My $.02: I wouldn't change anything to be honest. When you get out, bring us along if you can while still keeping it fun for you. I think most of us watch for a little outdoor adventure inspiration when we're unable to be out there too. You do such a great job doing that via your cinematography, editing, and chemistry. It's rad seeing people enjoy the stuff you do as well. So if it's Tahoe, the Sierras, or Mexico, it doesn't really matter. We're just psyched because you are too and for a few minutes we can share a sliver of that.
I think this video was more along the lines of you guys moving onto the next chapter than quitting van life which is so great. Both of you are authentic and so is your relationship, so keep making videos around YOU. You are the secret sauce, not the van, not the camera, not anything else but YOU. So as long as you guys keep documenting and telling us stories, the views shall keep rolling. Having said that, I'd love to learn from you guys more on how to plan and execute shorter weekend trips. Day hikes and such too. Anyway, good to see you guys feel a bit more at peace with this new change and I wish you the best on the next chapter!
Thanks so much for the support 🙏🏼 I’ll admit, feeling like we are the secret sauce is tough for us 😅 but we’re trying to embrace it a little more, be ourselves, and continue doing the things we want to do. We just want to add a tiny bit more value from time to time and give ourselves a little more direction. Preciate ya Ronny!
Thank you for saying Hazel is not just a dog. She is family. We treat our pets like kids. Enjoy the next part of your journey together. Excited to watch if you want to keep sharing with all of us!
not to mention Hazel is a beautiful heeler, and I understand when they say she is special, the heeler breed is a special take on dogs. so focused and intense but also loyal and very loving to a small crowd usually.
I agree with your point about not buying too much van. I have $110k into mine at this point and realize that a less-bougie rig would have honestly worked just as well.
first of all - best of luck to you guys. Secondly, as to the direction maybe you can do some videos about survival? What to have, what to do and how to do it?
Thanks for your honesty. I just discovered your videos and really enjoy them. I'm glad you did the van life, but it's realistic to get to a point where you want a change.
So excited for this next adventure! So glad I DM’ed Victoria about my questions for my trip to Ansel Adams wilderness this summer, seems like you’re already starting to cater your content for people like me. I just started indoor climbing and I have my top rope belay cert, so the best video for me right now would to go from indoor, to outdoor. What that looks like, what gear and safety precautions I should have, what skills I should learn, etc. Thank you both for your wonderful videos that we all love.
Hey girl! So glad I was able to help answer some questions! Can't wait for you to see Thousand Island Lake! Seriously so beautiful:) Stoked to hear that you want to learn how to transition from indoor climbing to outdoor. We definitely plan on doing a video like that soon so be on the look out! Thanks for following along! -V
Your favorites: 1. Top 5 backpacking destination in CA 2. Top 10 trails to day hike in Tahoe 3. What to pack for 1-2 nights backpacking 4. Backpacking clothes/gear suggestions 5. I hope I run into you guys in Tahoe someday!!!! I’m a fannnnnn🤘🏾😎
My husband and I started climbing this year and have slowly been moving outside, which can be pretty intimidating, especially if you don’t have a coach/mentor to learn from. We’d love to see more videos on transitioning from indoor to outdoor climbing, like setting top ropes. We’d also love to learn more about how you both train for your climbing and backpacking trips. Excited for the future of your channel!
Love that you guys are changing to make sure YOU guys are happy and still excited with what you do! I would LOVE to see some fishing? I haven't seen you guys fish? Maybe you aren't into it, but that would be so fun. Maybe a catch and cook/camp video. That would be so fun. Some good video tutorials like the old days would be awesome too. Or keep doing what you're doing! Camping and backpacking videos. You are amazing! And yes, making these videos IS making the world a better place :)
I REALLY enjoyed your Mexico City video where you were people watching and trying some food. I know you guys don't consider yourselves city folk but your style of video applied to that setting really was great. Visiting a city through your eyes was a lot of fun. Not too much narration, just good vibes. More please.
note to myself: it's so obvious that we need a community for some reason. being a nomad cool but even being a hippi or something has it's own community. we're belong to somewhere. it could be an idea or religious group or some book club. you guys express yourself so good about it. looking forward to see new videos. thanks.
Sounds like you both have made the right decision. You've done van life, ticked that box. Excited to see the new content, been watching the channel since I started filmmaking in 2018 and your style has always been my reference point for my own channel. See you on the next video! :D
thanks for this video. successful (including you two) van life people recommend either keeping your sticks-and-bricks or putting home contents in storage instead of selling everything - in case long term van life doesn't work out for any of a lot of reasons. You were successful for a year, and that is no small achievement. some people can't deal with a weekend in a tent at the local state park, with water, toilets, and showers. as I plan my own adventure, I'm not predicting the future. but it sure is motivation for getting rid of accumulated stuff. maybe i'll stay put, or move to a tiny home in the mountains, or live in a van and love it. don't know yet.
I bought a 1979 dodge camper van with a shower and pooper with a fridge and stove and furnace thing is fully loaded for $6500. Easy to fix if need to. I don’t live in it but I travel a lot, can’t believe the prices for these vans these days
Enjoy your videos and glad you recognize what's important. Living out of a van full time is not for everyone! We use our van for weekend or extended trips as a gear hauler with a place to sleep, the rest of the time we live in our home. Look forward to what y'all are going to do next! Adventure on!!
You'll never go wrong following your hearts, so pivot this channel however it works for you. Trent and Allie went from #vanlife to building their own home in the mountains of Utah, and much of their audience followed. So if you want to remodel your house, plant a food forest and get some chickens to become more self-sufficient, I'd be totally down for that. I'm not into climbing, so I'll likely skip those videos, but I love your backpacking and camping adventures around Tahoe. The Sierras are AMAZING, and your videography and storytelling are truly an inspiration, so I'll always be checking in! Heck, we're practically neighbors. Maybe I'll see you at Trader Joe's sometime... :)
Please share info on Leave No Trace and nature conservation to those looking to do more activities outside by watching yall. It's essential for protecting our wild spaces. Good luck on this next part of your adventure!
