Rereading Le Guin’s Earthsea saga.
Personally, I think she might be on par with Tolkien and actually surpasses him in a few ways. The 4th book (about a tired mom just trying to get by and care for people in a fantasy world) is the best one, but you need to work your way there.
I’ve been using the same net and tarp for like 15 years and on more trips than I can count.
No problems yet, just a few repairs that cost next to nothing.
That most camping gear is horrendously expensive and over engineered.
Get old and used gear, repair things, and make your own if you can.
A good bug net and a tarp are going to be just as effective as a modern tent, and breathe better.
For a backpack, those old aluminum a-frame packs are so easy to repair, and you can clip/tie things to the frame.
There are a lot of great answers here, but I’d like to add one that I think is often forgotten in these conversations:
Purposeful incompetence around supposedly non-masculine skills.
It drives me up the wall every time I hear some dude talk about how they don’t know how to do basic tasks of living because the women in their lives take care of it for them.
Guys who act like laundry, cooking, dishes, changing a diaper, gardening, grocery shopping, etc. require arcane knowledge they just don’t possess.
Wander into the woods and never return, probably.
Why would AGI threaten the existence of the Amish and/or change laws regarding property rights?
I throughly enjoy my time at the gym. 6 days a week I lift weights, run or swim a little, and then soak in a hot tub.
I’ve found that it makes me feel better, and not just physically. I’m less stressed with regular exercise than I was without it.
It’s also time I get to spend totally alone. Yes, other people are around, but I have headphones on and don’t have to talk to anyone. I teach for a living, and so it’s just nice to have a little time each day where I don’t have to be “on.”
Seeing yourself get stronger is also feels fantastic in ways that I don’t think really make sense until you do it. I could only bench 95 lbs when I first started lifting; now I’m pushing 225. That’s something I’m proud of.
Local to Chicago (I think?) but everyone here can tell you what comes after 800-588-2300.
Man, that’s a game that betrayed my trust in a way I was not ready for.
He puts on an acting master class throughout.
The scene where he weeps over his son’s grave is straight up heartbreaking.
Kenya. I have friends there, which would help.
I’d definitely be the obvious foreigner, given that I’m pale and ginger, but that’s worked in my favor when traveling before.
I’m also supposing here that there wouldn’t be quite so many other American expats to compete with.