Author: Jeffrey Donenfeld
-
Competing in the Gociety & Arc’teryx: Urban Adventure Race
This weekend, the Gociety & Arc’teryx: Urban Adventure Race took place in downtown Denver, Colorado. Myself and three other teammates competed in the race, and finished in just over 3 hours. We had a great time, including biking furiously across Denver, slacklining, inflating standup paddleboards, paddleboarding and tubing down rapids, shooting 3-pointers, and lots of other…
-
Quick Actions on my Keychain with the Nonda iHere Bluetooth Fob
Bluetooth Low Energy, or Bluetooth Smart, has been popping up in all sorts of new, micro sized gadgets lately, continuing to build out the “Internet of Things”. Because the new wireless specification enables devices to use extremely low power, all sorts of buttons, trackers, and sensors are now possible. Gadget and accessories maker Nonda recently…
-
My Personality Is “The Commander” (ENTJ)
According to personality measurement site 16 Personalities, my personality is ENTJ, “The Commander”. A few excerpts from their explanation of my personality profile: ENTJs are natural-born leaders. People with this personality type embody the gifts of charisma and confidence, and project authority in a way that draws crowds together behind a common goal. But…
-
The 42nd Annual Telluride Film Festival
I had a great time attending this year’s 42nd annual Telluride Film Festival. Although I didn’t get to see as many films as I ultimately wanted, the rest of my time was spent on beautiful hikes and excursions with my family and Miho. A few quick reviews of the films I did manage to see…
-
Interviewing to become one of the two new Columbia Directors of Toughness
This morning, I had a great time interviewing in NYC with the Columbia Sportswear team for the new position of “Director of Toughness“. I was actually expecting a more formal sit down meeting room interview, but what I found was a casting-session style panel, with lots of lights and cameras. Talking with the Columbia crew…
-
Talk: The Making of an Antarctic Science Expedition with Jeffrey Donenfeld
Thanks to everybody who made it to my talk “The Making of an Antarctic Science Expedition” this week at Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder, Colorado! We had a great time discussing Antarctic expeditions, science, and life! Thanks to Miho Catering for providing delicious Japanese food, Sanitas Brewing Co. for providing refreshing beer, Voltaic Systems for sponsoring…
-
Climbing Mt. Rainier
During one of my high school summers, I climbed Mt. Rainier with Rainier Mountaineering Incorporated (RMI), as part of a larger trip with Wilderness Ventures. Here’s the only photo I can find from the trip, showing me learning to ice climb at the base. Shot with my first compact/waterproof/shockproof camera, the 35mm Canon Sure Shot…
-
NYC Pizza in CO? Reviewing Boulder Colorado’s “Brooklyn Pizza”
To be clear, I haven’t actually tried the new Brooklyn Pizza in Boulder, Colorado yet , but I gave them five stars on Yelp because I don’t hate them, and I admire their willingness to at least try to pull this kinda thing off. Anyway, here are my general feelings on this endeavor, written after reading a…
-
IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica Confirms Existence of Cosmic Neutrinos
In the news today, the existence of cosmic neutrinos was confirmed by Antarctic scientists. I had the opportunity to work at the South Pole Station during the operation of the Ice Cube Neutrino Observatory, and feel lucky to have become friends with PI Albrecht Karle and his team. A few articles about Ice Cube and…
-
The Best Gear from the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2015
Last week I attended the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market show, a giant collection gear manufacturers showing off their wares for the upcoming years. Although I didn’t get to talk to everyone at the show, I did stop by a bunch of booths to check out what they have coming up. Here are a few of…
-
I’ll Be Speaking at Neptune Mountaineering about Antarctica on August 27th 2015
Upcoming on August 27th, 2015 at 20:00 MDT, I’ll be giving a talk at Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder, Colorado, USA titled “The Making of an Antarctic Science Expedition”. I’ll be covering the details of putting together an Antarctic Science Expedition, including pre-departure preparations, personal gear and packing considerations, specialized Antarctic expedition equipment, logistics, and teamwork.…
-
Nitecore MH20 Flashlight Review: A versatile, compact powerhouse
The Nitecore MH20 Flashlight: An awesome little light. Here’s the deal: It’s a compact, bright rechargable flashlight designed to suit a variety of home and professional needs. From the manufacturer: The smallest, lightest 1x 18650 USB rechargeable flashlight, Max output of up to 1000 lumens, Integrated “Precision Digital Optics Technology” provides extreme reflector performance, Boasts…
-
Cygolite Hotshot 2-Watt USB Rechargeable Taillight Review
The Cygolite Hotshot 2-Watt USB Rechargeable Taillight – Bright and visible, with a few basic design and usage issues. Here’s the deal: It’s a red blinky tail light for your bike. From the manufacturer: Integrating Cygolite’s 20 years of tail light expertise, the HotShot 2W USB features a powerful 2 watt H.B. LED for max visibility,…
-
-
Trekking Across East Asia, Summer 2015
This summer, I spent a few months trekking solo across Eastern Asia. On this trek, I visited New Zealand, Australia, The Philippines, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, and the US State of Hawaii. Here’s what I wrote during my trek: Exploring Manila, El Nido, and Coron, Philippines Running the Tokyo…
-
Sailing the Sea of Cortez, Mexico
At the end of June, I embarked with my longtime crew on a sailing expedition to explore the Sea of Cortez, Mexico. This was another epic adventure in a long series of sailing adventures that we’ve been doing as a group, in one form or another, for nine or ten years now. Although we’ve sailed…
-
-
Shooting for the Stars in Hawaii
Miho and I decided to spend a wonderful few weeks exploring Hawaii. It was my first time there, and in order to see a few different areas, and to see a few friends and family, we dedicated to check out Oahu and The Big Island. A few photos from our Hawaiian Adventure.
-
Lunch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Claypot Chicken and Rice
On my way back from Macau to Sydney, I had a quick 8 hour layover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As soon as I got to the airport, I took the train into the center of town, and spent an afternoon walking around, and grabbing lunch. Here’s my quick trip.
-
Rain and Games in Macau
My final stop in China was in the former Portuguese colony of Macau.
-
Shenzhen – Where The World’s Electronics Are Made
Shenzhen, China – where all of the electronics are made. Or at least it feels like it. For this trip, I was lucky enough to be hosted by an old friend from NYC, and got a view of work life within Shenzhen.
-
Hong Kong is the Place To Be
After spending a few weeks in Shanghai, I took the overnight train straight to Hong Kong. And I loved it. It was refreshing to be out of China, comforting to be back in a city that felt a lot like NYC, and wonderful to connect with new and old friends. I’m certainly looking forward to…