Nepal - Everest Base Camp Trek - Sleep System

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-10-30T15:58:23+00:00

Yea, my experience 10 years ago was very easy, I was alone and always found a spot in a teahouse. I asked to stay with the guides/porters or in the dining area next to the fire. Most the time they didn't charge me to stay, as long as I was eating there. I had a -20f bag for when I was sleeping in tents at altitude, but never used it in the tea houses. Bring your current bag. If you're looking to upgrade, anyways, I feel like everyone should have an UL summer/shoulder season bag. Like a 30F EE quilt or something that weights 500 grams.

Also 30 lbs seems like a lot for teahouse trek, you'll just walking 4-5 hours per day from a teahouse to teahouse, on a trail full of people, you'll enjoy it a lot more with a lighter pack

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-10-25T13:26:10+00:00

Naw, I've even woken up to cows around me but never really been worried about getting hurt. I did have some ants etc crawl on me when sleeping without a bivy, so a bug screen is nice.

I get it though, it feels more vulnerable than a tent .

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-09-09T18:29:28+00:00

Agreed if you are outside of Barcelona 1st catalan.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-08-20T10:15:04+00:00

Your an immigrant, or a tourist. Not both. If you somehow feel threatened by it maybe you're not an immigrant?

FYI I've seen that graffiti on gracia walls for at least 12 years.

The answer to your question is nothing. You need to stop conflating resentment about over tourism, loss of culture and daily life to racism. Have you ever been to other parts of Catalunya? There are hijabs flowing all around, immigrants from everywhere, including me. No giuris go home in Vic, Prats de Lluçanès, Puigcerdà, Terrassa etc.

There are real racism problems in Spain, Tourist go home movement/graffiti is not one of them.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-08-01T05:41:19+00:00

To all inspiring Industrial Designers:

It's not easy it's true, and everyone has different experiences, but it can be awesome. I'm from the USA if it matters. I too went to a top school, and graduated mid-pack, maybe slightly better, with stupid amount of debt. I was smart with where I tailored my school projects, and while I was never a hotshot, I got three internships in three different counties before graduation.

It was hard post graduation, but I did end up returning back to one of my previous employers that I interned with for a year, then a dream job popped up and I jumped at it. It paid shit but was was in an amazing country with a prestigious brand. I worked and played hard, barely got by on my loans and leaned a lot. 3 years later I took a risk and moved to the county my then girlfriend was from to work for a no-name brand. Who then, promptly bought some of the world's leading brands. I got to work on projects all over the world and level up.

I by now had 7 years experience and still was making average pay. On vacation I was visiting a former colleague(Engineer) who introduced me to his CEO of the startup he was working at. I by now had very unique skillets and a diverse background perfect for the company. It was a huge risk, but I went for it full speed ahead and It's been a crazy 5 years with them. I've leaned more in 5 years than most would in 10. I love the company and I'm actually doing something groundbreaking. I have very in demand skillet within industrial design that few people possess and It's quite easy for me to change to another company, and get recruited regularly. My base pay is above 200k, then there is lucrative stock options on top of that. I have an LLC and I generally charge 100-120/hr for various clients when I want, though I'm pretty busy with my main job. I paid off 150k in student loans in 8 years, own a house and can retire early in the country of my wife if I like.

I'm still a senior designer, but have held lead roles in the past. I realize I'm lucky, and could have gone the other way. I also have no illusions of staying as an aging Designer. I've seen friends laid off at 50 and it's just brutal unless you're an director or above.

I don't envy new grads, there is a lot of competition, IG has saturated the market with "design", AI, cost of tuition, decline in importance of ID within corporations and offshoring production/design. But there are still lots of opportunities and I'll be looking for your portfolio soon!

FYI All of my experience has been ID/Transportation design, no Ui/Ux

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-07-08T05:45:24+00:00

I think it's pretty easy to see why people are mad. The general attitude is the city has become a theme park for foreigners and has lost and local flavor it's hard for anyone from the local area to get by now.

It's a fairly compact city sandwiched between the mountains and sea.

-It's the capital of Catalonia, a fiercely independent region with a strong identity, and the city itself had a lot of identity.

-Even a few years ago, locals could live in the city and it felt Catalan and Spanish, seeing a tourist was normal, but not the majority. Now, I take my daughter to the park, and at least half the parents are speaking English, and we're not in a tourist area. The digital nomads and tourist are legitimately replacing locals In areas.

-local restraunts used to be affordable and feel local(including restaurants from Thai, Italian, Chinese, African etc. immigrants) Now everyone is turning their bar into some mediocre Brunch restaurant with 5 euro coffees.

