates my skin is close to the cool effect. This suggests that in hot weather clothing which encourages air circulation near the skins will provide the best performance. The clothing either needs to be very air permeable (which limits its ability to provide protection from the environment) or to it needs to be loose enough to move air by a bellowing effect. This requires the base layer retains its structure when wet.  Many fabrics, for example, cotton knits, collapse when saturated making them feel hot and sticky.

    In colder weather you don’t want you base layer to absorb any moisture. Ideally the base layer is hydrophobic and is air permeable enough to let convection move the warm, damp air away from your body and escape into the environment rather than be trapped in your clothing. The best way to achieve this is for the base to be a mesh, or to be made from a fabric with an open grid pattern. Having a base layer which absorbs / buffers / wicks sweat in colder weather is counter productive because if your sweat is wicked / buffered, you don’t realize you are wearing too much insulation.

    Somewhat counter intuitive is that when the temperature is significantly below freezing, vapor barrier clothing which traps moisture providing a moist micro climate for your skin while keeping moisture out of your clothing system can be highly effective.

    In all cases, want your base layer to minimize water retention.

    Besides dealing with moisture you need to manage friction which will irritate your skin. In most causes this isn’t an issue with shirts unless engaged in extreme sports like ultra marathons, but it tends to be an issue on the lower half. There are two strategies. One is to have lose fitting clothing that provides a lot of ventilation and minimizes contact. The other is tight fitting base which hugs the body like a protective layer. The protection might be from external clothing (one of the reasons people like boxers) or from skin on skin rubbing, particularly needed when people are either over weight to have very muscular thighs.

    A few other meta issues: A long sleeve base layer with a deep front zipper or a long sleeve button-up provides maximum flexibility.  In warm weather you can push/roll the sleeves up and open the neck. While not a “critical” issue, odor retention is also a consideration for many people. Besides assisting in managing thermal conditions base layers are often selected to provide protection from the sun and biting bugs.

    My Choice Bottoms

    For general use I love Icebreaker Anatomica briefs. For me they are the most comfortable underwear I have worn. They dry overnight in most conditions, and resist odor. I get around 600 days of wear before the waist band deforms and small holes appear. They are minimalist and don’t get bunched up around my legs. The downside is that they do get shifted around a bit in hot weather when carrying a backpack. I sometimes need to re-position them.

    In the past I found the synthetic briefs from Ex Offico were pretty good but their quality has reportedly dropped. Tommy John’s air mesh have an extra thick waist made them much less susceptible to bunching up due to the pack hip belt but dries a bit slower. Saxx’s patented Ballpark pouch wasn’t any better for me than more traditional underwear, but they are reported wonderful for men who have particularly thick thighs and/or balls that hang low. I have heard Uniqo Airism, 32 degree mesh, and Duluth Trading Buck Naked are good values, but no personal experience.

    In cold weather I use 20 year old Patagonia Capilene 2 (modern equivalent is mid-weight). If I regularly was in cold conditions I would pick up some Capilene Thermal Weight/

    When backpacking or engaging in vigorous activities I like running tights or tri-shorts. My favorite right now are XoSkin compression shorts. When engaged in hight energy activities I typically wear them stand-alone. They don’t have pockets, but I can stash items like my phone under the fabric on my legs… the compression holds them securely. In colder conditions I layer with either rain pants or Patagonia Terrebonne Joggers.

    My Choice Tops

    I normally wear an Icebreaker 150wt Anatomica tee-shirt as a “base” in town. I find the Anatomica shirt very comfortable, looks nice enough that I can wear them to work, and can be worn many days in a row without starting to stink. If I am planning to engage in very high energy activities such as running I will sometimes switch to a Xenith “Under the Lights” shirt made from Polartec Delta. This shirt has decent air permeability, is UPF 30, dries more quickly than cotton or wool, but slower than the typical fast dry synthetic shirts. It has a 3-dimensional texture which allows it to be comfortably worn when damp, and it doesn’t get as stinky as most synthetic materials.

    If I am going to be in the sun for more than a couple of hours I use a loose fitting UPF 40-50 shirt. Often this is a button up shirt made from light nylon or polyester. Currently this is an Arcteryx Cormac Hoody or an OR Astroman Button up.

    In cool to cold conditions I often wear Patagonia Capilene 4 hoody (now called Thermal Weight Capilene) or a hoody made from Alpha Direct. When combined with a windshirt to control how much air is allowed to pass covers a huge range of conditions because these fabrics very air permeable. In colder conditions I manage vents to minimize / eliminate sweating. I have been reasonably comfort doing a big uphill push when it was 55F and ok with sleeves pushed up and zipper fully open up to 70F. With it zipped up, hood up, and a windshirt worn I have been comfort running to around 10F, hiking hard to 25F, walking/active to 40F, stand around to 50F. Because the the grid holds much of the fabric off the skin it is quite comfortable even when wet. I have started to experiment with Alpha Direct against the skin (or with featherweight base) which has had positive results.

    Synthetic or Wool?

    One of the more contentious issues is whether wool or synthetics are the best material for base layers. The folks from backpackinglight.com created custom shirts which had wool on one side and synthetic on the other for real-time, side-by-side comparison. Their results were reported in comfort and moisture transport in merino wool and capiline. The reviewers concluded that wool vastly superior when it comes to odor control and feels less clammy when wet, while capilene dries more quickly (~50%), and is warmer for the weight. My more casual experiments had similar results, though I think that if the BPL folks had been using a heavier base layer (such as the Patagonia Thermal Weight, Polartec Power Grid), the synthetic would have dries more than 50% faster and a grid pattern would have been less clammy.  The comparison failed to note that wool is not as durable as most synthetics of comparable weight. I would also note that for periods up to a week, I have found synthetic with decent treatments keeps stink down to an “acceptable” level backpacking. Less days in the city around other people. There was a post of reddit about the science of odor control. My experience is that in moderate to hot conditions while I am engaging in “light” work wool is superior. In cold condition, or if I am working hard and sweating a lot, high performance synthetics are better.

    Wool

    Wool has started to make a come-back last few years. There have been a number of articles such as psychovertical’s The Wonders of Wool encouraging people to reconsider a wool base layer. Many people have discovered high quality Merino wool can be comfortable against the skin and to resist odor when worn days (if not weeks) in a row. I have good experience with wool clothing from Icebreaker and to a lesser extent Smartwool and Patagonia. Note: I don’t “baby” my wool clothing. Wear them for activities that sometimes are abrasive, machine wash my wool with normal detergent, and use a drier on “low”. My biggest complaint is the featherweight (<=150wt) 100% merino wool shows wear out fairly quickly. I typically found these garments would develop a hole after 80 days. Many manufacturers have been adding a bit of nylon which greatly increases the durability of wool. For example the same “model” of garment which was changed to 85% merino with 15% from nylon started to look “tired” after around 500 days, and got the first small hole after 600 days of wear. The shirt was still wearable (around the house) for many more “wears”. Some people talk about how wool is “too expensive”. I get around 600 days out of a $60 shirt. That’s 10 cents / day for the most comfortable shirt. The best performing synthetic shirts got at least 1200 days of wear and cost around $60 which was around 3 cents / day. Budget synthetic is around $20 which works out to 1.6 cents / day. The synthetic is 8.5 cents / day cheaper… but I think that’s a reasonable cost to pay in moderate to hot conditions for significantly better odor control, thermal regulation, and over all comfort. For a bit more about how wool works, follow the links on reddit post lets talk about wool and enjoy the story of shrek the merino sheep.

    In recent years wool from alpaca have become popular. In cold weather, alpaca is superior to merino wool as it absorbs less water, and is more insulating for a given weight. There was a BPL Podcast that contrasted performance of alpaca to merino wool.

    Polyester

    Malden Mills Power Dry and Polartec Power Grid is my favorite polyester base material because it’s soft against the skin, has a reasonable amount of stretch so it moves with me, and it moves moisture effectively. Better yet, the moisture handling is based on the bipolar fabric that that uses the physical prosperities of a combination of materials rather than a chemical treatment which can wear out. Besides moving moisture more effectively than most of the other synthetic wicking technologies, bipolar materials tend to feel less clammy when wet. A nice refinement to Power Dry is the x-static treatment which embeds silver to reduce odor from microbes. Different companies use different amounts of silver. Looks like you want >8% silver for effective performance. If you are up for an adventure, you could try a DIY silver treatment. The Polygiene treatment seems pretty good.  Outdoor Research treatment seems pretty good. Power Stretch is not as soft as Power Dry, but more body hugging and durable with a fuzzy inside and a smooth outside… great for cool-cold weather climbing and other abrasion prone activities.   Marmot DriClime might be better than anything else when it comes to moving moisture away from the skin, but it tends to grab anything that isn’t baby smooth and is not as stretchy or soft as PowerDry.   There are a number of “in-house” base layer brands which are good. VisaEndurance often sold through Campmor seems like a pretty good material at a reasonable price.

    In moderate to hot weather when I am going to be outdoors all day I will typically use a sun hoody. There are a number of sun shirts that are beloved by others like the OR Echo which feels cooler than most hoodies I have tried. I have also burned through it because I have very sun sensitive skin. Of the UPF 50 hoodies I have tried, the Arcteryx Cormac and the MH Crater Lake Hoody are my favorite.

    Tightly Woven Synthetics

    Shirts made from tightly woven (not knit) nylon or polyester such as Supplex, SolarWeave, Solumbra, or Talsan can be useful in moderate to hot weather. These sorts of shirts work best if they are somewhat loose with some ventilation. That way the sweat on your skin evaporates near your skin maximizing the cooling, These shirts provide protection from sunburn and biting bugs, dry very quickly, and are very durable. The four downsides of tight weave shirts are that in hot weather they blocks more airflow than many other bases  (so feels warmer), they tend not to wick so sweat sticks to your skin, the fabric is a bit rough (my elbows get irritated after a several days of wear), and they will get stinky after a day of heavy sweating (though if the shirts are primarily Nylon the smell washed out easily). If I am expected really bad mosquitos I have been using a discontinued Outlier Air Forged Nylon Oxford button up shirt and am now trying the OR Astroman.  I loved my (discontinued version) of the Adventure Shirt from Rail Riders but had to retire it when I lose weight and it was way to baggy through the torso. Some female friends seem to like Lightheart Gear’s Hiking Dress.

    Chemicals For Bugs

    Tight woven shirt provides protection from biting bugs but are very uncomfortable to wear in hot weather. Columbia and  Ex Officio make woven shirts with a more open weave for more air permeability combined with a long lasting permethrin treatment which I have found effective, especially the Dryflylite which seems to be discontinued. Another approach which I have been experimenting with is to treat more traditional base with with permethrin at home, or to to sent to InsectShield for a longer lasting treatment. I will note that when facing heavy bug pressure, say bug force >6 permethrin only slows down the bites, doesn’t prevent them.

    Background / Science

    Check out Stephen’s By the Numbers Analysis of the Wool, Alpaca & Polyester. An interesting thought experiment which should be followed up on with real experiments. Ryan Jordan’s The Dirt Catwalk: Modern Layering will provide good food for thought.

    Fishnet

    In cold weather fishnet style bases that are hydrophobic are extremely effective. Norwegian Brynje mesh was one of the first products. It’s a great base layers for cold weather: dry quickly and give a lot of warmth for weight provided the next layer restricts air flow… just don’t let the fashion police catch you.  In the US you can find Brynje sold a few places such as reliableracing. Other mesh base layers include Finetrack Elementals, Svala, Castelli, and Montbell zeo-line cool mesh. Personally, I think Patagonia Cap4 with its high void spacing provides most of the advantages of Brynje in a much nicer package.

