Sunbeam camping stove

I'm car camping for a while and I know the advice everyone gives is to get a stove. I don't want to do that.
So I know one can eat beans straight from the can, but what about those 90 second rice packets? Can I eat them without heating them up since they're already cooked?
Also, any general advice for what to eat without being able to cook or refrigerate would be appreciated, especially as we go into summer!
Thanks! 🍻

Good day. We sold our class C RV during covid while sellers market. Plan was to upgrade to Class A in 2027 and retire in 2032-33. Then tour and live in it for a couple years to find retirement house location. That is still the end game, but now I am wondering if maybe a middle step would work good too. By that I mean, maybe get a pull behind small trailer to get by until 2030ish, then go the Class A route. Since I have never looked into small pull behind trailers let me put out what is bouncing around my head and see if anyone has recommendations for brands and models to start researching.
So I have a Grand Cherokee and can tow 6200...but clearly I want much lighter. We would want something that does not have "Pop Up" Just tow, park and unhook....ready from there. It would need a bed for two people and a little floor space for a dog. Air conditioning and furnace. Water storage and a sink + Small stove top and a microwave. (OK if these kitchen items are only accessible outside. If it had a small two person dining table great. Some storage for camping items would be a bonus too...IE dont always want to have to empty interior every time we goto a camp spot. Awning not necessary but good bonus. Toilet would be a nice bonus too.
The idea here is to be able to buy something with cash, that we can sell later. Under 20k for sure, under 15 or 10k even better. We would let that bridge the gap for camping trips so we do not have to go the tent route. And this could hopefully bridge that gap for 3-4 years so we could save more and have a bigger DP for end game Class A. The other reason for this is that GF likes air travel too. I personally have a hard time spending money on airfare trips if I own and pay for a 100k+ RV...so looking for a way to get air travel out of the system for a while but still be able to comfortable take camp trips with dog.
Oh, one more thing, I want to be able to stand up inside. I am under 5'10". We dont have our dog yet, but when we do, it will be a small medium 40lb range dog
Thanks

Anyone ever use the camping stove as chimney starters for their BBQ? Potential life hack and multi-use for different purpose? Just wondering….

Links: Pt. 2 (Pt. 1)
In all my years hiking I had never come across something as strange as this. I figured that sharing my story here would help piece together the series of events that plagued my life for the better part of three weeks. I apologize for any confusion. I am trying to get my bearings on this all as well. If you need any clarification or have questions please ask them, I’ll try to respond to comments when I can. Allison Janett Moore went missing on October 11, 2010. Her mother reported her missing after she failed to check in with her at the West River checkpoint. The case went cold in December and soon after she became just another face on a missing persons registry with a twenty-five-thousand-dollar reward tacked on. That was until about two weeks ago. Almost ten years to the day she went missing we found her shoe. Smashed into the gap of a large boulder. Further up the mountain was a small cabin. One that should have been checked by the countless searches that had been conducted in the weeks following her disappearance. An oversight, albeit one that could have saved her. There was no body in the cabin, however. But they did find a diary, caked in mud, and smeared almost beyond recognition. I had hiked the mountain myself dozens of times before, I know the trails. But I never remembered seeing a cabin. If it wasn’t the sheer curiosity that would get me up there it was the money. Twenty-five thousand dollars for a pile of bones wasn’t a bad deal.
I prepped my gear and set aside two weeks to find her. I reached out to her mother about a week before and was able to get a copy of her diary. Some of the text was hard to read but legible enough that I could make out what she was saying. The first entry gave me a vague idea of where she had been. If I could find my way to the cabin I might be able to figure out where she went after that. I had tried to get in contact with the two hikers who found the cabin, but their names had been left out of the official reports. And despite my pleas Ms. Moore kept that private. I flipped to the first page in the laminated binder.
October 2nd, 2010: I’ll be at the park in around three hours. The bus ride has been brutal so far. The roads are winding and I usually don’t get car sick but this is BAD. Can’t wait for it to be over. I should have walked.
I frowned slightly reading over the paragraphs. Knowing that your reading the last words of someone, it’s unnerving to say the least. The next paragraph was timestamped a little while later.
October 2nd, 2010, 1:55 p.m.: I just got to my hotel room. It’s a little run down but I won’t be here long. I was going back over my supplies for the trip and realized I probably should have brought another pack of protein bars. Oh well I have plenty of other things packed. It’s quiet here. I think that it will help me get my mind off of everything after all it’s meant to be an escape. Two weeks of hiking will help me calm my nerves, I'm sure of it. I also need to remember to put new batteries in my GPS.
That part was underlined and circled.
I wasn’t aware that she had a GPS on her. Her mother was not familiar with any of the gear she had brought with her when I asked, and I doubted she was experienced enough to know to bring one. It made me question how she’d gotten so lost to begin with. I closed the binder and walked out of my room into the already humid air. I needed to get a move on myself. It was already later into the morning then I would have liked, and I wanted to have as much daylight as possible. I double checked all my gear before heading out. The trek to the start of the park was around three miles out of Westview. That small town was so accustomed to having visitors that the roads were clearly marked the whole way up. If the rest of the trails were marked this way, I doubt Allison would have gotten lost. I checked my watch as I walked along the side of the main road. Westview was essentially one street with a motel, gift shops and a camping supply store. The few locals I had seen seemed welcoming enough and treated me as they would any tourist passing through. The town was dead aside from that, their peak busy season having ended a few weeks back. The scenery was picturesque and one of the reasons I came to this park so often. Conifers made up most of the vegetation and shrubs, moss and grasses covered the floor. The terrain itself was rocky and scarred making hiking, especially higher up, a challenge. The paved road began to break up under my feet and eventually I was walking on a narrow gravel road.
There were still signs pointing me towards the trailhead though more spaced out now. I hear commotion up ahead as a dirty red pickup truck whipped around a corner. I side stepped a bit giving it more space as I expected it to slow down. It didn’t and as it barreled at me, I stumbled further into the woods to keep the side mirror from hitting me. “Jag-off!” I spat after it as my hand flashed the universal fuck you. The truck slowed after that and crawled around the next corner. My breath caught a bit as I expected him to reverse and give me what for. But it slowly disappeared out of sight, and I continued for about twenty minutes more before reaching the entrance to the main trail. I knew from giving the diary a once over before and talking to Mrs. Moore said Allison had gone up the main trail before getting turned around and ending up at the cabin. That wasn’t a lot to go off but enough to get me started. The entrance of the park was overgrown which struck me as odd. Coming off the busy season I had expected the trail to look less abandoned. Typically, the trail will be naturally cleared by people passing over it but this one looked like no one had walked over it in months. Nonetheless I pushed on and up the trail. It was a quiet walk with the occasional bird call and crunch of an unseen animal somewhere just off the path. After around an hour of walking the ground began to incline, jagged stones pushing through the dirt and moss. I found a comfortable rock and took off my pack, taking out the binder again and flipping to where I had left off.
10/3/10: It took me a while but I finally reached the trailhead! It was surprisingly hard to find in the thick trees a guy named David offered me a ride up which was nice. The weather is a little shitty today so I appreciated not having to walk in the rain for a little while. He was listening to Cat Stevens on the way up and it reminded me of dad. I’ll update again when I reach the foot of the mountain and see how much fun I’m really having.
10/3/10: I’ll be honest, that sucked. The rain has finally let up though and I’m not slipping halfway down the mountain. I walked with a few people up but they were all way more experienced than me. It’s been nice taking my mind off of everything though. I wonder if anyone other than mom and Sarah will miss me. I’m sure they won’t mind the quiet for a moment. I’ll check in with them when I set up camp.
Not helpful. I thought I was fine reading a dead girl's journal if it helped me figure out where she was. But otherwise it felt like an invasion of privacy. As I pushed further and further into the woods the humid warm air slowly began to cool and it easily dropped three of four degrees. The sun also began to dissipate, blocked by the canopy until it was barely visible and left traces of streaking beams across the forest floor. By the time I got myself to the base of the summit it was well past 3 p.m. and I needed to start setting up camp. It was dangerous to be on the mountain at night especially without shelter, even in the summer it could easily drop ten or more degrees. I for one didn’t feel like sitting in the elements would be productive so I set up my tent on a somewhat flat portion of the rockface and set up my stove. The butane flame burned brightly as I started to heat up my dehydrated beans and rice. As that cooked, I again found myself opening the journal.
10/3/10 6:45 p.m.: I finally reached the base of the summit. It took entirely too long with the paths being as covered as they were and its COLD. I didn’t expect the sun to set as fast as it did. It took forever to find a spot for the tent that wasn’t wet or too steep. I did manage to find a good enough spot and set up my fire. I had to take my socks off for them to dry and the cold went all the way to my core. I want to turn around and just head back but something seems to be calling me up there. I feel like if I can stick this out I’ll be able to finally confront Josh about everything. That prick will get what’s coming to him that’s for sure. I think that I will leave something here to mark my accomplishment of getting this far. Will update tomorrow.
I stared at the name, Josh. I felt a chill run up my spine, but I shook it off. Josh was a common enough name and I certainly had never met her before.I ate in silence listening to the birds until I read the entry over again. She said she’d leave something here and if I could find it I’d know I was on the right path. I put my pot down and looked over the area, sticking near the flatter areas, places she could have camped.
Eventually I found it. A small hole in a pine tree sitting above a small open space. I saw a piece of orange fabric inside of it. I stuck my hand in and through an old web before grabbing a hold of something, a stone. The smooth dark gray rock contained a carving on the backside. A.M. I was right on target and I felt my heart beat fast with excitement. I would find her.
The next few days were relatively uneventful. Walking up steep climbs and recessions well into the third day. Allison had left a few more rocks along the trail at each small victory she reached. Her entries detailed this in full, how excited she was and how the hike was so relaxing. It was so full of nothing that I started skipping entries until one that looked to be written at an angle. The ink was smudged and I could barely make it all out.
10/7/10: I had been ignoring it but I feel like I can hear the steps again. Always just behind me. Step step stop. Step step stop. They always stop when I stop but a second too late. There is no one else here. The last hiker I saw passed me a day ago. I don’t think its an animal the movement is too controlled. Step step stop. I think I can-
The legible entry stops there and becomes borderline indecipherable after. A mess of random letters caught up in the water damaged page. As I cleared the next mile marker, I couldn’t help but think of the steps. How I had seemed to subconsciously mirror the patter she heard. Step step stop. Step step stop. I righted myself again and took up my usual pace listening behind myself for anything. Then I heard it. The same rhythmic movements, step step scrape stop. It continued for around 5 minutes before the noise was gone, replaced by the usual hum of nature.

