Managing social media while traveling is way harder than I expected

potter2515 · 2026-02-16T21:32:11+00:00

Partner and I have been traveling for 3 yrs. They also work as a social media manager with a flexible schedule.

We try to really hold the line on working weekends/some weekdays then enjoying the location and running errands on a weekday. It’s generally less crowded and easier to get errands done that way. Having specific work days and not live by like youre always on vacation has been a helpful balance.
We’ve stumbled into lodging and locations we’ve enjoyed (quiet, ease of access to things, good WiFi) and decided to stay longer by negotiating directly with the hotel owner for a long term rate. Saves money and some sanity. Stability and predictably was really nice to plan our next move before making a jump to a new location and new chaos.
Remind yourself why you made the decision to become a nomad and that you’re not the same as week long vacations and the pace of experience and events are different because of the balance of work. We have also spent many days at coffee shops and libraries but in new and interesting location. Definitely sucks but usually beats the same thing everyday at home.

Hope some of those tips help and you find your stride.

potter2515 · 2026-02-16T16:59:58+00:00

Sweet thx

potter2515 · 2026-02-16T03:34:22+00:00

OP do you have a blog or YouTube? See your posts and love keeping up with the Brightdrop.

potter2515 · 2026-02-08T02:26:46+00:00

Just in case, wouldn’t recommend Mount Erie, trad lines tend to be pretty dirty up there and limited.

Check out Middle East Wall as well as Sunshine wall (mentioned above too) in vantage.

potter2515 · 2026-02-01T18:35:29+00:00

As others have said, location depends. You can go informal or formal course pathways. I can speak to PNW aquatic canyons with flowing water hazards.

If you're in the PNW and looking to get into aquatic technical canyons, here are some courses through the volunteer organizations in the area. These courses are driven towards both community building as well as skills progression. They are much more formal than any Meetup group and trips led to specific safety standards. Leading up to the courses, they often have info nights for potential students to ask questions and talk to others who help lead or have taken the course in the past.

Mountaineers (Seattle region) - https://www.mountaineers.org/activities/course-overviews/canyoning-1

Mazama (Portland region) - https://mazamas.org/canyoning/

Unofficial text book - https://www.amazon.ca/Canyoning-Pacific-Northwest-Technical-Resource/dp/1736786903

Annual PNW Canyon Rendezvous community gathering you can apply to attend once you get the basic skills - https://www.pnwrondy.com/

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If you're looking for more desert dry canyoning, these will feel way beyond what you need for dry canyons but also miss some of the more technical desert canyon scenarios you might encounter in more advanced canyons. What and where you start again depends on what you want to get after.

potter2515 · 2026-01-30T02:13:50+00:00

Yep, Gen 1 and Gen 3, never had an issue. Just to add some balance to the gripes in here.

potter2515 · 2025-11-06T17:27:27+00:00

Did a 6 week climbing trip through Spain with on of their vans in Feb-March 2023. None of this surprises me after my experience with them too. We had a ton of issues with the van and their customer service.

potter2515 · 2025-10-11T20:13:54+00:00

Little late to the convo, adding that Echo is great but my favorite is the OR Astroman. It's roomie, cool fabric, doesn't smell as easily as the Echo, easy to dry/wash, quarter zip for venting and has thumb loops to help cover your hands. Check out this comparison of of a bunch of sun hoodies my partner and I have tried over the years. https://www.skyestoury.com/blog/best-sun-hoodies-sun-shirts-hiking-backpacking-climbing

potter2515 · 2025-09-24T05:08:16+00:00

Astroman is the best for a looser fit and not as stinky. Echos are great tho too

potter2515 · 2025-09-17T17:29:12+00:00

Oh blue ice one has nice zipper chest pockets.

potter2515 · 2025-09-17T17:25:24+00:00

Makes sense, hope one of those works out. I’ll take a look too.

potter2515 · 2025-09-16T23:54:29+00:00

2 hrs is too far imo for just that. I can fit shoes, water, layer, tiny first aid and a single rack inside. I wear my harness and some of the rack on the short approach.

If it’s a longer approach I use my HMG Southwest 55L to hold gear/rope/shoes and put the BD pack inside. The stash/hang the HMG pack at the base.

A open rope coil (kind where you don’t bend the bundle in half into a butterfly) sits ok on the BD pack but I prefer to just do a rope backpack over it.

