After the Camp - Woman in the Backcountry Alone - Susie's First Solo Adv...

This channel is Agenda Free and is fully supported by the viewers.
Support TOGR with Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/TOGR

This is After the Camp for Susie's first SOLO backpacking adventure!
She's going to answer questions, talk about the trip and more!

3+ Years Late - Q & A - Ask Me Anything - Part 8

Support TOGR with Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/TOGR

This is Part 8 of the Question and Answer Series....
it might be almost 4 years late but later is better than never!
Haha

Why I Adventure in the Outdoors

This channel is Agenda Free and is fully supported by the viewers.
Support TOGR with Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/TOGR

Recently in one of my overnight adventures, I received a comment from a guy who asked why I went through all of the effort which I did just to camp out in a nasty storm.  At the time, I didn’t think much about the question but the other day I was thinking about it and that was actually a good question and it is one which I will answer for the channel in the form of a video.

Q&A : Three Nights - Bushcraft Overnight Adventure

Here is the Q&A from the Three Nights Bushcraft Overnight Adventure.

Part 8 - T.O.G.R. - Question Submission

This is Part 8 of the Question and Answer Series.
Drop your questions and comments down below and they will be addressed in a future episode.

Q&A With T.O.G.R. - Part 7 : Answers

This is part 7 of the Question and Answer series.  Part 8 submission will come soon so get your questions ready.

Thanks for watching.

Sunrise and Q&A With T.O.G.R. - Part 6 : Answers

This is part 6 of the Question and Answer series.  Part 7 will come soon so get your questions ready.

Thanks for watching.

Part 6 - T.O.G.R. - Question Submission

This is Part 6 of the Question and Answer Series.
Drop your questions and comments down below and they will be addressed in a future episode.

Falling Snow : Afternoon Discussion

This is Falling Snow; an afternoon with falling snow, some instant coffee, a campfire and some good old fashion conversation.

Q & A With T.O.G.R. - Part 5 : Answers

This is part 5 of the Question and Answer series.  Part 6 will come soon so get your questions ready.

Thanks for watching.

Part 5 - T.O.G.R. - Question Submission

This is Part 5 of the Question and Answer Series.
Drop your questions and comments down below and they will be addressed in a future episode.

T. O. G. R. Question & Answers Part 4 : Answers

This is part 4 of the Question and Answer series.  Part 5 will come soon so get your questions ready.

Thanks for watching.

Part 4 - T. O. G. R. - Question Submission

Thank you all for joining us with this episode of The Outdoor Gear Review.
Submit your questions to be answered and addressed in a future episode.  This is part four of our question and answer series!

Questions and Answers : Appropriate to Take Your Kids Camping

Question : "Luke.What age is appropriate to bring your son for his first camp out.My son is five and I am mad to bring him out but don't know how he will react to sleeping out.Any advice?"


Answer : "Hey there Robert, How goes it?

As for camping with the kids it can be done at almost any age really but the younger they are the more you really have to pay attention and watch over them.  Ultimately we owe it to all children to get them outside and into the 'wild'.  It's our duty as parents!   The lessons that they will learn from being with us will stay with them forever.  Rocks, sticks, water, scratches, bugs, snakes, weather, etc.  It's real life.

I would also remind you that with children everything is an extreme.  If they get cold, they're FREEZING!  If they get hungry, they're STARVING!  In other words all of their emotions and needs are more dramatic so you will need to be prepared to give them what they need so they can enjoy the experience.  Remember that they will need activities to keep them busy as well.  Boredom is a camping trip killer.

One last thought, if you're going to be far from help (911) make sure that you have some real medical training.  Things happen and that's the real world.  You can reduce risk but you can't eliminate it so you've got to be prepared as much as possible.  That of course goes for any situation.

Hope that helps.

Questions and Answers : Fire Pistons

Question : 

"Luke,

I know that you use the ferro rods a lot while out on your camp outs. Not sure if you've seen the fire pistons or not, but they are pretty cool. You can google them and find all kinds of variations. Just thought that you might be interested if you've never seen them in action before."

Answer :

"Hey there ***,

how are you doing my friend?  

As for fire pistons, I've messed with them before and I'm not all that fond of them.  I personally wouldn't recommend them to anyone if they were planning on relying on them. Fire pistons are very susceptible to dirt which gets onto the sealing surfaces and prevents sufficient compression to generate an ember. Most need to be cleaned thoroughly before each use if you want to get anything better than a 10% success rate.  Won't work when wet either.  

Thanks for the suggestion my friend."

Questions and Answers : Backpacking Tips

Question :

"hey luke my name is **** im 17 and have been watching your incredible vidoes for 2 or so months now. I am planning on a AP hike this summer starting july 16 and im going from MD to Maine. I am very well fit considering i am a hockey player and an extreme outdoor enthusiast as you are. I was wondering if you could give me some tips on what to bring and any other advice. Thanks Keep Truckin"


Answer: :

"Hey there *****,
how are you my friend?

Thanks you for watching my videos and for the kind words.  It means a lot.

As for your trek coming up in July, I do have some recommendations for you.

* Pack as light as you possibly can.  Be smart about it and take what you truly need.  It's always better to have it than not.

* Make sure that your pack fits PERFECTLY!  This is super important.  Carrying a pack that doesn't fit right for a day or two is one thing, doing it for longer periods of time it can destroy you.