Links: Pt. 2 (Pt. 1)
In all my years hiking I had never come across something as strange as this. I figured that sharing my story here would help piece together the series of events that plagued my life for the better part of three weeks. I apologize for any confusion. I am trying to get my bearings on this all as well. If you need any clarification or have questions please ask them, I’ll try to respond to comments when I can. Allison Janett Moore went missing on October 11, 2010. Her mother reported her missing after she failed to check in with her at the West River checkpoint. The case went cold in December and soon after she became just another face on a missing persons registry with a twenty-five-thousand-dollar reward tacked on. That was until about two weeks ago. Almost ten years to the day she went missing we found her shoe. Smashed into the gap of a large boulder. Further up the mountain was a small cabin. One that should have been checked by the countless searches that had been conducted in the weeks following her disappearance. An oversight, albeit one that could have saved her. There was no body in the cabin, however. But they did find a diary, caked in mud, and smeared almost beyond recognition. I had hiked the mountain myself dozens of times before, I know the trails. But I never remembered seeing a cabin. If it wasn’t the sheer curiosity that would get me up there it was the money. Twenty-five thousand dollars for a pile of bones wasn’t a bad deal.
I prepped my gear and set aside two weeks to find her. I reached out to her mother about a week before and was able to get a copy of her diary. Some of the text was hard to read but legible enough that I could make out what she was saying. The first entry gave me a vague idea of where she had been. If I could find my way to the cabin I might be able to figure out where she went after that. I had tried to get in contact with the two hikers who found the cabin, but their names had been left out of the official reports. And despite my pleas Ms. Moore kept that private. I flipped to the first page in the laminated binder.
October 2nd, 2010: I’ll be at the park in around three hours. The bus ride has been brutal so far. The roads are winding and I usually don’t get car sick but this is BAD. Can’t wait for it to be over. I should have walked.
I frowned slightly reading over the paragraphs. Knowing that your reading the last words of someone, it’s unnerving to say the least. The next paragraph was timestamped a little while later.
October 2nd, 2010, 1:55 p.m.: I just got to my hotel room. It’s a little run down but I won’t be here long. I was going back over my supplies for the trip and realized I probably should have brought another pack of protein bars. Oh well I have plenty of other things packed. It’s quiet here. I think that it will help me get my mind off of everything after all it’s meant to be an escape. Two weeks of hiking will help me calm my nerves, I'm sure of it. I also need to remember to put new batteries in my GPS.
That part was underlined and circled.
I wasn’t aware that she had a GPS on her. Her mother was not familiar with any of the gear she had brought with her when I asked, and I doubted she was experienced enough to know to bring one. It made me question how she’d gotten so lost to begin with. I closed the binder and walked out of my room into the already humid air. I needed to get a move on myself. It was already later into the morning then I would have liked, and I wanted to have as much daylight as possible. I double checked all my gear before heading out. The trek to the start of the park was around three miles out of Westview. That small town was so accustomed to having visitors that the roads were clearly marked the whole way up. If the rest of the trails were marked this way, I doubt Allison would have gotten lost. I checked my watch as I walked along the side of the main road. Westview was essentially one street with a motel, gift shops and a camping supply store. The few locals I had seen seemed welcoming enough and treated me as they would any tourist passing through. The town was dead aside from that, their peak busy season having ended a few weeks back. The scenery was picturesque and one of the reasons I came to this park so often. Conifers made up most of the vegetation and shrubs, moss and grasses covered the floor. The terrain itself was rocky and scarred making hiking, especially higher up, a challenge. The paved road began to break up under my feet and eventually I was walking on a narrow gravel road.
There were still signs pointing me towards the trailhead though more spaced out now. I hear commotion up ahead as a dirty red pickup truck whipped around a corner. I side stepped a bit giving it more space as I expected it to slow down. It didn’t and as it barreled at me, I stumbled further into the woods to keep the side mirror from hitting me. “Jag-off!” I spat after it as my hand flashed the universal fuck you. The truck slowed after that and crawled around the next corner. My breath caught a bit as I expected him to reverse and give me what for. But it slowly disappeared out of sight, and I continued for about twenty minutes more before reaching the entrance to the main trail. I knew from giving the diary a once over before and talking to Mrs. Moore said Allison had gone up the main trail before getting turned around and ending up at the cabin. That wasn’t a lot to go off but enough to get me started. The entrance of the park was overgrown which struck me as odd. Coming off the busy season I had expected the trail to look less abandoned. Typically, the trail will be naturally cleared by people passing over it but this one looked like no one had walked over it in months. Nonetheless I pushed on and up the trail. It was a quiet walk with the occasional bird call and crunch of an unseen animal somewhere just off the path. After around an hour of walking the ground began to incline, jagged stones pushing through the dirt and moss. I found a comfortable rock and took off my pack, taking out the binder again and flipping to where I had left off.
10/3/10: It took me a while but I finally reached the trailhead! It was surprisingly hard to find in the thick trees a guy named David offered me a ride up which was nice. The weather is a little shitty today so I appreciated not having to walk in the rain for a little while. He was listening to Cat Stevens on the way up and it reminded me of dad. I’ll update again when I reach the foot of the mountain and see how much fun I’m really having.
10/3/10: I’ll be honest, that sucked. The rain has finally let up though and I’m not slipping halfway down the mountain. I walked with a few people up but they were all way more experienced than me. It’s been nice taking my mind off of everything though. I wonder if anyone other than mom and Sarah will miss me. I’m sure they won’t mind the quiet for a moment. I’ll check in with them when I set up camp.
Not helpful. I thought I was fine reading a dead girl's journal if it helped me figure out where she was. But otherwise it felt like an invasion of privacy. As I pushed further and further into the woods the humid warm air slowly began to cool and it easily dropped three of four degrees. The sun also began to dissipate, blocked by the canopy until it was barely visible and left traces of streaking beams across the forest floor. By the time I got myself to the base of the summit it was well past 3 p.m. and I needed to start setting up camp. It was dangerous to be on the mountain at night especially without shelter, even in the summer it could easily drop ten or more degrees. I for one didn’t feel like sitting in the elements would be productive so I set up my tent on a somewhat flat portion of the rockface and set up my stove. The butane flame burned brightly as I started to heat up my dehydrated beans and rice. As that cooked, I again found myself opening the journal.
10/3/10 6:45 p.m.: I finally reached the base of the summit. It took entirely too long with the paths being as covered as they were and its COLD. I didn’t expect the sun to set as fast as it did. It took forever to find a spot for the tent that wasn’t wet or too steep. I did manage to find a good enough spot and set up my fire. I had to take my socks off for them to dry and the cold went all the way to my core. I want to turn around and just head back but something seems to be calling me up there. I feel like if I can stick this out I’ll be able to finally confront Josh about everything. That prick will get what’s coming to him that’s for sure. I think that I will leave something here to mark my accomplishment of getting this far. Will update tomorrow.
I stared at the name, Josh. I felt a chill run up my spine, but I shook it off. Josh was a common enough name and I certainly had never met her before.I ate in silence listening to the birds until I read the entry over again. She said she’d leave something here and if I could find it I’d know I was on the right path. I put my pot down and looked over the area, sticking near the flatter areas, places she could have camped.
Eventually I found it. A small hole in a pine tree sitting above a small open space. I saw a piece of orange fabric inside of it. I stuck my hand in and through an old web before grabbing a hold of something, a stone. The smooth dark gray rock contained a carving on the backside. A.M. I was right on target and I felt my heart beat fast with excitement. I would find her.
The next few days were relatively uneventful. Walking up steep climbs and recessions well into the third day. Allison had left a few more rocks along the trail at each small victory she reached. Her entries detailed this in full, how excited she was and how the hike was so relaxing. It was so full of nothing that I started skipping entries until one that looked to be written at an angle. The ink was smudged and I could barely make it all out.
10/7/10: I had been ignoring it but I feel like I can hear the steps again. Always just behind me. Step step stop. Step step stop. They always stop when I stop but a second too late. There is no one else here. The last hiker I saw passed me a day ago. I don’t think its an animal the movement is too controlled. Step step stop. I think I can-
The legible entry stops there and becomes borderline indecipherable after. A mess of random letters caught up in the water damaged page. As I cleared the next mile marker, I couldn’t help but think of the steps. How I had seemed to subconsciously mirror the patter she heard. Step step stop. Step step stop. I righted myself again and took up my usual pace listening behind myself for anything. Then I heard it. The same rhythmic movements, step step scrape stop. It continued for around 5 minutes before the noise was gone, replaced by the usual hum of nature.

