Philip J. Smith's Blog

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

How to Build an Online Portfolio That Actually Gets You Work

Note from Sean: Having a good portfolio is one the biggest keys to getting bites from potential clients.

In this post, Kayla shares how you can create an online portfolio that actually works and gets clients interested. Follow these and learn how to promote your work for your best chances of success.

Take it away, Kayla!

—

If you’re one of the approximately 53 million people considered a freelancer, you probably already understand just how competitive the marketplace is right now.

You’re competing against people all over the globe, with up-and- coming newcomers hitting the marketplace each year.

What if you could stand out from the millions of other freelancers?

Would you love to grow your client base this year and bring in more income? As a freelancer, your online portfolio is the face of your company. This is likely the main tool you use to impress potential new clients.

And if you don’t have an online portfolio, you should really consider getting one. There are tons of free portfolio websites out there (like Contently).you’ll likely want to

You’ll likely want to build your own website in order to have a custom URL and access to more advanced features. This website cost calculator is a good place to get started if you’re concerned about pricing.

No matter where you are in your portfolio management, there are some key features of successful portfolios that nearly every freelancer can benefit from. Study the features below and adjust your own online portfolio.

These will help you become more competitive and give your online presence a professional edge.

1. Explain What You Offer

The main thing your online portfolio should do is clearly explain the services you offer and any industries you specialize in. If a potential client is looking for someone specializing in designing technology websites, and this is your niche, then you want to state that clearly.

One example of a freelance site that clearly explains what it does is Work Made For Hire. This site offers advice to other freelancers, including legal advice. The site states clearly in the logo that it offers “creative business advice for creative people.”

Owner Katie Lane then goes on to explain that she helps creative-type businesses handle legal problems and negotiate. There are legal services, a blog, classes and workshops, and a variety of other resources. You can access all of this very clearly from the landing page.

2. Make Contact Info Easy to Find

If you want potential clients to be able to contact you, then you have to make that contact information easy to find. In addition, you should offer a variety of ways to get in touch with you.

Some people might prefer sending an email, while others will want a telephone number to call. Don’t forget to include social media handles, too, for the younger generation who might wish to send a DM on Twitter or get in touch on another social media platform.

Jun Yang created a simple Wix website, but the result is a portfolio that makes sense for the work Yang does. He clearly lists projects he’s worked on, info about him, and then right at the bottom of the landing page are his name, phone number, and email.

He also adds this information to every other page on his site to make it easier to find. On the “about” page, he adds a contact form as well. If you want to get in touch with Yang, you can easily find the information to do so.

3. Offer a Quote Upfront

Some freelancers don’t list their prices because they fear competitors will undercut them. However, consumers often want to know the approximate cost before they will consider hiring you.Midnight Whimsy Design lists the prices right upfront with detailed pricing.

Midnight Whimsy Design lists the prices right upfront with detailed pricing. Another way to get around this dilemma is to offer a free quote on your website.

Another way to get around this dilemma is to offer a free quote on your website. A free quote offers two advantages.

First, you’ll be able to gather the lead’s information. This means you can get in touch again and not lose the contact you’ve worked so hard to drive to your website. It also allows you to give an estimate before the business owner hires you to do work. This prevents misunderstandings later about the cost of the job.

4. Limit the Number of Categories

Even if you do a wide range of job types, try to limit the number of categories you list on your homepage. Otherwise, visitors might feel the page is too cluttered and bounce away instead of looking at examples of your work. If you have more than five types, think about how to condense them into larger categories.

Ava Sawicka is a 3D game artist. When you land on her online portfolio homepage, you’ll see three basic categories. She has images she’s created for Guns of Icarus Online, for Cuddle Pets, and a collection of her personal art work.

If you need additional info, she has uploaded her resume and you can click on the link near the top of the page. The site is fairly simple but it works well to draw the reader in.

5. Get Social

If you want to reach out to new clients, social media is the way to go. It is vital to have a social media presence, at least on the bigger social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

You should add the icons for these social media pages to your online portfolio so site visitors can take note and connect with you on those platforms as well. This simply gives you another way to connect with those who visit your site and stay in touch.

