I got this idea from the Amish. They have replaced their kerosene lamps with LED lamps powered by a rechargeable battery. That’s not so new; their hack is to power the LED lamps with a cordless tool battery, which acts as a stable base, lasts a super long time (days), and can usually be found charged. Also, a battery is the most expensive part of a light and this is dual use. You can get these units to fit any of the three major tool battery systems. I use ours (for a Dewalt battery) for brilliant emergency lighting and as a perfect camp lamp.— KK

I read this short one-page article years ago and still remember its lesson vividly: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning. A drowning person does not splash, flail, and yell. They are quiet and incapable of splashing, yelling, or even lifting their arms. “Children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.” Read this and maybe save a life. — KK

I just completed a six-day walk across the island of Bali. We carried only day packs and our luggage was forwarded each day. We walked roughly 77 km from Ubud, up to the volcanoes in the center of the island, and then finished on the north coast. We had two guides to lead the way through the rice terraces, and we slept in local villages, Balinese style along the way. I highly recommend the organizers, who charge only $500 for the whole trip, including all the vegetarian meals along the way. This is miles off the tourist, or even backpacker, tracks. The hosts, Astungkara Way, also offer a 10-day version which goes coast to coast. — KK

I am about to leave on a walk-and-talk, which is a week-long moving salon. A group of 10 people walk 100km in a week, while in conversation, including a 3-hour conversation each evening dedicated to one topic, suggested by the participants. Craig Mod and I have been running these in many countries to great success and we wrote up all we know in 21 pages so you could host one yourself, with your own group of friends. Free PDF, at How to Walk and Talk. — KK

Earth.fm is a free repository of more than 700 natural soundscapes from all over the globe. Here is a Summer Storm in Kamnik Alps, Slovenia. Recently launched is their Quiet Places Finder — an interactive map to discover the best rated quiet spaces in the loudest cities. Near me, I found a rose garden that I want to go spend time in. — CD 

NearbyWiki.org is a map you can use to find places nearby that have their own wikipedia page. I discovered that one of the last independently owned radio stations in the Bay Area is broadcasting from a house two blocks away. — CD 

This simple trick by Coach Mike Nitro shows you how to use your pants as a life preserver. It could save your life if you fall overboard into deep water with your clothes on. — KK

The US National Park Service offers various passes to all its parks, including a $80 lifetime pass for seniors over 62, and a $10 lifetime military/veteran pass. They also will issue a FREE pass for any current 4th grader and/or anyone with permanent disabilities. Subtle reminder that national parks are one of America’s best ideas. — KK

On your next visit to San Francisco (or if you live there) walk across this small city on the SF Crosstown Trail. Even though I have lived in or near San Francisco for forty years, I discovered all kinds of gems, and stunning views that I had no idea existed. The route is engineered to pass through as many neighborhood parks as possible, with unexpected turns, and hidden treasures. Although you can do its 17 miles in one long day, we divided it into multiple days, ubering back to our start place. The entire walk is enjoyable, safe, and endlessly surprising. Download the app so you can easily follow the trail on your phone. For locals, the trail runs from the new Candlestick Point Park to Land’s End national park. If similar transecting crosstown walks exist for other great cities, let me know. — KK

This week a annular solar eclipse crossed a good swath of the US, but this “ring of fire” eclipse was not a total eclipse. The difference between an annular eclipse and a total eclipse is night and day. The next total eclipse in the US will be April 8 next year. The best source for tracking its path, with expected cloud coverage, duration of totality, and ideal viewing spots is this wonderful website, The Eclipse Company. — KK

For 30 years we’ve permanently packed a blanket in our car, which we use for picnics, sitting on the beach, as a seat at rest stops, etc. For the past few years we keep the Scuddles Outdoor Blanket ($28, and 15,000 reviews on Amazon), which is the best. One side is slippery and waterproofed which means it stays dry but also dirt and sand don’t stick to it. The other side is fuzzy but very durable and tidy. While it spreads out large, it easily folds up into a handy self-closing easy-to-store package with a handle. Very nice. — KK

Los Angeles is under invasion by the Aedes "ankle-biting" mosquito, which was first spotted in Southern California in 2001. The population has been growing ever since. Some of my family members have bad reactions to DEET, so I bought Murphy's Naturals Lemon Eucalyptus Oil Insect Repellent Spray. It keeps the mosquitoes away, as long as I reapply it every few hours. — MF

The Real-time Air Quality Index displays a map showing the live readings of air quality sensors around the world. You can look up any city you are interested in, or view rankings of different countries. The last time I checked, Bahçelievler, Türkiye is experiencing the worst air quality (537: hazardous) and Ciudad Guayanam, Venezuela has the best (5, good). — MF

Last week, Southern California experienced a heavy rainstorm that caused a power outage in our area for 18 hours. We would have been in the dark without the Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 Camping Lantern. It features a bright and adjustable LED light, as well as a built-in lithium battery that can charge smartphones and other USB devices. In case of a power failure, the lantern can also be powered manually by turning a crank for one minute, which provides 10 minutes of illumination. — MF

These interactive pages on earbirding.com will teach you how to create mental images of bird sounds according to their pitch pattern, speed, repetition, pauses, and tone quality. I love learning to connect with nature in a different way. — CD

Great binoculars are a joy to use. In the last few years there’s been a quiet revolution in optics so that you can now get thousand-dollar quality lenses for several hundred dollars. My favorite pair are the Athlon Midas ($225), which are amazingly bright, with an extremely wide view, and relatively small build. These are 8x42 (standard birder strength) but can also focus close for viewing butterflies, dragonflies, etc. If you have not looked through some contemporary binoculars, borrow one to be surprised. — KK

Backofyourhand.com is a 5 question game that uses OpenStreetMap data to test how well you know your local area. I’ve lived in San Jose, CA for almost 4 years now and still don’t know the lay of the land (I scored a 15%). I scored 87% in my hometown of Sacramento. — CD

Ebikes are a fantastic, but still underutilized, transportation option. Ryan Johnson wrote up the best roundup of buying advice for ebikes I’ve seen for anyone in the market for an ebike — and you should be! — KK

I didn’t know about the tree seeds that flew around the Moon in 1971 and were planted upon return until I read this article in The Atlantic: We Almost Forgot About the Moon Trees. All the of the locations of these Moon Trees are kept here and up-to-date, including the ones no longer alive. Visiting as many of these trees as possible is now on my travel bucket list. — CD

Stargazing apps on your phone are magic. They work like AR-augmented reality — overlaying the night sky with outlines of constellations, star and planet names, paths of the moon, and even satellite, comet and asteroid sightings. The apps are uncannily accurate, and easy to understand. There are free apps and expensive subscriptions, but I use Star Walk 2 which cost $3. It’s the best $3 space investment I’ve ever made. — KK