Links: Pt. 2 (Pt. 1)
In all my years hiking I had never come across something as strange as this. I figured that sharing my story here would help piece together the series of events that plagued my life for the better part of three weeks. I apologize for any confusion. I am trying to get my bearings on this all as well. If you need any clarification or have questions please ask them, I’ll try to respond to comments when I can. Allison Janett Moore went missing on October 11, 2010. Her mother reported her missing after she failed to check in with her at the West River checkpoint. The case went cold in December and soon after she became just another face on a missing persons registry with a twenty-five-thousand-dollar reward tacked on. That was until about two weeks ago. Almost ten years to the day she went missing we found her shoe. Smashed into the gap of a large boulder. Further up the mountain was a small cabin. One that should have been checked by the countless searches that had been conducted in the weeks following her disappearance. An oversight, albeit one that could have saved her. There was no body in the cabin, however. But they did find a diary, caked in mud, and smeared almost beyond recognition. I had hiked the mountain myself dozens of times before, I know the trails. But I never remembered seeing a cabin. If it wasn’t the sheer curiosity that would get me up there it was the money. Twenty-five thousand dollars for a pile of bones wasn’t a bad deal.
I prepped my gear and set aside two weeks to find her. I reached out to her mother about a week before and was able to get a copy of her diary. Some of the text was hard to read but legible enough that I could make out what she was saying. The first entry gave me a vague idea of where she had been. If I could find my way to the cabin I might be able to figure out where she went after that. I had tried to get in contact with the two hikers who found the cabin, but their names had been left out of the official reports. And despite my pleas Ms. Moore kept that private. I flipped to the first page in the laminated binder.
October 2nd, 2010: I’ll be at the park in around three hours. The bus ride has been brutal so far. The roads are winding and I usually don’t get car sick but this is BAD. Can’t wait for it to be over. I should have walked.
I frowned slightly reading over the paragraphs. Knowing that your reading the last words of someone, it’s unnerving to say the least. The next paragraph was timestamped a little while later.
October 2nd, 2010, 1:55 p.m.: I just got to my hotel room. It’s a little run down but I won’t be here long. I was going back over my supplies for the trip and realized I probably should have brought another pack of protein bars. Oh well I have plenty of other things packed. It’s quiet here. I think that it will help me get my mind off of everything after all it’s meant to be an escape. Two weeks of hiking will help me calm my nerves, I'm sure of it. I also need to remember to put new batteries in my GPS.
That part was underlined and circled.
I wasn’t aware that she had a GPS on her. Her mother was not familiar with any of the gear she had brought with her when I asked, and I doubted she was experienced enough to know to bring one. It made me question how she’d gotten so lost to begin with. I closed the binder and walked out of my room into the already humid air. I needed to get a move on myself. It was already later into the morning then I would have liked, and I wanted to have as much daylight as possible. I double checked all my gear before heading out. The trek to the start of the park was around three miles out of Westview. That small town was so accustomed to having visitors that the roads were clearly marked the whole way up. If the rest of the trails were marked this way, I doubt Allison would have gotten lost. I checked my watch as I walked along the side of the main road. Westview was essentially one street with a motel, gift shops and a camping supply store. The few locals I had seen seemed welcoming enough and treated me as they would any tourist passing through. The town was dead aside from that, their peak busy season having ended a few weeks back. The scenery was picturesque and one of the reasons I came to this park so often. Conifers made up most of the vegetation and shrubs, moss and grasses covered the floor. The terrain itself was rocky and scarred making hiking, especially higher up, a challenge. The paved road began to break up under my feet and eventually I was walking on a narrow gravel road.
There were still signs pointing me towards the trailhead though more spaced out now. I hear commotion up ahead as a dirty red pickup truck whipped around a corner. I side stepped a bit giving it more space as I expected it to slow down. It didn’t and as it barreled at me, I stumbled further into the woods to keep the side mirror from hitting me. “Jag-off!” I spat after it as my hand flashed the universal fuck you. The truck slowed after that and crawled around the next corner. My breath caught a bit as I expected him to reverse and give me what for. But it slowly disappeared out of sight, and I continued for about twenty minutes more before reaching the entrance to the main trail. I knew from giving the diary a once over before and talking to Mrs. Moore said Allison had gone up the main trail before getting turned around and ending up at the cabin. That wasn’t a lot to go off but enough to get me started. The entrance of the park was overgrown which struck me as odd. Coming off the busy season I had expected the trail to look less abandoned. Typically, the trail will be naturally cleared by people passing over it but this one looked like no one had walked over it in months. Nonetheless I pushed on and up the trail. It was a quiet walk with the occasional bird call and crunch of an unseen animal somewhere just off the path. After around an hour of walking the ground began to incline, jagged stones pushing through the dirt and moss. I found a comfortable rock and took off my pack, taking out the binder again and flipping to where I had left off.
10/3/10: It took me a while but I finally reached the trailhead! It was surprisingly hard to find in the thick trees a guy named David offered me a ride up which was nice. The weather is a little shitty today so I appreciated not having to walk in the rain for a little while. He was listening to Cat Stevens on the way up and it reminded me of dad. I’ll update again when I reach the foot of the mountain and see how much fun I’m really having.
10/3/10: I’ll be honest, that sucked. The rain has finally let up though and I’m not slipping halfway down the mountain. I walked with a few people up but they were all way more experienced than me. It’s been nice taking my mind off of everything though. I wonder if anyone other than mom and Sarah will miss me. I’m sure they won’t mind the quiet for a moment. I’ll check in with them when I set up camp.
Not helpful. I thought I was fine reading a dead girl's journal if it helped me figure out where she was. But otherwise it felt like an invasion of privacy. As I pushed further and further into the woods the humid warm air slowly began to cool and it easily dropped three of four degrees. The sun also began to dissipate, blocked by the canopy until it was barely visible and left traces of streaking beams across the forest floor. By the time I got myself to the base of the summit it was well past 3 p.m. and I needed to start setting up camp. It was dangerous to be on the mountain at night especially without shelter, even in the summer it could easily drop ten or more degrees. I for one didn’t feel like sitting in the elements would be productive so I set up my tent on a somewhat flat portion of the rockface and set up my stove. The butane flame burned brightly as I started to heat up my dehydrated beans and rice. As that cooked, I again found myself opening the journal.
10/3/10 6:45 p.m.: I finally reached the base of the summit. It took entirely too long with the paths being as covered as they were and its COLD. I didn’t expect the sun to set as fast as it did. It took forever to find a spot for the tent that wasn’t wet or too steep. I did manage to find a good enough spot and set up my fire. I had to take my socks off for them to dry and the cold went all the way to my core. I want to turn around and just head back but something seems to be calling me up there. I feel like if I can stick this out I’ll be able to finally confront Josh about everything. That prick will get what’s coming to him that’s for sure. I think that I will leave something here to mark my accomplishment of getting this far. Will update tomorrow.
I stared at the name, Josh. I felt a chill run up my spine, but I shook it off. Josh was a common enough name and I certainly had never met her before.I ate in silence listening to the birds until I read the entry over again. She said she’d leave something here and if I could find it I’d know I was on the right path. I put my pot down and looked over the area, sticking near the flatter areas, places she could have camped.
Eventually I found it. A small hole in a pine tree sitting above a small open space. I saw a piece of orange fabric inside of it. I stuck my hand in and through an old web before grabbing a hold of something, a stone. The smooth dark gray rock contained a carving on the backside. A.M. I was right on target and I felt my heart beat fast with excitement. I would find her.
The next few days were relatively uneventful. Walking up steep climbs and recessions well into the third day. Allison had left a few more rocks along the trail at each small victory she reached. Her entries detailed this in full, how excited she was and how the hike was so relaxing. It was so full of nothing that I started skipping entries until one that looked to be written at an angle. The ink was smudged and I could barely make it all out.
10/7/10: I had been ignoring it but I feel like I can hear the steps again. Always just behind me. Step step stop. Step step stop. They always stop when I stop but a second too late. There is no one else here. The last hiker I saw passed me a day ago. I don’t think its an animal the movement is too controlled. Step step stop. I think I can-
The legible entry stops there and becomes borderline indecipherable after. A mess of random letters caught up in the water damaged page. As I cleared the next mile marker, I couldn’t help but think of the steps. How I had seemed to subconsciously mirror the patter she heard. Step step stop. Step step stop. I righted myself again and took up my usual pace listening behind myself for anything. Then I heard it. The same rhythmic movements, step step scrape stop. It continued for around 5 minutes before the noise was gone, replaced by the usual hum of nature.

