Hi, Kjellery! That's such a great thought. I've bought tapes and wraps before, but I haven't actually tried them out - though I bought them more as a blister prevention 🪼 Have you tried toe taping, and if so, did you notice that it helped against toe jamming? Thank you so much for your ideas 😃 I hope that you are having a great afternoon.

Hi, Kjellery! It's so nice to see you today. I hope you are doing well and staying warm. Oh yes, I had on stiff, leather hiking boots, and there were so many rocky downhills to go down that my toes kept slamming into the front of my boots. It's so painful, and it caused my toenails to bruise, turn black, and the two big toenails eventually fell off. You've probably heard of "Hiker's Toes," well, that was definitely a huge problem for me on the trek. I immediately threw those boots away when I got home, and I'm trying out shoes with softer, more flexible, and lighter toe boxes. Gosh, I think I had blocked that memory haha 😀It makes my day to hear that you are watching my videos again! 🎉 I really appreciate you!

@ nice to hear from you. Sorry I reminded you of hikers toes. I was wondering if your feet were jamming. I heard toe socks helps with that. I’m taking 2 pairs of shoes. I have scarps and Solomon. Not leather. I saw the hat you were wearing. I think you must have got it in Lukla but I like it. Hoping I can get something similar too

@@kjellery Good morning 🌞 Haha, aw yes, jammed toes for sure. I love toe socks, and I was actually wearing toe socks. They help keep the toes from rubbing together, but for me at least, they didn't provide much protection from jamming. You're so smart not to take any leather shoes :) That's great if you have room in your pack and your bag is under the weigh limit enough to carry a second pair of shoes, but man-made materials are so much lighter than leather and the really heavy soles that leather boots needs, so that makes sense. Aw, I have such fair skin and eyes that hats are a must. I have more hats than maybe any one person should haha. Hm, you can definitely buy a hat in Kathmandu, but they are known to be knock-offs and not the best quality. But, they will get you through the trek. The hat I'm wearing here in Part 1 kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2HOpGp_rpuFqM0si=yBU8YG1YYEqBUjAk&t=268 came from REI before I left 😃, and I bought this one (kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWGoma1qj895otEsi=4maaxTzCnxACEeJY&t=92) from Amazon (they have other colors, too, so you don't have to hike in pink hehe (amzn.to/3CpEpgl). I think those were my only hats :) I think that at least one wide to medium brim sun hat and one heavier, 100% wool hat is perfect. The sun is so bright while it's freezing with lots of wind 🤪 I hope you have a great day! Mandi

Hi there, and thank you so much! I wish that I was back in Nepal haha, but this video was filmed last year before I left for my Everest Base Camp trek 🤩 Ohhhh, did you do the EBC trek at the same time as me in May of 2023? Did I capture you in one of my videos? 😀 It's so very nice to hear from you. I hope that you and your family have the best day today. Mandi

Mark! 🤩I'm so happy to see you! It's amazing to think it's been over a year already. Gosh, I am behind haha! It seems like we've been KZbin friends for way longer than that 😀Awwww. I hope you're having a lovely fall season, too! Happy November!

Hi, Lori 🌞 Thank you so much; it's so nice to be back. The Base Camp video is probably my #1 favorite; I love it so much, too. Seeing Mount Everest was amazing 🌟 and I'm really excited to share my India video(s) as well -- once I get through the zillion hours of footage haha. Much love to Ontario 💌

Hira! Good morning 🌻I'm so happy to see you here. Thank you so much for your emails. I hope that you and your family have the very best day 🤩

Hi, Shiva! Thank you so much! It's so wonderful to hear from you again. I hope that you are doing well. Wishing you and your family the very best 😀 Mandi

Walter! It's so great to see you again! Hahahaha! Ah, I did make you wait, didn't I 🙈🙃 You are too kind, and you totally make my day! The editing is taking me an eternity, but I promise that there will be another travel video out soon. Well, maybe not sooooooon soon - but, hopefully this year 🤞🍀🌠🎁 Thank you so much for writing, and I'll see you soon!

Steve! Haha, I am silly haha, and you are so funny! Gosh, right! Well, this trip was actually last year, but I've been editing the millions (or so it feels) of hours of footage on and off since then haha. Gosh, there's so much footage! But, it's gooooo-ood stuff! Hm, I am definitely traveling, but also definitely not on a "vacation" hehe. I'm so far behind in my editing 🙈 Thank you so much for being such a great filler-upper of my comment section 🎉

@@GoMandiMartin Yeah, I understand. When I travel overseas, I always have hours & hours of editing, and it does take a very long time to edit.

@@outdoorswithstevewilliams6027 Amen! Haha. Sheesh 😀😀 Well, it's so nice to not be alone in that craziness hehe.

