TIME STAMPS for the mobile folks! 00:29 Plan Ahead and Prepare 00:52 Selecting a Campsite 03:08 Camping and Food 05:04 Campfires 06:30 Dealing With Waste (Using the Restroom/Packing out Trash) 09:41 Packing Up Camp 10:02 Be Considerate of Others 10:53 Leave What You Find
Not that I'm scared or anything but what about when you're camping and the things that go bump in the night. Those keep me up and make it hard to enjoy. What do you do to fix that?
@@joshwilliams6087 walk farther that day ;) cover enough distance and you won't be able to stay awake. Donde a couple longer overnighter in GNP this summer I had tio set an alarm to see the stars... There was no way i could make it until dark let alone until the stars were all out...
I highly recommend putting little pieces of reflective tape on almost all of your gear. It helps finding stuff at night VASTLY easier. I work with owls for a living and do a lot of night hiking because of it. A piece of tape on a piece of gear can make it very easy to find from very far away. Seriously, it's easier to find stuff at night with reflective tape than during the day. Also with it you can do a little trick if you have to do a sudden #2 in the middle of the night. Bring one or two pieces of your gear that has reflective tape with you as you walk out. Use the pieces of gear as markers to find your way back to your tent. Just don't space them out too far. It's incredibly easy to get lost in the woods at night even if you are only walking a couple hundred feet away.
R K so you take a crap next to your tent? The general rule of thumb is 200 feet from a camp, trail or water source. Try walking 200 feet away at night on a moonless night.
R K Sorry didn’t mean to hurt you feelings. So 15 years in the Army and all that hardcore experience and this is what it’s come to? Berating and making fun of people on UA-cam. Well if that makes you feel better have at it. I’m a 61 year old man I can take it.
My backpacking education came from people who backpacked in the sixties and seventies. I was always taught to take only pictures and leave only footprints. I love your videos Dixie, keep up the great work.
Poop compass Suunto A-10 Compass Point the compass in the direction you want to walk to poop. Align the red marker with North end of the needle (red). Walk away from camp. Once you are done with doing your business, look at your compass and turn your body until the red marker aligns with the South end of the needle (black) and walk back to camp. On the AT finding a landmark can be hard because everything looks like rocks and trees, rocks and trees, rocks and trees. Thanks for the video Dixie
Good! That's what I do except I use a Brunton TruArc 5 which lives around my neck and weighs less than 2 ounces...Everyone should learn about compass and map navigation...its not that hard to learn and can save your life...Good Job~
I’m an experienced camper and getting better with backpacking. I grew up riding horses but now that I’m grown I don’t have horses so I started backpacking. I’ve learned a lot over the years but I must say you are very addictive to watch. Thanks for all your info. Hope to see you on the trail someday.
You are so much better than most of the backpackers out there who do not practice LNT. I'm not saying that I'm perfect, far from it, but some don't practice LNT and have every reason why it doesn't apply to them. I really appreciate what you said in this video and the good practices that you have demonstrated in every video.
That's all solid advice! Always be aware of what's above you. Things that can fall down on you are usually referred to as 'widow makers' and for a reason. If you ever heard the sound of a coconut drop from a tree when it hits the ground makes you really aware of this. After doing a number 2 I burn the toilet paper because the normal toilet paper actually stays in nature longer than you like. I take a small stick and stick it in the poop area and break the tip so your fellow men know that this was a poop area already and don't start digging their hole there because that can become messy really quick. Depending on the time of day and hours of daylight remaining and also the weather conditions I usually start the campfire first and than set up my sleeping place. You can boil some water whilst setting up the tent or hammock and it saves time. I say campfire but this can also mean just a cook fire in a bushbox. Don't make the fire bigger than you actually need it to be. A good bushbox also keeps the fire of the ground. I usually don't do the dishes with soap but instead use sand and water. But like I said. It's all solid advice!
Kudos to Dixie aka Morning Pooper for this excellent series. I always learned new things. I have made this point elsewhere in the series: Instead of an open campfire, try a gassifyjng wood stove. Personally, I love my Trail Designs Ti-Tri Caldera. I can cook with alcohol, Isbit, or twigs and small segments of sticks. It will cook wet wood, too. While the case is bulky, the stove is made of lightweight titanium. I decided this was the best wood stove money can buy. I felt guilty constantly throwing away fuel canisters, so I only use canister stoves if I expect heavy rain. The downside is that wood stoves require more time - in setting up, getting going, and breaking down. The upside is that you will not need to spend time in towns looking for fuel canisters to buy. And it pollutes less than an open fire or non-gassifying wood stove does. Pick your poison. Once you have built up a hot ash base, you will be impressed by how much heat a gassifying wood stove throws. The Trail Designs can hold more hot coals than any other comparable design I have found. At the same time, you do not get many floating cinders, thus you reduce the risk of uncontrolled fire. It is also a lot easier to find fuel than it would be for a conventional campfire. To light my stove, I use a Hemplights hemp wick dispenser paired to a Bic. (FYI, I promote the product for the company president, having been friends with him for 19 years.) It makes lighting stoves and campfires easier. Just do not try the version for Mini Bics - it is not ideal for these uses. I will extend the hemp wick about 4" to reach Isbit, alcohol, wood fuel or campfire birds nests, without having to worry about burning my thumb on the lighter as I struggle to achieve ignition. Makes your lighter last wayyyyy longer, too. As far as gathering fuel, it is not cool to clean out your immediate area. Soil needs decaying wood on the ground to enrich it. Spread out to collect wood fuel. If you use birch bark for tinder, do not peel the bark 360° around the trunk, or you will kill the tree. Pick from here and there, so the tree can recover.
