Jason Carter Blog: August 2016

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Sunday, August 28, 2016

Open Positions at the PTA

Publicity Chair: Responsibilities include advertising, marketing, and social media presence of the PTA and PTA programming. White Elephant Sale Chair: Responsibilities include organizing the annual white elephant (garage) sale that occurs at SAS and in the Woodlands community each May. Events Treasurer: Responsibilities include preparing cash floats, training cashiers, and reconciling cash/coupons for the book fair and International Fair. There is a one week commitment for each event.

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Volunteers Welcome

Working at the Booster Booth is a great way to find out what is going on in the high school and meet other mothers. Shifts are three hours long, every other week.

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Friday, August 26, 2016

New Family School Tour

The PTA welcome committee invites new families to tour the school on Wednesday, August 31 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. If you have a newly enrolled student in SAS for the 2016-17 school year, we look forward to welcoming you during this event. The tour will begin in the PTA office, and from there we will help you better navigate the SAS campus! Please RSVP to this event.

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English Conversation Teachers

The PTA is looking for teachers to help run English conversation groups for our SAS parents who do not speak English as a first language.

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High School Uniform Online Purchase

For stress free shopping, uniforms are available for purchase online and delivered to your home.

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Thursday, August 25, 2016

Air Quality August 26 10:00 m.m. 3-Hour PSI 111

This post was updated at 10:00 a.m. on August 26, 2016 to reflect the most recent 3-hour PSI rating. Singapore is experiencing compromised air quality according to the National Environment Agency (NEA). We are committed to the safety of our students and families, and want to inform you about the criteria we use for the possible cancellation of events and activities.

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Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Important Message for Room Parents

We will be conducting mandatory room parent orientations on Monday, September 5 in room M301. Click for more information.

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Tuesday, August 23, 2016

IASAS Volleyball Exchange September 16 & 17

Show your Eagle spirit! SAS will host the IASAS Volleyball Exchange September 16 and 17. There will be some great volleyball played over two days, so come by the gym and check out some of the action!

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Sunday, August 21, 2016

The Week In Review 246

“Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” ― Terry Pratchett

News

Fun: Park Pens - twigs packaged to look like stationery.

Necessary: How to prepare for a bikepacking race.

Vertical: Why climbing’s Olympic debut should be making a bigger splash.

Patagonia’s Balancing Act: Chasing Mass-Market Appeal While Doing No Harm.

Insects to eat: SENS Bars.

Trailrunning: Alone or in a group? [German]

Amusing: One Selfie per Mile on the PCT.

Smart: Think for yourself.

Good design: Hike to Run.

134 g: Dynafit Enduro DST Jacket.

10.179: Items in the Bergfreunde Outlet.

50%: Highest discount on Granite Gear packs.

Trip Reports

Up the Chachany, one of the easiest 6000 m mountains. [German]

Jana’s Frankenjura summer 2016.

Jonathan likes the Rocky Mountains.

Sangre de Cristo Backpacking.

Europe’s Last Wilderness.

Are We Losing the Grand Canyon?

Stefanie hikes in the Valley of Hell. [German]

Day 9 on the Wind River High Route.

A Boulder bikepacking Weekend loop.

Gear Reviews

A SUL Packlist.

Chris reviews the book Walking Man The Secret Life of Colin Fletcher and shares his Thoughts on Bivouacking.

Nice MYOG Sandals.

Aquapac Aquaman Backpack Review. [German]

Alex reviews the book Icefall.

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Thursday, August 18, 2016

Building a Luxury Log Home vs a Custom Log Home

When you start planning and designing your custom log home you are likely to turn to some luxury log home designs and plans for inspiration, but what is the difference between a luxury log home compared to a custom-built log home?

Luxury Log Home

A luxury custom log home is a one of a kind home. A luxury log home tends to not only be a custom design, but every element from the flooring, bathroom faucets and showers to the bedroom closet and kitchen sink are built specifically for this one and only home.
When building a luxury log home you can expect to have a very large budget due to the quality and customization required for each detail in the home. The cost per square foot is significantly higher due to the fact that you are ordering premium products and are unable to order items in bulk. The time frame to complete the project can also be much longer as you have to wait for each item to be built specifically for the project.