    Low Cost

    CoolMax base layers can often be found for around for slight more money than a cotton tee-shirt. Dupont has licensed CoolMax to multiple suppliers which has resulted in competition that keeps the price down.These shirts aren’t as well finished as more expensive base layers but they are much less expensive and are very usable.  For warmer weather you might already have some shirts that would work well: a biking jersey, running shirt, a soccer jersey, or light weight woven synthetic button-down. Uniqo AIRsm and 32 degree airmesh base layers seem well regarded but I haven’t personally used them.

  • Vapor Barriers

    In extremely cold vapor barriers can be part of an effective clothing or sleep system. According to the book Secrets of Warmth by Hal Wiess, the human body gives off moisture for three reasons: (1) as a fear response, (2) as sweat to cool us down when overheating, (3) to maintain adequate humidity (~79%?) for the skin. There is some debate in the backpacking community as to whether the insensible perspiration (aka transepidermal water loss) is directly related to keeping the skin at a fixed humidity… but there should be no question that the micro climate near the skin effects rate of transepidermal water loss. This is alluded to in numerous scientific articles such as Eero Lehmuskallio’s thesis Cold Protecting Emollients and Frostbite. [I will do a more complete literate search later… most of the article I found were about care for premature babies.].

    The most important reason to use a vapor barrier is to keep moisture out of your insulation. If you are out for more than a couple of days when the conditions are constantly below freezing, moisture from your body will condense and then freeze in your insulation. This will result in your insulating jacket getting heavier, stiffer, and be less insulating. A vapor barrier prevents this from happening.

    A vapor barrier is likely to make you feel warmer, and you will use less energy because the vapor barrier trap some moisture near your skin so you don’t need to perspire as much. BPL has a brief article on vapor barrier liners by Andrew Skurka which has expanded into his Introduction to Vapor Barriers. One of the early modern proponents of vapor barriers was  WarmLite’s Benefits of Vapor Barriers. You can see a rebuttal of some of the warmlite VB claims.

    I found vapor barriers useful on some extremely cold trips in northern Canada. When I was active, I found that vapor barriers didn’t seem to help me until the temperature was below 10F. I found that vapor barrier socks are great, pants and mittens are fair, and that shirts were useful but hard to get right.

    I found when I was inactive or sleeping vapor barriers worked very well when the temperature was 20F or lower and I was using appropriate amounts of insulation (e.g. don’t overheat or you start sweating and it doesn’t have anywhere to go).

    Very few companies make vapor barrier clothing. I would recommend checking out rhdesigns and warmlite. The cheapest way to try out vapor barriers is wear light polypro liners, with bread bags or better “roasting” mylar bags as a vapor barrier followed by wool socks (your insulation),  try some liner gloves, plastic food service worker gloves or industrial dish washing gloves over your hands and insulate your insulated gloves or mittens, and/or a plastic trashbag around your torso. If this works for you, take a look are some of the better quality materials. These days I am not doing extended winter trips and am not using vapor barriers.

  • Recommended Clothing

    I recommend clothing that can be comfortably worn day after day for a wide variety of activities while still looking good. When in the outdoors no one cares how you look, but in urban environments it can make a difference in how people treat you. When in doubt, dress up rather than down. My packing / traveling light page has a section about selecting clothing for the journey. I have a number of posts with a clothing tag that have more detailed recommends including:

    [toc]

    Versatility

    My clothing is typically made from technical fibers or merino wool which provides good mobility, light weight, fast drying, and odor/stain resistant. I use mostly the same clothing for daily urban life, travel, done in a day outdoor activities, and extended time in the backcountry. Given my mixed use, I generally constrain clothing styles and colors to be something that would be considered “business casual”, acceptable in a typical business meeting or at a nice restaurant. For example, no cargo pockets on the thigh. I use some specialized clothing when engaged in vigorous exercise because these activities benefit from more specialized clothing.

    I use my everyday “urban” clothing on trips that mix cities with the backcountry. When my backpacking trips leave and return from home my backpacking clothing tends to be hand-me-downs from daily life. When a clothing item is looking a bit too worn or stained to wear to a nice restaurant, they get relegated to my “backpacking clothing” bag. I can get more use from the old clothing in situations no one cares about apperances, and avoid excessive wear on newer items which is caused by many outdoor activities.

    Layering

    Conventional  wisdom is that you should dress in three layers: a base to manage moisture, a middle to provide insulation, and a shell to protect you from the elements such as wind and rain. In colder conditions it is common to have multiple insulation layers which can be added or removed to maintain comfort over a range of conditions.

    A slight variant of this system is to use a windshirt over the base layer. When people are engaged in high output aerobic activities the combination of high breathable base layer like the Patagonia’s Thermal Weight Capilene Hoody and a light weight unlined windshirt such as the ArcTeryx Squamish or a rain shell that has high MVTR such as those made from Gore’s Shakedry fabric can keep the wearer comfortable for a surprising range of conditions. When activity level drops or if the conditions turn harsh (significantly below freezing), insulation and/or a heavier shell can be placed over the wind shell. Softshells are the cold weather variant of a base + windshirt, providing more insulation while maintaining good breathability. Softshells work well when the wearer is highly active facing variable conditions

    Minimize Moisture Absorption

    Managing moisture is critical to comfort and safety. Heat loss when immerse water is 24 times more effective than if you are standing in still air. While a soaked garment isn’t as effective, it can chill you more than standing naked. Ideally, you want clothing to stay dry. It’s not always possible to keep clothing dry, so the best mitigation is to select clothing which minimizes water retention and dries quickly. Polyester absorbs the least water, followed by nylon (which is a bit more durable) and then wool which has the bonus of resisting odor. There are a variety of wools including sheep (merino particularly nice, icelandic warm), goat (cashmere – luxury but very fragile), alpaca (warmest/weight), and possum (found in AU and NZ). Cotton is an inappropriate material for highly variable conditions.  Cotton can absorb more than four times of its weight in water and can take five times as long to dry as some synthetics! Silk, Rayon, and a host of other fabrics are better than cotton but not great. I have more on the page Water Retention In Clothing.

    A nice side effect of quick drying clothing is that on extended trips in the back country or when you are adventure traveling you can wash your clothing in the sink or river and be able to wear them almost immediately. This reduces the amount of clothing you need to carry without being grubby or smelly. All of my clothing normally dry overnight if spun dry or squeezed with a towel after washing. The exception is when it’s >90% humidity and <65F… some items are slightly damp after 7 hours.

    Select the Right Amount of Insulation

    There are four things which effect how warm you feel: your base metabolism (do you run “hot” or “cold”), the environmental conditions you are experiencing (temperature and wind), the amount of insulation you are wearing, and your activity level! Richard Nisley posted a wonderful graph illustrates how these factors are inter-related as does his revised paradigm for estimating garment comfort limits.  I found Richard’s graph very helpful in selecting the right set of garments for a trip or event. My caveat is that I seem to require around 1/2 the insulation Richard recommends except when I sleep. When your activity varies so does the amount of insulation you need. You want to avoid wearing clothing which is too warm. Most people take 10-20 minutes to “warm up” from their activity. If you are going to be highly active like going for a run or an uphill hike, you want to wear clothing that will be comfortable once you are “warmed up”. Either you need to plan to remove a layer after a short bit, or be prepared to be chilled / cool at the beginning. When engaged in multi-day activities like wilderness backpacking I often bring insulate which is warm enough for “light activities” in the evening, but does not keep me warm enough in the middle of the night. I will often eat “dinner” early and then hike at a moderate (no sweating) pace until dark and then immediately get under my quilt. In the morning I immediately start hiking and eat breakfast once it warms up a bit. This means I need clothing that are much less insulating than something that would keep me comfortable when sitting around at the coldest time in the day. I have also found Richard’s graph is a great reminder that besides adding or removing clothing layers, a highly effective way to maintain a comfortable temperature range during the day is by altering activity level.

    Know How Much Durability is Needed

    People are often concerned about the durability of clothing that will be worn in the back country or for an extended period of time while traveling. Many manufacturers encourage people’s fear and sell seriously overbuilt clothing, often  labeled “Expedition Proven” or some such thing. The truth is, very few people, even those on expeditions, need clothing that is so overbuilt. Unless you are facing continuous hard-wearing conditions, lighter weight clothing will have close to the same lifetime as the over-built clothing. There are many advantages to selecting items which aren’t overbuilt: you save weight, save space, often get better performance and spend less money. It is possible to go so light that durability is effected. Several manufacturers make clothing which is aimed at extreme athletics looking for the lightest weight performance, which comes at the expense of durability.

    How “Dressy”?

    In the outdoors, no one cares about what your clothing looks like. Function, not form or style matters way more. Stains are often a badge of honor indicating you actually got “out there”. When we come back to urban environments you will often be judged by the clothing you wear. Clothing covered in dirt, stains, or holes (that weren’t fashionably applied) often results in the wearer being treated less well than they would if they were “dressed up”. It’s useful to have some clean clothing, or be able to clean your outdoor clothing before engaging with “polite society”. To some extent, people who are considered particularly attractive or powerful/high status can “get away” with more casual clothing. You can almost never be too dressed up, but you can easily be not dressed up enough.

    There are many areas in the US and SEA where clothing can be very casual: sandals, shorts and a tee-shirt are normal and acceptable for both men and women, and won’t get a second look in sophisticated restaurants and important event. On the other hand, there are many places where this sort of attire would be perceived as inappropriate if not disrespectful. It’s important to know what are the expectations of the environments you are in. For example, in some locations, men don’t wear shorts, only boy do this.

    It used to be that in nicer venues men were expected to wear closed toe leather shoes, nice slacks and a blazer, women nice shoes or sandals, a nice skirt / blouse or dress. Venues / events which have higher expectations explicitly state their requirements: semi-formal, formal, black tie, etc. Since COVID I have noted that in most situations men and women can get away with a loose business casual.

    Men can be as informal as clean running shoes, nice jeans or slacks (but not joggers), and a button up shirt. Some places a polo shirt is ok, but personally I won’t “risk it”, and I find button down shirts more versatile. I love these evolving standards because well styled high performance clothing appropriate for outdoor adventures are also acceptable for more urban activities.

    Standards in many place have also loosen for women. Nice sandals or shoes, attractive slacks or skirt, and a nice top. I am not specifying top… women seem better than men at understanding what looks nice. My wife has found a sleeveless hiking dress which can optionally be combined with a blouse works really well. In some countries, especially when a distance from “international class” cities, women are expected to be “modest”. This means wear skirts or dresses which go below the knee and tops that at least cover the shoulders. Women not so clothed are assumed to be prostitutes or “loose” and could find themselves harassed by locals.  In many Muslim countries women are expected to keep their heads covered with a scarf or a hat.

    In cooler weather, a nice sweater is often perceived as being more dressy than wearing a shirt covered by an outdoor jacket / fleece. A blazer is better still. I recommend suits and blazers made from super 140 wool and for people who travel a lot, or the clothing from Bluffworks. Recently the “Chore Jacket” has become fashionable alternative to a blazer, though I don’t really “get it”.

    Price / Performance “Tiers”

    My experience is that clothing (and most other products) comes in a number of “tiers”. Generally they go up in performance and cost. In my experience “value” products are the best products in terms of number of uses / cost. Generally the ratio of performance / cost starts to go exponential as you approach “the best” performance. With expensive products I generally look for the “knee of the curve”, were I am getting the best performance before the prices start to raise exponentially. Often the price difference between cheap and best clothing is small enough for me on an absolute scale, that I am willing to go for “the best”.

