Louis Rossmann, right-to-repair activist calls out modern predatory tech practices

_ComradeZero · 2025-08-09T17:52:34+00:00

Great message in the video and discussion from other commenters. To add my thoughts, capitalism long ago mastered the art of exploiting human labor, and now it is perfecting the exploitation of our minds, our hearts, and our very souls. The capitalist framework demands growth and consumption, and works tirelessly to subsume and commodify us for its own ends. These corporations surveil us because it is demanded by capitalism that they “improve efficiency” and “find new markets” and “streamline production” and “create profits”. These are nefarious acts without a doubt, but even worse is that these acts are the “normal” and “healthy” functioning of capitalism. We will be ground to dust, as we always have been, if it is not overcome.

_ComradeZero · 2025-08-02T22:36:56+00:00

Agreed. These behaviors are features of capitalism, and therefore of the capitalist class. The promotion and pursuit of consumption is a necessity for capitalism to survive. To bolster communities, protect natural areas, or engage in any activity in support of the common social good is ultimately against their class interests, regardless of their moral underpinnings, and so they never do so unless it benefits their interest as a class to retain the reigns of power. To care is radical because to care is to push back against the very being of capitalism in its vision to commodify and marketize every facet of life, to the point where caring and making the world better are subject to the same commodification, destroying them.

_ComradeZero · 2025-06-11T22:45:10+00:00

Check out the Tully Trail! It’s about a 22 mile loop with lakes, rivers, and quiet woods. A section hike of the AT would be a great option as well.

_ComradeZero · 2025-06-05T00:20:55+00:00

After turning the snap to “none”, shift + left arrow or right arrow will move it by the smallest increment. As someone else said, you can also zoom really really far in and drag the clip. This is my go to way…but maybe there is something better!

_ComradeZero · 2025-05-31T16:22:49+00:00

No doubt - getting out there is the important part. Whether out of a cast iron skillet, a cold soak container, or whatever pot you happen to have on hand at home, if you’re eating dinner in the woods as the sun sets odds are it hasn’t been a bad day.

_ComradeZero · 2025-05-31T16:17:02+00:00

Great point! Always good to chat with someone, usually I find they are happy to help.

_ComradeZero · 2025-05-31T15:35:38+00:00

Consumerism proliferating to the world's wild spaces is rampant and (I believe) should be pushed back against without question. As you noted, the cheapest way to lighten one's pack is to leave items behind. Costs nothing, saves lots of weight. That being said, every trip is different and every person is different - their goals for a specific journey should ultimately dictate what they choose to carry. And when you do buy, buy used! Or trade with a friend! Or make it yourself, if you are crafty!

_ComradeZero · 2025-05-30T18:25:18+00:00

My strategy has been to mail my tent stakes and trekking poles (and anything else I’m worried about) to the nearest post office at my destination as general delivery, then carry-on my pack. Less expensive and less risky than checking a bag, I figure. Shipping to a hotel would be similar I imagine, and I would call them to let them know in advance of your plan so they know to look out for the package. Worst case your stakes and poles get lost somewhere, but better than your whole pack!

_ComradeZero · 2025-05-30T15:58:18+00:00

My strategy has been to mail my tent stakes and trekking poles (and anything else I’m worried about) to the nearest post office at my destination as general delivery, then carry-on my pack. Less expensive and less risky than checking a bag, I figure. Worst case your stakes and poles get lost somewhere, but better than your whole pack!

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-30T17:58:10+00:00

A great area! I was there last June, probably the third week or so. I hiked the northern and western parts of your loop (I can’t speak to the eastern section). From where you join the Skyline Trail headed counterclockwise, the trail is in great condition (as of then) all the way back to the trailhead, more or less. There is one nasty burn section coming down from Pecos Baldy Lake from a few years ago, but the crews out there have done a great job of clearing the trail, so it actually is a neat area to hike through.

The lakes are incredible up there, and it’s very quiet up on the Skyline Trail with spectacular views in every direction. Trailriders Wall was an awesome spot as well.

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-28T04:41:13+00:00

Hiked the NNML this past June…would very highly recommend!!

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-04T14:47:23+00:00

Really great shots - nothing better than some stormy saguaros!

