There are also many ways to build a more efficient building envelope and insulation is one of the cheapest things that goes into a house. That makes the heat pumps even more viable in more climates.

I also love how people love to hate on heat pumps when there’s so many shit box homes with electric baseboards wasting tons of power.

Nice view! Curious, what kind of insulation you’re adding? To the interior it exterior?

Check out Fenix. I was super happy with my Fenix headlamp, so when the time came for a new bike light I was pleased to find they make solid options. Removable battery, good brightness, good adjustability to not blind others, used it road and mountain biking at night. Easily unclips from bar when you’re leaving your bike locked up somewhere.

Snowboarder. It’s just my favourite thing to do going on 15 years now. It’s influenced where I chose to live, the friends I’ve made, sparked a passion for outdoors that lead to also being a backpacker, climber, mountain biker, and realize my whole thing is really just having fun flowing through nature.

Photographer. All that time in nature puts me in pretty places so I wanted to take landscapes. That’s still my favourite genre, but I also go for random photo walks, am my social groups go to wedding photographer, document my own kid and family, collect and shoot old school film cameras, develop my own film even. I’m that random weird friend always walking around with a camera.

I want to agree, and still do for some of their items, but personally have found a lot of their products have gone downhill in the last few years. Quality control is all over on the gloves nowadays, sent two pairs back with weird stitching and a single pencil point tapered finger on liners. I originally liked the vigor midlayer fleece stuff as a budget R1 but it’s pilled and worn super fast and just isn’t that warm anymore.

Their alpine merino base layer stuff is pretty awesome though, and found the ascent shell touring jacket nice and breathable for backcountry stuff. For the most part I’ll just spend a bit extra and go for Patagonia moving forward, which of also consider a BIFL brand.

Got my grandpa’s Minolta XE7 in the bag on my way to visit my daughter for the holidays. Not my oldest camera, but he’s not around anymore so there’s some nice sentiment capturing family moments with his camera. Security hand checked the film, no questions asked, so that’s nice. Couple rolls of HP5 to push for inside, and some Gold 200 if we get some sunny weather.

Photography, mostly landscapes. Something satisfying about capturing the essence of a beautiful view and being able to share it with others who couldn’t be there to savour the moment. Sometimes a fancy digital camera, sometimes old timey film cameras my grandpa got me into. I’m also into backpacking, climbing, splitboarding, and otherwise just spending time in the mountains so there’s no shortage of views to capture.

I always find climbing and running to be such complimentary activities. Strength and cardio both covered between the two of them, and at their core all you really need is a pair of shoes for each.

Kitchen table is 1880ish? My mom got it from one of her first palliative patients who got it from their parents and had nobody else to leave it with when they passed. Use it daily and have it paired with some modern steel chairs … it’s a little eclectic around here.

I’ve got some straight razors as well. Pretty sure some of the Swedish ones go back to 1700s.

Takumars are great lenses. I dabbled with Pentax but ultimately went the Minolta route.

Yup, aka Shaggy Manes! Definitely edible, but they really do start to disintegrate into that inky black grossness soon after picking. Luckily they pop up in my yard all the time, so if I happen to notice they’ll find their way into whatever I’m frying up. One of the few wild mushrooms I’m comfortable with eating since it’s so distinct.

It’s like the odd time I drive an automatic after decades with a manual … always mashing the floor and popping it in neutral by accident.

Film photography. With smartphones having taken over the roll of point and shoots and covering the majority of people’s photography needs, it’s quite a different experience breaking out a half century old camera. Everything is more tactile, your shots are finite, and the result is a 100% determined by your decisions. Different films produce different results, and if you get into developing your own film you get to play mad chemist in the bathroom.

There’s a learning curve, but if you’re already into photography and understand the basics it’s really not that hard. Labs still exist to develop for you if you’d rather not go down that rabbit hole. The results may surprise you!

A few more for you that I don’t think I’ve seen mentioned: Kalaido Tycho Worakls The Cinematic Orchestra

Wildfires had my place on evacuation alert, the garbage dump was on fire with 800+ AQI index, so I said fuck this and got out of town for the weekend. Two hours later I got the Amazon delivery notification. World was burning and couldn’t breathe, but Amazon finds a way.

I’m sure the picture I’m creating in my head is way more majestic than the reality was, but It’s beautiful. Sounds like after the fanny pack and socks he just said fuck it and leaned into it hard.

Same here. Have yet to find a reason to consider anything else.

Split boarding! It’s a snowboard that splits in half and lets you ski uphill, then snaps back together to ride down. Takes a lot of physical fitness and training for avalanche safety/rescue, but being able to make turns down an untouched wild mountain is an experience like no other. Maybe not super niche but outside of a mountain town probably moreso.

Also, film photography. So special taking pictures of my kid with a camera that’s been in three generations of the family. The camera, lenses, everything just so much more tangible and enjoyable. Then developing it on the bathroom with some science magic and holding a physical image at the end gives a sense of a accomplishment that can’t be found with a smartphone! Also not super niche, but maybe 1% of people use a proper digital camera instead of just their phone, and maybe less than 1% of those play with film as well.