I absolutely love your hiking videos. They are my favorite content on yt. I find them much more interesting and well done than someone talking. Will miss new hiking content.
Hey man I think I never commented under your videos but I've been watching you since the wedding film school days. You played a huge role in my youtube journey. Learned a lot from your videos. To be honest I stopped watching when the hiking videos started (still watched them occasionally) but I always appreciate the videos where you share thoughts and ideas, struggles, goals, experiments etc. So more of that is always welcome :) All the best for 2023! Cheers from Germany.
All these vlog creators you mentioned are watched because people have built up an addiction to them and it's about the people and not really what they film. So it doesn't matter what they film on. Have you seen this years PCT Film that have gone "Viral"? It's mostly attractive woman, who vlog and talk a lot. The one with the most views filmed it on DJI Pocket 2. If your incentive as a man who will not vlog and talk much on Camera is to shoot a PCT Movie, would you still go for Iphone or take a camera?
Your sit down videos are always honest and refreshing. They don't lie to the viewer, they just are what they are. In the same way your hiking videos just are what they are : honest looks at beautiful places. I personally am not into gaming so I won't be watching that content. But I'll always check in for videos like this. All the best for 2023!
I absolutely respect and appreciate your honesty to your audience, but most of all to yourself. You're doing a great job, and ultimately your own happiness is what's most important.
I have enjoyed your content very much. I definitely won't be watching your gaming video, but glad you are able to be true to yourself. Disappointed to hear of returning to NYC! or any large city for that matter.
I think I contributed to that 1.7 mil views as I started to watch your relaxing video and fell asleep on the couch, hence, "viewing" the whole thing 😂. Love your videos!
It would be so interesting to see an update like which of these topics did you enjoy, what things are you still yet to try etc. I love your chanel, love your vibe and thanks for making dope stuff.
It's really fine that you are steering into a different direction. you must make what you like and not care about subscriber, I guess. I first got hooked on your ambient hike movies with jaw dropping footage (like the Mardi Himal, TMB, Alta via 2), this is what made me subscribe and talk about you to so many hiker friends, as a source of inspiration. I have either made or planning to make all these hikes and many more, after having done 15 years of mountain treks and photography. I can understand how much work it must have been for each of those videos, and it's entirely comprehensible you want to make things easier. The real gift you made to the world were those ambient videos, with great background music and no talking. They will remain great references when I encourage friends to come with me on some of those hikes. But at the same time, the impact on the most recent work is real, the visual quality of the films with the group hikes and the footage on the iphone is noticably lower, especially compared with the amazing drone intros. And as a hiker I don't really care about the vlog portion talking about personal life matters and so on. Other youtubers like Tom Scott have usually created separate channels for different audiences, right now it's not clear what audience you are seeking. In any case, good look going forward!! Take care. PS: The GR20 I've made last summer is a great hike, with amazing views, well worth taking the time to capture it and not double the stages like so many do and end up missing most of it.
Seriously love these types of videos. I honestly am burnt out of the hiking vids too since I haven’t watched them for the past 6 months but have watched every non hiking vids you’ve posted. You do you! Totally into whatever you make this channel
Glad you are doing what makes you happy! I will say, your hiking videos are some of the best on all of youtube, and my husband and I will really miss them. We will enjoy rewatching the old ones! Good luck on your new path.
Love your ideas, Kraig. I really like the personal videos, the NY vs. Denver is very interesting. But the reason I follow you is because of the Alps. I love hiking there and get a lot of inspiration of your videos. However, I'm here to see you, so I'm the subscriber how will gladly accept any videos that you love doing!
First saw you on your Mae Hong Son Loop video. You nailed that as I have been on it several times & I know that your descriptions are right on. Wish you well on what ever you dabble in 2023. Another Dolomite Exploration would be much appreciated, can not get enough of that little bit of heaven on earth.
So nice to follow your work for years! And even more beautiful is to see the pin on the map in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in the Azores!!! I want that!! ❤
Will be super curious to hear your thoughts on Denver. I too moved there from NYC and had a bunch of expectations and ultimately decided it wasn't the long-term answer for me. Ended up going further west to Seattle, which has been perfect, but I could totally see NYC being the right call for you guys. Excited to follow along with this new chapter.
❤❤stay who you are… I like watching your videos for a variety of reasons - a little of the hiking, the the video making, minimalist and etc. Your style is the reason I love it and it about be flexible. Keep doing what you love- I’ll be watching
I'm not surprised because that 3 hour video has helped calm my mind and shuttle me off to sleep on many occasions. I'm a mountain lover currently living on the California coast, so I am also relishing the landscape in your videos. The scenery and music is simply wonderful!
i think i started watching you ever since you uploaded a video from your travels in japan. i remember after that you posted a video about minimalism and then as i saw you upload a lot more hiking videos i found myself labeling you as a hiking youtuber. i'm glad that you addressed this though and more power to you in posting what you want for yourself and not for others
I’ve been through your RU-vid transitions since WFS when I was also doing wedding gigs. I’ve enjoyed every stage of your RU-vid progression keep up the great work.
