mdolla: 09/18/17

Monday, September 18, 2017

10 Must-Have Camping Gear With Low Budget For Nature Enthusiasts

It’s camping season! Many people want to get closer to nature and camp in the wild, but they don’t really know which essentials they need and how to find them at the right price.

Our list is for the camping lover on a budget. You don’t need to pay for luxurious products in order to fully enjoy nature. These pieces, despite their price tags, will ensure that you have a great experience in the great outdoors.

For those of you who love nature, hiking, and all things outdoors, here’s a must-have list of camping gear the Lifehack team has handpicked for you.

1. AmazonBasics Tent

This 100% polyester tent is family-size, so it accommodates up to 8 campers. This roomy tent measure 15 x 9 feet with a center height of 6 feet. Plenty of space to stand up and move around!

It also has essential features to protect against inclement weather: a rainfly for added protection, plus a cool-air port and variable venting system. With shock-corded poles, it’s easy to follow the assembly instructions.

P.S. It also comes with a 4-person size tent if you’re camping with a smaller group.

AmazonBasics Tent, $99.99

2. Portable Sleeping Bag by Abco Tech

Designed for near-freezing temperatures, this is perfect for northern climates! This waterproof, weather-resistant sleeping bag will keep you warm even at 20°F.

Light-weight and made with 210T high-quality polyester, it’s easy to travel with in its carry bag and compression sack with straps. You can machine-wash it too!

Portable Sleeping Bag by Abco Tech, $36.97

3. GRAYL Ultralight Water Purifier (with filter bottle)

Ideal for global traveling, outdoor adventures, emergency preparedness, hiking, packing, camping, fishing, survival… you name it!

This water bottle is an amazing design. Fast and easy to use, you can simply fill, press, and drink. It removes 99.9999% of all viruses, disease-causing bacteria, and protozoan cysts. It also filters out sediment, chemicals, and heavy metals. Your water will have zero aftertaste, no bad odors, and will run totally clear.

GRAYL Ultralight Water Purifier [ +filter] Bottle, $59.50

4. AmazonBasics Internal Frame Hiking Backpack with Rainfly

This internal-frame backpack with 55L capacity (50L + 5L extension collar) is made of durable polyester. With its many pockets, large sleeping-bag compartment, and comfy multi-directional compression straps, this backpack is ideal for hiking and camping.

It has a water-repellent exterior coating and integrated water-resistant rainfly for light rain, a waterproof cover is also included for heavier rain.

AmazonBasics Internal Frame Hiking Backpack with Rainfly, $47.36-$55.50 (depending on the size)

5. KingCamp Moon Saucer Camping Chair Steel Frame Folding Padded Round – Portable Stable with Carry Bag

Need a comfortable seat out in the wild? This camping chair is uber-comfortable and portable. It has a padded seat, a large pocket on the back of the chair, and a storage bag with shoulder strap for easy carry. It folds up in seconds and has handles on the back of the seat. Its sturdy steel frame has a weight capacity of up to 260 lbs.

KingCamp Moon Saucer Camping Chair Steel Frame Folding Padded Round – Portable Stable with Carry Bag, $45.99

6. Camping Cookware Stove Carabiner Canister Stand Tripod Folding Spork Set

This huge set of cookware will make eating while camping super convenient. This 16-piece camping cookware set includes a folding stainless steel spork/spoon, spoon, knife, mini stove with piezo ignition, anodized aluminum nonstick pot, frying pan, pan cover, and 2 BPA free bowls, BPA free soup spoon, rice ladle, loofah sponge, carabiner, and nylon bag.

All the objects in this cooking set can be stored together in a mesh bag for space saving and convenient carry.

Camping Cookware Stove Carabiner Canister Stand Tripod Folding Spork Set $26.99

7. COB LED Camping Lantern

This budget-friendly camping lantern works up to 300 lumens and is perfect for space of 30-square meters. You can expect the light to last a whopping 10000 hours. You can switch it to its emergency flashlight function if necessary – in this mode, the light is IW LED and lasts up to 10 hours.

The camping lantern is extendable. You extend it when using and collapse it to store. It is smaller when collapsed and takes little space in your backpack. It’s also built to withstand water, so you can use it even in the rain.

