Best Backpacking Stove

Weight, reliability and flame control determine whether people like a stove.  The SVEA 123 and Optimus 111 Hiker stove are all-time favorites for reliability but are often criticized for being heavy.  MSR stoves like the Whisperlight, Dragonfly or XGK are lighter but their large number of moving parts and o-rings leads to constant failures and maintenance in the field.

Here is my recommendation on how to make the lightest most reliable stove. Start with the basic concept of a SVEA 123 using a brass burner, internal wick, self cleaning jet and fuel cap / pump attachment.

Begin by getting rid of the brass windscreen.  Next remove the brass fuel storage / stand.  Instead replace it with a round brass sphere that incorporates the fuel cap.  A sphere will hold more fuel for a smaller amount of material and will sustain greater pressures with thinner metal because of the round shape.  Additionally, if you turn a SVEA 123 over, you will see that the bottom is actually concave to withstand the pressure.  This adds extra weight, and makes the stove bigger for a smaller amount of fuel.

Here is how the guts of my new stove would look.  

Ideal Backpacking Stove

The sphere should hold enough gas for three days of camping.  Ideal for a 2 day weekend trip with one day to spare.  A larger bulb could be screwed on for larger group use.

Now build a lightweight cage around the stove to hold the pots as well as provide a windscreen.  The center stove would be attached to the cage spring like connectors.  That way if the stove assembly was dropped, the outer cage would absorb the shock and the inner stove would be protected.  Add little tabs to the top and the bottom of the cage to provide additional support.  The tabs would fold into the cage when not in use.

Stove with Windscreen and Fill Cap with Schrader valve

The fuel cap / pump attachment / pressure relief valve should have a Schrader bicycle tube inflaetor nozzle.   The pump on an MSR stove is the weakest link and should be eliminated.  By moving to a Schrader valve, you can get the entire bicycle industry to start developing lightweight pumps.  Each pump is interchangeable and the bicycle gear heads will have a field day.  Win / win for both industries.  Don't forget to add a small chain so you do not lose the cap.

The standard way of lighting a SVEA 123 is by holding it with your hands to warm it up until a little gas spills out and then lighting the gas.  In cold weather, you may not want to take your hands out of your gloves to touch a cold metal stove.  This is where the pump comes in handy.  Another alternative is to use a small cup on the end of a little stick.  Unscrew the fuel cap, dip the stick into the gas and then pour it into a small reservoir in the burner head.  Replace the cap, light the fuel and when the stove is hot, turn on the gas.  The cup could be incorporated into the fuel control key to keep from losing it.

By using similar components as a reliable SVEA 123 but incorporating a round gas tank and light weight wind shield, MSR, Primus or Optimus could create a next generation stove that is compact, lightweight and extremely reliable.  The most complicated part, the pump, could be based on the open standard of a Schrader valve allowing a large number of companies to contribute designs.  With this hybrid approach, many complementary companies outside the camping world would support the new design with pumps solidifying the stove as the leader in the industry.

Improving Home Security with your TV

When buglers are deciding what house to rob, one of the critical factors is, "is the owner home?"  When you go on vacation, it is always important to have your neighbors pick up the mail and the newspapers so things do not pile up in front of your house.  People also have lights on timers that turn on at night to make the house lived in.  Unfortunately, setting the lights on timers can be difficult and you have to decide which lights to turn
on.  A bright light only in the front room will still make the house look empty.

TV Light coming from a window

Source: http://faketv.com/

There is one exception to this rule and that is having a single TV on in a room.  Many times when you drive by a house, the entire house will be dark except for the TV light coming from a window.  This usually means someone is watching TV before bedtime.  If a burglar sees the TV light, they will typically move on to the next house.  So how can you take advantage of this fact?

Here is how it would work.  TV manufactures should add a option to the menu that allows the TV to turn on and off for a certain time period each day.  The channel could periodically change. The volume would be set at a level that is a little louder than normal viewing.  If you have dish network or comcast, just leave the reciver box on for your vacation.

