Monday, 27 November 2017

Technical inspection

I just got the Mog through technical inspection. There was a good change to roll front wheels while they were both lifted in air. The wheels rolled very smoothly and there was no sound that you could here. So I guess portal hubs are ok.
I changed hub oils just after the returning home from Iceland. The magnetic plug had some clay like metal dirt and there was some small chips but nothing alarming.
Front differential had some extra oil, which I guess came from the portal hubs. Rear differential had no extra oil, which was a bit surprising. I have to check the torque tube between differential and gear box if the oil has leaked there.

Here are longer versions of the videos from the trip.

Drone videos with a sound track from the movie Hobbit. The short audio clip is repeated during the whole video. Duration is about 48 minutes



Edited dashcam clips, duration is about 58 min.



And some panoramas combined from drone photos and DSRL camera.

Iceland panoramas 2017

Monday, 21 August 2017

MRE reviews

Here is a list of ratios used during the trip. I'll use this myself as a reference what is inside each ratio bag. In general all ratios were eatable, below is a scale for taste esimation by my taste. Bad ones are tastes that I don't like, but the food was ok. Thuna ratio was cold and couple of chicken ratios were pretty tasteless(even with tabasco/hot sauce). If there is no taste to boost up, hot sauce does not help.

Ratings to my taste :
😋 Delicious
😊 Good
😐 ok
😥 Bad

BOX A

Menu 1 : 😊

crackers, cheese spread, pretzels, cornbread tiff, coffee



 

Menu 2 : 😋

"double ratio" shredded beef + black beans
tortillas, cheese spread, cranberries, coffee


 

Menu 3 : 😐

crackers, peanut butter, diced pears, grape jelly, candy, coffee



 

Menu 4 :😊

mult9grain bread, peanut butter, apple jelly, chocolate pastry, raisins, cocoa



 

Menu 5 : 😐

tortillas, cheese spread, energy bar, candy,coffee



 

Menu 6 : 😊

tortillas, cheese spread, nut raisin mix, applejam, coffee



 

Menu 7 : 😋

"double ratio" seasoned beef + gratin potatoes
white bread, peanut butter, cookie tiff, peppermint candy, strawberry jam, irish cream cappuccino



 

Menu 8 : 😋

"double ratio", meatballs + marinara sauce
white bread, cheese spread, cookie tiff, coffee kippered beef snack




 

Menu 9 : 😊

white bread, peanut butter, blackberry jam, fudge brownie, pretzels, coffee



 

Menu 10 : 😊

crackers, cheese spread, turkey nuggets, candy, pound cake, coffee



 

Menu 11 : 😊

crackers, peanut butter, mango peach applejam, peanuts, energy bar, vanilla cappuccino



 

Menu 12 : 😊

white bread, cheese spread, nut raisin mix, chocolate protein drink, coffee




BOX B

Menu 13 : 😊

 crackers,peanut butter, nut raisin mix, vanilla pudding, coffee




Menu 14 : 😐

 crackers,peanut butter, energy bar, pretzels, chocolate protein drink





Menu 15 : 😊

 crackers, cheese spread, candy, pretzels, pears in syrup, cocoa




Menu 16 : 😊

 double white bread, peanut butter,



Menu 17 : 😊


crackers, peanut butter, smoked almonds, table syrup, mable muffin top tiff, coffee


 Chemical heater under test here and yes, it works.

 crackers with peanut butter and the pork sausage patty

mable muffin and some sivilian bred with table syrup

 

 

 Menu 18 : 😊

 white bread, cheese spread, muffin tiff, coffee, beef snack strip




Menu 19 : 😊

 double white bread, chees spread,  cherry jam, smoked almonds, cookie tiff, coffee




Menu 20 : 😊

crackers, cheese spread, raisin mix, granola, coffee



 

Menu 21 : 😥

Cold ratio, no heater
tortillas, peanut butter, seed pound cake, corn kernels



 

Menu 22 : 😋

"double ratio" , beef strips + rice
White bread, peanut butter, toffee rolls, apple jelly, cocoa




 

Menu 23 : 😐

White bread, cheese spread, Pretzels(salt sticks), Cinnamon bun, coffee




 

Menu 24 : 😋

 Update 14.5.2018, Beef stew with black beans and vegetables
tortillas, cheese spread, beef snack strip, seed pound cake, apple pieces in spiced sauce and mocha cappuccino.

  




 

 

 

 Icelandic food :

There are some good restaurants in Reykjavik and Akureyri, but in rural areas the food is mostly hamburgers or sandwiches. I ate 2 hamburgers and one sandwich and that's enough of them for couple of years now :). If you can find a lunch buffet during working days, grab it. For sure the best value for the money. The buffet has salad, bread/butter, main course with options, water(at least) and a coffee/tea as dessert.

A special note of Minniborgir restaurant, which was run by a Finnish lady and her boyfriend. I had a good pizza there in "chefs choise" style :). They had a restaurant, lodging cottages and a horse riding service.