Welcome back home to the year round playground, plenty to vlog about living at Tahoe. Full time van life gets tough i bet, nice to have a home base for sure. A backpack trip into desolation would be awesome, also a rim trail trip i think people would enjoy seeing. ✌️😀
You two are masters of using luts or color grading jeez your videos look amazing! do you happen to like sell your luts in a pack or something bc I would 100% buy it! Anyway awesome job!
I've been subbed for a while and I love your videos! I am moving to Petaluma at the end of June and I am super stoked for the adventures that await! I personally would love to see videos exploring the areas around you. Bonus for hidden gems that are not super well known. For example, when I lived in the PNW, we drove to a waterfall called panther creek falls which was really only a locally known spot and it was spectacular!
I can see your point #3. I wonder how people with $300,00 vans travel. It will make me nervous to feel that someone may break in while you are sleeping.
Congrats guys! Love being on this journey with you both. Are you planning on creating another ‘over-landing’ setup with your new vehicle, similar to your truck for your adventures now? If so, videos on that would be awesome! Also comparison videos/similarities of going from life in a decked out van, to now in an SUV for travelling and adventuring? Of course all the adventure videos are great, gear videos are also super fun to watch. I miss some of the old photography / videography videos! Maybe incorporating some more of that back? What gear you use to make videos, how you setup shots, etc. Can’t wait to see what you come up with! 🧡
Thanks for all of the advice. We’re going to get some sort of “crummy” vehicle for adventures that we can beat up and not worry about it too much. Whether that’s a van or an SUV or what we’re not sure yet. But I’m sure we’ll make a video. :) maybe we can do one or two videos about our camera setup and how we make videos as well!
Dogs are family, not an object. Love all animals and people who respect them . But I'm fixing my van up now getting ready to travel. To each their own and hope your happy with your choices.
Dogs and cats or other pet companions are family so your decision is justified 😊 Me I always make plans around my animals and they are always my top priority 😉
I can relate to some of your reasons. I feel the same - especially about having no direction. But the toilet situation was your choice. I mean there is so many good toilet systems out there.
Just found you guys, I'm tired of watching all these vanlife people build homes. Now you're quiteing . Van life must suck. But that's what I want to watch. Wish you luck.
I had an alternative to van life. I took a job with a nationwide company (Sportsman's Warehouse) that allowed me to transfer every six months/a year to a different location. Started out in Alaska, and explored Washington, Oregon, Arkansas, Colorado, California, and now Nevada. Just rented a cheapo apartment (optimally with no lease!) everywhere I went to use as a homebase, and spread out from there. Would drive up to 300 miles each way every weekend to explore a new area. Someone who can work remotely could do it even easier, no need to transfer! This way you are only roughing it on the weekends, and at least have a familiar place to go back "home" to and unwind. It didn't take long to make friends in every area, as most people were fascinated by that kind of nomadic adventurous lifestyle. Definitely led a no frills existence for a while, all my money went towards the next expedition, but it worked like a charm for many years!
This lifestyle is better if your single, minimalist, solo. More flexibility, options, having a job solo living, gym facilities, etc. You guys are still close to the outdoors, you can go out anytime, cheers.
Van life, Pickup life, Tahoe life, I couldn't care less Cody and Victoria life will be more than awsome Im sure and will keep watching no matter what as long as Cody keeps on making the masterpieces he does.
Now you're the type of subscriber that we want! Thank you for following us regardless of what stage of life we're at! It truly means the world to us and it's people like you that encourage us to keep going💪 P.S. If the video is not a masterpiece, Cody won't post it! That's just how he rolls lol -V
I prefer to be a weekend warrior and stay in the rat race. I tried vanlife, and the bottom line is you need away to fund that lifestyle in order to do it.
My take away: the build is key and if you are a needy person, van life may not be for you. But then, my van cost 3x yours and, it has a toilet and a shower.Yup, a toilet is important.
I was nomadic 85% of the time for 40 years, all over the world, and it takes a specific personality to live that way. I am now 65 years old and I am becoming sedentary, something that freaks me out. We are who we are... As far as having a purpose on the road, mine was simple: humanitarian work and documentary photography. I loved my life as a nomad even though it could be dangerous and I was attacked a few times ( a person can be attacked even if they are sedentary). Embrace change and enjoy this next chapter!
The vibes and music is always spot on with your videos, and I think your followers are here for the two of you and your personalities just as much as the outdoors. People might appreciate some content that shows how you go about research and planning for your adventures too. Of course, we have to balance helping people find ways to access and enjoy the backcountry without encouraging overcrowding in the vein of the instagram effect, but I think y'all can find that sweet spot and encourage people to responsible. Always good to catch up with you when you post something!
When you put together an adventure video, consider spending about 2 minutes giving insights to cool towns/cafes/friendly businesses you encounter. Your 6 hour radius has a lot of great gems in it, and some quick shout outs can really help the rest of us find/support these places. Just a community oriented thought.
Enjoyed the intro and the van life perspective! I think you bought the van right when gas prices surged to nearly $8? Remember those Lee Vining prices?! Enjoy watching you guys and we’ll done - looking forward to the next installment! Best outdoor video: just bring yourselves and having fun! Don’t change the format. Keep having fun outdoors and bringing the audience along. Take care!
Hey Guys, it is well understood. Your decision is important when you guys are looking to be close to love one or trying to have your own house. In any case, you guys had a bit of an adventure in your personal life that was definitely worth it. And by the way, you can always go back to van life if you find your self wanting to do it again. A++ for this video.
Yep, vanlife is not for everyone. Yeah when you are worried about pooping you may not be cut out for vanlife. You guys might have been sucked in by the "trend" Thanks for the truth, you might just help others.
I could see this coming for a year. Y'all were trudging around with a resignation and mood as if y'all weren't enjoying it. I hope you find more enjoyment in your future endeavors.