Chris Eidam I have really thought about these wood stoves . I have seen the regulation “ no campfires or wood stoves”. I wonder if you gathered wood where it was plentiful and packed it in to the banned area if they would be ok with that (hard to prove).
When I was a boy, I read in a book that my father checked out from a library that one should never set up camp on or near a trail. A big animal might pass through on the trail at night and cause problems. When I became a young adult grouse hunter, one Friday late afternoon after work, I shouldered my pack and, all alone, carried my .22 rimfire rifle up the ten-mile trail up War Creek that is sourced near the Purple Pass overlooking of the head end of Lake Chelan, Washington. As darkness began to envelope the trail, I took a right angle diversion from the trail in the uphill direction and found an almost flat place to sleep for the night about six rods from the trail for to spread my ground cloth and bedding. The next morning after a cup of instant coffee made with water heated on my Sterno stove, I packed up and rejoined the trail. There I saw the track of a large catamount inside one of my tracks made the night before.
The 4 w's from Dave Canterbury, wind, wood, water, & widow-maker. Very informative, keep it coming. Community is always a good thing. Be safe & God speed.
Hey Dixie! About an hour ago I was doing some research on crampons vs microspikes and I saw your vid come up on that topic in my search results. I wanted you to know I clicked on that before anyone else's review. I have often appreciated your honesty as to what you know on a topic and what you don't. Very much appreciated!
Great video Dixie! I want to point out there are 2 schools of thought on the whole no impact thing...some people subscribe to staying in established campsites to minimize damage to the surrounding areas. This is probably smart in parks and on the big trails you hike on due to sheer traffic but otherwise the opposite can be more helpful...choosing a pristine area and doing the least to damage it will protect any visibly used spots from getting further devastated. Choosing new each time allows campsites to recover between uses. If you are camping in a regulated place that is, if there is someone to ask, they may tell you either for a certain reason. Do follow their directions. A word for hammockers...be careful picking your trees. The perfect arrangement of trees for hammock setup is pretty universal meaning that if you want to hang there chances are it looked like a good idea to someone else too? The problem is when we wear down the bark in the same places on trees it can damage the tree. Eventually it can kill the tree but even before that happens it starts to make the tree increasingly more dangerous to take the weight of a hiker. You can minimize impact to trees from hammocks by using tree huggers which are wide straps instead of thin ropes or cords.
Oh and another positive Ford using the Dakota fire hole method is whenever your fire is out and you're done using it and you make sure it's out you can just bury it back with the dirt you dug out to make it and it is 0 impact and actually helps the soil there because coals left over will enrich the soil
I carry my tent stakes in a roll made from light nylon, with a slot for each stake. This is an automatic stake counter. As I pull each stake it goes into a slot. Since I started doing this have not left a stake behind.
"and I make sure the trail doesn't wrap around in a way where people are going to end up behind me" Yes, very important to do this, I learned it the hard way. Very thankful the people that saw just got a crazy laugh out of it and told me so I could start being more aware of trails looping around lol.
I do not like ever leaving a pack attended so I started hanging a bandana or shemagh on the trail to mark my departure from the trail. I HAVE misplaced my pack so have had that panic and howls of despair. Thank you for covering the most essential elements to LNT and providing real backcountry examples with best outcomes.
Thank you for a wonderful video. Great presentation. I work with scouts and other outdoor groups and will steer them to this video. Where I backpack there are no bears, but rats, mongoose, wild pigs and dogs can be a problem . . . especially the rodents. I often hang my food and even trash to be carried out in odor proof bags.
Thanks for the tips & reminders. It's been awhile since some of us have been on trail and a bit of refreshment on trail etiquette is always beneficial Stay well & safe.... Cheers.
I discovered your videos just last week but I'm OBSESSED with them! I never skip any ads that play before because this information and the simplicity of your videos just feels so valuable :)
Modern campers bring their entire home with them in their RVs, they start their generators as soon as they arrive, watch TV inside all day and make a lot of noises all day and night with at least 3 large dogs too, beside their family of 7. They don't seem to be out there to enjoy nature, but to be away from their communities.
If they're happy, and not causing you any harm, is that a problem? Life would be appalling if everyone was the same. Imagine if everyone decided to go backpacking "properly" at the same time - you'd be furious. I'm all for anyone and everyone doing whatever they want, as long as it's nowhere anywhere near me.
Only time we run the generator is when our baby needs to nap and it's 90-100 degrees out and we need to keep the RV cool. And yes, we feel terrible about it if that helps.
Great video Dixie!! I remember the "Bearmuda Triangle" from my Philmont days, and as an LNT Master Educator and LNT State Advocate for Texas, I want to thank you especially for doing SUCH a good job of spreading the Leave No Trace message.
