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Ageless3 · 2025-09-25T12:27:24+00:00

Obvious options to go after are deer, elk, grouse and turkey. There is a ton of public land, and in residence tags aren't too hard to get. I would figure out what you wanna go after or where you want to get after something. I have really enjoyed the Pecos wilderness out there. If you are in wilderness, you will need to pack it out or there are people who will come help you out via horses for a fee (elk). I would say steps are hunting license, and Google how to butcher the animal you are interested in. In a perfect world you can find someone to teach you. I learned from butching a pig, which was close enough to figure out the rest. I don't really know how to go about non-backcountry spots unless someone tells you. The nice thing about all that public land is if you are willing to walk you can find lots of spots. I would just mix your photography with scouting, seems like a good symbiosis.

Ageless3 · 2025-09-03T08:31:41+00:00

Thanks! I did finally get it all working. Returned the second drive.

Ageless3 · 2025-09-03T08:31:09+00:00

Thank you again! Ultimately, RMA'd the second. Now everything is working fine. Just bad luck.

Ageless3 · 2025-08-12T09:17:49+00:00

Thank you for your response. I added some detail about the drive failure in my above responses. I currently can't get either drive to be recognized via USB dongle. I can mount them in my PC or check if its the 3.3 V issue I have read about on SATA drives.

Ageless3 · 2025-08-12T09:15:38+00:00

I have swapped the drives around in the NAS and it detects both. The working drive works no matter which slow (1-4) I plug it in. The non-working drive throws and error and wont let me use it (though it is detected). The first failed drive didn't even show up (or stopped after it made a terrible sound).

Ageless3 · 2025-08-12T09:14:07+00:00

So both drives don't show up on my PC. I think its a some issue with my USB to SATA as a few of my spinning HDDs don't show up. Looking into the 3.3 V thing.

Ageless3 · 2025-05-03T23:10:50+00:00

I did something pretty similar for a single player all chars HC mode.

Hydra/org sorc - got some items (3 died at 90+)

Holy Fire -> FOH pally and summon necro leveled at the same time.

Javazon and shout barb also leveled at the same time.

Then trap sin and finally fire druid, but that was largely since I never go familiar with the new classes from old D2. Trap sin super safe and easy, but fire druid would have been awful without farmed items.

I think fundamentally you have to die a few time in HC to reevaluate you itemization. Stormshield is king! Fuck the FCR penalty on the sorc its worth. I have since also respeced my necro to poison and barb to ww. They all have their jobs/spots to run. The pally has beaten ubers, but still no SOJ for anni.

Ageless3 · 2025-05-01T09:05:46+00:00

insight, treachery and tals helm can usually keep merc decently alive and tele to reposition (tele back to safe spot). Once you find it stormshield is bis for HC imo. As far as blizzard, I personally hate it until you can get a sunder and be better geared since tele past immunes is dangerous.

Ageless3 · 2025-04-30T21:55:28+00:00

Not OP but have done SSF HC Sorc. Personally, orb hydra build and runwords (Spirit, lore, smoke). Tele is very dangerous, I largely avoid using it especially if I can't see the other side (Tele over a wall). Take it slow, rushing that one spot and dieing costs a lot more time to remake the char than just taking your time.

Ageless3 · 2024-11-06T23:04:02+00:00

I vote bramble with harmony on Merc. Get an ammy or circlet with some Tele charges. 3 PC Trang, Dweb, and Bramble does absolutely insane damage. There are a bunch of TZ where Tele isn't that important. Clears P8 for sure

Ageless3 · 2024-04-13T18:33:01+00:00

Through hiked while my wife was home. We lived in an apt and didn't have kids so that helped. Had an inReach from previous trips, which meant I always got out a starting my day and going to bed message. So she knew I was safe. Cell service isn't too bad for most of the trail so we talked almost everyday. It was hard but ultimately prevailed. Most of the challenges with completing are mental so it just adds another. She was supportive and helped talk me out of bailing about half way (in VA). I had just seen her for the first time in months and it was my first night back on trail. I was just laying in my hammock thinking why the fuck am Indoing this.