The “I quit vanlife” has been trending lately. I think the trend was a pandemic thing to get out of the house. It’s not sustainable long term for multiple reasons unless you have no other choice in living arrangements. I give peeps about a year or two before it gets old and they quit, no matter how much money they bring in on UA-cam.
A van is always too small for a couple to live in fulltime. It's just simply too small for two humans and all of the stuff necessary to live in a way that is sustainable. I think you had to learn that lesson the hard way. For couples, I would always recommend a larger RV that has a toilet and a solid door for the bedroom and a tow vehicle. That or go truck and trailer. People also don't realize that the larger RVs are actually much cheaper than the vans, and way more liveable.
This is happening alot on the outdoor videos I watch. Makers are asking what the viewer wants to see. This is a huge mistake. It seems that youtube is becoming way to saturated with stuff. Do not ask, do what you are passionate about. Then people will watch.
You were too young and not druggies and/or bums. You did the right thing. Find something that will give you that feeling of fulfillment and video the highlights.
Good luck with your next adventures! I wouldn't want to 'live' in a van, I'd always want a home base...I wouldn't mind having a van that was equipped for me to spend a night in while out on an adventure though. 😎
Excited to see this next phase in your lives. You all are fairly established in backcountry skiiing/split boarding. Give us a few videos detailing how you got there! It can be overwhelming from someone that came from a flat state to embark on something like that. Looking forward to your future content
I didn’t understand the whole dog thing, until I had two. They are definitely not just a dog. They are loved as family, and our daily schedule is based on their feeding time. 😅
First, I totally resonated with your reasons for making the change: there's an amazing amount of solace to be had in stability with regular friends, having an home base...and knowing where to, uh, you know. Love, love, love the idea of videos that cover the nitty gritty of some of your travels! Tracking expenses, planning stops, and avoiding some of those, "oh you must be new to this" type of lessons most of us learn the hard way. Y'all are so natural on camera and tell a great story with each video - excited to see you start this new chapter!
Great analysis. We are semi-retired and just spent 40 days in our van. Thankful for home base. Decision fatigue is a real thing. Did a ton of planning, but some of the free spirit we wanted was tiring. We love our van and use it often, but full time was never our plan. Younare wise young people.
Reason #4 ... wow! Its so obvious now that you mention it! I did it the old school way: college, job, career, wife, house, kids, retire at 55. House paid off, empty nest! Now we travel in a van but love going home. Van life, for me, will never be better than home sweet home. But, as they say, variety is the spice of life!
I would like to see more videos of people making themselves happy and fulfilled and not worried about likes and subscriptions, it’s called adding substance by forming boundaries, it’s called self reliant and passion.
First and foremost, we all appreciate the honesty. You both showed not only the best side of living in a van but also the down side. Nothing like being raw & real. I’ve been a long time and all I can say is that you both always put on such great quality to your videos. I am looking forward to your new adventures. I like that you mentioned the Sierras because there is a ton of outdoor things to do. My suggestion for future videos would be some hiking (day hike or backpacking) trip report. There are bunch of 14ers in the Sierras. Definitely some climbing videos and even camping too. With these in mind, a gear video would also be a good idea. Since yall back in Lake Tahoe, maybe a daily vlog would be cool. I’ve also been a huge fan of Victoria’s cooking so that’s a fun idea. I’m just super stoked for your future.
Love all of these ideas! And glad we can be honest with the community here - makes it much easier to keep making these videos with a little less pressure.
Hey! Love the channel, I recently found your channel through a friend. I decided to pretty much binge watch the whole channel. I think you all should stay away from gear related videos because the market on UA-cam is saturated with these videos because they’re easy to make and they lack creativity. I think you all shine in adventures combined with your cinematography and outdoor skills. For example, I really enjoyed your recent Tahoe video showcasing the beauty of Tahoe with snowboarding, climbing, and adventuring. I’m actually surprised your view counts for some of your recent videos don’t get that “many views.” I think if you consistently push out videos like these, word of mouth will get out. Also, marketing on the climbing subreddit is huge. I saw you recently posted a picture on there and that got a lot of traction.
Hey! Welcome to the channel! Thank you for the feedback. We definitely plan on keeping the channel "adventure" focused because well... that's what we like to do lol but we also want to bring a little more value to the channel. So every so often we'll add an educational type video to the mix. Thanks for watching our videos🤘 -V
Oh man, the expensive rig thing is totally a thing. I sold my first van to live in a bus, and then sold that to live in an old truck camper for this exact reason😅 still stressful but at least not a financial burden.
Also - would love to see high alpine videos from you guys! Love the tutorials and “helpful” videos, but my favorite videos of yours have been those shot in a more cinematic style. Can’t wait to see what you guys do!
Love your honesty. We are retired and getting ready to go to Alaska with our new Van for 5 weeks to try out Van life, but I'm sure we will want to get back to family after that, then look to our next trip.
Heelers are the best....! Love Hazel! BTW, you don't own Heelers, they own you! :) Always will enjoy your videos. Like I have said before, if you even get back up to Washington State give us a shout, we'll show you some hidden gems. More hiking vids with Hazel, or maybe a vid dedicated to Hazel. Sorry, I just love cattledogs.
I want to see you both accomplishing massive day challenges (like mtb and hiking /trail running). Eg MTB Downieville or climb Mt Whitney. Anything 1500m+ elevation gain and 6+ hours in a single day. Take inspiration from livehardlovehard or 'OutsideWatch Beat Monday' or Jeff Pelletier. That would be epic and inspiring
Yesssss! Totally down for this and we plan on making videos of bigger adventures this year. Thanks for the encouragement to push ourselves a little more🤘 -V
I love that you guys are so open to everyone about your changes and I think everyone really appreciate it. I love the idea of trip reports on like what you ate what kit you used how you planned it that kinda thing. But to be honest my favourite videos are the ones of your adventures themselves like the 2 night winter camping in Lake Tahoe or bike packing with hazel. Can't wait for what's to come!
