As someone who’s just getting started this is much appreciated. I personally skipped the campground stuff tho. Too crowded, too loud and if I did that, might as well camp at the Walmart parking lot. Being out by myself doesn’t bother me. Found some dispersed camping sites I’ve been staying at to build my skill, easy in, easy out and 15 minutes max from the closest town so if I forgot anything, quick trip to pick it up. I learned this weekend that I SUCK at putting up a tarp. You make it look so easy. I’d pay you for lessons on setting up and tearing down tarps! But instead I’m gonna keep trying until I get it. I’d really appreciate more tips for things like this. My goal is to hike into the backcountry for an overnight adventure.
I have watched your videos for a while and do not consider myself a nub by any means, but you video is relatable for anyone. There is always things we forget or overlook, you hindsight is more than welcomed for anyone with an open mind and clear head. Being aware is something you mention often and is so true. The video makes it clear on so many levels. Thank you.
Luke, this is another fine educational episode from you, packed with so much good advise and common sense; a very concise and detailed compilation that I'm sure will help a lot of people. Thank you so much!
Hi Luke, good video with a lot of basic information for new hikers/backpackers. There’s a fairly large oversight you made in the basics of safety/communication category. Having a GPS communicator is nice if you could afford it but not necessary. ALWAYS TELL SOMEONE WHERE YOU’RE GOING, WHAT ROUTE YOU ARE TAKING, AND WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTED HOME. This applies to even simpler day hikes. Cheers.
I wish Luke had done a better job of STRONGLY EMPHASIZING that a Personal Locator Beacon is a MUST HAVE, that it's not optional equipment. Warm Regards from Reno, Nevada
Yup. I write on a piece of paper at my house what I'm wearing, what I look like, time I left, time I expect to return, tell a few people I trust. Tell people general areas where I will be. Always check the weather. Often have people that come with me say I'm too over prepared (cos weight carrying reasons). Yeah, I've got to simplify things some more. I have an ever diminishing budget to be able to afford fancy GPS devices and am unplugging when I go out and starting to leave my phone behind. It's too distracting and defeats the purpose of me even being out there in the first place. I want to rely on less material things, not more.
Luke you should have covered the most important thing about backpacking, taking care of your feet. If you don't have good, well fitting shoes and socks, your hike can be a nightmare. Getting a blister early on a hike will ruin what would have otherwise been an incredible trip. I'm speaking from experience on this one.
I also recommend talking about solid footwear. Tennis shoes won't make it. This is a critical issue for me. I can't walk 300 yards with bad shoes. Also shoe care. I once had to make some field scavenged crutches/walking sticks to get home. An honorable mention, also, of WHY you don't wear blue jeans!!! Thanks for the advise.
Luke I wear 3EW shoes and struggle to find hiking boots that fit my feet. Any brands that you can recommend for individuals like myself would be appreciated!
I love listening to your stories your advice , you should be proud of yourself and your wife and family well balanced grounded folk . I hope you keep going you are the best
Best video in awhile & great advice. I'm 69 and recently got back into hiking & backpacking. Something else you can do to prepare ... many cities have walking paths. Use them to condition your body to carrying a loaded pack before you go out in the woods.
Idk if you’ve done a video about this (if you have I haven’t seen it) but I’d love to learn more about how you handle wildlife you’ve encountered, especially dangerous ones like bears, snakes, etc. Thanks for the great, entertaining videos. It’s been many years (25+) since I’ve been camping, but watching your videos is giving me the courage and desire to go back out again!
Thank you luke , my late hubby and I practiced in a apartment setting up tent and using equipment . That was before cellphone internet world. Cooking with camp stoves on the porch balcony all in safety.
There is a very important part of camping. Find a locaiton that is secure, and/or pack your own security. Depending where you are staying it may be a very important part of your gear. Also, set up security motion lifhts battery operated. You get the idea.
Learned a lot of these as a kid, but need to rebuild them. I have a decent tent, bag, and pad (could be better, it's 30+ years old, air not foam), and tools. Still need that stove at some point, and the rest I can get together pretty quick.
