I do this regional. Such good advice!

Excellent tip. And every time you stop for a break, as you leave swivel back and scan where you were. One day you'll be surprised!

Uncle Ray Mears taught me this. Never forgot it.

Great tip! This is a must-do.

Great habit even for when you're driving. I learned to do this while caving where it can be absolutely critical.

As a former military man I find it hilarious you suggest sunblock as an option and assume you are referring to your coast guard (possibly air force or navy) enlistment as "military" service.

@@reedabuke9205 mechanised infantry actually. You're such a badass for not using sun block good luck with that heat stroke.

@@btd1993 Sunblock protects you from burns--- sunburns. Equally important is the added protection it provides against skin cancer. And I would go further than wearing a "cap" which protects only your eyes and your face but leaves the rest of your head exposed. I would wear a Sombrero or at least a hat with an all-around brim that provides shade front-side-&-rear. I've found that it actually keeps me cooler than a ball cap alone.

On same note Sunglasses, can't say how many people if in higher up still snow in summer get the snow Blindness on a mostly cloudy day with the thin clouds that the sun gets through about 50%. Or those hiking on very sunny days do the same thing to themselves.

As a combat engineer I was always more worried about IEDs and gunfire than the sun..plus, A shemagh is better than sunblock

Had a similar experience and it's why I never drink straight from a water source. Not to mention it's what's in the water that you can't detect is what will put you in serious trouble. Always filter or boil or treat.

Only exceptions I can think of is when you're at bottom of snowpack it's coming from and can see the entire stream, no trails over it above nor anything else suspicious, or at the source of a spring.

I do not disagree with you but I am thinking about the countless times I drank from streams in my youth. Nothing ever happened. I wouldn’t do it now though!

@@grahamriley8124 Prior to around the mid 1970's it was safe to drink from lakes and streams in the HIGH Sierras, but then giardia (sp?) showed up and you had to be more careful. We never drank straight out of lower altitude sources but in the pristine 9 or 10k alt plus areas with limited access only.

I would be wary. Did it once Iceland where a guide recommended it. Even tap water can have occasional parasites that escape the system.

Gatekeeping gets a bad reputation. Countries have borders for a reason. To keep bad folk out. The same thing with hiking. We gatekeep and shame people who litter because they're bad people.

The only traces I leave are for the forensic team

@@billygula5145 😳

There's just no excuse for anyone out in the wild not burying their poo. Everyone should and does know. Absolutely disgusting habit. Great video. Thanks.

@@dave6148 animals don't, and people are animals.

Finally, a boomer that knows how to LOL. Thanks for your comment Sir.

Another Boomer here 😊. Yep .. a little Compass hangs on one of my day pack loops .. very handy for general direction. If you've done your homework before entering an area, knowing what and how far lies N-S-E-W of you, mitigates a lot of potential problems.

@@ChaseMountains Don't underestimate we Boomers .. we've made it this far 😊.

@@thomasmusso1147 NSEW? Is that something like Siri or Alexa? JK I load the route onto my Garmin etrex and have topographic maps on there for the entire region. Also have a backup paper map sometimes.

I usually travel with friend or two, so having 2-3 smartphones with powerbanks is a plenty of redundancy. Compass can be useful to get a sense of direction, especially in poor conditions. Actually pairing it with a map and use as primary way to navigate? No surprise you are soooo old, it took you so much time to get your location triangulated on the map:D

i have avenza on my phone, just the free version, and free topos for all the area. it has indeed been useful to not get lost out in the pj country

Battery pack - yes! But flashlight depends....if you are in southeastern Alaska in the summer then you only get a few hours of twighlight, just take a little nap and it's light again. 😏

i have a stupid question, if you're on airplane mode then how do you know where you are on the map? how do you find yourself to navigate out?

@@KlemheistDidn’t know that, thanks for the info.

Personally I feel like everybody should have an plight i3t eos or a streamlight microstream on them for EDC. Why? They are basic one click lights. They are small and light. And the best part, they can attach to hats with the pocket clip to act as a headlamp.

@@zBMatt which are made in China.

