HUGE respect for not geotagging or publicly sharing trail names. I live in the Appalachian mountains and we have a TON of access issues that come up specifically because a trail gets popular on social media. My favorite hikes of all time are in areas that are only open because they are not widely known. Private landowners have a bit of an unspoken rule with hikers- you can only use their land if it’s kept off the internet. I don’t think people realize the impact social media can have on trails.

I am 58 and have RA plus 2 other autoimmune disorders. My advice to anyone with an auto immune disease is to listen to your doctors, take your meds and push yourself to be fit before you get out there. My condition is painful sometimes, but I have learned to live with the pain and push past it and I am now in the best shape I have ever been in my life. My little dog is a cancer survivor and the two of us backpack the New Jersey section of the Appalachian Trail this year. Thanks for the video, this is actually the first video of yours that I've ever seen. Well done!

It's always interesting to get to know the person a little bit better. And you always have very interesting topics. A pleasure to watch your videos as soon as they come out.

LOVE your response to favorite response of places to hike in Washington. Every time Backpacker Mag lists an area that you must backpack in, for the next couple of seasons it has a noticeable increase in visitation and, unfortunately, trash.

I’ve never watched Joe Robinet but the way you described what his channel provided for you is what your channel does for me. A relaxing voice about things I’m very interested in. Thank you!

Assuming you get snow, for off trail navigation in brushy areas, just wait until winter hits. The leaves have fallen and often a blanket of snow holds a lot of brush out of the way. If there’s snow present, winter also has the advantage of being able to confidently retrace your steps, if necessary. Honestly though, once you have mastered basic map and compass skills, you’ll be able to hike for miles without a noticeable level of error in your targeted destination. It’s actually sort of cool to be able to do that off trail without the use of electronics.

Great video! Very insightful. Thank you for answering my question.

definitely interested in healthier food ideas. i think all autoimmune people end up having limited diets. hikers seem to have a very loose definition of healthy, it seems like its considered healthy as long as its not a snickers lol. ive had "arthritis" since i was thirteen, am gluten intolerant, and a t1d so food choices are very important to me. i struggle with the idea that carrying healthy food means greatly increasing pack weight and the trade off of the impact of the poor food on your joints vs the excessive weight being carried by them.

A note on auto immune issues: I walked with a limp and had constant inflammation in my hip, knee, shoulder and elbow (I'm only in my early 30's). Had Raynaud's syndrome too, was so bad I had to blow dry my feet getting out the shower or they'd be swollen and painful all day. However, I've been Carnivore 🥩 for 2 years and almost every symptom I have has gone away. I can run, teach ballet, and walk barefoot regardless of temperature. Plus, my gut has healed enough that I can eat small amounts of plants without flare ups. I just think it's important for people to know, even though it sounds crazy, Beef, butter, bacon and eggs can do wonders for autoimmune diseases. Not to mention being fat adapted feels like a super power.

I almost skipped this as the title suggests the topic was one specific issue about auto imune disease. If I'd seen it was an AMA I would have been on it faster. Happy I trusted to what whatever you put out and enjoyed all the questions. Cheers

Thank you so much for responding! Really value hearing your experience. I’ve gotta look what “rucking” is. As for the mental stuff, I’m a fan of Ryan Holiday too, his book Stillness Is The Key is always close at hand.

I made it in the video! Thanks man, nothing but good wishes bro

Great video. I have autoimmune disease as well. I will be attempting The Colorado Trail this summer and finding the training slow going. Waiting for a flare up to cease so I can go out again is an issue but this isn't new to me yet still frustrating. When I come up with some decent food for trail, l will let you know. I am dialing that in now. Thank you for the video. Colorado Girl

Love this content, thank you! Hammock camping is great, I'd love to see you journey with that as a new shelter type. İt's hard to be truly UL with a hammock set up but it's certainly worth the little extra weight for the great comfort. Also, while canoe/kayak tripping is amazing, i will advise that portaging is not actually a fun part of those adventures (not up here in Manitoba Canada with all the bugs anyhow!!). That said, I'm about 50/50 on hiking & kayaking trips. Love both!!!

