hiking randomly

Yesterday was a friends birthday, the wife made him a very interesting cake
Beyond that we bullshitted around at his house, but I was bored, I wanted to go do something, not wanting to force the birthday guy into doing anything really we went out to the cars, talked more and agreed to go get another friend, from there we, or should I say I just started driving, to the point where even my wife wondered where we were going, I drove up to the mountains. we walked through a little town first, then jumped on the blue-ridge parkway stopped at a few overlooks, then thought about driving out to linville falls.
We did not make it to linville but along the way there was a parking area and a set of trails, and my friends wanted to go hiking. this was at 6:30 or so at night, it would get dark soon, I pulled out the three flashlights I had, grabbed my Go bag, and my wife had hers, we went off up this trail.
My friends including the birthday boy were barefoot going up this trail since they were wearing flipflops out. I guess I should have warned them, I ended up going barefoot down the trail letting my wife have my shoes since her flats weren't working for her. I was the only one wearing proper shoes.

I had my camera, but did not get many pictures and they are all dark since there was no lighting. From this random trip for me I figured out I need one more flashlight between us, 4 people with three flashlights wasn't quite cutting it, also I should just keep my waders in my car so I can loan out other shoes I am wearing, or keep a pair for my wife in the car.
If I hadn't had to work today I could have and would have stayed up there, My friends were in the same frame of mind, my wife was the only one that wanted to leave.

it took us at slow speed an hour both ways on this trail, I forget the name of the trail but we parked at rough ridge parking, and hiked the shortest trail, if we had had more gear, IE proper shoes we could have done a longer one.

To end this night, I drove back down the mountain and took us all drinking, I still couldn't bring myself to drink, but they had fun.

I threw in a picture since ya cant see anyone really. They liked climbing though.

Winter time

I never have understood why holiday poems involve snow, it never happens here, and as far as I am aware you have to be rather far north to see snow early in winter, also in the north you see people with two sets of tires, winter and summer, and even owning chains on tires, if I ever move north I will have to deal with this. In the south I have all season tires and everything this winter has thrown at me so far has been drivable, at least for me. I have a few pictures or snippets of video where I saw trucks on the side of the road from crashing, and I was driving in a small 4 cylinder front wheel drive car.

Speaking of cars, trucks and other. I want something other, an Suv, I have access to a truck, a Ford F 150 that was my father's. It doesn't fun to well at this point, I have never been that great at car upkeep, and money is also a requirement of that, not something I have much of.
Regardless, I would like a Jeep or a Subaru beyond that I do not know, I want some luxury in a vehicle, but I do  want it to have the capability to go off road and have 4 wheel drive. I also want something 4 door so I can carry people, things and future family easier, and most of all I am tired of sitting on the ground while I am driving.
Any suggestions on an SUV please comment and tell me what you think?

review Power dome

Okay so here is another product review, there are several different brands of this thing, mine is called a power dome it is a combination device for vehicles, it jump starts a car, has an air compressor, light, DC and AC  converter, and a usb port ( for some reason).

Well it works great as an air compressor, and I have seen it jump start a car once, it really does have to have a good charge to jump off a car with it. the light is fine beyond one of the leds already burning out.

the ac converter is what I bought it for the most, I got it for a camping trip where I wanted to have as many amenities as possible since I was working near by at the renn fair and camping out where the rennies sleep. The ac converter is easily over strained, by my laptop. It also hates the cold, which I was using it in November, and it was quite cold, both actions made it have a really loud constant beep sound. from other reviews of this device I have seen it happen with them so I know it is not just mine.

I have not used the DC power supply at all I haven't had a need to power car devices away from my car.

I got this on amazon going for cheaper, 79.99 plus shipping made it come in at just 100 dollars, but they are sold at walmart and all other. it really does look like a rugged device, it just needs a bit more kick to power a laptop, but the battery just left in my car to pump up my tires when needed lasts for a decent while.
I think it is a must have for in the car, just to pump up a tire and jump yourself off rather than looking for a good person to help.

Car Carry

This post is brought on by a question from me to a customer at my day job, me stating, your not really dressed for the weather are you? her answer " Yeah, I don't like wearing a jacket in the car." and she was wearing a light jacket for early spring maybe, and its suppose to be 19 degrees F tonight. I have a thermal suit I brought inside work with me tonight, I've had it in my car since it got cold, with her answer all I could think of was what if her car broke down. her other answer was that she had left her car running so it would be warm still, what if she locked her keys in her car? I know its a lot of 'what ifs' but thats the idea behind preppers, to prepare for any situation that could happen no matter how unlikely.

 I have locked me keys in my car so often that I carry a spare car key in my wallet, and I have a spare to my wifes car, in the first 3 days she locked her keys in her new car and tore up a lot of the rubber seal getting back inside. I knew how to break in my car, and did it a few times, but it wont work for me now, but I have that key, and I locked my keys in my car on my honey moon even, wasn't a problem I had the spare.  thats just one situation.

Where I work we deliver food, I don't always deliver but I have before and keep a lot of things in my car, food, water, first aid kit, roadside kit, normal car stuff for me, I even have a jumper box in the back of my car, its been the best 100 dollars I ever spent, with it having a tire pump, av inverter, and car jumper, it is one all around handy tool. its one of those things I have everyday in my car that I don't think about, like the camp shovel, I left it in my car, do not know why I would ever need it, but I do not know thats why its there.

QOTD whats something that you think is odd, that you carry in your car?

also please dress warm in the winter do not rely on your cars heater.