Where: Northern Sweden, Grövelsjön to Treriksröset
When: 13/02/2024 - 23/4/2034 (ten weeks)
Distance: 1325km
Conditions: General winter conditions, +7ºC to -30ºC
Lighterpack: https://lighterpack.com/tzlwle
Overview:
Vita Bandet (the White Ribbon) is a non competitive challenge to take you from the southern most point of the Swedish mountains to the northern most (or vice versa) by your own power. In my case on ski. More details at https://www.vitagronabandet.se/en-GB/about/about-25427890
Vita Bandet becomes more and more popular, this year setting a new record with 36 people, who signed up to do it, 28, who actually started, out of which 24 actually made it.
I’m not really experience in winter tours, I’ve done a couple overnighters and a four day tour the year before. My initial plans were to do a 10 day tour this year and then maybe the following year I could try Vita Bandet. But then I got laid off and I decided to just give it a shot. Worst case I’d take a bus back home after 10 days or so.
It took me 71 days in total, 14 days of rest, 25 nights spent in tent, 45 in huts, cabins, shelters, hostels or hotels.
Track: https://www.utsidan.se/tracklogs/view.htm?ID=1766
Another trip report on Vita Bandet, that I found very helpful personally: https://www.reddit.com/Ultralight/comments/ns7znm/1434km_by_ski_through_sweden/
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/ockHb6A
Trip Report:
Stretch 1: Grövelsjön - Storlien
Arrived by bus in the afternoon, decided to head out that very same day, which was probably a bad idea since it got quite late until I left for real and there wasn’t just a lot of daylight left. Only made it up the hill and camped at the first remotely feasible spot. Woke up to a deflated sleeping pad. I had tested all gear just two weeks before the trip at a very cold night and everything worked perfectly fine. That’s why I believed in some problem with the valve or whatever, something that I’d be able to fix easily at least. Aimed at staying at some of the cabins along the way. Those cabins aren’t meant for overnight stays, only in case of emergency, but I concluded a broken sleeping pad would qualify as such. Unfortunately I was not able to fix the situation, instead it got worse and I had to inflate my pad several times that night. Met some very kind local on a snow mobile and asked about sport shops or outfitters nearby that might have a replacement. He gave them a call to reconfirm but suggested I’d rather stick to my route and spend a night at a hut, where I’d have a proper bed anyway and then try at the next village. I contacted some trails angels, that would provide me with a place to stay there and they also made sure, there‘d be a replacement pad to buy for me.
Unfortunately I got met with a heavy snow storm that delayed me by two days. First I took a rest day during the storm and then, they day after, the snow conditions where so hard, it took me forever to just reach the next cabin. 8 hours for just 10km. Because of the cold temperatures, that fresh snow was just pure powder and the wind had it collect in pools behind each hill. It was more like quicksand. There were no tracks to follow, or at least, those old ones were mostly invisible and for large parts you could only guess where they were to get to harder, more bearing grounds. So I often fell into those pools of lose snow, where it took forever to get out of again. Not to mention the energy it cost me. My super narrow skis didn’t really help with that situation. Just before it got dark, I made it to that other cabin. There was some firewood provided, that was leaning against a tree outside. It still had to be cut. Turns out, it wasn’t dry and it took me forever to get it to burn. This was kinda crucial since the night would go down to -15ºC and all I had was a torso length CCF pad to protect me from below. Thankfully there was another piece of CCF pad lying around at that cabin.
Had a fabulous time at those trail angel’s house in Tänndalen. From there continued over Fältjägarstugan to Helags. This is a so called fjällstation, where you have amenities like electricity and running water. Except they were not open yet. So I had to stay at their emergency room. Another storm swept through and I decided to wait it out, since going in -10ºC and 25m/s is not what I came here for. After the third night, I continued further to Sylarna fjällstation. Conditions weren’t great but better and I clearly can’t wait and stay at Helags forever. From there I chose the route over Blåhammeren. This was kind of a mistake since the way down from Blåhammaren to Storlien is extremely steep and was just pure ice. I fell several times and managed to jar my tailbone. I started to understand that if I’d continue like this, I’d probably get injured severely at some point. Stayed at a friend’s house where I could do my resupply for the next stretch.
Stretch 2: Storlien - Gäddede
This is probably the most unpopular stretch of Vita or Gröna Bandet (if you do it during summer, it’s called Gröne Bandet, the green ribbon). That’s mostly because there’s not so much infrastructure in between. If anything, it’s mostly hotels or expensive cabins to rent. If on foot, you’ll probably end up walking a lot of roads. That’s why it’s way more attractive in winter, where you can follow snow mobile tracks and cross lakes. Spent most nights in my tent, took a day of rest at the hotel in Jänsmässholmen and enjoyed their sauna. There’s a trail angel in Olden, a settlement just a little before, that I skipped. Not a good idea because those kilometers to Jänsmässholmen were a lot more demanding, than I thought. There’s another trail angel in Valsjöbyn, half way between Jänsmässholmen and Gäddede, who allows you to stay at their place, a former hostel. Took advantage of that and did a minor resupply at their tiny supermarket. Between there and Gäddede it’s mostly unmarked terrain, more or less the only stretch where you really have to navigate on your own unless you’re aiming for exactly that. Had a blast choosing a rather unusual route a bit further south than what most people do. Unfortunately the following day, between somewhat south-west of Lobbersjö to Gäddede wouldn’t be that great. I follow someone else’s tracks just to find myself in a very steep and dense forest. Had to take off my skis, but snow was about hip deep at times. Took me an hour just to make a few hundred meters. At that occasion I crashed my sled into trees several times and that must be when I eventually broke it. It developed a crack at the lower front that was shaped in a way so it would scoop up snow and accumulate it inside. First that made it very hard to pull, second, later that day when crossing a large lake, the raw ice was rubbing against the bulges, that were building up from the accumulated snow and rubbed two more holes into the bottom of my “pulka”. Arrived at the hotel very late. It was a Friday night and I had to realize, that I broke my pulka. Contacted the vendor of my sled but of course they couldn’t do anything until Monday morning. They would send a replacement. But as remote as those villages are, it wouldn’t be there before Thursday. So that was almost a whole week of just waiting.
On the other hand, I had made it to Gäddede and that’s a bit like what Kennedy Meadows is to to the PCT. If you’ve made it here, you’ll probably make it all the way, they say.
Stretch 3: Gäddede - Hemavan
The first couple of days after this long break felt very tiresome, I had lost my rhythm and maybe also my strength. Due to warm weather the conditions down in the valleys were just terrible, mix of slush and water or, once frozen again, just ice or icy crust. Generally speaking, following snow mobile tracks through forest is terrible but unavoidable. So I chose I route through the mountains rather than over ice. Harder but more enjoyable. Just before Klimpfjäll I would meet Lapplandsleden, an established, well marked trail for summer as well as winter use, that would lead me all the way to Hemavan. There are some amazing unmanned huts on the way, that I took advantage of. Did a quick resupply in Klimpfjäll. Unfortunately I didn’t know there would have been a nice beer and burger place too. Bummer! A few kilometers after Gränssjö I noticed that weather was forecasted to turn really sour. Lots of fresh snow and storms. My buddy Johan, who had just passed through some days before, advised to not continue, so I turned around and took an alternative route over the large lakes. One thing that’s worth mentioning is, that there are many (marked) snow mobile tracks out there, that are not referenced on any map. That way I missed that there would have been a nice shortcut over to Hemavan and instead I did a rather long detour over yet another large lake. Rented a cabin to dry up after that snow storm, just to realize that the route I had chosen, wasn’t really feasible either and I had to do yet another detour to the detour, that would led me back into and over the mountains. But despite this taking some efforts, it was just righteous beautiful again and I ended up getting some really good days of skiing before reaching Hemavan eventually.
Stretch 4: Hemavan - Abisko
Took two days of rest here to do laundry and resupply and - of course - go to the sauna. Met with some German girl who was also doing Vita Bandet and left for famous Kungsleden while the next storm was brewing already. The way up from Hemavan back into the mountains is quite a thing, so all sweaty I found myself back above tree line, when the storm just got stronger and stronger. And after I got almost swept off my feet, freezing and unable to see where I am, I decided to - once again - turn around. There was no place to stay up in the mountains, there’s just ski slopes up there. No cabins, no way to pitch a tent in the steep terrain. So the only solution was to go down to the village again, all the way. That was a tremendous setback. I met with Melanie again and stayed at her place just to try again next morning. This time I made it to the next hut. But the storm was brewing again. There were serious storms forecasted the next day, with wind speeds above 30m/s. I decided to continue to another hut at lower altitude, that wouldn’t be that affected by the storm. The warm weather together with the strong winds turned my hard shell into an icy crust. Thankfully I was wearing my warm fleece underneath this time, so it was more like fun than something seriously bad. Took half a day off the next day, since there was a hut with a great sauna. Made it to Ammarnäs just as planned, ate burgers and had beer there, did a smaller resupply at their well sorted supermarket and continued. Just to end up in the next snowstorm after making my way all the way up out of the valley. That night in my tent was quite the low point of my whole journey. I was so sure that next morning I’d have to turn back to Ammarnäs again and eventually just get a bus back home. But then next morning weather was unexpectedly good, conditions quite enjoyable and I had a great day out skiing in the mountains. Stayed at another shelter and then continued to Adolfström. I was able to secure a small cabin there, that they usually don’t rent out during winter. But they had made some special arrangements with an older lady from Denmark, who then had to cancel due to other circumstances. Forecast predicted very cold weather with nights below -25ºC (ended up as -30º even), so I was happy to be indoors and so I took a day of rest waiting for warmer weather. Met up with Melanie and Pontus, another guy on Vita Bandet and we continued skiing together for a couple of days. Weather was fantastic and we had the best time.
Took a nearo at Kvikkjokk where we slept at the cabin just at the other side of the river and then headed for the all-you-can-eat breakfast next morning. Now rain was in the forecast, we decided to leave nonetheless and make it to the next hut and dry up there again. We were wet to the bones and the comfort of a wood fired stove was more than appreciated. Stayed at the next hut too because it’s known for its amazing sauna and beautiful views of Rappaälven and its delta, that’s coming out of Sarek. We continued towards Saltoluokta, another fjällstation, where we again chose to camp just before and then head for the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. Learned later, that the snowstorm that had started the evening before wreaked havoc just a couple of valleys further down the trail and some people had to be rescued and evacuated. We had no idea there was a storm coming even. Did a small resupply there and then we set out to take us along the shores of this regulated lake, that is the result of a dam. So lots of open waters everywhere and sure not everyone’s cup of tea. But there’s only walking the road 15km as the alternative. You’re not allowed to take the bus as most other people do, who are following Kungsleden. From there you have to continue following a set of lakes, that are partially regulated too. Due to the warm weather of the past days this turned out to be a full blown shitshow. Deep slush and puddles on top of the ice, snow so soft, you immediately sink in until your knees or beyond. Thankfully it got colder again and after things had frozen over again, it even started to snow and we were met with basically the best conditions I’d ever seen on this trip. Were it not for the strong sun, Pontus got snow blind and I had severe struggles too. It’s probably because so late into the season, the sun is quite high up already and then the trail leads you through those U shaped valleys, that are completely snow covered and act like a curved mirror. Stronger, darker sun glasses would have been a blessing. Also stronger sunscreen.
Stretch 5: Abisko - Treriksröset
A last day of rest at Abisko, laundry, resupply, eat, eat, eat and sauna and then onto the last section that starts with a 40km stretch over Torneträsk. Strong headwinds didn’t exactly make it more enjoyable but weather was great otherwise. After you climb back up above tree line you end up on some plateau, that just seems endless. Soft, snow covered hills all around and perfect skiing conditions let you glide through the landscape. Every few hours people on snow mobiles, wearing capes and ponchos, cutting through like in a scene from Star Wars. Just perfect, magic moments. After reaching Treriksröset, the cairn that marks the meeting point between Norway, Finland and Sweden, I stayed at a last cabin from where I crossed into Finland and over to Kilpisjärvi the next morning, not knowing there’s another all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet waiting just next to the bus stop.
Conclusion
It was a lot hard than I had thought it would be. And had I known before, how hard it would be, I would have never done it. Everything is just at least twice as hard in winter. I’ve not been swearing and cussing that much before in my whole life. Alone the amount of gear, with all its straps, cords, laces and hooks, the possibilities that something gets tangled, snagged, jammed, or stuck is just mind blowing. And yet, I’m so glad I did it.
Gear Notes:
Ski
Those skis I used were too narrow, wider skis would have made it easier where there was a lot of fresh snow and would have allowed me to go off-trail more.
Pulk/sled: Jemtlander PullPac 8M/L
I plan to write a separate, detailed review on this, since it’s a rather new and unconventional piece of gear. In short, it worked but needed replacement. Should have gone with the stronger version right away. Having just a rope worked and allows to put the backpack on your back when needed. I didn’t make use of that scenario that often though and mostly just for traveling. Only in rare occasions, when traversing steeper slopes, I put my backpack on my back. In general I ended up with a too heavy backpack as I could still ski comfortably, especially in more technical terrain, especially since I also had that daypack, that would then go in front. It was great to have such a light setup when going uphill or over flat grounds but not so much downhill. The steeper, the worse the experience was.
Tent: Hilleberg Soulo
It’s a small tent, but I’m used to small tents, it fits my style. Usually I just get into my sleeping bag and then do all the rest while lying down, ie cooking and such. The biggest drawback surely is that doesn’t really allow to cook while having the doors close, the vestibule is just too small for that. At least when it comes to priming the stove. Which can be a problem in strong winds. I managed anyway, but that’s more like survivor bias than anything else. Most people opt for tunnel tents with large vestibules where they can sit and cook in almost any condition and just for the peace of mind, that’s something that I can’t deny the appeal of. There are people, who go even lighter. You could leave away the inner tent for instance. But then you’d have to make sure to seal it really well to account for snow drift in a storm. Other people use pyramid style tents, but in general that’s people, who go very fast and stay indoors for most of their trip, ie. they only plan for a handful of nights in a tent. Overall I think taking the Soulo, while not perfect, was still a good compromise.
Sleep system
Don’t get me started on sleeping pads, even the replacement (a self-inflating, super robust, 1kg) started leaking at some point. If I had a full-blown pulk I’d definitely bring a full length CCF pad, some inflatable for comfort and a reindeer skin just because I can.
My sleeping bag clearly isn’t warm enough, even though I had the extra synthetic blanket. The last couple of nights were something like -20ºC and I got a bit cold in the morning hours.
Clothes
In general the clothes I brought worked really well. Barely used that fleece jacket, I carried with me, but when I needed it, I was glad, I had it. An even warmer down jacket and warmer gloves would also go on my list of “next time”.
Stove/kitchen: Primus Omnilite TI, Primus 1l with heat exchanger
Worked like a charm, but should have bought and brought the repair kit to the stove and the maintenance instructions. Half way between Abisko and Treriksröset, in the middle of nowhere, the fuel pump stopped working and I couldn’t repair it on my own. Thankfully Pontus wasn’t too far behind at that point and I managed to reach him over inReach.
There are people who use canister stoves, it didn’t work for my buddy Johan and in general, I don’t get the appeal of it. Alone the logistics behind it regarding resupply sounds like a nightmare.