Great advice only thing I do differently is to Cook & Eat before I change into my sleeping clothes, then after clean up is done Change in to my sleeping clothes. That keeps food scent in my tent to a minimum...
Loved the "Dixie Everyday" Back to Basics Series. Thanks Dixie and Aaron for Y'all hard work the last 2 wks! Y'all gotta be exhausted! Appreciate your efforts! BEAR-muda Triangle is were all your lost gear went! Thanks Dixie & Aaron!
A little saying they have taught us here in Louisiana is " A Fed Gator Is A Dead Gator " works the same for a bear !!! Thanks for another great video !!!
Taking video of your walk into the bush makes it 100 times easier to navigate back out. The human memory is fallible, but having concrete data to reference for every step is worth its weight in astatine. Just glance at the screen, glance ahead, & step; do this enough times & Robbo's your Auntie's live-in lover, you're back safely on the track.
That camping spot you folks had before you left the CDT to get out of Glacier when the heavy snows blew in just blew me away, especially with the Debussy sound track.
Well Dixie you have come along ways from the approach day 1 on the AT when I first started following you .Great info. Love all the videos. Keep them coming and may you never run out of trail.
Thank you so much, Dixie for answering my question about what YOU do with your pack when you need to go “off trail” and also how you navigate to your cat hole and back to your pack! I hope I won’t be laughed at if I use those cute colored clips deer hunters use! I just don’t want to get turned around and lost......my biggest fear. I have really enjoyed this series so thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. 😎⚓️
Australian tips: Watch for snake, emu or boar tracks. Don't want to have your tent ripped open or bitten in the morning ahaha. Stay away from gum trees because they expand during the day and shrink overnight thus causing stable 100 kilogram branches to snap off and kill you. (Watched it nearly happen to a mate of mine, terrifying) CLOSE YOUR TENT!!!! I slept with a huntsmen once and lemme tell you they aren't friendly if you lay on em. Watch the bush fire season, fire ban or not if it's not and windy then no fire, if they're a dry lightening storm then stay away from any bush and watch for fires! Also fire ban is important! Watch the sand, brown snake babies hide in it, they will bite and kill you. Bring 2x water because you don't know if something will happen and you need that water. If you are lost looks for mass trees, birds or crows. Tree = water. Water=people. Bird=water. Crows= dead animals. Dead animals= road kill meaning roads.
Edmay Mortem wow that’s wild! Only things that will kill you in the back country here in NZ are the weather, the terrain, and not thinking - and they all are really just the last one
@@firefighter2699 as an Aussie, this is interesting to me, because I always say the average American's chill to camping in bear country - precautions or no - is wild. I love the outdoors here, we have no bear equivalent. If we did, I _would_ never leave the city! X-D
I’ll just say that if you are new (or rusty) to camping, go to an established campsite first with the mind of dispersed camping to test everything out first.
getting a feel about how i should do a sight.. I a am above 13 thousand feet and I hunt.. I want to do simple hikes for peeps that are not too easy but I just was not getting a feel for other sights! Love for you come up and hunt with Lady!!
This summer has kept me home :(. My daughter and I now 11 goes to Andrews cove GA. Pack in pack out. And the last couple of years the behavior of people has felled in this. It's said and bears are more active. Thanks for the video
Hi y'all..lol. Thanks for the 411..can never have to much info..i'll be prepping for my AT till April.. when I plan to heading out for my adventure..Thanks🤙😎
Always carry your pack with you went venturing off trail, I have been involved in several searches for hikers who went off trail a few hundred feet and became disoriented and lost, carrying your pack with you could save your life,!Better to mark your off trail with ribbon and remove on your back out!
thank you, dixie! i have been assembling my first gear for some weeks now to go on my first backpacking trip during the easter holidays and your channel is sooo helpful...! keep'em coming! the triple crown is merely the beginning... ;)
One of the simplest of signs reminding people to be courteous I came across while visiting monument parks in the southwest. Take only pictures, leave only footprints. Good rule to live by. Hugging the tree lmao, all I could envision was Cool Hand Luke "Shakin the bush boss, shakin the bush".
I broke the rule of leaving what you find. I was in the San Gabriel Mountains a couple weeks ago hiking and I was crossing a creek and I looked down and saw a seashell! I’ve never found a seashell in the mountains before. So I kept it.
Thus a luxury item. Sea to summit portable sink. Light and packable to carry water away from the source and wash up. Utensils or self. Light workout rubber bands make awesome waymarks to put over your pack or trail.
@@Grateful2Exist "Backcountry Camping Basics", about a year ago. On the coment you made, should be able to link to it by tapping the icon labed with title. That said, ALL her videos are informative, perhaps select from the 'Playlist'. Happy Camping :)
CSB: Was camping in New Mexico in an actual campground. Only 6 out of the 20 or so sites were taken so took my time looking at each before choosing my spot, taking. That week we got massive unexpected rainfall to the point the nearby arroyo ran its banks (and took some structures with it downstream). I was the only one who didn't have to abandon their site because I considered carefully. Point is, take your time picking your site and consider the various scenarios. Even if it's the only one, that doesn't mean it's a good site to use.
