#heat advice for the UK

[skepwith]

The thing that helped me the most during the Heat Dome from Hell a couple years ago was soaking two washcloths and putting them both in the freezer. I wore one around the back of my neck like a weird collar until it thawed, then swapped it for the one in the freezer. I had them on the go all day; when one was losing its chill the other was always ready to go. Also that thing with the fan blowing over ice water really works. Fill a shallow baking tin with water and stick it in the freezer overnight, then stick it in front of your fan. A spray bottle, like a plant mister type thing, can give you relief. Sit in front of the fan and treat yourself like a head of lettuce at the grocery store.

I need UK journalists to not show 43 degrees is not beach weather like people are gonna die

Americans do not interact

[elephantbitterhead]

More stellar canning advice from the UK: "Your rowan jam will keep for up to a year in a cool cupboard and like all jams once opened should be stored in the fridge and used up within a month. Please Note – We do not usually do water bath or other canning methods here in the UK. Our preserves keep perfectly well without this."

Just as their cats are uniquely able to dodge cars & mean children and so must run free, their insects uniquely disinterested in entering open windows and thus no need for window screens, so too are their jams uniquely impervious to spoilage and thus require no proper canning. I wish I could think that this person was an outlier, but unfortunately this is the state of food preservation in this country. There's a lot of similar advice in Germany as well, though I don't know about the rest of Europe.

[foyiiwae]

It's that time of year I talk about work outside of work. I give money advice to people on a low income (in the UK so I can't help with other countries unfortunately, but I can give general information and guidance).

It's getting colder, and energy bills are still quite high. For those in the UK you'll be familiar with Martin Lewis, for those outside of the UK he's a public figure who gives general money advice to the masses without it costing an arm and a leg.

Oh his website he has a guide on heating the human, not the home. Ways to save money on energy bills when it comes to it. While it's UK centric there's some good tips to help others as well.

I always find it important to share this time of year. Stay warm friends ❤️

[jolynesmom]

I hate to share this but I don't have anyone to talk. It's been so long I've discovered about void and since then I've always wanted to manifest "family Change " in the void cause my mother. I don't want to make her the villian in my life but I can't help she literally abuse me everytime and says the filthiest, dirtiest things which I swear no parents says to their children and even my dad doesn't stop her . Everyday I having a mental breakdown and I go to bed with the hope that I will enter the void and I don't have to face the same day tomorrow again. To be honest I don't know how can I enter void at this low . I've been literally loosing hope. I feel like the void actually a void which will never come to me

hey I’m so sorry to hear that :(( my heart breaks every time someone comes to me saying they’re abused by their family. it’s such a disgusting thing and I’ll never wrap my head around on how someone can do this to their child

I really wish I could do something for your situation, but all I can do is give you a few words of advice

before anything I want to let you know that you shouldn’t feel guilty for villainizing your parents. such things are not normal and should not be excused. your parents should be thankful that the only thing you want from them is a healthy relationship after what they’ve put you through

let’s address the first issue. you’re not motivated to enter the void because you’re brought down by your circumstances. a lot of you seem to forget that the law of assumption exists and you can use it to successfully change your circumstances instantly without entering the void state. hell, you can use law of assumption to enter the void!! use the law of assumption to make your parents leave you alone or to even do a 180° in their behavior

I was actually in a similar position before entering the void where I was demotivated to even try because of my dad’s behavior towards me, so I used the law of assumption to make his stop being so harsh towards me. not only did he start to be nicer to me, but he even moved back to our home country due to some circumstances while I stayed in the uk, since then I’ve only known peace

if you don’t want to use loa to change your circumstances (which you should) then use the negativity in your life to fuel your motivation to enter the void. like ‘everyone treats me so bad, let’s see their reaction after I fulfill my desires and they’ll remain miserable here’

