akratic's ERE journal

[chipmunk]

The optimal thing to do is probably to jam everything in at the 10% bracket, but that would last years and years and be quite annoying.

This might be more optimal than you think.

Adjusting your recharacterization so that your taxable income is right at the top of the 10% bracket would put your AGI at (sort of working backwards here by adding the personal exemption and standard deduction):

$8925 + $3900 + $6100 = $18,925

Under this scenario you would pay $892.50 in income taxes.

If, however, you reduced your AGI by $1175 to $17,750 you would be able to take full advantage of Credit for Qualified Retirement Savings Contributions (line 50 on form 1040, and form 8880). This $1000 (max, decreases with increasing AGI) non-refundable credit would completely eliminate your tax liability. Be careful because the step function used to determine the credit is rather coarse. Going over on your AGI by $1 could result in a $400 credit instead of a $1000 credit.

Converting $80k from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA in small increments so that your never exceed the 10% bracket would take a while. Not everyone has the temperament for the added paperwork and patience that is required. Kind of depends on how much you value the $13k that is at stake.


Please don't take my word for it. Consult the official documentation. Be sure to read all of the fine print because some exceptions do apply.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Get-Credit-for-Y ... tributions

[akratic]

Wow, you guys are the best!

I'm still reading, but recharacterizing my taxable income to a little under $17,750 and paying $0 total in taxes for the year sounds quite incredible!

Imagine someone at the IRS building bucketing all tax returns, with a special category for people with just under $17.5k worth of income, a $5.5k maximum Roth IRA contribution, and a total tax bill for the year of $0.00. I imagine we all get gold stars or something. Not audits of course, since we'll have done nothing suspicious, just something clever.

[jennypenny]

Very cool.

So, how many years of living expenses did you just save? (my favorite unit of measure around here)

[akratic]

Hmm, jennypenny, I don't know what to divide the ~$14k I just saved by. Neither my Chicago expenses nor my traveling expenses are a good predictor of what I'll spend per year when I eventually return to the US and get married and have a house and toddlers and all that jazz.

Sometimes I like to pretend my expenses are and will always be $12k/yr for the reason that $1k/mo is a round number... in which case I saved 1.167 years.

Anyway, both my future expense numbers and income numbers are wildly unpredictable. All I know is that if I want to live frugally on no new income I can probably do that, but I doubt that's how it'll actually play out.

[RightClawSouth]

Sometimes I wonder about being a greeter at an Apple Store, one of those people that needs to say "Hello!" to everyone that walks in. I think that would be a good challenge for me. Joining the opposite party political campaign would probably be even better...

Join a church! Become a minister! THAT would be something different

[akratic]

Here are some of the better products/ideas I encountered while traveling:

=== ERE friendly ===

#1 bum gun (Thailand)



That spray nozzle next to the toilet sprays high pressure water after you take a shit, and it cleans a bajillion times better than toilet paper, while also being cheaper and better for the environment than toilet paper! I don't know why these things aren't everywhere in the world by now. I need to figure out how to get them in my future house. I think there's something like this in Japan too; I'm excited to try it, because what we do in the US is just plain dumb in comparison.

#2 electric shower (Thailand, Ecuador)



Instead of a hot water tank that keeps water hot all the time, the electric shower just heats the water during the shower. You can't get a scalding hot high pressure shower with these, but you can get a pretty darn good shower with a lot less energy waste.

#3 badass fuse boxes (Thailand)



They have these switches very accessible and right next to the exit of the apartment. It makes it very easy and convenient to cut the power to huge sections of the apartment. I want one of these, heavily customized. Like I'll put the fridge and some other things that should always be on attached to one switch, and then most of the rest can easily go off all at once.

#4 shared taxis (Thailand, Ecuador)



First person in the back of the truck chooses where it's going. Subsequent people can get in for cheaper if they're going somewhere on the way, or close to on the way, or somewhere that makes sense as the next destination.

=== maybe ERE friendly, maybe not ===

#4 scooters (Taiwan, Thailand, Asia in general)



These scooters are everywhere in Asia. They're much cheaper than cars and get ridiculously good gas mileage. Statistically they are incredibly dangerous though, mostly because of collisions with cars and trucks. I'd love to live somewhere that cars and trucks aren't allowed but scooters or bicycles are.

=== not so ERE ===

#5 digital deadbolt (South Korea)



They have these hightech digital deadbolt things in Korea where you can open your deadbolt with a numberpad or by scanning your smart phone or RFID card. I guess this is kind of unnecessary and expensive, but I don't like carrying keys much -- and sometimes lose them! -- so it'd be a quality of life boost that might eventually break even in cost after avoiding future locksmiths/key changes/etc.