* Use your gear and get comfortable with it now.  Don't wait until it's time to go on your travels.  You need to learn what works, what doesn't and what the weaknesses are with your gear.  If something doesn't work right for your setup, replace it.

* Allow yourself additional time to reach your destination.  Planning is great but once you are on the trail sticking to a schedule of so many miles a day doesn't always work out.  You may be tired and slow one day, you may have a blister that needs to heal, etc.  Allow extra time for the unknowns.

* Know your trail is very important.  Make sure you have good maps and details of the trek you are doing.

* Check on trail conditions before your feet hit the ground.  Check forums, call ranger stations, etc.

I hope that helps my friend.
Luke

Ps. As for what to bring, well that depends on what type of backpacker you are and what type of gear that you have.  If you can send me a list of items that you have I could make some suggestions."

Question and Answer : Tent Care

QUESTION :

"avo luke..can you do a video on wot is the best way to clean your tent afta you have used it or advise me on the best way via fb ty..ur girl is a cutie(dog)"



ANSWER:

"Hey there ****, I can definitely do that.  I will add that to my list of things to do.  :)  Thank you

As for cleaning a tent, here are some tips.  If you can use simple water and a non-abrasive sponge, that's the best way to go.  Use cold water.  If you have to use soap make sure it is a non-detergent. Avoid household cleaners such as dishwashing liquid, bleach, spot removers or laundry presoaking products.   Then of course let it dry 100% before putting it up."

Question and Answer : Bears

Question :

"Hey Luke , I'm looking at buying a Hilleberg tent. The tent is a big investment. Someone claims while hiking AT a Black Bear kept showing up at shelter . Another hiker who had a tent setup near shelter felt unsafe in tent by himself . He leaves tent to stay at shelter with other hikers. Everyone wakes up in the morning o.k and the gentlemen with tent goes back and finds its missing from the campsite. He looks around a while and finds tent off in woods torn up. Two questions Luke, should have the hiker stayed with his tent? And I know a Black Bear is strong but would he rip up a tent and drag it into the woods? Thanks Luke for your time "


Answer :

• Hey there XXXXX,
  How are you brother?
  
  As for bears and tents, when one is in their land it's a gamble. Bears have an incredible ability of smell and it's thought that they have the best sense of smell of any animal on earth. For example, the average dog’s sense of smell is 100 times better than a humans. A blood hound’s is 300 times better. A bear’s sense of smell is 7 times better than a blood hound’s or 2,100 times better than a human.
  
  Think of that and then the tent. Even the smallest amount of odor could possibly invite a bear.
  
  With the story in question, there isn't a right or wrong answer. The individual did what they felt comfortable with and made it without getting hurt.
  
  We have a lot of Black Bears here in my area and if they get interested in something they can do some serious damage. I've seen bears rip cars apart to get to chewing gum.
  
  Ultimately it's about doing your best to limit the animals interest.
  
  Let me know if you have any further questions.
  Luke

Moisture / Condensation Build Up : Questions and Answers

Question:

Yo Luke how do you handle moisture build up in a bivy? Condensation seems to be a big issue maybe you can address this issue. Even in a tent during winter. How do you avoid frost an moisture build up while inside asleep


My Response (Answer):

In the winter moisture is always an issue but there are things you can do to limit it. With a bivy it's all about keeping your breath out of the bag if at all possible. A synthetic fill sleeping bag will be key if you can't because you will stay warm even with the moisture build up. But, with the sleeping bag make sure it isn't too warm for the conditions you are in. If you sweat some condensation will form on the walls. Can't really avoid that. Also make sure that your clothes are absolutely dry before you get in the bag. Dry socks are important to. Make sure you have a barrier separating you from the ground. More than just the material of the bivy. 

Vent at the top of the bivy as well as the bottom if at all possible. 

Some build is likely no matter what.

Pant Material and Shoes : Questions Asked, Answers Given

The other day I had an individual write in and this is what he had to say;

"Hi Luke. I really enjoy your youtube vids. I would like to ask your opinion on hiking pants. I am just getting into hiking, so I don't plan on spending a bundle on most of the gear (just yet), but I certainly want the right boots/pants. The boots I can handle, but I am clueless on what kind of pants will not chafe me raw. Any insight would be appreciated."

...

My answer to him is this;

"Hey there XXXXX,
How are you brother?  Thanks for the kind words.

As for hiking pants, well there are a lot of different types and lots of different fabrics.  It goes without saying that Cotton is a bad choice.  "Cotton Kills" & "Cotton: Fabric of Death."  Plus, hike ten miles in jeans and you'll never walk the same....ever again!!!

For the average pant I would say go with something nylon.  Lightweight, fast drying and fairly cheap.  You may come across a nylon blend and that is fine too.  Normally it's a blend with spandex.  Can't go wrong there.  That will cover you during the 3 seasons.

When it comes to the 4th season, nylon is still a good choice but layering becomes important.  You can look for a softshell pant or even a heavy material such as the G1000 from Fjallraven.  In other words, you need the right tool for the job.

When it comes to boots, there are a lot of options.  Some lighter than others, some with waterproof liners, some more breathable.  I typically say that there isn't a one pair fits all solution when it comes to shoes and boots.  On dry days I want something lightweight and breathable.  If it's going to be a wet one, I want something with a gore-tex (etc) liner.  If it's going to be really cold, I want something insulated.  If it's cold and wet, insulated and waterproof.  See what I mean?

I hope this helps my friend.
Luke