Teahouse Treks in Nepal - Unique Path Trekking & Expedition (nepaltrekkinginfo.com)
Teahouse means staying in a lodge or a cottage for a night on a track. There are a lot of teahouses all around the world. Likewise, there are varieties of Teahouse Treks in Nepal. Teahouse treks in Nepal provide trekkers with the freedom to trek with minimum equipment. There are several teahouse treks in Nepal. For example Everest, Langtang, and Helambu, Annapurna. These regions are famous among tourists because of their facilities. Similarly, these places have a large network.
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Furthermore, these places are famous for their trekking routes. In the case of Nepal, tea houses provide meals and resting places. A tea house is a large comfortable, well-built lodge or cottage. In Nepal, you can find small bamboo huts. Similarly, you can find big lodges too. Therefore, many tourists and trekkers love trekking in Nepal. Also, these tea houses provide facilities to the national visitors.
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Why Teahouse Treks In Nepal?
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Small cottage lodges near the base camp of different summits are called tea houses in Nepal. It is known to the visitors as a tea house because it provides tasty meals and shelter. Mainly, Nepal provides a lot of tea houses in the Himalayan region. Additionally, different ethnic groups such as Tamang and Sherpa run tea houses. This will also help you gain knowledge about their culture. In addition, these tea houses are along with Everest and other trekking routes. Likewise, these tea houses provide a variety of lodging and meals facilities. You can leave your valuable items in the tea house. You can feel free and fully enjoy your trekking journey. In other words, the tea house trekking program is a trekking program based on tea houses dispersed all along the trekking routes. Therefore, Teahouse Treks in Nepal offers you comfortable and hassle-free trekking.
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Firstly, the teahouses of Nepal provide tourists with good hospitality. Secondly, some of the teahouses of Nepal provide visitors with guides as well. Above all, most of the teahouses are run by the local people and their families. So, this makes it cost-effective as well. Likewise, They provide foreigners with a very good environment to rest in. Daily many guides, porters, and travelers visit these teahouses. So, trekkers also enjoy it. Also, it is one of the fun activities in Nepal. Additionally, they can enjoy the facilities of this place. The main reason for Nepal to have such beautiful teahouses is its geography.
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Teahouse Treks In Nepal
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A lot of visitors love to travel to these kinds of places. It helps the locals to run their families and live happily. Every visitor who comes to Nepal for trekking has a positive view of these tea houses. Two years back, I had a foreign friend who went on a trekking trip. Additionally, he discovered a lot of knowledgeable things. He shared all the amazing things about the trip with me. All the things were positive. He said Nepalese people are very kind. He said even though some of them had communication problems. But, also they communicated with us. Moreover, whenever they see foreigners they are very happy. They welcome us wholeheartedly. These tea houses also help the government. Most importantly, the people who run these teahouses are very friendly. Tourism is one of the main sources of income for the country.
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Furthermore, tourism plays a vital role in the nation’s economy. In addition to that, even among all the tourism sectors trekking and hiking are important. Not only to the international visitor but also the national visitors trekking is famous. Also, it is the main source of income for the people. To make trekking famous, teahouses play an important role. Tea house trek has a lot of benefits.
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Benefits Of Teahouse Treks In Nepal
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The trek can be lightweight.
It helps you carry less equipment in comparison to a camping trek.
Tea houses are cost-effective.
Once you’ve visited the tea houses of Nepal you will never forget the experience. It will be the best. Additionally, some of the tea houses of Nepal provide you with the best scenery. Most importantly, all the tea houses are at high altitudes so it will help you get in touch with nature. Also, the tea houses are run by the local people. So, this will help you get knowledge about their culture. Not only you can experience the good food but also their culture. Tea houses of Nepal provide a lot of information about the culture of this country, As it is run by different ethnic groups. It can multiply your fun. In addition to the fun. Local people also share their experiences at the high peaks.
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Finally, if you have decided to come on a trekking journey in Nepal. You should probably visit the tea houses of Nepal. Also, you will not forget the experience of these tea houses.
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Some Most Popular Teahouse Trek In Nepal
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Teahouse Trek in Everest Region:
Everest Base Camp Trek.
Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek.
Annapurna Base Camp Trek.
Annapurna Circuit Trek.
Langtang Valley Trek.
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Everest Base Camp Teahouse Trek
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Most of the tea houses at the Everest base camp are huge. So, they normally have a common room designated for the group. Along with this, they provide different meals. World wide trekkers always bring their condiments. So, when people order off the menu in a tea house they can use those condiments. It helps enhance their food. Teahouse Treks in Nepal is the Everest base camp tea house that has a room that usually has two bunks. But, down lower in the valley, they have showers with a toilet. Also, they provide some hot water facilities.
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Moreover, they provide propane on-demand as well. But, if you trek up the valley you can find different styles of tea houses. In addition, most of the tea houses at Everest base have two beds in a room. Moreover, if you are tired and want to rest, they provide a suitable environment for you. Also, in some places they provide an outdoor courtyard. This will increase your trekking experience too. These tea houses will help you get in touch with nature. Most importantly, these tea houses are clean and comfortable. It is a really good way to go when you trek. In that way, people have a dry clean place to stay for the night. Furthermore, you can have a comfortable night’s sleep. This will help you the following day. Also, most of the tea houses built good relationships with the travelers.
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Highlights Of Everest Base Camp Teahouse Trek
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The tea houses are reliable.
The tea houses have wider rooms at lower altitudes.
It provides you with charging stations, flush toilets, and hot water.
They built good relationships with visitors.
Experience different kinds of local foods.
Increase your trekking experience.
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Ghorepani Poon Hill Teahouse Trek
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Poon Hill takes between two and three days from Pokhara. The view of Poon Hill is on the route to Annapurna Sanctuary, the destination is in the center of Annapurna Conservation Area. You must have an ACCAP Permit from Kathmandu. Poon Hill is a very busy tourist destination. Therefore Poon Hill is the best Teahouse trek in Nepal. Daily thousands of visitors visit this hill to trek. The tea houses are good too. Tea houses here provide you with a suitable place to rest. This teahouse trek is reliable. Not only foreign tourists but also national tourists love to visit. But the only drawback is that you have to have permission from Kathmandu. Many people have shared a lot of positive things about this place. But, it is accessible. It is a challenging trekking route of Nepal. So, the tea houses also play a vital role too. Because every trekker gets tired so they wanna rest in a safe and comfortable place. Teahouses here provide you with all the essentials. For example
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Proper resting place
It provides you with a proper shower and toilet facilities.
Tea houses here have all the facilities such as water, food, and electricity.
So, if you decide to trek in the Ghorepani Poonhill you will feel at home at these teahouses.
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Annapurna Base Camp Teahouse Trek
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Annapurna base camp trek is one of the most difficult treks in Nepal. The trekkers almost have to cover a total distance of 67 km over 10 days of the trek. You will feel a lot of adventure in it. A lot of visitors get injured daily due to the difficulty of this place. This trek is long so people stay at the tea houses. Due to its difficulty, the tea houses here play an important role. The ABC base camp tea houses provide you with a lot of facilities. For example
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Suitable place to rest
Spa facilities
It’s reliable
ABC teahouses provide you with the privilege of good scenery.
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The teahouse of ABC provides restaurants and accommodation. So, what does that mean? So, there will be some differences in the style depending on the region of Nepal. ABC provides pretty much the same. But, they are going to multiple storages. Maybe, stone or possibly wood. Furthermore, you go through small villages lower down. But, once you get higher up in the altitude it’s probably going to be tea houses. Along with all the tea houses you are going to find some cute little shops along the way. Following the tea, houses center around the main eating area. Similarly, you can find some pot-bellied stone and everything inside a typical teahouse.
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Annapurna Base Camp is one of the famous Teahouse Treks in Nepal. Annapurna Base Camp teahouses also have stoves. But, after you go to high altitude the stove is not allowed. Similarly, the dining area is the heart of a tea house. Especially if you are traveling with friends. These kinds of tea houses provide a lot of time with friends to gossip and have fun. Likewise, you get a padlock. Additionally, these tea houses keep your things safe. Also, some of the tea houses of ABC have an in-room bathroom. Therefore, you will also get to see some western culture here.
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Annapurna Circuit Teahouse Trek
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Annapurna circuit teahouse Trek is another trek with good teahouse facilities, the Annapurna Circuit Trek has some of the better teahouses widespread along its entire route. No matter how long your hike is you can always find a suitable teahouse. So, this will help the trekkers to take short breaks in between. Annapurna circuit tea house is almost 12 to 21-day long. So, the widespread tea house makes visitors at ease. The trail also includes a lot of stairways which can be more difficult than walking on straight paths. Also, a lot of slippery and rocky trails.
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Highlights Of Annapurna Circuit Teahouse Trek
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Security
Chance to connect to the nature
Experience the nature of the place
Feel of adventure
Hospitality
Annapurna circuit tea houses are mostly one storage. The tea houses here are scattered all over the trekking route. Moreover, you can find stone and wood buildings. And, you also get a spectacular view from these tea houses. They usually lock your room to safeguard your belongings. Similarly, they provide you with a reliable room to stay in. These tea houses are very important to the trekkers. Likewise, the tea houses here are simply like hotels. More importantly, these treehouses shelter visitors. These tea houses are famous for this service. Similarly, the rooms here are simple. They pretty much have two beds. Furthermore, they guide you if you need it. In addition to this, they are very cost-effective. Besides, they also provide you with comfortable mattresses. Also, some rooms of the tea houses can provide you with study tables too.
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Moreover, some of the tea houses at the lower altitude provide the facility of WI FI. But, if you go to the high altitude, the tea houses there may cost you 200 for wifi and 100 rupees to charge your phones and batteries. In comparison to the tea houses at the lower altitude, the tea houses at higher altitudes are expensive.
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Teahouse Trek At Manaslu Circuit
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Manaslu circuit trek is a moderately difficult trek. People with the low physical condition find it hard to trek here. Manaslu Trek is one of the challenging treks in Nepal that takes you through the remote villages of the Himalayan region. It is one of the off-beat treks in Nepal. It is a challenging trek so trekkers travel in a sense of adventure. Also, this route provides yaks on your way up. It is almost 180 km. So, it is quite challenging. So, the tea house here plays an important role. They should have the facility of electricity, water, and shelter and they have it all. Including beautiful scenery.
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Teahouse Trek At Langtang Valley
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Langtang valley trek is one of the most famous treks in Nepal. It provides the trekkers with the feel of adventure. Langtang trip is a short trip if you are looking to excess it from Kathmandu valley. The sloppy road here is the main reason for people wanting to trek here. This trek is almost 10-15 days starting from SyabruBesi. Langtang valley trip is very safe. It is a moderate trek. You have to walk for many days with gradually increasing altitudes. People with bad health find it hard to trek here. So, the tea houses here come in handy.
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Highlights Of Langtang Valley Teahouse Trek
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Friendly owners
Good scenery
Comfortable environment
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Teahouse Etiquette
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The etiquette of Nepali people is known worldwide. It is also the main reason for tourist attractions. The etiquette of Nepalese people varies from culture to culture. Most of the time Nepalese people join their hands to greet people. Likewise, teahouse etiquette is also the same. Mostly, people from the Himalayas run tea houses. So they welcome people according to their culture. The most common etiquette in these tea houses is. They do the formal and standard gesture, men hold fists(left over right), women put palms together, make a bow, and welcome visitors by giving them the garment made of flowers.
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Meals At Teahouse Treks
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The typical meal of a Nepalese tea house is dhal bhat. But, it can differ from place to place. Teahouse Treks in Nepal the owner of the tea house most of the time provides meals according to the culture. But, the most common meals that can be found at the tea houses at high altitudes are
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Dhal Bhat: Dhal Bhat is like a national food of Nepal so it is found in every part of the country. So, it can also be found at the tea houses of high altitudes.
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Yak meat: Also yak meat famously known as (chauri ko masu) is easily accessible in these kinds of tea houses as yak is only found in the Himalayan region.
Garlic soup etc.
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Rooms At Teahouse Trek In Nepal
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Usually, there are two beds in a single room. The tea houses of Nepal usually have a window and a door with a cover of tin. These kinds of rooms are usually found in one storage building.
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Electricity At Teahouse
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Most of the tea houses have electric facilities in them. Usually, people can charge their phones, watch television. But, in some places, it can be hard to find due to the geographical condition of the place. Usually, the places cost money to use the electric facility.
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Tips For The Teahouse Trek In Nepal
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Do advance booking for the tables.
Bring all the personal essentials with you.
Have a sufficient amount of toilet paper with you.
Bring all your medications with you.
If you have not booked a teahouse, do it before 7:00 am.
Calculate your time properly before leaving the tea house.
This trekking business can develop even more. If the government and the concerned authority focus more. They can build more suitable tea houses. Similarly, they can make wider roads. Likewise, they should focus on giving this education to students. If those students can find a suitable job in this sector. The unemployment rate would also go down. So, trekking is a very important part of Nepal and the tourism sector.

I had SO much fun on first stealth camp. Rode my e-bike about an hour away to a local county park. Right behind the park is pump station with woods on the North and West sides. I went off trail to the West and hunkered down in a wooded area about 100'x400'. Managed to find a spot to stash the bike with my camo cover.
It was pretty muddy but I found a high spot and managed just fine. I wouldn't normally have a fire stealth camping but I was super far from folks houses and my Kuvik titanium stove is pretty minimal. Found a little friend on the way out too!
All in all it was a fantastic night and I can not wait to get back out there and try and new spot!

Hey guys, in about a week I will be going to terceira to spend a couple of days. I will spend most of the days camping and was hoping to buy a camping stove gas cannister, the small round ones where you attach the stove on top. I know there is no decathlon there so is there a place where i could buy that?

My boyfriend and I are headed to the upper peninsula of Michigan and plan on hiking around Lake Superior. I've lost about 130 lbs and I just can't keep myself warm anymore so even on day hikes hot food and drinks are necessities. We always bring our little stove and fuel and a mess kit so we can cook whatever. We've tried some of the premade 'just add water' camping meals and they're fine but at roughly $10 each they add up quickly. Any less expensive options or homemade hot food ideas would be greatly appreciated!

