Ask Darwin Q&A #4 (Answers!)

Description

AT Class of 2017 - https://www.facebook.com/groups/499829173469837/?fref=nf

ATC - http://www.appalachiantrail.org

Fiverr Services - https://www.fiverr.com/darwinontrail/help-dial-down-your-backpacking-gear?funnel=effc815d-67f2-4578-93b1-3db85573abfc

Gear Used to Shoot this Video! (CHECK OUT REVIEWS AND DETAILS)

- Camera -

Canon EOS T6i - http://amzn.to/2kACQOU

- Lighting -

Neewer 160 LED - http://amzn.to/2kAEOyO

- Sound -

TakStar Shotgun Mic - http://amzn.to/2kMsAnM

- TriPod -

Targus 360 Trigger Tripod - http://amzn.to/2kMsU5Y

------- Music By: Thunder/Dreamer --------

Help me make More/Better Videos:

Donate: https://darwinonthetrail.com/supporters/

Contact information:

Website: www.darwinonthetrail.com

Instagram: Darwin_Onthetrail

facebook: www.facebook.com/darwinonthetrail

Tags: Appalachian Trail,AT,ATC,AT THru Hike,Thru Hike,PCT,Pacific Crest Trail,Hiking,Backpacking,Bikepacking,Surly Bikes,Kona Bikes,Vintage Camper,Lark Travel Trailer,Camper Restoration,Full-time RVing,Minimalist,Off Grid Living,Long Distance Hiking,Traveling

Video Transcription

hey guys it's Darwin here with another Q&A for you guys my weekly Q&A series last week you guys sent me a lot of new questions someone try to get to it as many as I possibly can today and then if you have any questions for next week you can go ahead and leave them in the comment box below ask any question you want to about the things that we usually go over here on the channel or you can send me a video question over to Darwin on the trail at yahoo.com a video of you asking me a question and then next week I will feature that video in my Q&A and answer your question alright so let's go ahead and get into it how has your experiences and 80 thru-hiking led to / supported your progression of your nomadic life and upcoming life on the road in your vintage camper so I think that whenever you do any type of long-distance hiking or some sort of bike tour or you know a big part of your life four to six months where you're living out of nothing but a backpack on your back whether that you know European backpacking where you're going from country to country whether it's hiking the 80 I think what it really teaches you is that you can live very simply the other thing is you know you spent four to six months everyday sleeping in a different place eating breakfast in a different place so you kind of have this nomadic life and you get really used to it and you get used to this comfort that every day you're going to see something different so I think that's really what has led our lives in that direction of wanting to constantly travel constantly see things and be you know nomadic and that's why we're moving into our vintage camper that we're redoing it so that at any given time you know we can travel and go somewhere else and see something different so kind of once you set your life in that motion and find out that you know owning a bunch of stuff and kind of holding onto this American dream of living the complicated life isn't as great it really kind of opened up your and I think that happens to a lot of people that go out and do things like you hike dat it's not just does it's a lot of people that you know I hike to us in 2015-2016 they're kind of living more of a nomadic and traveling life so it's kind of like once you cut that cord it's really hard to go back I'm 18 years old and starting the Appalachian Trail thru-hike on the 29th I was wondering have you ever met anyone hiking that is around the same age as me and if not what was the most popular age group on the trail so I don't really remember a whole lot of people that were 18 however I did meet some much younger cats a brother and sister but I think for about 16 or 17 their parents were actually dropping them off at sections and then they would hike about 4 to 5 days by themselves and then meet back up but I think the average age of the 80 is people kind of in their mid-20s a lot of people that are like fresh out of college before they go and start that real world or people that are right out of high school and about to go into college which I guess that would be you at 18 but I don't remember a whole lot of people that were 18 most of the people that I hiked with and that I remember right there in their mid-20s about 23 25 cut in their snuggles and I were in our late 20s 29 is whenever we went out so that's probably the average group that being said all walks of life you know anywhere from a couple years ago there was a kid I think he was like seven or eight years old named buddy backpacker if you're familiar he hiked the whole 80 with his parents so anywhere from a kid all the way up to you know an older man or older woman I met and ran into some people that were into their 70s and 80s out there hiking the trail so you know there's all different types of walks of life on the trail but again I would say the average age is probably the mid-twenties during your Arizona bike trip you purchased a new tent from six moons designs would you talk about how well the temp worked out things you liked about it and then did not so I actually recently did a gear review on that tent before I took it out so kind of a pre review I'll put the link up here she kind of want to go check that video up but I'm still kind of testing it there's a couple things I don't like about it in the tip that he's talking about is the six moons design skyscape trekker while I was on out on the Arizona Trail it's a really good tent there were a couple of nights where I had rain and I had a little bit of problems with leaking the only other thing that I don't like about that tent is the bathtub it comes up just a little bit where I tend to like a little bit taller of a bathtub just in case there's a heavy downpour aside from that I've been enjoying the tent next month I'll be going to do a section hike on the Continental Divide Trail at end a section and I'll be taking that tent again so after that I'm going to put together a post review where I've actually had some time using it and then be able to do a little bit more of an honest review of what I think about it in the field so keep an eye out for that what's a decent bike for someone looking at getting into bike packing without breaking the bank that's a great question so you know there's a lot of people that argue pretty much any bikes that you have you can strap bags on it and get into bike packing if you're wanting kind of a bike packing specific bike and something that's really good for that as most of you know I'm a big surly geek

