[cwbriscoe]

I have thought of moving to Nevada or Arizona just to be closer to the equator. However, it is going to be hard to leave the PNW because I love hiking and backpacking. Maybe I should snowbird down south in the winters once I ditch work for good.

[zerealshadowban]

Consider a one-week trip to Hawaii in the darkest time of winter; supplementation studies have shown that the body can safely absorb and store 100K IU, that it takes about 2 months to deplete such an amount. Your skin produces 20k IU in 30 minutes on a sunny day at the beach (wearing a swimsuit). If you're in the PNW (or central Europe at the Southern German border) your skin cannot produce vitD from October through April because of how low the sun is in the sky even at its zenith.

[cwbriscoe]

I definitely should do more sunny trips in the fall/winter. I am going to try tanning in a UVB bed a couple times a week during the bad months this year. I have heard that it has helped some people.

[cowboysauce]

> However, it is going to be hard to leave the PNW because I love hiking and backpacking.

I'd argue that the desert southwest is a great place for hiking though you obviously have to plan around the extreme temperatures. But the mountain ranges tend to be significantly cooler and a viable option in the summer. The big downside, more for backpacking, is that you either have to: carry all your water, stash water ahead of time, or refill at springs that may be unreliable.

[cwbriscoe]

Yeah, I have only hiked day trips in Nevada and Arizona in the Summer. I definitely want to try at least an overnight trip in the cooler months or at the higher altitudes. It is on my list of things to do.