Solo Camping in the Desert: Fire, Stars, and a View
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- Опубліковано 20 лют 2022
- In this video I camp in a small cave in the desert where I'm able to watch the day turn to night within the glow of my fire. This is place I used to come to often back when I lived here in Arizona. Even now that I've moved up to Alaska, my thoughts sometimes return to the times I spend on this little ledge. It's been a place for me to sit quietly and spend time with the desert, and with my thoughts and feelings as they drift along at their own pace.
Camping here in this spot gave me the opportunity to not only sit with the fire and watch the stars come out, but I was also able to forage up some greens to add to my meal and a little desert tea to bring warmth as the cool night closed in. I even took some time to pull out my notepad and do some writing. My writing, as you know if you've read any of my books, is about Nature, and so I always enjoy opportunities to do the actual writing while in Nature.
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*While editing this video, I realized I was wearing my VSA shirt (Veteran Surf Alliance). Since I flashed their logo around, I thought I might as well put in a quick word about them. They are an amazing California-based nonprofit organization that gets veterans out surfing together. I've had the opportunity to hang out with them a little, and it's been time well spent. Here's a link to their website in case you want more info, or would like to donate to an organization that actually does something helpful for veterans: veteransurfalliance.com/
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Website: adventureryan.com
My books: www.amazon.com/author/ryan_sa...
*If you're feeling crazy supportive at the moment, you can even donate to Adventure Ryan through the link on my UA-cam channel's about page. This helps me keep my camera gear and editing equipment up to speed. - Розваги
Doc from The Trek here, great post. Always been a big fan of human constants, the wind, the rocks, the night sky, the fire, these things never change but can always change us. These solo outings remind me of pioneers and adventures of long ago.
I agree. Especially when wandering solo, it seems the company of things like you mentioned (wind, rocks, sky, fire) become more like companions to to travels and not merely objects. For those who haven’t experienced this, they often think it’s just the lack of company or loneliness that stirs these deeper feelings in nature (like Tom Hanks and his volleyball), but there’s something else to all this-something that can only be felt, witnessed, and experienced when the soul is quiet enough to feel this layer of nature. Keeps me going out there, that’s for sure!
sweet video
Wow what a spot mate 👍🏻
Beautiful landscape, and impressive camping skills brother
I love what you said at 2:38 Its glad to know that I am not the only one out there
In our busy world, it’s easy to miss, but for those that have experience this, it’s a treasured gift!
Amazing landscape! Thanks for sharing your cave dwelling. There is something very special about the desert, it's almost like you can feel ancestral whispers dancing on the dry wind, pure medicine for a wild soul that wanders.
It’s interesting how that “something special” about the desert is almost like a treasure that must be discovered. It’s easy to glance at a desert landscape and just see hot, dry nothingness, but for some of us, our journey seems to lead us to discover so much more than just the sand on the surface. Thanks for your comment-and for your wild, wandering soul!
What a perfect spot...quiet solitude , an amazing view ! Cheers !!
I loved that little spot. Good vibes from all directions, for sure! Thanks for watching!
Cool video man. Thanks for the content
Thanks!
I just "liked" my own video! I didn't even know I could do that!
😁
I like the spot looks like Lake Havasu! Area that Much water in one spot in Arizona !!😊
Water is always welcome in the desert, isn’t it!
Awesome to see you back in the desert reconnecting a bit. To be honest I felt a bit of nostalgia to when I discovered your channel back in 2020. Hope when you get back to Alaska you're able to find someplace special like this too.
Thanks! And yes, I was very grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with the desert for a while, but it was gave me hope that I'll form similar connections over time in Alaska. The connections I made in the desert didn't come immediately and they didn't come easily, so I suppose I should be a little more patient with the process. It's all part of the journey!
Great night shots and genuine approach
Thanks! I was glad some of that footage came through okay because the experience was amazing. It always makes me happy when I can share a portion of that.
Hello Ryan, I'm not sure exactly where you are, but looks like that could be Canyon Lake by Tortilla Flats. You're right, night time in the desert is pretty special. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks for watching, @Starling Black.
hello, I'm from Romania and follow you with great pleasure. Have a nice trip.
Thanks for watching, Dante!
Nice going back to the same spot like
you did.
Your “spot”.
I get it.