Hi, and thank you so much; you are too sweet! I hope you and your family have the best day 😃 Mandi

Hi! It's so nice to hear from you 😃 Oh my gosh haha; I do know that now --- after airport security threw my portable power banks away in a very dramatic fashion haha. And, I had to choose between my flight and all of my batteries, so gosh 🙈 I hadn't realized that portable power banks were considered "batteries". Thank you so much for writing; it's been a pleasure 🙂

​@@GoMandiMartin...thanks mandi

@@bon-kidklepy-yak3442 You are very welcome 🤩

Good morning! 🌞 It's so nice to hear from you, kjellery 😃 Thank you for this very kind message. Gosh, that must be so hard; I have a very sensitive immune system, so I completely understand what it's like to have to be careful about hygiene especially when I'm traveling internationally. Thank you so much for taking the time to write, and I hope to see you again here very soon. Mandi

@ I’m the same. I will have to eat bland food on the trek as rice and gluten upset my system. By the way I love your hat that you bought in Namche. I was due to fly out on 27 November to Kathmandu but now having a surgery next week. My guide has now suggested end of March/early April. When did you do your trek?

@@kjellery Hi, again! How nice to hear back from you 😀 Ah, yeah, I sometimes have a hard time with gluten, too. Aw, thank you about the hat. Hm, I don't remember buying anything until I got back to Kathmandu after the trek 🙂hehe, but I'll still accept the compliment haha. I got a black sun hat and 2 pairs of earrings before I left. I have so, so many sun hats haha. Oh, no! I am so, so sorry to hear that you have to delay your trip 😟 especially to have a surgery. I really hope that you are ok that your operation goes well. Maybe on the bright side, it's so, so cold there, and from Namche and above, it's snowy, windy, and just plain not fun 🙈I personally couldn't imagine going in November/December, but the cold makes me cranky hahhahhaa. I did my trek in May, and that month seems to be the "best" weather with the minimal amount of congestion on the trail. But, I know how much it sucks to have to wait when you are ready to go. Are you doing ok?

Hi, Vince! It's so nice to hear from you. A huge welcome! I'm not sure if the Trek Card is/was a thing at all if the national parks in and around the Everest Region, but it was a requirement to trek solo when I did my trek last year. One of my subscribers that just returned from their EBC trek just wrote to let me know that the Trek Cards themselves are no longer needed to solo to EBC, but you do still need to pay for the permits. I didn't research any part of Nepal besides the traditional route from Lukla to EBC, but if I happen to hear anything, I'll definitely pass it on 🤩 Thank you so much for watching and writing; I hope to see you again here very soon. Mandi

@@GoMandiMartin Hi Mandi, thank you so much for you detailed video and response, I have heard a similar thing from someone hiking in Nepal earlier this year. He said that nobody checked or asked for the cards and didn't mind solo treckers. Obviously paying for the permits is still needed. Thats totally fine and good for the local economy.

Hi, Vince! What a pleasure to hear from you again 😃 That's so interesting, and I'm overjoyed that there seems to be an easier way for solo travelers 🥰 I totally agree, and I was more than happy to pay to enter the national parks, too; they're just so beautiful! 💟 Are you planning your own EBC trek?

@@GoMandiMartin Yes I am planning multiple trecks in nepal for the next two months, at the moment I am thinking about Annapurna Base Camp, Three Passes, EBC, Mardi Himal

@@vincentgoette Oh my gosh, wow, Vince! That sounds incredible! Do you do ok in high altitude? Or, maybe you live in high altitude? You have such great ideas for your Nepal treks/travels. I hope you'll share updates and all about your trip when you return 🌞

Hi, there 😃 It's so great to hear from you, and a huge welcome to the channel! What a very sweet question. I'm very happily single, but thank you for the inquiry 🤩 I hope to see you here again with the release of my videos. Sincerely, Mandi

Good morning, Tim! It's such a pleasure to have you here; a huge welcome to the channel! Isn't Crater Lake so beautiful 🥰 Ahw, I love Patapsco Park, too! Are you planning a visit to Patapsco? It totally makes my day to hear that you found more of my videos to watch. Thank you so much for watching and for taking the time to write 🤩 Mandi

@@GoMandiMartin Crater lake is amazing. I was there a long time ago but definitely leaves a lasting impression. I am trying to get more Fall hikes in this year. Went to the Shenandoah today and hopefully get over to Patapsco in the next few weeks. I live close to it.

Hi, Tim 😃 That's so awesome! I love your upcoming plans! I was just in Shenandoah NP, and I loved my campground, but gosh, the nights were freezing! 🥶 How great that you live near Patapsco. There was a lot of city noise from the campsite there, but it's still nice to be able to go camping so close to home. Did you enjoy Shenandoah?