I feel like a broken record because I’ve said it so many times, but entering the void is embarrassingly easy. like I mean it, it’s so easy once I almost tapped into it while I laid down for 3 minutes waiting for my food to heat in the oven. and the great part about the void is that you don’t need a great mindset or to be overly motivated to try a complex method that will take you 3 hours to finish, you can just say ‘I want to enter the void’, fall asleep and wake up there

this is why I don’t like those challenges people do to change their mindset, affirm 100k times per day, listen to subs 25/8, do complicated meditations, vaunt or whatever. if you want to do them and feel like they’ll take you closer to the void, by all means go off, but you absolutely do not need them lol

when I entered the void for the first time I didn’t do anything special, I actually didn’t even think it’s possible to do it without yoga nidra then I tapped into it instantly when I was in a state between asleep and awake and said to myself that I want to enter the void asap

so yeah, use loa, treat everything with indifference and persist even if your circumstances are unfavorable

I’ll link some posts below that will hopefully give you some direction and motivation to persist

sending you lots of love and positive energy 🤍

🫐jani’s law of assumption guide

🍓 manifestation/loa is your bff

🥝psa: you can manifest anything

🍊 manifestation in 3 steps

🍑 doubting the void?

🍒 lullaby method to enter the void (personal favorite)

🥥distraction method to enter the void state

🍇 arlinski void state method

I also suggest you to check out @/tia-222 on tumblr because they have amazing posts which helped me master the void state in less than 3 weeks

[truuskn]

how much of the marvel series did you read? im interested in it, and the way youve talked about prowl has intrigued me. i looked up a reading guide, they said to read up to #55 of the US run

at one time i read everything, both us and uk runs, but that was several years ago so my knowledge has weakened considerably. but i'm still handing out advices, haha. idk maybe it should be done in some other way, personally my path looked like this:

i googled "transformers marvel 1984 us" and started from the very first chapter :DD yeah. there's only 80 of them. if i had any questions about the plot, i searched through tf wiki. then i did the same with uk run, it's the same 80 chapters + a looot of additions. i never used any guides, only tf wiki, that's the best place for a confused fan imo

now about comics themselves. for my taste, they, perhaps, not particularly that exciting, there is no such heat of passion as in modern media, the plots are a little confusing, in some places boring, but they are full of curious and really cool moments, interesting views on the characters, like prowl, ratchet, blaster, for example. i think it's worth at least superficially familiarising yourself with them. with some stories certainly. oh, and if you're interested just in prowl:

prowl's biggest and most interesting arc in us starts around chapter #70 (well, from #76 till #80, but you need to read one or two arcs before that), beyond that he doesn't appear particularly often and particularly rarely either, there's a lot of him at the beginning and end of the us run, but at some point he drops out of the main cast (he's not there at all in the middle), becoming a minor character. there's a decent amount of stories with him in the uk version though! but it's more complicated with the uk run, there's 300 chapters and they're, um, different quality, you have to dig in, but, again, there are a lot of cool stories in general and with prowl specifically - his complicated relationship with grimlock, travelling back in time, galvatron's attempts to get him on the dark side, his bromance with wheeljack, different things. so if you want to read the comics solely for him, you can use the same strategy i often use: check his page on the tf wiki, use it as a reference point. yk, to quickly navigate through the story. through the descriptions, you can figure out which chapters have him in them and which don't. you can also find out about other media there, like, different annuals seem to be published separately, so you won't find them in us/uk run, but he has curious moments in some of them too!

anyway, join us!! marvel prowl is worth it. and generally you'll find something interesting in these comics for sure. random pics with prowl as bonus to drum up the interest:

[bitletsanddrabbles]

Stolen Child: A Much Needed Screaming Fit

Okay, so, as I said earlier - I'm fine. The story's fine. I'm not angry at anyone about anything or shouting at or accusing anyone of anything or any of that sort of thing that I might come across as somehow because I'm shouting and only sort of semi-coherently. I'm just shouting because I need to shout.

Basically, I've been feeling increasingly just…tired and tense? The temperature spike this weekend did not help at all, since I am not a heat person and it narfs my sleep. And my brain finally phrased last month as "I didn't have a single day off in August because every time I wasn't at work I was some stripe of not-feeling-well", at which point the rest of my mind and body went "YES EXACTLY!" and doubled down on the exhaustion and anxiety. I also have another routine medical appointment next Tuesday and something going on with my hand that looks kinda like ringworm, but doesn't act like ringworm (and how would I have picked up ringworm there?), which I will need to make another appointment for. Which means I really need to have a good, old fashioned, overstimulated three-year-old level melt down about something I care about, but that is not ultimately important to the universe and then go…I dunno. Maybe eat some ice cream and take a nap. Definitely with the napping.