This man speaks truth. If this is what you want to do. I grew up on this lifestyle, moving on to being cold weather, high altitude, (operations above 5000 feet,) US Army Infantry, as a career choice. First, start out in campgrounds! Bring all you need, and the socialization, with fellow campers is invaluable. Next, when planning an adventure, avoid going alone! Numbers reduce redundancy in gear, from tents to stoves and cookware, everyone carries less. More heads are better than one, and again, the social aspect makes everything easier. I grew up in a more social era, and for outdoor adventures, unless you're highly experienced, numbers are the way to go! Much more fun! Make an effort, to meet likeminded friends. I highly discourage doing anything at high altitude, or deep forest adventures alone.
This is the kind of information my family needs problem I face is being in the foothills of nc with limited cell phone service in most places to go hiking
To alter one point for backpacking in places you have to hang a bear bag. Locate a spot and prepare to hang your bag(you don't have to hang it yet, just have line ready). It is much easier to set up a tent in the dark than it is to prep your bag to hang.
All Trails is a great app, and not only for researching and recording your hikes. On two occasions, I have lost the trail (once in the desert due to missing trail markers, and once during a mountain hike where snow squalls covered the trail during the hike); using All Trails, I was able to find landmarks described to regain the trail, or simply use the GPS to make a b-line back to the trailhead.
The ONE item I suggest that's with me every time is Vaseline. It helps with any dry skin, makes a great fire starter when put on tinder, relieves jock itch, and the best one, stops bleeding in small wounds in it's TRACKS....same trick boxing cut men use on boxers with a cut. For the sleeping bag it's simple, let it get cold and test your bag, nobody is the same, the actual comfort rating will vary. Whatever temp you start getting chilled, add 10 degrees and that's your bare minimum.
Any reputable brand has a recommendable synthetic bag, just compare temps, weights and pack sizes to find the best one in your price range. If you're warm weather camping, like 55f+, just about anything will do. My go-to warm weather bag is a cheap 50f Walmart bag I bought at a thrift store for $5 and I'm pretty anal about sleeping gear, but in higher temperatures it's just not that critical. In cold weather, say high 30s and below, synthetic bags start to become too big and heavy to be practical. Synthetic isn't more reliable, though. It works better than down if it gets wet, but it's also much heavier and bulkier and is much more prone to losing loft from repeated compression than down is. If you're in a situation where, say, your foot box is touching the tent wall and picking up condensation, simply putting a trash bag over it solves that problem.
Loved the comment about the tarp, I can't count how many times the weather forecast was a chance of light rain, and it turned out to be a downpour. My tent probably would have been fine, but I had a tarp over it for good measure and extra peace of mind.
Exactly! I went out last night and it was no rain what so ever. Guess what happened? Turned out I didn’t stretch my fly enough and after a whole night of rain the fly stretched and started sagging onto the inner mesh. And we all know what happens after that.
One thing you didn’t mention was security. If you can near your car yes you have that but if you’re backpacking, how do you protect yourself. You can’t carry a gun in every state. I think you should do a video on making sure you’re safe by yourself while in the outdoors.
Or do like 1000’s of others. Watch this channel, load up on budget gear and hit the AT with no experience for a 6 month adventure😂. Jokes aside this was definitely one of the better videos out there for beginners.
Hello luke can you make a video about being/taking a solo adventure video you did maybe a little tips for beginners who want to be a youtube adventure like you thanks luke
I ride a mountain bike in the desert and the biggest differences from hiking are (1) weight is much less important, and (2) carry things with which to repair the bike, e.g. spare tube, CO2, quicklink for the chain, and hex wrenches. Since you can go much further than a typical hiker, walking out is a real chore.
How's that wood stove/oven ? My main concern is I need very low smoke smell as me and my equipment is sensitive to smoke. I plan on living in a geodome/tent but also want the option to have it for camping/fishing using my surron e/dirt bike. Do you think this means I'll need one of the Backpack wood burners for my hot tent. I love the rain and snow.