Large staircase entrance that spits into two stair cases at top

If you plan to build a luxury log home you will want to ensure you have the financing to do so. Some financial institutions can make lending a bit difficult because in some cases the value of a luxury log home can depreciate faster then custom built or standard homes.

Custom Log Home

If you don’t have the pocket book to ensure every element of your log home is luxury designed just for you, then a custom log home may be better suited for your needs. A custom log home can give you the benefit of both worlds, designing a home that is custom to you and your family’s needs, while saving some money in the process.

Rivard Front Deck in final stages of construction

At Artisan, all of our log homes are custom designed to meet your needs. You can look at current designs and plans to get ideas and inspiration but we will always customize the final plans with the details needed to make your home your own. Even if you find a design that is exactly what you want there are always little customizations due to climate, location or species of wood. No two custom log homes are identical. When it comes to materials and amenities feel free to go for the cheapest, middle or top of the line on the things that matter to you.

We all dream of having a luxury log home but for most of us having a custom built log home that we can call our own is really all that we are looking for.

If you would like to explore some of our custom log home plans and log home galleries you can check them out here.

If you would like to know more or have any questions about custom log homes. Please feel free to visit our Log Home 101 section or contact us at info@artisanlog.com.

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Monday, August 15, 2016

The Week In Review 245

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” - Albert Einstein

News

Sweet lens for backpacking: Samyang Unveils Ultra-Fast 35mm f/1.2 for Mirrorless APS-C Cameras.

Interesting: Illusory Truth Effect and Sea Kayaking.

Needed: Save the Arctic.

Honourable: Voluntarily cleaning up the forest. [German]

Fun: The Optimal U.S. National Parks Centennial Road Trip.

For couples: The Klymit Double V mattress.

Insane: 1,135-mile-long gondola now connects Vail and Whistler Blackcomb.

Finds his way: Cheyne Lempe.

Different: A Guide to Bikefishing.

Packrafts: 3 Reasons To Use Them in Zion’s Narrows.

Cheap: Backcountry Semi-Annual Sale.

Cheaper: Bergfreunde 60% off sale.

Cheapest: Bergzeit.co.uk Summer Sale.

Trip Reports

Leor’s Sierra High Route.

How Kathrin’s LEJOG Hike will continue. [German]

David explores the Backroads of Minakami.

Day 7 on the Wind River High Route.

Peter heads out on the Langdale circuit for two nights.

Instagram Takeover @GoVisitDenmark.

High Sierra Glimpses from Craig.

A failed trip that was fun: The Southern Sierra High Route.

Myojin Daira, Chapter 2.

On a misson.

A visit to Ausangate in the Andes.

Roman Dials Trip Report from the Lost Coast is worth reading: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Awesome: The Bosnia & Herzegovina Hobo Packrafting Trip.

Sale Athée - Aiguille du Moine.

Roger is waiting for the sunrise in Furesø.

Urs is with his Family on Tour in Saas Fee. [German]

Packrafts: 3 Reasons To Use Them in Zion’s Narrows.

Gear Reviews

An awesome, 740 g light MYOG Tent. [German]

Useful: Packraft seat upgrade.

Outcozo’s OutDoor 2016 News. [German]

Thomas’ One Day OutDoor Impressions. [German]

And also Charlotte ran once across the OutDoor 2016. [German]

Dave reviews the Osprey Poco AG.

Haglöfs LIM Essens down jacket review.

Jake’s Truth About Minimalist Footwear.

Alpkit Airlok Dual 13L Dry Bag reviewed.

A tent for families: Decathlon Fresh&Black Air Seconds Familiy Tent. [German]

Bikepacking With Coffee – An AeroPress Experience.