Emily Miethner’s online portfolio shares her social media locations right at the top right of her landing page. She is involved in LinkedIn, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

You certainly don’t have to add that many, especially if you’re just getting started, but it gives you an idea of the importance of connecting on social media and integrating those pages onto your website pages.

6. Choose Your Best Work

It should probably go without saying that you should present only your very best work.

However, it is very easy to set up an online portfolio in the early days of building your freelance business and then fail to update the images in the portfolio with your most recent work. No matter what type of freelancing you do, it is certain you’ve improved over time.

Take a minute to look through what you have on your site and make sure it is still the way you’d like to present yourself to potential clients.

Are there any images you feel do not reflect you in the best light or maybe just are no longer the absolute best you have to offer? Remove them and replace them with something better.

Jenn Clara’s photography portfolio is an example of a truly beautiful representation of the kind of work she is capable of doing. If you were planning to hire a wedding photography and you saw the gorgeous bride balanced on a rock in front of a lake landscape, you’d hire her in a heartbeat.

As you scroll down the page, you’ll see beautiful images representing various categories. You can click on “Portfolio” in any of these categories to make your way to more images of the same type.

The images are big, bold and beautiful. They truly capture the ability of the photographer and show it off.

Build A Better Portfolio Today

One of the best things you can do for your online portfolio is to update it frequently with new work and new skills you’ve learned.

Revisit your portfolio at least twice a year and make updates. If possible, update every time you finish a big job where you’re pleased with the work you’ve done. By updating your work frequently, potential clients will always see the best you have to offer.

Kayla Matthews is a productivity blogger based out of Pittsburgh, PA. You can read her latest posts by following her on Twitter @KaylaEMatthews.

The post How to Build an Online Portfolio That Actually Gets You Work appeared first on Location Rebel.

from Location Rebel http://ift.tt/2nI0OgG

IndieView with Phil Wall, co-author of Gary’s Guide to Life

We’re both a bit skeptical by nature, so we analyzed and picked holes in real self-help books to see what we could use as comedy. That was one of the most fun parts.

Phil Wall – 28 March 2017

The Back Flap

Most people would give anything to be as successful as Gary Speedwell is going to be. Now, in Gary’s Guide to Life, Gary puts that dream within your reach by unveiling the strategies that are going to lift him out of ordinariness and set him – and you – on course for phenomenal success.

Conventional wisdom holds that only people who have attained some measure of success are qualified to write self-help books, but Gary begs to differ. Brimming with self-belief despite mounting debt, tricky personal relationships and a life seemingly spiralling out of control, Gary is a self-help expert like no one who has gone before.

About the book

What is the book about?

It’s a novel masquerading as a self-help book. Probably not a common genre, but we think the combination of characters and plot, plus the satirical humour, carries it off! The protagonist, Gary, is English, but is heavily influenced by his hero, a (fictional) American self-help guru called Marshall Brewster. Gary is trying to emulate Marshall and rocket himself to stardom by writing what he hopes will be a best-selling self-help guide for an English audience. Self-help is a broad term, and Gary has a habit of seizing upon all the most dubious parts of the canon, and then further distorting them and misapplying them.

When did you start writing the book?

A few years ago. My co-author Michael and I had discussed writing something together for a while – we both felt we had a book in us, but needed some help dragging it out! Being able to bounce ideas off each other seemed a good way of doing it.

How long did it take you to write it?

A few years! We’ve both got children and full-time jobs, so life got in the way. We took a couple of complete breaks from it for quite a few months, but I think that helped to view what we’d written very objectively with a bit of distance.

Where did you get the idea from?

Michael came up with the basic idea after going into a bookshop and marveling at the amount of shelf space devoted to self-help books of questionable quality. We spent a while fleshing out the idea, then developing an outline plot and the other characters. By the time we got to the first draft we had a solid structure in place – we knew the key points of the story arc. We’re both a bit skeptical by nature, so we analyzed and picked holes in real self-help books to see what we could use as comedy. That was one of the most fun parts.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Not really. Tying everything neatly together at the end was the trickiest part to write, and credit to Michael for a great first draft of the final chapter that barely needed anything changing, but if there was a struggle it was more in us both finding the time to dedicate to it.