4 and 5 hitting home for me. Always appreciate these videos showing your realities and that they can be our realities too. I like the ideas you talked about coming up and looking forward even more to your channel. Been following along forever and super excited for you two (three). Ideal videos? The exact things you talked about. The usual edits, but gear reviews, trip reports, etc. I missed the tech stuff you used to do.
Equipment you use - cameras, camping, gear for beginners and experts, things you regret purchasing, how you guys kept each other alive seeing each other 24/7 😅
I've only watched your Mt. Whitney video which was really well done. Are you settling in Reno? We're in Mogul. I moved to Tahoe in 99'. I alpine guided in the summers and ski patrolled at Squaw in the winters. Climbing was my life for decades and Tahoe was great for that. It's cool seeing younger people getting into it have having fun with it. It seems like you're doing well with it. Unfortunately I had to give it up do to arthritic elbows but still love the skiing, biking and my new favorite activity, chukar hunting which is a like an official pastime in Northern NV. Keep up the cool adventures.
Your production value is very high. Ideas for the future as requested: 1. Your profiles are exclusively “white”. In Alaska, when profiling friends, you put people with “Latino” names to the end of the list. It would be interesting to see protagonists who are a little different. 2. Mountain guides know nothing about photography / filmmaking; why not partner with them. 3. Why not focusing on one activity in a place per episode rather than place itself? An example, I am interested in seeing how you send a certain classic route in one episode.
TLDR: I think in order to both beat the algorithm, and satisfy your current audience; your videos should have a clear goal (easier if you're climbing a mountain but you don't have to obv), add in a guiding section like Kraig Adams, and still be in your style. This might be a little long-winded, sorry in advance. This is all based on my observation of these channels (including yours) and the views they get. The three other hiking channels I watch relatively regularly are Kraig Adams, Mediocre Amateur, and Virtual Sherpa. VS makes the kinds of videos you're talking about, gear reviews, trail guides, etc. However, the audience for those videos is pretty small. While he has amazing shots (primarily the CO Rockies) the bulk of the content is a trail guide, so he loses a lot of folks that would click on your vids, or the other two. I live on the east coast so I've never watched one of his videos researching my next hike. I watch them for an escape to the Rockies for 20 minutes, and his guides are interesting to hear because he gives sound advice on how to handle certain terrain. All that being said, he receives the least views out of these 3+you guys. I think the trail guides turn people away who are looking for more of a Kraig type of video. MA is probably my favorite (no offense) because they can be pretty wacky. They tend to do some pretty crazy adventures (usually involving skiing) up some awesome mountains. My hiking career started with peak bagging in the Adirondacks so I will always have peaks I want to check off and they climb a lot of the ones on my list. Their videos tend to be closer to 10-15 minutes and have some guiding aspects to them, but that isn't their goal. Their videos are much more so to show off the adventure, the beautiful location, and to make fun of whichever amateur is falling behind that day. They're short and sweet and I will always click on the newest one as soon as I see it. As opposed to VS where I much more so have to be in the mood. Obv you guys know Kraig, and he's definitely the one you have the most in common with (almost certainly because of you're photography backgrounds). As you know his videos have changed over the years, but in general, they have the hiking part and the guide part. I find these to be the most beneficial. MA doesn't provide me much in the way of how I would get up that mountain, VS does it a little too much, but Kraig is probably right in the middle. I can watch his amazing drone shots and click off when they're done, or if I'm interested in the logistics of the trip I can watch till the end. In my opinion, you fall between MA and Kraig atm, and it sounds like you want to move closer to a Kraig video layout. However, if you do want to move your videos closer to Kraig's in style, I think it's important to have a very clear goal. I find your recent videos can be a bit unfocused in the sense that, we're gonna climb over here, then over there, maybe a little down here. I don't mean that disparagingly, I still love them, however, I don't think the algorithm does. I think in order to both beat the algorithm, and satisfy your current audience; your videos should have a clear goal (easier if you're climbing a mountain but you don't have to obv), add in a guiding section like Kraig Adams, and still be in your style. I hope this helps, and wish you all the best with these life changes!
Thanks for watching! Let us know what videos you want to see 🙏🏼👇🏼 Also we always forget to ask… but maybe click that subscribe button? 😬
Climbing all the way! Keep it up.
what font do you use for the sections? (the white text)
My $.02: I wouldn't change anything to be honest. When you get out, bring us along if you can while still keeping it fun for you. I think most of us watch for a little outdoor adventure inspiration when we're unable to be out there too. You do such a great job doing that via your cinematography, editing, and chemistry. It's rad seeing people enjoy the stuff you do as well. So if it's Tahoe, the Sierras, or Mexico, it doesn't really matter. We're just psyched because you are too and for a few minutes we can share a sliver of that.
I think this video was more along the lines of you guys moving onto the next chapter than quitting van life which is so great. Both of you are authentic and so is your relationship, so keep making videos around YOU. You are the secret sauce, not the van, not the camera, not anything else but YOU. So as long as you guys keep documenting and telling us stories, the views shall keep rolling. Having said that, I'd love to learn from you guys more on how to plan and execute shorter weekend trips. Day hikes and such too. Anyway, good to see you guys feel a bit more at peace with this new change and I wish you the best on the next chapter!
Thanks so much for the support 🙏🏼 I’ll admit, feeling like we are the secret sauce is tough for us 😅 but we’re trying to embrace it a little more, be ourselves, and continue doing the things we want to do. We just want to add a tiny bit more value from time to time and give ourselves a little more direction. Preciate ya Ronny!
Thank you for saying Hazel is not just a dog. She is family. We treat our pets like kids. Enjoy the next part of your journey together. Excited to watch if you want to keep sharing with all of us!
not to mention Hazel is a beautiful heeler, and I understand when they say she is special, the heeler breed is a special take on dogs. so focused and intense but also loyal and very loving to a small crowd usually.
I agree with your point about not buying too much van. I have $110k into mine at this point and realize that a less-bougie rig would have honestly worked just as well.
first of all - best of luck to you guys. Secondly, as to the direction maybe you can do some videos about survival? What to have, what to do and how to do it?