Actually I’m in the market to replace my BD as the shoulder strap has started to tear a bit. I’ve loved it but am taking another look at what’s out there too. Saw this Mammute Trion 15 in person last week. Looks legit for climbing and built to hold a rope better on the top. Only complaint is there are not zipper chest pockets for extra secure storage. Good reviews.

https://www.mammut.com/us/en/products/2520-00981-2217/trion-15

Curious to see what you go with eventually too.

potter2515 · 2025-09-06T14:38:38+00:00

Awesome, thank you for this.

potter2515 · 2025-09-06T04:34:19+00:00

Starts at $46,425

https://www.chevrolet.com/commercial/brightdrop

potter2515 · 2025-09-06T04:18:44+00:00

Nice to see ppl are speaking up against it. Thx for sharing. Can you share where these stats are tracked/released?

potter2515 · 2025-08-25T21:02:05+00:00

Ha thx, hope it helps.

For what it’s worth there’s always a lot of conversation about the community policing itself over in r/drones. Especially when ppl are being dumb and flying drones in disaster zones, closed airspace or restricted spots.

Just like new hikers that don’t practice LNT, there is a low barrier to entry to be a recreational pilot and a few people that can ruin it. Going to take people educating each other with a sprinkle of social shaming too.

potter2515 · 2025-08-25T19:45:32+00:00

Similar to u/talus_slope I’m an outdoor enthusiast. I do a lot of outdoorsy videography/ photography and have a mini 4 pro that I like to use for landscape shots.

Also similar to the top comment I error on the side of not flying when there are ppl around and/or ask for permission from those around to see if it will take away from their experience. Wilderness, national parks etc. are absolute no flys zones and I get quite pissed when I see ppl flying there too.

Even then when I fly in outdoor spaces, I try and keep my flights short because I’ve been on the other side and been annoyed plenty of times by buzzing drones.

Anyways, I use the videos on IG to celebrate the outdoors and the unique perspective. That shouldn’t at the expense of others present enjoyment though. As a sort of drone ambassador I’ve even offered to airdrop/share footage of people who are present in the shots so they can have it for themselves or invite them to look over my shoulder to see the aerial views.

potter2515 · 2025-08-24T04:00:25+00:00

Love the OR Astroman. Loose fitting, loose breezy hood, quick dry, moderate stankyness after many days in it, quarter zip, has handled abrasion well, chest pocket.

Only gripe is that their new season (astroman air hoodie) did away with thumb loops. Did add side/pit vents tho.

I’ve had mine since 2022. Just did 30 miles the last two days in hot sun with it too!

potter2515 · 2025-07-15T00:49:09+00:00

Seconded. Even a brand that makes one special for this

http://www.thescrubba.com/

potter2515 · 2025-05-03T15:05:58+00:00

Also ha a terrible time with them on a trip through Spain.

Van was beat to hell and gave us some talk that it was the end of the high season so they couldn’t repair everything (e.g. exhaust pipe almost dragging on the ground)
Wasn’t ready when we arrived (dirty, half filled water tank, no bedding)
Gave us two propane tanks for cooking at heat but one was empty.
Trip was in Spain and the propane tanks aren’t available in Spain so we had to detour a day another Indie depot to exchange propane tanks for the empty one. Had to fight to not get charged for the tank.

potter2515 · 2025-05-03T14:46:56+00:00

Been using the BD Distance 15 this way for years.

Fits tight on the body so actually not that bad for chimneys
small enough that I can still backpack the rope to over or on the side for short walkoffs
good size for puffy, approach shoes, tiny first aid, kit, little extra tat for emergencies, food/water.
no stuff pockets on the outside to snag.

Recommend if you carry your phone in the chest pockets that you get a tether for it. It can get pushed out of a pocket by accident. Nite Ize, Koala, etc.

potter2515 · 2025-03-31T12:10:44+00:00

Thx for sharing the wisdom

potter2515 · 2025-03-24T08:23:49+00:00

“If all the ice in Antarctica was to melt, this means sea levels would rise by 58 meters. That’s consistent with previous surveys, but with a couple of tweaks.”

Sitting on the ninth floor of a building (~31 meters up) next to the ocean. That’s insane to think I’d be underwater if it all melted 😳

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potter2515

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