@@GoMandiMartin Shenandoah was good. I went to Whiteoak Canyon- lots of waterfalls and the leaves were at peak color. What part of Shenandoah did you go to ?

@@TimA3167 Hey, Tim! 😃 Your waterfall hike sounds gorgeous. I stayed in Big Meadows Campground, and my site camp complete with two still-spotted fawns. Aw! 🦌🦌Happy Halloween!

Hi, Kris! It's so wonderful to hear from you again! Haha, oh my gosh, right! Yes! Sun gloves are such magical little things 🧙‍♂️ Burnt hands are the worst! Ah, I'm so sorry that your hands looked like roasted chicken skins; I have definitely been there. I totally agree; they are heavenly to have 🌞

Kris! You are back! Yay for you! 🎉🎉🎉 I'm so, so thrilled and overjoyed for you and your return to Lukla! I can't wait to hear more about your difficult yet magical trip. That's such a perfect way to describe it! Aw, you are very welcome 🥰 Thank you so much for sending the update about the Trek Card. That's super helpful, and you are so sweet to do that 😃 Do you have your next adventure in mind? Mandi

@@GoMandiMartinThank you Mandi for replying to my comments! Well, I’m thinking about Morocco and Atlas Mountains for next year but it’s a long time to plan it. Everything might change.

Haha! Hi, Steve 😀 That wind nearly blew me away. I never left left any destination without a single bit of usable audio 🤪 But, camping right on the edge of the ocean was an unbelievable experience 🩴🩴 If you get the chance to go, I think you'll love it!

Hi, Tony! It's nice to see you here; I'm really happy that you found me 😀 How exciting that you are doing your own EBC trek in just over a year; I hope I get to hear how it goes. I know, right haha. Gosh, that was a crazy adventure, and I sure did learn a lot: mostly, what not to do haha. But, hopefully the rest of the "EBC How To" etc. videos in my EBC Playlist are helpful. I'm happy to send you that link if you are interested. Good luck on your EBC training! Mandi

Hi, Victor! It's such a pleasure to hear from you; thank you so much for the very kind words. How exciting that you plan to do your own EBC trek in just over 6 months. I did my trek in the month of May, too, so it should be beautiful for you. I had a hard time finding the permit purchase counter during my trek, but I thought the counter would be at the very start of the trek. Instead, the counter is immediately before you enter the first National Park. If you are interested, I have a video that walks through everything related to the Trek Card, i.e., the permit, including how to find the counter and buy your tickets, etc., and that video link is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIPcYZ-Bhplnnc0si=51lYJA93vh03vukN I have lots of other video tutorials on the EBC trek, and that playlist link is: kzbin.info/aero/PL0nXtGFdRxjhF5ZEXl1t7rHYqKbi_Qv9h&si=FtNwu5tkKxSYt2VY I really hope this helps, and I'm happy to help if you have any more questions. Wishing you the best, Mandi

@@GoMandiMartin thankyou soo much for taking your precious time in providing this valuable infors . i cant wait to experience this adventure just like how you had, :)

@@victorecholima Hi, Victor! You are so sweet 😀 Thank you, and you are very welcome. I think you are going to have the most incredible adventure! I hope you'll keep me updated on your trip 🧳🥾⛰

Hey, Steve! Aw, thank you haha. "Funny" is such a nice compliment 😀 Niagara Falls is a dream! Some of my travel destinations blur with each other, but not this one 🎉 If you get the chance to go, I hope to hear all about this one, too!

@@GoMandiMartin Funny = Silly & Sweet.

@@outdoorswithstevewilliams6027 Haha, yeah 🌞 Saw, thanks, Steve! Wishing you the best Wednesday 🥳

Steve! Thank you so much! I 💗💗💗birthdays 😀 Only 10 more months until my next one hehe. Have you already had your birthday this year?

@@GoMandiMartin No, October 5th.

@@outdoorswithstevewilliams6027 It's in just a few days! How fun! 🎇🎇🎇 Do you have anything extra amazing planned? My celebrations usually take so long to plan that I almost never have enough time to celebrate in the month of July 🤪 Thank goodness that it's still warm in August! 🌞🌻

@@GoMandiMartin No not really. There are a few events around Baltimore this weekend I may check out.

@@outdoorswithstevewilliams6027 Only 2 more days until the big, big birthday! 🎊💃🪩

That's a great idea, Steve 😀 I think that's probably a great idea especially for a day trip like this one 😎 Thank you so much for sharing this tip. See you soon!

Oh, gosh! That's so smart! I basically learned to hike and learned to film at the same, and I'm still a bit silly at both haha. Filming with the left hand sounds like it would take some practice 🙈Thank you for the really fantastic tip; I will give this one some more thought.