    • Fast Fashion: All about the “style” TODAY and quickly becomes dated. Cheap (almost disposable) fabric, poor workmanship. Great if you want something that looks like the cool kids and will be worn out by the time the new style comes out. H&M, Zara, Shein, Boohoo, etc. Bad for the planet and the workers. I never buy these.
    • Value: Typically use classic style, decent material, decent workmanship maximizing performance/price. In the 1980s this was Land’s End and L.L. Bean. These days I think of Muji, Uniqlo, Kirkland brand at Costco, Everlane, maybe Old Navy. This is what I historically purchased and still do if I am going to put excessive wear on the item.
    • Name Brand: Clothing that used to be good quality materials, good workmanship, that are designed for a specific application, performance characteristic, and are stylish. The first company that comes to my mind is Nike but there are many. I rarely see an advantage of name brand these days. It used to be it guaranteed better quality than value priced items, but that is not alway true now. A lot of name brands attach their logo to clothing which doesn’t have the same quality are their core / original productions… especially items sold at “factory outlets”.
    • Top Performance: Clothing that uses top materials, excellent workmanship, and great design. When you put it on it just feels right and the garment feels tailored to move with you. The seams are a thing of beauty. Often uses innovated techniques. Many products from Arcteryx exemplify this level of clothing. I often find there are numerous little details that they pay attention to that other companies don’t. Taken together it elevates a piece of clothing from something that gets the job done to something I love every time I pull it out. I am lucky enough to be able to afford these items when I really care.
    • Luxury: The logo makes the item cost >5x what any normal company would charge for an equivalent product of the same quality. Prada, etc. I never purchase these for myself nor would I normal wear them.

    My Choice

    I go into greater detail in each of the above posts and in my personal gear page, but a quick summary of my clothing:

    • Icebreaker Anatomica Tee-Shirt (Merino Wool). Comfortable wide range of temps. UPF 20-30. Dries overnight. Very odor resistant. Adequately durable.
    • OR Astroman Button Up. UPF50+ shirt that is reasonable comfortable in hot weather, keeps bugs from biting me, and looks like a dress shirt when under a jacket. A jack of all trades, master of none.
    • Outlier AMB Merino Wool Button-up. ~UPF30, resists wrinkles, looks like a traditional dress shirt, very comfortable, dries overnight.
    • Icebreaker Anatomica Briefs. Most comfortable briefs I have found.
    • Outdoor Research Ferrosi Transit Pants: Decent looking pants made from nylon but don’t have that “swish” of some technical fabrics. Durable, reasonable fast drying. Can wear with a sport jacket or on the trail.
    • Xoskin Toes Socks: No blisters!
    • Smartwool Socks: Durable, Comfortable
    • Luna Sandals: Light, comfortable, durable. What I would wear all the time if I could get away with it.
    • Inov-8 Trailfly G 270 Trail runners in all black: when the route is too technical for the Luna or when I have to wear close toed shoes. I get 1500 miles / pair, about triple most trail runners. Has been accepted in 3-star Michelin restaurants and at many dressy events.

    Outerwear

    • Macpac Nitro Hoody (Polartec Alpha Direct) Comfortable in a huge range of conditions depending on how much you block air movement. Dries super quickly. Reasonable warmth/weight ratio. Reasonably compressible. If never going into backcountry would likely replace with a cashmere sweater which is more dressy looking.
    • Gore Shakedry shell. Most breathable waterproof material I have used. Doesn’t wet out in long rains. Can double as a wind shell.
    • Montbell Plasma 1000 Vest (Down) Light and compact insulation for core.
    • Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody Jacket. Keeps me comfortable 25F lower than whatever clothing I am wearing. Typically layered over other clothing when in sub-freezing conditions.

    Exercise

    When engaged in vigorous physical activity (running, bicycling, fastpacking, etc) items are part of my mix

    • De Soto Mobius Tri Shorts or XoSkin Compression Shorts + Sun Protection Leg Sleeves: reasonably comfortable when wet, minimized chafing, pockets on the thighs and hips which keep things from bouncing when running.
    • Xenith Delta Tee + sun protection arm sleeves. Dries perfect speed to help keep me cool. Very good odor control for a synthetic. Doesn’t bind when soaked.
    • Black Diamond Alpine Start Jacket. CPM somewhere between 40-60 making is perfect for high output activities. NanoSphere treatment makes it quite water resistant. One of the highest MVTR measured in a wind shell.

    Additional Thoughts

    Ryan Jordan’s The Dirt Catwalk: Modern Layering, and Andrew Skurka’s Core Backpacking Clothing are proven and field tested examples of clothing systems for a wide range of conditions. Understanding Layering Using Patagonia as A Guide by Nick Gatel is insightful and a bit of a history lesson. Keith Conover is an MD at University of Pittsburgh Department Emergency Medicine who has devoted several decades to search and rescue in the Appalachians. Keith has regularly updated his Clothing Materials page since 2000 and also has usefulcontent in chapter 4 of his Search and Rescue Handbook which covers clothing and other equipment. Richard Nisley’s article A Revised Paradigm For Estimating Garment Comfort Limits provides an in-depth model for evaluating clothing.  I would also recommend checking out the somewhat dated articles Andy Kirkpatrick’s (aka pyschovertical)  The Art of Not Suffering (2008) and BPL Clothing (and Sleep) System for Mountain Hiking (2001). I would also look at the the various BPL forum posts by Richard Nisley and Steven Seeber. There have been some wonderful research done at the institutes housed U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center (NSSC). Alas, finding their publications is harder today than it was in the early 2000s. DeputySean’s Guide to Summer Wear is an opinionated set of recommendations for good sun protection for hiking in summer alpine conditions. Frank Revelo’s clothing theory, clothing rejected, and clothing current is a an interesting take… very appropriate for the treks he takes.

    I wonder if clothing which makes use of graphene such as graphene-x and vollebak could be a game changer… but for now I am highly skeptical. I am unlikely to spend my own money to test it out given I think it’s just hype. The only real user review I found was not exactly positive.

    I am just starting to learn more about sun protection. A good starting paper about properties that impact the protection of fabrics.

    My Stay warm notes might provide some insight into clothing choices.  Finally, I would recommend the tips in winter running for people who engage is very high energy activities in cold weather. See my others posts with clothing tag for specific recommendations.

    There is some very sophisticated science being applied to clothing material. Examples include Schoeller’s nanospheres which virtually clean itself, a treatment from Avelana and Roudiere which is first being applied to wool which has some thermoregulation properties much like Outlast, several Japanese companies are making garments that generate heat when they get wet, materials which are normally soft but stiffed to provide protection during an impact developed by d3o, and clothing as a battery. Some folks are claiming that high concentrations of some metals speeds recovery time which I am somewhat skeptical of. There is also a trend toward mixing different materials using tools like thermal mapping to guide the level of insulation, moisture transfer characteristics, etc to different parts of the body. There was an interesting article comparing Sir Hillary’s Clothing on Everest to what we wear today. While this comparison is interesting, his system wouldn’t fair as well against a more careful selection of modern clothing. There was an interesting thread about Clothing Science and Folklore on backpacking.net. There is a classic article called General Principles Governing vSelection of Clothing for Cold Climates by Paul Siple of the U.S. Army from 1951 which provides useful background information. Many of Richard Nisley’s postings on BPL are filled with useful, science based information.FabricLink has a decent index of high performance materials and Keith Conover wrote up his experiences with different clothing materials. The US military has spent a lot of time and money working on clothing materials. You also might be interested to look at a discussion about the performance characteristics of the new protective combat uniform and a review of the PCU.

    Low Cost

    Performant clothing doesn’t have to be expense. Most of my pages identify reasonably priced options. If I was asked to build a modestly priced wardrobe to handle a wide ranges of conditions I would recommend:

    • Trail running shoes (all black)
    • Costco Merino Wool Socks (6) $22
    • 32 degree mesh boxer briefs (6) $25
    • 32 degree airmesh tees (4) $20
    • Nylon or Polyester Hiking Pants (2) – $25/pair at Costco, Sierra, etc
    • Long Sleeve Nylon Button Up Shirt – $45 from Sierra
    • 100wt Fleece – $25
    • Down Puffy – <$80 Uniqlo, Costco, Decathlon, Sierra
    • Either a light rain shell with pit zips or a wind breaker + poncho – <$100

  • Footwear

    Make sure that you use footwear which is comfortable and appropriate for your chosen activities. Nothing has the ability to spoil your entire activity like wearing uncomfortable footwear!  Shoes are extremely personal.  Just because a shoe is well regard doesn’t mean that it will be good for you.  There is no substitute from trying on a pair of shoes/boots, and then wearing them for an extended period of time. Even if your footwear doesn’t need to be “broken in”, you should spend time wearing them before you take them for some extended activity / adventure. Most people find running shoes to be be the most comfortable footwear. As sensibilities and product offerings have expanded, running shoes are appropriate in many situations.

    I will note that for outdoor activities, hiking, backpacking, etc I strongly recommend using trail runners rather than traditional hiking boots or shoes. If you look at the experience of people on long distance trails, you will find the majority of people are using trail runners and the percent using trail runners increases each year. For example, here is a review of shoes worn on the AT in 2022.

    I have a number of posts related to selecting and using footwear:

    My Choice

    I have found that “barefoot” style shoes that have minimal soles and zero drop heels work best for me. Around 2005 a friend encourage me shift from landing on my heel to the front of my foot and use minimalist shoes. The transition produced some soreness as the leg muscles I used changed, but once I made the shift I found that my knee pain disappeared and the number of miles I could comfortably walk more than doubled. For several years I used ultra minimalist shoes (Vibram 5fingers and Luna Sandals), but I kept stubbing my toes. For several years I switched to trail runners and Keen sandals thanks to their toe cap. My foot placement is better these days, I am back to Luna Shammas Sandals. Today my footwear is:

    • Inov-8 Trailfly G 270. Trail runners: Near perfect fit for me. Toe box is a bit smaller than ideal, but large enough. Good traction. Have gotten ~1500 miles on several pairs before they need to be replaced. Original was available is all black.
    • Shammas sandals: Good traction, super light weight. Great trail feel. Use them hiking, running, and everyday life.
    • Vivobarefoot Gobi 2 Desert Boots: ok traction and acceptable looks even if I have to wear a suit while traveling

    I often wear light weight Darn Tough wool socks, but use Xoskin xo-toes in conditions that might produce blisters (long runs / extended hiking). In cool, wet conditions I sometimes use a Rocky Gore-Tex over-socks. When I was doing a lot of sub-freezing outdoor activities I used coolmax liner toe socks combined with insulated vapor barrier socks. I am no longer climbing or doing hard core winter trips so I have no need for specialized shoes and boots for these activities. The last pair I had were some insulated Keen boots which worked quite well.

    Good Fit

    More than most other clothing types, the “best” foot wear varies a great deal person to person because feet are quite different, and these differences have a direct impact on how well a shoe would work for you. I used to have a terrible time finding shoes which fit me because I have a very narrow heel, a small volume foot which a modest arch, and  need a large toe box because I have both hammertoes and morton’s toes.

    Backpacker had a nice article which is still on archive.org about  understanding feet and footwear which is oriented toward boots, but has a lot of valuable information such as the wet foot test. You might try to find a local store that has been trained in the FitSystem by Phil Oren.  Or go all the way and get a gait-analysis.

    There is a nice video about Customizing shoe fit by relacing.

    The sites runrepeat.com and sizesquirrel.com can help you sort through a variety of shoes to find one that matches the criteria, particularly size / shape you are looking for.

    Weight

    The weight of your shoe ends up making a big difference in the amount of energy you expend when walking or running. I recommend people wear shoes that are as light as practical.

    for every 1 lb of footwear, it’s like carrying an extra 6.4 lb of weight on your back

    [Legg SJ, Mahanty A. Energy cost of backpacking in heavy boots. Ergonomics.1986 Mar;29(3):433-8.]

    Inserts

    A number of my friends swear by Superfeet inserts, but they are not for everyone. Some people have issues with overlapping toes. There are a number of products to keep toes separated.

