Long before the days of Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, vinyl records were all the rage.
In the 1970s, vinyl sales peaked at 530m units/year and accounted for 66% of all music format revenues.
Every kid worth his or her weight had bulky copies of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Rumours, and The Dark Side of the Moon.
But as new formats emerged, the vinyl market virtually evaporated. Revenue fell from $2.5B to just $10m/year.
And by the ‘90s, vinyl sales dipped to <10m units — a mere 0.1% of market share.
In recent years, though, something odd has happened: Vinyl has made a small but mighty comeback.
Fueled largely by millennial hipsters under the age of 35, the old, outdated format has risen from the dead.
In an age of fleeting digital pleasures, vinyl has quenched a thirst for tangible assets.
For each of the past 15 years, sales of new vinyl have gradually increased. In the first half of 2021 alone, 17m albums were sold — an 86% jump from 2020.
In an extremely rare twist, an old technology came back to surpass a newer one.
Last year, for the first time since 1986, vinyl records outranked CDs in annual sales. This year, they’re on pace to more than double CD revenue.
A 2019 YouGov poll found that 31% of adults in the US are willing to pay for vinyl.
And this boost isn’t just driven by Boomers who are feeling nostalgic for skips, crackles, and pops.
The numbers are pretty consistent across all age demographics: Even a quarter of all Gen Z kids say they’d shell out for a physical LP from their favorite artist.
A look at the top-selling albums of 2020 presents an interesting glimpse into the diversity of the market.
These figures don’t even include the millions of used records sold through online marketplaces like Discogs (9m active listings) and eBay (3.5m), or at the 1.4k local record stores peppered throughout the US.
Per Forbes, used vinyl sales are likely 1.5x those of new records, or ~50m units based on 2021 projections.
For modern-day indie artists, it’s a welcome boom.
A vinyl record costs ~$7 to manufacture, and a band typically sells it directly to fans for $25 — good for $18 in profit.
By contrast, streaming services only pay out a fraction of a penny for each listen.
A band would have to amass 450k streams on Spotify to match the profit of 100 vinyl sales.
But manufacturing a record is an intensive process:
A master disc is created by imprinting digital files onto a lacquer plate with a lathe machine.
The master disc is copied onto a stamper via a process called electroplating.
The stamper is sent to a pressing plant, where copies of the record are made with vinyl pellets.
Album jackets are printed, wrapped, and shipped for distribution.
And the vinyl industry faces a problem: Supply-side issues are making it hard to meet demand.
For starters, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) — the main ingredient used to make records — has quadrupled in price since 2020 thanks to a pandemic-fueled tight supply, increased freight surcharges, and a big bump in demand from the construction industry.
The bigger issue, though, is the dearth of pressing plants, where records are made.
When vinyl declined in the ’80s, many plants shuttered. By some estimates, just ~40 exist worldwide today — and only a few are capable of pressing large volumes.
Last year, matters got worse when a fire wiped out 1 of 2 plants in the world that made lacquer discs.
A few new pressing plants have popped up in recent times, but scaling is an issue for several reasons:
Lack of machines: Most of the specialized machines used to make records are 50+ years old and are nearly impossible to find. (A few companies make new models, but they’re $200k+ and backlogged.)
Labor shortage: The skilled work required to operate older machines is a dying art form.
As a result, a process that used to take 6 weeks from start to finish now takes up to 6+ months.
Supply issues aside, increased vinyl production comes with another repercussion: Vinyl has 12x the emissions footprint of other physical formats.
And though vinyl’s comeback is nothing to scoff at, it’s still important to keep all of this in perspective.
Physical formats make up just 10% of the music biz’s $12.2B in annual revenue.
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Our favorite TVs deliver superior picture quality for a reasonable price.
Whether it’s a big-screen 4K OLED TV that delivers the ultimate videophile performance or a great 4K TV on a budget, our recommendations always take into account both performance and value.
This article provides an overview of the top picks across all of our TV guides. We’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing to find the best option for any space or budget, so read on to find the right TV for you.
If you’re eager to buy a new TV but overwhelmed by all the jargon, check out our TV buying guide.
The key thing to know about modern TVs is that shopping for a new one is less about avoiding a lemon and more about making sure you aren’t paying for features you don’t need or won’t use.
