YuenX

Review: Rockpals 26 Quart Car Freezer/Fridge (RP-25L) (26qt/25L/25 Liters)

By Michael Yuen @yuenx|2022-07-19T00:06:49-07:00Jul 5, 2020 - Sunday|Product Reviews, Reviews|

Read: 13 mins.Those who have known me know that I really like the Rockpals 500W battery power station for its compact size, but ultimately gave it away after falling in love with the Goal Zero Yeti 500x. It was no surprise then when one of my former coworkers bought the company's car refrigerator/freezer last month, the 26qt Rockpals RP-25L, and asked for my opinion of it. At first glance, I really liked the look: solid black with accents of bright orange in a compact size. I told him that it probably was good based on my past tests with the solid battery power station. As it turns out, the car freezer is Rockpals' first one ever. Did it live up to my expectations? How did it compare to my Foho 54qt car freezer? I asked him if I could borrow it for a week for evaluation, only to find a serious issue (and workaround) with the product.

Review: DvSport Sunshine Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board (iSUP) (WH305-10)

By Michael Yuen @yuenx|2022-08-03T01:37:17-07:00Jul 4, 2020 - Saturday|Product Reviews, Reviews|

Read: 6 mins.Ever since my best friend and I tried stand up paddle boarding (SUP) a few years ago, we had always wanted to purchase one but did not know whether we would enjoy it enough to buy one. Today, after having rented one many times, we decided it was time to own one but were unsure about whether to get an inflatable (iSUP) or a hard SUP. This review dives into the differences between them, and why I ultimately chose the inflatable, DvSport Sunshine.

Review: Garmin inReach Explorer+ (vs Mini), Tips, and Subscription Plans

By Michael Yuen @yuenx|2025-01-15T10:24:46-08:00Jun 30, 2020 - Tuesday|Product Reviews, Reviews|

Read: 14 mins.A week ago, I took my young son on his first backpacking trip into the Sierra Wilderness on a multi-day journey. Naturally, my wife was worried for our safety, and that gave me the opportunity to finally purchase something I had been eyeing for a while: an emergency GPS satellite communication device. I looked into SPOT, Garmin inReach, and various other products, but ultimately went with Garmin for its reliability and Iridium global, satellite network. How did it work for the trip? Did it send timely updates on our status and whereabouts?

Review: Euhomy Countertop Ice Maker (26 lbs/day) IM-12AR

By Michael Yuen @yuenx|2022-03-04T15:02:57-08:00Jun 29, 2020 - Monday|Product Reviews, Reviews|

Read: 5 mins.When the summer heat hits, having ice readily available is a blessing for quenching one's thirst and to cool down. Ice makers come in various shapes and sizes, and I was looking for an inexpensive, compact one for use on camping and road trips with a portable, solar-capable, battery power station. In this review, I take a look at a beautiful, red-colored ice maker from Euhomy that was recently used in 106F-degree weather during a backpacking outing and for a few days at home.

Review: Joyor X5S Electric Scooter

By Michael Yuen @yuenx|2022-03-03T09:50:11-08:00Jun 18, 2020 - Thursday|Product Reviews, Reviews|

Read: 16 mins.My first experience with an electric scooter was met with excitement, joy, freedom, and... sadness once I learned about California's prohibitive regulation that governs it. However, Joyor's X5S -- as a product and ride -- surprised me in a few ways, and two of my friends and a neighbor took notice. See why the four of us purchased one.

Review: SONOS Arc and SONOS Audio System

By Michael Yuen @yuenx|2021-09-09T22:22:12-07:00Jun 11, 2020 - Thursday|Product Reviews, Reviews|

Read: 15 mins.When my wife and I had purchased our home, I wanted to wire the entire place with speakers for entertaining and relaxing. The cost of doing so took me by surprise, and when I discovered the Sonos wireless speakers, there were many reasons for why our family decided to go with that solution. Many years later, we got more invested into the Sonos ecosystem because of the excellent sound quality, convenience, and smart features offered by their products. Recently, the Sonos Arc was released, the company's newest and best-sounding TV soundbar yet. How does it compare to the Playbar, Beam, and Playbase? Read on to find out.