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sspssp
Sep 25, 2007, 4:24 PM
Post #51 of 85
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[quote "bradhill"]
Damn, [b]why[/b] am I here at this programming job?[/quote]
So I can put my laptop in the van for six-week road trips and bill eight hours on rest/rain days?
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epoch
Moderator
Sep 25, 2007, 4:39 PM
Post #52 of 85
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blubeard wrote: Ok, so I know this post is old but as it seems to be a regularly reoccurring idea....I thought I'd add my two cents.... It turns out that most of you folks who are looking for advise on living the "climbing lifesytle" of short-term jobs and running out checking accounts are coming to the wrong place. The people who use this site are usually affluent over-educated Caucasian middle-age guys who are enjoying the dream of climbing more than the "climbing lifestyle". http://www.quantcast.com/rockclimbing.com Day dreaming isn't all that bad though, is it?
Um.... You do know that you replied to a post that is over FIVE years old, right?
And your reference:
In reply to: This site reaches approximately 26,025 U.S. monthly uniques. In reply to: The site appeals to a somewhat male, more affluent following. In reply to: The site's audience's interests are clothing (Snorg Tees, REI, L.L. Bean, Inc., Gap Online), specialty retail (PETsMART, Toys "R" Us, Staples, Blockbuster) and magazines (Maxim, Family Fun Entertainment, PC World).
Now excuse me... I'm going to get in my Escalade and go to the new trendy gym to work on my V42 boulder problem...
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gargrantuan
Sep 25, 2007, 10:20 PM
Post #53 of 85
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what i don't get is why you have to be a poor, dirtbagger to be 'living the life?' why not find a place that has everything you want; i.e. employment, good crags, ample partners and move there? if you CHOOSE to be a poor climber, give'r. if you CHOOSE to work sparingly and climb more, give'r. the point here is that most people i know climb full time and work full time, or have jobs where they can take time off to climb (like the trades, seasonal work, web design). there is more than one way to 'live the life' and not all of them revolve around unemployment and poverty.
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potreroed
Sep 26, 2007, 7:40 PM
Post #54 of 85
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Did the whole dirtbag thing--living out of my truck, 300,000 miles--for over 10 years, Now I'm happily settled down--sort of. I own two homes, one just 2 miles from El Potrero Chico in Mexico and one near Devil's Lake in Wisconsin where I spend a few months each summer.
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desertwanderer81
Sep 26, 2007, 7:55 PM
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Heh, funny enough, I don't think that there are too many people "living" the lifestyle posting on these boards!
I did it for 6 months, some of the best 6 months of my life, but it got cold, and my money ran out, and I'm working again. Hopefully, I'll work my way out of college loans and be able to save up a nice chunk of cash to "live the life again" !!
That and when universal health care hits the books...... Paying for my own health insurance was the biggest ass kicker. I wanted to go without, but I'm a good boy and actually listen to my parents still :p
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scallywag
Sep 30, 2007, 7:44 AM
Post #56 of 85
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I lived the life for 6 years, travelling between australia and the US every year, and a bit in Canada, UK and Thailand too. I travelled by myself and didn't have problems finding partners. Maybe being a girl helped?! I used rc.com a lot and had great success, i could probably tell you where the closest public libraries to climbing destinations are in over 20 states. ANd there is still so much to go back to.
My top 3 still to tick Potrero, Indian Creek and the Bugs.
I was never really skint for cash, I got a job running a climbing program at a summer camp, they paid my airfares from australia, and a nice wage to then take off with afterwards. I even found a car on craigslist once, they gave me $400 to drive it from boston to san fran, and let me take 3 weeks to do it!
I did get quite tired of the nomadedness in the end though. It is quite tiring. Unbelievably so.
So I came back to oz, tried out for the fire department, and got in.
Now I am 4 weeks away from becoming a firefighter, with 4 days on and 4 days off, and 5 weeks leave every 6 months.
I guess you could say I now have the perfect job to climbing ratio. I can even work out at work whilst waiting for calls.
jealous anyone?
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dan2see
Sep 30, 2007, 1:37 PM
Post #57 of 85
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gargrantuan wrote: what i don't get is why you have to be a poor, dirtbagger to be 'living the life?'... why not find a place that has everything you want; i.e. employment, good crags, ample partners and move there? if you CHOOSE to be a poor climber, give'r. if you CHOOSE to work sparingly and climb more, give'r. the point here is that most people i know climb full time and work full time, or have jobs where they can take time off to climb (like the trades, seasonal work, web design). there is more than one way to 'live the life' and not all of them revolve around unemployment and poverty.
