Mr Bentley In The Morning

Usually how I find Bentley in the morning after his walk. The dude comes back and immediately rolls up into a donut and naps. I think he's getting fat. I'm that one parent that spoils the shit out of the pup, then gets offended when someone calls him fat. I guess it's time to go on a diet you 30 lbs. potato..  

Biltwell Bubble Shield. An Astronaught Artifact

I have a problem. I think I'm obsess with the Biltwell Bubble Shield. I own the chrome, orange, and now red option. The bubble shield and the gringo helmet combo looks so futuristic to me. What do you think? I feel like I'm space traveling with it on. Zooming though California highways on my triumph. It looks like an artifact straight out of the movie "The Martian."

A Little Bit of Sunshine. Eno "SUNSHINE" Hammock

Today's pick up. The ENO Double Nest, SUNSHINE & Atlas XL Strap. I'm glad I decided to go with the XL straps. Tree's in California are girthy as fuck. I'll need the extra reach.

After napping in one of my buddies ENO hammock in Havasupai last month. I knew I needed one of my own. Its going to be a tough choice deciding between hammock camping or tent camping from now on. It's I'll just bring both. The hammock is so comfortable, like unbelievably comfortable.  It packs up small, very key in keeping light while backpacking. I'm definitely going to keep a set in my car for when the opportunity comes.  Here's a few photos of the Sunshine colorway I bought. I wish it was more red than orange. But I still love it. 

I Survived Backpacking Havasupai Arizona

36.255° N, 112.698° W //

Trip Itinerary :  
a. Las Vegas Nevada
b. 4 hr Drive to Supai, Arizona
c. Havasupai Falls

I learned that "Havasu" means blue-green water and "Pai" is people.  According to Wikipedia the Havasupai Tribe have lived in the Grand Canyon for at least 800 years. I'd settle here too now that I've been. I mean, why would anyone want to leave? The water is unbelievably turquoise. You're surrounded by epic waterfalls, lush green jungles, and towering orange canyons. I'm sure food off the land is plenty. I didn't hunt for my food so I dont know. The best part is its hidden deep into the desert, between the canyons, an oasis. It's vibrant, inspirational, and humbling. It's somewhere I want to be again.  

Photos from the trip, and a quick video for Instagram. Follow me on IG. Longer length video this weekend. 

Majestic Casual : Chapter 3

1 ODESZA feat. Madelyn Grant - Sun Models
2 SRNO feat. Gia Koka - Give It All Up
3 20syl feat. Oddisee - Ongoing Thing
4 Lana Del Rey - West Coast (ZHU Remix)
5 Hayden James - Something About You
6 Cabu & Akacia - Gold
7 swell feat. shiloh - i’m sorry
8 NoMBe - California Girls
9 HONNE - The Night
10 Gallant - Weight In Gold
11 Astronomyy feat. Denai Moore - All I Need
12 Favela - Gong
13 Joe Hertz feat. Huntar - Tied Up
14 KAASI - Those Days
15 LANY - ILYSB (Ferdinand Weber Remix)
16 Jason Nolan - Angel Grove
17 AlunaGeorge - Supernatural (Pomo Remix)
18 Jessie Ware - Champagne Kisses (Darius Remix)
19 Paradis - Garde le pour toi
20 Litany - Work This Out

sea to sky GONDOLA : BC canada

49.4031° N, 123.092° W//

Trip Itinerary :  
a. YVR Vancouver International Airport
b. Highway 99 (Sea-to-sky Highway)
c. Sea to Sky Gondola

My next few post will be a bit schizo cause I'm backed up on editing for like 3 months. As far as travelling goes. You'll be seeingHawaii, Oregon, Canada & Arizona photos and videos.  Also I have a few more toys to share. Plus I'm going to start giving away two HOBO hat a month.

Its a shame my favorite color is red. If it were to be green. Imagine how overwhelmingly beautiful nature will be.  Here are photos from the Sea to Sky hike I did in Canada. 

Birthday Bent

Bentley turns 4 years old. My little fat sausage dog is about to get even fatter off this peanut butter cake. 