My great grandfather was taken to a work camp in Siberia during WW2. He was a Mennonite living in Nieder Chortitza with his family when he was taken away by Russian soldiers. We've contacted the Red Cross and they have no information on him. I'm also wondering where I could find information on a retrain accident that killed my great grandmother while fleeing the war. The train was sabotaged and my great grandmother was burned horribly by the wood burning stove that landed on top of her. She was sent to a red cross hospital yet they have no record of her either. Is there any suggestions of how I could find out if any information exists?

I feel like there could be grills with holders right beneath the rack for candles. Maybe even candles that burn hotter (i don't know much about candle making just a thought)
Or like a personal camping stove made to hold a candle with a rack suspended over it.
I recently cooked food with tealights during a power outage, and it works really well. I would prefer it with certain things. I think something like that could be used more than just for "emergencies".

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But here are some highlights (wall of text, spoilers, exchethra):
Karlach Origin run, already knew I was going to side with the Emperor and romance Wyll. After the tutorial, I remembered hearing about Karlach having a unique first camp night if you rest right there on the beach, so I checked it out. Highly recommend if you haven't seen it, absolutely adorable, worth rushing through the tutorial on a new save just to see it. What I didn't realize was, if you long rest before waking her up, Shart will move on to the grove. No problem, up the hill to grab Magic Man, stab a mindflayer without talking to it, collect the Leech, and start thinking about how I'm going to respec everyone on the way to Frog Princess. Karlach is the cutest Rogue ("Halfling essence~"), so she ended up an Open Hand Thief. Despite being a compulsive multiclasser, I went pure Sword Bard on Astarion and boy do I not regret it, god damn Bard is such a good class, but I spent a long time trying to figure out what Gale should be before just settling back into the classic overpowered Evocation Wizard magic missile build.
Anyway, grab Lae'zel, feeling the "You're clearly no friend to Tieflings" option, especially because I know Wyll is gonna be our fourth, decide to begrudgingly work together. OPEN THE BLOODY GATE, and on to the Grove, sneak up to the bugbear assassin for the also unique, also adorable "Karlach gets a soul coin" scene, take two steps past Aaron to trigger the Wyll cutscene, alright, see you back at camp, another two steps and we get the Shart scene. Now I, the player, intensely dislike Shadowheart, but I'm trying to follow what I know Karlach approves of for my choices, so I suggest she join the party, even though I know she's just gonna sit in camp. "Get rid of the Gith and I'll consider it." Boy she puts some "hard R" stank on that word, so I decided that, having just clocked a shithead unconscious for calling Zevlor "hellspawn," I am getting sick and tired of all the got dang racists around here. Tell Shart to take a hike. Hit up Dammon to get the engine quest going, back to camp to recruit Wyll. Now we've got Mama K's Harem of Boys She's Not Allowed to Touch, quick trip to the crypt to grab Grandpa Jergal, and we're off on an adventure in Act 1.
I was overconfident at the goblin camp, wasn't able to get Gut in a single turn before she called for backup, and only Astarion managed to escape into her room to get back to camp. Too broke to have Bone Man just res everyone there, so it was some very tense "sneak in and use a scroll, then escape to the chapel." Later, having aggroed the entire front room, we snuck through the upper level, and managed to get caught by a single patroller in the exact right spot to aggro literally the entire camp at once. He turns around right before I was in backstab range, which pulls the front room and Ragzlin's room, which after another turn pulls Minty. Two got out, but by then we had enough cash to just resurrect at camp. Interestingly, Minthara ended up on the upper beams above Ragzlin's room, and her AI didn't walk her back to her usual spot, so it was very easy to take her out later, with Wyll sneaking up behind, eldritch blasting her allll the way down to the spiders, where Karlach was waiting for a sneak attack while she was prone.
Waukeen's rest went hilariously sideways: I usually split up and have someone go save what's his nuts dowry ring man through the side entrance, so you don't have the big fiery blowout. Astarion broke the door with ranged, and Gale stood the best chance of passing an investigation check. Meanwhile, because it's relevant to him, Wyll and Karlach went in through the main door for Florrick. Breakable stuff is always weak to force damage, so I just had Wyll eldritch blast it from a distance, but I wasn't paying attention to the auto-pathing on the attack, and he managed to line up the blast so that it hit one of the Flaming Fists, who then aggroed and killed he and Karlach. Gale and Astarion remained blameless, so I had them go talk to Florrick for the Spellsparkler before bringing the moron twins back to life.
Went for some classics in the Underdark: grab Shovel before dealing with the Beholder (because she can destroy all the petrified Drow without triggering the cutscene, making the fight much much easier), then some predictive barrelmancy to take out the Bulette, then have Glut do the spore servant thing and have it jump specifically on Gekh from up near Lenore's dog's grave (no zombies, much easier fight, also you have a Bulette, the fight is just going to be easy period). My last few runs I've tried to challenge myself by taking out all of the Duergar at Grymforge (except the archeology bros) before freeing Nere, but this time I played it safe and sided with Brithvar. By this point I had Gale using the Spellsparkler, but rather than dual wield, Astarion was using Phalar Aluve (which he continued using all the way to the end, more on that later), so I had Gale park up top on the catwalk above Nere, blasting him with electrified, shriek-empowered magic missiles. That legendary is total bullshit, but it worked out, just had to res Gale after the fight. I've done plenty of Lone Wolf runs through at least act 1, so Grym wasn't really a thing, all you need to solo the fight is minor illusion and a bow, bonus points if you can add Hunger of Hadar on top.
Killed Kagha with some in-fight barrelmancy (RIP Silver, sorry bro), but I noticed Halsin mentions her at the reunion party, like, bruh she dead. And again, having dealt with her solo a few times, I've gotten pretty good at taking Ethel out before she can run down to the basement. That Legendary Action is rowdy as hell, best to just blast her down as soon as she reveals. Since Lae'zel wasn't actually in the party, I felt no need to bother with the zaith'isk at the creche, we were really just there for the Blood of Lathander and a big exp bump. Astarion went in through the back in disguise, got some neat toys from the curly haired merchant cutie, then we went back in through the front to wander around. Another buggy oddity: I was aiming for maximum shenanigans on this run, so we actually convinced Esther that the owlbear egg was a Githyanki egg, but later on in act 3, the draconic sorcerer Duergar guy just said "the task was too much for her." I was under the impression there was some sort of wacky chaos, but maybe I messed it up by doing the Iron Throne and freeing Omeluum before visiting the Society? Anyway, pickpocketed the the key and headed to the Inquisitor, but decided to initiate combat in the doorway, which means no one locks you in. Told Vlaakith "maybe I'll free the one inside the prism" then just...walked back out, door's open, a hologram can't stop me.
Cleared out the entire creche for exp and loot (except the hatchery, like the archaeology bros, I don't have it in me to kill the varsh, he's chill), and then intentionally did not use the Dawnmaster's Crest when stealing the Blood, because I assumed that would be Lae'zel's last straw and she would bail on us, alleviating any guilt trips about Orpheus head-chomping later. (Also RIP varsh, can't kill you in person, but I can drop a building on you, I guess)
Act 2 was pretty uneventful. Blockade some doors to create choke points before talking to Isobel, split up the party and position them around where you and her will be standing after the cutscene, it's pretty easy to beat the shit out of Marcus first turn and keep the winged horrors off Last Light's #1 Moon Fan. Pro-tip: if your party leader is in range for the conversation with the Thorm mini-bosses, it will always jump back to them for the conversations, so we ended up actually fighting Garingothe (which I'd never done before, she looks crazy without the Smough armor), but I sent Astarion off on a solo mission to fake drinking and talk Thisobald to death, then finally I really wanted to get that "Kill Malus before he performs surgery on you" achievement, because talking him to death doesn't count, which I usually do, so we had to do the fight for realsies, but by this point we were high enough level for the Spike Growth and Hunger of Hadar wombo combo (Sword Bard still gets Magical Secrets? Bard OP, plz no nerf), so we just parked it at the back entrance and let them walk themselves to death while taking ranged sneak attack and magic missile potshots. The only real regret I would've savescummed in a normal run was, somehow Rolan managed to die between getting in range and actually aggroing the shadows. I thought that whole thing was scripted, but I saw subtitles of him shouting, immediately jumped into turn-based, but he was already dead. Got to see his "speak with the dead" stuff, which is neat, but sad, but oh well, Honour Mode bruh, sorry.
Cleared out Moonrise one room at a time before the Gauntlet, unlock Balthazar's panic room with Knock and open it while invisible to let the Justiciars do the heavy lifting. Dropped another Hunger of Hadar into the middle at the beginning of the fight to make sure I pulled aggro from both sides to get exp from all of them, then let the party camp out in the kitchen with the doors locked. Actually decided to fight Yurgir, but when you're genuinely doing every possible encounter and making sure you get as much experience as possible, you're pretty overleveled by this point, so the fight wasn't even a challenge, Yurgir lost half of his health with the opening salvo and got knocked prone, so he never even got a chance to scatter Orthon bombs. Then go back and fight the rat horde, so Astarion doesn't get mad at you, but you still get to put down the last filthy Shar worshipper. Freeing the Nightsong is still kinda awkward when Shart isn't even in the party, she just skips straight ahead to "I'm ready to get out of here," but I've gotten used to it, as Shadowheart has not made it to the Gauntlet since my first playthrough. Go slap J Jonah Jameson, do everything there is to do in the colony, botch an attempt at being sneaky in the Myrkul fight, but pull it off without much issue anyway, and we're on to the Gate.
Already level 11 at this point, which means I really don't need to bother with anything I don't deem necessary, based on wanting to check all the boxes for this specific party. I opted to try out the Orin exploit (avoid encounters with her to make sure she'll be there for the dying Stone Lord Thug, then switch to non-lethal, knock "him" unconscious so she then becomes an unconscious Orin, steal her lobster clothes, and get Jaheira, now a level 11 Druid, to hit her with as many Contagion variants as spell slots allow). Did all the usual stuff at the circus, but I decided I wanted my money back from the genie after getting the trident. Sent the boys outside and Karlach tried to pickpocket the cash back. I'm amazed how many times you can fail before he actually aggroes, but someone else would have to return all of Dribbles' body parts, as Karlach will not be welcomed back inside... triple dash and fly can get you out of just about any bad situation.
Tried to get crafty and found an interesting bug with Ravengard: we snuck around the side to get past the Rivington guards, then stealth feather-falled down from the bridge to Wyrm's Rock, go around the back, then had Karlach chug an invis, triple dashing, Illithid fly up and over the entire thing in turn-based to not only skip the coronation, but never even get noticed by the Steel Watch. Mizora will be waiting and tell you to go see daddy. Ignored her and went to the lower city, hitting up the Iron Throne first. Ravengard isn't there, but then when you go back to Wyrm's Rock, Mizora will still be there, and Wyll's dialog will be the same as if you fought Gortash at the ceremony and accidentally killed Papa Flaming Fist, triggering Mizora to offer the resurrection option, instead of "I'll tell you where he is."
Anyway, went to the Foundry and hit another weird bug. Second floor in, I missed a motivator, and the Gondians died in the fight. Push through with Toobin, get to the bottom and did the most intense barrelmancy on the big Watcher, using the stolen barrel and vial of Runepowder from Grymforge. Where it gets buggy is: We saved Toobin's daughter ahead of time, but in the scene with Wulbren, he says he's the only Gondian left "just let me mourn my daughter in peace." I thought, oh fuck, did that one motivator somehow kill them all everywhere? Fwoops, Honour Mode, sorry bud. Get through the scene, Barcus is now the leader of the Ironhands, and Toobin says "I think it's time Obelia and I left the city, once this is all over." ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Off to kill Gortash, group chugged an invis, by this point the entire party is huffing Astral Tadpoles, so in turn-based, we fly through the ceremony room past the Banites and upstairs. Wyll, once again, fucks things up with his auto-pathing, while I was trying to do a little...well, not barrelmancy, but laying out a pile of bombs to at least take a chunk of G-Money's health at the start. He walked right into someone's sight line, and we're off to the races. Take out the protective curtains, and I think, "you know I've never actually used Otto's Irresistible Dance, does it even work on someone with Legendary Resistance? Holy shit, 100% success rate?"
Gortash just stood there, dancing, while we blasted down his guards, and Karlach dumped so much god damn damage on him with psychic ki-empowered topples, that he never even got a chance to go Super Saiyan. Mama K ended him with a single decisive unarmed stunning strike bitch-slap. Extremely satisfying.
Go get Minsc, just because it's Karlach, she would go out of her way to save and assemble the heroes of legend, even if they're just gonna sit in camp, then it's off to slap Orin's grand/dad. I hadn't done Gortash before Orin before, so I wanted to see how that goes when you present his hand to the Tribunal, follow Sarevok to the kiddie pool of blood, resist the urge to kill Valeria because fuck that shitey little elephant, google what the Bhaal merchant has, decide nah, Karlach could never betray the memory of Gorion's Ward and the gang (especially not for some pretty meh armor, though we did get the dialog option to say we're unholy assassins later), time to die Sarevok...oh shit now there are a fuck ton of extra enemies in this fight. Hmmmm, I wonder...Astarion chugs a haste potion, activates Phalar Aluve, then casts Spirit Guardians, and flies around the room. Took out, no hyperbole, 2/3 of the ghosts in a single character's turn, and still had all these effects active when all four party members ganged up on Sarevok to blast him down in two rounds. The final blows were two thunder-infused, Potent Robe boosted Vicious Mockeries. Astarion literally insulted the villain of the first game to death. Bard is overpowered as shit.
Having earned it with his stellar performance, it's time for Astarion's thing. A little clever prep work before Cazador, and Astarion can sit at the top of the stairs, maintaining his Spike Growth concentration well outside of the cutscene trigger, Wyll drops Hunger of Hadar on top, Karlach and Gale just throwing a barrage of magic missiles and throwables or radiant infused arrows. I had three people ready with Sunbeam, and we only ended up using one. Astarion does the noble thing and turns the Mosquito into a fucking puddle with a knife, holy shit I hadn't seen that version of the scene before, I'm so proud of him and bah gawd Neil just did a incredible acting. Give him all the awards.
I'm absolutely not gonna fuck with the House of Hope, since Lae'zel wasn't even at the creche we never got any of the Voss stuff (which means he also doesn't show up to attack you in the Upper City), so we just didn't even talk to Raphael. However, since Ulder gives you the quest, Ansur is part of Wyll's quest line and the final step before choosing the Blade of Avernus route, which I need for Mama K's happy ending. Super unnecessary risk, and a hell of a fight, but Astarion, once again the god damn champion, earned me the Crash Landing achievement with the final blow.
Invisible Karlach once again triple-dash-flew past the entry ambush at the temple of Bhaal and rushed down to the waypoint to regroup the team. Orin was basically nothing. With three different contagion effects, she went down hilariously fast, and then it's the dawn of the final day. Took the sewer route rather than the courtyard fight, hadn't done it before, much easier, much faster, highly recommend. More triple-dash-flight got Karlach to the spinal cord in two rounds, and then it's final battle time.
I summoned literally every ally on the wheel, and god damn did it take every single one. Fun fact: once Empy opens the portal, any summoned allies fall back on their default allegiances meaning: the Strange Ox turns hostile (nearly killed Astarion before he had a chance to go in the portal) and Aylin damaged Mizora with her moonbeam shield effect while chasing after the acid slime. But it didn't matter, we were finally sliding into home. Gale dropped a Globe of Invulnerability on a platform, everyone huddled together, and Karlach spent the final turns of combat in this Honour Mode run throwing Uncle Felogyr's fireworks at a big angry brain. It's a celebration!
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While the weather got warming lately, its still cold in my place. Earlier just now the oven of my stove pre-heated to 400 and when I put in some broccoli in it, it felt so warm that after the food was baked, I left it slightly opened. It cooled the whole kitchen so I'm sitting on the dinner table as I type this on my laptop instead of staying in my room.
It makes me curious if anybody has ever left the oven opened to keep warm after food was cooked and same with staying around an outdoor grill after the hotdogs and burgers were grilled to a crisp and stoves. I now wonder did people even leave an oven wide open as the food was being cooked during a winter night in the 19th century and other olden times? Or if soldiers stayed around a chef as he was frying good outdoors for an army camp? during the American Revolution? And other uses of cooking devices to keep warm like putting hands in front of the evaporating air from a kettle pot boiled on a fire outdoors after some peasant farmers hunted down wolves in Medieval England?
I ask historically was it normal to do what I just did to keep warm esp during winter? Are there people who still use ovens and other cooking tools today despite our modern homes with heating and technology like cars (assuming they ever did so during the time before electricity)?