But the good news is that even affordable TVs tend to look excellent if you just want the basics. So start by asking yourself a few questions:
What kind of content are you going to watch?
What’s the right screen size for the room?
How much control do you have over competing light, such as from lamps and windows?
Knowing some of these basic points before you start shopping around can simplify the process and narrow down your viable options.
We’ve evaluated dozens of paid and free password managers, and we’ve concluded that 1Password offers the best combination of features, compatibility, security, and ease of use.
You don’t have to pay for a good password manager, but if you can, 1Password is worth the $48 per year.
If you prefer free software, Bitwarden does everything you’ll need and doesn’t cost anything.
In Triumph’s modern classic line it has the Thruxton, a contemporary interpretation of the classic cafe racer that mimics styling from the golden era of when those machines were quite literally raced from cafe to cafe in search of “the ton.” For 2020, the British manufacturer took that machine a step further with the Thruxton RS, sprinkling on top-shelf components to give the “modern classic” modern performance.
Now, for 2022, Triumph has proposed an entirely different view of what a modern “cafe racer” can be. Heavily based on the all-new Speed Triple 1200 RS, the RR delivers performance in a more sport-focused package that Triumph says it built to be the “ultimate sports bike for the road.”
2022 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RR
The Speed Triple 1200 RR builds upon the RS’s substantial foundation and hones it with a more focused riding position, versatile electronic suspension, and elegantly sporty aesthetics.
Editor Score: 91.25%
Engine
19/20
Suspension
14.5/15
Transmission
9.5/10
Brakes
9/10
Instruments
4/5
Ergonomics
8.5/10
Appearance
9.5/10
Desirability
9.5/10
Value
7.75/10
+ Highs
Stellar handling
Goldilocks motor
Lots of adjustability
– Sighs
Sporty ergos are less street-first
We’ve crested $20k
One headlight
We touched down in sunny Malaga, Spain, only to then be welcomed into the mountains by gusty wind and ominous clouds that made for dramatic scenery as we climbed in elevation. With rain in the forecast and temps dropping below freezing at the low end, our street ride around Ronda and the track sessions to follow at the Ascari circuit looked to be in jeopardy, but you don’t fly halfway around the world to not ride a new motorcycle. Our ride day started wet but the precip held off, even giving way to sun as we crested the mountain headed toward San Pedro de Alcántara. The track, given the humidity and cloud cover, never quite dried, but was safe enough to spin a few sessions to try to tap into the Speed Triple RR’s performance.
RS to RR
Twasn’t long ago, though longer now than it seems, we reviewed the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS. Triumph treated us to a day at the track and even let us have some alone time with its new naked so we could get some street impressions as well as dyno numbers and verified wet weight. We’ll get to that later though. The new RR is essentially the RS save for a few specific alterations that sharpen its focus pointedly toward sport riding.
First up are the obvious styling changes. A single headlight?! Heresy! Blasphemy! Perhaps, but way back in 1994, the Speed Triple – derived from the Daytona sportbike of the time period – did indeed hit the scene with a single big ol halogen lamp. The RR’s nose-down fairing, carbon fiber detailing, and impeccable paint transforms the look of the Speed Triple toward fairing-clad sports bikes while simultaneously keeping an air of class and style distinct to the British marque. In fact, the lines and balance of the design almost look like the RR was always meant to be present – because it was. The two machines were designed simultaneously with Triumph staggering their release.
The fairing seemed to help slightly with windblast on the street, but it was more evident when tucked behind it at the track.
Gone is the handlebar of the RS, instead swapped for clip-ons that put the rider’s hands about five inches lower and two inches further forward. The footpegs have also been nudged a tad higher and further back into a more sporting position. These changes distribute a 51% weight bias to the front end to give the rider more feedback from that contact patch.
Suspension adjustments can be easily made with the left switchgear’s toggle via the 5-inch TFT display.