 

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE

I've had my eye on the Scrambler Solo Seat for awhile now. I wanted it for the rear rack so I can motorcycle camp this summer. After months of monitoring craigslist I finally found a great deal. I wanted a used seat so I could learn to reupholster it. I don't know much about upholstery but figured I'm up for the challenge. The thought of having a custom motorcycle seat seems rad. It'll definitely set my bike apart, and make the value go up right...? (joke about the latter)

It was a difficult decision because I was torn between making the seat black pleats or burgundy pleats. I've always been a fan of the blacked out look, but I'm glad I went with the burgundy (some call it oxblood.) I'm quite happy with the new seat and grip combo. What are your thoughts?

Don't be fooled by the video. I failed twice. This was the third try. Here is my first attempt:

Anyway. enjoy the video and photos of the new look. 

PS. I got rid of the hideous stock rear fender. Replaced it with the Motobox Slimline. I think it makes the tail-end so SICK! Get yours here.

Havasupai in 360°

I have yet to start editing the mountain of footage from Havasupai (pun intended.) I'm terribly sorry to all of my 3 readers... but you're in luck. Here are some awesome 360 photos I took while backpacking. I'll post them sequentially. 

Also, if you're not familiar with the Theta 360.  Its an awesome camera, I highly recommend it. Just as the name suggest, this little device has two 180° optical sensor. Combine, it outputs and stitches a 360° degree photos.  It's not going to be your primary shooter obviously. But definitely a fun camera that adds variety to your trips. 

Click and Pan Guys. Enjoy!

Day 1 : The 10 mile hike in to Havasupai had towering canyons, tinted in hues of orange, red and brown. Sections of the hike are narrow and tall.  It provided awesome cover from the sun.

Anna and I going through Supai Canyons. Headed towards Havasupai campgrounds #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

6 miles in you reach a small village. From the village we hiked another 2 miles to Havasupai Falls. Do you recognized how excited I am. We are close to our camp site.

Made it to the waterfall. Another mile into the camp site. #havasupaifalls #supai #havasupai #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

We camped in the more woodsy area. Next to the cool blue stream leading to Mooney Falls. Some of us in tents. Others in hammocks. 

Our camp. #havasupaifalls #backpacking #havasupai #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

Here's a look into my castle. Its a little over 3lbs. The MSR Hubba Hubba is pretty damn spacious. I bet it can fit 3 little asian person.

Msr Hubba Hubba. A little over 3 lbs. pretty spacious. #msr #backpacking #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

After we settled in. We all went for a swim at Havasupai Falls. This was the closest to camp, and no one was in the mood to hike far. I don't blame them.

Day 1 : We set up camp and immediately went for a swim. I learned that squirrels are ruthless this day. They ate through our bag and stole our snacks! #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

Day 2 : Stopped by Mooney Falls before trecking over to Beaver Falls. 

#MooneyFALLS #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

We did a 8 mile hike round-trip to Beaver Falls.  Unfortunately I didn't get a 360 of Beaver Falls. Here's a group photo on the way back.  You can see a little bit of the falls cascading in the background. 

Post from RICOH THETA. #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

HO°BO° NIKE PRESTO'S

It's everything I wanted. I'm so glad Nike brought back the original Presto's released in the late 90's and early 2000. These Presto's are hands down my favorite design of its Lineage. They are light and comfortable, and give a lot of flexibility in the toe area. Of course I had to pick up a pair in red. Check out my custom HoBo ID's.

SUPAI IN TWO DAYS

I feel like an anxious kid waiting for Friday to come. Anna and I are meeting friends in Supai, Arizona. We'll be backpacking in, and camping in Supai Reservations for 2 days, 3 nights. Our destination: Havasupai Falls. 

I'm nervous because this will be my first time backpacking. I've been doing my research about the hike, and essentials to bring. Thank God for social media and the internet. It made preparing less jarring. Good news is my friend Chau that we're meeting up with, has done this three times. So I'm with a veteran. I'll be good. 