    Blisters

    Jackie and I have been blister free, even for extended journeys like 500 miles of the Camino from SJPP… but we seemed to be exception. Many (most?) people get blisters on extended trips, especially people wearing hiking boats. Most people were able to manage their blisters and continue to walk. A significant number of people we met on journeys like the Camino needed to add a zero day and/or take a taxi or bus to shorten their daily walking to give their feet time to recover.

    The first step is to try to prevent blisters. Blisters develop when your skin is exposed to friction, especially when wet or hot. Most important is to remove friction, specially lateral shear forces (good short video). This means that you shoes need to be roomy enough for your toes to splay without being so large that your feet slide around. If you shoes / boots are stiff, you will need something that provides a cushioning. Wearing two socks, a thick wool sock turned inside out, and a thin synthetic liner sock is one of the most effective solutions. More information about this on my recommended socks page. You also want to keep your feet dry when possible. This is typically best achieved by wearing fast drying, well ventilated shoes or sandals. Avoid waterproof shoes and boots. In rain they don’t really keep your feet dry due to feet sweating, and they hold moisture when it’s dry.

    Second, as soon as something doesn’t feel right apply treatment, don’t wait for a blister to appear. Sometimes changing your laces or adjusting your socks is all that is needed. Most of the time adding something to protect you skin. My experience is that KT-tape and Compeed blister bandages are the most effective treatments. Duct tape works pretty well. Some people swear by “hiker’s wool” but I have no experience with it. I don’t find Moleskin very effective.

    Third, if you develop blisters treat them. Start by draining them and then clean gently. Next you need to make sure they don’t get worse. One option is to leave a small thread in the blister to allow it to drain and then put a breathable protective bandage over them. The method I use is to squirt a bit of superglue (I bring some single use tubes) into the blister. This keeps the loose skin from tearing and makes a durable barrier which protects the tissue under the blister.

    For more information about caring for your feet, read the book Fix Your Feet.

  • Barefoot & Minimalist Shoes

    Our feet are well engineered and actually do a better job at removing stress from knees and hips than cushioned shoes. Traditional shoes with heels forces you into an unnatural position which is more likely to result in injury. There are a number of experienced long distance hikers and ultra-runners who use minimalist sandals or trail running shoes, logging thousands of miles / year for decades without injuries. If you have been using traditional shoes and want to give minimalist shoes a try, go for it, but don’t rush it. Learn about proper form and transition slowly as you build the muscles to move in a new way.

    [toc]

    My Experience

    I was born with deformed feet. I was in casts for the first couple years of my life and then custom orthotics until my 20s. I had significant problems finding shoes that were comfortable. When I ran more than a mile or walked more than 10 miles I would have knee and/or hip pain. In 2005 a coworker who was trained in the Alexander Technique encouraged me change how I walked and use minimalist shoes. The transition produced some soreness because I was using new muscles and needed to stretch my Achilles tendon, but once I made the shift I found that my knee pain disappeared. As my strength and fitness improved I was able to carry my backpack for 45 miles on a long summer day and run a marathon without pain. Well, at least no pain in my knees or hip… my leg muscles were sore for a couple of days after the marathon :).

    Since 2005 I yearly log around 2500-4000 miles walking, hiking, backpacking. Since 2012 I also have been yearly logging 1000-1500 miles running. All of that with minimalist shoes or sandals. Other than some stubbed toes while wearing sandals or 5fingers, I have just one foot injury.

    I developed plantar fasciitis in 2020 when I pushed my feet too much. I ran increasing hard everyday, tried jogging with a 40lb pack, and switched to new shoes that I now know don’t work for me.

    To recover I spend several months wearing a cushioned running shoes. Within a couple of months the actuate pain was gone, but my feet were still hurting, especially first thing in the morning. After six months I decided the cushioning wasn’t resolving the issue. I switched back to my minimal Luna Venado Sandals. Within a couple of months my feet were back to normal and I was able to start to run regularly. After a while I tried the Xeno Mesa again and noticed my feet were not happy. I am not sure why, but Xeno shoes (and sandals) soles just don’t work for me.

    I typically wear Shamma sandals, but when I need shoes for rugged conditions I switch to Inov-8 Trailfly 270 which are zero drop, but with a 12mm stack aren’t exactly minimalist. I wear a pair of Vivobarefoot Gobi II when I need to be dressed up.

    Why Minimalist / Bio Mechanism

    There have been numerous articles such as You Walk Wrong (slightly questioned in Your shoes are killing you), Going Barefoot is Good for the Sole, Why You Should Spend Time Walking Barefoot Everyday, A Moderate Approach to Minimalist Shoes, and a podcast by Peter Attia with Irene Davis from the Harvard/Spaulding Running Center which promote the benefits of going barefoot or wearing minimalist shoes. 

    The Harvard Skeletal Biology Lab has a lot of information about foot strikes and biomechanics. For example a paper about how Foot strike patterns and collision forces in runners were less with barefoot runners. The book Born to Run tells the story of people who run barefoot (or in minimalist sandals) for their entire lives. Other studies have suggested that while running is more efficient on the balls of our feet, that walking with heel strikes is more efficient. Another interesting paper is on The Effect of Running Shoes on Lower Extremity Joint Torques. It’s should be noted that a running stride is different from a walking/hiking stride.

    As I have read numerous studies I am convinced that people who grew up going barefoot or wearing minimalist shoes are better off than people who grew up wearing traditional shoes. When properly trained, I think most people benefit from minimalist shoes when running. When walking, the benefits from barefoot / minimalist shoes aren’t as compelling for people whose feet have been constrained by traditional shoes for a few decades. The combination of weak muscles and limited toe splay might make it challenging to adapt and fully benefiting from minimalist shoes.

    I have noticed after years of using minimalist shoes than when I am feeling foot pain, I am typically using bad form. The pain is like a warning light I am doing something wrong. Most recently it was the outside of my left foot was sometimes sore. After some self observation I noticed I was rolling that foot a bit to the outside. For the next few days I was more intentional about foot placement. The pain went away.

    Fully Barefoot

    Some people go fully barefoot not just when walking, but running, backpacking over terrain which many would expect to be painful.  There are a variety of resources such as barefooters.org. barefootted.com,  and The Barefoot Hiker. I don’t have anything to add on this topic because I don’t got barefoot except in my home and at the beach. There are numerous studies demonstrating that unshod and minimalist running involve different biomechanics from each other (examples here, here, here and here). While there’s not as much literature involving walking, the same appears to be true.

    Five Fingers

    vibram fivefingers has been a cult hit. The soles of five finger shoes looks like the bottom of our foot, down to a separation between the toes. There is a nice beginner’s guide to five fingers for people getting started with these shoes.

    There were many things I loved about wearing Five Finger shoes. The first was a sense of freedom, and the sensory experience on walking in them. I felt more connected to my environment. I felt more free. I also loved that I stopped getting blisters between my toes.

    The major problem I found with Five Fingers was that I was regularly stubbing my toes. A more traditional shoe spreads the force of impact over all the toes making it much less likely that one toe will be traumatized. There were some additional minor issues. The first was several members of my family teased me about how ugly the five fingers were. Second, they take longer to put on because you have to line your toes up. Finally. the original model used a mesh on the upper that let trail dust into the shoes. After an hour or so the dust would start to function like sandpaper forcing me to stop and clean off my feet. I found the Five Finger Spyridon addressed this problem. I used the Spyridon for trail running, hiking, and backpacking for several seasons.

    Minimalist Sandals

    After Born to Run was published, there are a number of companies that started making minimalist versions of Huaraches sandals such as Shamma, Earthrunners,  Luna, Unshoes, and Bedrock. There are also so minimalist sandals that don’t have the toe-post including unshoes pah tempe, feelgrounds pathway, xeno, and some of the sports sandals from paisley running sandals.

    Minimalist Shoes

    The most minimal shoes are the classic, sole-less, suede moccasins. When I starting using minimalist shoes there weren’t many options. Besides moccasins the only choices were ballet slippers, track shoes, the martial arts oriented Feiyue shoes and Terra Plana which seem to be the predecessor of Vivobarefoot which made tennis shoe with a replaceable sole that zipper on/off. All of these shoes were ok for walking around town, but all had serious traction issues in the back country. My first minimalist shoe made by Terra Plana.

    I believe Inov-8 was the first company to make minimalist shoes specifically made for outdoor sports. These shoes had zero drop,  relatively thin soles and lot of flexibility. I went through 14 pairs of the moderately “heavy” Inov-8 Flyroc 310 before trying other trail running (and for me backpacking) shoes.

    These days there are lots of companies that make minimalist shoes which are sports / outdoor oriented. Main stream companies like New Balance, Merrell and Nike have minimalist models. I have enjoyed running in the Merrill Vapor Gloves. Of course Vivobarefoot continues to make excellent shoes. Vibram has expanded from 5finger to the minimalist Furoshiki sneaker – but I hear they are too narrow in the toes. Xero Shoes are popular with many people, but hurt my feet. Peluva also makes a five toed shoe. LEMs Shoes are beloved by many.

    Dressing Up

    There are a number of small manufacturers that make minimal / zero drop shoes that are appropriate for more “dressed up” situations such as business meetings or a night out. Besides Vivobarefoot, I have tried LEMs Shoes,  Soft Star, Tadeevo. Other shoes that would be worth a look include Ahinsa, Freet Barefoot, Hike Footwear, Joe Nimble, Jim Green and Sense of Motion. Carets make a zero drop shoe (though not minimalist) classic dress shoe for men. Arcopedico makes some attractive minimalist shoes for women. In today’s evolving sense of style, historically “casual” shoes which can be minimalist like espadrille, driving loafers, etc are often acceptable, if not fashion forward.

    Other Material

  • Tarp-tents and Other Ultralight Shelters

    Today  there is a wide range of ultralight shelters including traditionally designed tents using exotic materials to move them into the ultralight weight classification. Many of the ultralight shelter designs came from people’s experiences on long thru hikes combined with a desire to find the lightest possible shelter while still providing adequate protection. I think the sweet-spot value sweet spot are single wall tarptents made from SilPoly. You can save weight by upgrading to a shelter made from DCF. A big advantage of SilPoly and DCF over the classic SilNylon is the lack of stretch so you don’t have to constantly re-tighten the shelter to maintain a taut pitch. These single wall shelters are extremely light weight, and when well designed can handle severe weather, and provides a bug free space which enables me (and I expect others) to have a more restful night. There are a number of other types of shelters, one of which might be better for you. See fitmytent.com to see how interior space of different shelters compare to each other.

    My Choice

    I use a Durston x-mid pro2 which is light enough for solo use and large enough for trips with my wife or a friend. Stable enough for 3+ seasons, can be opened up for decent ventilation in warmer weather, and easy to pitch if you use a few tricks. I now also have a Gossamer Gear Whisper shelter for solo trips when I want to minimize my load.

    Quick Recommendations

    I can’t recommend one shelter as being the “best”. Giving equal weighting to the weight, usable size (See Andrew’s article about calculation usable space and the related space spreadsheet), small footprint, ease / speed of pitch, bug protection, survive high winds, rain protection, and ventilation, there is no clear winner. Add price and the field flattens even more. Depending on how you weight these issues will result in a different shelter being “the best”. Here are my favorite:

    • Durston X-Mid2 Pro 20oz, $639, A two person, hiking pole shelter. Plenty of room for two. Likely can handle light 4-season weather (not extreme snow), easy to pitch.
    • MLD SoloMid (or DuoMid) XL with inner bug-netting which can be thought of as a “some assembly required” tarp-tent. Doesn’t do anything perfectly, but can handle just about any conditions you might encounter.
    • Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape $135, 10oz, combined with the Serenity NetTent $125, 12oz provides shelter, rain gear and pack cover in a versatile package. There are better shelters and better rain gear but this is a great system for some people. I find it a tad too small for my taste, but it is workable and beloved by many.
    • Tarptent Notch Li solo 20oz, $599 provides a very usable space which is more storm worthy than ZPacks shelters and feel more roomy that the SoloMid.  Inner tent is small but useable and can be set up after the outer tent is up. A good first look review of the Notch Li. Need room for two? Check out the Stratospire Li.
    • HMG Mid-1 solo 16.8oz, $599. One person pyramid with integrated bug netting and floor. A number of extra tie-outs for want facing more severe weather. Sets up with a single pole.

