“Camping alone will give you the hearing of a blind man”

@@bensmith4930 hearing of a teen master debater 😂

Could also be one of those national park killers too

@@nobodykayaks1041 That's exactly why I carry a firearm.

Is that all? Thank God for the tent.

Excellent idea! I can get zero sleep before the trip so that I'll be so tired I'll HAVE to fall asleep when sleeping on the trip!

i really like this idea!

I hear ya! I play podcasts or listen to rain tracks for white noise. Happy hiking.

This is something I've never considered. My tent is silver and while I don't want to change tents I am looking at upgrading the quilt. Will try an orange one and see how it affects the mood. Hoping the orange will create a warm glow with the silver.

A vape pen of 9 lb hammer indica will fix insomnia and all the stuff you listed at the end. I'm 43, wake up about 3 to pee every damn night and I drink a lot of water right up until bed time. That part is annoying, but unless it's below 20 degrees, I have no issue stepping outside into the cold to pee. I imagine the spooky night sounds and such are a city folk thing. Grow up in the country and you don't think twice about them. Of course we're also always armed (yes, even when backpacking), so pewpew in the rare event that spooky sound turns out to be threatening.

Use a pee bottle and you won’t have to get out of your bag.

I like covering my sleeping pad. It does add some comfort. I use a cheap sleeping bag liner that packs down super small and also possibly adds some protection to the bottom of the pad. I've even stuffed it with debris for use as my sleeping pad.

I'm just getting into backpacking, and in the past have HATED mummy bags/slim sleeping bags. Felt way constricted. Didn't know much about these quilts until I saw Dan's videos. Pretty comfortable and still keep you warm?

Thank you! I thought he looked like someone recognizable, but couldn't recall who

This is good advice, but it's also really frustrating advice. You can't know if something is going to work for you until after you've tried it or you've tried enough other things to know what you need. If you don't have friends who share the hobby, bought the gear that will work for you, and are willing to let you borrow it, you're kind of stuck trying to predict what'll work for based purely off of internet reviews, recommendations from strangers, research, and guesswork. I've wasted hundreds of dollars on cheap stuff that didn't work for me, and now I'm spending hundreds more on expensive stuff that I'm praying won't be the same. I had a scare after using my new trekking pole tent for the first time. It took forever to get a good pitch and was still cramped and uncomfortable, with by feeet right up against the wall soaking up every droplet of condensation. It also didn't help that was in a terrible mood because I burned holes in my top quilt, the other expensive piece of equipment I'd bought, due to a stupid mistake and careless moment on the same trip. I didn't give up on it, though, because I had a hunch that my good pitch wasn't actually good. It took me a couple of hours looking around the internet to find a tutorial on how to get an actual good pitch with that specific tent.

@@Manatherindrell Also true! The used gear sales are about the best you can hope for, but not everyone has access to those or can find what they want. Some of the "highly rated" things I bought at the beginning were absolutely awful for me, but I think going into it knowing your sleeping style it helps a little bit. For example, if you're used to sleeping on a luxury king mattress with down everything at home, you're probably not going to enjoy sleeping on a 1 inch closed cell pad, even it is highly reviewed.

“Buy once, cry once” 😢

Beer is heavy as heck! Not that I haven't partaken of some trail magic when amazing people lug a cooler up to trail junctions. Whiskey in your cocoa at night is far more efficient!

@@jgalt99 Well, it obviously depends on how long you'll be out there. If it's an overnighter you can carry a few cans without issue, if it's a longer tour, then yes, a flask of whisky or whatever poison you might prefer (including hot chocolate) is probably a better choice.

@@diotough Sadly I am 4 hrs from the nearest mountains, so my trips tend to be longer in duration to justify the drive. I could definitely countenance carrying a couple pints if only going out for a single night.

Glad you enjoyed it!

I second the Hammock experience. I wish I slept at home as well as I sleep in my hammock!

I appreciate that!

In the offseason or when training for a long thru hike, I try to walk with my backpack loaded with dumbbells. Eventually adding weights that equal my planned pack weight. Sure, it looks like you're carrying body parts around your local park but it works.

If you have a clear water bottle you don't need a spirit level.

Sorry to hear about your physical situation. May I suggest demo-ing a flat lay hammock? I'm also a side sleeper and find I sleep much better in a flat lay style hammock. Sierra Madre makes them as well as others. A down underquilt allows hammock camping down to ~ 30 F.

Yep, as I approach six decades I find the same to be true - less caffeine during the day, even in the morning, helps tremendously with sleep. Also, every pint of beer around the campfire has to, uh, come out, usually during the middle of the night.

Please give info about your chin strap. I need one. Thanks.