When a burgler drives by your home, they would see the lights flickering from the TV and hear the sound and think that someone is home and move on to the next house.  Of course this would not work if your TV is in the front room visible from the street.  It would work better if the TV were in a back room where no one can see who is watching the TV.

By adding a menu option that turns the TV on at specific times during a vacation, TV manufactures can create the illusion that someone is still in the house causing burglars to move to the next house.  This should add no cost to the TV but should provide piece of mind to the owner.

PS. While searching for images for this article, I came across the following company that does this very task expect they sell a stand alone LED device that mimics the TV light in a room.  http://faketv.com/

How to increase bike safety.

The blog Lovely Bicycle has a great article on a concept she calls the Mary Poppins effect http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2011/01/mary-poppins-effect.html.  The Mary Poppins effect states that drivers will give more room to a young women riding a traditional bike with no helmet and long flowing skirt than to the same rider wearing a helmet, tight clothes on a race oriented bike.  The author developed this concept when she noticed that some drivers treat her differently depending on what she is wearing and what bike she is riding.  Reading the comment section of the blog, you see that several people have also confirmed the effect while.

The Merry Poppins Effect

http://lovelybike.blogspot.com/2011/01/mary-poppins-effect.html

At this point it is difficult to identify which of the factors – gender, attire or bike type have the greatest impact but there is one comment from a man that may be helpful.  He states that he has observed the same effect when he wears a coat that flaps in the wind.  The flapping coat and skirt may cause the bike rider to appear bigger than they actually are causing drivers to give them more room.  Another theory is that drivers fear that the coat or skirt may catch on their car window and they give the biker room out of their own interests.  A third theory states that the flapping causes some confusion and unpredictability.

A road bike however is the exact opposite.  When you see a biker in spandex on a road bike, they ride with precision and consistency.  A driver is more likely to come closer to them because the bike almost appears stationary next to the car.


Another thing to notice is that a road bike has a triangular shape with the thinnest part of the bike in the back and the widest in the front.  Drivers may see the back tire and assume the rest of the bike is the same size.

Top view of a bike.  Notice the bike is thinnest in the back.

http://www.zuckbikes.com/bikesthedon.php

Bike Safe http://bicyclesafe.com/ shows one example of how a rider addresses this problem by using a foam pool toy to show the maximum width of their bike.

The noodle is the same size as the widest part of the bike.

http://bicyclesafe.com/

If there truly is a Mary Poppins Effect, how can that concept be used to improve bike safety?

The first method is to modify bike clothes.  One way to do this is to add small ribbons to the sleaves of a bike jersey.  As the rider pedals, the ribbons would dance in the air and create a confusing image that should help create the Mary Poppins effect. 

Streamers create confusion causing drivers to give more room.

http://mdweightmanagementsolutions.com/2010/07/26/how-to-improve-your-athletic-performance/

For road racers like the one above, this ribbon would have to be small to help reduce aerodynamic drag.  One option for bike commuters who do not wear tight fitting clothes would be to have a coat that has tails that  are designed to flap in the wind.  Remember the goal is to create confusion and make the rider look like they take up more space.  Betabrand http://www.betabrand.com/ is one company that could help produce this type of clothing for daily commuters.

Another method would be to add streamers to a stick on the bike itself.  Care should be taken that they are not too long so they would get caught in the spokes or brakes.  Again, as the rider pedals, the streamers would fly in the breeze erratically creating confusion about the riders actual size and location causing drivers to give more room.

Of course, this does not mean you can ride recklessly.  When the morning radio states that there is an accident involving car vs motorcycle.  There is no doubt about who wins.  The motorcyclist goes to the hospital and the car my need a paint touch up.  Bicyclists suffer the same fate.