Poor is not a requirement, it's an indicator.
That is, if I'm poor, the easy choice is to stay home, walk to work, and that's basically all.
You still have to walk the walk, and to hell with what you talk.
The difficult decision is to live the lifestyle (I'm talking dirtbag). Last year, I did not work, so I collected the dole, and found car-pools with anybody, anywhere. A certain amount of free-loading was required.
Even so, I managed to find enough money to buy a few new slings and biners, although the best shoes I had were $12.00 runners from China. What really saved my butt was when a local sport store sold off their rental rain-jackets for $6.00. Then for Xmas my son (bless the boy) gave me his snow-shoes. I love that kid!
This year I walk to work, and pay my rent, but I still need to freeload on friends to get to the mountians.
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rockie
Sep 30, 2007, 8:13 PM
Post #58 of 85
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Jealous anyone?
Certainly not, anyway I beat you there, I get more leave than that, and I work 4 on and get "5 off"
Jealous??? 
Now I need more climbing partners, indoors/ or out if in the states where it is likely drier; and I don't mind travelling to go climbing, I live in Vancouver and it's raining here..
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ja1484
Sep 30, 2007, 8:44 PM
Post #59 of 85
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lilred wrote: I'm at a point in my life where I am DISCUSTED by society...It seems like everyone is all about themselves. "Me me me" is the attitude. All my close friends are climbers, and they feel the same way. I use to be all about wanting to buy a house, start a family and the whole 9 yards, but now, my friends and I have recently been discussing buying vans and living off the road...Is anyone out there living the lifestyle? Living to climb? Working to live, and not living to work? I'm just curious. I've met people who live out of their cars and travel around the country, but I never thought I would be able to do it due to money...can anyone provide some advise as to the best route to get going? I'm getting out of the city. I hate it...that was the 1st step...now what? Thanks
Living in a van and not showering is way more fulfilling than having a job and money and a woman.
Bon voyage.
P.S. - Please be kind to the rest of us living in civilization and climb upwind. You smell like an anchovie's cunt.
P.P.S. - Fight the power! Society is like, so conformist, not like teenage rebellion!
P.P.P.S. - The rest of this post aside, in seriousness: Grow up.
(This post was edited by ja1484 on Sep 30, 2007, 8:46 PM)
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chalkeye
Sep 30, 2007, 10:59 PM
Post #60 of 85
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ja1484 wrote: Please be kind to the rest of us living in civilization and climb upwind. You smell like an anchovie's cunt.
QFT
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happiegrrrl
Oct 1, 2007, 3:07 AM
Post #61 of 85
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I don't know what QFT means, but the guy above the last post sounds like he(or she) is pretty unhappy in life, to write such a venomous post.
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ja1484
Oct 1, 2007, 3:26 PM
Post #62 of 85
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happiegrrrl wrote: I don't know what QFT means, but the guy above the last post sounds like he(or she) is pretty unhappy in life, to write such a venomous post.
I'm quite happy with my life.
Because I don't live in a motor vehicle, and I don't smell, and I still climb as much as I'd want to.
The "dirtbag" lifestyle reminds me so much of that silly-ass grunge fad that spread like a fungus out of the Pacific Northwest in the early 90s. It's a variant attempt at making it cool to be a loser.
The best term I ever heard for this kind of thing was "climbing bum", because the descriptor was pretty much dead on. A bum with a party trick.
Take a shower, get a job, and buy/rent a domicile in climbing country. If you're deluded enough to think that "this is your life, man" then I pity thee.
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jmvc
Oct 1, 2007, 3:52 PM
Post #63 of 85
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I don't know what things are like in the land of the free, but I lived rough for a little in Barcelona, before I started climbing..
Free food handouts for bums reduces expenditure and as for showers, for 17 euros a month I was a member of a nice swimming pool and could shower ten times a day if so inclined..
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happiegrrrl
Oct 1, 2007, 7:57 PM
Post #64 of 85
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ja1484 wrote: I'm quite happy with my life.
Glad you climb as much as you'd want to - whether that's on weekends, after work, on an inheritance or from hard-earned savings from a job you enjoy.Take a shower, get a job, and buy/rent a domicile in climbing country. If you're deluded enough to think that "this is your life, man" then I pity thee.What makes you think people who spend a lot of time on the road don't work? How do you define work? Is one required to have a set time schedule? Receive a paycheck with W-2 deductions? An employer/employee relationship based on number of work weeks to vacation days ratio?