Since Stolen Child is kinda the Big Craft Community Craft Thing right now and ranting about it could, conceivably, generate some useful dialogue which always results in Happy Brain Chemicals (useful right now!), we're going with that one. So if you feel like reading through the flailing mental health fail rant and giving advice, observations, feedback, or just patting me on the head and saying "Don't forget to breathe, dear. Air is important", go right on ahead. If you don't, eh. Not your job. Feel free to keep scrolling.

And now! Here we go! Ready, set - MELT DOWN!

This right here? Is a great comment. It's a lovely comment. I love informative comments like this! There's only one problem with it:

I SERIOUSLY NEEDED THIS INFO BACK WHEN I WAS PLANNING THE ORIGINAL STORY!

See, back in 2017, when I was first plotting this whole thing, my plan was to have him wind up…not heir. I seriously think he'd be happier doing like Tom and Henry and living at Downton, but running a clock shop somewhere and letting Mary run the estate and George be the heir. Thing is, I didn't know that was possible just like that. I hadn't made any of my UK fan-friends at the time (heck, I don't think I had this account yet?). As I have mentioned a million times, I fail at research, although I have been slowly getting a bit better with help. So at the time I thought that an Earl's son became the heir, no questions asked, and no options unless they abdicated which was fully what I intended on having Thomas do after a bit of trying and getting a headache and having him and Mary both unintentionally-but-avoidably stomp all over each other's toes. Then I started rewatching (didn't make it through season one because I have officially hit the 'can't really watch things on my own' stage) and was immediately reminded that Matthew didn't have a choice but to be heir. Oh! Oops! Guess Thomas can't abdicate! Which is how we wound up with the current draft.

And this comment.

Now, I have no reason to disbelieve the statement that they don't need to recognize Thomas, but I can't think of why my UK friends wouldn't have pointed it out at some point, except that I did always call it the Thomas-as-Heir fic which could have lead to the concept that heir was my desired end game. Or perhaps it was one of those things that just didn't get questioned because subconsciously they thought it was my desired end game. Or maybe something else perfectly logical! I mean, there are reasons it could have happened, but my brain is not braining good right now, so. Point being, I didn't know and I'm still not sure and this firmly falls outside of my 'things I can comfortably research'. If it were modern, sure! But history?

Seriously, my researching lessons in school extended to 'go to the library and read a book' and stopped. There was nothing about how to gauge how trustworthy the book was, or if there was, I didn't learn it because I moved through three school districts (five if you count college and uni) and wasn't in the right district at the right time. Given how obvious it is that there are a lot of history books out there that straight up lie (and I don't just mean the school texts. I've tried to teach myself history in recent years and wound up straight up calling bull shit on several books), this leads to massive trust issues. I asked at my local library if they had a research librarian on staff and bless his heart, the fellow I was talking to didn't even know what that was. There's another library nearby that is bigger, but I keep forgetting that it's part of our library system now and honestly I don't even know how to drive there and don't like driving in that area anyway and I'm not even sure the busses will take me there in a reasonable manner given public transport in this area. I know I've heard of a couple other tricks over the years that I've carefully noted down in places I've forgotten about so that I could reference them later.

…yeah.

And if it is true (which I have every reason to believe it is), what then? I've already set up the entire story to have Thomas be recognized as heir! I mean, I could put it on hold and rewrite the ending. There are a couple of scenes that would be easy, but others would be straight up impossible. I'd also have to lose at least three scenes that I've been looking forward to sharing and that people would love, and I don't know what I'd replace them with, and I'd have to rewrite the dinner scene (*straight up cries at the thought*), and I am a slow writer, so I have no idea when it would be done! I kinda hate the idea of telling everyone "We're going to be a chapter a week!" and then three chapters later going "Haha, just kidding! Indefinite hiatus while I fix the entire plot!" Especially since right now reader comments are definitely my primary 'happy chemical' source and I need that! On the other hand, I really, really love the idea of this being a one shot and not having to figure out what happens next! But it might not get done for another ten years if I try that!