so certainly recently released the new karate monkey which is a twenty seven and a half plus that would be a phenomenal bike for a bike packing bike but some other bikes you can look into are like the Big Kahuna by Kona or the unit by koma the unit and the karate monkey both are steel friends and they come single speed but you know at the lowest price that you can get them you can pretty much kind of do whatever you want to but any bike that you set up is going to be great for bike packing the best thing to do is just get everything together get out there get some experience and then later on maybe think about getting a better rig but for now and then just get a bike get whatever bike that you have as long as you have something that can go off-road and it's comfortable to you strap it down some bags and get out there I'm looking for an 11-pound

gear list for around the world by packing tour can you help me so I can't help you I'm really good at getting things dialed down deciding what you need and what you don't need I'd actually really like to hear about kind of the trip that you have planned just because I'm kind of interested in there but snugglin I have recently started in a fiber account as in ears you are familiar with a website called fiber it's actually where you do services for people so snuggles and I have started doing a couple services I'll put the link up here and then will also put the link in the description box below so if you want to check that out snuggles and I are actually offering a service where we help do a pack shake down or do you custom setup on gear for any type of trip that you're doing so go over and check that out and I'd be more than happy to help me do you have any thoughts concerning hammock camping versus tinting I haven't really spent a whole lot of time panicking Hemington is a great option it's a good way to go lightweight especially if you're going to be backpacking in the summer where you don't have to carry a date under quilt or a top quilt I have done a little bit of ham looking but not a whole lot to really base a hardcore opinion I've kind of always been a tent guy but I know a lot of people that have switched to hammock because it's a little more convenient a little easier there's obviously some sections that hammocks don't work I'll be hiking the PCT next year starting in April and pretty much for that first seven hundred miles in the desert there's not really a lot of places that you know you can hang a hammock there's not a lot of trees in the desert so it kind of all depends on on where you're planning on backpacking camping on most of the Appalachian Trail there's tons of trees and I think there's ever be a time where you wouldn't be able to hang a hammock so it's all preference but I haven't really had a chance to really get into hammock in yet so maybe that's something I'll touch on in the future I'd like to do hiker feeds and trail magic I live in Southeast Pennsylvania so the closest section of the 80 is in Pennsylvania and New Jersey what's the best way to find out where the hiker level is great question once up so the best way to really find out where that hiker level is is you know stay connected to look there's a group called Appalachian Trail class of 2017 you can definitely check that out I'll put a link up here and I'll also put one in the description box below but you can check that link out you know add yourself to that group and maybe ask around find out where those guys are at or you can contact Miss Janet miss Janet is a really famous trail angel' that usually follows the hiker bubble as it moves all the way up north for North bounders so that would be another really good research or just contact the ATC again I'll leave their website and contact information below but pretty much every year it changes the bubble usually kind of pops off right at the end of March and then into the beginning of April so kind of keep that in mind most of those cats are going to be starting at Springer at the end of March and then kind of moving you know north so definitely get a hold of those contacts and find out where that is and that's awesome that you want to do some trail magic man all right and last question that I'm going to ask today is I have two questions if you had to settle down somewhere where would it be and had you ever been to steamboat Colorado so yes we have been to Steamboat Springs really cool place really cool place if you're into skiing or if you're into whitewater rafting however it is really really expensive to live there unless you're in the outdoor industry and say you work for Big Agnes so Big Agnes is actually out of Steamboat Springs the cool place we visited a couple times but probably not someplace that I would live and if I had to settle down somewhere that's a hard one you know we've talked a lot about if we were to ever really stop and stay someplace for a long time we'd probably want to be really close to the Blue Ridge Mountains so you know really close there in Tennessee or Virginia where the Smokies are or the whole Blue Ridge as you can see a the Blue Ridge here in my arm I'm a big big fan of the Blue Ridge Mountains it's kind of where my heart lies as a hiker they were my favorite mountains kind of in the entire US so probably somewhere around Mountains I just I absolutely love that place and really miss it you know being out here in the West we have some bigger mountains out here and bigger ranges however nothing really beats those mountains out there so if I did have to settle down somewhere I think it would be next to the Smokies alright guys so thanks for all the great questions this week again I'll be doing another one next week so you can leave some questions in the comment box below or send me a video question a video of you asking me a question over to Darwin on the trail at yahoo.com and then next week I'll feature it in my Q&A video if you haven't got a chance yet go over and check me out on Instagram I've been posting a lot of new photos of some of the things that snuggler than I have going on throughout the week and some photos of the renovation of our 1972 or travel trailer so go check that out go ahead and light or dislike this video subscribe to my channel if you haven't already and as always guys thanks for watching

[Music]

you

[Music]