Love the insights, Kraig, it also inspire me as a creator. I'm also debating what kind of content I should keep creating, but I guess we all go through that!
Love this man! Keep creating want you want and are passionate about! At the end of the day this is YOUR channel and not selling your creative soul for views is admirable!
I did Rae Lakes a few years back. Awesome hike! Definitely do that if you're thinking about it. If you time it right, you can hike through Glenn's Pass when there is still snow and ice up at the high altitude lakes. The turquoise blue water with floating ice on it is one of the most beautiful and incredible things I've seen in person.
Hey Kraig, found your channel through Covid and you were my Saturday morning outdoor meditation videos. I loved the hd quality on the big TV! Your style was unique back then and like that you will continue to explore different ways to execute and post topics. If I like it, I’ll continue to watch, if I don’t and that’s ok. Just know your work for me so far has been of amazing and thanks doing what you do!
Kraig, Really happy to hear you're continuing to just be you! I think a lot of us struggle with the "label". I encourage creators to just do you, but it's easier said.... Anyways, Love your work regardless. I come back because its you and not necessarily the content. Thanks for always being transparent and honest with your people :)
Hey Kraig, if you are interested in trail running for several days, I think I might have your back on this one. Slovakia, Low and High Tatras/ Small and High Fatra. Amazing crest trails, several places to stay at during course, many trails and ways you can see amazing views and nature :)
I enjoy your long form videos, i have them on in the background during meetings. To be honest I couldn't tell you when you change camera's or processing of video's because the way your video's flow just draws you in to the content. I enjoy your channel because it seems like a real vlog, it could be gear or hiking or snippet of daily life. I mean you don't invite friends over and talk about the same things over and over, you mix it up and your channel is great at that. So whatever you have in mind to do, do it for you and I for one will be watching and enjoying!
Fairly long time subscriber. I’m really happy to see you make videos for yourself. I loved the hiking videos but missed the old Kraig. My favourite video to date is your Mae Hong Son Loop video. Excited for the new stuff!
Hi, just wanted to say, that you do really good job. You move ahead that kind of travelling, tourism. 💪 I've been watching you chanel for a long time and so, decided to start my own) Keep doing it and show to people what an amazing world we live in🌐
I love seeing these update videos!! It's nice to hear what youre thinking about and how you choose to pivot your content. I'll be here for whatever content you make because I genuinely just enjoy you being you! IM SO EXCITED FOR RIM WORLD OMG Maybe this will be the year I finally get to meet you in NYC LOL
My dentist's office has all these nature relaxation playing on TVs he has in every room and waiting area. I think that is how they get played fully in a lot of places
LIke the roadmap Kraig! We've seen my phases of this channel and you now not wanting to be defined by a singular phase/niche (vlogger, minimalist, backpacker, etc.) is both understandable and exciting. As a current Denver resident that wants to move to NYC after visiting for a couple months, I'm excited for that next video.
I love that you’re not tied to the expectations that others expect us to do. You’ve been this way from the beginning of your vlogs. It’s one of the qualities I appreciate in you the most. Keep moving forward my man 🚀
I'd always be grateful for your videos. I love the hiking ones the most as they inspired me and helped me cope with depression during the pandemic and part of 2022, but I pretty much like whatever other content you share here as well. You have very interesting insights and a pleasant way of storytelling that keeps me engaged. Something that intrigues me and it would be cool to watch is a video of how you manage your time to be able to do everything you do? I am a freelance video editor myself and I've managed to be busy every day with it. The other activity I do is go to the gym, where me and my hubby try to do different activities to not just get bored with the routines of weight lifting, so we sometimes do Muay Thai, basket, swimming, and Sundays are for hikes but that's it. I feel the time is short for me and there are so many other things I want to do creative speaking. So, for me, it is interesting to see how other creators do it and I think seeing your process would be very helpful as well =) Thanks again for your content and best of luck in your new endeavors this year!
I’ve heard from friends who have moved to Denver that people are not very open to outsiders and it takes a long time to develop relationships. But the same could be said about NYC, Seattle, Charleston etc. Also the long winters can be rough especially if you’re not into snow sports or the cold.
5:00 I like the idea of this concept but definitely not neglect the wonderful 4k footage from the drone! I totally agree that you get a different level of rawness when it comes to capturing the culture of the place you visit on the phone. It’s also a less intrusive. I think you did this in your resentment Himalayan video in Nepal and it was my favourite video to date!