Alex’s Haute Route Pyrenees gear report is worth checking out.

Scott’s Elite Boa review.

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Wondering whether to sign up for EAA or CSA?

Registrations are open now for activities and athletics for students. Read more to find out the differences in activities organizations for elementary aged students.

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Sunday, August 14, 2016

Parent Talk: Middle School and High School Transitions

Each year SAS welcomes, hundreds of new students and families, each with unique experiences, joys, and sometimes challenges. Join Dr. Jeff Devens as he walks parents through the transition process on Tuesday, August 16 at 10:00 a.m.

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Friday, August 12, 2016

Outdoor 2016 News - Tents

Need a new tent? There where halls full of new tents and here’s a bunch which caught my eye.

As an Helsport Ambassador I obviously wanted to swing by at my partner and see what they have in store for 2017. What I saw was very much to my ultralight heart: The Lofoten Series. Helsport has most of their designs available in three to four different versions: The Trek version, which is heavier and the most affordable option. The colour of the fly of Trek tents is always a dark green, so they’re easy to distinguish. Next up are the Pro tents, which are made from slightly better & lighter materials, and they have a green-yellow-ish fly. Next up are my favourite two series: The Pro Superlight tents with the blue flysheets, which are the lightest version of each design. And finally there’s the Extreme Series with their red-yellow flysheets. These are made for expeditions in any season, are super-durable and yet relatively light.

That above is the Lofoten Superlight Camp 3 tent, a 3-person tunnel tent which weighs 1.850 g. It has two doors in the spacious vestibule which has enough space for cooking and gear. As you can see at the Pro Camp underneath, the front also can be stored completely away, allowing for lots of ventilation and great views from the sleeping area. The large vestibule is also great for those of us who travel with a large dog, a packraft or bike as there’s plenty of space for storage.

The Lofoten Trek Camp tent above is available as a 3 and 5 person version. The 3-Person tent weighs 4.050 g and the 5-Person tent 4.800 g, so they’re better for short hiking or when you’re out with a canoe or bike.

And the Lofoten X-Trem Camp 3 tent here is the expedition version from the bunch. At 3.700 g it is best transported on a Pulka, but the DAC Featherlight NSL poles in combination with the design should withstand even the hardest wind gusts out in the fjell in winter. The sleeping compartment is 105 cm high, 220 cm long and 165 cm wide, so it is cozy but not too tight. Add in a 160 cm long vestibule and you have enough space for lots of kit and cooking.

And then there’s the Bitihorn X-Trem Tarp above, which also will be again as a Trek, Pro and Superlight Version. The X-Trem above is 435 cm x 435 cm large and is 1.340 g light, which is pretty good for such a massive tarp. The slightly smaller Superlight Tarp (350 cm long and 290 cm wide) is 400 g, which is pretty amazing if it is true. There will be poles available which are between 132 cm and 176 cm long and weigh 70 g and 220 g respectively.

The Nordisk Lofoten 1 ULW above aims for the throne of the lightest tent in the world, and with a packed weight of 575 g incl. pegs and poles and guylines it is pretty close to that throne. But how about the usability? Well, the seating height is 70 cm, which is pretty low, even for a small guy like me. People with big feet also might find the end of the tent constricting, For smaller backpackers who can cook with fair weather in front of the tent it might be good, but we longer people might find it a bit too small. I will sit back and wait what real-world reviews will say about the tent, and while the weight is exciting there’s a reason why Pyramide shelters are so popular: They’re even lighter and have plenty of room.

Talking of plenty of space, here’s a tent for Camping Enthusiasts: The Therm-A-Rest Tranquility 6 Tent. This two entry, two compartment, standing height tent is a great addition to the quiver if family Camping is in the books. Therm-A-Rest, which belongs to the Cascade family, picked the brains of the MSR tent designers while designing this tent, so expect this V 1.0 being actually quite good. It looked easy to pitch, with smart details like the protected corners in the entry for gear storage out of the muck and plenty of mesh inside pockets for storage. Certainly nothing for the UL backpacker, but if said UL backpacker takes the family along to a camping ground a good way to make all feel comfortable.