Just because someone doesn't have the same expectations/requirements/desires as you doesn't mean they're in any way inferior. When I think of all the people I've known(and I've known many), the ones who have been the most interesting(with the most to offer others) have been the ones who stepped out of the prescribed box you seem to have constructed.
Money(which is exactly what you are worshiping, whether you're aware of it or not) isn't the end all/be all for everyone.
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sspssp
Oct 1, 2007, 8:02 PM
Post #65 of 85
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desertwanderer81 wrote: Heh, funny enough, I don't think that there are too many people "living" the lifestyle posting on these boards!
Oh I don't know about that. You can get free internet at most libraries and cheap internet at most coffee shops. If you are living out of a van, what else are you going to do for entertainment on rest/rain days on a limited budget (read the guide book cover-to-cover one more time?)?
(This post was edited by sspssp on Oct 1, 2007, 8:03 PM)
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ja1484
Oct 1, 2007, 11:23 PM
Post #66 of 85
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happiegrrrl wrote: Interesting - because it's been my experience that people who really are happy tend not to voice expressions of animosity about others, nor do they tend to make wholesale judgments against abstract groups.
Yeah, but it's a lot more entertaining this way.
In reply to: The two things(living on the road/smelling and climbing) aren't mutually exclusive.
There are three things in that quote, and who ever said anything about those items being mutually exclusive?
In reply to: Glad you climb as much as you'd want to - whether that's on weekends, after work, on an inheritance or from hard-earned savings from a job you enjoy.
Latter option.
In reply to: What makes you think people who spend a lot of time on the road don't work? How do you define work? Is one required to have a set time schedule? Receive a paycheck with W-2 deductions? An employer/employee relationship based on number of work weeks to vacation days ratio?
We're talkin' bout dirtbaggin' here woman, not work that requires you to travel! We're talkin' bout BUMS woman!
In reply to: Just because someone doesn't have the same expectations/requirements/desires as you doesn't mean they're in any way inferior.
Preposterous!
In reply to: When I think of all the people I've known(and I've known many), the ones who have been the most interesting(with the most to offer others) have been the ones who stepped out of the prescribed box you seem to have constructed.
The internet is cereal bidness.
In reply to: Money(which is exactly what you are worshiping, whether you're aware of it or not) isn't the end all/be all for everyone.
Yes, you've caught me, I'm a complete slave to the dollar. My eyes are open now.
You finished yet?
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zeke_sf
Oct 1, 2007, 11:41 PM
Post #67 of 85
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happiegrrrl wrote: Money(which is exactly what you are worshiping, whether you're aware of it or not) isn't the end all/be all for everyone.
Says the person selling t-shirts in her signature space.
I am sorry, but some people who have different expectation/requirements/desires are inferior to others. You'll find some of these people sleeping on a sidewalk and some of them riding in a limousine.
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happiegrrrl
Oct 2, 2007, 12:21 AM
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The person sleeping on the sidewalk is not inferior. I'll tell you a personal story.(edit: Didn't notice the limo comment first scan, but they're not inferior either....).
A little over 10 years ago, I stopped drinking alcohol, and got sober through AA. Now, before you make any statements on that, perhaps I should say that I held a high-level job, did it well, blah, blah, blah, and most people who knew me would have not thought anything about my drinking habits.
Anyway, new sobriety is...interesting...It's one of those "you had to be there" sorts of things, so if you haven't(been there), I can't explain it.
There are "suggestions," like "talk to your higher power, develop communication with HP, etc.
I always have had an inner dialog, so that was not anything new for me, except I was now more aware of it. And I was talking (to HP) a LOT about this new sober gig....
Anyway, one day I am on my way to work, and I'm heading up 6th Avenue by about 30th Street. I pass this liquor store, and it's 8:30am, and there are these 3 guys passed out on the sidewalk near it. They pretty much lived there, and I'd been passing them 5 days a week for some time....
So, I see them,, and I'm all fresh-eyed and clear-headed, and I say to my HP..."God? Could you please help these guys? Like the way I've been helped? This is just SO good, they really need help, having gotten so far away from a normal life."
I'm going on and on, feeling pretty satisfied with myself, thinking I'm a "good" person, being so caring about other's welfare and all....
And I hear back - very clearly - "Those men don't need help. They're there so YOU can remember just how lucky you are. What makes you so sure you couldn't be in exactly the same place?"