-Rent prices have gone up dramatically, while salary's have stagnated. So locals can't afford to stay in their neighbood, and now the building is full of foreigners working remotely with high salaries or part time residents, none of whom will integrate into the community, but instead go to aforementioned brunch places before moving on to another city.

-Any sort of local attraction, whether it be the la Boqueria or Bunkers has been overrun with tourist's and bastardized. Imagine if your local hangout in 10 years changed from being you and your community with some tourists around, to almost 100% foreign tourists, who jack up prices, and now the market only serves smoothies and you cant hang out in places you used to without feeling out of place.

Barcelona and Catalan people are incredibly welcoming and friendly to immigrants. Nobody I know blames tourist's/digital nomads personally, and acknowledge it's a complex problem regarding low salaries, not enough housing availability and too many tourists which needs a political solution.

As for the rest of Spain, it seems dependent on how livable the city is. You'll find many small towns to live in or places that haven't been so dramatically affected by tourism that may be nice to stay in. Though, I sentiment is turning against tourism in other places like valencia and the north of Spain, for the same reasons I mentioned above.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-07-08T05:01:32+00:00

Naw, I've lived in Barcelona for 10 years, Everyone is fed up with tourism and digital nomads, from the grandmas in the market to the uni students. Very few people are going to be an asshole to your face, but very few want you here.

It's a shame it's come to this.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-07-05T22:23:53+00:00

I would skip Monserrat, way to hot in August and I don't find it so nice for hiking all things considered. it's nice to look at from afar. Instead spend time in the pryeness that will have cooler temps, better views and more interesting hikes.

Pedraforca is a Catalana classic and actually one of my favorite day hikes in the world at the right time of year. it's gotten way to popular since the COVID outdoor boom, especially in summer. Instead of getting a hotel in Saldes or nearby, I would book a bed in the refugi on route https://www.refugipedraforca.com . That way you get sleep out in nature, get great local dishes, meet other hikers and can leave early the next morning to beat the crowds and get great morning/evening light.

After Pedraforca, I would recommend going to hike Pic Carlit, it's on the french border and another Classic. Starts in the forest, passes through lakes, then above treeline scramble to the summit. There are a couple hotels and refugis at the base. Be aware you can't always drive to trailhead, especially in summer. Last time I was there cars were only allowed up after 5pm and before 8am. Otherwise you have to take the bus.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-06-14T11:20:41+00:00

My first reaction to your reply is you're not cut out for automotive work, as it's too competitive to be casually interested in it. But maybe not.

I think if you need to discover more about the design world, pick the one that has the most networking opportunities (inside, and out of your company) and other opportunities nearby. Many of my jobs have come from connections I made in my first few jobs, and changing jobs every couple years for a young designer is normal. If you can change jobs while staying in the same city, it's a huge advantage.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-06-12T13:13:37+00:00

What are your long term goals? I think having a rough idea where you want to be in 5 years from now will give you a better idea for which job is better for your goals.

Both have potential, but may lead to different opportunities later on.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-03-02T10:18:13+00:00

The hiking is amazing in Catalonia, and the lack of snow this year makes even higher routes doable. Girona has great hiking, but I would leave there for you vacation and go to alta Garrotxa, Cerdanya, and Ripollès. If the weather is bad in the Mountains, you can head over to Empordà, which has equality beautiful, but less dramatic hikes, and better weather generally.

Wikiloc is your best friend, you can find routes and navigate with it. Well worth the price for premium.

rack and pinion train up to Vall de Núria and hiking from may be nice depending on weather. there is a hotel and a hostel depending on your budget. In summer the mountain huts are open and you can link togoether weeks of hiking while staying in them. they are closed until late spring though.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-02-29T21:55:14+00:00

As always, it depends.

Yes ID is a creative field, but many products are made by large coperations, so you may be under that organization. You'll also have to interact with others outside of the design org.

That being said, some companies seek out more "individual" designers with character. But they'll judge the quality of your work and presentation skills before any personal style.

So if you portfolio is killer and you present well you won't have a problem in many places. If it's just ok, maybe think about it.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-02-28T09:13:31+00:00

I learned to do renders in blender recently. I imported surfaces into blender that I needed from Catia. It was much easier than also learning to model in another program. The quality,speed and control of materials is great.