Dixie, you really have grown on me. I somtimes just put you on, for some background comfort. Kinda like having a sister in the other room. Ha ha. Please take that as a compliment.
So last April, I drop my pack and head off away from the trail into the woods with my trowel and toilet paper ... I run smack into a big ol' bear who did not run away and stared me down which practically made me poop in my pants. From then on, I made lots of noise when going off trail to do my business.
Another reason to camp at least 200 feet from water is not just to protect fragile banks, but animals often come at night to drink. Camping close to water can spook them so they don’t get the water they need.
In Utah my experience is all the old good campgrounds are now illegal due to more strict guidelines. People still use them but they shouldn’t. So I end up with horrible campsites. I wish I could move the lakes and rivers haha
One thing I'll add is if there is a lot of wind don't have a campfire above-ground if things are remotely dry dig the Dakota fire hole it is a lot safer of a method if you absolutely have to have a fire because it's down in the ground and you just put a couple sticks over the hole and set your part on it that way you'll still be able to cook and you'll minimize your risk of Embers flying off and then catching Fire elsewhere
Those are all great ideas about camping out and I try to keep my food in my backpack when not in use and if I camp out in a park I will try to keep my food stored in my vehicle unless I am on foot.
Ah! 0:52 Rodriguez Road on the PCT, the first time I ever hiked at night, I had a little more than half a liter of water and decide to start my day at 3am and see if I’d get to Julian early in the morning before it got too hot.
Campfire smoke is also a great insect repellent. That's why I always start the fire first, and then set up camp. That way the mosquitoes don't bite the shit outta me while I'm putting up my tent.
Thank your for sharing all of your knowledge and expertise with us. I know I appreciate it and have learn new things within this two week segment. I will definitely stay tuned for next weeks video. Cheers!
Not many bears here in Texas to watch out for thankfully. The deadly predators here are snakes and mosquitoes. Sometimes a rare mountain lion. Mostly Mosquitoes though.
Great series Dixie, love all your stuff. When are you gonna do the AZT? Would love to provide you some trail magic! Thanks for all of the awesome content you provide! Someone else mentioned a compass to find your way back to the trail. Another orienteering trick is to leave a waypoint marker. I have a bright orange bandana that can be seen from a great distance. attach it to a tree to use as a marker of where you got off the trail. Use in conjunction with the poop compass trick mentioned earlier and you're golden!
Fantastic. I always enjoy your vids. You are Very Helpful, Humble, Funny with Great Expressions and Gestures. mot informative video series on hikes and such a pleasure to watch.
If in bear country, it also a good idea to cook more aroma rich foods before putting on sleep clothing. If your clothing smells like food, there is a small chance of attracting bears while you are sleeping. Better to cook first and then change.
TIME STAMPS for the mobile folks!
00:29 Plan Ahead and Prepare
00:52 Selecting a Campsite
03:08 Camping and Food
05:04 Campfires
06:30 Dealing With Waste (Using the Restroom/Packing out Trash)
09:41 Packing Up Camp
10:02 Be Considerate of Others
10:53 Leave What You Find
That was a good video especially about bathroom breaks.
I have a suggestion for upcoming videos, how to get permits for PCT, AT & CDT.
Not that I'm scared or anything but what about when you're camping and the things that go bump in the night. Those keep me up and make it hard to enjoy. What do you do to fix that?
Josh Williams bring some headphones and listen to some music while you fall asleep, keep one in/out to kinda soothe yourself a little hahah
@@joshwilliams6087 walk farther that day ;) cover enough distance and you won't be able to stay awake. Donde a couple longer overnighter in GNP this summer I had tio set an alarm to see the stars... There was no way i could make it until dark let alone until the stars were all out...
Thank you lil lady 💖
I highly recommend putting little pieces of reflective tape on almost all of your gear. It helps finding stuff at night VASTLY easier. I work with owls for a living and do a lot of night hiking because of it. A piece of tape on a piece of gear can make it very easy to find from very far away. Seriously, it's easier to find stuff at night with reflective tape than during the day. Also with it you can do a little trick if you have to do a sudden #2 in the middle of the night. Bring one or two pieces of your gear that has reflective tape with you as you walk out. Use the pieces of gear as markers to find your way back to your tent. Just don't space them out too far. It's incredibly easy to get lost in the woods at night even if you are only walking a couple hundred feet away.
Great advice!
No way I'm walking a couple hundred feet away at night.
R K so you take a crap next to your tent? The general rule of thumb is 200 feet from a camp, trail or water source. Try walking 200 feet away at night on a moonless night.
R K Sorry didn’t mean to hurt you feelings. So 15 years in the Army and all that hardcore experience and this is what it’s come to? Berating and making fun of people on UA-cam. Well if that makes you feel better have at it. I’m a 61 year old man I can take it.
R K yep that’s what I thought.
My backpacking education came from people who backpacked in the sixties and seventies. I was always taught to take only pictures and leave only footprints. I love your videos Dixie, keep up the great work.
Poop compass
Suunto A-10 Compass
Point the compass in the direction you want to walk to poop.