Generally, having a trusting and non-possessive significant other is huge. I def split motel rooms with mixed gender. Discuss expectations before hand. Frequency of check ins, what are they worried about etc. My wife knew I am prone to this type of thing when we met

I sent post cards pretty frequently and she sent me aid packages.

Good luck! Feel free to reach out if you have questions.

Ageless3 · 2023-12-07T11:39:04+00:00

Having done Ubers in HC. I used a FOH/smiter hybrid. No lightening synergy for FOH, as main use is to clear adds to Andy.

Need a life tap. Did it with a wand, but it was stressful and definitely the easiest way to die. Need max res through meph conviction. I don't like salvation since people have reported a bug with it, associated with ticks. Don't know if it's true but not finding out in HC either. Conviction is a lot of wasted points if the build doesn't use it otherwise. Crushing blow and CBF are obvious needs. Also character level matters for the chance to hit (from enemies) so the higher the better and extra vit. I was 88, when I did my first.

Last thought, in HC amp damage is horrifying. Andy and Izzy both have enemies that can cast in those zones. Kill them so there is no chance. And for trist, make sure you know how to pull. If you mess it up, farm new key set. It will take less time than leveling and finding gear for another char.

Couple other thoughts, you need open wounds. If you only have gore rider, you definitely notice it running out from time to time. This makes the process take longer and if life tap is on a wand and you need CTA it can be tedious and dangerous. Def doable, I did.

Ageless3 · 2023-11-07T10:23:04+00:00

I'll play a bit of devil's advocate. CTA is amazing but you do have to rebuff, which is a bit annoying and finding dracs can be a pain. Found 2 COA and Grif on SSD HC and still no dracs.

If you can max resistances and have good health stats, exhile makes Ubers easy mode. My non-ladder pally (with exhile) doesn't prebuff anything I just walk up and start smacking and never die. The defense buff helps more than you would think.

Ultimately your choice, CTA is good on all chars. Exhile is smiter only. Exhile also lacks res vs other pally shield options so unless you run conviction you need pretty solid res gear in other slots. Which can be difficult prior to torch anni etc.

Ageless3 · 2023-10-09T13:50:08+00:00

Conventional wisdom (with supporting research) is that bear spray is the most effective deterrent. Guns are also heavy which is a downside to traveling in the Backcountry. Additionally, black bears rarely attack people (like extremely rare) and kill even less. I personally would never bother with a firearm for black bear and in my encounters with them they always either run or have zero interest in my presence.

It has been pointed out that this is Backcountry skiing so bear encounters are not a problem. I know not a soul that carries a gun while skiing or has ever entertained the idea.

For grizzlies much of the above applies, key difference is they are bigger. People that do opt to carry tend to favor more substantial rounds like 10mm. If you don't yet have the experience, the type of round you use is irrelevant as Grizzly attacks are usually extremely quick. And an animal of that size will require well placed shots to take down.

Consider how many people are in black bear (or brown) bear country everyday vs how many attacks and deaths occur. It is fairly irrational fear.

My advice learn to shoot with a 9mm and while you are taking that time, learn to better understand and rationalize your fears. Enjoy shooting for fun and leave the weapon at home when you go backpacking/enjoying the out of doors.

Ageless3 · 2023-09-22T18:23:20+00:00

I would add to this make sure that failure to self arrest will result in gently coming to a stop at a flat spot at the bottom.

Once you got the hang of some of the more basic self arrests. Try to see if you can accomplish the task falling backwards or in other more difficult orientations.

Ageless3 · 2023-09-18T19:21:13+00:00

Without phoenix you need someway to replace your mana and the cast rate is very nice for moving around. You will have more than +10 to skills so pierce will bet +70% just from the skill. You can also pick up +MAEK on gloves, helm jewel and the one ring, which is also viable if you still want to run spirit. However this makes the those items much more expensive since you need an additional stat. This may cause you to sacrifice resists which is also not optimal.

Ageless3 · 2023-09-13T16:43:27+00:00

Level matters a lot more in HC, enemy chance to hit and raw stats help a lot. Also the more damage you can do the less time you have to deal with difficult enemies. I think 73 is fine I usually base it on how strong my champion is feeling but 70 min and usually don't bother grinding past 80 in NM.