I’ve bonded with many places out there, going back over & over and its always pleasant and somehow different each time.
Room with a view 😇
I've seen several desert survival, camping in the desert and one thing keeps showing up in the videos is bare foot or open tow foot wear! You must protect youre feet in the desert!! Those small Choyas ,and Prickle Pear Catus are way low in the ground you can accidentaly kick them or step on them that will ruin the trip!😢
You’re right about the many prickly and pokey things out there in the desert, but my reasoning for wearing either a minimalist shoe or a sandal has to do with my personal approach to moving in the desert. It might seem like a bad idea, and maybe it is for most people, but for me, it helps me to slow down, be more watchful, and move more intentionally. I’ve found that this helps me to connect with the desert in a way and be more aware of the dangers around me.
I can’t exactly recommend this approach to everyone, but it’s what works for me. As modern humans, it seems that we are quick to armor up our feet with heavy boots and go stomping our way over the landscape. Yes, those boots will protect the feet and allow that kind of faster movement, but I’ve found that, personally, if I slow down and really try to notice everything around me, I not only see the cholla, prickly pear cactus, and rattlesnake before they become a problem, but I also am able to notice other, less dangerous things-a gentle breeze passing by, the chorus of cicadas, the footsteps of a family of quail.
I also have to wonder about the many Native American people that once walked these deserts in only sandals made of yucca. They were plenty crafty enough to make something more sturdy, but they chose a simple foot covering and provided just enough protection without robbing them of their awareness of the land.
Again, I’m not recommending this approach for everyone. The dangers are very real, and being more mindful in our movement takes more than just a sandal. But for me, I’m happy to receive every funny look I get on the trail-ha!
u deserve millions of views on this video…it seems peaceful to stay like that but reality is quite different..need courage to spend overnight on these kinda places …love from india🙌🏽🇮🇳
Thank you for the million view wish and for watching. This trip was very peaceful, but you’re right, not everyone would feel that way depending on their experience with the land and also their personal experience with being alone. I do, however, believe that for each person, there is some level of being in nature and some degree of solitude that will be comfortable enough for them to enjoy the feeling of connection that comes with this sort of adventure. Risking one’s safety isn’t usually the answer, in my opinion. It’s more about finding what’s comfortable for you, or perhaps finding what makes you uncomfortable and working toward changing that.
Gorgeous view from your location! Do you know what that distant peak is on the other side of the lake?
I lived in Flagstaff for 6 years once, loved it 🥰 there
Flagstaff is a beautiful place. I wish I would have spent more time up that way while I lived down there in AZ.
@@AdventureRyan now I’m in Palmer Alaska, exploring and finding adventures 🏕
You seem more at home back in the desert, it shows in your videos too, nice one!
Yeah, it feels that way right now. Even though I grew up in Alaska and have family here, I connected to the desert in a deep way and during some challenging times, and that made the roots run deep. Like I mentioned in these last couple videos, I have hopes of working toward making new connections like this here in Alaska, but I now know that the occasional return trip to the desert is something that will always be welcome.
Wow that was fantastic 😉
Thanks!
Beautiful scenery, looks like the Superstition Mntns...
that looked like a wonderful time in the desert, sounds like a beautiful night, good to see you getting out there, also what was that bivvy you were using? looked pretty nice for a wind breaker
It’s the “Alpine Bivy” by Outdoor Reasearch. I really like it. There’s a lot of bivy sacks out there that are lighter than than this one, but they lean more toward the breathable side of the scale than the waterproof side. This one is GorTex, so I’ve been able to use it in rain, snow, and insane winds. The only downside of being on this side of the waterproof/breathable scale is that condensation requires some conscious effort in order to avoid it (or at least minimize it in some situations).
A lot of people use bivy sacks as sort of a secondary system (in addition of a tarp overhead, for example), but personally, I like to be able to drop this thing down in the center of a storm and be done. This trip obviously didn’t have any rain or snow, but that wind was whipping pretty good through the night and temps were dropping into the low 30s. That wind would have stolen all the warmth I had without that shell around me.
