Writing
I use Scrivener for all my writing, Day One for journaling, and Zotero for managing research and citation references. It’s not a one-step process, but I can use the footnote feature in Scrivener to include references to entries in my Zotero database, and then when I’m ready to publish a piece, Zotero will merge in the full citations and build a bibliography.
I only just recently came across Open Library (a project of the Internet Archive, which also runs the Wayback Machine) and wow, what a great resource! You can borrow books online, for free!
Did you know that you can often access the full Oxford English Dictionary (OED) online through your local library? I get mine though the San Francisco Public Library and it’s awesome!
Stuff
I used to love a good caffeine buzz, but these days I find that it takes me out more than anything else, and so I rarely drink coffee any longer. I’ve been enjoying MUD/WTR quite a lot as an alternative morning drink. It’s a combination of mushrooms, cacao, a little black tea, turmeric and other spices, with about 1/7 of the caffeine of coffee. Another great coffee alternative is Rasa Bold.
I don’t drink much caffeine at all any longer, but I do still love coffee sometimes, and ever since I heard of the Ethyl Acetate / sugar cane decaffeination process, I’d been wanting to try some coffee made this way. Not easy to find—and a lot of roasters that talk about EA decaf sell decaf that isn’t actually produced this way 🙁 — but then again, that’s what the internet is for—and so I was happy to come across Yield’s Decaf Colombian. What I found is a decaf coffee that tastes alive in a way that other decafs haven’t for me. I make it freshly ground in a Chemex cone filter, and the result is what tastes to me like a really great cup of coffee, with the added bonus that it doesn’t mess me up in the way that caffeine does these days.
I’m sure that by now you’re wondering what kind underwear I’m wearing… A friend turned me on to Saxx Underwear a few years ago and now I wear nothing else. Aside from the comfort, I love the material—lightweight and great for travel, I can wash them in the sink or a river and they dry super quick. If you want to try them, head on over to the refer-a-friend page,
I’ve been a Patagonia customer since age zero, and I still think they are a great company, especially after what Yvon did recently in gifting his ownership to Earth. Some items that I stick with are the Lightweight Merino Performance Crew Socks and the capilene short and long sleeve tees. Unfortunately the names of the shirts are very confusing, but I like the lightest weight possible for running, which is the Men’s Capilene® Cool Lightweight Shirt. I also love the Nano-Air Light Insulated Hybrid Jacket, but they no longer make it. After losing one on a paragliding trip in Utah, I bought the one I have now on eBay.
Patagonia also makes great running shorts, but I recently got a pair of Rabbit shorts that I really love—they’re softer, and have nifty waistband pockets. Speaking of pockets for running, I bought a Naked Running Band several years ago, and I use it just about every time I go trail running. It fits without moving around and lets me carry a 500ml squeeze water bottle, my phone, a couple of snacks, keys, and headphones if I want them, and eliminates the need for pockets on my shorts. Great product. I wear size 32 pants, and I bought a size 9 band which seems to work perfectly.
Hats are like shoes, I’m very particular about the shape and fit. After trying and giving away a bunch of other hats I love my RNNR Lightweight Distance Hat for running. For a regular hat, a loved the “trucker” hat that Inov-8 sent me along with my last order. I lost it somewhere on the way to Corsica, and I’ll ask them for another one when I need a new pair of shoes. In the meantime, I’m trying another hat from Recaps, a grassroots hat company that I came to know through the world of paragliding.
Speaking of running shoes, I’ve been running in Altra TIMP shoes for years, but I got tired of the loose fit and wanted something different, and I really like what Inov-8 is doing. I have two pairs of their shoes, the x-talon 255 for wet winter running and the TerraUltra (now called Trailfly) G 270 for the rest of the year.