Xander, as the father of a daughter with a 20 year substance abuse problem (we lost her to an overdose in 2017), I can’t tell you how happy I am that you found your reason to live by challenging yourself in nature’s wilds. Whatever it takes to live a happy and productive life. Keep on keep in’ on Bud.
Hey Jack I'm so sorry for your loss 😪 modern day life is so difficult for many people on many levels and so some people turn to certain things to try to blank out the pain, I've suffered from abuse and depression since I was 3 years old and I'm now 59, and since the pandemic my drinking has increased and is a problem, but watching videos like this gives me hope and a possible reason to look at what I need to change in my life and getting outdoors and into the countryside and do some wild camping is definitely something I need to get into to give me time and a perspective of where I'm going wrong in my life 🤗
Lol, the opening scene was the best man. Poor Xander momma, she didn't wanna see her little boy run off to the wilderness 🤣. You did an awesome job on those waffles and the chicken, looked so dang delicious!
The bearded Mama. Where can you get adventure, great humor and yummy cooking in just one channel? This is why Xander is so successful. Always enjoyable. Blessings
Just came back from a 7day 100KM hike through Australia’s highest mountains and would always think back to this channel to keep me walking, cheers bud ❤
@@Persianking1997 ya thats what Big Camping wants you to think. Xander is just one of hundreds of bushcrafting human cyborgs that are here to slowly take over the world, one campsite at a time.
Good old Canadian Crocodile! 😂 My recommendation for a vehicle is to get a 4 door truck with a camper shell. You can store a lot of supplies and equipment and be out for longer trips. I also like to watch camping trips over multiple days as well. So maybe you could plan like a 5 day adventure in the future and break it into a mini series. Always enjoy the videos! Take care and be safe.
I live in Sedona and have hiked over 350 miles of trails. I’m 73, so my backpacking days are over. Sedona proper is very busy in March. The trails are used heavily by mountain bikers. Backpacking is permitted in the Wilderness areas, but there is very limited water in the backcountry. I have two suggestions for backpacking: Secret Canyon and Woods Canyon. Secret Canyon is a great spot and because it is at the end of a five mile very rugged dirt road it gets fewer hikers. Best place to leave a car is on Long Canyon Road. Hike in on the Chuckwagon Trail and connect to the Forest Road 152. Walk down the road for two miles to the Secret Canyon trailhead. You can hike in about seven miles and then hike out via David Miller and Bear Sign trails. There is water trapped in sandstone pockets most years. Woods Canyon is right near the ranger station (where you can leave a car). You can hike in 5 to 6 miles and hike along a seasonal stream. There will be little hiker traffic after three miles. There are also backpacking opportunities near Flagstaff that are worthwhile. If you are a mountain biker the opportunities are almost limitless. I would be happy to send you maps and much more specific information if you send me your address. My E mail is kharding55@gmail.com I cannot offer you accommodations, but I can offer a tour of the area,shower, and hot meal. Temperatures will be in the high 60’s during the day, but it can get down to 40 at night. Rain is unlikely. Be prepared for lots of sun. Trails are rocky and dusty.
Canyon De Chelly is in Arizona and it is a beautiful canyon with hiking trails along it. It also has ruins and ancient sculptures along the canyon which make it feel very unique. Thanks again for another awesome video 🎉
I second the motions for Oak Creek Canyon snd Canon de Chelly. Oak Creek Canyon goes through a major different micro climate for each hour you drive down from Flagstaff Mountain. So much to see in AZ. The weather will start to get warm then, have enough gear to handle upper Rockies cold down to hot desert. Cody Lundin lived on Flagstaff Mountain in his earlier days. On the drive down stop by all the hot Springs - Hot Sulfur Springs and Valley View plus the Great Sand Dunes in CO down the San Juan Valley down to New Mexico and Ojo Caliente, down to Santa Fe and Albuquerque, and the mountains, then cross over to Flagstaff. You can’t go wrong - you’re in for a real treat!