Its brightness and long-time working will make camping and hiking at dusk or nighttime way safer.

COB LED Camping Lantern, $7.99

8. A2S Paracord Bracelet Survival Gear Kit

You need this 5-in-1 survival tool! This kit includes a high-quality illuminated compass, a flint fire starter, a fire scrapper inside the buckle, emergency knife, and emergency whistle (which creates a sound up to 100 decibels).

Made of ultra-strong, military-grade 550 Paracord (12-ft’s worth), this has a lightweight and comfortable design. It has been tested to a breaking point of 550 lbs.

A2S Paracord Bracelet Survival Gear Kit, $7.99

9. Microfiber Travel Sports Towel (24″ X 48″) for Camping

Made of 100% microfiber, this sports towel is lightweight, soft and gentle to skin. It’s extremely quick-drying, ultra-absorbent, and antibacterial.

You can fold this towel and put it in a compact carrying bag, making it easily portable.

Microfiber Travel Sports Towel, $8.99

10. Baleaf Unisex Packable Outdoor Waterproof Rain Jacket Hooded Raincoat Poncho

This raincoat/poncho is made of 100% Nylon. It’s lightweight and totally waterproof, offering you water resistance with very little weight. The funnel hood has an adjustable drawstring and elastic cuffs to help keep your clothes dry. Plus, it has a back pocket for extra storage!

Baleaf Unisex Packable Outdoor Waterproof Rain Jacket Hooded Raincoat Poncho, $19.99

Featured photo credit: Finda via finda.photo

The post 10 Must-Have Camping Gear With Low Budget For Nature Enthusiasts appeared first on Lifehack.

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A Subtle Sign of Insecurity Can Kill a Relationship Silently

When you’re in a relationship, you can develop some funny habits with the person you’re with. It could be constant sharing of an inside joke, the expectation that they will always finish your meal at a restaurant, or something less cutesy. For instance, I have a friend who used to ask her boyfriend to say, “I love you” to her 3 times a day, in the morning, in the afternoon and before she went to sleep.

Maybe at first you’re thinking, okay? So what? But this need for validation was coming from an unhealthy place. When you’re dating someone, especially long-term, you should want to hear sweet words like that, but you should also be able to trust their feelings. Even if they don’t verbalize them frequently.

My friend had a strong desire for her partner’s love and attention. She looked to her partner to provide a sense of completeness in her life. This can also be a red flag. Your partner should absolutely add value to your life, but he/she shouldn’t define you as a whole person.

Sometimes her boyfriend would be too busy at work and forget to do it once or twice. Rather than understanding he couldn’t drop what he was doing to call or text her, she would get very upset – even angry. She felt that forgetting about her “simple request” is a sign of him neglecting her, or wanting to leave her. She has trust issues with her partner.

The relationship lasted for only a few months. It didn’t end well because my friend was very upset and her partner felt exhausted.

Insecurity in a relationship is not obvious most of the times.

While reading that example seems like a clear example of why insecurity can wreck a relationship, it’s important to realize that it’s only that obvious to us reading it. See, for my friend and her boyfriend, her insecurity caused big arguments about why he didn’t care about her, and the fact that he wouldn’t do simple things for her.

Unfortunately, it’s all too easy for insecurity to exist with no obvious signs. You or your partner can feel insecure without voicing, or even realizing it. It’s that sick feeling in your stomach you can’t explain when the person you’re seeing doesn’t text you back right away or show up to hang out on time.

The need for proof of love prevents a relationship from reaching the next level.

Needing to be approved, or needing to see proof of love and self-worth prevents building an authentic relationship. You know the old saying, “actions speak louder than words”? It’s especially true when it comes to creating a long-lasting romance.

When you’ve been with someone, especially for a long time, little things really show they love you and only you. Maybe they did the laundry for you because they knew you had a ton of work to get done and wouldn’t have the time. Maybe they surprised you with your favorite thing from a nearby restaurant ‘just because’. In either of these examples, they didn’t have to say, “I love you and only you and you can trust me!” But you knew it.