What came easily?

Building on each other’s ideas. The structured approach meant we could both draft sections of it with a good idea of where we wanted to get to in the narrative. Then we’d review each other’s work, make suggestions, trim any fat, sometimes even educate each other at the same time. Some of the comedy was definitely improved by having us critically appraise each other’s jokes and try and improve them – you can guarantee that at least one person other than the writer finds every joke in the final version funny!

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

There are inevitably little bits of people we know, and of ourselves, but definitely no whole character anyone could point to and say, “You based that on so-and-so.” The story is written first-person in Gary’s voice, so we both had to get in his head and view him in the same way, and I’m not sure we could have done that if he was based on a real person.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I think successful authors develop their own style over a long time. I couldn’t point to a particular author as an influence.

Do you have a target reader?

Anyone who wants to be amused.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

We’re both good planners. I think this is probably essential when writing with someone else. So the process took us from idea to the main character to outline, with lots of work fleshing out all the characters and working out a logical timeline. Gary gives the reader lessons from his whole life, so the timeline had to make sense.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

Yes, as described, we made quite a detailed plan, so we knew what we wanted the story to achieve in each chapter.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

We split the chapters into sections and edited after each section. With two of us involved that was necessary. I find that I tend to edit as I go along anyway, from years of writing shorter pieces for magazines.

Did you hire a professional editor?

We paid for a review by a professional proofer to ensure consistency. We wanted to make it a book we could be proud of. Having two of us in the writing process anyway meant that we were editing ourselves and each other, but even so it’s very hard to spot everything in your own work.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I used to listen to music a lot more, but now I prefer quiet when writing.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No we didn’t.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

The digital book market developed tremendously during the time we were writing, so by the time we’d finished it had become easy to self-publish and keep control.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

We paid for the cover. Again, we wanted it to be the best product it could be, and we’ve seen so many self-published books with terrible covers, which really give no confidence that the content will be worth reading.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

We’re trying different avenues to get noticed – reviews, social media posts, local bookshops and of course everyone we know. It’s definitely a learning process for first-time authors. We’re honoured to have been picked as a nomination for Novel of the Year on Underground Book Reviews.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Don’t put your work out there until it’s the best it can possibly be. Although you can do everything yourself, if you want to produce the best quality, you will need to get help with some aspects of a book. It’s extremely rare for one person to be able to produce something totally professional on their own.

End of Interview:

For more, visit Phil and Michael’s website.

Get your copy of Gary’s Guide to Life from Amazon US or Amazon UK.

from The IndieView http://ift.tt/2o6N2Ff

How to Build an Online Portfolio That Actually Gets You Work

Note from Sean: Having a good portfolio is one the biggest keys to getting bites from potential clients.

In this post, Kayla shares how you can create an online portfolio that actually works and gets clients interested. Follow these and learn how to promote your work for your best chances of success.

Take it away, Kayla!

—

If you're one of the approximately 53 million people considered a freelancer, you probably already understand just how competitive the marketplace is right now.

You're competing against people all over the globe, with up-and- coming newcomers hitting the marketplace each year.

What if you could stand out from the millions of other freelancers?

And if you don't have an online portfolio, you should really consider getting one. There are tons of free portfolio websites out there (like Contently).you'll likely want to

You'll likely want to build your own website in order to have a custom URL and access to more advanced features. This website cost calculator is a good place to get started if you're concerned about pricing.

These will help you become more competitive and give your online presence a professional edge.

1. Explain What You Offer

2. Make Contact Info Easy to Find

If you want potential clients to be able to contact you, then you have to make that contact information easy to find. In addition, you should offer a variety of ways to get in touch with you.

Some people might prefer sending an email, while others will want a telephone number to call. Don't forget to include social media handles, too, for the younger generation who might wish to send a DM on Twitter or get in touch on another social media platform.