Next up are the fancy golden, nippled Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 suspension components. As if the RS model’s fully-adjustable NIX30 fork and TTX36 shock needed to be outdone, Triumph has fitted the RR with the Swedish electronic suspenders to allow further adjustability and ease of doing so. As seen in our latest Heavyweight Naked Bike shootout, the trend seems to be heading that way with five of the seven contenders equipped with electronic suspension – some using the Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 components specifically (albeit with their own proprietary tuning). The two holdouts? The KTM 1290 Super Duke R which will have it for 2022, and the Speed Triple RS. When asked if the RS may see the same in the future, Triumph could neither confirm nor deny, rather stating that should their market research point them in that direction, they would oblige, as of now, that was not the case.
Triumph says the RR weighs just a kilo (2.2 pounds) more than the RS, mostly due to the electronic suspension and its necessary equipment which includes the suspension components themselves as well as four motors and a control unit.
The Speed Triple RS was dinged for its stiff suspension settings during the street portion of our Heavyweight Naked Bike comparison with the boss noting, “the Speed Triple is a street bike first, the stiff suspension says otherwise. It’s hard to explain how one factor can make such a big difference in riding experience, but it does.” Evans even went further to say, “I don’t think that these issues could be tuned out without new springs and possibly revalving.” Guest tester and former Speed Triple R owner, Mike V echoed the sentiment, “Triumph carried over many excellent traits from the previous version (slim, comfortable ergonomics, respectable fit and finish) however the suspension still feels harsh…” Tough crowd. Might the Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 units have changed the tides of the Speed Triple’s standing in our test? It’s entirely possible.
Wrapping up the differences from the RS are the RR’s sticky buns: Pirelli Supercorsa SP tires. Triumph has also homologated the Pirelli SC3 tire for the RR for those looking to spend more time at the circuit than the mountains.
Rollin’ down the Ronda Road
I’d never been so annoyed knowing that I had a pinlock-equipped visor at home as I held my breath between photo passes so I could see out of my ill-equipped blue iridium visor. Our cool moist morning start from the Ascari Resort was the epitome of pinlock weather. After having a sit on the RR the night before in a conference room it was clear that despite the riding position being much more, ahem, dedicated, it was still not nearly as uncomfortable as a true sport bike. While it is plenty sporty, the riding position didn’t bother me much as we made our way through small towns and up into the mountains. Of course, once we hit the twistier bits, I welcomed it.
The Triumph Speed Triple had already shown itself to be a stellar handling machine whose light weight and flickability stood out among its class. At an expected 438 pounds, the RR is still a svelte machine, even if it gained a couple of elbees. Now, with the new riding position, handling somehow feels even more effortless. A slight push of the bar and a bit o’ body english gives the RR the feeling of nearly telepathic connectivity – or perhaps my new government-mandated microchip linked my thoughts to the RR’s Bluetooth module (equipped as standard).
The sportier rider triangle that is less comfortable bobbing around town is more welcome when the going gets twisty.
Given the weather (and the fact that I couldn’t see anything for the first bit of the ride), I actually tried out Rain mode for the first time on a press ride, which stifles the horsepower and vastly reduces throttle response to work in coordination with the preset TC, ABS, and suspension settings to keep the ride smooth and controlled.
Once I could see again as we crested the mountain and were able to push the pace a bit after getting out from behind a slew of cars, Sport was the move. Throttle response was back to what I remembered, nice and responsive, not abrupt in the slightest while still progressing into the power quickly. And we got all of our horses back in the stable. When we ran the RS on the Rottweiler Performance dyno, she sang to the tune of 156.9 hp at 10,500 rpm and 84.9 lb-ft of torque at 8,400 with a power curve that was smooth as Tennessee whiskey or, perhaps, a nicely aged scotch.
The impression seared into our minds during the street ride was just how easy the Speed Triple RR is to ride smoothly.
The 1160cc Triple is still the peach that I remembered, delivering excellent low and mid-range punch, while not being as brutal as some other bikes in the open-class naked category. The effort given to ride the Speed Triple smoothly is nil. As it was lauded with praise during the Track portion of our big shootout, the sum of the Speed Triple’s parts equals an impressive package overall. Triumph spent a great deal of time engineering lightness to the motor to have less inertia and in turn a freer spinning nature. Specific attention was paid to the valve train with Triumph reducing weight via hollow valve stems and finger followers while using springs with oval wire to take precious mils off of the overall height of the system. Valve overlap was also reduced to bolster mid-range performance.
The seat itself is quite comfortable and its 32.7-inch height is manageable thanks to a thin waist.
