Search Engine Blues/Small Boat Trips/Travel Underwear

Nomadico issue #107

A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

Please Switch Your Search Engine

The latest company to get fat and bloated, the innovator turned evil empire, seems to be Google. In case you haven’t noticed already, their search results have gotten abysmal lately as they try to keep you on their site instead of clicking out. So the “habit product” you relied on for more than a decade is now the one that has stopped caring about the user experience. Here’s a long version and a shorter version of what has happened at the top. What to do? I have used Duck Duck Go for 99% of my searches the past two years and have saved hours weekly from less scrolling and more relevant sources (they also don’t track you). But Bing will also save you loads of time with less bloat and unlike Google, they allow you to turn off the AI results.

Cruises That Don’t Suck

At our partner site, Recomendo, Kevin Kelly recently highlighted the joys of going on a small ship cruise instead of a giant monster with thousands of people on it. You can see his full post here and I’ll chime in that I’ve done some great ones with Uncruise, Sun Fun You, Scenic, and two Galapagos companies that I’ll remember for a lifetime. These were amazing travel experiences that got us into areas where no giant ship that needs a big port can ever dock in, with the ability to jump off the boat or take a zodiac, a paddleboard, or a kayak to go exploring.

Pack a Toothbrush

Here’s a simple tip to make your life more pleasant if you’re checking a bag: carry on what you really need to get through 24 hours in case your bag gets delayed. For just the second time in 10 years, my checked bag was lost for a day this week due to weather delays. While I got rerouted to another flight, my bag was on another. (Don’t tell me I should have carried it on—I never would have made the new connection after sprinting across JFK and barely getting through the gate in time if I had been carrying a bag.) I got it back eventually, but in the meantime, I had the essentials, including a toothbrush and travel-sized toothpaste. After all, you may be able to get by for a day with no deodorant, but you’re going to want to brush your teeth.

Quick-dry Underwear

Sometimes I’ve packed an extra pair of underwear in the bag I carry on too when I check one, but this time I didn’t. Fortunately I had some quick-dry synthetic underwear I could sink-wash and put on dry in the morning while I waited for my bag to arrive. This pair was from Saxx, but I’ve also got ones packed from ExOfficio and no-name brands that I picked up at TJ Maxx and the like. The key is, they shouldn’t be cotton if you want them to dry overnight. See options here.

06/6/24

Comfort Eating with Nick Cave / All About Eggs

Books That Belong On Paper Issue No. 17

Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair. Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.

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COMFORT EATING WITH NICK CAVE: VEGAN RECIPES TO GET DEEP INSIDE OF YOU

Comfort Eating with Nick Cave: Vegan Recipes to Get Deep Inside of You
by Automne Zingg, Joshua Ploeg
Microcosm Publishing
2016, 128 pages, 6.1 x 0.6 x 6.3 inches, Hardcover

Buy on Amazon

It seems silly: a parody book that matches drawings of moody rock legend Nick Cave to basic vegan recipes, like mashed potatoes and French toast. And it is silly, with drawings of Cave crying while eating Mexican food or making comments like “erotic buns” while enjoying a cinnamon roll. The recipe descriptions are light-hearted as well. The chimichangas are said to be “especially great if your heart and soul are kind of famished,” while the frosting is “nothing fancy, but you don’t drive no Cadillac!”

But apart from gently mocking the goth who lives inside so many of us, this cookbook has serious origins. The introduction explains that the artist, the amazingly named Automne Zingg, found herself in a period of depression, listening to a lot of Nick Cave, drawing pictures of him, and eating comfort food. The combination consoled her during a tough time.

These drawings aren’t going to win any awards, but they’re not meant to. These simple black, white, and red illustrations are basically doodles, and display wit and personality rather than artistry.

I look forward to trying out all the recipes in Comfort Eating with Nick Cave. It’s obvious what the soundtrack to all this cooking will be.