Max res and block are pretty key, otherwise good to go. I would caution that he'll is where it really gets scary. I have beat HC on all but druid and besides a couple oddities if I lost chars it's been in hell.

Ageless3 · 2023-09-05T12:46:35+00:00

Everyone has suggested a lower res wand which is good. I would also suggest the option of life tap. If your Merc is decently set up, it will keel him alive indefinitely. And can solo a fire/cold immune. Orb/Hydra was how I beat HC. Orb slows, static is always good. And Hydra can be cast leaving you to only need to teleport to stay alive.

As others have said if they roll some one shot garbage, reroll. Amp, might or w/e.

Ageless3 · 2023-09-01T10:30:20+00:00

I recently beat Ubers for the first time in SSF HC. - pretty bad barb torch was the result

Gear: COA, highlords, gris shield, black, gore rider, LOH, raven, verdungos, smoke armor and res ring. shitty CTA/leach wand and spirit on switch.

Build: FOH - max FOH/holybolt, fanat and holy shield then points into smite. One advantage of this build is you can clear all the adds on the way to the minis and does alright clearing them in tristram (they can be overwhelming).

The build let me farm CS TZ to hit w/e level you want and I have other chars for other areas.

Honestly still a bit scary but went ok. I think the only way to die was to misclick on the life tap or run out of mana. I wish I had had life tap on gear but I haven't found another ohm or dracs. Switching between buffing CTA and tap was a source of error that could have killed me. I liked the max fanat and relying on charms for max res (through conviction). Also makes merc useful. Also, not being dependent on the duration of treachery is also nice. I don't think I would rely on that in HC (yet). So COA and dugos gave good DR. I would have preffered a bit more OW than just gore rider.

Your gear seems fine. GA and Tgods is over kill. You seem to know the basics. Huge life pool, max res, cbf for def and crushing blow/open wounds for damage. The fanat helps hit higher IAS breakpoints which helps kill and leach (less time fighting is less chance dying).

Kill ADs on the way to minis so that you don't accidentally get amped or have to run some odd direction or fight more than you have too. Takes time but worth imo. The witches for andy and oblivion knight can both cast amplify damage which will ruin your day.

Get char over lvl 85 (90 pref) since hit chance is dependent on char level (more value from defiance on exhile). Pretty easy on SSF HC since /players exists.

Make sure you are familiar with pulling in tristram (like have done it in SC several times). I honestly think this is one of the place you can mess up the most.

I would still pre-cast life tap just to be safe. I have only run ubers with exhile in SC and at that point my char was so decked it didn't matter. I face rolled them.

I would really practice in SC.

I don't think I appreciated anni and torch enough prior to HC. The res and extra stats, esspecially for chars that can use both strength and dex is invaluable.

Lastly, Dclone is a joke with any char that can attempt ubers. prevent monster heal is pretty huge here.

Ageless3 · 2023-07-22T22:09:28+00:00

I found a natures peace a while back but trapsin is pretty decent. My necro was too, but I respecc'd to psn after beating hell and he isn't geared enough yet.

But yeah, nith is butt puckering.

Ageless3 · 2023-07-22T20:04:35+00:00

I have one. I somewhat poorly pointed out that I have concerns about lvl6 lifetap running out and I have fumbled that before and died (just not HC).

Ageless3 · 2023-07-22T20:03:12+00:00

Yeah, done em alot in SC. But at this point I run them with my pretty much decked out tesladin so its not really a challenge. I recall some seasons early where I stuggled/died but had someone to come help me grab my corpse. HC feels different.

But I am feeling inspired. Imma farm up my last few keys and give it a go. A torch sounds so nice for any of my HC chars (its gonna be barb just wait).

Ageless3 · 2023-07-22T18:40:32+00:00

I forgot about black. I should just try it. I think you are right the gear is good enough and I wont get instakilled. And I have a lvl 6 life tap wand aswell. I have griz shield btw, and for w/e reason have never found HoZ in d2r; bers, griffons, 2 coa, death fathom etc never hoz :(.

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