🔥 Toyota Tundra with a cab over camper… I built my own out of 1 inch aluminum tubing and I had Redwood Cut to fit inside the tubing… I screwed it all together …. No welding… A thin sheet of metal with a whole bunch of pop rivets to provide strength… And then aluminum siding to make it look really nice and provide waterproof quality… Gel coated roof … no skylights… Windows on the side with screens… It was ultralight… 400 pounds… Did not handle badly … It was lovely… No insulation but you could add that if you wanted to… Mine was just empty except for a mattress and some boxes of gear up in the cab over area… and I have fishing poles secured to the ceiling… But I think you get the point… Just an empty box to crawl into… You could modify it if you wanted to… I didn’t feel the need… I will be repeating the process soon… Or a Toyota sequoia… Both are very reliable… But I like having a truck… And the camper was a little bigger than the Sequoia SUV… You could get up in the middle of the night and use the Porta potty… Which is impossible in an SUV… And every once in a while that’s quite important lol… And you can stand up and put your pants on which is nice also. … Mine was quite primitive… But I survived two years of Covid in it… Bouncing around the hills and the desert …. The next one Will be slightly bigger… But not much… I want to stay lightweight and get good gas mileage … That’s my two cents… Love your work… Do not go to Phoenix … And keep in mind you are in the new America… It’s all different from your videos… America was like your videos 20 years ago… No it’s just a bunch of shitty kids on dope and stealing… I pray for them… And I’m glad you got here act together… You seem to turn out to be a nice young man… Glad you cleaned up!… Keep an eye out because not many clean it up like you… Best of luck… Toyotas never break down
"Cold and miserable, hovering around freezing, rain and snow in the forecast" HA. Like you, I'm going out into the woods today in just those conditions. I won't be doing your amazing hikes or overnights, but YES. Go! Love it all Xander! Also, I get absurdly happy with you eating amazing food and doing the whole wood processing edits! I just love those, LOL. I haven't learned how to edit. "Busy as a beaver" is truth!
Xander I don’t know whether this means anything to you, as you don’t know me. However, I just want to say what you do and the journey you are on is amazingly inspiring. Going clean, staying highly positive, having great laughs (nice dress btw) and going on outstanding adventures with creating great cinematic vlogs. Pat on the back fella, and a huge well done for everything 👌🏻🏕️🫵🏻
Now that’s freaken funny. This reminds me of Monty Python. Xander cracks me up. “I’m going into the woods and becoming an introvert.” BLAAAA LOL, now that was Rich. Been watching his camping excursing regularly. I pray he never gets hurt by a predator, for falls off a cliff. When he says I’m going to cook some fine cuisine for dinner, then he pulls out a sausage. When he makes wild tea and leaves all the debris in the water cracks me the F__k up. When he prepped food before his trip, then opened his fridge door and just threw the hamburger into the shelf made me bust out. He’s my favorite camper dude.
You really just go al the way man with all your trips! Haven't really commented in a while been working alot . I seen yer episode of your 2 year anniversary and it really got me, im 57 my 2 yr anniversary of all tabbaco, weed, booze was Nov 7th. I'm proud of you and myself MR BUDNICK !!!! as always keep on keepin on !!!
Awesome overnight and a damn fine dinner.Funny opener as well. In the grand canyon you could do the rim to rim to rim trip. Outdoor vitals put out a good video on it. Perhaps a Toyota tacoma or Nissan Frontier would suit your adventurous lifestyle. 4x4 of course with a cap for truck camping and a handy vehicle for hunting trips as well. Nate
Great to see someone doing what they love. I guess many people would love to experience something like this , but they just don't even try for many different reasons. My favorite part of his videos is always the meal prep, really adds something different
That beaver looks like a master shelter builder! Would love to see you guys collab for a video sometime! 🦫⛺️ Also you should take your mum camping some time 😂
Whatever gear or vehicle you end up selecting, make sure that you load them by throwing things into them from off camera. It's a Xander signature move.
I love your videos so much. I watch them right before I fall asleep, and not because they are boring. I do because they put me at ease. No matter how anxious if I can watch you cook and camp with snow falling I can feel relaxed. Idk why that is but thank you!
Perfect weather for camping. Why don't you take reflective Mylar for your camping trips. They are great for heat retention and reflection around the fire. I swear by it for stopping wind and heat loss
I’m so excited to hear you’re going to Sedona! I lived in Phoenix for 4 years and I absolutely loved camping and hiking in Sedona and Flagstaff! I would recommend hiking the Oak Creek Trail, it’s one of my absolute favorites and it is stunningly beautiful. I would also recommend camping/hiking close to Strawberry, AZ or going back packing on the Horton creek trail just outside Payson, AZ. Looking forward to seeing more adventures! I’ve been following your channel for a while and I am always so excited to see your new videos! Beautiful and original stuff!!