Behaviors caused by insecurity wreak havoc all too quickly. If you’re always asking for reassurance, dealing with jealousy, accusing, and even snooping, you’re eroding trust.

Such behaviors are not attractive, and can push a partner away.

Most people tackle insecurity in a way that makes the relationship worse.

People handle insecurity in different ways, trying to make themselves feel better in the relationship. Yet they don’t realize the way they try to fix their insecurity issues is worsening their relationship.

Some fiercely seek security.

Security in a relationship isn’t something tangible, but some people want to hold on to it. To feel secure all the times, they seek some kind of solid reassurance. In this case, a person will demand security from their partner by asking them to do something to prove their love. This tactic is not much different from peer pressure amongst teenagers.

But if you’re asking your partner to say I love you a certain number of times, or asking them to do favors constantly, things can get out of hand. And if you’re desperate enough to ask them to reply to you immediately when you text, things are going downhill fast.

When a partner is overwhelmed by ridiculous requests, he or she will be unable to perform perfectly 100% of the time. The problem of insecurity cannot be fixed this way. Actions do speak louder than words; but when they’re actions requested by the insecure party, they’re inauthentic and exhausting at best.

Some show insecurity in a subtle way.

These people tend to believe that it’s weak to admit feeling insecure, but also secretly hope to be cared by their partner. However, when the partner doesn’t pick up on what’s going on, it can cause more fights and insecurity.

They’ll give subtle signs and say things like, “I’m okay. Don’t worry,” or “Go ahead do what you want,” but then ignore their partner. While this is meant to show they are bothered by the action, it isn’t effective.

Assuming that couples should understand each other well, even without talking about things, is unrealistic. Even if you’re embarrassed about how insecure you feel, or you can’t explain the reasoning behind it, it’s still important to let it be known.

When an insecure person relies on subtle clues and actions, their partner won’t understand what they really think and take their actions personally. This causes a lot of miscommunication because one of the partners has to always be guessing what the other is thinking, and it’s not likely that they can guess it right all the time. The passive aggressive behaviors such as ignoring a partner or throwing temper-tantrums can also hurt the partner’s feelings, and even anger them.

Some act like they are secure.

Some people choose to suppress their real feelings out of fear or embarrassment. While they may intend well because they don’t want their insecurity to affect another person or affect the relationship, they are only making things worse.

It may seem to work at first because whenever they meet their significant other, the happy time together can temporary make them forget about the insecure feelings. But because of trying so hard to suppress their feelings, they may tend to take in all the sadness.

Not letting out of the negative emotions or sharing them with anyone, these people are likely to overthink (about bad things that may not happen). This prolonged sadness may even lead to anxiety or depression.

In the long-run, the relationship is not healthy. Despite how much these people try to pretend nothing is going wrong, their partner will eventually feel the negative vibe and the relationship will not last.

The only way to fix insecurity is to be vulnerable.

Being insecure is not a mistake. Having insecurity issues doesn’t make one a weak person.

Once you realize you feel insecure, reflect and determine where these feelings are coming from. It could be from past experience. Maybe you lacked attention or gained too much attention from your parents when you were small? Maybe you were in a relationship with an insecure partner? Maybe you lack confidence in yourself? Shift the focus from blaming your partner to digging into your inner thoughts.

After you have found out why you are feeling what you’re feeling, share it with your partner. Talk about the emotions you feel. Tell him/her how you feel when he/she does something, and why you feel such way. Share with him/her the reason why you think these things trigger you those feelings.

Figure out together with your partner what to do to make both people stay aware of the issue. Both partners need to work on certain aspects to minimize and fix insecurity together. For instance, if you ask your partner to text you immediately, take baby steps to stop that. Maybe he/she can agree to text you when he/she gets to work and let you know he/she’s going to have a busy day and may not be able to reach out until his/her lunch break.

No matter how you two agree to take steps to resolve the issue, it’s vital you have the discussion. Otherwise, things will never get better. Whether it’s nightly conversations about how you felt that day or something more personal like journalling, you have to make an effort to realize the issue and resolve it. Remember to be patient with yourself and your partner. It takes two people to make a relationship work, especially when overcoming a challenge.