I remember when i got my hilleberg anaris tent. Went out on my 3 acres of land. Had my hole pack 70l backpack loaded up with everything. As if i was miles out on the trail. About 20 minutes to sunset. I thought yea this is going to be a great night. Yea that didnt happen an hour later its dark as hell and i was struggling to get the tent up. In tge dark had never taken it out of the bag that tent was way more complicated than i thought. That hole night was a fail. I literally just abandoned everything and went back in the house. Came back the next morning packed everything up. And tryed it again the next night. Yea never set up a tent that you know nothing about near dark. Do trial runs on your tent. Practice seting it up a fewtimes before you go out. My favorite spots to go camping are at little lost cove and yellow mountain barn and hump mountain Up on the AT. Great spots yellow mountain barn is only a half mile from where you park. Good place for beginners. Just in case something goes wrong you can easily get back to your car or truck. Its on the all trails app
Agreed, at least the part about practicing tent set up during daylight. I'd also spray it with a hose & water in a backyard to make sure your new is waterproof B$ taking it out on an overnighter. Warm Regards from Reno, Nevada
@azclaimjumper o you got the Tahoe rim trail. And the PCT real close to you. Nice 👌 also im sure you know about hilleberg tents. I mean you watch the luke say there one of the best tents out there. Im mean 600$ for the hilleberg anaris tent it better be water Proof. 😅 but man i love that tent even with my girl in it there still room in there.
@@somerandomguy4149 Hilleberg Enan,dark green is my shelter of choice. I've hiked both routes of the Rim to Reno trail, one route is 30 miles & the other is 25 miles. I've hiked portions of the TRT & the PCT trail. Warm Regards from Reno, Nevada
@azclaimjumper yea i had thought about geting that one just for me. When i go camping by my self but that anaris is like a castle when your alone. 😁 im in NC and the AT is only about 2 hours and 30 minutes from me. And the little lost cove which i found it when luke did his trip hikeing on the cliffs. That one is only about 1 hour and 45 mins from me.
I would love to camp on some land I own but it’s has such a high density of cotton mouth’s and copper heads. Is there a way to keep them out of my camp area at night?
I know this channel is more about solo camping and smaller tents, but does anyone know any channels that do as honest a review on say, a 5 person tent or similar size?
The biggest mistake I hear from those doing bicycle trips is that they sleep badly for the first week or so. Practice setting up your camp and cooking the meals you are going to carry. Better to find out at home or a campsite with toilets that one of your meals disagrees with you. Set up your pad and sleeping bag on the floor of your room or somewhere else inside and sleep on it for at least a week, preferably two weeks. Again better to find problems now then when you are out camping.
Or feel free to go into the Army and skip all the boring stuff😂😂🤣. On the more serious note, do not go out like a nub in bad winter weather and try to camp comfortably in the backcountry. It takes years of good weather camping to build up to hiking in the winter, especially in the mountains. And just becuz you have thousands in gear and a GPS doesnt make you bullet proof and is a huge false security.
People are saying you are stating the obvious. But I don’t think they realize just how much more difficult it is to hike and camp in winter, especially when there’s snow. The heavier load is the last thing you need to worry about. The cold is going to sap your energy quietly. By the time you realize you are low on energy, it’s probably already too late. You need to constantly munch on stuff to stay energized and warm. Food consumption goes up by a lot in winter. Your joints are gonna have to work a lot harder if there’s snow. Daylight is vital not just because it’s harder to see in the dark but also because winter nights can be deadly if you are not prepared. A fire is not just a luxury but is sometimes a must. So, with your limited daylight, you need to get to camp, set up camp, gather as much firewood as you can. Then and only then, can you relax a little bit. It takes a lot of experience and planning for a winter camping/backpacking trip to be successful and enjoyable. And, all of the above is just for fair weather winter camping. When the weather is bad, everything doubles in difficulty and death becomes an even bigger concern.
@@smellybearc7411 thank you, and it's clear that none of the other comments have ever done -46°F outdoors in the winter. Not to mention in winter dehydration is double and anything over a foot of snow requires snowshoes and is even slower covering ground with weight. And the obvious isn't so obvious anymore in a society that can't put a thumb up its arse with 2 hands. Just like common sense isn't so common anymore.
Regarding the med kit.. if it isn’t too bulky, it’s better to have and not need than need and not have. Just because you don’t have experience with X doesn’t mean that someone that finds you injured won’t know how to use it.