By modifying clothing to create some sort of visual confusion, bicycle clothing manufacturers can reduce the possibility of a collision between a car and the rider.  The visual confusion will cause drivers to keep a greater distance between their car and the bike rider which makes for a safer bike riding expereince.

Marketing complimentary disruptive products using the network effect.

How do you get someone to buy a Blue Ray disk player if there are no Blue Ray movies available?  This is the dilemma when marketing disruptive complementary products.  No one wants to support a market until after the market has matured.  In network theory, this is called an indirect network and poses the biggest challenge when introducing new products.  Geoffrey Moore provides an excellent model in his book Crossing the Chasm where you focus on one segment of the market and then expand into other segments until you reach critical mass.  This post offers another solution using a network based approach.

In Crossing the Chasm, pragmatists look for the whole product which is really a strong network of third party components, a trained labor force and referenceable customers in the same industry.  Under the new model, instead of waiting for the entire network to be created with strong links, create weak links between the nodes of the network and then help strengthen the links until they are sufficiently strong.

Here is how it works.  Imagine a grape vine seedling symbolizing a growing network.  In the wild, it will grow in every direction looking for something to attach to.  The leaves may shade other leaves and the grapes will be difficult to harvest if they grow at all.  Once the vine has matured and the branches are strong, it is difficult to change the shape of the branches without damaging the vine itself.

This network grew without structure and will be impossible to correct.

Source: http://www.terryodell.com/editable_files/Africa2.html

To solve this problem wineries create a weak network structure using a stick and wires.  As the vine grows, it wants to follow the predefined network path.  The winery even cuts off the top shoot of the vine as it extends past the upper wire to encourage nutrients to go into the side branches.  With just a little bit of attention, the vine has grown into a well structured network that allows the plant to receive the most amount of sunlight and produce abundant fruit. In some case, you can even remove the trellis after the plant has matured because the vine or network will be strong enough to stand alone.

This network has grown following a predicted path.

Source: http://youngoakvineyards.blogspot.com/2008/05/young-oak-vineyards-vol-5-grafting.html

In business, you would use this model by creating weak links between the eventual players with little up front cost.  After each group sees that there is the potential for a strong network, a single event could trigger a chain reaction of adoption.

Here are the steps:

1. Identify all the constituents who would participate in the final network.  For the vine, this is determining the optimal sun and spacing between the plants.
2. Create weak links between all the parties so that everyone has visibility to the other players and what role they will play.  This can take the form of commitments based on a specific condition. The trellis serves as the path that the vine or network will follow.
3. Trigger an event that causes one of the commitments to be met.  When this condition is filled, the other players will join in causing a strong network to be created following the lines of the weak network.  In the case of the vine, plant the seed and water it.  The vine will follow the predefined network as it grows.

Here is an example of how this technique could have been used to help HD DVD win HD DVD/Blue-ray format war.

Step one is to identify the best content producers, player manufacturers and distribution channels.

Step two, go to the major content producers and ask them for a commitment to produce several titles if a specific milestone is met such as 100K HD DVD devices sold.  Next, go to the player manufactures and ask for a commitment to manufacture HD DVD players if a specific number of customers agree to buy the players.  Repeat the process with the distribution channels.

Next, announce to the public the titles and manufacturers that are committed.  Create a website that shows all the information in one place where people make a small deposit to buy a player at a defined price.  The deposit is returned if the 100K other people do not sign up.  People can also pre-order what title they want, showing the content producers exactly what titles have demand.  Also show who is willing to handle distribution.  To create referenceable customers, offer a bonus disk to people who sign up 10 of their friends and a free player to anyone who signs up 20 friends.

At this point, the titles are known, the distribution channel is in place, the hardware is identified and the customers have expressed demand.  No one has spent any money, but the network has defined nodes with weak links between the nodes.  The key factor is making sure everyone knows exactly what path they will follow and what to expect from the other players.  Now the question is, "who will blink first?"

