Waypoints January 2016

What I've been reading.

I've been following and reading author and life hacker Tim Ferris' work since The 4-Hour Workweek came out but just this month got into his podcasts.  I just never was interested in listening to podcasts but I highly recommend his shows.  You will get something out of almost any episode you listen to.  I have to have pen and paper with me while I listen and usually end up with multiple pages of notes by the end.



One of my favorites is his interview with the author of Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel, Rolf Potts on Travel Tactics.
Some of the high points for me were:

• their discussion regarding extended travel and making travel a normal part of your life
• Psychogeography - basically exploring a place with no plan
• Being a Flaneur - seeing your own city as a new visitor

Check out all his podcasts here.

Ryan Holiday, author of The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, has a great piece on Tim Ferriss' Site outlining his own 21 rules of travel.  I've written before about enjoying a place more by not bringing the same expectations and luxuries from your own life along with you.  Just go along with whatever is culturally normal where you are and you will get more out of your trip.  

Paraphrasing 2 of my favorite rules from Ryan are basically; Dont check luggage and Don't live your life through your phone screen. Make memories to remember, not just pictures. 

 

 

And finally, I've decided that I need a large chopper type survival knife.  And since I will be shopping in what can be called the budget category, and that I like to upgrade things myself the Ka-Bar BK39 Becker Clear Coat Combat Bowie Knife is the best option and will be my next knife purchase. 


As a side note, please make your Amazon purchases through the links here or click on ads.  It helps me out to be able to review more equipment and it all goes toward the site.
 
As you have seen before in my DIY Machete Handle Upgrade, I like to work on things myself and originally I was looking at the Ka-Bar Becker BK9 so I could strip the paint and do my own patina on the knife.  But now after seeing the BK39 even though it has been out since early 2015, I like it better out of the box and I can simply upgrade the handle scales and sheath.  Also, it doesn't look like there will be anything better coming out based on what I saw of the knives at Shot Show 2016.

I still want to try to patina a knife so hopefully after I get the BK39 I can get a Ka-Bar Becker 16 companion knife and do the paint strip patina process on that one.  I love the rusted vintage look of that knife once it has a patina and micarta scales 


Thanks for reading and I would love to hear your thoughts.

Stay Safe,
--aMT