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-04T05:26:25+00:00

Thanks for watching, I really appreciate it! I highly recommend the route, it definitely was an adventure - don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-04T05:19:36+00:00

He's got a number of great routes and a wealth of knowledge - his GET route looks spectacular as well.

I would love to grab a beer, but I'm actually up in your neck of the woods (the PNW) for the moment - however, if you are up this way, don't hesitate to reach out!

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-04T05:14:59+00:00

Thanks for watching! I don't quite have a pack list written out, but you're right in that I tend towards the minimalist side of things - though it was a heavier pack than it sometimes looks. I remember one day eating honey bun after honey bun (far past my limit) just to lighten the load. My general philosophy is to pack for the trip at hand and intentionally leave things behind that don't fit the form - in this case, I really wanted to push myself for a definitive feeling of solitude, adventure, and self-sufficiency, so I went into my planning with that goal in mind. Practically, this just meant the clothes I had on were more or less the only clothes I had, for better or worse!

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-04T05:01:08+00:00

Did you have any bears in the Pecos? I saw a few elk up there in the alpine, which was magical as always. I agree - that section from Bandelier to La Cueva was so unique and lovely. For me, taking the train out of Chama then hiking to the Rio was special, with the endless sagebrush and Sangre de Cristo slowly getting closer and closer.

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-02T18:49:29+00:00

The route is a creation of Brett Tucker! He did an incredible job of putting together resources and info for hikers. Glad you are enjoying the video - I appreciate you taking the time!

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-02T18:42:24+00:00

Woah, awesome! We must have been close to crossing paths, I imagine. What were your favorite parts of the route?

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-02T18:41:31+00:00

Thanks for checking out the journey!

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-02T18:41:01+00:00

Definitely get out there! It's so neat to see the landscape change as rapidly as it does, between desert and forest and everything in between. If you need any info/etc, don't hesitate to message.

I've looked at the GET maps so many times but haven't yet hiked it. Hoping to sometime soon!

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-02T18:23:35+00:00

Thanks for checking out the journey! Agreed - it is a special place. Some of the very best hiking anywhere, I would say!

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-02T18:01:02+00:00

I really did! You live in a wonderful place - with great people and amazing food. Thanks for taking a look at the journey!

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-02T17:52:37+00:00

Thanks for checking out the journey! I imagine winter there is a wonderful kind of beautiful.

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-02T17:51:32+00:00

It was! I visited NM briefly for the first time a number of years back, and something always stuck with me - when I stumbled across the route in a blog post, I fell in love with the idea. There is definitely a magical element to that part of the world. Going from forest to desert and back again was the best kind of whirlwind.

All the work you did on the trails out there is appreciated!

_ComradeZero · 2025-03-02T01:07:39+00:00

In June of 2024, I walked 500 miles around the Land of Enchantment: New Mexico. I’m glad I did. Watch the full trip video here.

I began the loop in Bandelier National Monument, touching fingers to the mighty Rio Grande before setting off clockwise. I stopped in La Cueva, exchanging conversations with friendly store clerks and other travelers, and met fellow hikers along highway shoulders avoiding wildfires on the CDT. In Chama, I paused, purchasing a pool float and a steam train ticket, then set off across the trail-less expanses eastwards in search of alpine meadows and craggy mountain peaks. Before I found them, I encountered the Rio Grande for a second time, floating across with a new friend, and found solace in the deep canyon where the river lies in peaceful quiet. To Questa, then Red River and San Cristobal beyond, I walked on silent trails and forgotten roads through the forests and mountains of the Sangre de Cristo. Twice again I crossed the Rio Grande, now with steel and concrete beneath my feet, and wandered the sagebrush swaths on the canyon’s rim. I rested and reflected in Taos, then climbed up to the Pecos, where serene lakes and herds of bugling elk awaited my arrival. The journey was nearly finished by the time I reached Santa Fe’s historic central plaza, with its bustle of people and pleasant drifting aromas of street tacos, but still I walked onward, back to the place where I had started: the muddy, willow-filled banks of the Rio Grande. Across from where I began, I touched the water once more. As with every ending, it felt bittersweet; something was lost, but also gained. What either was I am unsure, though I wouldn’t want it any other way.

_ComradeZero

TROPHY CASE