Align the red marker with North end of the needle (red).
Walk away from camp.
Once you are done with doing your business,
look at your compass and turn your body until the red marker aligns with the South end of the needle (black) and walk back to camp.
On the AT finding a landmark can be hard because everything looks like rocks and trees, rocks and trees, rocks and trees.
Thanks for the video Dixie
Can it be used to find other hikers' poop. I am asking for a friend, of course.
@@chriseidam7319 There is always a chance if you are lucky just ask Dixie about the times she found poop :)
"You"? Like I said, it's for a friend.
Good! That's what I do except I use a Brunton TruArc 5 which lives around my neck and weighs less than 2 ounces...Everyone should learn about compass and map navigation...its not that hard to learn and can save your life...Good Job~
Nice advice. Thanks!
The leave no trace rule is so important- thank you for mentioning it several times in the video!👏🏼
take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints. (and avoid even those if you can.)
I’m an experienced camper and getting better with backpacking. I grew up riding horses but now that I’m grown I don’t have horses so I started backpacking. I’ve learned a lot over the years but I must say you are very addictive to watch. Thanks for all your info. Hope to see you on the trail someday.
You are so much better than most of the backpackers out there who do not practice LNT. I'm not saying that I'm perfect, far from it, but some don't practice LNT and have every reason why it doesn't apply to them. I really appreciate what you said in this video and the good practices that you have demonstrated in every video.
That's all solid advice! Always be aware of what's above you. Things that can fall down on you are usually referred to as 'widow makers' and for a reason. If you ever heard the sound of a coconut drop from a tree when it hits the ground makes you really aware of this.
After doing a number 2 I burn the toilet paper because the normal toilet paper actually stays in nature longer than you like. I take a small stick and stick it in the poop area and break the tip so your fellow men know that this was a poop area already and don't start digging their hole there because that can become messy really quick.
Depending on the time of day and hours of daylight remaining and also the weather conditions I usually start the campfire first and than set up my sleeping place. You can boil some water whilst setting up the tent or hammock and it saves time.
I say campfire but this can also mean just a cook fire in a bushbox. Don't make the fire bigger than you actually need it to be. A good bushbox also keeps the fire of the ground.
I usually don't do the dishes with soap but instead use sand and water.
But like I said. It's all solid advice!
Kudos to Dixie aka Morning Pooper for this excellent series. I always learned new things.
I have made this point elsewhere in the series: Instead of an open campfire, try a gassifyjng wood stove. Personally, I love my Trail Designs Ti-Tri Caldera. I can cook with alcohol, Isbit, or twigs and small segments of sticks. It will cook wet wood, too. While the case is bulky, the stove is made of lightweight titanium. I decided this was the best wood stove money can buy. I felt guilty constantly throwing away fuel canisters, so I only use canister stoves if I expect heavy rain.
The downside is that wood stoves require more time - in setting up, getting going, and breaking down.
The upside is that you will not need to spend time in towns looking for fuel canisters to buy. And it pollutes less than an open fire or non-gassifying wood stove does. Pick your poison.
Once you have built up a hot ash base, you will be impressed by how much heat a gassifying wood stove throws. The Trail Designs can hold more hot coals than any other comparable design I have found. At the same time, you do not get many floating cinders, thus you reduce the risk of uncontrolled fire. It is also a lot easier to find fuel than it would be for a conventional campfire.
To light my stove, I use a Hemplights hemp wick dispenser paired to a Bic. (FYI, I promote the product for the company president, having been friends with him for 19 years.) It makes lighting stoves and campfires easier. Just do not try the version for Mini Bics - it is not ideal for these uses. I will extend the hemp wick about 4" to reach Isbit, alcohol, wood fuel or campfire birds nests, without having to worry about burning my thumb on the lighter as I struggle to achieve ignition. Makes your lighter last wayyyyy longer, too.
As far as gathering fuel, it is not cool to clean out your immediate area. Soil needs decaying wood on the ground to enrich it. Spread out to collect wood fuel.
If you use birch bark for tinder, do not peel the bark 360° around the trunk, or you will kill the tree. Pick from here and there, so the tree can recover.
Chris Eidam I have really thought about these wood stoves . I have seen the regulation “ no campfires or wood stoves”. I wonder if you gathered wood where it was plentiful and packed it in to the banned area if they would be ok with that (hard to prove).
When I was a boy, I read in a book that my father checked out from a library that one should never set up camp on or near a trail. A big animal might pass through on the trail at night and cause problems.
When I became a young adult grouse hunter, one Friday late afternoon after work, I shouldered my pack and, all alone, carried my .22 rimfire rifle up the ten-mile trail up War Creek that is sourced near the Purple Pass overlooking of the head end of Lake Chelan, Washington. As darkness began to envelope the trail, I took a right angle diversion from the trail in the uphill direction and found an almost flat place to sleep for the night about six rods from the trail for to spread my ground cloth and bedding. The next morning after a cup of instant coffee made with water heated on my Sterno stove, I packed up and rejoined the trail. There I saw the track of a large catamount inside one of my tracks made the night before.