Xander as you're driving down or back from Arizona I highly recommend visiting the High Uintas. It's an absolute gem of Utah and the only mountain range in the USA that runs east-to-west. I have a few videos if you're interested in checking out a bit of it. Fires are normally allowed and there is plenty of wild life. I usually spot moose. The north side in particular is a lot more remote feeling.
For Sedona you should definitely climb Bell Rock! its supposed to be super spiritual. Me and my girlfriend did it in September and its was cool, just gets a bit sketchy the higher you climb.
Hey Xander have you ever considered building an outlander rig? I know its not really your style but I think you might like it and it would make some really cool videos. If your looking into getting a camping/traveling rig I like my 4Runner. They're reliable, easy to customize, big enough to fit equipment. If your looking for something cheap a 3rd or 4th gen is perfect. Hope this helped!
I've been thinking of ways to cook while camping. To bread chicken I use a gallon zip lock bag. Add a little flour shake. Then dip in egg wash in a bowl or pot. Then back in bag with the panco. Cook in the pan add 1/3 butter 1/3 honey and 1/3 hot sauce.
If you're going around the Grand Canyon anyway ... Flagstaff is a good stop. It's a neat little town to check out. We usually stop through there on our way back from SoCal to Kentucky every few years.
Thanks for another great video Xander. That was some insane weather. I honestly don’t know how you eat all that food, unless you have hollow legs 😆 I make chicken and waffles at home but have never considered making them while camping. That’s all changed now 👍🏻
Drizzly days are my favourite times for hiking, especially during October and November. Fresh crisp air, no bugs, beautiful scenery, no bugs, the sound of the rain coming through the trees, and no bugs!
Hey Xander, love your content and positive attitude, definitely one of my favorite channels on RU-vid. Maybe you can reach out to SB Wilderness Adventures, he does a lot of camping videos in Arizona and I'm sure he would be happy to point you in the right direction.
I'll return to videos like this one after watching, just to have you on in the background. This is why I appreciate you talking in your videos and its not entirely all audio based/ASMR I think its called. Lets me follow along while I work at my mini figure painting and editing. Love your stuff Xander! Happy holidays to anyone reading this!
Hey man, I'm living in Tucson and while I haven't gotten my camping game on yet (it's been a few years) I've been doing a lot of hiking in the area. The Santa Catalina mountains are pretty dope, and in many areas have open camping, but they are pretty popular so it might be tough to be super remote at that time of year. The Las Cienegas NCA is a really pretty grassland area to the southeast of Tucson with spectacular views. You'll probably be able to get more remote/away from people in Tucson if you head to the Santa Rita mountains: both them and the Catalinas go from desert at low level to pine forests up high. Chiricahua Natl Monument is supposed to have a lot of great hiking and views as well, but that's getting far away. For a very remote area, I've head good things about the Coyote Mts Wilderness area but I don't know much about it. ^^ there's your Southeast AZ reccomendations. And, as always, if you're down here you gotta check out Saguaro Natl Park.
Xander! I live in Arizona, Phoenix and have adventured all over the state! Feel free to reach out if you need some local advice. One place you should check out is a place called Fossil Creek near a little town called Strawberry. Some steep hiking, but a beautiful area with a natural spring creek, and a couple waterfalls along the way, forest. Camping friendly. Also check out anything on/near the Mogollon Rim. High plateau, forest hiking/camping. Lots to explore, beautiful area. One thing I would definitely keep in mind anywhere down here in AZ, is in March, there will be all sorts of critters out and about that you should be aware of. Some of your regular camping techniques may need some consideration. There are snakes, insects and spiders that you definitely don't want invading your sleeping bag during the night, so do some research on that for sure!
Almost a Monty Pythonesque intro. Nice. A variation on the waffle, moving beyond chicken and waffles, is juevos rancheros waffles. It's a New Mexican thing, traditional ingredients eggs, bacon, frijoles (beans), chile, potatoes on the side. Just replace the tortillas with a waffle. You won't be disappointed.