That HP had a beat-down attitude with me too. Serving of humble pie, steaming hot.
I don't know about anyone else, but I am pretty much grateful for the life I have, and if someone looks at others with disdain and can't understand the "there but for the grace" concept, then I hope they're at least grateful that their life has never been touched by a pain where the could identify.
edit: RE: The t-shirts gig - I have made about $120 gross profit since I started ClimbAddict last November. Considering it costs about $75/yr to have the shop online, and that there have been hundreds of hours put into the product design and site maintenance, I don't think you need to be too proud of your quick-wit and marksmanship with that attempt at a pointed remark.
(This post was edited by happiegrrrl on Oct 2, 2007, 12:28 AM)
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munky
Oct 2, 2007, 12:23 AM
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LIve life on your own terms and don't judge others. We all know that there are pros and cons to living on the road, not working a steady 9 to 5, and having the ability to go and do whatever and whenever you want to. We also know that there are drawbacks to this life. Life is about finding an equilibrium as to what you want out of it. Staying the course is imposible and intelligent because the course should be full of many turns, bumps, climbs, u-turns, sudden stops, etc. Hopefully, you got the point.
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dontjinxme
Oct 2, 2007, 12:26 AM
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Hey there:
My wife and I were having this very discussion tonight. Only it didnt invove climbing, but did involve traveling and living wth financial security.
One option we discussed was Lowes. They have a part time health insurance program and vacation time for part time employees. When I left there, I believe they had a retirement program for part time employees.
In addition to benefits, the numerous stores through out the U.S. would allow someone to slide from place place without losing benefits or perks.
Taking retrospect into account though, this may not suit the OP 'cause big chain stores like those represent society.
My apology if Lowes was mentioned in a later post.
JINX
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CinnamonJohnson
Oct 2, 2007, 1:31 AM
Post #71 of 85
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ja1484 wrote: lilred wrote: Living in a van and not showering is way more fulfilling than having a job and money and a woman. quote] You are a punk bitch, ja1484! I doubt that your job, your net worth, or your woman are anything impressive. I could be wrong, but I imagine they are all mediocre at best. I dont think there is anything wrong with the pursuit of success, but its lame to try to ridicule people who live a different type of life. If someone is happier climbing fulltime, while earning less and spending less, then what is the problem? If your life was something special, I dont think you would feel the need to talk tough about your fancy lifestyle. I think you are the one who needs to grow up.
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zeke_sf
Oct 2, 2007, 2:04 AM
Post #72 of 85
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happiegrrrl wrote: ...I don't think you need to be too proud of your quick-wit and marksmanship with that attempt at a pointed remark.
You don't know me at all, do you?
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jmvc
Oct 2, 2007, 12:39 PM
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happiegrrrl wrote: And I hear back - very clearly - "Those men don't need help. They're there so YOU can remember just how lucky you are. What makes you so sure you couldn't be in exactly the same place?"
People that exist to remind you of things?
What a planet sized ego you've got..
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happiegrrrl
Oct 2, 2007, 1:39 PM
Post #74 of 85
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We're ALL here to be mirrors for each other, and in seeing ourselves, our weaknesses and fears in others, we actually lose that self-obsessed ego you mentioned.
We lose our sense of self, begin to comprehend that we're all interconnected, and that - that - is the key that unlocks the answer to that big mysterious "Why am I here?" question. Once we begin to process that info, we find ourselves more in the present, and ready, willing and able to be of assistance to those around us.
But again - it's a "have to experience it to understand" sort of thing. Sorry you don't get it, but maybe if you keep an open mind, and continue to question just what it was that irked you while reading the statement I wrote, you might find something for yourself.
About those sleepy guys - Any of them in your neck of the woods? Do you interact with them? Make eye contact? Stop and answer their questions if they ask? Let your dog, if you have one, go over and get some petting/give out some love?
Or do you pretend they are invisible? Give them looks of disdain? Give them wide berth in order not to interact with their energy?.....
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epoch
Moderator
Oct 2, 2007, 3:17 PM
Post #75 of 85
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jmvc wrote: happiegrrrl wrote: And I hear back - very clearly - "Those men don't need help. They're there so YOU can remember just how lucky you are. What makes you so sure you couldn't be in exactly the same place?" People that exist to remind you of things? What a planet sized ego you've got..
It was once compared to Pluto.
Ahh poor Pluto. We'll miss you.
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