The 4 w's from Dave Canterbury, wind, wood, water, & widow-maker. Very informative, keep it coming. Community is always a good thing. Be safe & God speed.
Hey Dixie! About an hour ago I was doing some research on crampons vs microspikes and I saw your vid come up on that topic in my search results. I wanted you to know I clicked on that before anyone else's review. I have often appreciated your honesty as to what you know on a topic and what you don't. Very much appreciated!
Great video Dixie! I want to point out there are 2 schools of thought on the whole no impact thing...some people subscribe to staying in established campsites to minimize damage to the surrounding areas. This is probably smart in parks and on the big trails you hike on due to sheer traffic but otherwise the opposite can be more helpful...choosing a pristine area and doing the least to damage it will protect any visibly used spots from getting further devastated. Choosing new each time allows campsites to recover between uses. If you are camping in a regulated place that is, if there is someone to ask, they may tell you either for a certain reason. Do follow their directions.
A word for hammockers...be careful picking your trees. The perfect arrangement of trees for hammock setup is pretty universal meaning that if you want to hang there chances are it looked like a good idea to someone else too? The problem is when we wear down the bark in the same places on trees it can damage the tree. Eventually it can kill the tree but even before that happens it starts to make the tree increasingly more dangerous to take the weight of a hiker. You can minimize impact to trees from hammocks by using tree huggers which are wide straps instead of thin ropes or cords.
Thanks for mentioning the tree hugger straps! Many state parks require 2 inch straps, to help decrease localized damage to the tree.
Oh and another positive Ford using the Dakota fire hole method is whenever your fire is out and you're done using it and you make sure it's out you can just bury it back with the dirt you dug out to make it and it is 0 impact and actually helps the soil there because coals left over will enrich the soil
I carry my tent stakes in a roll made from light nylon, with a slot for each stake. This is an automatic stake counter. As I pull each stake it goes into a slot. Since I started doing this have not left a stake behind.
Like this! No stake left behind
"and I make sure the trail doesn't wrap around in a way where people are going to end up behind me"
Yes, very important to do this, I learned it the hard way. Very thankful the people that saw just got a crazy laugh out of it and told me so I could start being more aware of trails looping around lol.
I do not like ever leaving a pack attended so I started hanging a bandana or shemagh on the trail to mark my departure from the trail. I HAVE misplaced my pack so have had that panic and howls of despair. Thank you for covering the most essential elements to LNT and providing real backcountry examples with best outcomes.
Thank you for a wonderful video. Great presentation. I work with scouts and other outdoor groups and will steer them to this video. Where I backpack there are no bears, but rats, mongoose, wild pigs and dogs can be a problem . . . especially the rodents. I often hang my food and even trash to be carried out in odor proof bags.
Thanks for the tips & reminders. It's been awhile since some of us have been on trail and a bit of refreshment on trail etiquette is always beneficial Stay well & safe.... Cheers.
I discovered your videos just last week but I'm OBSESSED with them! I never skip any ads that play before because this information and the simplicity of your videos just feels so valuable :)
Modern campers bring their entire home with them in their RVs, they start their generators as soon as they arrive, watch TV inside all day and make a lot of noises all day and night with at least 3 large dogs too, beside their family of 7. They don't seem to be out there to enjoy nature, but to be away from their communities.
They're not looking for nature. They're looking for isolation.
I think they get a pass if they live full time in said trailer
Oh no someone's enjoying nature a different way than I want to, how dare they! The only thing I will agree with is the generators
If they're happy, and not causing you any harm, is that a problem? Life would be appalling if everyone was the same. Imagine if everyone decided to go backpacking "properly" at the same time - you'd be furious. I'm all for anyone and everyone doing whatever they want, as long as it's nowhere anywhere near me.
Only time we run the generator is when our baby needs to nap and it's 90-100 degrees out and we need to keep the RV cool. And yes, we feel terrible about it if that helps.
Great video Dixie!! I remember the "Bearmuda Triangle" from my Philmont days, and as an LNT Master Educator and LNT State Advocate for Texas, I want to thank you especially for doing SUCH a good job of spreading the Leave No Trace message.
Great advice only thing I do differently is to Cook & Eat before I change into my sleeping clothes, then after clean up is done Change in to my sleeping clothes. That keeps food scent in my tent to a minimum...
maybe you should carry some disposable bibs
I always try to leave a camp or trail better than I found it. I bring a plastic bag with me just for picking up other people's trash. :-)
Loved the "Dixie Everyday" Back to Basics Series. Thanks Dixie and Aaron for Y'all hard work the last 2 wks! Y'all gotta be exhausted! Appreciate your efforts! BEAR-muda Triangle is were all your lost gear went! Thanks Dixie & Aaron!
A little saying they have taught us here in Louisiana is " A Fed Gator Is A Dead Gator " works the same for a bear !!! Thanks for another great video !!!
Taking video of your walk into the bush makes it 100 times easier to navigate back out. The human memory is fallible, but having concrete data to reference for every step is worth its weight in astatine. Just glance at the screen, glance ahead, & step; do this enough times & Robbo's your Auntie's live-in lover, you're back safely on the track.
Excellent advice from someone who really knows what they are taking about. Very comprehensive.