Jun Yang created a simple Wix website, but the result is a portfolio that makes sense for the work Yang does. He clearly lists projects he's worked on, info about him, and then right at the bottom of the landing page are his name, phone number, and email.

He also adds this information to every other page on his site to make it easier to find. On the "about" page, he adds a contact form as well. If you want to get in touch with Yang, you can easily find the information to do so.

3. Offer a Quote Upfront

Some freelancers don't list their prices because they fear competitors will undercut them. However, consumers often want to know the approximate cost before they will consider hiring you.Midnight Whimsy Design lists the prices right upfront with detailed pricing.

Midnight Whimsy Design lists the prices right upfront with detailed pricing. Another way to get around this dilemma is to offer a free quote on your website.

Another way to get around this dilemma is to offer a free quote on your website. A free quote offers two advantages.

First, you'll be able to gather the lead's information. This means you can get in touch again and not lose the contact you've worked so hard to drive to your website. It also allows you to give an estimate before the business owner hires you to do work. This prevents misunderstandings later about the cost of the job.

4. Limit the Number of Categories

Ava Sawicka is a 3D game artist. When you land on her online portfolio homepage, you'll see three basic categories. She has images she's created for Guns of Icarus Online, for Cuddle Pets, and a collection of her personal art work.

If you need additional info, she has uploaded her resume and you can click on the link near the top of the page. The site is fairly simple but it works well to draw the reader in.

5. Get Social

If you want to reach out to new clients, social media is the way to go. It is vital to have a social media presence, at least on the bigger social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Emily Miethner's online portfolio shares her social media locations right at the top right of her landing page. She is involved in LinkedIn, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

You certainly don't have to add that many, especially if you're just getting started, but it gives you an idea of the importance of connecting on social media and integrating those pages onto your website pages.

6. Choose Your Best Work

It should probably go without saying that you should present only your very best work.

Take a minute to look through what you have on your site and make sure it is still the way you'd like to present yourself to potential clients.

Are there any images you feel do not reflect you in the best light or maybe just are no longer the absolute best you have to offer? Remove them and replace them with something better.

Jenn Clara's photography portfolio is an example of a truly beautiful representation of the kind of work she is capable of doing. If you were planning to hire a wedding photography and you saw the gorgeous bride balanced on a rock in front of a lake landscape, you'd hire her in a heartbeat.

As you scroll down the page, you'll see beautiful images representing various categories. You can click on "Portfolio" in any of these categories to make your way to more images of the same type.

The images are big, bold and beautiful. They truly capture the ability of the photographer and show it off.

Build A Better Portfolio Today

One of the best things you can do for your online portfolio is to update it frequently with new work and new skills you've learned.

Revisit your portfolio at least twice a year and make updates. If possible, update every time you finish a big job where you're pleased with the work you've done. By updating your work frequently, potential clients will always see the best you have to offer.

Kayla Matthews is a productivity blogger based out of Pittsburgh, PA. You can read her latest posts by following her on Twitter @KaylaEMatthews.

The post How to Build an Online Portfolio That Actually Gets You Work appeared first on Location Rebel.

from Location Rebel http://ift.tt/2nI0OgG

IndieView with Phil Wall, co-author of Gary’s Guide to Life

We're both a bit skeptical by nature, so we analyzed and picked holes in real self-help books to see what we could use as comedy. That was one of the most fun parts.

Phil Wall – 28 March 2017

The Back Flap

Most people would give anything to be as successful as Gary Speedwell is going to be. Now, in Gary's Guide to Life, Gary puts that dream within your reach by unveiling the strategies that are going to lift him out of ordinariness and set him – and you – on course for phenomenal success.

About the book

What is the book about?

It's a novel masquerading as a self-help book. Probably not a common genre, but we think the combination of characters and plot, plus the satirical humour, carries it off! The protagonist, Gary, is English, but is heavily influenced by his hero, a (fictional) American self-help guru called Marshall Brewster. Gary is trying to emulate Marshall and rocket himself to stardom by writing what he hopes will be a best-selling self-help guide for an English audience. Self-help is a broad term, and Gary has a habit of seizing upon all the most dubious parts of the canon, and then further distorting them and misapplying them.