Hello today, Steve! Haha, ahhhh. Thank you; you are too kind! My attempts at camping crack me up, too haha 😀 Wishing you a great day!

Hey, Steve! Good morning 🌞 I am recovering from some ankle injuries, so I sadly don't get to hike as much as I would like, but much of my hiking is done in other state, countries, etc. as I'm traveling. My greatest hike was the Everest Base Camp Trek last year 🎒🥾🗻 The EBC series is my all-time favorite: kzbin.info/aero/PL0nXtGFdRxjhF5ZEXl1t7rHYqKbi_Qv9h&si=sf6JVhG9-0QYZnzb How about you? Is much of your hiking in MD?

@GoMandiMartin Most of my hiking has been in MD, but I have hiked in Hawaii, Vietnam, Thailand ( those videos are on my other channel). I want to hike Utah, Arizona. Oh, I want to hike the Colorado Trail and more of the AT.

@@outdoorswithstevewilliams6027 Good morning, Steve! No way! That's so cool 🥳 It's great that you are so adventurous 🐅Do you have plans for a next far away adventure?

@GoMandiMartin in the next couple of months I am planning on hiking/ biking a few trails in Maryland ie The Billy Goat trail, Hemlock Gorge, ect. Next year, I hope to go th St. George Utah and ??, maybe Vietnam and Japan.

@@outdoorswithstevewilliams6027 Hi, Steve! All of those sound amazing! I've heard of the Billy Goat trail; it's supposed to be one of the best local trails🏆🥇 How neat! I'm sure you are going to end up with priceless footage 😀😀 I'm so sorry for my delay; I'm away right now getting my new adventure vehicle all gorgeous! She's almost ready. Well, more ready haha. How is your week so far?

Hi, Steve! You are so sweet; thank you so much! Are you continuing on the AT beyond MD? 🌞

@GoMandiMartin I would like to hike other parts of the AT. I just can not do more than a few days at a time. If I hike with a small group I may be able to do a week or so.

@@outdoorswithstevewilliams6027 Ah, that's totally understandable. I only have one overnight sometimes, so I totally get that 😊 By the time you drive back & forth to one of the overnight lots in another state, half of the weekend is gone 🙈 But, I really look forward to hearing all about the other section(s) that you one day complete 🥾🥾⛰️

Hi, Steve! It's so nice to hear from you; thank you so much for the very kind message. Right, gosh! The MD section was my first introduction to the AT since I live in MD, and gosh, was it rough haha. Did you survive it with all of your ankle joints intact? 😃 Mandi

​@@GoMandiMartin A walking stick is a must. It really helped.

@@outdoorswithstevewilliams6027 Ohhhhhh, interesting! I have never used a walking stick(s) before; I need both hands to film, and the camera is always rolling 🎥 But, hmm, maybe I will give them a try Anything to not break a bone 🥳

Kirk Douglas! Gosh, it took me forever to add some sophistication to my camping haha. I'm fancy now! 👗👠 I hope you are doing well! 😀

@@GoMandiMartin that’s way more fancy than I’m used to seeing you….😂

@@GoMandiMartin you can make a serious omelette with that thing.

@@kirkstaley1170 I know, right! Haha! I'm moving up in the world hehe. Now I just need sterling silver and a crystal chandelier in the adventure vehicle 🎀💎🎉

@@kirkstaley1170 Ummm, for real! Assuming that you can get all of the eggs to base camp without them cracking 🪺🥚🍳

Hi, Kjellery! It's so nice to hear from you, and thank you so much for your very kind message; it really makes my day! How exciting that you are doing the EBC trek -- and so soon! I'm so happy for you. I hope to hear all about it, and you are welcome to let me know if you have any questions while you are preparing. Mandi 🌞😀

@@GoMandiMartin Hi thanks. Most days you seemed to wake up unwell but when you headed out for the day you seemed very chilly. I was wondering what did you do to feel better and get yourself back on the tracks so quickly

@@kjellery Hi! It's great to see you again 😃 I'm so sorry about my delay; I thought that I responded last week, but now I don't see my response 🙈 That is such a great question. I had taken some over the counter pain reliever pills with me, and taking those consistently, i.e., taking the next dose before the current dose had a chance to wear off, helped a bit. There honestly wasn't too much that I could do. There were some days when the elevation dipped lower, and I did feel a bit better briefly. Also, I hiked slower and hiked for 8 days straight instead of hiking for 6 days over an 8 day period. With this, planning my route carefully really helped. If you are interested and haven't seen it yet, here's my video on how to plan your route: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGTZimOQr8qGnsUsi=wZLDl8MlM7hStWcp I really hope this helps. Good luck as you continue to prepare for your trek!