@@SimonBrisbane it’s good gear, does that matter.

@@zBMatt yea, also if you're contented with other FL made in China, there are a lot of better brands other than Olight. i believe it's just an overhyped product

@@ArchTazer how about you find that gear and list it for me. There’s a reason why these lights are so loved, and that reason is that you’re not going to be able to find something better.

Hey guys did you know the businesses and workplaces you are involved in download all your personal data from your cell phone? They download your photographs, recordings of your phone calls and random recordings of conversations you have with others when your cell phone is with you. They have access to all your contacts through social media, email, and phone numbers from your cell phone contact list. This generates everything from the marketing and advertising you see to the news you get, to what you are presented on social media. Your data is downloaded from iCloud and one drive and is listened to and used to find trigger words and scenarios that are used to control the way you think and how you live. Your being mind controlled by it to keep you distracted from what is really going on. Because if everyone is focused on micro aggressions and being forced into the ideologies of the culture they won’t be able to stop government takeover.

Good friends speak up. Good on you.

You're a legitimate hiker! So many of us are growing up with the luxuries and comfort of so many idiot-mechanisms like our phones and we never actually learn how to hike and backpack. Simply from a technical standpoint we should all learn how to do that. A skill is still a skill even if you never need to use it!

@TIA1988 oof

@TIA1988 Bosnia?

There is an altimeter app for android phones, probably for other systems too. Paper maps and compass navigation remain useful nav aids, which in moderately skilled hands can give a position fix accurate to a few metres. Maps are, very usefully, often printed on waterproof paper.

I always bring along paper maps and a compass. Getting lost once was enough. At least I knew enough to hike up high to get a view of the area and figure a way back to A road (not the one I was parked on).

water streams coming down from the mountain are usually okay, as they're naturally filtered by the rocks.

@@tohuss yes, so long as you insure there is nothing dead upstream. However as i described lots of places have water that isnt from mountain streams, and is manmade like the ones i mentioned

@@tohuss yeah… knowing Monsanto and DuPont are in the water source is enough to make me use bottled water. People don’t realize crop fields are sprayed and so are cities/suburbs. So many chemicals are found in our water ways. It’s cleaner than water overseas sure but it’s still not good water. Even our public water towers are full of chemicals and heavy metals.

People were puking? Really?

@gary7vn hospital shortly afterwards. They were fine, because they puked apparently. But yes. I dont know if they did so because of the taste or the poison but whatever the case everyones ok

I agree with your suggestion, Kirsten. During colder and wetter parts of the year (here in Scotland some might say that's ALL year but it's not, lol!) I pack a 2-person bivvy bag/tent/shelter call it what you will. Light and just crams down in the bottom of the backpack. Used it once for review (you can find it on my channel) and once for my own comfort when I had to be left behind for a while due to not feeling too good. I have toyed with the idea of using paracord , hiking poles and light tent pegs with it to see if one person could actually sleep in if push came to shove. Atb, Terry

@@TerryMcGearyScotland Yes, loved your review! I usually carry either a bothy bag: a Terra Nova Super Lite Bothy 2 (253g, about £90) if I am with a pal, or a Blizzard 3-layer bivi bag (385g, £35) if it's just me; paired with a very thin Gram Counter Gear Evazote pad (it's a clone of the Gossamer gear Thinlight, around 75g, £20). Worth saying this last weekend, a cheap sit pad (32g, £5) and a Helicon Tex poncho (487g, £25) used as a shelter did a great job, (it was supposed to be a sunny day hike!) and probably fits a beginner's budget a bit better.

Indeed I carry a storm shelter and an emergency bag that has the foil stitched into the inside.

@@TerryMcGearyScotland yeah those shelters are great aren't they. Even if just for lunch in bad weather. Have you ever cracked how to turn it into a self supporting"tent?"

@@KirstenBayes Thanks. You are very well equipped. I must look up that poncho. Could almost have included a buoyancy aid for our last walk!

I always call my best friend as I leave, tell him what trail I'm on, and what time I will roughly call him back.

