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Best snowshoes: MSR Denali

I’ve owned a pair of MSR Denali snowshoes for many years now, and I’ve been nothing but happy with them. They have amazing bindings with rubber straps that are easy to get on and off any boot, and most importantly they never loosen or slip off. The platforms are made of rigid plastic, so there’s no danger of a sharp rock or stick damaging them.

One downside to this design is that it does tend to amplify the crunch of hardpacked snow underfoot. But noise is an issue of all snowshoes on hardpack, it's just a matter of degree. And of course in soft snow or powder, they are silent.

Owning snowshoes might seem like an unnecessary, extravagant purchase, but it’s not much different than owning skis or a snowboard. You are more likely to go snowshoeing if you don’t have to deal with the hassle of rentals. And after not more than ten uses, you’ve made up the cost of the rentals.

If you do end up getting snowshoes, I highly recommend you get poles too. Snow has a wide variety of properties, and can be very fluid and unpredictable. Without the help of poles for balance, you will get very tired very quickly, especially with a 40+ lb pack on your back. The first time I did a serious snowshoe backpacking trip without poles, I remember falling into a post hole on the downhill side of a traverse less than ½ mile from the camp. I just sat there, exhausted and unable to move for several minutes before dragging my self on to finish the hike. That was probably the most tired I’ve ever been on a hiking trip. Never again without poles.
Get MSR Denali snowshoes from Amazon

Best cola: Coke made with sugar cane

Coke is the best-tasting cola out there. Pepsi may be cloyingly sweet and win in sip taste tests, but its overly sweet, citrus taste is too much for a whole bottle/can.

The best-tasting Coke is made with sugar cane, not corn syrup. It used to be made this way in the US, but since the 1970s corn syrup has taken its place. Corn is a heavily subsidized crop and therefore cheap. So it’s really no surprise that it’s in nearly every processed food in this country. However, there is no corn subsidy in Mexico. They make their Coke the old-fashioned way: with cane sugar.

I bought my Mexican Coke at BevMo. Costco has been known to carry it too. Another option is Coke that is Kosher for Passover, but that is only available around Passover, so you’d have to stock up (NPR even did a story on this). Or you can look for a local Mexican grocery or convenience store. But if you just can’t find it locally, there’s always mail order.
Get sugar cane Coke from Dr. Soda

Best cable/satellite TV service: DirecTV

I’ve had DirecTV for nearly 10 years, and they’ve been a high-quality, reliable TV provider. From the research I’ve done and my own experience, satellite TV service tends to be cheaper, has better quality, and better customer service than cable TV.

Cheaper doesn’t mean cheap, though; I pay about $60/month, which includes local channels and a $10/month DVR listings fee, but no premium or HD channels.

A couple of things I really like about DirecTV service. They have XM Satellite Radio channels, which are nice for leaving on in the background. They also have a reasonably good selection of pay-per-view movies for $4 each, and the convenience of ordering at the last minute from home and watching at my leisure via my DVR beats driving to Blockbuster and choosing from the dregs of their stock (plus driving back to return it!).

Of course one option is to go the TV-via-the-internet route. Sites like hulu.com, abc.com and cbs.com all stream their shows over the internet for free. But watching TV on the computer is optimized for solo viewing. And no matter how well-designed these sites are, they still aren’t as easy to use as changing channels on a TV.
Get DirecTV: use referral ID 13409810

Best fruit juice: Trader Joe’s Cranberry Harvest

There are a lot of bad juices out there. Technically, any drink where the first two ingredients are water and corn syrup is not “juice”.

This one has water as the first ingredient, and then cranberry juice. It also has grape juice and real sugar in it to take the edge off the tartness (but not too much). Rounding out the ingredients are vitamin C (nutrition) and citric acid (used as a preservative). That’s it.

It’s also organic (always a plus for me), and since it’s a Trader Joe’s brand, it’s relatively inexpensive compared to other juices of equivalent quality. You’re not paying for marketing — just a quality product.Get Cranberry Harvest from Trader Joe’s

Best cell phone: Apple iPhone

These days it’s practically essential to have a cell phone (mobile phone if you’re outside the US). I’m a relative laggard in this area. I didn’t get my first cell phone until 1999 with a bare-bones $10/month plan and 25¢/minute. And that was the plan I kept for 9 years, until a month ago when I got an iPhone.

The iPhone is great because it’s basically a mobile computer with a phone built in. It enables a number of mobile scenarios that — now that I’m used to — would be difficult for me to live without. For example, it does a great job approximating my current location when doing a map search, making it really useful for finding nearby stores, restaurants, gas stations, etc. when I’m out & about. It also shows live traffic data on the map, which is critical when making route decisions.

I’ve stopped carrying a separate music player; the built-in iPod app works great. I love the phone integration. When I receive a call, the audio pauses; when the call ends, the audio starts again. It has a built-in camera too. The quality is mediocre, but it works well enough, and it’s always with me. No need to lug around a point & shoot every day for serendipitous picture taking.

The email, SMS, and web browser are useful too but on the AT&T Edge network, things can be a bit to slow to be of much use. But there are times you really want to look something up, and the ability to do it — albeit slowly — is nice.

Finally — and I cannot emphasize this enough — the iPhone is easy to use. You are not going to find a phone out there with a better interface than this one. As an interface designer, I’m acutely sensitive to design details, and Apple has once again nailed it with this device.

Now is a perfect time to get an iPhone. The new 3G model is coming out in about a month, so you can pick up the first-generation model at a discount — especially from technophiles getting rid of their old ones in anticipation of buying the new one. I highly recommend checking out CraigsList or eBay for deals. If you prefer to wait for the newer one, click here.Get an Apple iPhone

Best margarine/butter: Earth Balance

Let’s be honest here: there’s really no butter, margarine or refined oil that is technically good for you. But on a relative scale, Earth Balance is the best of the bunch.

It’s made from 100% vegetable oil and ingredients, so there’s no cholesterol to clog your arteries. And it has no trans-fats which are just as bad for your health (if not worse).

It is solid in the refrigerator, but softens at room temperature and melts just above — practically to the properties of butter. And the taste is great too. The Earth Balance web site claims it “won a Best Taste award by the American Culinary Institute three years in a row,” and I don’t doubt it. This is yummy stuff. It works great when baking, too.
Get Earth Balance from Trader Joe’s