i spent the weekend trying to come up with a design for a cheap, portable espresso machine. what i ended up with was a caulk gun actuated pvc tube contraption. you can read all about it over at engadget. several users have written that pvc is not approved for hot water use and may be dangerous, so i’d recommend checking out cpvc (or something completely different and more eco-friendly). there’s room for improvement, so beat me to the punch. come up with a better diy espresso machine and send it in. i’ll make sure to post it and you’ll make caffeinated hikers everywhere happy.
so, on the topic of hikers and diy portable gagetry, i just recieved a great link that i had to move to the front of the queue. scott henderson wrote a great howto on making a nifty little backpacking stove out of a chimeric combination of pepsi and guiness cans. it’s a simple, elegant design that really makes you think about how you can use every day items in creative ways.
these are my favorite kinds of hacks, bar none. everybody thank bruce for sending this our way, and make sure to send in your favorite hacks.