You'll have to wait until I come back to let you know if i'm either over prepared, or under prepared for this trip Though. I imagine backpacking in the summer time is much easier than in the winter in regards to the amount of gear required. Arizona weather is in the 100's right now so I am able to pack very little clothes. This opens up more room for my camera gear and food.  I feel good about the items I'm bringing. I feel less worried knowing it's just a weekend trip vs anythjng longer. My aspiration is to go on longer trips, but for now let conquer this 10 mile in and 10 mile out trip first. 

Last night I neatly played out everything I'll be squeezing into my backpack. I'm surprised everything fits. Even the drone (kind of wish.) 

DANNER'S!!! HOW EXCITING

Look what I received today. Hand delivered from Oregon with care. A pair of boots. Not any basic boot. They're Danner boots. They're an Oregon company who's been slaying it since 1932. Every boot is handcrafted and made with high precision. I'm grateful for such a nice gift. Although we are in different concentrated fields. I believe in the same values and craftsmanship when I in my design career. Make products that last a lifetime. Shout out to Danner. 

I received the Mountain Pass Cedar, and for those who know me. Of course I laced them red immediately. 

CHASING THE MILKY WAY in big sur CAlifornia

35.970° N, 121.451° W //

Trip Itinerary :  
a. CA Highway 1 South
b. Big Sur, California
c. Cabrillo Highway 1 
d. Prewitt Ridge Road

I've been fascinated by astrophotography for like ever. I thought I needed an expensive camera to be able to do it, so I never tried to learn. Turns out Its quite simple, you can basically use your iPhone if you wanted to. Download the app Slow Shutter for long exposures, and Photo Pills for all your galactic data. Grab a tripod and you're set. I wont' get into any details on how to-- Because Lonely Speck is a great resource if you're interested in learning. Check em out. 

Here are some photos taken with my Panasonic Lumix G7 w/ the 12-35mm f2.8 lens. Taken during sunset, and 4am when the milky way was at it's highest point. Enjoy !

Shout out to my homie Henry Wu for capturing Bentley and I gazing into the sunset. Check him out on IG. P.S congrats on winning the Alite Photo Contest. 

POWERTYE CARGO NET

If you ride a motorcycle that doesn't have a trunk. You need a cargo net. You'll never know when It'll come in handy. I picked mine up from Amazon for 8 bucks. It comes in black, orange, red or blue. The hooks are plastic but feel really sturdy. I keep mine in my backpack, and mainly use it to strap down groceries, or an extra helmet. In its relaxed state the net sits about 1ft x 1ft. Fully stretched out it's about 3ft x 3ft. These days I use it to go crabbing on my motorcycle.  But no luck so far.  Don't it at home. 

Portability is Key

I'm constantly quoting Chase Jarvis. He says "The best camera, is the one that's always with you." Its True. I take more photos using my iPhone than my micro 4/3. This is why I rarely carry my fancy camera anymore. I wish I did, and I should because It takes amazing photos. But, the convenience of a phone, the built in apps, and these Joby tripods make for an ultra portable, and killer combo.  

The Joby Grip Tight, Micro Tripod, and Mini Gorilla Pod pictured above can be found on Amazon. Each costing below 15 dollars, and fit in your pockets. Making them a no brain-er purchase. 

"Buy the Gorilla Pod over the Micro Tripod." 

I couldn't help myself so I bought both. I'm sorry, the red accents got me. After two weeks of use. It's safe to say. "Buy the Gorilla Pod over the Micro Tripod." The Gorilla Pod is way more versatile. It has magnets in its feet. Allowing you to get more creative with your shots. It contorts into complex positions, where as the micro tripod only sits low and pivots at it's mounting point.

Currently I used both tripod to grab filler time-lapse footage. They're both small and compact, so easy to whip out, and travel with. My main goal are to reduce hand held vibrations, and a clear steady shot. Trust me it makes a world of difference in post editing. If you don't already have a portable tripod for your phone. COP IT NOW.

Lastly. Here's a fun time-lapse using the Gorilla Pod placed over a cooler.