barefootwalk

I made an insulated hat two year ago and it was a wonderful piece of gear for those cold nights. I got the idea from Ray Jardine. They actually sell a nice Sew It Yourself package but I wanted something with a front coverage and a curved face and I already had a nice pattern for it. The first one I made was with one layer of insulation. It was very warm compared to almost nothing in weight! After a couple of years of using, it looked much thinner and it didn't stay firm in my head, so I decided to do a second design with two layers of insulation. Sewing two layers is a little more challenging but the final product turned out great! I considered everything I leaned from the first attempt and I already see a major improvement. I think this is one of the best creative ideas of Ray Jardine! They actually use the hat as a component of their sleeping system. The final product with two lines to secure the insulated hat A few images of making this insulated hat:

Summer officially begins after the sun reaches the summer solstice, however people consider the time between the Memorial Day and the Labor Day as summer. The delayed warmth kicks in after the longest day and around here we are talking about temperatures above 100 F. From astronomical point of view there are two important reasons for this heat: the sun is higher in the sky and it remains in the sky for longer time because days are longer. These two effects combined, produce higher temperature. This is not a comfortable temperature or sometimes it is not safe for hiking. Thankfully I have so many projects to complete. For example I just finished sewing a new roof-bag. It turned out nice and we will see how it holds against elements. The fabric is ballistic nylon so my only concern is stitches and webbing. I may post a how to tutorial in future. Twyla and I are enjoying two walks a day and she can actually swim twice a day. What a blessing having her!  Another notable event is the su...

This was a beautiful morning. Summer mornings are more suitable for walk than evenings. Twyla doesn’t care how many times a day we walk. No matter what, she wants her evening walk, but with these morning walks I can delay evening walks until it is close to sunset and cooler.  On our way, I noticed these spider webs. The second one came to my attention later. The spider was working hard to finish it. Then I realized they do this all the time. Build a web and somehow it gets destroyed and they do it again. Funny this happened in the same day that I let another important piece of my life go. 7 years of work and dream. I learned a lot though. Actually more about people than anything else. Live and learn. But I will start over again and this time I will build something for myself. Update: my first attempt was a blurry out of focus photo. I returned the next day and found the webs again, but they weren’t as bright as the first day. I found out that there is a small opening among the tree...

Slow summer is rolling and grinding in. I made a few maintenance and repairs on the car. I am sewing a new hiking pant, first 3-layer storm shield fabric. I also improved the sealing in the wood stove. I finished and tested it a few weeks ago. I have more air flow control now and I can actually burn it slower. The summer weather is still nice and not hellish hot. It is humid and we are getting dispersed rain and thunderstorm almost everyday. I am reading my first Kerouac, Desolation Angles.

It was just an idea. I could put it in one sentence, not a summary, the whole idea and plan and thinking was just a sentence: A summer with Twyla. Well, it is not even a complete sentence, but you get the idea. I didn't do anything specific for the preparation, except buying a Dometic fridge. I also made modification to the power system. Basically I moved the monitor and the control unit to the camper. These proved to be very important updates. Cover photo: This trip in a song: Map: 1- Sunday, May 18, 2025 Mile: 29 Grant WMA, Georgia I cleaned up the house and my office. Packed all I need for me and Twyla, for at least a month and after waiting for the storm to pass, we left the house at around 1:30 pm. I stopped at Walmart to get a few missing items and made it to a small pond in Grant national forest.  It is nice after rain here. Finally after another short drive we arrive at the first camp. It is warm so I just eat peanut butter banana sandwich for lunch. We enjoy the quiet and ...