So true on the poles :nods:. The first time a friend loaned me some to use I thought they were more trouble than help ... then I figured out the rhythm, so to speak, and now I will never go anywhere non-flat without them!

I'll agree on the chlorine/purifying tablets. I keep some in my first aid kit for just-in-case. Takes up effectively no weight or space.

Foot treatment is my #1 priority for hiking, and I've tried various solutions. I formerly used moleskin until I discovered Leukotape, which is far superior in my opinion. For a long time I taped up all my "problem spots" before beginning to avoid any blisters or wear spots. These days I have been focusing on the best socks and/or liners possible along with an anti-blister ointment. So far, this has been my favorite solution. I virtually never get blisters unless I'm hiking fast on rough terrain for over 15 miles or so in a day... something that will possibly cause blisters almost no matter which solution you choose. Good shoes are also paramount, of course.

To avoid blisters i recommend using 2 socks, the inner one being a sleek dress type thin sock (but breathable) and the outter one being thick and comfy. Never gotten a blister with that

@@Fede_uyz just remember to use socks that don't restrict circulation in your foot by beeing too tight, I also use the dual sock method on militia exercises, one pair of thin knee length standard issue wool socks, and either a second pair of the same, or thin standard issue wool/cotton blend ankle socks or thick standard issue white wool socks depending on the season. I think we got the suggestion from a sgt during basic training as conscripts. Never had any foot problems throughout my 10 month conscript training or the 12 years I've now been part of the volounteer national defence militia.

@@SonsOfLorgar yeah, i usually just wear thin dress socks with my regular comfy ones outside. That is usually enough

Duct tape works better imho

Just be careful when it comes to DEET, it can stop your body from sweating on your open skin.

Mosquitoes are one thing, but hikers should worry more about ticks and tick-borne illnesses out there. Lyme disease is one among many nasty diseases you can catch from a tick bite. The one that weirds me out the most is the Lone Star tick - a bite can cause a person to develop an allergy to meat.

@@arguchik DEET and picaridin are also effective against ticks. For the most part if you are protecting against 1 you are also protecting against both .

Ultrathon is my go to brand

@@arguchik I'm trying to go vegan anyways.

Once you try merino wool you never go back. It is the best material hands down.

@@Medevicerep I second this!

Try "Alpaca" wool sox... even better...

So, for Vegans I always say to use the Nylon or Recycled nylon trail running/hiking socks. The Polyester are too warm for most people in the summer, though I can use some socks with this that are thinner. Regarding the anatomical do not always need it as some people find those type too restrictive and are often the type that have wide wide feet, or they find the ankle part too tight on the foot at the end of the day as some anatomical socks have too tight of a top band part and tend to be the very conforming type. Some people can go full no socks in summer if wearing Trail running shoes or in one case hiking of some models/brands, a few models of the minimal type are made for this as are some trail running shoes made more for racing in wet sloppy, muddy weather, the socks would just be a blister magnet no matter what type used after a while.

@@caseysmith544 Vegans won't buy wool where no animal is killed to harvest it, but they will buy petrochemical fibre products that shed microplastics into water sources whenever they wash them. Just, lmao.

Google, take me to the peak...Google! Google, hello?

Definitly. Doesn't weigh a thing and could be a lifesaver either for myself or for someone else. Even better: a small emergency foil bivy bag.

i always take an emergency bivvy with me kinda the same thing innit

Buffs?

Fits the saying, better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Yep, I have yet to use my emergncy blanket (came close a few times), but I still carry one even on day hikes.

I screenshoted this comment, this is excellent advice and I appreciate it

Good on you. Great ideas. Love to your dog.❤

Vaseline is only second best. Try deer tallow (German: Hirschtalg). And get a second pair of socks. Or nylon socks over your normal socks. They are super thin and work very well.

That's a good idea if you're as stupid as the military and walking way too long with bad socks and shoes. With proper socks your feet should never rub against anything. But I'd always bring petrolatum anyways to cover up cuts.

Part of the problem is people don't know how to select their water source properly. I've never filtered my water my entire life. Grew up outdoors, exploring the wilderness. But we were taught how to select water sources properly. Most humans in all of human history never had access to filtration like we do now.