@@AdventureRyan thank you, I'll definitely look into that one, I've got an enlightened equipment bivvy which is really light but more on the bug net side rather than for weather, but that one sounds pretty nice for weather so I may get one
Hello! Thank you for the video. I was very inspired. Our region has a very humid climate and I was interested in literally everything. starting from the vegetation to the sky. Not a single cloud! I haven't seen this for a long time))
Tell me, please, do you shoot on Go Pro? I recognized him by the shadow. Did you use an ND filter on your camera when shooting during the day? I noticed that there are no highlights on the face.
And one more thing: how did you film at night around the fire? I am delighted! Absolutely not a “noisy” picture. My GoPro 10 starts making noise as soon as it gets dark.
P.S. Thanks again for your work.
P.P.S. I apologize for any errors. Translated from Ukrainian via Google.
Thank you for watching! And yes, I do use a GoPro for almost all my filming. I don’t use any filters. For night time when it’s really dark (like that scene with the fire) I used my Sony Alpha 6000 because it handles the dark better.
@@AdventureRyan Thanks for the quick response!
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Any of ya'll ever get spooked when out alone? Knowing your back is always unprotected like maybe there's something or someone there?
There’s definitely things to watch out for and be ready for, but it can potentially be a beautiful experience. I think the key is to keep within your skill level. That helps the experience be one of peace and connection instead of a fear and anxiety.
@@AdventureRyan I'm going camping and gold prospecting at the end of January for 5 days. I can't stop listening to those camping horror stories as I go to sleep every night, I'm going deep in the desert up in the mountains, me and my xj
Well that’s your problem-stop listening to those horror stories! Haha!
But on a more serious note, there are dangers out there (everywhere), and I don’t personally subscribe to just putting on the blinders and pretending they don’t exist, but with the right precautions and a bit of awareness, it can serve a person quite well. 5 days in the desert will have amazing potential to reach deep into your soul if you give it space. I’m sure you’ll be busy will all sorts of things and maybe there will be some moments when you feel nervous and unsure about the unknowns, but I hope you’re able to allow some of that desert space to reach you. It’s amazing (essential to life, in my opinion).
I’d love to hear how your trip goes when you get back!
@AdventureRyan oh I'm not saying I'm like that lol. I'm just wondering if anybody gets that way. I have been spooked in the past, I was about 20 miles deep in the desert digging up gold, I was down in a huge bowl type area surrounded by good sized hills just digging away. I didn't see anybody or anything on my way out, all of a sudden I got that being watched feeling. I stopped digging and looked around the ridges 360 view style and man I saw a tall man standing up on the top of the hill, it turned out to be a plant with the same shape as a man, and boy. I'll tell you. It freaked me out for just a few seconds until I realized what I was looking at lol. Immediately I thought this ain't good why is someone watching me lol. To make it worse I heard someone saying something a minute or two before that. I was making a good bit of noise and breathing heavy but i swear I heard someone talking to me from far away. Another time I was being stalked by a mountain loin, I know for sure coz it was a really really windy day, I was walking down a wash metal detecting so I had headphones on, on the way out I saw big paw prints on the right side but they looked old or messed up by the sand being blown by the wind, I went two miles into the wash and the sides were about 20ft tall in most places. I got out there and it was getting hot plus i had that being watched feeling again so I decided to come back and walk the opposite side on the way back to my rig, I saw more prints coming toward me but they were fresh and like I said it was windy af. I noticed them about 1/4 mile in my way back. Needless to say I kept my headphones off after that. I'm pretty sure it was really close to me as good as those prints looked on that windy day. As you said you gotta stay alert, not to mention the terrain dangers, climbing up loose steep rocky stuff will get ya too. Oh and danger noodles. Those too
And yes I agree. I'm a country boy from Arkansas, I've been in the city of El Paso way too long, and I miss nature. I don't get to go too often but I take full advantage when I do. It calms me down and helps me handle city life which I'm not cut out for, I've fallen in love with offroading or trail riding and exploring. If I didn't have to work I'd be out every day lol. My 3 year old son loves it too. You know most kids love their tech like the tablet. He don't even get on it when we go offroading. Maybe on the way out there but when we hit the dirt he's just enjoying it. The way back he's knocked out lol.
How is the ptsd process working out?
It’s not exactly something I can sum up in a quick comment reply, but I will say that it’s very much an ongoing journey. There’s plenty of ups and downs along the way, but I’ve come to appreciate what I’ve learned and discovered on this path. Feel free to reach out to me via the email on my channel page if you want to discuss further.