Golden hour light revealing the sandstone hoodoos, earl grey simmering on a camping stove, snacks probably...that's my dream--care to accompany me?
About me: I was a ditch digger, then a trombonist, then a motorcycle mechanic, then an avionics technician, then a college art teacher, before becoming a tattoo artist and opening my own studio.
I'm a vegetarian (not for ethical reasons) since 1993, haven't had any alcohol since 1980, and I've never used tobacco/smoked anything. Totally down for responsible psychedelic use though 🍄
I enjoy cooking, taking twice daily tea, attending concerts/museums/galleries, accompanying my goofy affectionate pitbull to the dog park, taking hot baths, making art with my friends, designing and building electromechanical clocks, listening to podcasts (OTM is my favorite), visiting parks/thrift stores, vintage film photography, admiring hand embroidery...
Seeking: an ideally long-term relationship with a kind, funny, brilliant, honest, svelte redhead woman who's into showing up regularly, going on adventures together, co-equal nurturing and support. Bonus points if you like Glücksschwein and/or Steely Dan.
If interested, what's something you've enjoyed creating lately? DMs welcome :)
Texas #TX #Redhead #Ginger #Red Hair

Golden hour light revealing the sandstone hoodoos, earl grey simmering on a camping stove, snacks probably...that's my dream--care to accompany me?
About me: I was a ditch digger, then a trombonist, then a motorcycle mechanic, then an avionics technician, then a college art teacher, before becoming a tattoo artist and opening my own studio.
I'm a vegetarian (not for ethical reasons) since 1993, haven't had any alcohol since 1980, and I've never used tobacco/smoked anything. Totally down for responsible psychedelic use though 🍄
I enjoy cooking, taking twice daily tea, attending concerts/museums/galleries, accompanying my goofy affectionate pitbull to the dog park, taking hot baths, making art with my friends, designing and building electromechanical clocks, listening to podcasts (OTM is my favorite), visiting parks/thrift stores, vintage film photography, admiring hand embroidery...
Seeking: an ideally long-term relationship with a kind, funny, brilliant, honest, svelte redhead woman who's into showing up regularly, going on adventures together, co-equal nurturing and support. Bonus points if you like Glücksschwein and/or Steely Dan.
If interested, what's something you've enjoyed creating lately? DMs welcome :)
Texas #TX #Redhead #Ginger #Red Hair

Golden hour light revealing the sandstone hoodoos, earl grey simmering on a camping stove, snacks probably...that's my dream--care to accompany me?
About me: I was a ditch digger, then a trombonist, then a motorcycle mechanic, then an avionics technician, then a college art teacher, before becoming a tattoo artist and opening my own studio.
I'm a vegetarian (not for ethical reasons) since 1993, haven't had any alcohol since 1980, and I've never used tobacco/smoked anything. Totally down for responsible psychedelic use though 🍄
I enjoy cooking, taking twice daily tea, attending concerts/museums/galleries, accompanying my goofy affectionate pitbull to the dog park, taking hot baths, making art with my friends, designing and building electromechanical clocks, listening to podcasts (OTM is my favorite), visiting parks/thrift stores, vintage film photography, admiring hand embroidery...
Seeking: an ideally long-term relationship with a kind, funny, brilliant, honest, svelte redhead woman who's into showing up regularly, going on adventures together, co-equal nurturing and support. Bonus points if you like Glücksschwein and/or Steely Dan.
If interested, what's something you've enjoyed creating lately? DMs welcome :)
Texas #TX #Redhead #Ginger #Red Hair