I appreciate all your videos. While I am not a backpacker, I want to try motocamping in the future and your channel really helps a lot to prepare for that. Did you ever do a video on a (decent) blackout tent? I am very light sensitive, so I'd rather have a tent that blocks out the light as much as possible, but I have the feeling that these are such a nieche product, that nobody is reviewing them. The only tent I found thus far that had a authentic review on youtube was the Queedo Quick Oak 3 Dark, but I think the packed tent is too large...
@@StephenMcGregor1986The problem is not during the day, so sunglasses, whlie usefull, are not needed. An eye mask is uncomfortable to the point that I cant fall asleep.
I’m still waiting for the Teton Sport mountain ultra 2 person tent you said you would review when you put out the 1 person tent video 😬🫣. Would you happen to have that anywhere in the video vault?
My recommendation is to start with camping. Once you're completely comfortable with camping then start backpacking. Don't make your first trip into the woods a backpacking trip. That's just asking for trouble. Start with car camping and progress from there. Save the true wilderness trips for when you have some experience under your belt. Starting with a group, like the Boy Scouts of America, is also a great idea if possible.
maybe 1 chest seal is important in your ifak, easy to learn how to use them, never now what pokey stick has your name on it lol. Tourniquets and quick clot they are light and very useful if you need it. Ya never know.
I wish you'd encouraged others to buy & carry a Personal Locator Beacon for that just in case life or death emergency in addition to a cell phone which may or may not work. I especially liked that you emphasized the importance of getting quality Sleeping Bags & Air mattresses from well known suppliers/manufacturers that don't exaggerate their cold weather rating. Warm Regards from Reno, Nevada
Just because you film your camping trips and put them on RU-vid does not make you a professional! Camping your hole life does not make you a professional! Your not a professional Luke!!
That does not make him a professional, that makes him experienced. I've been camping my whole life. I've done truck camping, backpacking, ATV camping, winter camping, hot tent camping, hammock camping and overlanding, does that make me a professional? No that makes me an experienced camper. A professional is someone that gets paid by a company to go camping. He does not get paid by any company to go camping. RU-vid pays him to put videos up, they could care less what type of videos he puts up, so that would make him a professional RU-vidr at best but he is not hired by RU-vid so he's still not a professional in that regard. What his trying to do is Rebrand himself to get everyone to believe that he's a professional when he's not.
I love your point about doing psuedo-shakedown day hikes before a backpacking trip. That is how I learned that my bag really didn't fit my body well and I needed to buy another before my first trip a long time ago. If I hadn't taken those day hikes, I would have set myself up for a miserable experience, and probably even injury given how my pack fit on me. Most likely would have been a horrible first impression of backpacking and I probably wouldn't have continued doing it.
On my local trails that I bike, I often run across people hiking dry runs with their gear. The round trip on the trail is 10-12 miles tops in both sun and shade.