@@SoloRenegade Most humans in history also had a much higher chance of dying of dysentery than modern humans. Even knowing how to pick water sources, I'm not about to take chances.

@@user-pn4py6vr4n No, those who died didn't know what they were doing. More people died back then, but due to lack of education. Those who knew how to source water were not the ones dying. I've never yet filtered water from a natural source before drinking it in my entire life. I have never once gotten sick, nor has anyone in my family. But we all knew how to do it correctly too.

@@SoloRenegade so how do you? :)

@@Doesch Nature creates natural water filters. You don't drink from stagnant pools, you look for clear running water downstream from rocks and sand. There's more to it than just that, but it's easier to show a person by going for a hike than describing in text exactly what I'm looking for in a sourcing location. Water filtration, boiling, etc. can increase your options for sourcing water, but I've always been able to find a suitable source to drink from and have yet to use my water filters when hiking.

Used the Injini liners on my last 2 section hikes. Game changer!

My go to sucks and I have never had any issues.

Love your videos man! What kind of gloves are those you're wearing?

I use the try on socks you get at shoe stores, they're free and make decent liner socks.

i was wondering if anyone was going to bring up DT's. they are by far the best hiking socks. and the lifetime supply of replacements for free... you just can't beat DT. after all the through-hikers I follow droned on and on about them, I gave them a try and... yeah. the absolute gold standard. no joke.

Love smartwool, but I am a huge fan of Dartmouth. I don't mind paying good money for a quality sock.

Hey Linda, I'm also a boomer who started hiking in the 70s. We thought nothing of carrying a 60lb pack and the original pup tents back then!! 🙆🏻‍♀️😅🌿 I too am back into it more seriously in recent years I'm really enjoying the gear now. I'm in New Zealand 🇳🇿 🙆🏻‍♀️ 😊

Ditto on the Silverlights! I bought several pair, and then I got a new job that has me on my feet all day - when I get home at night, my feet aren’t hurting - I’m the only one of all my coworkers that don’t complain about my feet all the time!

I think you have just sold me on the idea of these socks.

Same for me, had two pair of the silverlights on a hiking week, one day with really wet conditions where I have to wring them out several times, but no problems with blisters or chafing. They're just great.

I'll bring an entrenching tool instead of a trowel, it gets the job done quicker, doesn't get blocked by roots, and has infinite other improvised uses if need be.

You sure the silver isn’t actually platinum? They cost a fortune. I would love to have all the latest high tech gear but it’s simply unaffordable for me. If I had to have all the stuff some people recommend, I’d never get to go hiking.

Smartwool was my choice of sock for a long time, amazing stuff. Still use them in winter, especially their PhD ski sock 👌

I bought 3 ankle pairs in the early summer, I just bought recently 5 crew pairs 💞

I back silverlight socks %100

Wft read how poisonous silver is for the nature!

Yes yes yes. Ironically, seasoned hikers tend to scale down their first aid kits as they go for longer hikes or just more miles and experience like a PCT long distance hike 500 miles +. The key isn't to have a huge kit, but to have all the basic essentials. One of those essentials in my kit is some pink pepto-bismol tablets. Watching a video that covers how they work and what they work on (mild diarhea, upset stomach and more) is also useful. They are very small and light.

Small hint - throw out some of those useless bandages (little scratch won't really kill you, especially after you disinfect it) and make sure you pack few rehydration salts for fellow (newbie) hikers.

@@borek772 there's really nothing useless about bandages, though more than two rolls is excessive. bandages aren't for cuts and bruises but for securing fractures, covering severe burns or sealing a tourniquet on a catastrophic limb injury so that the injured can't loosen or get it off themselves. Definitely second the hydration salts.

I think you mean you got schtick* 😊

@@judylloyd7901 Where I come from, I definitely 'get stick'! (UK) (sch not in our vocabulary!) 🙃

My second one is starting to crack but that's ok. They are very affordable well worth it and able to last a full year of hard use. - I have often used mine as my strongest tent stake or simply the biggest if the ground is real soft or sandy where basic stakes are no good. - On a recent 250 mile bikepacking trip I discovered that it's an excellent tool for flat tire repairs. better leverage than basic flat tire levers.

i got a pair but they're just too small. do they stretch over time?