– Christine Ro

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A HANDBOOK, A COOKBOOK, AN EGGBOOK: THIS QUASI-ENCYCLOPEDIC OVARIAN OVERVIEW IS THE ONLY TOME YOU NEED TO OWN

All About Eggs: Everything We Know About the World’s Most Important Food
by Rachel Khong, the editors of Lucky Peach
Clarkson Potter
2017, 256 pages, 6.8 x 1 x 8.8 inches, Hardcover

Buy on Amazon

There is something irresistibly gross about Lucky Peach food photography. The bizarre lightening and color correction, the styling that fluctuates between offbeat and grotesque. It’s so weird, it’s amazing. Aside from it’s unique visual appeal, Lucky Peach is consistently packed with culinary expertise and damn good journalism. Though the magazine will soon be gone, the brand’s fourth (and presumably final) book, All About Eggs, embodies everything that was great about the publication compiled in a kelly green hard cover.

All About Eggs really is all about eggs. It examines the egg from every angle. There are essays on the evolution of the egg tart in Asia, an egg-fueled murder in a San Francisco diner, and the egg throughout time. There are guides on deciphering egg carton labels, egg varieties, and egg substitutes. The bright yellow yolk at the center of the book houses strangely photographed finished recipes ranging from deep fried Filipino Kwek Kwek to classic, crisp French Meringues. The egg white pages on either side of the recipe section are generously peppered with egg photo illustration—egg art objects, repurposed egg shells and cartons, egg ephemera, and many, many altered photos of eggs (anthropomorphized, animalized, and otherwise reimagined). If you are at all interested in eggs, you need this book!

– Mk Smith Despres

06/4/24

Campside

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 89

Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.

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Handiest place to pitch your tent

Car-top Tent

About 10 years ago I came across a Toyota jeep with European license plates parked by Bowman Lake in the Sierras. It was obviously a world-traveling vehicle. On top of the jeep’s roof was a tent. I could see the owner down swimming in the lake. Fascinated by this approach to sleeping while on the road, I wrote down the name of the manufacturer: Air Camping in Milano, Italy. Some months later I tracked down the company and ordered one. It was expensive, about $2000 including airfreight, but the expense turned out to be worthwhile.

The unit folds up and can be mounted on a truck or car top. Closed it measures about 4 x 4 feet, and about 14″ deep. When you stop for the night, you remove the waterproof cover and unfold it — whereupon the tent pops up. The cantilevered section is supported by a telescoping ladder. There’s a mattress inside, as well as blankets and pillow, so your bed is ready as soon as it’s set up. I’ve spent 100s of nights in it, usually in the desert or on Baja beaches with the opening facing the ocean. Its got mosquito netting, is well made and it’s great to be up there for the view and breeze. It’s comfortable, and the tent does not take up storage space in bed of the vehicle. I don’t believe Air Camping is still in business, but a German company, Autocamp, makes what appears to be a similar product. — Llyod Kahn

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Camp coffee grinder

JavaGrind Hand Crank Coffee Mill

The JavaGrind hand-crank coffee mill by GSI Outdoor solved that problem and now has a permanent place in my camp kitchen. It’s a burr grinder which does a better job of grinding coffee to a uniform size than an electric blade grinder, an important feature when using a press to brew. It is hand-cranked so it works in camp as well as in the kitchen, and it’s quiet. It doesn’t wake the rest of the camp (or house) when I brew up at 5:30 am. At 11 ounces it doesn’t add very much to the camping load. And at 20 bucks it’s less than half the price of powered burr grinders. What’s not to like? —Dave Shaw

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Burly folding backwoods saw

Sven-Saw

The Sven Saw is an ideal camping saw. I grew up watching my Dad use one to make short work of the tree limbs I dragged through the woods to the campsite. Now I take mine on every backpacking trip. It makes gathering firewood easier, because you don’t have to search for logs you can break or hack through. Larger logs left by others or downed trees that you’d never be able to hack down or break are fair game. I leave my hatchet at home, because this saw is so efficient and well-designed. I’ve used mine extensively for almost ten years without replacing the blade. It’s also great for pruning tree limbs and taking care of downed wood at home.