#6 lights can be switched off from bed (Taiwan)

In our current apartment there's a redundant set of switches that can be reached from the bed that control pretty much the whole place -- porch light, ceiling light, etc. Pretty convenient, not sure why I don't see this more.

=== generic stuff ===

Asian food beats the pants off American food. I need to learn how to prepare it myself. We actually hired a translator and bribed our favorite restaurant in Thailand to teach us how to cook! If we can pull it off on our own we'll eat like kings for the rest of our lives and also blow away all future potlucks.

Ecuadorian culture has some nice small things:
1) always prioritizing Sunday barbeques with extended family/friends -- no shops are open, etc, because everyone is with their families
2) everyone makes a point to greet everyone else, individually, one at a time, no matter what -- kinda hard to explain, but it's nice

=== personal stuff ===

We're in Taiwan now. It's all right. I think they're the nicest strangers I've met anywhere in the world, but I'm ready to stop traveling for a bit. We actually leave for Tokyo next week, where we'll spend a few days before flying back to the US!

We'll spend summer in the US with our families, then try house sitting in Europe in the fall/winter. And then my latest idea is to hike the Appalachian Trail starting in February or March. I'm starting to figure out what gear I need for that. My girlfriend thinks it's a stupid idea, so I'll be hiking alone (which I don't mind) -- my hope is she can get the desire to go to Africa out of her system while I hike.

[henrik]

I'd say all the ERE friendly stuff in your post is quite common in Europe as well (scooters more in Southern Europe and shared taxis more in Eastern Europe). I have a toilet and fuse box like that:)
Have fun resting from all the travelling!

[Chad]

=== not so ERE ===

#5 digital deadbolt (South Korea)



They have these hightech digital deadbolt things in Korea where you can open your deadbolt with a numberpad or by scanning your smart phone or RFID card. I guess this is kind of unnecessary and expensive, but I don't like carrying keys much -- and sometimes lose them! -- so it'd be a quality of life boost that might eventually break even in cost after avoiding future locksmiths/key changes/etc.

.

Lots of options for this now and they get cheaper every day.

[henrik]

Or going one step further from physical scanning.. https://lockitron.com/
I'd still stick to "kind of unnecessary":)

[theanimal]

We'll spend summer in the US with our families, then try house sitting in Europe in the fall/winter. And then my latest idea is to hike the Appalachian Trail starting in February or March. I'm starting to figure out what gear I need for that. My girlfriend thinks it's a stupid idea, so I'll be hiking alone (which I don't mind) -- my hope is she can get the desire to go to Africa out of her system while I hike.

That's great!

Not sure how familiar you are with outdoor gear/backpacking but here's my unsolicited advice..Weight is paramount! A light pack makes you less prone to injury, allows faster/easier travel and makes hiking so much more enjoyable. A 12 lb or less baseweight* would be ideal. If you have any questions feel free to ask..This is one of my areas of expertise, so to speak.

*The weight of your pack and gear (i.e. sleeping bag, sleeping pad clothes, stove etc.), not including consumables such as food, water and fuel.

[jacob]

When you say "Europe" which country do you mean? Because Europe is as diverse if not more than individual states in the US which is not helped by the fact that each "European state" speaks their own separate language.

[borisborisboris]

Oh man, the AT! Now I'm just jealous. Promise us there will be a trail journal?

[Tyler9000]

Taiwan is a very nice country. Have an extra steamed dumpling for me.

On one trip to Shanghai I asked a driver who spoke a bit of English why they don't have scooters there like in Taipei. Apparently they've been banned by the government because the two-stroke engines only make the pollution problem even worse.

[akratic]

theanimal, I'd love the help! I'm currently drowning in opinions from whiteblaze.net and I'm having trouble sorting them out.

I've done some weekend backpacking trips, but nothing more serious than that. The only gear I have already that I could debatably bring is:
1) this sleeping pad
2) some Salomon low-cut hiking boots with about 20 days of hiking on them. It seems like trail runners are the rage now, although if I do start in February I wonder if the boots might be better for the first month or so? (better in snow)

The rest of the gear I need to buy. I don't mind spending a few thousand dollars on gear, which I think should enable me to go light. I need pretty much everything: tent, backpack, sleeping bag, all the layers of clothes, cooking and water treatment stuff, flashlight, small first aid ziplock bag, consumables, etc.

12 lbs is an impressive number! What clothes count in the baseweight? Presumably you're wearing some of them, but not all of them (rain pants etc)?

