BioLite HeadLamp 325. A headlamp is a trusty tool for camping, power outages, and scoping out a crawlspace. But they sometimes have pain points that make them less than ideal: when you pack it in a backpack, you don’t know how much juice is left in the batteries, forcing you to put in new ones or carry spares with you; the power switch gets inadvertently pushed while you hike, turning on the light and draining the battery, unbeknownst to you; and they can feel heavy and clunky on your head. The BioLite HeadLamp 325 solves these issues and has become my new go-to. USB rechargeability eliminates the need for AAAs and allows you to always know when the battery’s at full power. At a mere 50 grams, with the battery pack integrated into the back of the moisture-wicking band, it’s so light you’ll forget you’re wearing it. You can put it in “lock mode,” so it doesn’t turn on accidentally in your backpack. It also remembers the last brightness setting you had it on, so you don’t have to toggle through the brightness levels every time you turn it on. While pricier than basic options, all the features make it worth it.
“The Longer I Run” by Peter Bradley Adams. I’ve got a soft spot for indie folk music. Particularly as the seasons get colder and darker. You’ve got to have the right soundtrack for enjoying a landscape in which the last of the leaves are clinging to the increasingly bare trees. One song that fits the bill that I’ve been enjoying lately is “The Longer I Run” by Peter Bradley Adams. Adams has a soothing voice, and the lyrics in this song capture the feeling of restlessness that can come when you’re trying to escape your past and the discontent with one’s former ambitions that can emerge with age. The guitar and piano interplay are relaxing, and the female backup vocals during the pre-chorus and chorus are real nice.
Cabin: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman by Patrick Hutchison. Former AoM contributor Patrick Hutchison has a new book out about his journey from office worker to amateur cabin renovator in the Cascade Mountains. The book follows his adventures restoring a tiny 120-square-foot cabin on a gravel road aptly named Wit’s End, despite having zero construction experience. It’s a great read. It captures both the romance and challenges that come with turning your Thoreau-esque dreams into reality. For a taste, listen to the interview I did with Patrick about his adventure.
A School of Strength and Character by Tanner Greer. Tanner Greer examines how 19th-century Americans built and managed institutions before modern bureaucracy. While some romanticize this as the age of the rugged individual, Greer argues it was actually built on “rugged communities” with shared norms around public service, formal procedures, and local chapters that could scale nationally while maintaining independence. It’s a thought-provoking look at what we lost in the shift to managerial culture and professional non-profits.
Quote of the Week
You and I are standing this very second at the meeting place of two eternities: the vast past that has endured forever, and the future that is plunging on to the last syllable of recorded time. We can’t possibly live in either of those eternities—no, not even for a split second. But, by trying to do so, we can wreck both our bodies and our minds. So let’s be content to live the only time we can possibly live: from now until bedtime.
—Dale Carnegie
