My biggest fear was hiking long sections without any water still my biggest fear I've done it a couple times and it sucks

By the way I'm totally ripping that sound bite at 21:00

East coast, contracting Lyme disease.

It took me a couple of days to think what I’m most afraid on the trail. It must be hypothermia from cold AND wet. I think I could manage any other situation. 🙏

I have spent a night in your worst fear. Went from 69deg F at 11 pm to 19deg F at 2pm with No tent and a summer sleeping bag and No sleeping pad. Luckily I had warmer extra layers I packed and toughed it out until morning. Contracted a cold when I got back, but I survived. However I would not recommend doing that. But you Can survive it. Not comfortable though.

It was refreshing to hear his cousin expressing things they struggle with. I think his cousin's concerns are valid with the judgment and insecurities. While the outdoors is more "diverse" there is a lot of judgement out there unfortunately, even if people say there isn't. You hear it with comments like "you're almost there" to a person who is a bit bigger and larger with a pack on a trail, as if they aren't aware of their location and need the "random" encouragement to keep going. Or the comment "are you out here alone" to a solo female hiker. Or the comment "you don't look like you are from around here" to a person of color, non-conforming gender appearance, female, etc. Dealing with these things takes a lot of mental energy and add to the challenges backpacking.

@@lesliew4026 I tend to find that weirdness is usually the day hikers and non-hikers. The people who are out there are clmbing their own wall, facing their own survival challenge, they don't really have the time and energy to look down on anyone. It is totlaly amchair hikers doing this.

It was fun to do & give hime some legit advice to up his confidence levels. Everyone goes through the anxious learning stage

My biggest as well. Makes sleeping difficult.

Absolute nightmare scenario

That's insane. Only in America.

​​@@carl8568 yea, assholes don't exist anywhere else in the world....

@@MrTimmyGT Never suggested that. Those are your words.

Falling asleep and being vulnerable

Those damn Bullet Resistant Bears!

I also fear bullet resistant bears !!! 😂

Definitely! Part of why I started getting into mountaineering & other “off trail” stuff. Still fun to spend time on the main trails every once in a while though. 🤙

And crowded by people with little respect for nature and unable to leave their loud music, booze, and weed behind!

😬 Super Scary

Heard leaves and small sticks snapping very early one morning. The sounds didn’t go away, so whatever was not just passing through. Quietly stuck my head out of my tent and looked for the source of the noise. Camping in bear territory made me afraid. It was three deer, eating the leaves, where we had peed the night before. I guess they wanted the minerals/electrolytes in our pee.

Interesting format and info. Thanks 🙂🙏

Urinade !! What a thirst quencher !!

My genuine advice is to plan a trip in an area you’ve hiked before. My first overnight was on a trail I’ve hiked as a day trip multiple times. It was also at a state park with a campsite reservation system so I knew the site I scoped out was guaranteed. The more you go, the more you learn to deal with scenarios where things don’t go according to plan. The first time you go should be a low-stress trip to get some experience in.

Not a bad tip!

ponchos are better than rain jackets!

If you don't want to wear it, use your hiking poles and a rope to set up a screen. A stick can help to make a corner in the middle. For privacy, it's just a few minutes.

We're all ALWAYS learning every time we hit the trail.

@@DarwinOnthetrail Indeed! And being humble about that is not only nice, but also sometimes a question of safety. I am reasonably experienced in summer hiking, but am right now preparing for and learning about winter hiking (arctic cross-country ski hiking with tent above the arctic circle - I live in Sweden). And there is so much to learn, and the stakes are suddely much higher. So no room for being tough and cool, there. Also, when preparing a two-week summer hike with my sons (20+ yo), all the same questions appear from them, as in your video. I might share it with them!

All kidding on other comments aside, I completely agree. And there can be legitimate physical concerns, such as ticks/snakes, as there are physiological concerns regarding social stigma or other phobias.

Yeah, It’s definitely happened to me more than I’d like to admit. Forgetting to drink or eat enough on a long day of hiking. It’s good if it happens though at least once so then you can be aware of it & look out for the signs

In the uk I was only aware of another usage of the term 'bonking', ha

Darwin's comment gave good context, but can someone fully explain or define bonking? I've been doing weekend trips for a long time and have never heard this term.