The original 21″ saw weighs less than a pound and folds down to 24″ x 1 3/4″ x 5/8″, which slips easily (and safely) along the inside of an internal frame backpack. A 15″ version is now available, which saves even more weight on long treks. — Greg Schneider

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Instant outdoor room

Flea Market Canopy

Cheap portable shade from the sun in hot climates, flea market canopies are used by surfers and fishermen in Baja California. I used this 10′ x 12′ “peak unit” from Jenkins for several years on Baja beaches. Framework is 1 1/8″ electrical conduit put together with special fittings and wingnuts. Tarp is attached with ball bungees, fantastic fastening devices. Mine was held down by 4 canvas sacks filled with sand, hanging from the corner posts (rather than stakes). It all folded up and fit in the Yakima Rocket Box on top of my truck. The guys at Jenkins Crafted Canopies were great to deal with; good products, good service. —Lloyd Kahn

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Hand-powered chain saw

Pocket Chain Saw

This little saw is excellent, fast cutting, light weight (at 3 oz without the case), and folds up small making it highly portable. It can quickly saw branches and trees up to about 4-6 inches in diameter with its 28 inch long chain.

To use it, wrap the chain around whatever you want to cut and then grab the handles and pull back and forth. This flexibility means that it can take on logs and branches too thick for smaller camp saws. I’ve used it in the back country as well as around the yard.

When one of the metal loops that attaches the saw to the handles came apart at the weld point the company very quickly responded by sending me a new set of loops. It’s an excellent product supported by a conscientious and responsive company. — Jaime Cobb

06/3/24

“50 things I know”/SOLO/Travel tip

Recomendo - issue #412

Sign up here to get Recomendo a week early in your inbox.

“50 things I know”

Sasha Chapin, author of All the Wrong Moves: A Memoir About Chess, Love, and Ruining Everything, recently wrote a list of 50 things he knows. Here are a few samples:

• I know that travel is valuable because most knowledge can’t be written down. The most crucial info about a society is how it feels to be there—the rhythms of street life, where and when people eat meals, how gender works. You can read a million things about Japan without knowing the bodily experience of walking around in a truly high-trust society, for example.
• I know that unless you are exceptionally good with ripostes, the best way to win a fight with an angry person on the internet is to not respond. They will look ridiculous fuming impotently on their own.
• I know how to peel ginger. Use a spoon. The first time you do this, you’ll feel like you’re Neo with a fresh brain full of downloaded kung fu skills.

— MF

Expert Advice on Visual Communication

I’ve been learning a lot about visual thinking from Terri Lonier and her free newsletter, SOLO—designed to help solo entrepreneurs stand out. Terri holds a PhD in Business and Brand History and has extensive experience as a strategic advisor, and because of this, every issue feels like a master class in visual frameworks, storytelling, typography, and more. In her most recent issue, she shared her “7 Heroes of Visual Communication,” which directed me toward many new and fascinating resources. Check out her archive and subscribe here. — CD

Travel tip

Tip: When charging your phone on the go in a cafe, lounge, hotel, or friend’s house, place something large like your backpack or purse or coat RIGHT NEXT to the charger. You are far less likely to leave two things behind, and therefore less likely to forget the charger. — KK

Discover your archetypes

I recently came across Caroline Myss’s Archetype Oracle Cards at my therapist’s office and was so fascinated with it that I decided to purchase my own set. This deck includes 80 cards, each representing a different archetype with both its Light and Shadow Attributes. I like to make up different ways to play with this deck. Sometimes, I sift through the cards to identify the archetypes that are most active in my psyche or recognize those I might be suppressing by selecting the cards that resonate with or repel me. Other times, I draw a single card with the intention of deepening my understanding of it and observing how it might express itself in others. This deck has helped me better understand my own sub-personalities, and I think it would make an excellent tool for anyone doing “parts work,” like Internal Family Systems or Voice Dialogue and the Psychology of Selves. —CD

On-demand furniture moving

After moving into my new place, I realized I didn’t like where some of the heavier furniture pieces were situated. Instead of struggling to move them myself, I decided to use Lugg (“Uber for movers.”) Within an hour of booking through their app, two friendly and efficient movers arrived. They carefully relocated the pieces upstairs exactly where I wanted. The movers were total pros — quick yet meticulous about protecting my belongings and home. — MF

Small boat cruises

You could not pay me enough money to get onto one of those mega cruise boats, with multi thousands of passengers. However it turns out that small boat cruises are one of the best ways to do a vacation. I define small as less than 40 passengers, and ideally less than 25. You are on a floating hotel with meals so the everyday hassles of moving each night are removed. A small boat can debark and embark very quickly and visit many smaller places (villages and wilderness) that a huge boat cannot. You make your own entertainment: They encourage very active days, dropping you off to hike, canoe, bike, walk, snorkel, or kayak in the morning; you return for lunch and then repeat in the afternoon. They avoid shopping ports. Of course, the per person rate is higher for a small vessel, but we’ve found the difference very much worthwhile, as these have become our favorite vacations. A few of the tours that are 5-7 days long that we are familiar with are below. 