Lived in AZ for 7 years and done a fair amount of hiking in Sedona. Jack's Canyon Trail, West Clear Creek Wilderness, Secret Mountain, and Sycamore Canyon are probably some of the more remote areas around there. Watch out for Javelina's, giant pig like animal that can get aggressive. Lots of mountain lions and creepy crawlies in AZ. Check your boots and sleeping bag before using them. Some really good mountain biking in that area too if you do that at all, great single track. Check out the small town of Jerome, it's a funky art town with a views of the whole area.
I’ve been watching your videos recently and I noticed that you put maple syrup on just about anything and I totally agree with that! Maple syrup is one of those things that just puts smile on ones face every time. Love the stuff you put on YT . Have done some wilderness camping when I was younger but nothing as challenging as you have been doing. Cheers from Québec city.
Can't thank you enough.. I am an patient of severe anxiety, I get panic attacks now and then..and You are my therapy. You're videos are the best for sleeping while watching. Thank you so much ❤
Tossing the food in the refrigerator crack me up every time and slam shutting the door with your feet😆!!! Excellent videos Sir keep up the incredible work!!!
Oak creek canyon is a really pretty area to backpack into. It's a very common hike for the first couple miles but then you need to wade back and forth across the river after that so there's not a ton of tourists that go in that deep. When I did it in the fall the water got to waist height at the deepest but don't know what it's like in the spring in that regard. Enjoy the beautiful red rock
You don’t need me to say this but I’m very proud of you. I know that what you did to get where you are today is a sign of your strength and character. Many blessings to you and your continued success. Thank you for sharing your story and your many videos.
OK that was a great video thank you so much and anytime I can watch Winter come it's just a joy. You are so fun never quit pushing yourself and just be in you cause you're one of the funniest videos I ever watch and 1 of the most informative I've learned stuff from you. If you're driving down from Ontario and you haven't been down I mean I don't know what you've seen but Yellowstone is certainly a place to go along with Bryce Canyon... I have a Honda element doesn't matter what year you get they're all the same but you can make your bed on one side and still have room to pack your stuff and have a cooler And this great grandma just loves hers. God's got a great plan for you son, Just keep walking, Very proud of you. Blessings
THere are a ton of great back country opportunities in AZ......currently base camped in Phoenix and can say that the abililty to get into a back country area is never that far away. Sedona area has killer canyons, but the Flagstaff area is a great get away and back country haven. The Arizona trail also offers pretty bad ass wild spaces to play in....enjoy the journey
when you're carrying your luggage out of the house, your mother in woman's clothes but with a beard, the idea is interesting. I always support your spirit Bartolomeu Dias. Just enjoy and explore. Because life's mission is travel. you're very handsome. trust me
I'd advise that you be very careful down in Arizona for camping/adventures. If you're not used to an environment when it comes to that, it can go badly very quickly.
For a car suggestion for the trip, the Subaru Crosstrek is a very versatile vehicle with decent ground clearance, and is all-wheel drive. Good for rough backroads and also road trips. Won't break your bank like a new truck would either. Not sure if they sell it in Ontario, but if they do it might be worth a look. Hope you're well Xander!
Could you talk more about your thought process in deciding how to set up camp? Like where to put the tarp and what direction and where to put the fire in relation to it, etc.
LMAO, love the start perfect British accent . Terrible weather conditions but hey that is Canada for you beautiful place in the bush to set up right next to that very well constructed beaver dam they are such amazing animals . those chicken waffles looked epic I shall have to try that . another great video Xander always a joy to watch
MY HANDSOME GRANDSON = THANKS. TO YOUR PARENTS FOR HAVING SUCH A GREAT SON. !!!!! I ENJOY YOUR VIDEOS !!! GOD BLESS YOU. AND BE ALWAYS HEALTHY AND HAPPY AND CHEERFUL LIKE YOU ARE. !!! HELLO 👋. FROM LOS ANGELES. !!!!
Long time no comment Xan. Thanks for the videos man, they're keeping me sane right now. Best vehicle I've had for my adventures is a 4WD truck with a 6' or longer box and a cap on the back. You can do it all in that set up! You can carry two canoes, tons of room with the cap for gear. If you end up with a dog you can easily accommodate. You can sleep in the back in a pinch. I honestly can't say enough about the set-up. Yes I know gas is expensive, but honestly with these newer trucks it's not bad at all. I have this $100 dollar bed extender I got on Amazon that ads a support 5foot back from the tailgate. I carry the canoe that way. I can have it loaded in 2-3 minutes and I'm off. So easy!