A tent used by Ueli Steck is the MSR Advance Pro 2. Ueli was let go by MH earlier this year and was happy to find a new home with MSR, and the Advance Pro 2 certainly looks like a great home away form the basecamp. It’s made for expedition use in demanding environments, but also should stand up to the elements in the hills and fjells of lesser ranges. It uses Easton Syclone poles which are made from aerospace-grade composite materials, which can flex further & take more abuse than any other pole material - which makes them probably the most resilient tent pole ever made. It is pretty spacious for one and cozy for two, easy to set up and the small footprint also fits on narrow snow ledges high up. At 585€ it is not cheap, but hey - few tents are!

But if you prefer cheap, I found this gem of a tent. At 4,99€ the price is unbeatable, however, I reckon that’s what the lady charges you only if you order a significant quantity of these. You could gift all your friends and family for years to come with such a fine tent, though, if you decide to walk down that road.

Slightly more expensive, but undoubtedly better constructed & designed is the Marmot Bolt 2P tent. Steep side walls ensure plenty of head room and a feeling of space in the 1.040 g light tent, and at 500€ it is also not overly expensive. The flysheet is highly waterproof and also UV resistent, which is good news for the longevity of the tent. There’s space for kit and cooking in the vestibule as I demonstrate so professionally above, and on the inside you also find Lamp-Shade-Pockets which diffuse the light of your headlamp for nice atmospheric light inside.

And lastly a quick look at the new tents from Vaude. I already shed some light on the Hogan SUL 1-2P and also in real life it looked good. A good seating height for me, a large vestibule and an overall streamlined and smooth design will make this already popular tent probably even more popular in the future.

The Vaude Invenio SUL 2P Tent got an overhaul for 2017, and the tent poles went now under the fly. Design-wise it reminded me of the Hubba/ Soloplex/ Notch shelters, with two doors opposite of each other. The flysheet can be rolled up on both sides for wide views outside and also otherwise this tent has all the bells and whistles along which you want from a tent.

Benjamin from hrXXLight also highlights some new tents, and if you were this year at the OutDoor and have a post with tents online, please comment with a link and I’ll add it here!

Disclaimer: I’m a Helsport Ambassador and have cooperated with some of the companies in this article in the past. This does not influence the article as I maintain full editorial control of the content published on this site. Read the Transparency Disclaimer for more information on blogger transparency.

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Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Cycling & Bouldering on Åland

Three times a charm, they say. My love affair with Åland went into the third round last week as I was photographing a story about cycling, bouldering and sea kayaking on the beautiful Åland Archipelago between Finland and Sweden.

The last time I was on Åland was just in January, and how different it was back then: The roads under snow and ice, the Baltic partially frozen, a cold wind blowing. But it was also similar to the previous bouldering trip to Åland and this visit: The people were fantastic and made the trip even more memorable. Which made me realize once more: It’s more beautiful to share an outdoor adventure with friends. Sure it is nice to watch the sun set over the sea, but it is more fun to share that moment with a good friend. It’s cool if you topped out on your route, but it’s cooler if you have a friend to high-five with to celebrate that success. And while Sauna is always great, also on your own, it’s much better with friends who share your passion for a good löyly. So when you head out on your next outdoor adventure, take someone along: Your partner, kids, mate or someone who shares the same love for the outdoors than you do. I’m certain the trip will be more fun & memorable for both of you =)

So much for advice, here’s a couple of B-Roll photos and one-liners to wet your appetite to head over to Åland with a bike and Crashpad on your back.

Kathrin from Luminoucity, Kristof and me rolling onto the ferry by bike. My first time to roll on a bike onto a ferry, and a good one.

We said Good-By to Helsinki on the sun deck, sans sun.

At dawn we arrived on Åland and started to cycle up north to HavsVidden past golden fields and a rising sun.