If I do stick with him as heir, it seems like people would know that not recognizing him was an option, so I'd still need to do some rewriting to explain why he winds up heir! And why would he? The only thing I can come up with given my current setting is Cora pitching an ever loving (dignified, restrained) fit over the idea of not acknowledging him and he and Robert just going "OKAY OKAY WE YIELD!" which will still take some rewriting, but a lot less (I think I can keep the rewrites ahead of the posting schedule for the most part maybe?), and will still leave me figuring out where we go from here, but might work as a decent compromise?

Either way, I have to figure out what I'm doing before I post next week's chapter! And all my brain wants to do is melt into a puddle of goo for a month! The idea of trying to research or plot or anything like that just makes me want to sit in the shower and cry! I WANT A MONTH'S VACATION FROM LIFE, DAMN IT ALL!

Edit: I now have an appointment to have my hand looked at this Wednesday.

[lil-tumbles]

As the weather grows colder and the cost of living crisis continues, many people across the UK are without heat, and face the very real likeliness of becoming ill, their illnesses worsening, or even dying from lack of heat. Help make sure people don't have to choose between eating and keeping warm this winter by donating to a charity like Fuel Bank Foundation.

[pleaseshootthejester]

Surviving poverty, a UK masterlist

The COL crisis is ongoing, but our government is no longer offering easily accessible blanket financial support to those in need. Here is a masterlist of all the help available

(Please note that this post is a wip, more links are being added on a semi regular basis. Regional information coming soon)

NATIONWIDE INFO

Food

Trussell Trust foodbank list

TAWS Food provision database

IFAN map

Food Not Bombs map (worldwide, zoom on map for UK, some chapters no longer active)

Citizens advice page on food banks

BHF Eating healthy on a budget

Energy bills/keeping warm

Citizens advice page on grants for energy bills

Citizens advice page on cost effective heating

Electric blanket scheme (only for octopus customers)

Red Cross, keeping warm in winter

Financial

Citizens advice page on help with paying bills

Citizens advice page on benefit entitlement

Turn2Us, charity providing advice and support for people facing financial hardship

Housing

Shelter, advice on housing issues and homlessness

Acorn Union, union action for issues including housing, membership required and does cost as with all unions

Homeless link, database of help for people struggling with homelessness

Warm Welcome, not totally housing related but a scheme offering warm spaces for people in need, often friendly and social, usually do cheap tea/coffee. Use the map to find your local space

Centerpoint is a charity offering support to young people facing homelessness

[detroit-grand-prix]

i've been trying to apply to jobs in the uk again (with motosports teams because that's who i am now i guess) and i'll always get curious about some minor logistical question and look it up on the american expat subreddits and it's like, people responding to advice from someone wanting to move to the uk with something along the themes of "the food sucks, the weather sucks, everything's as expensive as it is in the US but your salary will be cut in half and then you'll pay more in taxes on top of it, the apartments/flats over here suck and heating is expensive/there's no screens in the windows" and it's like, okay, damn, why did you all go over there then??? shit

(but at the same time, i am putting the cart ENTIRELY in front of the horse and worrying about what happens if i get an interview and then a job offer, pay a fortune to move my life over there, and end up hating it?)

and to be clear, this is not even something that has gone past the stage of me just submitting applications yet so, who knows? maybe it will never be something i have to worry about.

[justalittlesolarpunk]

This is my last post before I head off on my ten-day minimal-internet tidalpunk adventure (expect pics when I return!) so I thought I’d make a nice long list-type thing for all you solarpunks before I go.

Now, this might not seem very cheerful compared to my other topics - certainly all the people I’ve brought this up with irl have acted like I’m being alarmist and depressing, but I don’t see it that way. I view it as being prepared and maximising your ability to keep yourself and your community safe, which is after all what solarpunk is all about!