Before turning around to head back up the road, I dialed in a bit of “stiffness” to the fork and shock as well as two levels of “braking support” in Sport mode. These are the suspension settings that can be adjusted in each ride mode. You can also switch to a “fixed” configuration within ride modes that locks out the semi-active function and allows the rider to adjust rebound and compression by “clicks” through the TFT display. Triumph aimed for the latter, using the Objective Based Tuning Interface (OBTi), to better explain to riders who don’t know and/or don’t care about what rebound and compression have to do with things. And it is easy. I would love to have spent more time running up and down the Ronda road, tweaking suspension settings here and there to discover the differences, but we just didn’t have the time.
Ascari
Back at the Ascari Race Resort, we geared up for a few sessions on the damp (but drying) track to further push into the RR’s potential. In the same way the RR’s ergos helped in the mountains, they helped on the track. Having the extra confidence in the front end thanks to the weight distribution was helpful for a novice track rider like myself on a damp and fairly recently resurfaced track.
Putting the Speed Triple RR into Track mode un-links the front and rear brakes and allows for more slip from both TC and ABS before intervening. Traction control can be disabled but ABS cannot. When I tried to think back to what stood out to me on the track, I was reminded that it truly is the summation of the entire package that makes the Speed Triple great.
The Red Hopper/Storm Grey paint scheme demands a $350 premium over the Crystal White/Storm Grey seen above.
The Brembo Stylemas provide excellent stopping power that’s easy to manage at the lever and being able to adjust the span- and ratio-adjustable Brembo MCS master cylinder allows the rider to dial in his or her preferred feel. It was only after getting on a bike after the second group came in (since we were all sharing motorcycles) and not checking the mode that I got myself into trouble by running wide with the ABS setting coming in much earlier than anticipated in Road mode versus Track – the motorcycle reverts to road as standard if it was turned off in Track mode.
The quickshifter – oh the quickshifter. It is one of the best, if not the best, I’ve had the privilege to use. The stacked gearbox itself is solid too, with no slop and delivers positive gear changes every time. Back to that quickshifter though. Developed through Triumph’s involvement in Moto2, the auto-blipping up and down shifter measures lever and shift drum position, speed, lean angle, and braking force to deliver perfectly smooth shifts every time – a feature I felt spoiled with while lapping Ascari.
The stability and lightweight maneuverability of the chassis was also only more apparent at the track. The sport focused ergos helped the motorcycle feel in its element as I navigated wet patches while tying together Ascari’s famous bends. The option to adjust the suspension easily would have been great if I had more time to do so. With my pace and the track conditions, Track mode’s baseline suspension setting was fine.
At a technical track with a couple nice long straights, a motor like the RR’s Triple is near perfection. The smooth torquey power plant could be easily lugged into corners with its low to mid-range power on tap ready to be rolled on at the exit. The Triple can also be revved out to nearly 11,000 rpm, again, making it a fun and easy machine to ride at the track.
The goal
Heading into this test, I couldn’t wrap my head on why Triumph would make the bike that we’ve been reminded so many times by its marketing department is a street bike first, more sport focused. Triumph explained it sees the RR customer as a niche within a niche. The RR is perhaps for a rider who has a supersport bike at home and maybe races it or does track days, and wants that same performance for the street, but in a less aggressive package. Again, the ultimate sports bike for the road was the goal. As someone who isn’t interested in riding sportbikes anywhere other than the track, I can understand the concept.
Given the extra confidence in its handling that the RR delivers while out in the mountains or lapping the track, it certainly has its advantages and the electronic suspension imbues it with versatility; however, wouldn’t that Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 tech make the already versatile RS even moreso?
As we discussed in the beginning of our heavyweight naked bike shootout’s video, we look at this class of naked bike as a machine that we want to be able to do a little bit of everything. We want to be able to commute or bounce around town in relative comfort, maybe do some touring, while still being able to tear up canyon roads and/or do the odd track day. In my opinion, the RR and RS suspension might make more sense if it were swapped between the models. That does, of course, mean the RS’s price point would have to go up though. The RR comes in at $20,950, a $2,450 premium over the RS. Triumph tells us through its own market research, this is what they feel the customer wants, but if research tells them otherwise in the future, perhaps we’ll see a change. As it sits, the Speed Triple 1200 RR does achieve its goal and is the most sport focused iteration yet without going so far as to totally disregard its street-first lineage.
