NWFlyer

If you can't try them on before ordering, I'd say whichever one will be less expensive to send back if it doesn't fit. As many have mentioned, helmets in general (and full-face in particular) are very dependent on the shape of your head for comfortable fit. You can read the measurements but they're only going to help you so much. If you can lower the cost/risk of sending back something that doesn't work for a refund ... that might be your best bet. (For the record I just bought a G2 and am a fan of that; have seen but not tried the Revolve. I already have an open face (Bonehead Guner) that I like so I don't need the "double-duty" feature of the Revolve, so I didn't really consider it in my selection. Also have a FreeZR2 that I like a lot.). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Absolutely - no disagreement from me there - we really have made great strides. But I think the pendulum has swung perhaps a hair too far, and we're now over-sanitizing and not equipping our immune systems to deal with the minor bugs and allergens of everyday life. Of course, I think we've swung too far in general with respect to trying to make life completely safe and this is just a symptom of a larger societal swing. But that's another debate altogether. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Customer Service 101 ... excellent service recovery for an actual or perceived poor service experience can create a better impression (and better word of mouth/reputation/free marketing) than getting things right in the first place. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Not that commercial airlines have the most popular business practices these days, but it's a reasonable comparison as they are selling you "a seat on a flight at a particular day and time." If you buy a non-refundable fare (as most leisure travelers do) and for reasons beyond the airline's control (weather) the flight (and the seat you bought) does not go, the airline, in effect, offers you a rain check (a seat on the next available flight). What they don't offer you is a refund. By purchasing a non-refundable fare, you're taking the risk (in exchange for a cheaper ticket) that the flight will go out when it's scheduled to go out. If it doesn't, you're taking the risk that the "rain check" flight offered to you will still be acceptable for your schedule. If not, you've just lost some or all of the value of that ticket (depending on the airline's policies). Airlines are a business. Spaceland is a business. We're all free to patronize the ones whose polices we like, and free not to patronize the ones whose policies we don't like. There's a reason I do almost all my traveling on Southwest in addition to the fact that it has the most flights from my local airport; I like their policies with respect to refunds and change fees. Similarly, if I didn't like the policies of one DZ nearby, I might go to another one whose policies I liked better. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Of those you listed, Skydance, Skydive Sacramento, Parachute Center (aka Lodi), and Bay Area Skydiving (aka Byron) are all "on the way" to Lake Tahoe depending on which route you take (meaning they're all in the general direction of Tahoe and not too far off of any of the major freeways). The others in the area would be in the opposite direction of Tahoe, so if your goal was to catch something on the way, they wouldn't work for you. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

You got it! "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I didn't say never, but rarely. And when I do, it's usually when I've been in close contact (home, airplane, conference room) with one or more people who are sick - it's usually in season when things are going around. I can't prove it, but I'm pretty sure I've never gotten ill from touching something, it's usually from touching someone (or being in close - sneezing - proximity to their germs). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Ding! We have a winner. I have a jump ticket here or there for DZs I don't go to very often, and I have

Which is why I don't buy hand sanitizer generally - the only time I'll use it is after using the bathroom and there's no running water available (or before food prep and there's no running water). I'm so not a germaphobe. I don't use ass gaskets in a public restroom (unless it's super-nasty or if there's no toilet paper and I need a substitute ). I wash my hands regularly - always after the bathroom, always before food prep, or if they're dirty. That's about it. I seem to be surviving and thriving.

Guess I'm lucky. I've got a family that, despite each of us having our own neuroses and dysfunctions, is still pretty functional as a family unit. My brother and I have overcome a difficult relationship growing up and, as adults, are able to have a cordial, friendly relationship where we respect our differences. We may never be super warm and close, but we get along well. My parents have a marriage that's lasted 46+ years (so far). Both my brother and I enjoy spending time with them. My parents like my brother's wife and stepkids, and they like my SO. Mom's a little disappointed that she's not going to have any bio-grandkids, but she hasn't let that get in the way of a strong relationship with us and our partners. There's really very little drama. There never really has been. I was your typical drama queen pre-teen and teen growing up, and that kind of behavior was never indulged, so I got over it. Because of that, I honestly believe most family drama is self-created and self-perpetuated by people who don't know how to just ignore it. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I've downloaded one called "Skydiving Logbook". I've not used it, but I heard about it from a Bonfire thread and people who had used it seemed to like it. http://market.android.com/details?id=org.skydiveapp "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I think you'll find it depends greatly on the type of job, type of employer, and location. As theonlyski noted, jobs that are in more dangerous and/or undesirable locations tend to come with quite a premium. Jobs with U.S. or multinational companies in emerging markets may come with quite a premium. Jobs with U.S. or multinational companies in developed countries / more "desirable" locations may not have a premium at all (and in fact, may wind up putting you at a disadvantage when you factor in taxes/cost of living, etc.). However, all of that may be offset by the experience of living and working abroad - you'll have to look at it in the context of your career overall. Some employers will really value international experience and it'll be a real advantage in your career advancement; others are more neutral about it, or you might find yourself at a disadvantage because you're far away from the home office/center of the action. Not an easy question to answer, and some of it depends on where you are personally as well (e.g., do you have a spouse/kids that you'll either need to leave or uproot?). No easy answer. But hopefully this post has given you food for thought. I only have experience by proxy - through talking to friends who have done it, and as a dependent of a U.S. diplomat as a child. Being able to have that experience of living abroad as a child has (I believe) really shaped my worldview in a positive way; one of these days I might get around to working internationally as an adult; I just haven't really looked seriously for an opportunity yet. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

