Author: Megan Stanley
FreshAir Community
Post by user_throwaway2378 from (???) location
Title: Hello everybody! How to get started??
I’ve been lurking in this community for a while and user_HeightJuunkie’s encrypted photos from the top of the butte above her city finally inspired me to take my first steps into going outside as a hobby. I was hoping to get some advice from you wonderful folks before taking the risk. (I’m using a throwaway account and VPN to hide location because I checked my work’s policy and they will indeed stop paying for my health insurance if they find out about this post, lol.)
What respirators do you guys recommend for beginners? My research hasn’t found anything other than bulk resales, I was hoping someone could point me in the direction of where I might find just one respirator for myself? Do you have to know an IRL seller and set up a courier? My budget’s $200 to start and couriers get expensive quick.
I already have a good long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and I work in heavy industry so my steel-toed workboots should be fine, right? I’ve tested them in the park area of my building and they do pretty well on the grass there. I also invested into a good pair of socks based off of user_smitthhy364’s pinned post, haha. Really underrated investment for anyone who works on their feet.
Finally, how do you guys find good locations to go to? Directions says it’s about ten miles to the closest edge of my city, but where do I go from there? Obviously can’t drive out there since the system doesn’t let cars stop outside of town anymore. Are you guys overriding your self-driving functions or are you really just hiking all the way out? I guess I could train up to that distance but man I work for living, lol. Don’t want to be exhausted for my next shift. I’ll wrap this post up here. I’m excited to get my boots on the (real) ground. Any info helps. Thanks.
Top comment by user_NocxHollow from (???) location
First thing that stands out to me is your comment about ‘not wanting to be exhausted’. If you don’t want to be tired, stay indoors. Put on a fan and plug into your VR headset. There’s some pretty good nature sims on the market right now and if you just want to sit on top of Mt. Everest and chill that’s your best option.
Going outside is a hobby where you’re going to get tired. You’re going to get hot. Cold. Sweaty. Dirty (ohhhhhh the dirt, you’re never prepared for it the first time. your cleaning bot is not going to know what to do with it so you’re gonna have to find or make your own broom.) Thirsty. Even hungry, if you don’t pack nutrition pellets like I do to get a more authentic experience. This isn’t a
hobby for people who just want to escape- it’s for people who want to see what the world is really like.
As for respirator, here and here have good defects from Ag companies, assuming you’re in the u.s. Sure, they’re defects, but they’re way better than nothing and it’s actually pretty easy to find fix videos online to get them working again. You’re gonna have to arrange a drop location to meet the courier. Best place is ALWAYS in a neighborhood as long as it’s not your neighborhood. Less cameras but your route deviation will be flagged by any camera programs your workplace has, just a warning.
Your workboots should be fine but they’re gonna be heavy. Remember, you’re carrying yourself every step of the way. The only thing worth the weight is water. I’d recommend this backpack-mounted model made for cleanup crews. Hooks right into most respirator models. You can’t drink the water from outside. Don’t even think about it. Shit will kill you waaaaaay faster than any of the microplastics will.
Finally, if you’re not willing to commit to hiking out of the city, you’re not willing to go outside. Simple as that.
Comment by user_flowerssssss from (???) location
nocxhollow has some good points but they’re being rude about it. yes outside is dangerous and uncomfortable everybody knows that!!!
honestly just going to the city outside is pretty underrated. i love walking out of my house and finding something new on the streets i only usually see from my car. lots of neat old stuff you can find scattered about, most of it plastic so you can’t bring it inside but you can still admire it and wonder what it was used for. sure the city lacks the more ‘unkept’ vibe a lot of people look for but there’s still places you can go that weren’t designed for human comfort or machine work. the ai will flag you if you’re not careful but you can always check the undertheradar community for advice on that.
i’d start there. use nocx’s respirator recs, they’re the usual ones the community will tell you about. that’s honestly the biggest hurdle of going outside next to the mental one of just leaving a controlled space. agoraphobia is real and we don’t talk about it enough on here. be easy on yourself if you start to get nervous. hope this helps!
Comment by user_20385629
DM me for a respirator.
Comment by user_hal99939 from (???) location
You have to know people but if you can find your local outside community they might be of more help. Mine was based in a coffee shop where you had to know the password. One of my coworkers got me in on it and I’ve been having a blast ever since. They got me my respirator and everything. Great way to ask around is to ask people where they like to go for walks. Most’ll tell you their favorite treadmill sim but the kind of people who respond ‘oh anywhere really’ are the guys you want.
Comment by user_spacetrap49324 from (???) location
DM for a respirator. Broke my arm and couldn’t provide insurance with footage since it was y’know, outside so now I’m in serious trouble with my work. Just can’t do it anymore even after I heal. Not worth the risk now that I’ve got my family to worry about. I’ll give you my stuff.
Comment by user_Keltova96 from (???) location
stay the hell inside. people like this community are why our health insurance premiums are so high. literally VR is better in every way. go to a resort, even. why bother poisoning yourself??
Comment by user_makimoo from (???) location
Ignore Keltova, he’s a regular troll around here. It sounds like you’ve got a good mindset to start going outside. If you’re worried about the mileage you can always pay to park your car somewhere close to the edge of town. It’s difficult to pull off without doing something illegal but it’s doable. I’m old and I can’t walk 10 miles in both directions but I can and will find a hill to climb, so be it. I’ve made a few guides how to do it in my home city- you can find them on my profile if you want.
Comment by user_ererererror04 from (???) location
You can’t go outside anymore. POTUS passed another law this year and now they’ve actually got grounds to arrest you for it. I used to be active on here but now all I can do is warn other people away from the hobby. You can ship some dirt to yourself or get into houseplants if you want some greenery. Seriously, it’s not worth the risk anymore.
Comment by user_FreshAirADMIN2
Alright, I’m closing this post. We get beginner questions a few times a week- I’ll pin the best ones from the years at the top of the discussion board. Let’s keep this sub focused on encrypted pictures, experiences, and specific advice, not general questions. Friendly reminder to never purchase a respirator through someone who can’t verify the respirator’s certification with a picture. We’re against the system but we don’t want people hurting themselves or shortening their lifespans either. That’s never been the goal of FreshAir.
Comment by user_throwaway2378 from (???) location
Ah, well. Thank you so much to everyone who answered anyway. Thanks to NocxHollow for the links. See you guys outside if all goes well.