When did you start writing the book?

How long did it take you to write it?

A few years! We've both got children and full-time jobs, so life got in the way. We took a couple of complete breaks from it for quite a few months, but I think that helped to view what we'd written very objectively with a bit of distance.

Where did you get the idea from?

Michael came up with the basic idea after going into a bookshop and marveling at the amount of shelf space devoted to self-help books of questionable quality. We spent a while fleshing out the idea, then developing an outline plot and the other characters. By the time we got to the first draft we had a solid structure in place – we knew the key points of the story arc. We're both a bit skeptical by nature, so we analyzed and picked holes in real self-help books to see what we could use as comedy. That was one of the most fun parts.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

What came easily?

Building on each other's ideas. The structured approach meant we could both draft sections of it with a good idea of where we wanted to get to in the narrative. Then we'd review each other's work, make suggestions, trim any fat, sometimes even educate each other at the same time. Some of the comedy was definitely improved by having us critically appraise each other's jokes and try and improve them – you can guarantee that at least one person other than the writer finds every joke in the final version funny!

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

There are inevitably little bits of people we know, and of ourselves, but definitely no whole character anyone could point to and say, "You based that on so-and-so." The story is written first-person in Gary's voice, so we both had to get in his head and view him in the same way, and I'm not sure we could have done that if he was based on a real person.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I think successful authors develop their own style over a long time. I couldn't point to a particular author as an influence.

Do you have a target reader?

Anyone who wants to be amused.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

We're both good planners. I think this is probably essential when writing with someone else. So the process took us from idea to the main character to outline, with lots of work fleshing out all the characters and working out a logical timeline. Gary gives the reader lessons from his whole life, so the timeline had to make sense.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

Yes, as described, we made quite a detailed plan, so we knew what we wanted the story to achieve in each chapter.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you've finished?

Did you hire a professional editor?

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I used to listen to music a lot more, but now I prefer quiet when writing.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No we didn't.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

The digital book market developed tremendously during the time we were writing, so by the time we'd finished it had become easy to self-publish and keep control.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

We paid for the cover. Again, we wanted it to be the best product it could be, and we've seen so many self-published books with terrible covers, which really give no confidence that the content will be worth reading.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

We're trying different avenues to get noticed – reviews, social media posts, local bookshops and of course everyone we know. It's definitely a learning process for first-time authors. We're honoured to have been picked as a nomination for Novel of the Year on Underground Book Reviews.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Don't put your work out there until it's the best it can possibly be. Although you can do everything yourself, if you want to produce the best quality, you will need to get help with some aspects of a book. It's extremely rare for one person to be able to produce something totally professional on their own.

End of Interview:

For more, visit Phil and Michael's website.

Get your copy of Gary's Guide to Life from Amazon US or Amazon UK.

from The IndieView http://ift.tt/2o6N2Ff

Monday, March 27, 2017

Gear Closet: Backpacking Stoves, Pots, and Kitchen Accessories

Gear Closet - Stoves, Pots, Kitchen, Bear Protection

Here are the backpacking stoves, cooking pots, and "kitchen" accessories, including bear bags and bear canisters, that I use year-round on a regular basis (90-120 nights/year.) Many of these items are old friends that have withstood the test of time and I've been using for years and years. Why the variety? I backpack year-round and like to bring gear that satisfies my needs best. These needs change with the season, objectives, locales, and my companions. That said, consider these my "top" gear picks…the stuff that I recommend to friends without reservation.

