Hadley Hammer’s 8 step list of shit to take care of
I thought this whole article and list of important shit to take care of if you are going to get risky was well articulated and brought up some useful tips.
https://blisterreview.com/features/o...step-checklist
8-Step Checklist
Step 1: Injury Insurance
Health insurance downright sucks in the U.S. Once I had knee surgery in Wyoming, and even with coverage, it still cost me something like $28,000 on top of my annual $8,000 insurance premium.
I also had knee surgery in Europe that cost me $6,000 on top of a $600 annual fee, though it did come with a homemade cake and three recovery days in the hospital. That’s a pretty good deal compared to what that would have cost in the USA, but I still had to pay $6,600 out of pocket for the procedure and care.
Blister (yes the site you’re currently reading) offers injury insurance through its BLISTER+ membership that covers 20 of the activities we love: skiing, snowboarding cycling, mountain biking, climbing, snowmobiling, fishing, etc. It covers up to $25,000 of medical expenses and medical transportation / backcountry evacuations per incident, anywhere in the world. You can read all about it here, but in short, I personally could have saved over $40,000 in hospital bills I’ve paid while being a professional skier if BLISTER+ existed at the time. (Shoot I might have even had a chance to buy an outhouse in Jackson!)
While it always amazes me the way communities support each other, it worries me how platforms like GoFundMe have become the new default. Which brings us to the topic of life insurance.
Step 2: Life Insurance
How many guides and active mountain athletes have it? You’re making the choices in the mountains, but you’re also making choices for your loved ones. I think of life insurance as a way of saying thank you to the people that love me and put up with my choices. My own plan isn’t expensive — it’s $21 dollars a month, but will easily cover funeral costs (which average between $7,000 to $12,000 in the US), medical costs, and even designates an amount of money for my closest friends and family to take one trip all together in memory. Life insurance works particularly well for unexpected, “early” deaths, when there are people who depend on you.
Step 3: Passwords
Are your passwords all in one place and does someone know where that place is? Anyone that has suddenly lost a loved one can tell you that it is a complete pain in the ass to get access to their computers, phones, bank accounts, etc. It involves hours — and months — of paperwork, phone calls, and sometimes lawyers. Don’t make the people you love have to go on a wild goose chase to cancel something as simple as a Netflix subscription. They will be tired enough.
Step 4: Advanced Directives
DNR (do not resuscitate) and other end of life issues are tricky. I’ve watched a family be torn apart trying to decide whether or not their loved one should stay on life support. It is certainly not my place to give any advice here on this matter, but I urge you to have this conversation with your family or partners and take the steps to sign a DNR at your hospital if that is your decision.
Step 5: Wills
If you don’t own much, a handwritten will or one created from an online template would probably suffice. If you have significant assets, working with a lawyer is really the best way to go. It’s an investment, but it also can — and should — be thought of as a gift to your loved ones. It will limit them having to make numerous difficult decisions without you. Grief can express itself in anger, and a will can help alleviate family tension around your stuff.
Step 6: Stuff
Speaking of stuff, one thing I learned from my partner David is how much I appreciated how little of it he had — just enough for everyone to have something to remember him by, not so much that it was a burden. Going through your loved one’s stuff is nice only to a certain point, then it becomes painful, and then it becomes arduous. Clean out your closet every once in a while so your mom doesn’t have to make the emotionally charged decision about all your t-shirts.
Step 7: Letters
One of the obvious but still shocking consequences of death is the end of all communication with your loved one. After David died, I started a collection of letters to people I love, only to be read when I die. It sounds morbid, but honestly it’s such a beautiful process to sit down and tell people the ways they impacted my life and how much I love them.
Step 8: Living Well
There are some rather ineffable parts of this “Consequences” checklist, too. Things like spending quality time with people. Taking the extra effort to visit friends. Having one more cup of coffee.
The memories I have of people I love who are gone are some of my most precious possessions. I no longer hesitate when I have the chance to see the old friend who is in town for a short visit, or to stay that extra hour in conversation with a loved one, even when my inbox is calling.