Thanks for your honesty. I just discovered your videos and really enjoy them. I'm glad you did the van life, but it's realistic to get to a point where you want a change.
Thanks so much for watching Colin 🙏🏼🙏🏼
So excited for this next adventure! So glad I DM’ed Victoria about my questions for my trip to Ansel Adams wilderness this summer, seems like you’re already starting to cater your content for people like me. I just started indoor climbing and I have my top rope belay cert, so the best video for me right now would to go from indoor, to outdoor. What that looks like, what gear and safety precautions I should have, what skills I should learn, etc.
Thank you both for your wonderful videos that we all love.
Hey girl! So glad I was able to help answer some questions! Can't wait for you to see Thousand Island Lake! Seriously so beautiful:)
Stoked to hear that you want to learn how to transition from indoor climbing to outdoor. We definitely plan on doing a video like that soon so be on the look out! Thanks for following along!
-V
Your favorites:
1. Top 5 backpacking destination in CA
2. Top 10 trails to day hike in Tahoe
3. What to pack for 1-2 nights backpacking
4. Backpacking clothes/gear suggestions
5. I hope I run into you guys in Tahoe someday!!!! I’m a fannnnnn🤘🏾😎
My husband and I started climbing this year and have slowly been moving outside, which can be pretty intimidating, especially if you don’t have a coach/mentor to learn from. We’d love to see more videos on transitioning from indoor to outdoor climbing, like setting top ropes. We’d also love to learn more about how you both train for your climbing and backpacking trips. Excited for the future of your channel!
Yes! Really want to do a top rope video sometime soon 🙌🏼
Love that you guys are changing to make sure YOU guys are happy and still excited with what you do! I would LOVE to see some fishing? I haven't seen you guys fish? Maybe you aren't into it, but that would be so fun. Maybe a catch and cook/camp video. That would be so fun. Some good video tutorials like the old days would be awesome too. Or keep doing what you're doing! Camping and backpacking videos. You are amazing! And yes, making these videos IS making the world a better place :)
I REALLY enjoyed your Mexico City video where you were people watching and trying some food. I know you guys don't consider yourselves city folk but your style of video applied to that setting really was great. Visiting a city through your eyes was a lot of fun. Not too much narration, just good vibes. More please.
note to myself: it's so obvious that we need a community for some reason. being a nomad cool but even being a hippi or something has it's own community. we're belong to somewhere. it could be an idea or religious group or some book club. you guys express yourself so good about it. looking forward to see new videos. thanks.
Definitely. No matter what it is - being alone out there isn’t it.
Sounds like you both have made the right decision. You've done van life, ticked that box. Excited to see the new content, been watching the channel since I started filmmaking in 2018 and your style has always been my reference point for my own channel. See you on the next video! :D
thanks for this video. successful (including you two) van life people recommend either keeping your sticks-and-bricks or putting home contents in storage instead of selling everything - in case long term van life doesn't work out for any of a lot of reasons. You were successful for a year, and that is no small achievement. some people can't deal with a weekend in a tent at the local state park, with water, toilets, and showers.
as I plan my own adventure, I'm not predicting the future. but it sure is motivation for getting rid of accumulated stuff. maybe i'll stay put, or move to a tiny home in the mountains, or live in a van and love it. don't know yet.
I bought a 1979 dodge camper van with a shower and pooper with a fridge and stove and furnace thing is fully loaded for $6500. Easy to fix if need to. I don’t live in it but I travel a lot, can’t believe the prices for these vans these days
Enjoy your videos and glad you recognize what's important. Living out of a van full time is not for everyone! We use our van for weekend or extended trips as a gear hauler with a place to sleep, the rest of the time we live in our home.
Look forward to what y'all are going to do next! Adventure on!!
Tutorials on travel planning sounds sickkk. As someone who has goals to travel more that would be extremely helpful!
Definitely some outdoor climbing tutorials/gear recommendations for people getting into climbing outside.
You'll never go wrong following your hearts, so pivot this channel however it works for you. Trent and Allie went from #vanlife to building their own home in the mountains of Utah, and much of their audience followed. So if you want to remodel your house, plant a food forest and get some chickens to become more self-sufficient, I'd be totally down for that. I'm not into climbing, so I'll likely skip those videos, but I love your backpacking and camping adventures around Tahoe. The Sierras are AMAZING, and your videography and storytelling are truly an inspiration, so I'll always be checking in! Heck, we're practically neighbors. Maybe I'll see you at Trader Joe's sometime... :)
Please share info on Leave No Trace and nature conservation to those looking to do more activities outside by watching yall. It's essential for protecting our wild spaces. Good luck on this next part of your adventure!
100%. An important point
so happy to see you guys following your heart and intuition! i could stare at this setting forever btw! take me here haha hope to see more of guys xo
Welcome back home to the year round playground, plenty to vlog about living at Tahoe. Full time van life gets tough i bet, nice to have a home base for sure. A backpack trip into desolation would be awesome, also a rim trail trip i think people would enjoy seeing. ✌️😀
You two are masters of using luts or color grading jeez your videos look amazing! do you happen to like sell your luts in a pack or something bc I would 100% buy it! Anyway awesome job!
We have some in the description but need to put out some updated ones sometime soon.
I've been subbed for a while and I love your videos! I am moving to Petaluma at the end of June and I am super stoked for the adventures that await! I personally would love to see videos exploring the areas around you. Bonus for hidden gems that are not super well known. For example, when I lived in the PNW, we drove to a waterfall called panther creek falls which was really only a locally known spot and it was spectacular!
I can see your point #3. I wonder how people with $300,00 vans travel. It will make me nervous to feel that someone may break in while you are sleeping.
Congrats guys! Love being on this journey with you both.
Are you planning on creating another ‘over-landing’ setup with your new vehicle, similar to your truck for your adventures now? If so, videos on that would be awesome! Also comparison videos/similarities of going from life in a decked out van, to now in an SUV for travelling and adventuring? Of course all the adventure videos are great, gear videos are also super fun to watch. I miss some of the old photography / videography videos! Maybe incorporating some more of that back? What gear you use to make videos, how you setup shots, etc.