Evernew Titanium Pasta Pot

I've been using The Evernew Titanium Pasta Pot ($69) since 2010 (when REI private labelled it) and mine is blackened by fire and a bit bashed up. Weighing 3.9 ounces, it holds 0.9 liters of water, which is perfect for making the one-pot meals I like to eat. It has a silicone-coated, fold-out handle and strainer holes in the lid (good for pasta) that help prevent boil overs. The inside has measurements scored in ounces and millilitres. I use it when I cook with Esbit or wood, which is the majority of the time. I can also fit my stove, fuel, and fire-making system inside, which is a big convenience.
See the Evernew Titanium Pasta Pot (med)

See my Evernew Titanium Pasta Pot Review

Evernew Titanium UL 1.3 Liter Pot

The Evernew Titanium 1.3 liter pot ($68) is an uncoated cook pot that I use for winter backpacking when I need to melt snow for drinking water. It weighs 4 oz and has a volume of 1.3 Liters, with a wide bottom that helps diffuse the heat of a high-powered liquid fuel stove. In addition to folding insulated handles and a pour spout, it has liquid measurements in ounces and millilitres scored in the pot interior. Very basic, lightweight, and compact.
See the Evernew Titanium 1.3 Liter Pot

See my Evernew Titanium UL Pot 1.3L Review

QiWiz Titanium Dual Burner (Esbit/Alcohol) Stove System

QiWiz, pronounced Chee-wiz, is a one-man cottage gear maker who specializes in titanium stoves and tools. I'm a big fan of his dual burner (Esbit/Alcohol) stove system ($49.50) which includes a 750 ml titanium pot (110g), a dual fuel stove (18g), titanium windscreen (15g), and stainless steel mesh pot stand (10g), although I use a different pot. I also use the titanium windscreen with other stoves, since it's so convenient to pack in a cook pot.
See the QiWiz Dual Fuel Stove System
See my QiWiz Titanium Dual Fuel Stove System Review

QiWiz FireFly Wood Stove

The QiWiz FireFly Wood Stove ($69) is a 2.8 ounce titanium wood stove made from interlocking pieces of titanium that fold flat when not in use, making it convenient to carry in a backpack. It has an integrated pot stand and mesh floor, as well as a side port that lets you feed in larger pieces of wood to keep it going. You can also purchase a very thin titanium ground guard to place under the stove to avoid scorching the ground. The Firefly is a great little stove that burns very efficiently and adds to one's camping ambiance. You can also use it as a pot stand/wind shield for an alcohol or Esbit stove when it rains.
See the QiWiz Firefly Stove

See my QiWiz Firefly Wood Stove Review

Kovea Spider Remote Canister Stove

The Kovea Spider ($52) is a 6.0 ounce, remote canister stove that can be used with a windscreen to boost fuel efficiency since the burner is not located next to the canister. It also folds up small and can be stored inside a 1 liter pot for individual use. The Spider is special because it can burn the fuel inside a canister in its liquid form down to about 0 degrees fahrenheit (by turning the canister upside down), giving you a 10-15 degree advantage over regular canister stoves that can only burn isobutane in its vapor form.
See the Kovea Spider Stove

See my Kovea Spider Remote Canister Stove Review.

MSR Whisperlite Liquid Fuel Stove

The MSR Whisperlite ($89) is my deep winter camping stove, the one I use when I have to melt large quantities of snow to make drinking water and need to use a high power fuel like white gas. The Whisperlite includes the burner, which has an integrated primer cup, pot stand, fuel line, and a plastic fuel pump. MSR fuel bottles are available in a variety of sizes and sold separately. The 11.4 ounce Whisperlite is a very reliable stove and one that you can clean or repair by yourself. It takes a little practice to prime and ignite without burning your eyelashes off, but I wouldn't winter camp without it.
See the MSR Whisperlite Stove

See my MSR Whisperlite Stove Review

MSR Whisperlite Fuel Bottle

I use a 20 ounce MSR fuel bottle ($19) that weighs 6.3 ounces empty with my Whisperlite stove. You can also purchase 11 and 30 ounce bottles. While MSR bottles are compatible across MSR liquid fuel stoves, I don't know of any other non-MSR stoves that you can use them with. The MSR bottles have a locking cap to prevent fuel spills. I've wrapped my bottle with duct tape to help prevent a cold injury when touching it. The temperature of liquid fuel can drop below freezing and cause frostbite.
See the MSR Whisperlite Fuel Bottle