Öhlins 43 mm fully-adjustable USD fork, 120 mm of travel. Öhlins S-EC 2.0 OBTi system electronic compression/rebound damping
Rear Suspension
Öhlins monoshock RSU w/linkage 120 mm rear wheel travel. Öhlins S-EC 2.0 OBTi system electronic compression/rebound damping
Front Brakes
Twin 320mm floating discs. Brembo Stylema monobloc calipers, OC-ABS, radial master cylinder with separate reservoir, span & ratio adjustable.
Rear Brakes
Single 220mm disc. Brembo twin piston caliper, OC-ABS. Rear master cylinder with separate reservoir.
Instruments
Full-color 5″ TFT instruments
Length
82.09 in (2085 mm)
Width (Handlebars)
29.8 in (758 mm)
Height Without Mirrors
44.1 in (1120 mm)
Seat Height
32.7 in (830 mm)
Wheelbase
56.6 in (1439 mm)
Rake/Trail
23.9°/4.1 inches
Wet weight
438.7 lb (claimed)
Fuel Tank Capacity
3.4 Gallons
Fuel Consumption
29.4 mpg (measured on RS)
CO2 Figures
130 g/km
Standard
“EURO 5
CO2 emissions and fuel consumption data are measured according to regulation 168/2013/EC. Figures for fuel consumption are derived from specific test conditions and are for comparative purposes only. They may not reflect real driving results.”
Service interval
10,000 miles (16,000km) / 12 months
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by stories@appalcast.com (Steve Gilly, Rod Mullins)
There was a man who lived in Lee County, Virginia, who claimed to have once been a Tennessee Circuit Court judge, a preacher, a teacher and a business owner in Cumberland Gap. He was also tried for killing two lawmen who tried to arrest his son-in-law. Today we tell the story of Green Allen Brooks, dubbed by the press as the "Mountain Man." You can subscribe to the Stories podcast at Apple Podcasts, Audacy, Spotify, Audible, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening
As a beginning photographer, I know that all the different gear out there can be intimidating and overwhelming. How on earth are you supposed to know what you absolutely need and what you don’t?
Lot’s of equipment is only necessary if you are an advanced photographer or if you are shooting very specific types of photography, however, some things are critical whether you have a lifetime of experience or you just bought a camera today!
That’s why I wrote this article covering essential photography gear every beginner needs in their bag. Keep reading to find out what the five items are that you should have on you all the time without fail.
When you buy a new camera, it comes with one battery. However, with the average battery lasting only about 400 shots, most of you will find it is essential to always carry more.
Depending on the type of photography you do, one extra may be sufficient, but you may find you require many more. Personally, I never leave the house with less than five fully charged spares in my bag.
Lucky for you, spare batteries are both inexpensive and lightweight. If you want an insider tip, don’t hesitate to buy them from a third-party or a used gear dealer. I have used batteries from more companies than I can count, and the third-party ones have worked equally as well every time!
Trust me, nothing is worse than having your camera run out of juice in the middle of a shoot. It’s happened to every single one of us, but it usually only takes once to learn the importance of always carrying fully charged spares in your bag.
Without a memory card, your camera won't be able to take pictures! That makes it without a doubt one of the most essential pieces of gear to keep in your bag at all times. Ideally, you should always carry at least one extra as well. You never know what can happen, and you don’t want to find yourself being in a situation where you are unable to shoot.
When buying a memory card, here are a few important things to keep in mind.
First, not all cameras use the same memory card format. Make sure you buy one that is compatible with your specific camera make and model.
Second, how much storage do you need? Today you can buy memory cards with anywhere from 16GB all the way up to 1TB in space.
Lastly, what is the speed of the memory card? If you want to shoot raw files or video with your camera, you will need a faster card.
A reliable tripod is an important part of every beginner photographer's kit. No matter what type of photography you shoot, there will be times when a tripod is crucial.
You may find yourself thinking to yourself that you don’t really need one, that you can shoot everything by hand. That may be true for you most of the time, but the truth is, there are certain situations where using a tripod is the only way to achieve the shot you want.