Can’t wait to see what you come up with! 🧡
Thanks for all of the advice. We’re going to get some sort of “crummy” vehicle for adventures that we can beat up and not worry about it too much. Whether that’s a van or an SUV or what we’re not sure yet. But I’m sure we’ll make a video. :) maybe we can do one or two videos about our camera setup and how we make videos as well!
I guess showing us more of Tahoe would be awesome. That area of the country is one part we have not travelled to.
Dogs are family, not an object. Love all animals and people who respect them . But I'm fixing my van up now getting ready to travel. To each their own and hope your happy with your choices.
Dogs and cats or other pet companions are family so your decision is justified 😊 Me I always make plans around my animals and they are always my top priority 😉
Love your videos keep bringing us along! Adding even more info is great too and sets you apart from other creators who just make artsy videos
Your backpacking videos are always my favorite!
🎒🥾🏔️
Cost breakdown of a trip would be awesome.
All for trip and gear reviews. A lot goes into planning adventures, feel as though it's valuable to share this!
Man, the knowing where to poop thing is defiantly my number 1. Haha
I would do as a part time nomad to travel and hike in remote off grid areas. I like to come home and recharge 😊
I can relate to some of your reasons. I feel the same - especially about having no direction. But the toilet situation was your choice. I mean there is so many good toilet systems out there.
Just found you guys, I'm tired of watching all these vanlife people build homes. Now you're quiteing .
Van life must suck.
But that's what I want to watch.
Wish you luck.
We’re quitting so we can do more not less. Hope you stick around
I had an alternative to van life. I took a job with a nationwide company (Sportsman's Warehouse) that allowed me to transfer every six months/a year to a different location. Started out in Alaska, and explored Washington, Oregon, Arkansas, Colorado, California, and now Nevada. Just rented a cheapo apartment (optimally with no lease!) everywhere I went to use as a homebase, and spread out from there. Would drive up to 300 miles each way every weekend to explore a new area. Someone who can work remotely could do it even easier, no need to transfer!
This way you are only roughing it on the weekends, and at least have a familiar place to go back "home" to and unwind. It didn't take long to make friends in every area, as most people were fascinated by that kind of nomadic adventurous lifestyle. Definitely led a no frills existence for a while, all my money went towards the next expedition, but it worked like a charm for many years!
This lifestyle is better if your single, minimalist, solo. More flexibility, options, having a job solo living, gym facilities, etc. You guys are still close to the outdoors, you can go out anytime, cheers.
Hello, would love to see anything from Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area. My home for 30 years, I now live on the Atlantic coast. Best of Luck!❤
Tahoe videos 😍 coming soon
Backpacking videos like in the good old days 🙌
1000%
I love Yosemite!! 🤩
Love your videos. Suggestions? Anything with Hazel (we have Heelers) Hiking, backpacking, and Victoria in a tank top (great shoulders, arms) 😂
Van life, Pickup life, Tahoe life, I couldn't care less
Cody and Victoria life will be more than awsome Im sure and will keep watching no matter what as long as Cody keeps on making the masterpieces he does.
Now you're the type of subscriber that we want! Thank you for following us regardless of what stage of life we're at! It truly means the world to us and it's people like you that encourage us to keep going💪
P.S. If the video is not a masterpiece, Cody won't post it! That's just how he rolls lol
-V
Another bike packing trip would be sweet
Yes!! We have an idea. It might be a little too big and bold - but hoping we can make it happen.
Onwards and upwards 👌🙏🏼💪
💛💛💛
How is Victoria so fit? All from climbing? Gymnast? Crossfit? The people need to know!
Gymnast!! 🥇
I KNEW IT! Thx for the response! :)
Purpose could have been crossing the Americas.
No comments. Just happy for you internet friends.
❤️❤️❤️
Cody, please tell me what lens do you use in the video?
Sigma 24-70
I prefer to be a weekend warrior and stay in the rat race. I tried vanlife, and the bottom line is you need away to fund that lifestyle in order to do it.
My take away: the build is key and if you are a needy person, van life may not be for you. But then, my van cost 3x yours and, it has a toilet and a shower.Yup, a toilet is important.
Congrats!
Best couple ever!!!
❤️
I was nomadic 85% of the time for 40 years, all over the world, and it takes a specific personality to live that way. I am now 65 years old and I am becoming sedentary, something that freaks me out. We are who we are... As far as having a purpose on the road, mine was simple: humanitarian work and documentary photography. I loved my life as a nomad even though it could be dangerous and I was attacked a few times ( a person can be attacked even if they are sedentary). Embrace change and enjoy this next chapter!
The vibes and music is always spot on with your videos, and I think your followers are here for the two of you and your personalities just as much as the outdoors. People might appreciate some content that shows how you go about research and planning for your adventures too. Of course, we have to balance helping people find ways to access and enjoy the backcountry without encouraging overcrowding in the vein of the instagram effect, but I think y'all can find that sweet spot and encourage people to responsible. Always good to catch up with you when you post something!
When you put together an adventure video, consider spending about 2 minutes giving insights to cool towns/cafes/friendly businesses you encounter. Your 6 hour radius has a lot of great gems in it, and some quick shout outs can really help the rest of us find/support these places. Just a community oriented thought.
Enjoyed the intro and the van life perspective! I think you bought the van right when gas prices surged to nearly $8? Remember those Lee Vining prices?! Enjoy watching you guys and we’ll done - looking forward to the next installment!
Best outdoor video: just bring yourselves and having fun! Don’t change the format. Keep having fun outdoors and bringing the audience along. Take care!
Our wallets remember those gas prices very well😅 thanks for following along!
Hey Guys, it is well understood. Your decision is important when you guys are looking to be close to love one or trying to have your own house. In any case, you guys had a bit of an adventure in your personal life that was definitely worth it. And by the way, you can always go back to van life if you find your self wanting to do it again. A++ for this video.