9:00 You 100% added this to your monologue to freak people out a little bit. Good sense of humor.
All a backpacker needs to know in this two week collection. Thank you, Dixie.
Would love to see tips and tricks on setting up a tent in a rain storm. Thanks for the years of knowledge.
That camping spot you folks had before you left the CDT to get out of Glacier when the heavy snows blew in just blew me away, especially with the Debussy sound track.
Well Dixie you have come along ways from the approach day 1 on the AT when I first started following you .Great info. Love all the videos. Keep them coming and may you never run out of trail.
Thank you so much, Dixie for answering my question about what YOU do with your pack when you need to go “off trail” and also how you navigate to your cat hole and back to your pack! I hope I won’t be laughed at if I use those cute colored clips deer hunters use! I just don’t want to get turned around and lost......my biggest fear. I have really enjoyed this series so thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. 😎⚓️
Act Old Later(another vlogger) has a couple of pink strips(like garbage bag material or similar) that she uses to find her way on the AT
Australian tips:
Watch for snake, emu or boar tracks. Don't want to have your tent ripped open or bitten in the morning ahaha.
Stay away from gum trees because they expand during the day and shrink overnight thus causing stable 100 kilogram branches to snap off and kill you. (Watched it nearly happen to a mate of mine, terrifying)
CLOSE YOUR TENT!!!! I slept with a huntsmen once and lemme tell you they aren't friendly if you lay on em.
Watch the bush fire season, fire ban or not if it's not and windy then no fire, if they're a dry lightening storm then stay away from any bush and watch for fires! Also fire ban is important!
Watch the sand, brown snake babies hide in it, they will bite and kill you.
Bring 2x water because you don't know if something will happen and you need that water.
If you are lost looks for mass trees, birds or crows. Tree = water. Water=people. Bird=water. Crows= dead animals. Dead animals= road kill meaning roads.
Edmay Mortem wow that’s wild! Only things that will kill you in the back country here in NZ are the weather, the terrain, and not thinking - and they all are really just the last one
rukaks I’ll pick NZ than! God if I lived in Australia I’d never leave the city lol
@@firefighter2699 as an Aussie, this is interesting to me, because I always say the average American's chill to camping in bear country - precautions or no - is wild. I love the outdoors here, we have no bear equivalent. If we did, I _would_ never leave the city! X-D
Bar far your best video...............learned more from this one...........than 20 normal backpacking videos.
Great series Dixie. Each video has so much information. No more excuses to hit the trails, everything we need to know is right here in this series!
This series of videos were amazing!!! Thanks for taking your time on getting so much information out.
I’ll just say that if you are new (or rusty) to camping, go to an established campsite first with the mind of dispersed camping to test everything out first.
getting a feel about how i should do a sight.. I a am above 13 thousand feet and I hunt.. I want to do simple hikes for peeps that are not too easy but I just was not getting a feel for other sights! Love for you come up and hunt with Lady!!
DIXIE...you rock, lots of great advice and tips...many thanks appreciate your efforts!.
This summer has kept me home :(. My daughter and I now 11 goes to Andrews cove GA. Pack in pack out. And the last couple of years the behavior of people has felled in this. It's said and bears are more active. Thanks for the video
Hi y'all..lol. Thanks for the 411..can never have to much info..i'll be prepping for my AT till April.. when I plan to heading out for my adventure..Thanks🤙😎
Thank you so much for doing this series.
Always carry your pack with you went venturing off trail, I have been involved in several searches for hikers who went off trail a few hundred feet and became disoriented and lost, carrying your pack with you could save your life,!Better to mark your off trail with ribbon and remove on your back out!
thank you, dixie! i have been assembling my first gear for some weeks now to go on my first backpacking trip during the easter holidays and your channel is sooo helpful...! keep'em coming! the triple crown is merely the beginning... ;)
Luv the “Bearmuda” concept! Very creative philosophy, which perpetuates bearreal environs!
Thanks Dixie for the whole series you put out over the past couple weeks... They were awesome and full of good information! Keep at it!
I'm new to backpacking and I've found these videos SO helpful!! Thank you Dixie!
One of the simplest of signs reminding people to be courteous I came across while visiting monument parks in the southwest. Take only pictures, leave only footprints. Good rule to live by.
Hugging the tree lmao, all I could envision was Cool Hand Luke "Shakin the bush boss, shakin the bush".
Thanks for this! Come on, summertime! 😎
I broke the rule of leaving what you find. I was in the San Gabriel Mountains a couple weeks ago hiking and I was crossing a creek and I looked down and saw a seashell! I’ve never found a seashell in the mountains before. So I kept it.
Good basic information that is needed to be heard several times.
This is a good one to share with my scout troop. Thank you!
bearmuda triangle- nice.
Thus a luxury item. Sea to summit portable sink. Light and packable to carry water away from the source and wash up. Utensils or self. Light workout rubber bands make awesome waymarks to put over your pack or trail.
Thanks Dixie! I love all ur videos. Informative and done well. The editor does a great job also. I've learned a lot!
Enjoyed the video. Nice reminders
- "Do you like to hug a tree as you do it" hahahaha that had me dying! what if you loose your grip?... Love your content Dixie!