In step three, you need some public kickoff event to create a chain reaction.  You could pass out disks for a major blockbuster on opening night or randomly start to ship players to the people who signed up the most peers.  Any event that exceeds peoples expectations should start the process.  In this case, just the fact that people are signing up should trigger the event.

Sample webpage that would show the weak links between nodes.

As the number of users increases, the strength between nodes also increase.

By creating weak links between nodes using a lattice structure, companies can lay the foundation for a network before the various parties have made major investments.  This technique should allow rapid adoption of disruptive products with mimal risk of backing a technlogy that will not get adopted.

How Google can make it easier to print maps.

Google Maps allow you to quickly zoom into a specific region and print out a map of where you are going.  Unfortunately you usually need multiple maps for a specific trip.  The first map shows you the detail of where you are going and the second map shows you how to get to the central region.  While this method helps get you to your destination it wastes paper because the two maps are usually only used once.

Imaging you live in Portland but you don't spend much time downtown and are unfamiliar with the region.  You are trying to get to the corner of NE 32nd and NE Klickitat near the intersection of NE 33rd and NE Freemont St. in the map below.  See the red X.  The first thing you will do is print out a detailed map of the city that shows the cross-street of your destination.

Detailed street view, X is the final destination.

Now you need to know how to get from the freeway to the city center so you print out the other map below.

Zoomed out view showing how to get from highway 84 but no detail at final destination.

Notice, that you don't print out a detailed map for the whole trip, only for the final cross streets.  The reason for this is that people need less information close to their house and more information as they get closer to a new destination.  On their way home, people don’t need as much information because they start to recognize the major streets and can take a number of possible routes.

To make maps that better reflect how people navigate, Google should use multipe scales on the same map.  Higher resolution at the final destination and less resolution further away.  See below.

Multi scale map that increases detail the closer you get to the final destination.

Notice that the zoomed in area is not just a higher resolution, but that it has a slope where it squezes the streets together on the sides.  This makes a blend between the two different resolutions.  In the area between the freeway and the Prospect Street, the side streets do not have names just like the zoomed out map above. Only when you get closer to your destination do the streets start to have names.  Of course, this is just a demonstration; the engineers at Google would be able to do a much better job.

Other people have explored the concept of multi scale maps but many of these solutions just put one map with greater detail over a map with lesser detail with no transition between the two.  When this is done, the more detailed section obscures some of the road leading to your destination.  The method proposed in this article has a smooth transition between the different regions.

By using blended multiple scales on a map, Google can create maps that better reflect how people navigate.  A zoomed out view for choosing freeways and a more detailed view closer to your destination. This will simplify travel by eliminating the need to flip between different pages as you are driving and will save paper and ink by requiring only one page to be printed.

How to use behavioral science to increase your product’s value.

Much has been written on the utilitarian concept of Form Follows Function and how Emotional Design can be used to create a bond between a product and its owner.  This article focuses on using behavioral science to modify your product such that the modification encourages behavior that is beneficial to the customer.

Behavioral design uses a stimulus to cause people to act in a predictable manner.  The red coils of an electric stove-top are one example.  The red color changes people’s behavior by causing them to keep their hands away from the coil.  Remove the stimulus and people will burn their hands.  To create value, this behavior must be beneficial to the customer not just the parent company.  In this case, it is beneficial to the customer to prevent burns.

Identify Customer Needs:
The first step in behavioral design is to identify the needs of your customers.  People don’t want to take airplane rides because they are fun.  They fly to get to a destination quickly so they can perform some other task.  Closets are not a storage location for clothes, they are a place where people create an image for others to see and select the appropriate protection from the elements.

How do customers use your product?
The second step is to understand how your customers interact with your product.  Do people turn the stove on before they place a pot or afterwards?  If you pick up an office phone with your dominant hand, then your weaker hand must dial the number.  Also pay attention to how people abuse your product.  Does the laundry basket get so full that the clothes do not fit into the washing machine causing people to overload the washing machine?  Is food left to rot in the bottom crisper drawers because people don’t see the food?  Do people leave old unread email in their inbox for several years?