“We need a bigger bed,” I said.
Elincia nestled to my side. Her platinum hair cascaded over her pretty face, and her emerald eyes gleamed in the dim light of the cramped room like those of a cat. Like every morning, my heart skipped a beat, but I did my best to hide my astonishment. I knew Elincia would cling to it and tease me for the rest of the day.
A thin sunbeam crept between the curtains. Hundreds of pages of runic research covered the desk. Alchemic ingredients floated inside glass flasks, piling in the room's corners. Dirty clothes piled in a corner. Elincia was a cleaning maniac, and the mess was a living sign of how tight our schedules were.
“We need a bigger bed,” I repeated.
Elincia chuckled. “I’m too clingy?”
I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her closer. “I mean it. I can barely move with you taking up all of the space.”
She nudged me with her elbow beneath the blankets. “Oh, admit it, you love to have me so close.”
I kissed her forehead. “I love the touch of your cold feet and how your hair gets in my mouth, don’t get me wrong, but I need space for my arm.”
Despite the healing skills and Elincia’s curative salves, the burns on my arm stabbed like a thousand glass shards. The Healers from the Guard said it would heal, but it would take a while. That’s what I got for overusing Energy Potions. A stack of Mana Toxicity was too dangerous, and the benefits of chugging Energy Potions were too few compared to a High-Grade Healing Potion at the right moment.
“We’ll have Ginz look into crafting a bigger bed,” Elincia giggled as she kissed my cheek. “I’m still going to cling.”
“I can live with that,” I replied, stretching my back.
I wouldn’t change my life for anything else. Despite the previous night's fight, I felt energized. I suspected the System blessed me with a hidden Status every time I woke up to Elincia by my side, but nothing in my Character Sheet suggested that.
“So, you are level forty now,” I said. I eventually had to get up, but for now, I wanted to remain in bed, hugging Elincia and pretending this was a lazy Saturday back on Earth.
“It’s not that big of a deal. Alchemist’s stat growths aren’t very impressive, but at least my mana reserves improved,” Elincia said, playing with my hair. “The problem is my titles. I have done very little research with all the work around the orphanage. By level forty, I should have at least one Unique Recipe under my name.”
“With all the extra hands, I think you’ll have enough time now,” I said.
“I’m afraid it will be the opposite,” Elincia whispered, searching for my lips.
Before we could kiss, someone frantically knocked on the door.
“Miss Elincia! There are weird people in the orphanage!” Shu yelled from the corridor.
The door slammed open, and Shu appeared in the doorway, wearing a cooking pot as a helmet. We had told the kids the night’s commotion was caused by a small group of grave robbers. They believed the story and continued sleeping as if nothing had happened. It was good to know that, at least, they felt safe in the orphanage.
Shu ran inside as fast as her talons allowed her. When she had crossed half the room, she used her wings to rise into the air and dove into the bed, softly landing between us. There, she clung to Elincia with her arms and legs.
Elincia stroked her hair.
“There is a big green one and a scary wolf one. She has fangs and claws, and I think she might want to eat someone,” Shu said with an alarmed expression.
Elincia laughed.
“Those are Risha and Astrid,” she explained, cradling Shu against her chest. Shu extended her wings, making herself comfortable. They were warm. “Risha and Astrid are my friends, like you with Nokti, Virdian, and Ash. They used to live in the orphanage way before you arrived.”
“They don’t have parents?” Shu asked, appalled.
Elincia nodded.
“Well then, I guess they can stay at the orphanage. I better go tell them they are welcome before they decide to leave,” Shu said, climbing down the bed and walking to the door.
“That’s a great idea,” Elincia said.
Shu closed the door behind her a moment later, and Elicia and I were alone again.
“You don’t seem very thrilled about Risha and Astrid staying here,” I said.
“Give me a break,” Elincia replied, hiding her face in the curve of my neck.
We lay there in comfortable silence, the only sound being the distant chatter of the kids in the kitchen. Danger upon the orphanage, but for a moment, the little joy of lazing together was all that mattered. If anything, we deserved it.
The scenes of last night passed quickly before my eyes, yet I didn’t feel a sliver of remorse—I wasn’t even angry. When the thieves cornered me in the alley a few months ago, and Sir Janus killed them, I felt regret and anger. Regret because two people had died. Anger because they had forced me to resort to violence. Now, I felt none. On a rational level, I wished things were different, but on an emotional level, I felt completely detached from the situation. A part of me even felt proud because I was able to protect the orphanage.
I used a lock of Elincia’s hair to tickle her nose. She grunted and shook her head.
“How are you feeling,” I asked.
“I’m not ready to fully forgive Risha and Astrid, but I guess they can stay. It’s what Mister Lowell would’ve wanted. I just need time,” Elincia replied.
“I meant about last night,” I pointed out.
“Oh, that,” Elincia shrugged. “Zealots are known to be strong and unpredictable foes, and Defenders are a strong advanced class. Your combat power is comparable to a level 40, and the shotgun allows me to one-shot any mid-level regardless of their class, as long as I have the element of surprise. I’d say no criminal group in Farcrest can safely attack us now.”
Elincia had a completely different set of worries, but she was right. Most of the city's inhabitants were between level one and twenty-five. Veteran Guardsmen and Sentinels reached around level thirty-five, but that was the peak for most people. To keep progressing, one had to face the dangers of the Farlands. Those who surpassed level forty were the ones who fought against Monster Surges and survived to tell the story.
With our current combat power, only a few foes could touch us.
“How about you? How are you feeling?” Elincia interrupted my train of thought.
“I’m feeling annoying,” I replied, nibbling on Elincia’s ear in the most bothersome way.
I still cared about Elincia and the kids’ well-being. I cared about Risha, Astrid, Ginz, Nasiah, and Captain Kiln, and I even cared for the regular citizens of Farcrest, although in a more diffused and distant way. I wasn’t turning into a cold-blooded murderer any time soon, not even in exchange for all the levels.
“Don’t you have to prepare your team for the tournament?” Elincia said.
Alarms went off in my brain. We had four days until the tournament. It wasn’t long enough to take the girls to the Farlands to level up, and it was barely enough time to teach them anything else. I went over my mental list, trying to come up with a new plan and cursing my bad luck and whoever wanted to sabotage the orphanage.
I kicked the blankets and jumped to my feet. Elincia hissed, trying to remain covered. Winter was coming to an end, but the days were still cold and windy. I wondered if there would be any snow before spring. I put on my training clothes and winter boots using my mana as a third hand. A moment later, I was ready to roll.
“Don’t overdo it!” Elincia said as I left the room.
“I won’t if you promise to get along with your friends!”
Elincia pouted. “They aren’t my friends!”
I blew her a kiss and jogged down the hallway, out of the sleeping quarters, into the corridor, and into the kitchen. I rubbed my hands together to drive away the morning's cold. Inside, Ginz and Risha were sitting near the stove while the little kids fluttered around. Shu and the snake twins were excited about Risha’s presence, and even the youngest ones seemed to accept him. It wasn’t a surprise. Risha was the kind of person who fell on his feet wherever he went.
As soon as I entered the room, Risha and Ginz raised their heads and greeted me.
“You should have woke me up,” I said.
“I prepare breakfast for a whole platoon. I’m used to this. How is your arm doing?” Risha replied with a worried expression, moving to the side to open up space on the bench.”
“Healing skills helped,” I replied, grabbing a bowl of gruel, and adding raisins, nuts, and honey. “What about you? How is it to be back home?”
Risha sighed. “Ash doesn’t like me; he has made it clear, but I don’t understand why. The other kids are okay with me. Nokti and Virdian already invited me to work on the farm.”
I cast an accusatory glance toward the snake twins. They totally wanted Risha’s muscle to boost their potato production. The kids seemed to notice because they scurried out of the kitchen, giggling.
“It’s okay. Ash isn’t very fond of me either,” I said, burying my spoon in the gruel.
“Teeth are for chewing. I thought a Scholar would know.” Risha said, prompting a laugh from the youngest orphans.
“I’m in a hurry. Places to be. People to talk to,” I replied, shoveling another spoonful of gruel into my mouth. It wasn’t bad, but Elincia’s gruel was better. “By the way, do you have any useful skills other than your class?”
Risha blinked repeatedly. My question was a bit out of place in a world where Class was everything. However, he quickly recovered.
“I guess I know my camping stuff. I have lived in the Farlands for the last seven or eight years. I know how to camp safely almost everywhere in any season: summer, winter, forest, mountain, dry, humid,” Risha replied. “Why?”
“Good. First thing in the morning, you’ll teach camping to Elincia’s class. Then, in the afternoons, you’ll help my class spar,” I said, scraping my bowl for one last spoonful of gruel and putting it on the pile of dirty dishes. “Welcome back to the orphanage.”
I swallowed and walked to the door.
“Wait!” Risha stopped me, putting his hand on my shoulder. “I can help the older kids spar, but I’m not a teacher. I don’t know anything about your scholarly things.”
I couldn’t help but notice that Elincia was at least twice as rough as Risha.
Ginz snorted. “You’ll do fine, Risha. I’ll teach you everything there is to know about teaching kids.”
Risha raised an eyebrow. It seemed that the present Ginz clashed with Risha’s mental image of the past Ginz. I couldn’t help but smile. Ginz had changed a lot since arriving at the orphanage; it wasn’t merely his level, fame, or his skills as a Craftsman. He used to be a meek and fearful man, but now he was a dependable friend.
I just had to make sure he didn’t experiment with explosives inside the orphanage.
“Teaching the specifics can be boring, but if you tell them everything is part of a bigger project, they will actually listen to you,” Ginz explained. “Tell them you’ll be camping with them in the groove when spring starts. They will love it.”
Risha opened his mouth to reply but couldn’t find the words. Ginz’s idea was actually very smart. He continued explaining the minutiae of Elincia’s class to Risha, so I seized the opportunity to leave the kitchen and exit the manor.
My class was already in the backyard.
Zaon and Wolf sat in the big stump while Firana and Ilya sparred against Astrid simultaneously. Ilya cast [Entangling Vines], and a root emerged from the ground, shooting at Astrid’s ankle. However, Astrid dodged without breaking a sweat. Her combination of innate agility and boosting skills put her in a completely different speed tier. Firana didn’t give up and used Ilya’s vine in conjunction with her [Windrider] skill to boost herself forward, rapier first. Astrid kicked the blade aside and jumped out of Ilya’s range.
“Good morning,” I greeted, interrupting the fight.
The girls disengaged and rushed to greet me. The older kids already knew the truth about last night’s events. Zaon had run to get Ilya, which alerted Firana that something was happening in the kitchen. She awakened Wolf so she wouldn’t be the only one scolded for being up late. Ultimately, the four ended up in the kitchen.
“How’s your arm doing, Rob?” Firana asked.
“It’s Mister Clarke,” I replied.
“Come on, I’m an adult now. I should be allowed to call you by your name,” Firana complained.
“You are still my student, Miss Aias,” I shot her down, to Ilya’s delight. “My arm is doing well, by the way. Just a bit sore.”
During the night, I discovered an extra functionality for [Awareness]. The skill doesn't only enhance my senses but could also redirect them to a certain extent. It was a blessing considering that the pain grew as the hours passed and the healing magic dissipated, and it was better than Astrid barging into the room every half hour to refresh the healing spell.
Astrid came forward with a worried expression.
“Should I check it?” She said, and before I could answer, she grabbed my arm and washed it with the green light of her healing skill. After a couple of seconds, when the wound became saturated with magic, she let me go.
I thanked her and looked at my students.
“The tournament starts in four days,” I said, examining their reactions. Every teacher knew that faces usually told more than words.
Ilya remained calm, Firana buzzed with excitement, and Wolf seemed happy, although it was hard to tell, considering his natural stoicism. Zaon, however, seemed a bit more concerned than usual.
“Are we discussing strategy?” Firana asked.
“No. I just wanted to let you know I’m very proud of you all,” I said, my words seeming to catch them by surprise. “Regardless of the tournament outcome, I’m very happy with your progress. From the beginning, I knew you had a lot to show, and you have far surpassed my expectations. As a teacher, it’s been a privilege and a pleasure to work with you.”
The four of them remained silent until Firana opened her mouth.
“That means we are your favorite students ever?” She asked.
“No. You are too sassy,” I replied.
“Oh, come on! You are lying!” Firana said.
“He’s lying,” Ilya said.
“Mister Clarke wouldn’t have favorites,” Zaon pointed out.
“Are you messing with me, Twig?” Firana said, putting her arm around Zaon’t neck.
“Enough!” I said, holding back my laughter. I clapped my hands to catch the kid’s attention. “We have little time to refine the last details. Today, we will split the class. The girls will spar with Astrid, and the boys will come with me. Understood?”
Astrid and the kids nodded.
“We don’t need classless scrubs here. Go away!” Firana said, showing Zaon and Wolf her tongue.
“Don’t cry later when your fart powers fail,” Wolf calmly replied.
A vein popped on Firana’s forehead. I sighed. Wolf knew perfectly well how to annoy her, but Firana wasn’t cool-headed enough to notice. I might have to retract my statement about the kid’s progress.
Before a fight could start, I brought the boys to the groove.
“Mister Clarke?” Zaon asked when we were outside eavesdropping range.
“Yes?” I replied, putting my sword on an old fallen tree and adjusting my padded jacket. There was no sign a battle had been fought the night before other than the burned foliage of a handful of trees.
“I’m going to be Classless during the first part of the tournament… and I’m not as strong as Wolf or skillful as Firana,” Zaon started. “I don’t want to make the team lose.”
I nodded.
“I’m aware you will be Classless for another week. But you have a tool none of your teammates have,” I calmly replied. “You are an Elf, Zaon. Look at your Character Sheet.”
Zaon focused his eyes on an invisible point before him.
“Night Vision? Are we fighting at night?” Zaon asked.
“Miss Elincia told me you inherited all three elven traits. Night Vision, Light-Footed, and Keen Senses, Zaon,” I replied with a mischievous smile. “I brought you two here to teach you a secret technique that will allow you to win every match.”
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