So without further ado, here is my *extremely idealised* suggestion for an emergency kit list to help you cope with increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events. The goal is that with the supplies in this bag you could either shelter safely in place or get up and go, and be well supplied in either case to care for yourself and share with those in need. In fact, in both scenarios you would hopefully be able to temporarily ‘start from scratch’ in terms of infrastructure should the frameworks of society around you no longer be reliable. I based mine off suggestions by climate scientist Kendra Pierre-Louis (you can check out her advice on the ‘Unnatural Disasters’ episode of the How To Save A Planet Podcast), but yours might look subtly different depending on who you are, what you can afford/carry, and where you live.

Emergency kit list:

-Big hiking rucksack, to keep everything in

-Sleeping bag

-A small portable tent and camping stove

-A penknife or multi tool

-Matches or a lighter

-Kindling or firestarters - I use wood wool balls held together with wax

-Torch (with up to date batteries!)

-Towels

-Non-perishable or long-life foods, such as protein bars, rice cakes/breadsticks/crackers, dried fruit, bagged nuts/seeds, crisps, tinned soup, pot noodles

-A seedbomb of edible plants (you can get some for slightly excessive prices here in the UK, otherwise they can be made fairly easily by combining clay, straw, paper or flour with the desired seeds)

-Two large water bottles (600-650ml) and a water bladder

-A water purifier (preferably one capable of filtering out both natural pathogens like bacteria and viruses and synthetic pollutants like heavy metals and PFAS)

-A collapsible bucket

-A first aid kit, including plasters, bandages, sterile wipes, hand sanitiser, latex gloves, antiseptic/disinfectant, (K)N95 masks to filter out particulates (whether ash or pathogens), painkillers, antihistamines, rehydration sachets, anti-emetics and anti-diarrhoeals, steroid creams, aloe vera gel, iodine tablets in case of radiation, and any medication you regularly take (including epipens and inhalers if needed)

-A pair of goggles to protect your eyes from air pollution such as smog, wildfire smoke, etc

-Toothpaste tablets and a spare toothbrush

-Period supplies (pack these even if you don’t get periods - someone you run into might need them)

-A solar charger

-A satellite phone

-A mechanical handheld fan, with working batteries, to keep you cool in extreme heat

-A magnetic heat belt for extra warmth

-A change of clothes, including a sun hat, a scarf, woolly hat and gloves for extreme cold, and waterproofs (plus an umbrella!) for wet conditions

-Pliers or secateurs for cutting through dense debris or vegetation

-Some strong, climbing-grade rope

-A trowel (for planting and digging up but also for burying…waste 😅 - a long-term wild camping scenario isn’t infeasible here)

-Your passport and any other documents (marriage certificate, adoption papers, savings bonds if you’re like a hundred years old) that you might need if fleeing your country becomes a necessity

-As much cash as you are comfortable withdrawing/leaving lying around your house/carrying with you in an emergency

-A personal locator beacon is a radio-transmitter that signals your location to emergency services via satellite. These tend to have a 24-hour battery life, so if you foresee being in any way ‘stranded’ for longer then a useful trick is to switch it on for one hour each day, and then turn it off again. This not only saves power but shows emergency services that there is conscious intention involved, proving you’re still alive and lucid

-Some things to keep your spirits up, like a chocolate bar and your favourite/funniest book

-It’s worth having a sturdy pair of hiking boots for if you have to pick up the bag and go

Obviously this list is super extra, a bunch of these things are prohibitively expensive, and some items would need periodic replacement if a long time passed without the necessity of using the emergency kit. You could also likely build a fairly functional emergency kit with only a fraction of these supplies, I’m just trying to anticipate every eventuality here.

It’s up to you whether you think the investment is worth it - it’s a big outlay for a possible zero return. Personally I think it’s at least somewhat worth it as extreme weather is only going to happen more often and have more serious consequences, and preparedness turns what could be a disaster into an inconvenience, often saving money in the long run. But it will depend on the relative likelihood of severe weather events in your local area. It’s also worth saying that these work for ostensibly non-climate related problems, from a power cut in your town to an authoritarian coup in your government to your house falling down! It isn’t just for wildfires or tornadoes.