I'm not opinionated yet on most things such as down vs synthetic sleeping bags, chemicals vs pumps, alcohol vs canister stoves, or brands, or much else. I think my gear priorities are the same as most people: light, functional, warm, breathable, avoid chafing and blisters, blah blah.

The biases I do have are towards:
1) sleep: inflatable > closed cell, a one person tent, not a hammock or a shelter; earplugs; possibly a stuff sack that inverts to a pillow
2) my knees: I want to buy nice hiking poles and might pre-emptively start the hike wearing light knee braces

The only luxuries I'm committed to are a 5.98oz Kindle (and charging cable) and a baseball hat. Debating a 0.44oz iPod shuffle (leaning towards), debating a point and shoot camera (leaning against), debating a flip phone for emergencies/town.

What would be your preferred way to help? Do you want to rattle off the one backpack I should get? Or the fives backpacks I should consider? Or do you want me to do some more homework first and then look things over after I get further along?

[theanimal]

@Akratic- Yes, there is a lot of information out there so it is very difficult to discern what'll work and what won't, especially if you don't have much experience. I'm fine with presenting the info in whatever manner, I can give you specifics or list out a few options. Some of it is also personal preference, so what may work for me or the next guy may not be the best fit for you.

Your sleeping pad is good. It'll work just fine for the AT.

Trail runners are the big thing now. They are much lighter than boots, which results in less energy required for each step and more flexibility for your feet. Personally, I would recommend them over boots. You could use your boots early on if you are worried about snow but after that I think that you'd probably be better off in trail runners.

I don't think it will end up being as expensive as you think. If you want, I can give you a couple/few recommendations for each item or just choose a specific product. Either way is fine with me.

The lighter you go the easier (and more fun) it is! Especially on your knees if that is a concern. A heavy pack will cause much more stress on your knees (and back) and it'll be difficult to make significant distances. Baseweight includes everything you will be carrying in your pack, not including consumables (food, fuel and water). The clothes you'll be wearing while hiking aren't included (shirt, pants, shoes etc.). With the fabric and material that is available today, it isn't too difficult to get a low baseweight. The main inhibitor is usually price. That being said, it is still pretty easy to develop a good kit without spending a fortune.

[brighteye]

Your experiences while traveling remind me of my own year around the world and makes me want to hit the road again. Have you come across the water heaters in the shower, that heat the water on the go instead of constantly keeping water in a boiler on a certain temperature? The water pressure/flow-through is less than what we are used to, but power is only used when water is needed. We had some dangerous ones in Brazil (electricity and water don't mix well after all) but in general it striked me as a good idea.

@theanimal: I would love to learn from your experiences wrt backpacking, please tell us more!

[akratic]

@boris, forgive me for the stupid question, but how do people even update their trail journals? Are there that many internet cafes in towns on the way or something? No way am I bringing a smart phone.

@Tyler, interesting! Those scooters aren't so ERE friendly I suppose, tearing up the environment. I guess my dream town will have to be bicycles, pedestrians, and golf carts only.

@brighteye, I forgot! Man, those showers are so cool. You can get a pretty darn good shower with them. I actually went back and edited my original post to have this (the real reason I wrote the post is I want to remember this stuff in a few years when I get my first house.)

@theanimal, thanks, I'd love a few suggestions for everything! Basically as much as you feel like writing I feel like reading. I'm sold on going lightweight (maybe not ultra- though). I'm down with the trail runners too, just not sure whether to wear them on day one or wait until day thirty. (I guess it hinges on my start date which I don't know yet.)

Lets see, here's a list of gear I'm curious about (basically everything but the sleeping pad unfortunately!)

Pack:
Tent:
Sleeping Bag:

Trail Runners:
Insoles for the Tail Runners (?):
Hiking Poles:

Rain Jacket:
Rain Pants (if at all):
Underwear:
Upper body layers:
Lower body layers:
Warm accessories (balaclava? gloves? winter hat?):
Socks (and how many pairs):

Water Treatment:

Stove:
Pot:
Spoon:

Flashlight:
First aid stuff:
Bug spray:
Bottles/water bags:

Camp shoes? Knife? Towel?

... thanks!

I was going to take this to PMs, but it seems like other people are going to benefit as well.

[JohnnyH]

You're in trees the entire time on AT, right?... Maybe you should try the new hammocks?
http://http://www.amazon.com/Hennessy-H ... B001C1UGZ0

My favorite water treatment, especially if you're trying to move is [was] PolarPur iodine crystals, since burried by CA/DEA... Try little sporting good shops and buy any you find.

[theanimal]

@brighteye- What would you like to know? Not sure if Akratics journal will be the appropriate place for this discussion.