it is the same with buying a motor home or a camping trailer I have seen people buy a brand new camper and a pickup to pull it and all the necessities and pack up the wife and four kids and the first trip is a thousand miles or more out to Yellowstone national park or something like that and they had never pulled a trailer in their lives especially one with a high center of gravity not too mention having no idea how to setup the camper and I have seen them come home after the frustration of the first trip and sell everything and never go camping again so yes I agree make some short trips too local campgrounds and even setup in your own back yard and get used too your equipment and get used too having everyone cramped in the vehicle for long distances and so on and please watch some camping edict before you go so you don’t make a bunch of people mad at you like coming into a campground where there are 150 camp sites and only one other camper in the park and you setup in the site right next to them this has happened too us when we started camping back in the early 70’s and what we did back then is my dad went too the local company who owned the busses that hauled the local kids to school everyday and bought a old school bus that had been retired and the driver got a new one well the one he came home with happened to be the same one that me and my four siblings had been riding too school for years and we helped my dad convert it from a school bus into a camper and sand the outside down and paint it we had fun doing that and our first outing with it was a hundred mile ride up to some relatives house in northern Wisconsin and we spent a weekend getting used too living in the camper
This was an amazing video, Luke. I have literally ran into all of the issues you listed. As a kid we would camp or overnight backpack maybe once a year and now as an adult, I have decided to take it up again. My younger nephew really enjoys being out camping and fishing, so he is my tag-along buddy on most of these trips. His dad left early in his life and I have been the fill in adult male in his life to teach him what it means to be a good person and to show him what its like to 'rough it' in the outdoors so he understands what hardship is and can grow from it, I am extremely proud of him. We used to bring everything imaginable in the back of the car, but as we gain experience we are really paring it down to just the things we need; its a real eye opener what you can do without and what is worth bringing (a deck of cards is amazing). I recently hit the big 4-0 and decided that I didn't want to actually feel my age, so I cut the sugary drinks out, started lifting weights again and walking twice a day and I have already lost 20 pounds and am feeling better by the day. This is giving me the confidence in the short term to look at going on an overnight backpacking trip again, its only 4 miles each way but its tough for someone like me who has not focused on cardio in probably a decade and has always had extra weight around the middle; climbing those hills kills me. Long term my aim is to try to draw an elk tag out west in the next 2-3 years (bucket list dream) and be in good enough shape that I can go and not croak while scaling mountains. 😄 Thank you for reminding me how great the outdoors is Luke. (Suzie too! Your western driving trips together are so fun to watch)
1. Today, I realized just how soothing your videos are on a Sunday afternoon. 2. I agree that setting up routines is a good way to minimize the chance of catastrophic blunders. However, I believe one must consciously follow it because automatically following a routine can lead to mistakes. 3. In my experience, just because someone has done a lot of hikes (or bike rides) without mishap does not make them "experienced." - one must learn from them.
Luke, this is a great video. Thanks for sharing! I am learning more about the basics, as I ALWAYS carry way too much when car camping. I am hoping to learn more so I can do a canoe/kayak overnight trip next year with my buddies.
People who rely solely on technology for navigation are the first to get in trouble. Tech doesn't work all the time for a verity of reasons . It is recommended to learn how to use a compass , Map stick and a rock and/or a watch(Analog) to navigate.
All good stuff Luke👍👍 Lots of info to digest and not be overwhelmed, especially if just starting out. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy... Each category you mentioned deserves its own video actually, maybe broken down into sub categories. A new series?
nice tips. I would also say for safety, a personal locator beacon is high recommended. if your solo and get hurt, best way to get help. some places may have spotty cell service.
Proper footwear. You mentioned having extra socks which is important. Having well fitting shoes that are broke in is important. Flip flops on a mountain trail is not or new shoes that end up rubbing blisters on your feet will make for a bad trip.
A great video Luke, with excellent tips. My biggest hurdle, ever since the mini-stroke has been the lack of feeling on my entire left side. I can deal with the memory loss caused the radiation. But when your on a narrow trail, or even a site with lots of roots, it can be a bit scary. My family has asked that I purchase an in-Reach device; if my choice is to resume solo camping after almost a decade off. Cheers ya.
Get the In Reach and keep on living your life. I don't have those problems, but I am 50 years old and have a terrible back and both sides of my family have heart problems. Just the other day I was on the trail and while I stopped to rest a bit I began seriously contemplating what I was doing and the likelihood of my heart giving out one day and dropping dead on the trail and was I okay with dying like that. The conclusion I reached is that that's not likely to happen, but if it did I don't think I would want to go out any other way. What actually concerned me the most, other than how my family would go on without me, was how inconvenient it would be for whomever happened upon my dead body. Sometimes I think I should pin a little note on my pack telling them to feel free to pick through my gear and take whatever they want for the trouble I caused them.
@@Im_With_Stupid Why that would be rather nice if it did not disturb the scene for the persons coming to retrieve you trying to figure out what happened, but yeah, I would not care either. That said if it was attached to a body I would make sure there was no pulse and send for the ones who need to deal with it, your family might want to make a shrine of your pack as it is, LOL. You never know..... cheers to you.
See again Luke. In the Uk 🇬🇧, you can’t go off and camp anywhere!!!!! Your either on a campsite and that’s it. There’s none of this just go too woods and pitch your tent!!!! 😮😮😮