Folding Wind Screen

I use a cheapo folding windscreen ($8) with my Whisperlite – they're easily obtainable on Amazon. It weighs 4 oz and is just the right height and length to wrap completely around the pot. It also fits inside the 1.3L Evernew Pot I use in winter, together with my Whisperlite Stove and fuel pump, so they take up less space in my pack.
See the Cheapo Folding Wind Screem

See my Compact Folding Windscreen Review

Light My Fire – Fire Steel

The Light My Fire sparking fire steel ($13.95) is a stove and fire ignition source that always works and that I never have to resupply it after a trip. Matches get wet. Butane lighters jam or run out of fuel, but a fire steel always throws sparks. Light My Fire has two models and I use the chunkier one designed for military use because it's more durable and rated for 12,000 uses. I carry vaseline covered cotton balls as a firestarter for lighting Esbit cubes or my wood stove.
See the Light My Fire Fire Steel Army

GSI Outdoors Table Spoon

I use a big GSI Outdoors Table Spoon ($0.75)to eat all of my backpacking meals because it's hard to misplace. It weighs 0.8 oz and is heat-proof and BPA-free, of course. It also costs less than a buck at REI and is probably the least expensive thing in the store!
See the GSI Outdoors Table Spoon

OPSAK Odor Barrier Bags

The manufacturer claims that OPSAK plastic bags are odor-proof ($10.50/2). While I can't verify that scientifically, I've been using these bags for the past 10 years to hold all my food and line my bear bag or bear canister with. At 1.3 ounces each, these big ziploc bags are quite durable and help prevent a mess when one of my food bags rips open or a bar of chocolate melts.
See the Plastic Odor Barrier Bags

Ursack Bear-Proof Bag

I own two Ursacks ($79), which are lightweight (7.7 ounce), soft-sided, bear-proof bear bags made with Spectra fabric. I've been using them since 2008 to store my food overnight on backpacking trips and they're infinitely easier to use than hanging a bear bag overhead in a tree. I can fit 5-7 days of food into one. They passed the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) test and were placed on its bear-resistant products list on July 31, 2014, but some national parks still prohibit their use. That's not a problem in New England where I do most of my hiking and I know quite a few other hikers who use them. I've been evangelizing their use for close to a decade, since most backpackers have difficulty hanging regular bear bags well. I was thrilled when REI started selling them.
See the Ursack Bear-Proof Bag

See my Ursack Bear Bag Review

Bare Boxer Contender Bear Canister

The Bare Boxer ($59) is a small 2-3 day hard-sided bear canister good for short trips where a bear canister is required. It has three locks in the lid and weighs 26.3 ounces. I only use it for short trips when I head into bear country, where a canister is required. It's the lightest weight hard bear canister available, perfect for a long weekend.
See the Bear Boxer Contender

See my Bear Boxer Content Bear Canister Review

Garcia Backpacker's Cache Bear Canister

The Garcia Backpacker's Cache Bear Canister ($74) is my larger bear canister. It weighs 43.5 ounces and can fit a week's worth of food and smellables. It's not the lightest large bear canister available, but the Adirondack bears haven't figured out how to open this bear canister out yet, which is where I use mine. It makes a pretty good camp seat too!
See the Garcia Backpacker's Cache

That's the extent of my backpacking stoves, pots, kitchen accessories and bear protection gear. Let me know if you have any questions. I'm happy to help.

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Everly Green – Qualico

A new Collection of Willoughby, Langley Townhomes & Single Family Homes.

This wonderful new community of 54 townhomes and 36 single family homes is coming soon to Willoughby.

Ideally located at the 82nd Avenue and 204B Streets, this unique community features a shared common greenspace and is bordered on 2 sides by a nature belt. The townhomes will feature 2, 3 and 3+den plans, with either yards or roof top decks. The single family homes will feature 4 bedroom + den or 5 bedroom + den plans, some offering master on main living.

Each home at Everly Green has been thought through carefully and equipped with fixtures and finishes to give you enjoyment to give you peace of mind, from the Kitchen to the Laundry room!

Each home is equipped with brand name appliances, they will not let you down.

Beautiful natural surroundings and mountain views make Everly Green the perfect place to call home.

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