Landscape, macro, and astrophotography are a few situations when you will almost always be better off using a tripod. If there’s poor lighting or you want to create a long exposure, you will also need a tripod in order to obtain a crystal clear image.
Additionally, they are great for capturing photos of you whenever you may find yourself shooting alone!
Using creative filters is a wonderful way to both protect your lenses and improve your photography! UV, ND, and Polarizing filters are three filters every photographer should always keep in their bag.
UV filters, or clear filters as they are also known, are excellent for protecting your lenses. I recommend using a good quality glass filter, as lower quality ones can often significantly affect the clarity of your photos.
ND, or Neutral Density filters, help to reduce the amount of light that reaches your camera's sensor. They are useful when shooting in extremely bright light, such as at midday, and can make sure your photos don’t end up overexposed.
Polarizing filters are probably the most used filter by many, especially landscape and nature photographers. They help to decrease or eliminate reflections, and naturally enhance colors. They are an awesome tool for shooting skies, waterfalls, or plants!
A Camera Cleaning Kit is Essential Photography Gear
No matter how hard you try to keep your camera clean and in perfect condition, things happen.
For example, have you ever noticed any tiny black spots in your photos when you view them on larger screens? Those come from dust!
Dust is the biggest enemy of cameras, and inevitably you will have dust on the back of your lens or on your sensor at some point. Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal. With a couple quick puffs of air from a lens blower that dust will be good as gone!
In addition, cleaning kits usually have a brush, a microfiber cloth, and occasionally a small spray bottle with cleaning fluid. These will help keep your lenses spotless whenever something gets on them.
Having even a basic camera cleaning kit with you all the time is a superb way to make sure your camera is functioning at 100%, and it will help you be the best photographer you can be!
Once you have these 5 essential items in your bag, here are some additional useful gear ideas you may be interested in adding to your kit in order to help you take your photography to the next level:
Additional lenses
External hard drive
Gray card
External flash
Wireless shutter remote
Power bank
Light meter
Reflectors
Camera clip
Photo editing software
Of course, the gear you invest in will depend on many things, like your particular kind of photography and your budget, too.
Speaking of budget, as I noted earlier, buying from third parties or buying used gear is a great way to expand your kit without blowing your budget. The key is to find reputable sellers that offer top-notch gear and back it up with quality customer service.
One such outfit is MPB. I’ve bought, sold, and traded gear with them many times over the years, and the process has always been seamless.
When buying gear, you get the advantage of seeing how each item is graded, that way you know if it’s in like-new condition, well-loved condition, or somewhere in between.
You can buy with peace of mind, too - most items come with a six-month warranty.
Selling or trading in gear is simple as well. Just fill out a quick form, tell MPB about the item, and they’ll give you an estimate for what they will pay you. They’ll even handle shipping!
Buying used (and selling used) is a great way to help yourself and other photographers fill out their kits on a budget. If you need a camera body, a lens, a tripod, or other photographic accessories, give MPB a look!
Bonus: Have a Good Bag for all Your Gear
Of course, you'll need a means of carrying all of this essential gear, right? That means investing in a high-quality camera bag.
The key phrase here is "high-quality." What you don't want is a bargain-basement bag that is going to be uncomfortable to carry and doesn't protect your gear from bumps and bruises along the way.
Take it from me - my first "camera bag" was an old backpack that didn't have a camera insert of any kind. My camera and lenses were literally on top of each other in the bottom of the bag. Not a good choice.
Instead of making the same silly mistake I did, invest now in a good camera bag, that way you have something that was made with the intention of protecting your gear from the outset.
Whether you go for a big leather bag that you can use as a weekend getaway bag when you don't need your gear, a lens bag for running and gunning, or something in between, there is a camera bag for everyone.
I personally recommend Holdfast camera bags because I've had several of their bags over the years, and these things are no joke.
From high-end materials to impeccable detail to extreme functionality, Holdfast bags are the cream of the crop.
You can get leather bags or waxed canvas bags, big bags or small bags, and even shoulder bags or bags that attach to a camera harness.
It's really amazing how much style and substance Holdfast crams into their bags. But don't take my word for it...see for yourself!
Sign up here to get What’s in my bag? a week early in your inbox.
