The Royce Files

I think I have owned over a dozen pairs of New Balance shoes in my lifetime.  That is not much by some standards, but I have found the shoes to be durable more or less and have worn out many pairs. Plus New Balance shoes tend to fit better for people like me who have wide feet.  That is probably why I gravitate toward the brand when looking for running shoes.  My first pair of New Balance I believe were a gray and blue pair of NB574s my mother purchased for me when I took up track and field in the seventh grade. They lasted through my greatest athletic period- junior high. I grew out of them by high school, left track behind, and wore Converse All-Stars instead.  I do not recall when I returned to the New Balance fold. I remember using quite a few junky sneakers through college for sports that did not fit my feet well or breathe. Those shoes may have been from Wal-Mart or Pamida. I also started wearing more luggy outdoor recreation style shoes- Nike All Condition Ge...

Coleman 502 These posts are dedicated to the hard working gear that I have utilized on my camping expeditions. Might be something simple or vintage or cool. Our first post for GearCamp features the Coleman 502 Single Burner Camp Stove from the 1970s. Coleman has been around for over 100 years. They have made some pretty durable camping gear especially stoves and lanterns. I acquired the 502 at thrift shop for 2 bucks and it included a square aluminum pot that doubled as a case. Unfortunately the stove did not work, so it sat around for a while before I was able to tinker around and fire it up. The pump gasket just needed to be lubricated and away it worked. Despite its bulk, this is my go to stove for trips even though I do own a few lighter weight stoves. And the good thing about these stoves is that there are still parts around to keep these guys humming for another 30 years. I think it only burns white gas (aka coleman fuel). I have never tried the gas from the pump. You hav...