Galapagos — The boats sail at night. Every morning you wake up to a brand new island with a brand new biome. Lots of snorkeling and hiking with naturalists. We used Happy Gringos. 

Inland Passageway, Alaska — Head north through the calm inland sea, visiting glacier strewn fjords, wildlife close up, and native American islands. Kayaking, too. We used Alaskan Dreams. 

Mekong River — Sail from Siem Reap (and its Angor Wat) in Cambodia, all the way downstream to Ho Chi Min City on the coast of south Vietnam, with bicycle excursions along the way. Mark used Aqua Expeditions.

Turquoise Coast, Turkey — Join a gulet sailboat long the southern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, stopping at ancient Greek ruins, Turkish villages and swimming coves. These cruises have become very popular with party versions for young adults. I don’t remember who we used but try, Sail and Stay.

Superficially, large cruise boats claim to follow similar routes, but trust me, small boat cruises are a different species well worth your time. — KK

06/2/24

Michelin-star Taco Stand/Expat Mailbox Rentals/REAL ID Deadline

Nomadico issue #106

A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

A Hole in the Wall Earns a Michelin Star

In a move that made street food fans cheer, the new Michelin Guide to Mexico awarded 2 stars to 2 famous restaurants and 1 star to another 16. Among the latter was a taco stand “restaurant” in Mexico City that’s only 10 feet wide: Taquería El Califa de León. Get the full story here.

Mailbox Services for Expats and Nomads

While many people forsake their homeland and sever all ties, most of us want or need to keep ties to the country of our birth, for banking, a driver’s license, voting perhaps. Maintaining a home address while never there can be complicated though, especially for Americans who must still file taxes nationally and in most states. Here’s a rundown on the mailbox rental options (including my favorite, a relative’s place) for doing it right.

REAL ID Needed for Americans by May 2025

If you want to travel domestically in the USA with something in your wallet, your driver’s license will need to be a “REAL ID” with a black star on it to fly. I’m assuming most people on this newsletter list have a passport, which works instead, but your friends and relatives may not. Get all the info here for your state. (Department of Homeland Security.)

Combine Points and Cash on Southwest Airlines

I recently paid for a Southwest flight where I was 2K short of getting it for free with the points I had. After a recent change, I could have combined the two options. The airline is now letting passengers pay a reduced amount for their fare by kicking in some points as well. Get the scoop on their site here, including the downsides.

05/30/24

Gar’s Tips & Tools – Issue #178

Weekly-ish-ish access to tools, techniques, and shop tales from the worlds of DIY

Gar’s Tips, Tools, and Shop Tales is published by Cool Tools Lab. To receive the newsletter a week early, sign up here.

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Now Offering Paid Subscriptions

I’m now offering paid subscriptions to Gar’s Tips & Tools. It’s $8/month or $80/year. So, what do you get for your paid subscription? Same great tips, only carefully and lovingly candy-coated with my most sincere thanks for your generous support. Subscriptions will help keep this labor of love going. Of all the writing and DIY endeavors in my life, I’ve gotten the most positive support for this newsletter. People seem to really enjoy and derive real value from it. So, I figured some of those subscribers might be willing to chip in a few bones a month to help keep the shop lights on. If that’s you, a million thanks! Periodically, I’ll also choose a paid subscriber and send them a little something special in the mail as a token of my appreciation. I also have switched on a “Hero of the Realm” patron level. If you support me at this level, I will be truly humbled. All Heroes of the Realm will be sent a fun package of surprise goodies.

Thanks in advance to all paid subscribers. You are the wind beneath my Carhartts!