Dug North is a maker, best known for his mechanical wooden sculptures. He spent five years running an antique clock restoration business. These days he enjoys outdoor bushcraft activities. You can find Dug on YouTube @dugnorth, and on Instagram @dug.north, and on Facebook @DugNorthCreations.
I am passionate about learning and teaching wilderness survival skills. As an example for my students, I put together a well-rounded survival kit. This kit is based on a design by my colleague, Tim Swanson of Owl Eyes Wilderness.
One of the hardest things to do in the wild is keeping track of your stuff. This is why every item in the kit is bright orange or red.
Orange Waist Pack ($13)
You must have these items with you if they are to be of any use. This is the reason for dedicating a small pack specifically for this kit. Let’s say you go for a day hike. You might take your main backpack off now and then. Only take this waist pack off if it is absolutely necessary.
ESEE Fixed Blade Knife ($70)
In most environments, the most essential survival item is a sturdy knife. ESEE makes two small fixed-blade knives that don’t take up a lot of room. The models I like are the Izula and the Candiru (shown).
Exotac fireSLEEVE ($18) for the Bic Lighter ($20, 5ct)
It may not fit with your mental image of wilderness survival, but the classic Bic lighter is the best fire starter you can possibly have. The fireSLEEVE protects this valuable resource by keeping it dry, preventing the gas button from accidentally discharging the fuel, and by making the lighter float in water.
UST StrikeForce Fire Starter ($20)
Isn’t it redundant to have two ways to start a fire? Yes – and that is precisely the goal. A ferrocerium rod can create thousands of fires and is an ideal backup for a lighter. This model is not only orange, but easy to handle, and has a small compartment to hold dry tinder. Scrape the rod with the metal striker to ignite the included tinder tabs.
Black Diamond Ion Keychain Light ($20)
This little flashlight puts out an impressive 40 lumens of light. Unlike most flashlights of this size, it has a twisting lock that ensures it will not turn on by accident while jostling around in your bag. The brightness can be adjusted and it has a dedicated strobe mode for signalling.
S.O.L. Utility Reflective Tinder Cord ($26)
Cordage allows you to construct shelters, repair gear, and make other helpful items. This utility cord has an outer sheath that glows brightly when light hits it at night. The inner core is a specially designed fire-starting tinder to use in conjunction with your lighter or ferro rod.
Orange 55 Gallon Drum Liner($20)
Something as simple as a large trash bag can serve many uses — from improvised poncho, to tarp shelter, to make-shift sleeping bag. Few items are so worth their weight.
Aquatabs ($11) with Whirl-Pak Stand-up Bags ($9)
Drop one Aquatab tablet into one of these free-standing plastic bags filled with water and in 30 minutes you will have a liter of drinking water that is free of pathogens. This is a lightweight means for staving off potentially dangerous levels of dehydration.
LuxoGear Emergency Whistle($8)
A whistle can signal for help at great distances and for far longer than the human voice. Remember: three blasts in sequence is the universal signal for distress.
Cotton bandana ($7)
This is another simple item that is easy to underestimate. A cotton bandana can serve as a signal flag, head covering, washcloth, dust mask, bandage, and water pre-filter.
Tiny Survival Guide ($12) with Plastic Fresnel Lens($9)
This little booklet is actually a folded waterproof poster that provides concise information on a variety of survival topics. In a bad situation, a little expert guidance could be invaluable. Tuck a flat plastic fresnel lens into the guide as a backup for your reading glasses and third possible means to start a fire by solar ignition.
All of these items have been tested to my satisfaction. It’s true that the cost of the full kit does add up, but keep in mind that these items have been chosen to help save your life. How much is that worth?
Ferrari's latest Icona model is the Daytona SP3 Targa, powered by an 828 horsepower V12.
This exceptional photograph captures a Douglas 4 airplane flying over the Manhattan skyline in 1939.
Convertible roof transforms this Dutch-designed travel trailer into a stargazing suite.
Neatly conceal jewelry and small objects in this cloth-cover book-like storage box.
This 1987 M6 is an excellent example of BMW's understated sports coupe.
Both of these measurement devices keep your mechanical watches running smoothly, and one even lets you de-magnetize quickly and easily.