@Akratic- Some will have a few options and some will have only one. I didn't have time to post on clothes. I'll come back and post on that later. Feel free to ask any questions. Hope this helps.

Pack CDT from ULA Equipment. This is a 54 L pack that weighs less than 2 lbs. Light weight and relatively low cost but very durable. This should be more than enough to carry your gear, as well as food in between towns. I think a good measure for re-rations would be every 4-8 days. Meaning you carry the amount of food necessary for 4-8 days and pick up your ration for your next section in a town along the way (more on food later).
http://www.ula-equipment.com/product_p/cdt.htm


The CDT would be my choice but another option is Osprey's Exos 48 L. This pack is about a pound heavier and a little more expensive but it comes with Osprey's lifetime guarantee (if anything ever rips or breaks on your pack they will repair it). It could also probably handle a little more weight than the CDT, but that won't really be necessary in your case.
http://www.ospreypacks.com/en/product/s ... escription

Tent Many choose to use a tarp on the AT and PCT but I understand why you would want a tent. That's ok too. My recommendation for this category is the Notch from Tarptent. Tarptent's products combine the lightweight aspects of a tarp, with the comforts of a tent. This tent is lighter than many solo tents at 27.5 oz. It also has some rather large vestibules which would be great if you wanted to store gear or cook inside your tent if its raining*.
http://www.tarptent.com/notch.html

*If you ever do this, do NOT have everything closed up (i.e. door) leave a gap in the doorway for air circulation so you do not get carbon monoxide poisoning.

You do not want anything over 27.5 oz. Anything more will be way more weight than necessary. A couple other options would be a couple of Tarptent's other products, either the Sublite(19.5 oz) or the Contrail (27 oz). Personally, I have the SoloMid which is lighter than the other 3 at 10.5 oz. All of these utilize your trekking poles so that you don't have to carry around heavy tent poles which only serve as one function.
http://www.tarptent.com/sublite.html
http://www.tarptent.com/contrail.html
http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/sh ... cts_id=137

Tent Stakes This is what I use. Lightweight and fairly durable. http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/sh ... cts_id=104

You can also use natural materials like rocks, sticks, trees etc. as anchors.


Sleeping Bag My recommendation here is to go with a quilt instead. It is essentially as warm as a sleeping bag, much lighter but without a hood. Enlightened Equipment makes the best quilts. These will be about 20 oz or so. A 30 degree quilt should be fine for your purposes, if it is colder you can just wear a few more layers. I'd pick the Revelation or the Enigma. If you would like to go with a sleeping bag instead, I can come up with some recommendations for that too.
http://store.enlightenedequipment.com/quilts-1/

Trail Runners Contrary to what most believe, you do not want gore-tex material for your feet. With or without gore-tex, your feet will become wet from creek/river crossings, rain etc. Trailrunners/boots with Gore-Tex take much longer to dry out because the shoes aren't breathable. You'll likely need 2-4 pairs for the whole section. A lot of mileage really wears down the shoe and my guess is that you will have to switch it sometime between every 700-800 miles for the AT.

Trailrunners (and shoes in general) are a very personal taste/feel, so I would recommend going to REI or somewhere to try them out before you decide to purchase. Two good brands for this category are La Sportiva and Salomon. Both offer lightweight, breathable shoes that function well for hiking. For La Sportiva, your best options IMO are the Ultra Raptor (what I use), the Anakonda or the Wildcat. For Salomon, the best option is the XA PRO 3D (No GTX). There are some other brands but I can't remember them off the top of my head right now. Any of the other trail runners you like from those 2 companies would likely be just as good so feel free to pick and choose.
http://www.salomon.com/us/range/trail-r ... twear.html
http://www.sportiva.com/products/footwe ... in-running

Insoles No idea, I just use the soles from the original shoes.

Hiking Poles Carbon fiber poles are the lightest and adjustable poles are probably the best multi-use option. This one is more of a personal preference as well (In reality, they all are haha). If you pick any of those from #1-#5 in the link below you will be good. I use the Black Diamond Trail Compact.
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Trekking-Poles-Reviews

Water Treatment Pump filters are bulky, heavy and excessive in my opinion. I use AquaMira. http://aquamira.com/consumer/aquamira-w ... tment-2oz/ You can get tiny plastic dropper bottles to store these in smaller amounts, as well as a bottle dedicated to the final "mix" to save time. Overall, be proactive about where you get your water. Stay away from stagnant water when possible (lakes, puddles etc.). If you can, find water away from campsites and high use areas.