Thanks Dixie, so much do I appreciate you from talking from experience and not a book. Well done !! 👍👍👍👍
Absolutely Awsome series! Thank you for all the time you took to make it :)
@@Grateful2Exist "Backcountry Camping Basics", about a year ago. On the coment you made, should be able to link to it by tapping the icon labed with title. That said, ALL her videos are informative, perhaps select from the 'Playlist'. Happy Camping :)
An easy philosophy to remember in the back country..Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.
Used a variation on that LNT saying in the Army. Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints...and kill ONLY people.
@@MichaelTheophilus906 you hold it until you get home!
Let know one say, and say it to your shame, all the beauty was here before you came.
Boy scout handbook
CSB: Was camping in New Mexico in an actual campground. Only 6 out of the 20 or so sites were taken so took my time looking at each before choosing my spot, taking. That week we got massive unexpected rainfall to the point the nearby arroyo ran its banks (and took some structures with it downstream). I was the only one who didn't have to abandon their site because I considered carefully. Point is, take your time picking your site and consider the various scenarios. Even if it's the only one, that doesn't mean it's a good site to use.
You are a blessing, Dixie!!
Hi Dixie, great video!
Thank you for posting this video doll
Dixie, you really have grown on me. I somtimes just put you on, for some background comfort. Kinda like having a sister in the other room. Ha ha. Please take that as a compliment.
😂 morning pooper 😂
You've just got a new subscriber
So last April, I drop my pack and head off away from the trail into the woods with my trowel and toilet paper ... I run smack into a big ol' bear who did not run away and stared me down which practically made me poop in my pants. From then on, I made lots of noise when going off trail to do my business.
Bill Randall Such a tough man, Bill!
Another reason to camp at least 200 feet from water is not just to protect fragile banks, but animals often come at night to drink. Camping close to water can spook them so they don’t get the water they need.
Wow. Another great commercial. I'm teaching my daughter. Seriously great.
In Utah my experience is all the old good campgrounds are now illegal due to more strict guidelines. People still use them but they shouldn’t. So I end up with horrible campsites. I wish I could move the lakes and rivers haha
And soon the spots you're forced using will be the horrible ones.
Thanks for the great tips!⛺
One thing I'll add is if there is a lot of wind don't have a campfire above-ground if things are remotely dry dig the Dakota fire hole it is a lot safer of a method if you absolutely have to have a fire because it's down in the ground and you just put a couple sticks over the hole and set your part on it that way you'll still be able to cook and you'll minimize your risk of Embers flying off and then catching Fire elsewhere
Jessica, excellent as always!
Thanks for all the info Dixie! 👍😀
Thank you Dixie for the series. watched and enjoyed all of them. very very good and important info all backpackers should know.
Excellent series, Dixie!
Those are all great ideas about camping out and I try to keep my food in my backpack when not in use and if I camp out in a park I will try to keep my food stored in my vehicle unless I am on foot.
Ah! 0:52 Rodriguez Road on the PCT, the first time I ever hiked at night, I had a little more than half a liter of water and decide to start my day at 3am and see if I’d get to Julian early in the morning before it got too hot.
This has been a great and informative series Dixie!!! Thank you so much for sharing everything you’ve learned!!!
Great set of videos Dixie
Thank you for sharing 💜 spot on 💜 advice
Campfire smoke is also a great insect repellent. That's why I always start the fire first, and then set up camp. That way the mosquitoes don't bite the shit outta me while I'm putting up my tent.
When going off trail turn around to Know what to look for when going back to the trail.
Thank your for sharing all of your knowledge and expertise with us. I know I appreciate it and have learn new things within this two week segment. I will definitely stay tuned for next weeks video. Cheers!
Thanks Dixie for sharing your experience!! This has truly been an extremely helpful series!!
Great info about the basics !!
Not many bears here in Texas to watch out for thankfully. The deadly predators here are snakes and mosquitoes. Sometimes a rare mountain lion. Mostly Mosquitoes though.
So excited for this video!
I sure do enjoy ya videos. Thanks
Great series Dixie, love all your stuff. When are you gonna do the AZT? Would love to provide you some trail magic! Thanks for all of the awesome content you provide! Someone else mentioned a compass to find your way back to the trail. Another orienteering trick is to leave a waypoint marker. I have a bright orange bandana that can be seen from a great distance. attach it to a tree to use as a marker of where you got off the trail. Use in conjunction with the poop compass trick mentioned earlier and you're golden!
Way too much information.
Fantastic. I always enjoy your vids. You are Very Helpful, Humble, Funny with Great Expressions and Gestures. mot informative video series on hikes and such a pleasure to watch.
Haha she keeps it so real. I like it. And I love her
beautiful disappearing fire ring!
Awesome video. Have a great week, Andreas 🇸🇪
Nice one Dixi. Love your videos 😊
If in bear country, it also a good idea to cook more aroma rich foods before putting on sleep clothing. If your clothing smells like food, there is a small chance of attracting bears while you are sleeping. Better to cook first and then change.
Thanks for a great series 👍
Thanks Dixie I hope your current activities are meeting your expectations keep making good videos thank you