This all rings so true to my wife and I. 1. Pooping 2. Uncertainty of camping location 3. Traveling with a dog…YES! All of this. We get it.
Let us know what you choose to do and if we can help!
Maybe it's time to have some kids, start a family and start your next big adventure and bring us along.
Need to climb some mountains first🤙
Yep, vanlife is not for everyone. Yeah when you are worried about pooping you may not be cut out for vanlife.
You guys might have been sucked in by the "trend"
Thanks for the truth, you might just help others.
I could see this coming for a year. Y'all were trudging around with a resignation and mood as if y'all weren't enjoying it. I hope you find more enjoyment in your future endeavors.
The “I quit vanlife” has been trending lately. I think the trend was a pandemic thing to get out of the house. It’s not sustainable long term for multiple reasons unless you have no other choice in living arrangements. I give peeps about a year or two before it gets old and they quit, no matter how much money they bring in on UA-cam.
A van is always too small for a couple to live in fulltime. It's just simply too small for two humans and all of the stuff necessary to live in a way that is sustainable. I think you had to learn that lesson the hard way. For couples, I would always recommend a larger RV that has a toilet and a solid door for the bedroom and a tow vehicle. That or go truck and trailer. People also don't realize that the larger RVs are actually much cheaper than the vans, and way more liveable.
This is happening alot on the outdoor videos I watch. Makers are asking what the viewer wants to see. This is a huge mistake. It seems that youtube is becoming way to saturated with stuff. Do not ask, do what you are passionate about. Then people will watch.
I’ll be tuning in for all the climbing lingo videos. And also the adventures. And also Hazel 🤓
You were too young and not druggies and/or bums. You did the right thing. Find something that will give you that feeling of fulfillment and video the highlights.
Atleast you tried. Most things in life are that way. Experience Is The Best Teacher when it does
Good luck with your next adventures! I wouldn't want to 'live' in a van, I'd always want a home base...I wouldn't mind having a van that was equipped for me to spend a night in while out on an adventure though. 😎
Definitely. Best of both worlds. I think that’s where we’re headed
Vanlife is best to do maybe a couple months a year. In a new section of the US each year. To see the places in each State
Excited to see this next phase in your lives. You all are fairly established in backcountry skiiing/split boarding. Give us a few videos detailing how you got there! It can be overwhelming from someone that came from a flat state to embark on something like that. Looking forward to your future content
I didn’t understand the whole dog thing, until I had two. They are definitely not just a dog. They are loved as family, and our daily schedule is based on their feeding time. 😅
Haha we definitely plan around the dog for sure
I love traveling but I always love coming home…I will never give up my home base. Great video thanks for sharing
First, I totally resonated with your reasons for making the change: there's an amazing amount of solace to be had in stability with regular friends, having an home base...and knowing where to, uh, you know.
Love, love, love the idea of videos that cover the nitty gritty of some of your travels! Tracking expenses, planning stops, and avoiding some of those, "oh you must be new to this" type of lessons most of us learn the hard way. Y'all are so natural on camera and tell a great story with each video - excited to see you start this new chapter!
Thanks for the feedback! We’re very much looking forward to stability in “regular” life and chaos on our adventures 😅
Great analysis. We are semi-retired and just spent 40 days in our van. Thankful for home base. Decision fatigue is a real thing. Did a ton of planning, but some of the free spirit we wanted was tiring. We love our van and use it often, but full time was never our plan. Younare wise young people.
We’re currently working on a part time setup and couldn’t be more excited to have the best of both
Right on yeah just kick back in the house and go on adventures every now and then never stop exploring
Thank you for your honesty 🙋♀️🙋♀️
Reason #4 ... wow! Its so obvious now that you mention it! I did it the old school way: college, job, career, wife, house, kids, retire at 55. House paid off, empty nest! Now we travel in a van but love going home. Van life, for me, will never be better than home sweet home. But, as they say, variety is the spice of life!
I would like to see more videos of people making themselves happy and fulfilled and not worried about likes and subscriptions, it’s called adding substance by forming boundaries, it’s called self reliant and passion.
First and foremost, we all appreciate the honesty. You both showed not only the best side of living in a van but also the down side. Nothing like being raw & real. I’ve been a long time and all I can say is that you both always put on such great quality to your videos. I am looking forward to your new adventures. I like that you mentioned the Sierras because there is a ton of outdoor things to do. My suggestion for future videos would be some hiking (day hike or backpacking) trip report. There are bunch of 14ers in the Sierras. Definitely some climbing videos and even camping too. With these in mind, a gear video would also be a good idea. Since yall back in Lake Tahoe, maybe a daily vlog would be cool. I’ve also been a huge fan of Victoria’s cooking so that’s a fun idea. I’m just super stoked for your future.
Love all of these ideas! And glad we can be honest with the community here - makes it much easier to keep making these videos with a little less pressure.
Hey! Love the channel, I recently found your channel through a friend. I decided to pretty much binge watch the whole channel.
I think you all should stay away from gear related videos because the market on UA-cam is saturated with these videos because they’re easy to make and they lack creativity.
I think you all shine in adventures combined with your cinematography and outdoor skills. For example, I really enjoyed your recent Tahoe video showcasing the beauty of Tahoe with snowboarding, climbing, and adventuring.
I’m actually surprised your view counts for some of your recent videos don’t get that “many views.” I think if you consistently push out videos like these, word of mouth will get out. Also, marketing on the climbing subreddit is huge. I saw you recently posted a picture on there and that got a lot of traction.
Hey! Welcome to the channel!
Thank you for the feedback. We definitely plan on keeping the channel "adventure" focused because well... that's what we like to do lol but we also want to bring a little more value to the channel. So every so often we'll add an educational type video to the mix. Thanks for watching our videos🤘
-V
Oh man, the expensive rig thing is totally a thing. I sold my first van to live in a bus, and then sold that to live in an old truck camper for this exact reason😅 still stressful but at least not a financial burden.
Financial burdens ruin ALL of the fun. Can’t wait to have a beat up adventure vehicle again.
