https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/Recent content on The Ur-ConsumerHugo -- gohugo.ioen-usSat, 06 Sep 2025 09:18:58 -0400https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/lifting/1000lb-club/Sat, 06 Sep 2025 09:18:58 -0400https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/lifting/1000lb-club/I just reached my goal of hitting the “1000lb club” in training. As predicted, I did so entirely by progressing in my squat and bench! I’m still practicing the athletic component of a deadlift, and I’m much closer to being able to reproduce my best lifts in training now, but my squat and bench have been slowly progressing the whole time. I’m now squatting 330, benching 265, and I can reproduce my best deadlift at 405, just squeaking into the 1000lbs club!https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/new-game/sava/Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:16:22 -0400https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/new-game/sava/I made a new game called Sava! Check it out in an alpha container on sava.onrender.com. Happy gaming!https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/camping/magnetawanloop/Sun, 31 Aug 2025 04:25:16 -0400https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/camping/magnetawanloop/I recently did an insane magnetawan loop with some very competent and trained friends. (That’s a cap from mapsbyjeff - go buy them if you’re passing through the area! They’re the best, hands-down.) It was quite challenging! Highlights include the 2km portage followed by the double 800m portages, hopping out to lift the boat over a beaver dam that blocked daisy lake, and both of the sites we stayed on. Jubilee had some obvious bear signs, with claw-marks gouged into a handful of trees and tons of droppings.https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/lifting/1234/Mon, 04 Mar 2024 09:04:09 -0400https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/lifting/1234/I just met a personal powerlifting goal! 1/2/3/4 down! I initially started lifting ~2yrs ago with the intent to meet this goal. The 1/2/3/4 are “plates”: 45-lb weights that affix to a barbell, typically the heaviest on offer at a commercial gym. Each barbell takes one on each end (45+45), plus the load of the barbell (+45): that means that the 1/2/3/4 roughly translate to 135/225/315/405 in my case. These are target weights that I wanted to lift for specific movements: 135 (Strict OHP)/225 (Bench press)/315 (Squat)/405lbs (Deadlift).https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/camping/hedonic-treadmill/Sun, 25 Sep 2022 18:59:08 -0400https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/camping/hedonic-treadmill/After just 4 nights of mediocre sleep outdoors at a campsite, a hot shower is incredible. Little sensations that I typically ignore suddenly become vividly clear. Being warm, being clean. I return home, and discover how effortless it is to avoid the sun, the cold, the insects, the snow, the heat. I am suddenly liberated from the endless tasks of collecting firewood and filtering water. I feel like every small thing in my environment is a blessing.https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/camping/groupgear/Sun, 07 Aug 2022 11:33:09 -0400https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/camping/groupgear/Group Gear Explanation first aid kit(s) Important features of a first aid kit include: Gauze, polysporin, instant disinfectant (isopropyl is convenient and cheap), medicine (see medicine), adhesive bandages (butterflies and straight) medicine I recommend at least ibuprofen, acetaminophen, antihistamines, polysporin, etc. Label multiple bags, and store them together A lot of rope (~200ft per person) I like polypropylene for general purpose use, it’s cheap, doesn’t hold water, and holds a ton of weight.https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/camping/personalgear/Sun, 07 Aug 2022 08:33:33 -0400https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/camping/personalgear/Item Explanation Flashlight/head lamp It will get dark, and you will want to see. Bring a flashlight and a set of spare batteries - or better yet, two flashlights. Even the most expensive flashlight is useless if it’s dropped into the bottom of a ravine. Knife You will need to cut things. Making bushcraft, opening packaging, cutting rope - you will want one. Day pack If you want to make a day trip and need to bring lunch somewhere, don’t bring your whole backpack.https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/producing-smoking-replacements/alcohol/Mon, 25 Jul 2022 23:28:58 -0400https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/producing-smoking-replacements/alcohol/Why? In Canada, for a long time, the government owned a quasi-monopoly over the distribution of alcoholic beverages. They have no incentive to offer their product at competitive prices like in the US, which means my dreams of purchasing a 4$US gallon of bagged wine to wash down my 1$ whopper are shattered. This means that in order to get giga crossfaded daily without breaking the bank, we need to make our own hooch.https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/producing-smoking-replacements/marijuana/Mon, 25 Jul 2022 23:28:46 -0400https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/producing-smoking-replacements/marijuana/Smoking’s bad for you, kids. Luckily, it’s never been easier to make your own edibles. There’s a lot of different methodologies for making them. I’ve tried a few: decarboxylate + stovetop simmer, slow cooker, etc. and all of them produced a product that tasted fine and got me high. There is, however, one clear winner: the sous-vide (immersion circulator) method. Immersion circulator (or water-bath) edibles Decarboxylate your cannabis in the oven by grinding it, spreading it out into an even layer over foil on a baking sheet, and baking for 110 minutes at 230F/110C.https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/fighting-obesity-as-a-sedentary-person/exercise/Mon, 25 Jul 2022 23:19:50 -0400https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/fighting-obesity-as-a-sedentary-person/exercise/If you are fat and do nothing but lose weight, you will slim down into a flabby slug of a man. Exercise is important to maintain a respectable and correct body shape. We share some home exercise equipment. Currently, we have 1 Adjustable incline bench 1 set of dumbbells from 10-30lbs 1 doorframe pull-up bar 1 exercise bike (it was free - don’t buy one) This will allow you to get a pretty wide range of exercises in, even when the gyms are closed or your transit is inaccessible.https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/fighting-obesity-as-a-sedentary-person/diet/Mon, 25 Jul 2022 23:10:22 -0400https://theurconsumer.onrender.com/fighting-obesity-as-a-sedentary-person/diet/I used to aim for roughly one-third of each macronutrient if I’m trying to gain muscle, but I have since learned that this is totally wrong. Your protein intake can be as little as 10% of your caloric intake without issue - probably even less. Carbohydrates are typically cheap, easy to prepare, delicious and available due to our group pantry, so don’t fret if they take up even half of your daily macros some days.