    Limitations of Tarp-tents

    Tarp-tents are ideal when facing moderate weather conditions combined with a desire for a bug free space. There are shelters that provide more protection, or are lighter weight, but few that will match a tarptent’s overall performance. There are a number of situations that I think there are better shelters:

    • Extreme Conditions.  Most of these shelters don’t handle extreme conditions well.  What’s extreme?  For me, winds consistently above 35 mph, standing water, or real snowfall. A little snow isn’t a problem, but when there is enough to pile up and get blown in to the shelter most ultralight designs just aren’t appropriate with a possible exception of pyramid tarps.
    • People who can’t control their movement and therefore need something to keep them from repeatedly rubbing against the condensations on the shelter walls. This is often a problem with kids.
    • People that can’t be gentle with gear, or who are extremely accident prone… e.g. will fall on top of their shelter several times due to coordination issues or carelessness.

    Managing Condensation

    People are often concerned about condensation in single walled shelters which most ultralight shelters are. My experience is condensation is not a big issue in well designed ultra light shelters which have adequate ventilation and reasonably steep sidewalls. Those made from Dyneema (formally called cuben) seem to have less issues with condensation.

    Pretty much any night that the temperature drops significantly you will get some condensation (in the worse cases a fair bit), but so long as you don’t repeatedly brush against the walls the water won’t be a significant issue. In heavy winds or rains some water will shake off, but most will stay on the walls, or roll down to the edge without falling on you. The worse condensation will be nights were you have cold rain which cools your shelter, but the ground under the shelter is warm so ground moisture condenses on the shelters walls/roof. In the morning you wipe the inside of the shelter down with a bandana or pack towel and you are fine.

    Some people perspire significantly more than others and might find that they will have more condensation that others using the same shelter, in the same conditions. Obviously two people will generate more moisture than one person.

    SMD has a nice article about Getting the Most from your Ultralight tent. BPL’s single wall shelters and condensation has useful information.

    Floors

    Floors in ultra light shelters can be convenient, specially for people new to ultra light shelters or when you really need your shelter to be sealed against bugs or other crawling creatures, but they are rarely adequate if you are facing standing water which can’t be avoid in some locations (like the flat midwest during a thunderstorm). There was a nice posting by Ron Moak about the limitations of ultralight bathtub floors.

    Tarp Systems

    A close relative of the ultralight shelter / tarp tent are flat tarps combined with “netting” tents, and  shaped tarps combined with optional bug netting and/or floors. While these shelters weight more than an similarly size ultralight shelter, they have a couple of advantages. The first is that the bug netting can be pitched separating from the tarp which is great when there are bugs and good weather. Secondly with the floor separate from the canopy it’s easy to replace a damaged floor, you can pack your “dirty floor” separately, and most importantly, it’s easily to manage wet unless there is standing water. When it’s raining hard you can go strait into your shelter and close the door. Sort of like a vestibule, but larger. The excess water can typically be absorbed by the the ground. Finally, most shaped tarps are more storm worthy than most tarp-tents, especially when facing heavy winds.

    Ultralight Solo for the Sierras

    I used the original Zpacks Hexamid for many years. I found it nearly ideal for three season trips in the Sierras. It provide adequate protection from weather, a bug free, for just over 8oz. The only downside for me was the entry was lower than ideal (28″). When I decided to purchase new solo shelter, the Hexamid was no longer made and began to look something like the hexamid. I like the design and taut pitch of the Meadow Physics Abode but the entry was even lower. If I was better at sewing I would made a montmolar shelter. In the end, I purchased a Gossamer Gear Whisper shelter. It’s light, easy access, plenty of room, with protection from flying insects. I like that it has no floor which makes managing in the rain easier than an integrated floor. Other good options are the Zpacks Plex Solo, Durston X-Mid Pro1, and HMG Mid-1. If I didn’t need bug protections I would have go with the OG MLD SoloMid or consider the minimalist Ounce Designs.

    Other Options

    I don’t track the market these days. I would recommend look at BPL Editor’s Recommendations, The Trek’s Best Shelters, or Adventure Allan‘s shelter gear guides.

    Some ultralight shelters I have used, are still made and worth a look:

    • Gossamer Gear The One: 21oz, $299. A single person shelter with plenty of  room for me that’s fairly easy to use. I used the first version for a couple of years. I had troubles getting a really taut pitch. The current model has been updated and I understand pitches better.
    • LightHeart Gear shelters. I wrote up my experiences with a Solo+Awning.   A diamond shaped floor that makes use of two hiking poles. This shelter provides a double walled solo shelter with a lot of room, good views when the fly is pulled back, good insect protection, and decent weather protection.There are some good discussions at lightheart@whiteblaze and lightheart@bpl.  I wouldn’t trust this shelter in high winds, but in places that have some wind protection it would be very nice. This shelter is very similar to the Wanderlust Nomad.
    • Tarptent Double Rainbow (DR): ~32sq ft + 20 sq ft vestibules, 40oz, $299. Very usable shelter for two that weighs less than 2.5lbs. The design keeps netting between you and the sil-nylon which might accumulate condensation virtually eliminated the danger of getting condensation on your sleeping bag. Adequate living space for two 6ft people, though the top is narrower than the floor so you have to be a bit careful not to bump the sides near the top of the shelter. Typically purchased with a bathtub style floor which can be relaxed for better ventilation. There are a pair of high vents which are slightly helpful with the vestibules are closed. The DR can be pitched free starting if you have a pair of long hiking poles or it can be staked down (what I did most of the time). Double vestibules have a fabric extender which lets you turn them into rain porches. If you expect to face strong winds get wind stabilizer anchors added. Can be pitched in under 4 minutes.  The DR, especially if you add extra guy points can survive surprised harsh conditions as described in this thread about Tarptent Double Rainbow in strong winds. I am comfortable using the DR in anything but a real snowfall.
    • Tarptents has a number of other shelters which are attractive and well designed shelters.
    • Six Moon Designs makes a number of ultralight tarp-tents. My favorite is the Skyscape which stands up to wind better than the Lightheart Solo. I found it fairly easy to set up and provides a comfortable living space. On paper Six Moon Designs shelters are nice, but for whatever reason I never used one of their shelters for more than a few trips.  If they bring back the 16oz Dyneema version of the Skyscape, I would be very tempted.
    • Warmlite was the first tunnel tent (1958? – history link) made of light weight Sil-Nylon. IMHO it was decades before there were commercial tents that matched the weight / performance. I haven’t used one of these tents since then early 2000s. They are pricy compared to the above shelters, but some people might fine them useful.

    Historical

    BPL’s Single Wall Tents: State of the Market gives a nice summary of the options in 2008. They also did a Floorless Shelter Review and  Single Wall Tents & Shelters Review in 2004. There are some shelters I thought worth noting which are no longer made.

    • Tarptent Squall: One of the lightest 2-person shelter of it’s day: 23oz for a floorless shelter with flying bug protection, 30oz with a sewn in floor. I found the Squall Classic to be one of the fastest shelters to set up. It had simple but elegant design with beautiful lines. Plenty of room for two people sleeping, but only one can sit up at a time. Later, Gossamer Gear Squall Classic made a spinnaker cloth version. This saved weight, but didn’t pitch as well due to the lack of stretch of the spinnaker material.
    • MSR Missing Link : lots of room for two people in this 37sq ft shelter + a huge overhang. But this weights more than 3lbs (1lb more than most of the other ultra-light shelters). There are some people who have a fondness for this shelter, but I was disappointed in it’s performance in any sort of storm. I never owned this shelter, but have been on several outings where the people with me were using a Missing Link and had problems.
    • Six Moon Designs Europa: A light weight, single walled tent for two people (36oz). This hybrid shelter has most of the advantages of a double walled shelter at the weight of a single walled tent. It is natural for me to compare this shelter to my favorite, the Squall2. Advantages for the Europa are slightly better ventilation, it’s a bit easier to keep dry during a rain storm and it is less likely for you to brush against condensation on the body of the shelter. I found that the Europa is a bit harder to get a good pitch, doesn’t pitch as taut, and therefore isn’t as good in high winds. The Europa has more square footage, but doesn’t have sidewalls that are as steep or as much headroom of the Squall2. There was a nice review comparing the squall2 and six moon designs europa.
    • Wanderlust made a number of light weight shelters that were loved by their owners. Alas, this cottage business got overwhelmed seemed to stop doing business in 2003. If you want a Wanderlust shelter, check out Lightheart Gear which has a very similar design.

    Budget Options

    There are several Chinese companies which makes clones of US based cottage designs such as 3fulgear which are often very affordable through aliexpress. I have no personal experience but see them referenced on /r/ultralight with generally favorable comments.

  • Christian’s Second Most Important Book

    The dominate culture in the US prizes freedom and choice above all else which has led us to have one of the most individual oriented cultures. Garret Kell’s article entitled The Second-Most Important Book for Every Christian is a great antidote to the individual focus we are exposed to. What is the second most important book? Your church directory. The directory represents a vital community of belonging and service.

    Do not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
    –Hebrews 10:25, ESV

  • Money Advice

    A number of my younger friends have asked for advice regarding personal finance. This is an attempt to summarize what I know. If you want more in-depth information I would suggest checking out my goodreads “personal finance” shelf. UPDATED in 2024 to reflect some changing thoughts about real estate, the under performance of bonds as a hedge against the stock market, having a “rich life”, and a some resources to grow generosity.

    [toc]

    People are more Important than Things: Don’t Make Money an Idol

    In the grand tapestry of life, people hold a value that eclipses money or any material asset we may accumulate. The principle should be simple: love people and use things, not the reverse. While money and possessions are valuable resources, the danger lies in fostering an unhealthy relationship with them, thereby transforming a blessing into a destructive force. An early life lesson for me was to choose to share with others, even if it meant my possessions or money were at risk.

    Contrary to some interpretations that equate material wealth with divine favor, religious texts like the Bible caution against the pitfalls of financial idolatry. In the New Testament, I Timothy 6:10 states, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Jesus himself frequently cautioned against the perils of greed through his parables. In my personal experience, an obsessive focus on wealth often correlates with deteriorating personal relationships and diminishing character. As Proverbs 30:8 succinctly advises, we should aim to be “neither poor nor rich.”

    If you’re interested in delving deeper into the biblical perspective on wealth, consider reading Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn and Jesus and Money by Ben Witherington III.

    Consumer Culture and the Illusion of Happiness

    Today’s consumerist culture perpetuates a cycle of dissatisfaction, pushing us to desire more instead of appreciating what we already have. Research, including studies like “$50k is the cost of happiness” which indicates that beyond meeting basic needs such as shelter, food, clothing, and healthcare, additional wealth doesn’t equate to additional happiness. This number varies by location, some places in the US the number is between $75k-110k due to high housing costs, Moreover, studies have shown that spending money on others produces more happiness than spending money on self. See detailed results from their experiments. Intriguingly, even when told that spending small windfalls on others promoted more happiness than spending money on themselves, college students said they would choice to spend money on themselves. There is a plethora of intriguing research on the psychology of charity, a topic deserving its own dedicated discussion.