Design and Engineering as a Superpower

In my youth, for around 15 years, I was an offset printer (part of that time) and a graphic designer (all of that time). Beyond a high school vocational class, some night classes, and weekend workshops, I was self-taught. In addition, all of my life, from my teen years to the present, I’ve been a maker of some sort. And, my day job has always involved writing about DIY/making, engineering, science, and technology. I know a lot of technologies and techniques that I have never actually engaged in. For instance, I know a surprising amount about machining and welding, but I’ve done little of the former, none of the latter.

I share all this not to recite my resume, but to highlight a unique kind of insight gained from those many years of engaging with the designed and built world. Like many of you, I’m sure, this life-long journey has endowed me with a something of a superpower. When I look at any designed, mechanical, or constructed object, I can usually understand something of the design process, the mechanisms, and the engineering principles—the physical science—behind it. This ability isn’t just a useful skill; it’s a different and powerful way of seeing and interacting with the world. And along with it comes a deep satisfaction in understanding at least the basics of how physical systems work. I’d love to hear how your superpower has served you.

Using Refillable Propane Bottles

In this See Jane Drill installment, Leah Bolden shows you how easy it is to get a propane bottle adapter so that you can re-fill your own propane cylinders rather than buying them (commonly used for plumbing, DIY projects, camping, etc). All you need is the adapter and refillable cylinder. For the source propane, you can use a typical 20-pound BBQ propane tank (which holds just under 5 gallons of propane). Unless you do a lot of pipe sweating or other tasks that use a propane torch, I don’t see a huge savings in this, but it’s nice to know.

Every Dremel Bit Explained

There are many of these Dremel bit explainer videos on YouTube and elsewhere. This one attempts to cover every single bit type, specific bit, and a few bit accessories, like different kinds of collets, the keyless chuck, and the EZ-Lock system (which I love and can’t recommend highly enough). One great thing about this video is that he shows how the bits are actually used and offers a few tips along the way. There are a couple of bits here I was not familiar with and am now interested in, such as the Kutzall Flame Burr tool, which looks great for hogging out a log of material, and the EZ Drum Mandrel.

What’s Up with a Sewing Gauge Ruler?

I’ve always been fascinated by the sewing rulers/guides that I’ve seen in sewing kits going back to my sister’s in high school. It looks like a measuring multi-tool with all sorts of enigmatic functions built into it. But beyond measuring and marking a hem width, I had no idea what the rest of it was for. Sewing teacher Cornelius Quiring had the same questions. In this video, after consulting 19th century patents to figure it out, he shares what he learned. A few cool revelations here, like that little triangle that sticks out of one end of the gauge is for squaring corners of fabric that you’ve inverted. And the extra width on the other end of the ruler is for measuring seam allowances.

Ingenious Rubber-Band Quick Vise

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A post shared by Takurou Seino (@takuwoodcraft)

Such a clever idea for a quick planing vise using wooden wedges and heavy-duty rubber bands.

Understanding the Clutch on Your Drill

In this LRN2DIY video, Nils looks under the hood of drills to better understand the clutch on your drill, how it works, and what its uses and limitations are. He looks at mechanical vs. electronic clutches, the arbitrary nature of clutch settings, and gives demos of driving screws using various clutch settings. As the saying goes, the more you know, the more you can work with it. There’s a lot here to know which should help you make more intelligence decisions on how to effectively use the clutch on your drill.

Maker’s Muse

I wanna rock n’ roll all night, and power every day. [Link]

Shop Talk

Tips & Tools readers join in the conversation

Frequent newsletter tipster, Eric Kaplan, writes:

I have a work trip coming up next week where I need to do some rough layouts outside and need to be able to pull a line perpendicular to another. But since I’m flying, my tool to do this has to be very portable. 

I solved this with a little geometry— a basic 6’ folding ruler makes a 3-4-5 right triangle that is 1-1/2’ x 2’ x 2-1/2’ and gives me the 90° corner that I’m looking for. A binder clip hold the two ends together and the whole thing will slip into my briefcase with ease (when folded, of course).

More fun with rulers. My pal Steve Fenn sent me this little hack. He inherited his father’s desk but it had long ago lost the dividers inside of it. Steve realized that home store yard sticks fit the bill and they’re cheap ($1.49 ea.). As he jokes, now he has a lot of short rulers left over.

05/29/24

What’s in my NOW? — Isaac Stephenson