Hiking across Michigan's Upper Peninsula - Section 8

[@mkrumm4763]

Found only by accident, I am thoroughly enjoying your videos. This section 8 includes the Oren Krumm shelter, built (twice) by friends and relatives in memory of our son, Oren. I wish you great success in your carreer as a photo journalist. Experiencing your hiking and camping like this makes all the work we do to maintain "our segments" of the North Country Trail well worth the effort. I'm hoping our paths cross someday. Thank you, Alex.

[@WildernessMindset]

I'm glad you're enjoying them. That shelter was a huge and much needed moral booster for me, even though I didn't stay very warm haha. Maybe I'll see you out on the trail sometime.

[@JoshLuukkonen]

My mom found the video and sent me here to see Oren's shelter. I still think of him often and miss him. I hope you all are well.

[@peggyoooo7092]

I have an idea, and it's just an idea about how to keep your feet dry and even your legs, tall kitchen trash bags wear two bags on each foot and then make them go on the outside of your pant leg all the way up to your knees and tie them off, you can even take some loose rubber bands to hold them in place so when you step in those water holes your feet and pants won't get wet plus it'll keep your feet warmer. Just an idea, I remember wearing bread bags on my feet when I was a little girl inside my boots and it kept my feet dryer longer.😉 Stay safe young man.

[@WildernessMindset]

I have tried that actually. It does keep the water out but it also traps water from the inside. So my feet would sweat and then be wet anyway.

[@nathantweeddale9057]

I take back my comment on your last video... you are the best you tube hiking channel.

[@carolewarner101]

Hi, it's me again. I wrote a rather extensive "comment" in one of your previous sections about some possible gear changes/upgrades you might be interested in considering. One thing I didn't think of mentioning in that previous comment when I mentioned the Lanshen 2 tent (or something similar) is that when winter camping like you are in this section, you can just leave the net tent at home and bring a ground cloth to sleep on under the tarp portion of the tent thereby eliminating the weight of that to help offset some of the weight of the other stuff you have to bring when winter camping (a warmer heavier bag, snowshoes, extra clothing and food, etc). That's the nice thing about a tent that uses trekking poles. While it's not free standing, you save the weight of the poles and can set up the tent "fly" (tarp) separately from the net tent, thereby allowing you greater versatility/options. No sense carrying the extra weight of the inner tent in the winter since there are no bugs to keep out. Also consider using vapor barriers to prevent sweat permeating your clothes during hiking as well as your sleeping bag at night to maintain their insulation capacity as well as to prevent the build up of the additional weight from the moisture that tends to accumulate in your clothing and sleeping bag over the course of your hike. And of course you'll be a lot safer in terms of staying warm. andrewskurka.com/vapor-barrier-liners-theory-application/ PS Happy Birthday!

[@johnkolehmainen2666]

I know Oren's parents as they live in Elo. She was the post mistress of Pelkie for many years. Glad you happened to be able to use the shelter.

[@WildernessMindset]

I actually ran into her at one of the funerals we filmed in Pelkie. It was a nice surprise and she was grateful to see the shelter being used.

[@JessicaClark-q5o]

oh my dear, you probably know this by now, but if you go into a shelter in the winter and you're the only one, pitch your tent inside. The extra layers of insulation will help!

[@peterrushlau2805]

another great video! you are so right about the silence of the woods in winter. nothing like a night hike in the forest when all you might hear is falling snow. nice addition of the drone footage.

[@backcountryagenda5507]

you should get a hot tent. It will make those morning backpacking in winter much better. I have a Luxe Hexpeak and a Titianiam Goat small wifi stove. total weight for both is about 3.5lbs. It can 0 degrees outside and 80 in my tent

[@WildernessMindset]

wow that's amazingly small and light for a stove. I think I would enjoy that on shorter trips but for multiple nights I'd want to simplify things as much as possible. The less work the better ha.

[@sweetpickles695]

Enjoying your vids! I used the same alps tent on my first section of the AT. love it but wanted more room. I only just started section hiking the NCT late last year. Really with my pictured rocks section this summer. Loved watching your winter backpacking experience. Your videography style reminds me a bit of Dixie (triple crowner). Thanks for sharing your adventure on the NCT! happy hiking!

[@WildernessMindset]

thanks for watching! I really like that tent, I've gotten used to the space in there. But I have gotten a lighter tent that can be set up with trekking poles too. It's a tarp tent protrail. It actually has more room but it's much flimsier in the wind. You're not the first person to mention Dixie to me, I'll have to check her videos out ha.

[@sweetpickles695]

@@WildernessMindset i also opted for lighter weight tent but larger. A marmot tungsten, 2 I think. I will look forward to seeing more of your adventures!! You would loke Dixies videos. My fav is pct! Her cdt is really good too!

[@tzavitz]

Love the drone shots.....really adds to your videos.

[@loganclark8880]

Great videos man! I really appreciate them. I think i'm gonna take this fall off of work and do a lot of backpacking in the UP. I'm really looking at doing sections 8 and 9 of what you did, plus pictured rocks, this late september and early october. Any advice for huron mtns section and baraga plains?

[@WildernessMindset]

Good choices, those were some of my favorite parts. I don't really have any advice though, it's all pretty easy to navigate. The McCormick wilderness track doesn't have any trail markers but there is decent tread the whole way. As long as you're not doing it in winter it's easy enough to follow.

[@rainsweptflower]

please get a warmer sleeping bag! what if you get a night that is both very cold and windy? *shivers* >_

[@elizabethf8078]

Firstly, I love the videos and the peoole you interview & interact with aling the way. I love Fitty Shrimp, too, but his negativity really gets in his way and makes it hard to listen to him for any period of time. He is really critical and takes petty pot shots at people, which are totally unnecessary. I'm sure he's just repeating something that was done to him growing up, but it bleeds out on people around him. I really don't enjoy that part of his personality, which makes it hard -- because I otherwise really like him. I would strongly recommend editing out his pot shots. It's hard to listen to him being critical of others who don't seem to deserve it. He did the same thing on the Hsyduke, and it grated on me. You're so introspective and transparent..which is maybe why I find it so jarring. I thoroughly enjoy your insights.

[@danemmerich6775]

Happy Birthday. Great job out there.

[@lindahikes2760]

Great videos! Thank you for sharing. When I bought my 20 deg sleeping bag the salesman told me, "You won't die at 20 deg, it doesn't mean you'll be comfortable at 20 deg!" That being said, I have never camped below 60 deg so hats off to you for winter camping. I've always wanted to try it but haven't yet.

[@WildernessMindset]

The salesmen must like saying that because I've heard the same thing haha. Having the right gear is more important for winter camping than anything else, but once you do it's really fun.