    Taking Action: Re-center Your Priorities

    1. Reflect on What Matters Most: Take inspiration from the wisdom of individuals who have reached the twilight of their lives. Their insights often point to the importance of relationships over material gains. My summary in commands for life.
    2. Cultivate Gratitude: Practicing gratitude can bring about a profound shift in your outlook, focusing your attention on what you have rather than what you lack.
    3. Mindful Spending: Adopt strategies to make your purchasing decisions more intentional. For example, stick to a pre-made shopping list, delay any impulsive buys by at least 24 hours, or embark on a “shopping diet,” limiting your purchases to essentials for a specific timeframe.
    4. Embrace Minimalism: Looking at the philosophy of minimalism promoted by people like Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist blog. Clear material clutter out of our lives so we can focus on what’s truly important.

    By refocusing on what truly holds value—our relationships, our character, and our contributions to the world—we can break free from the dangerous idolatry of wealth and material possessions.

    Make more than you Spend: Don’t be a Debtor

    You should never spend more than you earn. This means avoiding unsecured debt. There are several reasons to avoid debt. First, being in debt means that we lose freedom and have obligations which control us. Romans 13:8 says “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another”. Second, being in debt carries a huge psychological weight that most people underestimate. One of the more stressful times in my life was when I wasn’t sure if I could sell the house I owned for as much as I owed on the mortgage. The day I sold the house and paid off the mortgage felt like one of the most liberating days in my life. There are studies which show the stress from financial concerns actually lower a personal’s cognitive ability.

    Often times people will go into debt because they are unwilling to wait until they have been able to save enough money to make an outright purchase. There is a great SNL skit about don’t buy if you don’t have the money. Take on debt only when the debt is a “good investment”. One example of this taking a mortgage out on a piece of property which is worth more than the loan. Another place that might make sense to take on some debt is to fund investments in the future such as education or starting a business. But even when there is good long-term value in the investments, care should be taken to minimize long-term debt and be sure that they long term returns are worth the debt.

    Action

    • Don’t buy things you can’t afford :). Most of the time going into debt isn’t about money management, it’s about learning how to be content.
    • Use debit cards rather than credit cards, or if you using credit cards pay off new charges each month.
    • If you are in debt, the make the minimum payment on all accounts which you owe except the one with the highest interest rate. Pay off that debt as quickly as you can, and then move on to the next highest interest rate debt until you have cleared all your debts. If the interest rates are about the same, pay off the smallest debts first so you feel like you are making progress.

    Track Your Money: Otherwise Nothing will Change

    If you’re uncertain about where your money is going, chances are you’re not in control of your spending. In such cases, you’re inadvertently allowing others to dictate your financial choices, and rest assured, they aren’t prioritizing your best interests. Implementing thoughtful changes requires a clear understanding of your money’s journey

    Harness Technology for Financial Tracking

    While traditional pen-and-paper methods can work, modern electronic systems offer a more efficient way to monitor your finances. Most banking institutions now provide free online access to your transactions. If yours doesn’t, consider switching to a bank that does. Personally, I use Simpifi for tracking my finances, but I don’t love it. There are many viable alternatives. Websites like Nerdwallet, Wallethacks, and Wirecutter offer insightful recommendations for financial management applications.

    Categorize and Evaluate Your Spending

    After you’ve gathered data on recent expenditures, the next step is categorization. Tools like Mint’s “Trends” make this simple. This not only helps you understand where your money is going, but also lays the foundation for intentional spending. Reflect on the following questions to evaluate your habits:

    • Is my spending aligned with my values?
    • How is my spending contributing to my well-being?

    Build a Realistic Budget

    Creating a budget shouldn’t be an arbitrary exercise; it needs to be rooted in reality. Start by identifying areas where you’re overspending. Then, pinpoint specific expenses that can be reduced or eliminated. Use this information to formulate a realistic budget. The goal is to have some money left over at the end of this process, which we’ll discuss further later in this document.

    Actions:

    1. Choose a Financial Tracking Method: Select an application or system to track your financial data and input the necessary information.
    2. Analyze Current Expenditures: Break down your spending into categories to gain insight into your habits.
    3. Formulate a Budget: Use your spending analysis to create a budget that aligns with your financial goals and values.
    4. Regularly Compare and Adjust: Consistently measure your actual spending against your budget, making adjustments as needed.

    Advanced Strategies:

    • Plan for Recurring One-Time Expenses: Identify expenditures that occur periodically but not regularly, such as gifts, and incorporate them into your budget.
    • Future-Proof Your Budget: Make provisions for durable goods that will eventually wear out, saving a little every month to replace them when the time comes.

    By following these guidelines and taking a proactive approach, you’ll be well on your way to achieving financial well-being, putting you in the driver’s seat of your own financial journey.

    Be Generous, Remember that It’s All God’s

    The Bible teaching that everything is God’s, and that we are to be good stewards of what He entrusts into our care. We should enjoy God’s provision and take care of our needs, but we need to remember that it’s not ours to waste, but rather to invest for good. As Ephesians chapter 4 makes clear, we work not just for our needs, but to have something to share. The the Old Testament era God called His people to give a 10% tithe directly to the temple, another 10% to support community celebrations, and 10% every three years to support the poor directly. These tithe were to be from the first fruits. In other words, the people weren’t to start with their “needs” (which is often hard to separate from wants) and give the leftovers to God, but setting aside the tithe up front, and to live on what remains. While we are not bound by the mosaic law, it would be wise to be informed by their practice, understanding that God is wise and not capricious in what He asked His people to do.

    Our spending and our sense of what is a need tends to increase as we have more money. In surveys done in the US, the number one reason for not giving more is because people felt they can’t afford giving money away. Yet the percent of income given by the very poor is more than 3 times the very rich, even though they have much less money.

    Growing up, my family insisted that if we received a gift of money, that a portion was to be given to a charitable endeavor and some put into savings.  Later in life I was exposed to a variety of Christian teachers who advocated 10% of income should be given away, 10% saved, and the remaining 80% is what to live on. I think the 10/10/80 is a good starting point, though I think the percent giving and saving should increase as income rises. Ronald Sider in Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger makes a very compelling case for a graduated tithe sometimes called a reverse tithe. Rather than a giving a fixed percent of income, he encourages a mindset of stewardship: everything is God’s. Rather than our income being “ours” to spend on ourselves, it is God’s to be used for what is important to Him. Sider suggests that as our income grows above the poverty line, that an increasing large percentage should be given away.

    I would agree with Sider that as our income increases we should spend a decreasing percentage on daily consumption, but besides giving money away, saving/investing for the future is also appropriate. The money saved and invested is not necessarily for ourselves. Having money in savings allows us to response not just to unexpected personal needs, but also help out others.

    Action

    • If you aren’t giving 10% of your income away, make a plan (e.g. cut expenses) so you have money to give away.
    • Don’t know where to give money? Check out GiveWell
    • Keep your receipts for when you do taxes
    • Strengthen you generosity muscles. Be inspired by Glen Van Peski’s Take Less, Do More, read the book Giving is the Good Life, work through the material from The Practice of Generosity

    Advanced

    • If you are giving away 10% already. consider adopting a  graduated tithe
    • Open a donor directed charitable giving fund such as Fidelity’s Giving Fund (Schwab and several other companies offer similar programs). This allows you to donate money at the time you received it (getting the tax benefit) but give money to an appropriate charity as you decide what is a worthy cause. Giving too much at one time to a charity can “break” them.
    • Open a bank account which is tied to a debt card which is dedicated to helping others. Each month (or each pay check) deposits a fixed percetage of your income to this account. Once money is in this account it’s not “yours”, it’s others. When you come across others in need, use your debit card to help them out without worry… you have saved money for this very need. This wonderful idea came from Glen Van Peski.

    Saving for the Future: Don’t be Foolish

    Life is filled with surprises. A wise person saves money to smooth over the difficult times. The Bible is filled with stories of how wise men saved during prosperous times which enabled them and their community to thrive when the days were more difficult. One of the most striking stories was how God used Joseph to save an entire region during an extended drought.

    While droughts don’t usually effect us as directly as they did Joseph, we have our modern challenges. Our transportation breaks down, a surprising health issue, a good friend in need. Having savings can allow us to raise to these sorts of challenges without falling into debt.

    I think it’s very important to remember that what you are saving isn’t yours, it’s God’s. The money in your savings may very well be for your needs in a time of trouble, but it might also be for someone you come in contact with. By remembering that God provided the abundance that allowed you to save, you will avoid to  temptation to put your trust in the saving rather than in God.

    Actions

    • Memorize Psalm 23 as a reminder of God’s care for you
    • If you have no savings, go back to your budget and figure out what expenses you can cut so you can set aside 10% of your income
    • Set a saving goal. I would recommend at least $1000. Conventional wisdom suggests that you should have between 3-6 months of your essential living expenses in savings. Use a high interest savings account. Nerdwallet and I am sure other sites track those with the best rates.
    • Once you have several months of living expenses saved, work on long term investments discussed below.

    Start Saving Early: Compounding Is Your Friend

    When people are at the start of their career, retirement seems a long way off. But investing for retirement is best started as early as possible.  This is because interest and investments compound over time (compounding calculator).

    Imagine if a 22y-old invested $6000/year for five years ($30k total) with a 8% return (what the stock market has done over long durations). They would have more than a million dollars when they hit 70 years old. If this person decided they were going to put off saving for as long as possible and then start contributing $6k/year they would need to save from age 45 until 70 to have approximate the same amount of money when they reached 70. This has them paying out nearly 5x the amount of money ($150k) over 5x the number of years to accumulate the same amount of money at 70.

    Hint for parents: One way to bless your children is that as soon as they are earning money, offer to match the money they earn (up to the maximum limit for the yearly Roth contribution). This will be less than what needs to be declared to the IRS as a gift and will get them started saving at a time that money is typically tight for them.

    Action

    • If your employer offers 401K or 403B plan, take advantage of the plan so long as their plan allows the money to be invested in low overhead index funds. If you company offers matching do whatever you can to get all the matching offered. This is “free money”. If you can afford it, make the maximum tax deductible contribution.
    • Open a IRA (or Roth-IRA) account if you don’t have one. I like Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and Vanguard Group. There are several other firms which have a quality products recommended by the balance, nerdwallet. Start with an account that has no fees.
    • Contribute as much money as you can to a Roth-IRA or traditional-IRA that is permitted by law. For most people reading this post the limit is $6k / year. For someone who is just starting their career (your tax rate is fairly low) I generally would recommend going with a Roth-IRA. If you are just getting started and haven’t figure out your investment strategy, I would recommend putting 100% of your money into Fidelity’s Total Market Fund. As you get closer to retirement age you will want to have a more balanced portfolio… but you have time to figure this out.

    Buy a House?

    Part of the classic “American Dream” is owning one’s own home. In the past, home ownership has been one of the most powerful ways for family to build wealth, but it’s not a guarantee. Part of what fueled the mortgage crisis of 2009 was people purchasing homes they couldn’t afford assuming that the value of the house would continue to rise and that in the future they could re-finance based on the increased value of their home. Like all purchases, I think no one should purchase a home whose cost is more than they can afford.

    There is often the question of buy or rent. The first exercise I think everyone should do before answering this question is compare the cost of a home to the cost of renting. Historically people suggest comparing equally sized homes but I don’t think that’s right. You should compare the rental place you need now, to the house you want to own a few years from now. The total cost of the house should be calculated (mortgage + property taxes + HOA + upkeep + insurance – deduction of mortgage/property taxes from state/federal taxes).

    There are several reasons to consider renting rather than buying. In many markets, renting ends up being cheaper even when factoring in the equity you are building. This is especially true if you want to sell and move to a new place in less than five years… the average time it takes for the accumulated equity which match the expenses from the loan (origination fees, points), real estate agent commissions, etc. The second reason is freedom / ease of change. If you want to change the size, quality, or location of your residents, terminating a least is much easier and taxing than selling a home you own. Third,  you are freed from having to deal with many of the hassles associated with home ownership such as the maintenance to counter the inevitable decay and breakdown experienced by all physical objects.