Stove I use alcohol stoves made out of tin catfood cans. Easy and lightweight. Denatured alcohol is pretty readily available in the US too. The only downsides are that relative to other stoves it doesn't produce as much heat, and is more susceptible to wind. That can be fixed with a windscreen/any means of blocking the stove from wind. You'll need a new stove for every 8-10 days or so. See link for how to make the stove and windscreen.
If you ultimately don't want to use an alcohol stove, just go with the lightest weighing stove from MSR.
http://andrewskurka.com/2011/how-to-mak ... ol-stove/
Pot If you are by yourself, you won't need anything more than a 1 L pot. I use EVERNEW's ECA265 titanium .9 L pot. Durable and very lightweight at 4.5 oz. The size will surprise you!
http://www.evernewamerica.com/ECA265.htm

Spoon Any plastic camping spoon will do. Just make sure it isn't ridiculously heavy or bulky. I don't do this, but you can cut it in half to save like half an oz too. REI or Amazon will likely have good options.

Flashlight A headlamp would probably be better IMO. It's easy to overlook this category when it comes to weight. Petzl offers some great products at a low weight. Any of their products would be good. Your needs depend on your intended use. Are you planning on using this just in your tent/around camp? Then go with any of the lamps from the Classic category. If you wish to use it for some night hiking, find anything from the Active category. Personally, I have Black Diamond's ReVolt. It has worked well for me and it is low weight. Your choice.

Quick tip- Around camp, use your headlamp on the lowest setting to conserve battery.
http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor/headlamp/universal
http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en/hea ... on#start=5

First Aid/Repair Kit You do not need a whole lot here. Anything too serious is in many cases untreatable in the backcountry. Your main issue will likely be with your feet. For first aid, some ibuprofen, diamode (pills for diarrhea), 2nd Skin, a few band aids, soap (in a tiny plastic container (no more than 2 oz.)) and 3 feet of duct tape (take it off the roll and rewrap it around a pen or something similar). The duct tape will serve multiple uses, whether it be as a bandage for a hotspot or blister or a temporary patch for a tear.

The only other pieces of gear for your repair kit are a needle and floss. You can use this to mend clothes or your tent. And keep your teeth clean!

Bug Spray DEET is the most popular and most effective option. However, DEET uses some dangerous chemicals in their product. They do offer options that contain DEET but not 100% I choose not to use it, and suffer a little, because of the chemicals. I'm trying out a natural alternative this year that's supposedly pretty effective (although not as much as DEET). It's called Bite Blocker Xtreme. This one's up to you. You can find all these on Amazon. I think you should be fine without a head-net for hiking.

With regards to sunscreen and bug spray. You do not want to carry the full bottles the whole time. Split it up into smaller plastic bottles (3 oz. or less) and divide it up for each ration. You won't need bug spray until at least the end of May.

Water Bottles This one is easy. You'll come across plenty of areas where you can collect or drink water so you don't need much in this category. 2L carrying capacity would be my max recommendation. 1.5 L would be more than enough. The easiest option is just to reuse plastic bottles (sized .5 L or 1 L). Another option is Playtpus Softbottle. Either or would work out great.
http://www.cascadedesigns.com/platypus/ ... le/product

Camp Shoes Personally, I think these are unnecessary. You can just use your trailrunners if you want to move around camp. If your shoes are wet and you have your sleeping socks on, bring some plastic bags to put on your feet between your shoes and socks, keeping your feet dry.

Knife Unnecessary as well. You really don't need it for anything. If you do want to bring something, just get a razor blade and wrap it up. Less than 1 oz and still functional.

Towel A towel is too bulky/heavy. Just use a bandanna instead. Multi-purpose and much lighter/compact.


Miscellaneous - Don't bring any toothpaste container over 3 oz.
- You do not need toilet paper or a tiny scooper (can't think of the right word) to dig your catholes. For digging use a stick or tent stake, 4-6 in deep. For wiping, use round stones, bunched up grass, moss or leaves. Its not bad at all, better than TP and you don't litter! Just remember to wash up with soap afterwards.
-I'll touch on food in my next post.
-Recommended reading: Lighten Up! by Don Ladigan and Ultralight Backpackin' Tips by Mike Clelland.

[jennypenny]

Camp Shoes Personally, I think these are unnecessary. You can just use your trailrunners if you want to move around camp. If your shoes are wet and you have your sleeping socks on, bring some plastic bags to put on your feet between your shoes and socks, keeping your feet dry.

Shower caps work well for this, and are also useful to cover electronics or head gear in the rain. I know people who use medical shoe covers to wear over socks while camped. They work, but I like clear shower caps because you can place them over maps and electronics and still see what you're doing.

Miscellaneous - Don't bring any toothpaste container over 3 oz.

I don't hike ... but why wouldn't you just bring baking soda? It seems more versatile.