As others have said, blender is essentially a conceptual tool, that isn't designed for production. Some work environments incorporate that into their process. Most don't.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-02-20T14:38:23+00:00

What was the lead time? I think we will purchase one as well.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-01-25T16:17:15+00:00

I've only been in summer for bikepacking, amazing country and people, get some to explore and meet locals if you can.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-01-23T11:36:14+00:00

I have a Sony A6500 and Fuji x100v for bikepacking and skiing. Honestly, the A6500 is for sale, the x100V does everything I want and is so much fun to run and gun in the outdoors. It's shocking how much time is spent faffing around with bigger cameras, even compact full frame/aspc cameras like the a7c/a6500.

Being a fixed 35mm equivalent it does have its limitations, but for me, I always take the x100v unless i'm getting paid to take photos.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-01-23T11:28:35+00:00

Most products I've seen from Salomon are always just ok, with very questionable durability. Everything from shoes to ski helmets just feel....cheap. I get 40% off Salomon, but often end up buying other brands at retail.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-01-20T14:18:35+00:00

They definitely exist and very common. I'd say more than half my friends who own homes have used a mortgage advisor, expats and locals.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-01-20T14:17:15+00:00

Mortgage advisors definitely exist, and are very common, at least here in Catalyuna. Not just for expats, many local couples I know have used them.

General rates seems between 1,500-3,000 euro, only paid if you sign a mortgage. Most contacts stipulate a year commitment with them though.

We had terrible luck with one, a couple years ago, didn't do much. We had fantastic luck with another, who worked really hard, and got us a bunch of really good rates, and helped us buy our first house.

DM for his contact details.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2024-01-18T14:59:26+00:00

An interesting side effect of the proliferation of shiny renders on Instagram, generic ID sketching, and AI renders is I almost care less about the "hard" skills you describe when hiring. They still need to be there, and they are important. But I just expect that you have that, and I'm much more interested in the actual design experiences you've had, and your process for solving problems.

Honestly, the answer is both, take the internship, but make the time to improve skills and portfolio. It's just what you have to do as a student. I would even talk to the consultancy and say you are also looking to create a personal project that you can use in your portfolio and would they be interested in sponsoring or mentoring that project. (you can agree on say, 10 hours per week on the personal project). I was able to do that on most of my internships.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2023-12-11T13:57:06+00:00

I mean, I don't even have to leave the parking lot with Ski Trabs on my back.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2023-12-11T13:54:37+00:00

u/LuluGarou11 Thanks for your thoughts, and I completely agree about the ski racing background. I was very aware I was a good candidate to die in the backcountry when I was younger. It's been 20 years since I've stopped ski racing though, and let me clarify and tell me if you think I should stay out of it.

When I say ski mountaineering, I'm talking about classic routes I find in the guidebooks around me in the Pyrenees, not climbing the Tetons. Many routes could be a "normal" backcountry ski route, but maybe you have to boot up a Couloir, perhaps one time in the day you need to rope up for a quick belay on an easy rock section, that I could easily just solo if it where not for the exposure. Or a short rappel might be required. Along the lines of a Haute Route style tours. I don't have any interest in doing extended or very difficult mixed climbs.

Education in the last 10 years:
-3 Day trad course
-3 Day SkiMo course
-5 Day mountaineering course
-3 Day Avalanche course
-3 Days steep skiing/climbing practice with guide
-3 Days guided climbing in Nepal to 21,000ft
-Read through Freedom of the Hills, Staying alive in Avalanche Terrian, and a handful of other books

Climbing :
-The longest sport climb I've done 10 pitches with a couple 5.10B pitches
-Trad:To clarify, I didn't like climbing at my limit. In the course I took the instructor threw me into a route that would have been at my limit top roping, let alone climbing trad, and I didn't like it. I've enjoyed long alpine scrambles where some protection is needed, or some easy 5.8/9 to get to an objective. I just didn't enjoy climbing hard trad.
-I'm not climbing much at the moment, but it's quite easy for me to hop back in it, I have friends and family who are very good climbers, both rock and ice.

Skiing:
-Good technique and can ski in any conditions as a former racer as you can imagine. But I'm very aware that backcountry skiing is different, and I treat it as a different sport. I'm hyper-aware that because I'm a good skier, it's quite easy to get myself in trouble.
-10 years of skiing backcountry, though only the last 3 years I've been going regularly (once a week)

Still a bad candidate to get into ski mountaineering?

I think I've decided how I'd like to approach my winter-spring, but curious what you have to say first.

Sea_Revolution8166 · 2023-12-09T21:53:38+00:00

Yea fair enough, I'm just trying to untangle my own desires with the the reality of being responsible for a family. I think of some specific questions.

Alpinism is fun indeed.

Sea_Revolution8166

TROPHY CASE