    There are several reasons it can make sense to purchase a home. In some places the fully loaded cost of buying a house is cheaper than renting. Second, home ownership can be a hedge against inflation… so even if the house is more expensive now, if rental prices are rising, a fixed rate mortgage will ultimately be cheaper than the rent. A third reason to purchase a home is to create a space that meets your specific needs. Forth, real estate is often a good investment.

    Real estate is often one of the best investments you can make. First, the government provides tax incentives which don’t exist for other investments. The interest on your mortgage can deducted from your income when calculating your taxes and when you sell the house a single person gets to deduct $250k (married $500k) of any profits of any capital gains you made. Second, the investment, especially if the property provides both housing for yourself and rental income does double duty: provides an instrument for long term investment while potentially offsetting your monthly expenses. Third, your gains are potentially highly leveraged. Most people buy a house using a mortgage. If the value of the home grows more quickly than the mortgage interest (nice mortgage calculator) you benefit from the total appreciate of the property, even though you only paid for a small portion of the property. Few people purchase stock on margin because a dip in value and the risk of being called exposes the investor to great risk. So long as house payments are being made, there is no risk of being called with a mortgage, and in most cases home values don’t drop and stay down for an extended period. There have been several long term studies which suggest that homes in good areas tend to increase in value around the at similar rate as the stock market (faster in places like the SF Bay Area) while having the stability / safety of a classic bond. Finally, it is well documented that there is currently a housing shortage in much of the USA. So long as you live in a city with a housing shortage, there is a good chance that the real estate will have a good appreciation.

    If you decide to purchase a property take your time. People who know real estate will say there are three things to consider: location, location, location. This is because you can easily change the house but you can’t change the neighborhood. The best neighborhoods tend to appreciate at a faster rate and hold their value better during a downturn. Personally I would add “trees” to “location” because more trees makes the home and neighborhood more pleasant, and you can’t add trees quickly. Understand the characteristics of the local neighborhoods, walkability vs ease of other transportation for your daily activities. Consider what you want in terms of size, style, age, layout, etc. What sort of yard you want, or no yard. Visit open houses with whomever you might be purchasing the property with. Make notes about what you like, and don’t like. Determine how much work you are willing to put into the home. Do you want a turn-key. you just move in, a place that will be ok now and you will do bits of remodeling as you go, or a place that needs so much work either you choice to live somewhere else during the remodel (effectively doubling your housing cost), or live in the house which is more like camping while the remodel is going.  Just remember, remodels always take more money and time than anyone predicts.

    How to Invest for the Future

    Generally people split their long term investments between cash, bonds, stocks, property, and in some cases a business. The general rule of thumb is that the best long term returns come from the stock market, but the stock market has more volatility than other options. Since 1941 the stock market has averaged around 11.5%/year (with some years losing significant value) with inflation running around 3.7% (so 7.8% returns). The worst 30 year period was 1968-1998 where inflation was 5% and the stock market was 7% (2% returns). For people who are home owners, I generally recommend that the rest of their investments are not in real estate. Money in stocks and bonds will often have superior returns (unless you are in the Bay Area), are more liquid, and require little or no maintenance.

    I recommend using a passive investment strategy for stocks / bonds.  Many people think a more active management will result in better return.  Some people do a ton of research in the attempt to pick the very best stock. Other people outsource this work to a financial advisor they trust or a well respected mutual fund that is actively managed.  I would recommend not doing these things.  First, active management results in fees which eat into any gains you might have made and can result in taxable events.  More important, while many people can beat the general market over the short term, the book A Random Walk Down Wall Street documents there are only two big named investors who have beat the general market over the long term:  Warren Buffet and Peter Lynch. Since this book was written there are a few very exclusive hedge funds that have beat market over the long term. Exclusive is that the minimum investment in their fund was 5 million dollars plus other factors required to qualify to invest in the fund. You are much more likely to win a large lottery than you are to beat the market over the long term, and this is also true for most finances professionals. It’s possible to beat the market for a modest period of time, but in the end, the market will do better than whatever strategy that you choose. That’s because no one can successfully time the market.  People have a tendency to believe that they are able to choose when to buy and sell to maximize profits. No one can predict the future and so you only think (incorrectly) that you know the best time to take an action.

    One of the simplest passive investment strategies is called the three fund portfolio. Originally developed by John Bogle who started Vanguard Group and continues to be popularized by bogleheads. Money is split between very low overhead index funds which track over overall US stock market, international stocks, and bonds. Given today’s global market, some people use two fund, a US total index and a bond index fund.  A general rule of thumb seems to be the percent in the stocks should be 120 – your age.  So if you are 30, 90% should be in stocks, with just 10% in bonds / cash.

    Starting in 2022 there have been some who question whether using bonds as a hedge against the stock market makes sense. In 2022 bonds fell at the same time as stocks fell, and the bonds did not perform as well as stocks in the “up” years. It is likely a combination of inflation, high interest rates, and the current US monetary policy that resulted in bonds not being an effective hedge. Many financial experts seem to be recommending having a smaller percent of money in bond compared to Bogle’s guidelines, and using alternative hedges. I am not sure what a good alternative is.

    My best recommendation right now for people who are “retired”. Have around 3-5 years of your retirement “income” in something that is fairly liquid and not tied to the stock market. Right now this would be a combination of CDs and high interest saving accounts. Leave the rest of your money in index funds. Historically, when the market has had a large downturn, it recovery within three years. By having a 5 year buffer, you should be able to avoid selling stocks when they are down.

    Once every six months determine if your percent allocation (stock, bond, cash) is what you want and if not, do exchanges to get the ratio where you want if to be.  If you don’t own your home, you might what to consider a forth fund / REIT for your portfolio which tracks residential property. If you own a home this might not be necessary since many people have a significant portion of their net worth tied up in their home.

    The final bit of advise I would give is to “keep disciplined”.  Fear of lose often drives people to buy high and sell low.  They buy high because they see huge gains made by everyone else and they fear losing out and so invest just as an issue peaks.  Then the bubble bursts, the stock falls, and it looks like they are losing all sorts of money.  Eventually panic sets in and the stock is sold after it has lost value.  Investing in the stock market needs to be done for the long term. The market goes up and down over time, but it continues to gain value over time. It’s best to put your money in, and then do your very best not to track the changes except for the purpose to rebalancing your investment allocation. In almost every case of a market downturn, the overall market has recovered in three years.

    Action

    • Learn about a passive investment strategy and decide based on your risk tolerates the appropriate allocation of your resources.
    • Establish an every 3-12 months rebalancing exercise
    • Don’t look at how your investments daily! Check them periodically for the purpose of rebalancing. Constantly watching your investments will only cause anxiety and likely lead you to taking foolish actions.

    Real Estate as an Investment

    Real estate, especially residential property can be an excellent investment. Homes you rent out can provide cash flow, offset income taxes, and have long term appreciation. Across the USA homes have appreciated on average 2.5%/year. For the last 30 years, the Bay Area real estate has had returns similar to the stock market with much less volatility. Like when you purchased real estate for your home, the interest on the loan can be used to offset taxes. Furthermore, the house “depreciation” can offset the money generated by rent. Even though the house + land value appreciated, the wear-and-tear of the house lets you claim a yearly depreciation. When you sell a property you can defer capital gains by purchasing another property of equal or greater value by doing a 1031 exchange. This doesn’t have to be a 1 for 1 exchange, you could purchase two smaller properties whose total value exceeds the property you sold. The first downside is that rental properties are never “passive income”. There will inevitably been issues around maintenance and tenants that will pop up on its own schedule…. likely when you are busy with other things. Hiring a property management firm (typically 5-10% of rent) can deflect many of these issues, but you will still get pulled in some of the time. The other thing to keep in mind is that people (who aren’t you) will be living in your property. They might not behave as you would but you will be often limited in what you can say and do. Since the 1980s tenants rights and landlord responsibilities have increases. The other thing to keep in mind is that property is not liquid. Turning property into cash can be time consuming and is an all or nothing transaction (you can’t do partial sales). For someone who loves working on houses, investing in rental properties is typically a smart investment that provides needed housing to the community.

    Envisioning Retirement

    Many people think they will work until 65-70, and then retire. Others expect to work until they can’t work any longer due to physical limitations. I think it’s more productive to think of retirement as moving to a stage of life where what we do isn’t constrained by the need to produce income. It’s good to “retire” as early as we can. Not to have a life of idle leisure, but so you are free to invest your time in things that are truly worthwhile without being constrained by what salary you might make. Long term savings can also be used to start a business, launch a non profit organization, or become an endowment for a foundation.

    How much should you save for retirement?  Conventional wisdom is the “4% rule”. The simple form of this is multiply your yearly spend by 25 and that’s roughly your target. Super conservative people use a 2% rule. You can reach financial independence more quickly if your lower your spend because this lets you save more money now and lowers the total amount of money you need to save. For example, if you switch from a cell plan of $85/month to a $45/month “budget” plan, you are not only able to put $480 dollars into your saving account each year, but you are reducing the amount you need to save by $25,000. Drop a 1 starbucks / day habit would reduce your total saving target by almost $27,000!! For more thoughts check out  Financial Samurai’s How much should my net-worth be based on income.

    I hope social security will be part of my income stream during retirement, but I am not sure I will benefit from it. I fear that as a larger percent of the populate is above retirement age, that the money collected from people working won’t be enough to pay benefits. This could break social security. For people born in 1960 or later, there are three options for starting social security. The longer to wait to get social security, the larger the monthly payments are. Assuming social security continues to function the optimal time to start social security will depend on how long you expect to live (or social security breaks down)

    • Start Early (62) – benefits until 78 years
    • Normal (67) – benefits until you are 79-84 years
    • Delayed (70) – benefits collected to >=85 years

    Action

    • Check out Mr Money Mustache or other advocates of finance independence, retire early (FIRE). You don’t need to adopt this viewpoint, but it is very good food for thought. Many people assume that their current (or higher) spending patterns is mandatory to be happy. Many people have found that “downsizing” their spend was initially painful but ended up be great.
    • Consider the counter-point to “retirement thinking” raised by Randy Alcorn in Money, Possessions, and Eternity. In the light of eternity and a God who cares for us, would it make sense to save less and be more generous today?
    • Consider if you would like to start a business, invest in real estate, etc. Take care to do something you want to invest your life into, not just because you think it will make money. Remember the first rule “People are more important than things (e.g. money)”.
    • Get a sense of what social security (if it doesn’t go bankrupt) might payout.
    • Identify your “retirement” (financial independence) target, sometimes referred to as your ”number” which was popularized by the book Your Money or Your Life. For some generic numbers you could use something like the nerdwallet retirement calculator.

    Insurance

    In the USA, the number one reason for families to file for bankruptcy or to become homeless is medical debt. The reality is likely worse because medical debt is often hidden in consumer debt. No one can predict medical health. Someone can appear to be completely healthy only to find themselves in the hospital racking up tens of thousands of dollars of expense a day. I think it is fairly irresponsible not to carry medical insurance in countries that don’t have good national health care. Often times people look for plans which have low deducible. While low deductible is nice, I generally encourage people to pay much close to attention to the catastrophic coverage. Whenever possible I encourage people to select plans which cover 100% of the expensive once a deductible is reached. With serious conditions, it is very possible to accumulate >$1M of medical expenses in a year. A plan which covers 80% of expenses means $200k is owned by an individual. I also encourage paying close attention to the drug coverage because for most people, they spend more money on the medicines than on the doctor visits. An alternative to classic health insurance are healthcare cost sharing organizations such as Christian Healthcare Ministries. One of the reasons people move out of the US during retirement is that many countries have health outcomes which are as good as the US, the doctors are easier to access, and the cost is a fraction of insurance in the US.

    Beyond medical insurance is home and auto insurance. Like medical insurance it’s most important to protect yourself against what you can’t afford. So if you are driving an old car you can afford to replace, it likely make sense just to carry liability insurance.