We slipped in a session at Kasviken as it was so conveniently on the way.

After that it was pretty chill at the beach house.

I read an inspiring book the next morning, which motivated me to do… nothing.

In between bouts of work I succeeded in following the books advice.

Then I failed pretty badly by cycling close to 46 km to go eat at Stallhagen, and yes, drink some of their fantastic beers.

My friends were very happy with their Pelago Bicycles, here the pretty Capri which Vera rode.

I myself had my much loved Stavanger along, which performed flawlessly once again.

Jonas from The Paddle Shack took us out to Kobba Klintar, the old pilot station which is really a great destination for a day of paddling.

On the way back we had back wind and choppy seas, so it was nice when we weaved back into the Archipelago and let ourselves just drift in the wind back towards the shack. Then it was just about cycling back to the ferry harbour and waiting for our big boat back to Helsinki. It was once again a fantastic visit and I can highly recommend you to spend a week or more on Åland if you’re into any of the above activities. I’ll let you know where to read the good story and see the proper photos when it’s out!

Disclaimer: I was invited to Åland to photograph a story. Thanks to Visit Åland and its partners who supported us with this trip. A huge thanks also to Pelago Bicycles and Gamla Stan Cykel for the awesome bicycles and Black Diamond & OAC for loaning us the crashpads. Read the Transparency Disclaimer for more information on blogger transparency.

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Sunday, August 7, 2016

The Week In Review 244

“Ocean is more ancient than the mountains, and freighted with the memories and the dreams of Time.” - H. P. Lovecraft

News

I’m humbled to have made Place 1 of the Top 25 Awesome Outdoor Bloggers You Need To Follow Right Now List! Check out the other fine blogs and find new outdoor inspiration from across the globe!

Garage Grown Gear has a sweet ultralight giveaway going on with prices from Enlightened Equipment, Roscoe Outdoor, Hummingbird Hammocks, Cloudline Apparel and Outpost Titanium.

Abenteuersuechtig’s OutDoor 2016 Highlights are worth checking out! [German]

Check out the tenkara book.

Win an Ortovox Outfit! [German]

The Gossamer Gear “The One” is available again after many year of absence.

The Zeroth Law of Packrafting, Luc Mehl’s Keyote from the Annual Packrafting Meet-up.

Cool: Shazam for plants.

Martin’s Long Distance Hiking Review for July is out. [German]

And also Trail Groove Issue 29 is now available for your online reading pleasure.

It’s that time of the year again: The Backcountry Semi-Annual Sale tempts you with up to 50% off clothing, gear & accessories and Free 2-Day Shipping.

Also Bergfreunde have heaps of kit reduced up to 60%.

And the Bergzeit.co.uk Summer Sale is massive with close to 6000 items being reduced up to 70%.

Trip Reviews

Hidden Treasures, great photos and story from bikepacking in the Ecuadorian Andes.

The longest ridge of the Allgäu looks pretty fantastic. [German]

The Bikepacking the Annapurna Circuit trip report is splendid and well worth a read.

Timo shares some beautiful impressions from Inarijärvi.

A Gravelbike needs Gravel. [German]

Alex shares some photos from the Pyrenees.

Rollins Pass.

Simon’s first Ironman in Maastricht was inspiring to read.

Lael’s Trans Am 2016: Idaho.

Bikefishing the Bitterroot 300.

The river Alz with bike & packraft. [German]

The Kayak Down Atlantic Shetland.

Photos from Black Crook Peak, Sheeprock Range, Utah.

Nice little hike to the Pazolastock. [German]

Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic, 2016 Edition.

Gear Reviews

Wired reviews the Yi 4K Action Camera.

Sven takes a look at my Pirkan Taival Guide Book - Thanks! You can order it here, by the way.

Jake reviews the Bedrock Cairn Sandals, while Derek tests the Crosskix 2.0 Supreme Multi-sport Shoes.

Matt shares tips for an Do-it-yourself trail tracker.

First Aid for Sun Burns. [German]

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