Also - would love to see high alpine videos from you guys! Love the tutorials and “helpful” videos, but my favorite videos of yours have been those shot in a more cinematic style. Can’t wait to see what you guys do!
Hazel videos plz
Love your honesty. We are retired and getting ready to go to Alaska with our new Van for 5 weeks to try out Van life, but I'm sure we will want to get back to family after that, then look to our next trip.
Alaska sounds amazing tho…. 😍 enjoy it out there
Heelers are the best....! Love Hazel! BTW, you don't own Heelers, they own you! :) Always will enjoy your videos. Like I have said before, if you even get back up to Washington State give us a shout, we'll show you some hidden gems.
More hiking vids with Hazel, or maybe a vid dedicated to Hazel. Sorry, I just love cattledogs.
The only time I'd live in a van is when I'm down by the river.
😅😅😅
Great honest video.
I want to see you both accomplishing massive day challenges (like mtb and hiking /trail running). Eg MTB Downieville or climb Mt Whitney. Anything 1500m+ elevation gain and 6+ hours in a single day. Take inspiration from livehardlovehard or 'OutsideWatch Beat Monday' or Jeff Pelletier. That would be epic and inspiring
Yesssss! Totally down for this and we plan on making videos of bigger adventures this year. Thanks for the encouragement to push ourselves a little more🤘
-V
I love that you guys are so open to everyone about your changes and I think everyone really appreciate it. I love the idea of trip reports on like what you ate what kit you used how you planned it that kinda thing. But to be honest my favourite videos are the ones of your adventures themselves like the 2 night winter camping in Lake Tahoe or bike packing with hazel. Can't wait for what's to come!
4 and 5 hitting home for me. Always appreciate these videos showing your realities and that they can be our realities too. I like the ideas you talked about coming up and looking forward even more to your channel. Been following along forever and super excited for you two (three).
Ideal videos? The exact things you talked about. The usual edits, but gear reviews, trip reports, etc. I missed the tech stuff you used to do.
Looking forward to the new direction this is going. Travel, gear, costs, planning. Keep up the great work guys!
i love that idea for the channel! getting into the details on how to make a trip happen. i for sure would love that!
Good planning is the key to a successful adventure! Looking forward to sharing a bit of our process💪
-V
Equipment you use - cameras, camping, gear for beginners and experts, things you regret purchasing, how you guys kept each other alive seeing each other 24/7 😅
I've only watched your Mt. Whitney video which was really well done. Are you settling in Reno? We're in Mogul. I moved to Tahoe in 99'. I alpine guided in the summers and ski patrolled at Squaw in the winters. Climbing was my life for decades and Tahoe was great for that. It's cool seeing younger people getting into it have having fun with it. It seems like you're doing well with it. Unfortunately I had to give it up do to arthritic elbows but still love the skiing, biking and my new favorite activity, chukar hunting which is a like an official pastime in Northern NV. Keep up the cool adventures.
Your production value is very high. Ideas for the future as requested:
1. Your profiles are exclusively “white”. In Alaska, when profiling friends, you put people with “Latino” names to the end of the list. It would be interesting to see protagonists who are a little different.
2. Mountain guides know nothing about photography / filmmaking; why not partner with them.
3. Why not focusing on one activity in a place per episode rather than place itself? An example, I am interested in seeing how you send a certain classic route in one episode.
Been following since the earliest days of a6300 tutorials! All the best with the next chapter °¬)
TLDR: I think in order to both beat the algorithm, and satisfy your current audience; your videos should have a clear goal (easier if you're climbing a mountain but you don't have to obv), add in a guiding section like Kraig Adams, and still be in your style.
This might be a little long-winded, sorry in advance. This is all based on my observation of these channels (including yours) and the views they get. The three other hiking channels I watch relatively regularly are Kraig Adams, Mediocre Amateur, and Virtual Sherpa. VS makes the kinds of videos you're talking about, gear reviews, trail guides, etc. However, the audience for those videos is pretty small. While he has amazing shots (primarily the CO Rockies) the bulk of the content is a trail guide, so he loses a lot of folks that would click on your vids, or the other two. I live on the east coast so I've never watched one of his videos researching my next hike. I watch them for an escape to the Rockies for 20 minutes, and his guides are interesting to hear because he gives sound advice on how to handle certain terrain. All that being said, he receives the least views out of these 3+you guys. I think the trail guides turn people away who are looking for more of a Kraig type of video.
MA is probably my favorite (no offense) because they can be pretty wacky. They tend to do some pretty crazy adventures (usually involving skiing) up some awesome mountains. My hiking career started with peak bagging in the Adirondacks so I will always have peaks I want to check off and they climb a lot of the ones on my list. Their videos tend to be closer to 10-15 minutes and have some guiding aspects to them, but that isn't their goal. Their videos are much more so to show off the adventure, the beautiful location, and to make fun of whichever amateur is falling behind that day. They're short and sweet and I will always click on the newest one as soon as I see it. As opposed to VS where I much more so have to be in the mood.
Obv you guys know Kraig, and he's definitely the one you have the most in common with (almost certainly because of you're photography backgrounds). As you know his videos have changed over the years, but in general, they have the hiking part and the guide part. I find these to be the most beneficial. MA doesn't provide me much in the way of how I would get up that mountain, VS does it a little too much, but Kraig is probably right in the middle. I can watch his amazing drone shots and click off when they're done, or if I'm interested in the logistics of the trip I can watch till the end. In my opinion, you fall between MA and Kraig atm, and it sounds like you want to move closer to a Kraig video layout.
However, if you do want to move your videos closer to Kraig's in style, I think it's important to have a very clear goal. I find your recent videos can be a bit unfocused in the sense that, we're gonna climb over here, then over there, maybe a little down here. I don't mean that disparagingly, I still love them, however, I don't think the algorithm does. I think in order to both beat the algorithm, and satisfy your current audience; your videos should have a clear goal (easier if you're climbing a mountain but you don't have to obv), add in a guiding section like Kraig Adams, and still be in your style.
I hope this helps, and wish you all the best with these life changes!