Over the next few months I’m hoping to slowly build up the aspects of the kit that are affordable and accessible to me, with the aim of being able to keep myself safe and aid my neighbours should disaster strike.

[master-john-uk]

While this article is aimed at UK farm workers, the advice applies to all outdoor workers. PLEASE READ and inwardly digest!

Although temperatures in the UK this week have not been as high as they were in June 2020, or other countries this year... we Englishmen are not used to it! I suffered in the heat on Tuesday... nothing serious, but it is still affecting my my mental attitude.

Cover your skin, use sunscreen and drink lots of water are the basic rules. Avoid diuretic drinks, like coffee or cola.

I am legally obliged to send advice like this to all employees... even the ones who work in an air-conditioned office all day!

Most importantly, look after your pets. Make sure they have plenty of water, and access to shaded areas. NEVER leave your dog in the car,even for a few miniutes!

[cowplant-pizza]

we are actually dying here in the uk. it is too hot. we dont have ac in our houses. our houses are built to insulate heat, not repel it. there is no wind, just a heavy, sticky heat. i am sweating from places i did not know could sweat. i am drinking like 5L of water a day but im always thirsty. our windows are open to let fresh air in but our curtains are closed to hopefully keep the warmth out. our fans are literally on full blast all day but it feels like they’re just pumping out hot air. our dogs have cooling bandanas on and i just got the pigs some cooling mats. a cold shower didnt even help because the water evaporated off me the second i got out.

if you’re used to a horrible warm climate, please give some advice on how you cope. i thought the winters were getting bad for my pain but this is basically unbearable.

i cant sleep, i barely eat, im sweating all the time, im drowsy and cranky… this is not fun

[mysticfemme]

If you have curly/wavy hair and you're in the UK pls help me

I'm thinking of changing up my curly hair routine. I've been using the herbal essences honey shampoo and conditioner for like a year but I really struggle with an itchy scalp/dandruff and a lack of definition across my hair. I have low porosity hair, and it's mostly 2b/2c with 3a ringlets at the front, and it gets weighed down really easily. It's pretty healthy, hasn't been dyed in a year and a half and I don't really ever use heat on it. I always let it air dry and sometimes give it a quick scrunch with a towel. I use the John Frieda frizz ease crème for my curls and then I usually scrunch it out with hair oil.

Can anyone recommend affordable shampoos and conditioners that would work for this hair type? I also need a new clarifying shampoo because the one I currently use is OGX and that's bad so I need something else. Any other advice would be appreciated!

[jammiedoggo]

UK radioactive mutant wildlife

Description: (This is fictional, not real) Wildlife inhabitant the outside radioactive comtaminated area of facility has mutated into monsterous beast with national distinctive feature, the teeths. An offical statement from goverment warned everyone to be cautious and leave the these beast alone while profesional handle them when in circumstance. Their wild habitat must be left alone due to how dangerous both radioactive comtaminant and the beasts. A research has been started to study and understand them while the plant is still in decomissioned and demoshing.

Short summary Windscale/Sellafield history: 10th october in county Cumbria, England, UK. A fire broke out west coast at windscale nuclear reactor facility and Plutoium production plant, that was UK most serious and worst nuclear disaster. when a routine heating of the No. 1 reactor’s graphite control blocks got out of control, causing ajacent uranium cartridges to rupture. The uranium thus released began to oxidize, releasing radioactivity and causing a fire that burned for 16 hours before it was put out. The fire left about 10 tons of radioactive fuel melted in the reactor core. The Windscale fire also caused the release of sizable amounts of radioactive Iodine into the atmosphere. As a consequence, the government banned for several weeks the sale of milk produced in a 500-square-km (200-square-mile) area around the reactor site. At the time, the British government released only sketchy details of the accident and in general tried to minimize its seriousness. The contaminated Windscale reactor was subsequently sealed until the late 1980s, when a cleanup of it was begun (cleanup expected to be completed in 2015).

