Treated myself to an early xmas of sorts and got a bunch of stuff I need for the road, since I’m likely to be on the road and in the desert for xmas.

– Got a front receiver hitch for my van so I have a solid front recovery point, though also the capability to have a front step, basket for generator, firewood, or other camp/road gear, AND can better hook up and steer trailers into tight spots or in recovery situations. Also makes it easier to reverse direction on a tight trail where one may not have enough room to back both trailer and vehicle off the trail.

Hoping to install it this Thurs when it warms up a bit. Well below freezing and gloomy out there lately.

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– A 3in x 8ft 30,000lb tree-saver/winch strap/tow strap (below) to go with the 30ft 24,000lb recovery/tow strap I already have. Both are from TGL Recovery Gear, which I honestly don’t know anything about, though they sure get a lot of good reviews on amazon for their stuff and my 30′ strap has performed great, though hasn’t seen a ton of use. They’re offering a 15% off coupon as of this writing on the 30′ strap.

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– An All Weather Notebook from Snugpak. I’m all the time making quick notes in the field about flora, fauna, animal tracks and sizes of all, or camera settings, etc. I like this all-weather notebook more than the other popular brand because it is larger at 4″x6″ and easier to use with gloves on. Also easier to write in.

In my tests so far it works really well with regular pens, pencils, and Sharpie (which sometimes beads up on all-weather paper but not in this notebook). Ink from my Micron pens needs a few secs to dry or may smudge. It also has, inside the back cover so it stays clean, handy rulers in both inches and millimeters and conversion charts for length, weight, and temps.

Be aware, if you order from amzn there is just one notebook in the order, not three or four as they picture. It’s also green, not tan as they picture, which is fine with me. Mine is a full 6″ long, however, contrary to what a previous reviewer found.

 
Snugpak has a bunch of great stuff. I have three of their Jungle Blankets, too, and use them regularly for myself and camp guests.

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– Finally got another pair of good touch-screen gloves. I use these all the time when camping, with my cameras and mobile devices. I  and want gloves that both keep my hands warmer and are effective with touch screens. My old ones from Manfrotto finally wore out a fingertip. I’ve had these a couple weeks now and can say they work even better than my old ones did. I like that they have grip texture in the palms, too. Very handy when gripping gear.