I joined around the moving to Colorado video, enjoying the content so far, looked back at some of your older videos too. Do what you want and do what you love. Looking forward to seeing what you do for topic videos, sounds interesting. Yeah it’s kind of risky what your thinking of doing but it’s worth it. Try it all out and see what you think about it. It’s your life and you don’t want to end up with the “what if I had done that” question years down the line. I’m not too interested in gaming videos so will give those a miss but I’m sure there are plenty of fans that will watch too. Good idea to keep it on a separate channel. Shame your moving away from Colorado, looks like an amazing place. Hope the move goes well though.
Me and my dog love your videos Kraig. Glad to hear that you‘re moving towards doing more of what makes you happy. I‘d always look forward to seeing more educational videos about your hiking/ gear/ fitness/ travel/ money tips! All the best for 2023 :)
Support from Hong Kong! I have been shooting RU-vid video under your impact for a few years. However, I become exhausted and stopped making video since 2021/22. I have been thinking of a way to balance between enjoyment and video shooting for a while. After watching your video by iPhone, I felt like I could do it again! Hope you can continue making video in your favourite shape. 🎉cheers
I love your channel for the relaxing content. The solo silent hiking videos without commentary are my favourites, but I also enjoy the videos where you're just talking cause you got a really relaxing voice. So, I hope you don't mix the styles and topics of your videos and keep them rather separate, so everyone subscriber can pick their favourites. Best wishes for the new year 🤞
Great Video Kraig! I can totally relate on the whole being tagged as "something" in your case of being the hiking guys or being asked where have you travel this time.. it definetly makes conversations bland and repetitive. Being a jack of trades is fun! Keep pursing it for your channel! Loyal fan here! ❤️
You are making this youtube channel about YOU!, and thats how it should be !!!! I love all the content and look forward to what you will do in 2023!! P.S. I love your whats in the bag videos for hiking! I love hiking and i would love if you could make more videos about all the hiking items you have or think people should us!!
I appreciate how you evolve. :) Maybe this is a question for a future video: Are you ever concerned that your continual rebranding / starting and stopping your use of various platforms (e.g., podcasting, twitch, smaller channels) has worked to your detriment? Felix, for instance, always evolves but does not parce up or erase any of his phases based on aesthetic or theme in a given moment. The whole channel tells a 10-year narrative. You are obv a different person, but there may be some wisdom to gracefully evolving (less whiplash?). Curious about your thoughts on differences in approaches. Keep it up! PS No Man’s Sky is sick
Good question. Felix is a good example of what to do. I do plan on changing/erasing less in those regards. I think I’m setting the foundation for that on the main channel. The biggest unknown like I mentioned in the video at some point was if making a separate gaming channel will be a mistake. I could very well stream and upload good gaming topic videos alongside everything else. Felix had his Minecraft and dark souls phases and I use that as a good example.
Just curious on your thoughts on getting started on RU-vid. Do you feel that new creators need to do certain things or can they be themselves and still grow a channel. Our channel is us, we don't like to talk on camera, but unsure how to grow. Seems that starting a channel without talking doesn't work. Your thoughts?
I love these videos. It would be great if you could talk about why you don't edit your photos, because I am also thinking about not doing that anymore. About the GR20 on Corse. Be aware, that it can get really crowded in the high season, so choose the month your going wisely. In my opinion it also lacks divercity. Hiking across Madeira can be way more interesting, because it is so diverce and not crowded at all in Spring. But please don't just hike the MIUT, because your gonna miss a lot of beautiful spots like Ponta de Sao Lourenco.
For Running, you could follow the big marathon courses as close as you can: NYC, London, Berlin, Tokyo etc. For Trail Running, there's the Rim to Rim to Rim in Grand Canyon or sections of the Via Alpina red that traverses Alps from Trieste, Italy to Monaco. Swiss section could be done in around 5 days.
What you have expressed about what you want for your channel makes perfect sense. I am riveted by your HD cinematographic content but I can’t wait to see the new content that results from your self-redirection. Cheers!
While I love both, imo Norway > Sweden for picturesque hiking. Sweet to hear you may go to Alaska, I am planning to in June/July and agree it's overlooked as an epic destination. I'll definitely be using your videos to plan my trip to South America (and perhaps to inspire starting my own videos...) and look forward to the Japan one, among others. Personally, I came to your channel via the solo/silent hiking videos and still consider it my favorite content of yours, but I 100% respect and understand you doing what you want with YOUR channel, and I have appreciated the personal touch and transparency you've added lately. Sad to hear you're leaving Denver, but NYC seems to enchant everyone who lives there so I'm curious to hear your assessment of both cities.