Source: Here below

Short summary (That i cheated by copy and paste): https://www.britannica.com/event/Windscale-fire

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windscale_fire

Journel: It is originally going to be joke art based on the Bri ish meme of jagged teeth combined with Windscale/sellafield radioactive comtamination from fire disaster in 1957, then cyberpunk idea comes up and i loved it. So it's part Bri ish joke combined with cool cyberpunk.

Everyone knows about the infamous nuclear disaster chernobyl and fukushima but not for windscale/sellafield and i'm bringing it to the spot light here. I first learn't about is from youtuber fasinating horror who does short docmentary of disaster incident for educational.

The inspiration of the other artstyle beside from cyberpunk is credit to the artist Tomb of null: https://x.com/tombofnull. I adore the artstyle and artworks, check out this artist artwork if you want.

[⚠️Disclaimer⚠️]:

Please refrain from leaving creepy perverted NSFW, use my past mistakes against me and hateful (prejiduce) comments.

There be no tolerance of condemed and harresment, They make me uncomfortable and will be removed.

[!CAUTION]! Otherwise, beast unleashed (aka go nuts).

If any problem?, please calm down and touch grass to think before you act. Try to be polite and calm, adress the problem, the reason about the problem, express the feeling and solution advice that will help me improve. I want to stay pacifist and don't want drama, shame, witchhunted and get cancelled culture.

[chaotic-archaeologist]

I'll be on my first dig this coming August (whoop whoop). Aside from the general tips (sun cream, good shoes, clothes for the weather), what are some suggestions you have? (Anything from how to deal with 20+ random people from my uni course who I don't know, being a trans man in the UK heat and figuring out how to dress and deciding whether I should actually try to care about hiding my chest/sports bra straps (if I wear tank tops), what to pack for lunch, etc.) Our dig organiser has literally told us nothing except the dates and times we'll be working, so I am going a little bit insane with trying to plan logistics for myself. (Also having a fun time trying to find steel-toed boots and a new rain jacket....) Sorry for the long ask, I hope you have a lovely day!

Hey there, dirtling! Congratulations on going on your first dig! The good news is that I think I've answered all of your questions before, and you can find those posts on my advice master list. But I'll also take the time to go into more detail about some precautions for trans archaeologists.

Passing: listen, I'm a firm believer that passing is not the end all/be all of trans experience. Some people really really want to pass. Some people don't. That's totally fine. However, in certain settings, passing can be a safety issue—particularly if you're going to a country/area which is less LGBTQ+ friendly. The choice on whether to conceal your methods of binding is entirely yours.

In general, I've found archaeologists to be very accepting, but I would consider keeping things on the DL for a week or so while you get a read on the group and then proceed from there. Is it shitty that you have to worry about that? Yes. Is it a precaution that could help keep you safe/minimize uncomfortable interactions? Also yes. Do what feels best to you.

Binding on a dig: binding is going to put you at higher risk for heat exhaustion and heatstroke. This is a serious concern, and you should do everything you can to minimize the danger. You don't have to tell your supervisor why, but I would recommend letting them know you're sensitive to heat and may need to take breaks to cool off. Heatstroke is one of the biggest occupational hazards for archaeologists, and it shouldn't be taken lightly.

You can also set yourself up for success by getting clothes that will help keep you cool (provided you can afford to do so). I have two pairs of REI's Trailmade Pants, which are expensive but totally worth it. They're incredibly comfortable and breathable, and they've held up to repeated wear and tear. (They also come in a lot of different waist/inseam measurements which is handy for trans guys.) But you cal also totally go to a local sporting/outdoor store and find something similar. Do this for shirts too. Find things that are breathable and that won't trap heat.

Figure out how you're going to wash whatever it is you're using to bind. You are going to sweat. You are going to get gross. You do not want the skin irritation that will come from wearing a dirty binder all the time. Again, if you can afford it, look into getting multiples of your preferred binder so you don't have to worry about doing laundry all the time.

Be aware of the physical limitations that come with binding. This is applicable to any kind of physical exertion, excavation included. Make sure you're taking breaks to breathe properly.