    Automate Your System

    Tim Ferriss has a good guest blog post by Ramit Sethi about building an automated personal finance system. The punch line is that a without an automated system we are facing more financial decisions that we are able to process in a wise manner. Rather than having to face those decisions one at a time, we should put our finances on “automatic” as much as possible. The classic example of this is rather than each month deciding if / how much money to save, set-up an automate transfer into a saving account for some reason, set amount. You don’t have to think about it, it just happens.

    Buy Happiness / Have a Rich Life

    There is a nice video clip by Joshua Becker which discusses how to use money to increase happiness which is based on the paper Prosocial spending and buying time: Money as a tool for increasing subjective well-being. They assert that once someone’s basic needs are met there are three ways that money can increase happiness (and added things, purchasing luxuries wasn’t one of them).

    • purchasing meaningful experiences (especially that are shared with others)
    • spending money that benefits others
    • spending money so you can use your time for things that are valuable to you

    When I think of my “optional spending” I typically consider the return on investment. I consider the hours of enjoyment vs the cost. Anything that provides an hour of enjoyment for less than $5 seems like a great deal. For example, I spend around $12k on stereo equipment and music which gave me quite a bit of enjoyment over the years. When I last calculated the cost, it was $1.72 / day, which was $0.40 / hour of enjoyment. The $12k might have seemed like a lot of money, but it was actually cheaper than purchasing a nice cup of coffee every workday.

    There was an interesting conversation between Tim Ferris and Ramit Sethi about living a rich life. If you are living paycheck to paycheck the conversation between these two high net worth individuals could be off putting… but I think their conversation could be helpful to anyone who has achieved basic financial security. While listening to this podcast I realized I feel like I am living a rich life. What’s a rich life for me? First on the list is being hospitable. Having some space in our home for others. Hospitality typically doesn’t take a lot of money: an extra pound of fish and rice to have more people for dinner, a bottle of table wine or some flowers to enliven a shared meal, covering the cost of a few appetizers (or dinner) at a restaurant when out with friends. These would be classified as purchasing experiences and pro-social spending. More expensive would be to plan and fund a vacation or trip for friends and/or family. Here is an exercise to explore what a rich life is for you.

    What to do at the End?

    You are going to die, and you can’t take your money with you. Odds are if you are reading this, that time is a far away but it’s worth thinking about. Some people desire to leave a large inheritance for their children. I strongly recommend against doing this. First, the time people most benefit from money is earlier in their lives such as funding educational opportunities or when trying to purchase a first house. If your kids are waiting until you die, they will already be at a retirement age. Yes, it might be useful, but hopefully they have saved for this time and your money isn’t going to materially affect the rest of their life. Second, there is evidence that large transfers of material wealth between generations tends to have a corrosive impact on the later generations. There is a tendency to behave in an entitled manner which impacts a willingness to work hard and to experience joy.

    I would encourage providing your children a good start and great memories so by the time you pass they are fully independent and doing well. At the end give them a gift, but send most of your material wealth to charities that will continue good works you believe in.

    Other Material

  • How to Evaluate Audio Equipment

    The best source of information is your EARS. Form your own opinions, don’t just accept what other people say. Believe what your ears tell you when listen to music!

    Remember that many people who write about audio are biased in one way or another.  Beyond that, There is often a lot of  hype to justify very expensive equipment and the perpetual upgrade switch around game. You might want to use some of the information from the community to help you narrow down what you would like to take a first listen, but you need to listen for yourself.

    Purchase what sounds good to you. There is no reason to spend $15,000 on a high end system if you don’t notice significant difference between it and a $2000 system, or for some people, a $200 system.

    I would suggest doing blind A-B testing (or better yet, A-B-X) whenever possible. Blind A-B is were you do back-to-back comparisons of two (or more) pieces of equipment, but have no knowledge which is which. When doing blind testing it is important to vary only one thing.  For example, when you switch amplifiers, you need to make sure the output levels are equivalent.  This is possible if someone is willing to switch equipment around, not telling you what they are doing, while keeping a record of the sequence used. This said, 30 minutes of blind AB testing in a showroom is not a sufficient.  You really need numerous hours to fully evaluate a piece of equipment. Also remember that you get used to a particular sound signature so you need to have enough time to get use to something that sounding different.

    I have found that knowing what equipment I was listening always tainted my evaluation of the equipment. In particular, I tended to favor well regarded equipment (e.g. more expensive) even when I couldn’t tell a difference in blind testing. There is a nice write up about blind vs sighted testing and the bias when people know what they are listening to.

    Make sure whatever you are comparing have been volume matched. Higher volume is almost always favored. There are very fancy way to attempt to volume match to components, but a good starter method is to play pink sound through the system while placing the microphone section  the ear buds that likely shipped with your smartphone in front of the speaker or inside the the headphones.  Use a sound level meter application to measure the volume of the pink noise. Adjust until volumes match.

    When evaluating new equipment you should listen to music you know well. Ideally music that you have heard live. I have found that female vocalist, percussion, piano, violin, and cello solos are particularly helpful in evaluating equipment for good timbre. Choirs with a large orchestral backing can help you determine how the system renders very complex sounds. There are a number of audiophile recording companies like Chetsky have samplers which can be quite useful and companies like hdtracks which specialize in high fidelity records. Audicheck.net also has some useful audio tracks. I would suggest though, that the music you test with is primarily the music you listen to. I would also suggest have at least a couple of tracks which aren’t well recorded because you will likely have some music that you love but is poorly recorded. You will want a system that doesn’t render this music painful to listen to.

    I encourage people to consider that what sounds good at first might not be a sound you want to live with. A powerful bass may seem rockin for a few minutes but but very well may sound boomy if you have to listen to it for hours. Better quality audio equipment is neutral, allowing each piece of music to sound as it was recorded without adding or subtracting anything. 

    While you need to form your own opinions, it can be helpful to learn from others, both to prioritize what equipment to listen to, and to discover equipment which you might not have known about.  A technique that I have found to be useful is to read reviews about equipment I have listened to myself.  My goal is to find reviewers whose opinions are well correlated against mine.  When I find a reviewer that seems to have similar opinions, I prioritize the list of equipment I want to listen to based on their opinions.  The reviewers have listened to a lot more equipment than me, so why not use their experience to prioritize my list.  For example, if I have listened to a particular headphone I thought was really good, I will look for reviewers who agree with me.  Then I will see what other components they liked.  The components they liked (which are in my price range 🙂 would go to the top of my “try it” list.

    In this era of streaming services, an important question is what is the encoding quality of your source. Is a lossy source like Spotify or Apple Music sufficient, or do you need a lossless source like Tidal or purchased track. It would be useful to know can you hear the difference between lossy and lossless audio? There are a number of ABX tests to help determine this. If you can’t hear the difference it gives you a larger number of options which are typically cheaper and more manageable. I will note when doing these ABX tests, your should be using the best quality audio gear that you might using in the foreseeable future.

    BTW: Something that might be useful as you read reviews is know that is the audio community there are a variety of descriptive words that have specific meanigs to that community. There is a brief sound description glossary which was assembled at head-fi.

  • Speakers

    You should always chose your speakers first, and then select components which work well with the speakers you have selected. All speakers have flaws which you must choose between so speaker preference will be extremely personal. This is often demonstrated by people who agree about the relative merits of a amplifiers or DAC but disagree about speakers.  It’s also useful to identify what speakers you will be using because speakers vary in what they require from an amplifier depending on their efficiency and impedance.

    The cheapest way to get truly excellent speakers is to purchase great headphones.  Often you can build headphone based systems which will be one fifth the cost of a similar quality speaker based system.

    Electrostatic & Planners

    I have found that the speakers that I generally favor electrostatic speakers made by Martin-Logan, SoundLab, Audiostatic, and older Quad. I also to like panel speakers that use ribbons such as the original Apogee and the reborn Apogee Accoustics. While I don’t like  Magnepan speakers as much as pure electrostatic speakers, I think they deliver an excellent value, providing sound quality that rivals speakers nearly twice their cost with the MG1.7 providing the their best price/performance.

    Planner speakers are particularly well suited to the sort of music I like: “small” and intimate. Vocalists, chamber music, folk, blues, and small jazz combos. I want clear and tight bass, but it doesn’t need to shake my bones. I want something that gives me a lot of detail, and has exceptionally smooth vocals. Most panel speakers, once properly place give superior soundstage, and are particularly good in the mid-range and higher frequencies. Weakness of most panel speakers is that the absolute dynamic range is less than a conventional design, they tend to be large and touchy about placement, and may have a weaker bass end. Sometimes panel speakers will be paired with a dynamic woofer, since the real-estate required for a good panel woofer is quite large such as in the Martin-Logan Aerius which I used for many years.

    Horns

    Horns were theoretically a very cost effective way to get audiophile level sound quality, but it was very challenging to get the built and set up right. With modern 3D printing and software modeling it’s much easier to do effective horns. I am sure a bit of searching on the web would produce a mound of useful information.

    Dynamic Speakers

    For people on a tight budget I generally recommend the NHT super line.  I would also recommend the Wharfedale Diamond 225 and KEF Q350. Other lower priced speaker which have gotten good reviews include the Elac Debut B6, Aperion 422-LR, Axiom Audio Millennia M3Ti SE.

    There were a lot of well regarded speakers $2000-4000 range which didn’t impress me. Yet, there are a lot of people who seem to like them. If you don’t like panel speakers, I would suggest checking out the somewhat bright Thiel,  warm Vandersteen, or the fairly neutral speakers from KEF or B&W.  I would also recommend checking out GoldenEar speakers even though I haven’t listened to them because people I trust rate them very highly. My favorite dynamic speaker made by Aerial (particularly the Model 10T, now 20T) and Sonus Faber (Electa Amator and up).

    Powered Speakers

    In 2017 I moved to a new home and my Martin-Logan Aerius just didn’t fit in.  After a bit of searching we found that the KEF LS50 wireless monitor speakers were the only speakers under $10k was there visually acceptable to my wife, and sonically acceptable to me. The LS50 wireless are a mini monitor with a built in DAC and amplifier designed for the speakers. Good quality sound that fills a room, and excellent sound quality for near field use. Can take TOSlink, USB, Bluetooth, analog, and several IP based streaming protocols inputs over ethernet or WiFi. Roon can stream directly to it over the network, but it’s not Roon-Ready so can’t be synchronized with other Roon-Ready systems.  The iOS remote application is poor.  I drive the LS50W via USB on a computer running Roon which remove the need for the KEF remote and the speakers can be synchronized with other Roon Ready end-points giving me whole house music. I still prefer the sound quality of electrostatic speakers driven by separate audiophile grade electronics, but I am happy that I downsized my audio system so I could focus on other things.  KEF has released the LSX which is around 1/2 the price of the LS50W which are smaller and have a lower sound quality.

    Less expensive is the Roon-Ready Pulse Flex 2i which allows me to have synchronized whole house music. It also supports inputs via USB, Bluetooth, AUX, Airplay2, and a number of streaming services like Spotify and Tidal.  Has a decent iOS and Android remote control app. Controls on the top let you select one of 5 user-defined “channels” without using the remote. I have the optional battery pack so it can be used in our backyard. It can be used away from it’s home, but you have to reconfigure it’s WiFi settlings which is a pain. Sound quality is significantly less than KEF LS50 but cheaper and much more portable. For people who aren’t using Roon, I would recommend Sonos: for it’s lower price point, better streaming options, and slightly more processed sound quality which everyone but audio purists like me typically prefer. If you are really trying to keep the price down consider products from Audio Pro, or use one of the small smart speakers from Amazon or Google.

    Smart Speakers

    I have yet to use a smart speaker that I thought had reasonable sound quality. The Apple speaker is the best sounding I have heard, but is a far distance from “audiophile” speakers, and the voice recognition is still a distant third to Google and Amazon.