Low-tech Links #1

February 4, 2019 by kris de decker Filed Under: Low-tech Links

This is a new series of posts, collecting links to all kinds of low-tech stuff — often sent in by readers. Ideally, I would write a bit more about each link, but unfortunately there’s no time for that.

The Complication of Leisure

January 25, 2019 by kris de decker Filed Under: Archery, Human power, Random, Sports

During the past two decades there has been a disturbing trend in American sports, a trend in which our “toys” have evolved from the simple to the intricate. No matter whether it’s boating, bicycling, skiing or backpacking, the goal seems to be the same: to improve the performance and efficiency of the equipment. Outdoor equipment today becomes “obsolete” after only a season or two, made so by the constant introduction of newer, more sophisticated models.

Manufacturers of recreational equipment — who have the most to gain from the complication of leisure — spend millions to promote “new, improved” products. And at what cost to our sense of fun and play? We seem so bent on results — on being “successful” — that we often forget why we took up a particular sport in the first place. In other words, play is beginning to look more and more like work. And, at the same time, the price tag on our toys has gone sky-high.

One of the primary benefits of using traditional archery gear — aside from saving lots of money, especially when you make your own gear — is that it promotes a sense of fun and encourages a carefree spirit. Archers who go traditional always seem to agree that once they make the switch, archery is once again exciting.

Quoted from the introduction to “The Traditional Bower’s Bible, Volume One“, Steve Allely, Tim Baker, Paul Comstock, Jim Hamm, Ron Hardcastle, Jay Massey, and John Strunk, 1992. Image by Clay Hayes.

Dreaming of Electric Airplanes

January 24, 2019 by kris de decker Filed Under: Planes

“The ability to fly away to nearly anywhere in the world on holiday or on business within a day is cherished by many who are in the fortunate position to be able to do so. The prospect of electrification making a meaningful reduction in the environmental impact of aviation (which remains a blind spot for many politicians and citizens alike) is therefore a tantalising one.”

“In this report we make an attempt to evaluate the potential for electric aircraft to contribute to reductions in the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. Reliable global data is difficult to obtain, but the UK keeps particularly high quality records of air traffic movements. Using data covering the UK aviation industry we assess what level of performance electric aircraft would need to attain in order to have a meaningful impact on the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions in the UK.”

Read the report: Electric dreams: the carbon mitigation potential of electric aviation in the UK air travel market, Fellow Travelers, December 2018. Image: NASA’s N3-X concept.

Map of Night Trains in Europe, 2019

January 11, 2019 by kris de decker Filed Under: Trains

Updated map of night trains in Europe for the December 2018 timetable change. Source & XL version: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_night_trains_in_europe.png.

Via Back on Track Train Coalition.

No Tech Reader #22

January 9, 2019 by kris de decker Filed Under: No Tech Readers

Klopotec: a Bird-Scaring Wind-Rattle

October 23, 2018 by kris de decker Filed Under: Random, Wind Power

A “klopotec” or “klapotets” is a wooden mechanical device on a high wooden pole, similar to a windmill. It is used as a bird scarer in the vineyards of traditional wine-growing landscapes of Slovenia, Austria, and Croatia. The first written mentions of the technology date to the second half of the 18th century, whereas its oldest depictions date to the first half of the 19th century. [Read more…]