Medications: if you're on HRT, make sure that 1) you have the supply you will need, and 2) have a safe place to administer those medications. Depending on the field school, you could be camping or living in some sort of nearby accommodation. If your HRT requires an injection, scope out a sanitary place to do so. If you need your supervisor's help in ensuring privacy while you do your injection, you don't need to tell them what the injection is for (if you don't want to).

Group dynamics: (this has nothing to do with being trans) being tossed into a group of people that you don't know is always intimidating. But remember, everyone is probably feeling the same way, to varying degrees. Go into things with an open mind and find the people you gravitate towards. There's always going to be someone you don't like on a field crew, and there's nothing you can do about it. Just try to keep contact with that person to a minimum.

Keep your trowel sharp and your heart hopeful, -Reid

[toughgirlchallenges]

Arlette Laan aka “Apple Pie”. First woman to hike all 11 National Scenic Trails in USA. 35,000+ miles hiked!

Join us for an exhilarating journey into the world of long-distance hiking with Arlette Laan, affectionately known as "Apple Pie." 

In this episode, Arlette shares her awe-inspiring tale of becoming the first woman to hike all 11 National Scenic Trails in the USA, covering over 35,000 miles on foot. From her childhood adventures in Holland to navigating the rugged terrains of America's most iconic trails, Arlette's story is one of perseverance, passion, and the sheer joy of exploration. 

Tune in as she delves into the essence of long-distance hiking, the challenges she faced along the way, and the profound lessons she learned from her epic adventures. Whether you're an avid hiker or simply someone who loves a good adventure story, this episode is sure to leave you inspired and itching to hit the trails!

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 Don't miss out on the latest episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast, released every Tuesday at 7am UK time! Be sure to hit the subscribe button to stay updated on the incredible journeys and stories of strong women.

 By supporting the Tough Girl Podcast on Patreon, you can make a difference in increasing the representation of female role models in the media, particularly in the world of adventure and physical challenges. Your contribution helps empower and inspire others. Visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast to be a part of this important movement. 

Thank you for your invaluable support!

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Show notes

Who is Arlette?

Being born in Holland

Living in Boston, USA

Getting the trail name ‘Apple Pie’

Growing up in Holland and having a typical childhood

Moving over to California after college 

Visiting Switzerland and getting into backpacking 

The hiking culture in the Netherlands 

Starting with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in America in 2003

Learning more about the long distance trails

What she loves about long distance hiking 

Being empowered after reaching her goals

How hiking has changed over the years

The social aspect of hiking

Not being an ultra light fast packer

What a typical day hiking looks like

Having dinner at 5pm and then carrying on hiking 

Finishing up the 11 National Scenic Trails 

Not giving her body the rest she needed 

Pushing harder while hiking 

Dealing with the heat and humidity and struggling to hit the 25 miles per day needed

Advice for recovery and why taking time off is a good thing

Eating well while hiking 

Cooking v cold soaking 

Food chat!

Wearing dresses while hiking 

Hiking through all seasons

Tips for winter hiking 

Feet and shoes for hiking 

Road walking with a pack

Hiking with poles 

Fitting hiking into her life and working as a hiking guide

Hiking all of the 11 National Scenic Trails in the States 

Putting a plan in place in 2018  

Speaking with ‘Buck 30’ (Brian Tanzman)

Planning and preparation for the final few hikes 

Dealing with aggressive barking dogs

North Country Trail (4,600 miles) 

Advice for when it gets tough on a hike 

Making her goals smaller 

Keeping track of expenses while on trail

Paying for breakfast as it’s a better deal than dinner

Advice for hiking the Te Araroa (TA), New Zealand 

Skipping the road walks in New Zealand

Hiking in Nepal

Hiking in Europe

Preferring to hike in the wilderness

Going back to hike the Arizona trail

Wanting to thru-hikes the trails that she section hiked 

Wanting to ‘redlining’ the White Mountains guide book (1,440.4 miles ) 

How to connect with Arlette on social media #ApplePieHikes

Selling sock dolls (only sold/shipped to the US)

Redline Guiding

Final words of advice 

  Social Media

Website:  www.arlettelaan.com

Instagram: @arlette_laan 

  Check out this episode!