May unsubscribe but I’ll still be tuning in. Not the best solution but I made an unsubbed list and check in on channels once a month, allows me to focus on just the most interesting/important content for me without all the visual noise of the rest. (That may still be great but just don’t have the time for overall) The “Just Chatting” topic streams into gaming later on has been meta for a while, but as a viewer I’ve found it creates too much of an “everything bagel” effect where I just can’t keep up with everyone as a viewer and things can end up feeling less impactful overall. Probably better for creators long term, but gets out of hand fast without some curating, for some it’s less about expectations or labels and more just people being mindful of content overabundance. Probably why people are so obsessed with timestamps/2x speed these days, feels impossible to get thru stuff anymore without some assistance lol. Definitely coming back to check out the moving videos tho, interested to see the process and hear the reasoning since you seemed pretty excited about the previous change. (Excited for the NY return tho, that city is amazing for content) Hope that didn't sound like a negative rant either, love your transparency and will always tune in when I can or find something of value, good luck on the move and larger 2023:)
Denver is a cool place, however, I think a denser and more walkable area like Portland or Seattle or San Francisco that’s also super close to great West Coast hiking would’ve been more your style. Obviously don’t know you and your needs/tastes. But I remember watching previous videos and that being one of the major things that was off putting to you moving West and can definitely see that being an issue on top of other obvious things such as missing family and friends, etc. Regardless, super excited to see your content looking forward! Loved your videos for many years now :)
Loved this, you should absolutely go the directions you want to go! Excited for 2023. Also would definitely chime in and say a Picos de Europa guide would be awesome, one of the all time fave vids of yours and I'd rather you than anyone else tell us how to do it the right way =)
my two favourite travel youtubers are Shiey and Gifgas because their editing and pacing is really exciting. If your videos had some of their style I think you could crack a million subs
Broo Shiey, Gifgas, badcat, Matt, etc... all those guys and their content are so good. A breath of fresh air compared to the repetative content all over youtube. Love all their urbex and the community as well.
I just checked out Shiey/gifgas, ther content is illegal train rides which is interesting it itself but completely different. They are also telling a story in real time which if compared to the hiking world would be closer to my content vs Kraig's as I narrate a story with my hikes.
I let Craigs videos run on my Nest hub while I am working on the computer. They are nice to have running in the background because I find them relaxing.
Thoughts on streaming and creating smaller doses of that for more consumable bits. People crave authenticity, same way that we love the Pewdiepie vlogs because it's not so done up, being the biggest RU-vidr. So hearing someone's thoughts about their wedding day live, is so much more enjoyable. Then the smaller bits to pull more people in to the streams. They help each other!
Kraig, I'm here for it! Totally in. I, like many, found your channel through hiking videos, but I stayed for your creativity. Creative independence is something I value almost over anything else and I'm happy for you to move in that direction. Happy New Year and looking forward to more of your stuff in 2023. Best of luck ✌🏻
Would really enjoy these videos being streamed. I always loved the old podcasts when they were streamed and just hanging out in chat. I think that would also save a lot of time in terms of content production for these sorts of videos as you would be producing twice the content with around the same amount of work.
mid august to mid september for the kintla to bowman or full traverse trip for bugs, weather and hope to get lucky with fire! september in glacier is awesome
Kraig, I love your authenticity and understand why you wouldn't want any labels but how do you balance it against the personal brand and its importance? are labels not necessary for a personal brand?
I'm happy with whatever you do, but I'd love for you to do some more SEA videos, and an African one or three. Maybe the mid 2020's. Loved the Mae Hong Son loop video. Obviously it's difficult to do long hikes in the tropics, but there are some amazing ones in SEA. A lesser followed cave trek would be cool in Vietnam/Laos. or just a trek in Laos. There are less touristy treks, but similar in scope, to the Tenor Trail. The Cameron Highlands are neat. There are many in Indonesia. Volcanoes of course, but far flung jungle treks. Mongolia or the Stans would be a neat place to go for Asia. Simien National Park in Ethiopia, the Atlas Mountains, Amatola, Fish River (If you like the Grand Canyon). I'm in Alberta and there are many really good hikes outside of Banff or Jasper in K-Country or Lougheed and South. Glacier is incredible too. Some of my friends have went up to the Yukon and the hikes there are something else. If you want fantasy novel vibes, maybe try to get a sponsor and head to Mt. Thor. Tallest drop in the world.
Rae lakes is awesome! Somewhat comparable to 4 pass loop in CO. If you can't get rae lakes permits you can probably have an easier time from the national forest side through onion valley, but it adds miles, and is logistically harder to get to the starting point.
I’m leading a group with Vagabond Trails on the TMB myself this summer, so I’m glad to hear you had a good experience with them 😉. The Skykine Trail near Jasper would be one for you up here in Canada. It would be fun to do a running adventure together one of these days! Looking forward to seeing how your channel evolves.
Love your plans for 2023! Be yourself, I think authenticity is the best way to look at your work when you are older. RU-vid and its views and followers may have been gone, but the videos itself won’t get lost. I am new to video and use only my phone to capture moments. Maybe you can show or list your desk setup in one of the next videos.