Create Stimulus:
The third step is to include a stimulus that modifies the behavior in the second step that helps people meet the needs from the first step.  Putting a mark on the closet rod tells people when their closet may have too many clothes.

The stimulus can be created by using the following cognitive biases:

Default Heuristic:  People often accept whatever the default choice is.  To protect people from losses in the stock market, online brokerages should set a default stop loss.

Framing: Modifying the way the people view the world.  Showing people where to place a heater increases the efficiency of the heater.

Anchoring: Introducing a value that people use as a reference of normalcy.  Telling people to set their watches to the new timezone on intercontinental flight helps recover from jet lag quicker.

Eliminate Mental Calculations:  When people try to make a mental calculation, they are usually wrong.  Provide guidance that helps people make accurate calculations and therefore make better decisions.  If there is one inch of milk left in a milk carton, can I give my two children a glass of milk each at bed time and in the morning or do I have to go shopping tonight?

The important part about the stimululas is that is it should not have a significant impact to the cost of the product.  It should be something simple such as color coding, relevant information or a modified UI.  These are not engineering solutions.

By using cognitive design companies can improve the value of their products, increase differentiation and help customers meet their needs with very little increase in cost of the product.

How kayak companies can help your marriage.

Marriage is a complex partnership.  Two people agree to work together towards undefined goals for the rest of their life.  One of the most difficult parts of marriage is that it can be difficult to know when you are being successful.  Even when you have material wealth, there can be an emptiness in the relationship.  Communication is also critical.  When there is open communication, marriage is easy, but when the communication breaks down so does the relationship.  Marriage counselors try to rebuild this communication in order to get the relationship back on track.

Paddling a tandem kayak is also a complex relationship.  The person in the front sets stroke rate but the person in the back is responsible for steering the boat.  To complicate matters, the person in back can barely hear the person in front.  Both people must agree where to go and how fast to get there.  When you are out of sync with your partner, your paddles collide, the boat stops and yelling at each other does not solve the problem.  When things really break down, both people may end up swimming in very cold water.

This couple could not agree on their heading.  Now look at them.

Obviously, if a married couple cannot communicate on land, it is a bad idea for them to be in small boat where they must depend on each other.  However, this is exactly the market that kayak companies should pursue.

Here is how it would work.  Tandem kayak companies should first work with a marriage counselor to define a mini program on couples therapy including a list of communication do’s and don’ts.  After the program is defined, the kayak company should use framing to advertise the new program to troubled couples.  Call it kayak couples therapy.

The day of the trip, the guide would review the program and set expectations.  Communication guidelines and teamwork emphasis would be mixed in with paddling technique and discussions about the surrounding water.  Roles would be agreed to and goals set.  On the water coaching would fine tune the paddling technique and remind everyone of the ground rules.

This program would work because a tandem kayak is a controlled environment.  Initial conversation is limited to the task at hand.  By following the rules outlined ahead of time, people quickly begin to paddle in sync and the boat moves forward.  This teamwork creates instant gratification and evidence of success which can be difficult to observe in a marriage.  The couple quickly sees that when they communicate clearly and work together, they can be successful.

Evidence of success of clear communication.

By creating a couples kayak therapy program, kayak companies can offer more than a relaxing day on the water.  They can provide a controlled situation where couples practice their communication skills and receive immediate evidence of success of their collaboration.  After a couple realizes that they can work together on the water, the communication skills shared confidence can be applied on land.  The couple will also have an activity they can do together for a long time which is one of the reasons people get married in the first place.

Special thanks to Chris Young and Gloria Cotton of San Francisco Kayak & Adventures for the inspiration for this post.

This couple probably attended a marriage kayak therapy program.