It's very simple to post corrections to Google Maps information or locations (they do get updated after a while) and helpful for those who come after.

@@robch4414 Yes, good point. I do update Google Maps regularly now. I take a photo of myself at trailhead and send it to people so they know where I was when I head out on a hike. Also can take photos looking back on trail along the way for tip below about looking back

Good choice, i wear them all day everyday. Thanks Chase for the rec!

I'd say add a tourniquet, but only if you are trained in it's use, and bring an entrenching tool instead of a trowel. Sure, it's a few ounces to a pound heavier, but it has much more utility.

In any case you should have a very thin raincoat that does nothing but repell water/snow. Even if the outside temperature stays the same, your temperature goes up when you move. When I hike I'm topless 90% of the time.

Darn Tough are made in VT.

Unfortunately 99% of people couldn’t care less

I liked the use of the word "bonking" thumbs up for you good sir

Totally, my heels just healed three weeks after my kevlar-pro-socks ate them. In shoes I have used for two years. So Yeah… bad sock may ruin everything.

(that said, I just ordered 3 pr of Silverlight socks to see how they compare.)

What brand is that water squeeze bottle with filter?

Try Pacerpoles. No wrist strap needed and a much better handle angle than any other pole. Much more comfortable and efficient. (Not sponsored, just my favourite piece of kit)

@@nabooshaman6107 Your recommendation of Pacer poles shows clearly that you have not used regular trekking poles with correctly wrapped wrist strap. Because then you would understand that the correctly wrapped strap means you need not grip the poles hardly at all. You can actually have your hand open and still put all your weight on the pole. Also the placement of the pole is not limited by the movement of the wrist, as the grip is loose. Added benefit is the possibility of using the tops of the poles when you need to reach low down like jumping across streams etc. Furthermore: when needing your hands for something like handling a camera, you can simply drop the poles and they will hang freely from you wrists. And: if you fall down letting go of the poles leaves your hand free and you will not crush your fingers between the ground and the handgrip. With these Pacer poles these things happen: you need to squeeze the grip all the time, which is tiring. The idiotic string strap does not hold any weight and when you lot go the grips stay in the way making you unable to use a camera, binoculars etc as the grip sticks up. Same thing if you fall down, you have no free hands to cushion you fall. What comes to the angled design there are also normal trekking poles with grips at an angle. The designers of these contraptions clearly have misunderstood how the strap on standard poles work and how it should be wrapped around the wrist. If they did, they would not have designed these idiotic grips for their poles.

@@tapioportimo2551 Out of interest, how often have you used Pacer Poles?

@@DavidWilliams-tk3dy Never. But I have used regular trekking poles for 25 years for thousands of kilometres both in Europe and Nepal. Problem with regular poles is that only a fraction of people use the wrist strap correctly (over wrist and between palm and the grip) and thus have no idea how efficient and comfortable the strap is carrying all the weight to the hiker without needing actually even hold the poles. Also much more nimble than gripping the pole like you have to do with Pacer poles for example, or regular poles not using the strap correctly. Pace poles might work ok on flat ground, like they show in their videos. On uneven and steep trails where you have to reach left and right, up and down they do not. Nothing beats regular poles with the strap used correctly. One can manipulate the poles with fingertips, no need to have a death grip on the pole grip, and still put full weigh on the poles any time. Without actually gripping them.

I agree that many people do not use regular poles correctly. In my experience Pacerpoles are the superior choice. You haven't used Pacerpoles. I used regular poles for many years before switching to Pacerpoles. I have used both types extensively in both UK and Nepal. I have never experienced any of the issues you describe with Pacerpoles. I find them far less tiring on the hands. They only require a similar amount of effort to grip the handles and place the tips as regular poles, it is just more ergonomic and comfortable. The wrist elastic on Pacerpoles is perfectly adequate and does just the same job as a regular strap to catch the pole if you drop it, or need to hold a camera etc.