Featured photo credit: Unsplash via unsplash.com

The post A Subtle Sign of Insecurity Can Kill a Relationship Silently appeared first on Lifehack.

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‘’To be inside Minima | Maxima is to be transported to a strange future, a science fiction world, removing us from ourselves and finding a sense of naive wonder within. The impulse is to explore, to visually wander. Transformed into a childlike state, visitors can do so without the pretense of reference or concepts, employing instead the potent investigative powers of our senses.

The project extends MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY’s research and development efforts to achieve structural integrity through ultra-thin, self-supporting assemblies, which find strength in the double curvature of their form. In the whimsical yet durable universe the studio creates, curves win out over angles. Branches, splits and recombinations make columns and beams irrelevant. A 'networked’ surface rolls in, on and around itself, transforming into a space that upends preconceived notions of enclosure, entrance/exit, and threshold, while also providing its own support. It bends in all directions, but still manages to stand upright on its own.’’ X

Learn more of Marc’s work and evolution here

Connect with Us on Facebook // Instagram // by Fransi

Minima | Maxima by MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY ‘’To be... crss

Minima | Maxima by MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY

‘’To be inside Minima | Maxima is to be transported to a strange future, a science fiction world, removing us from ourselves and finding a sense of naive wonder within. The impulse is to explore, to visually wander. Transformed into a childlike state, visitors can do so without the pretense of reference or concepts, employing instead the potent investigative powers of our senses.

The project extends MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY’s research and development efforts to achieve structural integrity through ultra-thin, self-supporting assemblies, which find strength in the double curvature of their form. In the whimsical yet durable universe the studio creates, curves win out over angles. Branches, splits and recombinations make columns and beams irrelevant. A 'networked’ surface rolls in, on and around itself, transforming into a space that upends preconceived notions of enclosure, entrance/exit, and threshold, while also providing its own support. It bends in all directions, but still manages to stand upright on its own.’’ X

Learn more of Marc’s work and evolution here

Connect with Us on Facebook // Instagram // by Fransi

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Marco Minotti was born in 1973. He lives and paints in Meda.
Graduated in high school graduated in 1999 in architecture at the Politecnico di Milano.
He began his first solo career in Fino Mornasco's public space in 1996 and has since set up more than a dozen personal exhibitions in Italy, Switzerland, Austria and England.
Among his personal exhibitions are the "Landhaus" cultural space in St Polten (Austria), "Dora House" in London, "Banca U.B.S" in Lugano and the exhibition in Bangkok (under the patronage of the Italian Consulate).
Numerous exhibitions at collective exhibitions are in Italy (the last Arkiviarte at Fabbrica Borroni by Fiordalice Sette in Bollate) and abroad (a traveling exhibition in India, "Dadaumpop" by Igor Zanti)
He is currently registered and archived at the "Bevilacqua La Masa" Foundation in Venice
For years he has collaborated with the gallery "Casa d'Arte San Lorenzo" in milano.

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Posted by Andrew

The Incredible Drawings & Art of Marco MinottiMarco Minotti... crss

The Incredible Drawings & Art of Marco Minotti

Marco Minotti was born in 1973. He lives and paints in Meda.
Graduated in high school graduated in 1999 in architecture at the Politecnico di Milano.
He began his first solo career in Fino Mornasco's public space in 1996 and has since set up more than a dozen personal exhibitions in Italy, Switzerland, Austria and England.
Among his personal exhibitions are the "Landhaus" cultural space in St Polten (Austria), "Dora House" in London, "Banca U.B.S" in Lugano and the exhibition in Bangkok (under the patronage of the Italian Consulate).
Numerous exhibitions at collective exhibitions are in Italy (the last Arkiviarte at Fabbrica Borroni by Fiordalice Sette in Bollate) and abroad (a traveling exhibition in India, "Dadaumpop" by Igor Zanti)
He is currently registered and archived at the "Bevilacqua La Masa" Foundation in Venice
For years he has collaborated with the gallery "Casa d'Arte San Lorenzo" in milano.

Facebook

More unique art on Cross Connect Magazine:

Twitter || Facebook|| Instagram

Posted by Andrew

crss