Bonking is generally used in endurance activities when you are glucose depleted in your bloodstream and feel really crappy. And, you don’t just feel crappy physically, you feel crappy mentally. Once you get your blood sugar back up you instantly feel better.

@@joshuaroe11 Got it, that makes sense and is basically what I was thinking from Darwin's comment. Thanks for explaining it. I'm sure nearly all of us have experienced something like that once or twice.

Thanks for the kind words ❤️

A big reason for nature lovers to get into the thru- hike seen, thanks for sharing 🚴🏼‍♂️🏃‍♀️🧘🏼🌿🙏

Glad you enjoyed it!

Many thanks! 🤙

yup, excellent video!

You're welcome! ❤️

Thank you! Also, thanks for coming by to say hey in Madison!

Good luck practising! This also reminded me of one tip I heard before: see if you can find a thin-ish tree to hug as you squat; it'll help stabilise you and should make it easier to relax

😉

I was a backpacker for years before joining the Army at age 22. Join the Army...you'll get over...EVERYTHING 🤣🤣🤣. You'll wipe your ass in front of a dozen strangers and not even blink.

I believe it takes surprisingly long to decompose, and animals tend to dig it up - also people can be pretty slapdash with how deep their cat holes are. Poop will just sit there, but if toilet paper makes it's way to the surface it's going to blow around and really stand out (poop blends in so people might not even notice it or assume it's animal poop 😅)

Use a stick to stir the paper with the payload.

Yeah same. What helped me was trying to find reviews/opinions (UKposts, Reddit, gear review websites, blogs etc) that go into things I find especially important - eg I am a side sleeper and lack of sleep can be extra sketchy for me due to my ADHD, so I really looked for reviews from side sleepers and people who prioritise comfort over a few extra pounds. Deciding what are your "non-negotiables" and what you can compromise with are super important, and don't get sucked into thinking your gear MUST be a certain way because it's the big trend or the latest thing. I've also had some success buying second hand items - sometimes they aren't what I wanted but were cheap enough to try something out before committing, other times I got lucky and picked up something I ended up using long-term. Remember you can also sell items that aren't right for you - you won't recoup all your money, but it's something at least. I didn't have any outdoor shops near me but I bought 3 different backpacks from places with good return policies, and wore them around my house, loaded down, walking up stairs etc to decide which one was right. It did cost a bit for the returns, but for me, that was worth it to not make an even more costly mistake. I did have to budget on other items to afford that, but it was worth it for me. One big thing I had to accept was weight - you can always upgrade down the line, but the easiest way to save money is to not go super ultralight. I try to be really minimal for my clothing, cooking gear etc, found the best fairly light budget tent I could, and accepted a heavier sleep system that I can upgrade if I ever have more money in the future 😅 Good luck! I really feel you, it's so stressful knowing you have no margin for error but once I accepted my gear would be a bit heavier and a lot would definitely be considered "out of date" , I felt a lot better about making choices and accepting some of it might not be optimal :)

It’s a very valid fear. It’s happened to me and one of my dogs. Since he passed away on a hike I’ve been afraid to get back into hiking. My advice is that this sort of thing happens rarely. I hiked thousands of miles with dogs before my incident without any sort of trouble. I can’t give you any advice about how to prevent it, unfortunately. God bless.

@@scout06171 I am so sorry to hear that...😢That must have been a nightmare. I know it happens rarely and thank god it's not in my head all the time, but it's always in the back of it.

I relate to this. My dog passed recently but whenever I would see another hiker (mostly day hikers are the problem tbh) down trail I would call my dog back to me and leash him and stand off trail. So many people refuse to be responsible for their animal in the backcountry, and aggressive dogs are allowed to roam off leash. It's infuriating, because those people often won't take responsibility for their actions if (when) something goes wrong. After having a couple really scary incidents, I used to be so vigilant about getting way off trail to let them pass, even if the person was like "he's friendly!" - that's always the last thing you hear before their dog goes apeshit on you. The worst is when you can't see down trail and they come upon you suddenly. Then it's just prayer the dogs will be cool.

@@dustyoldhat I am so sorry for your loss... I totally agree on that..not so long ago I even made a video about that on my channel that as a dog-hiker my biggest annoyance out on the trail is.... indeed...dog-owners..