You're not allowed to lead up to something like that and NOT show a gruesome picture! I was expecting torn flesh and bone and all I got was a broken toe. Not even broken. Just very bruised. Didn't even lose the toenail. Stick around ... you'll see plenty of gruesome in this sport (as well as lots of bumps and bruises and sprains and strains. One of my favorite things to do after a team training weekend is to play "count the bruises." ) "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Strictly speaking, probably Skydive Arizona ... but "jumpable" in the summer can be pretty brutally hot. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

See attached. That was from dragging a toe on landing WITH shoes (Skechers). Don't want to think what it would've looked like without. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Yes, there are rigs that are set up for intentional cutaways with three canopies. They're used in special situations, not as everyday rigs. One common use is by test jumpers who are testing components on a rig or a new / modified canopy design. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I think it was quite a bit more than that (I think that $10,000 is missing at least one 0). I saw their presentation at PIA (as well as the simulator they had set up in the exhibit hall). In the presentation they were running numbers to show the benefit of the system for saving costs in military training; however, IIRC, the cost of the system was high enough that it would take quite a volume of jumps/jumpers to make sense. In talking with the reps at the exhibit hall it was clear their target market was the military, a client that had both the ability to afford a product like this and a financial incentive to use it to manage overall training costs. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Nasal irrigation with saline solution. You have to get over the ick factor but it really is great for breathing clearer. It's pretty useless if you're 100% congested from a cold or sinus infection, but for someone like me who has chronic mild congestion/allergic rhinitis, it's great for when I have minor congestion/snot issues going on. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Per update today, sounds like they've been successful. Nice work between USPA and local jumpers. http://www.uspa.org/NewsEvents/News/tabid/59/Default.aspx#20323 "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Just in time for spring training, here's a flowchart ... skewers pretty much every team quite nicely. http://www.interpretationbydesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/IBD_baseball_flowchart.jpg "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Like is a little strong, but sometimes if ya can't get them out by blowing your nose, and there's no opportunity to flush 'em out with the Neti pot ... ya gotta pick (as others have said, in private, of course). But in general, I'd say Neti pot (or similar contraption - mine's actually a squirt bottle) is the preferred method to clean the nasal pipes. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

At PIA this year, one of the presenters (IIRC it was Jeff Johnston from UPT) showed video of a double mal that a test jumper had on a tertiary setup when doing some Skyhook tests. So it happens, even to the pros who do intentional cutaways regularly. I'd imagine, though, that the odds of a malfunction on your second main on a three-canopy setup are similar to the general odds of having a malfunctioning main on a standard setup. Maybe a hair lower if the pack jobs are more thoughtful because of the increased complexity. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Cool if it works out. This would be the one and only DZ in New Hampshire (though I understand that there's been a few "bad spots" at Skydive Pepperell that have allowed people to jump in New Hampshire). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

DZ.com has helped me to know what I don't know and triggered me to think about things I might never have considered because I didn't know what I didn't know. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Then might I recommend putting eBay farther down on your list of places to look? I'd start with your local DZ - ask around, see if anyone's got anything lying around in a closet that they're not currently using or anything that they're actively trying to sell. Next, look at the classifieds here. Yes, as a free service, it doesn't come with the buyer protections that eBay has, but what it does come with a higher likelihood that the person selling the gear is or was a skydiver (sure, there are scammers here, but in general they are well managed by the site management, and often with a few questions back and forth it's pretty obvious who's legit and who's full of shit). Another option would be to contact gear stores and dealers. Many of them deal in used gear and have good leads on available gear. The overwhelming majority of them will provide great service, help you to choose the right gear, and will be able to evaluate the quality of the gear and ensure that it's priced fairly. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke