TITAM - Technical issues that affected me

At the beer store today, I see this: Hey, why not? OK, so this is a pretty lousy "cooler", I admit.  But it has two great redeeming features: 1.  It's free. 2.  It's just about the same interior size as a "proper" 24-pack soft cooler.  Such as, the Polar Bear 24-pack soft cooler I've been eying as a means to take lunch to the park. I was uncertain if the 24-pack was too small, too large, or just right for this.  This cheapie surrogate lets me try it out without spending $75 for the privilege. Here's a sort-of pack for a hot dog / hamburger lunch for 4.  It's rough but it's just stuff I had lying about that I would probably take.  I would put the hot dogs or patties in a separate "hot box" cooler so they don't go in here. Not-so-full house (yet) The usual suspects Obviously this is missing two major items: buns and ice.  However: -  Taking out the granola bars leaves room for buns in a Tupperware con...

One of the more difficult items to figure out from measurements alone is just how much chain a lock or anchor can accommodate.  As some examples might shed some light, here are some pictures of the Oxford Anchor 14 and the Abus 92/80. Our guests for the show Note that this is not a review, as such.  I have absolutely no interest in debating the merits of these devices, and I don't even want to mention the word "p*ck*ig" for fear of getting this blog mixed up with all of those videos of yahoos people who want to show off their mad skillz hard-earned skills.  I just want to show what these devices physically can and cannot do. Oxford Anchor 14 As previously mentioned, the Oxford Anchor 14 is - well, enormous.  Really.  From the photos and measurements available on the 'net, I figured it was likely to accommodate a single loop of 7/16" security chain.  It turns out this was vastly underestimated. In my defense, my primary reference was thi...

I recently purchased 2 of these to secure items outdoors.  I was rather surprised at some things when they showed up, so I thought this info might be useful to somebody. I purchased the Anchor 14, and not the Anchor 10, because I was worried that the 10 might not fit my security chain.  My chain is 7/16" and I intend to put a sleeve over it, if I can.  I also wanted the 4-point mounting of the Anchor 14. (I read someplace that some consider the 10 to be superior because the baseplate resists prying attacks better.  I can't fathom how this might work, so I didn't care.) What I didn't appreciate from the product descriptions and photos was just how BIG this thing is!  It's HUGE!  In fact, it is so big I can stick my fist right through it!  I am admittedly a small guy, but still, that is impressive. One of the reasons is that the bracket proper is fixed to two 10mm metal standoffs, which raise the bar further off of the mounting surface.  I'm...

The Mac Sports wagon is extremely popular these days.  However, nobody lists what it can actually carry inside. For anyone who is curious, the basket / bed dimensions of the wagon are: -  30" long -  17" wide -  10" deep Obviously you can put taller items in as well.  It will fit most kids to about 7 years old, but fitting two 4-year olds might be a little tight. The weight limit is rated at 150 lbs.  For reference, a Coleman X5 Extreme cooler - 52 quart, I think - plus 5 bags of ice, 12 water bottles and 18 cans of pop is 82 lbs. [However, note that the X5 will only hold 5 bags of ice in total - that is, the 5 bags will completely fill up the cooler with NO room left for anything else.  So 82 lbs weight is probably heavier than you will ever get in real life.  The X5 would also take up most, if not all, of the wagon.  I'd expect around 35 lbs max for a medium-size soft cooler with lots of stuff - maybe 40 for a 'wet' cooler fille...