Thanks for sharing I got diagnosed with CRPS ( Complex regional pain syndrome) in 2015 after breaking my right foot... also broke my left phemor in 2007, it didn't get put on straight. Left Foot is about 10-15 degrees outward... after 2015 I wasn't able to walk much till 2018... didnt start hiking till 2019, I basically became 1 with the pain and deal with it everyday since... I started working again in 2020, I'm even even sure how I make it through work... I do asphalt road construction, think My adrenaline is just pegged all the time... I somehow just push everything out of my mind when hiking/working.... it does all catch up with me when trying to sleep though, that's my biggest struggle but take medication to fall asleep and deal with the nerve pain...

Great video! Loved it

Great to hear you answer the questions and even nicer to see your channel grow man. I still reference your knot tying videos. Ironic that soon you will tie the knot ;) Keep trekking!

Loved the video. Thx for answering my questions. Cool to know a bit more about you. Take care 🤙🏾

What happened that caused you to break a leg on trail? Also, if you had an InReach at the time, would you have pressed “the button?”

Would love a video on autoimmune disease 😊 what you eat? What helps? Any information really that you’d like to share 😊

I’ve got an interesting product that would make for an interesting video. It’s a multi purpose shelter that is a hammock that doubles as a tarp. It’s called the “MOAB All-In-One” by Grand Truck. I just saw it browsing sales on backcountry. Currently $70 One of the weirdest shelters I’ve seen. Probably won’t try but thought it would make for a fun video.

I think emotional difficulties surrounding being alone in the wilderness go away with frequent repetition, and may be overcome even faster if the repetition involves visiting the same area, to develop familiarity. I remember one time when I was sleeping in a tent in the Sierra. My wife woke me up in a panic, as the black bear walking outside our tent was so close you could feel the vibration on the ground as it moved about. I asked her if we had any food or scented items in the tent. She replied there were none, so I just said to go back to bed, because the bear was just looking for food and wouldn’t waste energy on us. Apparently I started snoring again after I finished this statement. I’ve never had any issues camping out, whether alone or with others. While I may prefer hiking alone, I definitely prefer camping with others. It’s nothing to do with anxiety, but just a preference to spend time in camp with others, trading stories about our day on the trail. While I have no mental hesitations with being in the out-of-doors, I do have issues in other environments, such as going up to the podium at a city planning meeting and sharing my thoughts. I think the solution to this is the same as mentioned above - repetition to build familiarity and ultimately confidence. Thus, I continue to walk up to the podium. Being alone in the woods is often harder for family, as they l worry about those things non-backpackers tend to worry about (being eaten by a bear comes to mind). For their peace of mind, I carry an InReach and send an “In camp” message at the end of each day, so they know I’m OK and can see my location online. If there was some sort of a family emergency that needed my involvement, they could also send me a message. Beyond a daily ping though, I try to avoid making phone calls and the like because I truly enjoy my time in nature. The more I do routine front-country things that involve technology, the more I feel like I have one foot still in the city. I sincerely wish that those who are less than at home in the out-of-doors find their comfort zone in time. It’s a wonderful thing to move through the natural world feeling as if you are at home.

Great job.

Enjoyed the video and learning more about your perspective. The mention of collaboration and connecting with your audience more caught my attention. What's a good way to reach out? I'll check for an email. Keep on, keepin' on! ☮️❤️🤝

Ah damn I wish you had explained how you broke your leg, great video either way thanks!

Maybe flip the cooking question on its side. Give your viewers a list of limitations due to your diet and solicit recipes. Make a video where you try a few out and give us your thoughts. Gives everyone more recipes and you might get some good meals that you would have never come to on your own.

I have nothing against KZfaq authors having sponsors. I do think the caveats you’ve outlined are important, as well as being transparent on who your sponsors are. You also need to maintain freedom to be critical of the sponsor’s gear. If I had a channel and GossamerGear wanted to sponsor me, for example, I’d agree, but I’d still want to say that I don’t like their top flap closure and would be much, much happier with a roll top and top-Y strap design.

Awesome Video Tim! Glade I found ya man and you definitely help inspire me to keep my channel going BUT if you ever want to collaborate PLEASE connect with me man 🙌 I’d love to collaborate on a trip.

Bushcraft videos make me super stressed. So much destruction of the environment. Just camping is awesome. Leave no trace. That guy leaves a huge trace and it's gross. T1D (autoimmune diabetes) here. :) Stepped on the AT yesterday in Shenandoah. Woo! Not through hiking yet.