Minimalist Camping

going solo at Alto Peak in 2006

I have decided to switch to minimalism. Minimalist camping has probably not yet been given a clear-cut international definition. Its definition varies according to region. In some parts of the globe, an ax may be essential. In other places, a rifle or a shotgun should always be on the list. But in the Philippines, the list of equipment may be trimmed down as we have no problems with bears and snow. With this fluid definition of the term, one thing’s for sure: in minimalist camping, the camper should keep his gear down to a minimum.

Malapascua Revisited

Malapascua Legend

When you’re in Cebu City, four hours is all you need in order to extend your weekend. I took the 5 am bus to Maya, the northernmost tip of Cebu mainland. At 9:30 the outrigger boat sailed to the island of Malapascua and after 30 minutes my long Saturday started.

Lagataw's New Writer

My new HP Folio 13

When my MSI U160 died last week I had one question in mind.

Vaio T or MacBook Air?

My budget for a speedy ultrabook was P50K. Vaio T and MacBook Air were within the budget.

The Sony Vaio T13

I love Sony products so Vaio was on top of my list. The only initial problem I had with Vaio T was the stupid design! Its two USB ports are both on the left side of the 'dashboard'. That means you'll be forced to buy a blue tooth mouse or depend on the touchpad if you don't want to deal with cords snaking around your laptop. Well, not unless you're left-handed. And your printer should also be conveniently placed on the left. So I was in Cyberzone tinkering with the touchpad of Vaio. Impressively, among ultrabooks in the market today, Vaio's touchpad comes the closest to the versatility of Mac's. But as I was trying its three-finger and four-finger features, it lost its clickability. I could still hover but I couldn't click. Booo!

The Apple MacBook Air

It then left me with just the 11 inch MacBook Air (64GB). I spent about an hour testing the MacBook Air at iStore. And its smooth multi-functional touchpad made other touchpads feel like sandpaper!  My problem with Mac was that I use MS Word extensively at the office and in blogging. I tried using MS Word for Mac but some features in Windows MS Word were either missing or difficult to find. But I knew I would get used to it eventually so software change was not a major problem for me. The price of the MacBook Air, however, turned me off! I don’t have a credit card. I use cash whenever I buy something. Mac don’t offer a lower price for a cash purchase of any of their products, which was very disappointing!

So I went to Silicon Valley to have more options. Next on my list were HP Folio 13 and the rest of the ultrabooks in the market.  What I hate about other ultrabooks is their eagerness to emulate the teardrop shape of MacBook Air. They look flimsy and unoriginal. I wouldn’t want to hear a friend saying “Cool laptop you got there huh! It looks terrifically like a Mac!” . I would have ‘a laptop that looks like a Mac’ for the rest of its operational time. On the other hand, HP and Sony made no attempt, whatsoever, to look like a Mac. Although the keyboard of HP does try to look like the keyboard of the MacBook Pro! What made me decide to get an HP Folio 13 instead?

Lagataw's new home

Mt Lanaya Traverse: Minimalist Camping

my bivvy at Windows campsite

I have recently decided to take minimalist camping to a more intense level. My first taste of minimalist camping was my overnight trek at the Akiki-Ambangeg route in Mt Pulag in 2011. I slept in the cavity of a boulder by the banks of Eddet River. That time I didn’t make use of my stove and cookset. I survived the trek without the usual necessities of a camper.

But last weekend, I took minimalist camping to a higher level. This time, I was more self-reliant. I climbed alone (without a guide) and I took a different entry point and exit point from the ones I took last January. And this time, instead of taking refuge in a boulder, I had to make my very first bivvy. And, I’d love to think that the bivvy I made may have been the best four-point bivvy I’ve known. The destination: Mt Lanaya (Alegria, Cebu).

Remembering Buruwisan

It was a chilly August morning. It took me a bit of a while to realize that we were on a mountain. It is always chilly on the mountains. The music of the stream nearby reassured me we weren't in the city. As I peered through the tent vestibule, I saw my father perched upon a promontory, his chin on his knees, and staring probably at the water below or probably at the space between. He believes space is perceivable by the naked eye. He says we were born with it and we experience it every day so we take it for granted just like our own saliva, which we think is tasteless just because we taste it every day. Occasionally he would be frozen steady, gazing at the horizon obscured by foliage that shifted from purple to blue to dark green. I wondered what was on his mind at that moment. Was it mom again, or another subject for a book? He always has a subject to write. But he’s never finished any book. He would, at times, tell me bits and pieces of them though. He says those subjects are too profound to be contained in just a set of words. He treats those things as if they were sentient beings that deserve to be respected. He maintains that if you can’t perfectly put into words the ideas contained in a single event in the universe, better not verbalize it.