For the gut hook issue, you might think about circle hooks. They are now mandatory for grouper and snapper in Florida because of the gut hook issue. It still does happen every now and then but most of the time the hook is in the side of the lip where they are designed to go. Just don’t set the hook with these, just lift the rod and start reeling otherwise you tend to lose the fish. Another thing to keep in mind is that fish are used to eating things that poke. As long as you are using non stainless hooks, just cut the line and leave the hook in. It will eventually rust away and the chances are the fish will be fine.

Thank you to Alex Shrugged for the many hours of hard work you’ve put into the history segment! It’s become a favorite of mine and it’s cool to add something from the past from which we can learn something still very relevant to today. Thank you sir!

And thank you to Southpaw Ben for contributing thus far and carrying on this legacy. Moving forward I had envisioned a “this date in history” type thing, but starting over at year One and catching up to where Alex Shrugged started is a pretty freakin cool idea too!

Also, shoutout to Steven Harris for an awesome expert council answer! I went back and listened to that segment a second time today so I could make sure I got product info correct and double check how he was recommending things be set up for this hike. While I’m not planning a hike, all of this can be used to greatly improve my blackout kit! Of course at home I have access to my vehicles, inverters and battery bank, but adding a solar charger would be cool too and in that scenario since I’m not hiking around it will do fine sitting flat in the sun all day. Looking forward to the videos you mentioned!

RE: Carmax

Any car dealership CAN be “No Haggle.” Just walk in and offer full asking price. You’ll almost certainly have a pleasant experience.

I’m unimpressed by Carmax’s prices. They do have clean vehicles, big lots, nice website with lots of honest (usually not photoshopped too bad) pictures, inexpensive shipping, etc. Often the vehicles are unlocked, so you can browse without a salesman. I’ve bought one vehicle from, sold two vehicles to Carmax, and browsed their lots for several more. It’s always been a pleasant experience. That said, I’ve found Carmax’s prices to be on par with, or higher than full asking price from most other dealerships.

YMMV and all that.