Hiking Alone at Night and Sleeping Under the Stars

I start hiking late in the evening and venture up into the cloudy mountains. Hiking alone at night is a special experience, and when it’s this silent, and I'm inside a cloud it feels as if I’m on a different planet. I can hear everything around me, like the waterfall in the distance and the grouse calling, but I can’t see more than a few meters in front of me.
I find my way to the plateau and find a spot to set up my tent. While preparing dinner the skies cleared and I got a good view of the moon as well as the stars before going to bed.
Location: Botnvatnet, Austvågøya in Vågan Kommune in Lofoten, Norway
Time of year: Fall / autumn - September 29th 2020
Website and blog: www.kristianpl...
Camera gear used in this video (affiliate links):
Camera: Canon EOS R5 - amzn.to/2EqniwL
Lens: Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 - amzn.to/2Ylekbj
Variable ND-filter: Polar Pro 77mm 2-5 stop - amzn.to/3gczoH7
Tripod: Sirui T-024SK - amzn.to/2LDPmx1
Microphone: Rode Stereo VideoMic X - amzn.to/2ZgHEkA
Attachment: Peak Design Capture Pro Camera Clip - amzn.to/30z310v
Editing software: Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Studio - amzn.to/36nP3QR
Other gear used in this video (affiliate links):
Jacket: Klättermusen Allgrön 2.0 - www.klattermus...
Hat: Fjällräven Byron Hat Dark Navy - amzn.to/36zb3dt
Pants: Fjallraven - Men's Keb Trousers - amzn.to/2TjTs1K
Backpack: Ortovox Peak 45 - amzn.to/2WNSbCp
Gas stove: Primus ETA Lite - amzn.to/2LCEorI
Headlamp: Black Diamond Spot - amzn.to/2XEbXPW
Water filtration: Katadyn BeFree - amzn.to/30EidKq
Collapsible water bottle: Platypus Platy - amzn.to/2AmhbrQ
Watch: Garmin Forerunner 735XT - amzn.to/3eIaDmb
Sleeping bag: Rab Neutrino 400 - amzn.to/3iVssA3
Air mattress: Thermarest NeoAir Xlite Large - amzn.to/3j1SvWq
Spoon: Toaks Titanium Long Handle Spoon - amzn.to/3l1AfOw
Lightweight tent: Hilleberg Enan - hilleberg.com/...

[@breathinthebush6789]

Just discovered your videos, Thank you for your quality videos without music, I really get to appreciate the sights and sounds that way. When I can't get out this is what I watch.

[@KristianPletten]

Thanks Jeff! I appreciate it. 🙏🏻

[@lastonestanding9508]

🔭

[@tshansen]

I almost took out my trangia and made a cup of coffee on the desk here while watching mate 🔥 This edits and compositions are just so inspiring. I really want to do some of this stuff myself, hiking and mountains is a big part of my life but i have not found a way of share it on video yet. When you film yourself in the dark like this, how do you keep the camera from not focus hunting? Do you put it manual and just lock in all the settings? Thank you for another great trip. This was just what i needed today 👏🏻

[@KristianPletten]

Haha, thanks! 😄 With your skills, and especially combining a camera, GoPro and a drone I'm certain you'll make interesting stuff. 🙌🏻 I will be first in line to see it! Yes, I put it in manual and lock most, if not all settings. I actually shoot 99% of my shots in manual focus. Only use autofocus if I'm filming myself while holding the camera (which I rarely do). Because most shots are static I also rarely have auto settings on exposure, and I shoot with a fixed sunny white balance in all conditions. Thanks again for all the comments and support. It's greatly appreciated! 🙏🏻

[@tshansen]

@@KristianPletten If, i'm not mistaking, to get the correct manual focus is much easier on the canons than other cameras i have seen. I struggle to fine adjust the manual focus, i often just put it in manual focus but with the possiblity to back button focus and just leave it. There may be a better way to do it with the focus ring, but i have not found it yet with my sony. Thank you for making so much great content and take the time to discuss it. Alot of people don't do that, and i love to share thoughts with common video/camera nerds like myself 🤣 Keep it up, you have definitely changed my video life for the better 🔥👏🏻

[@KristianPletten]

Yes, manual focus on a Canon is a lot easier than on Sony due to Canons guide frame assist-tool (two arrows indicating focus on a focus point), but I've recently started using a single AF-point and disabled servo/continuous-AF (which I assume is similar to what you do now?). So now I just move the focus point to the desired location, press the AF-ON button, and if I want to double check I zoom in to verify that it looks OK. It's a bit faster, but the best benefit is that with those settings the focus ring is disabled, so I can't accidentally bump the focus ring. But for this video it couldn't even focus with the manual focus guide, so I just had to estimate how many meters away from the camera the focus should be (if I set it on 3 meters everything between 2 and 8 meters should be roughly in focus with my setup at 24mm). Thank you! 😊

[@tshansen]

@@KristianPletten Yes, that is just the way i do it now... if works ok on the Sony, but i dont feel there is any good way to double check if everything is in focus. But who is pixel peeping anyway 🤣 Really nice to hear how other work and how they use their equipment. Pick up alot of usefull info this way. Cheers

[@alexonthemountain8343]

Hey Kristian! Very nice scenes shot in the dark😎👍. Camera question if you don’t mind me asking, what is highest iso setting you can use on the R5 before it gets too grainy to use? Cheers

[@KristianPletten]

Hi Alex! Thank you! Uhm, that's a good question, because I haven't done proper side by side comparisons, and it varies with different use cases. Generally I don't push it over 10 000 or 12 800. It does get grainy, so I've tried different methods of cleaning it up, and I've found that the inbuilt noise reduction in the camera to work OK on higher ISOs.

[@alexonthemountain8343]

@@KristianPletten right on... I just picked up the a7sIII and was surprised how noisy it gets when shooting at night despite it being designed for low light. The colors out of the R5 are outstanding. Great work Kristian 👍

[@KristianPletten]

@@alexonthemountain8343 Yep. I've found that most people test low light capabilities in pretty well lit environments, like cities for example. It's a lot different when almost everything is dark and shadowy as it is in nature at night.

[@alexonthemountain8343]

@@KristianPletten very true... I find shots where the night sky is present can be the noisiest.

[@f_r_e_d]

Nice vid, I like the starlight flare from the headlamp. I noticed the same on my shoots outside and haven't seen this on any other canon body. Norway is on my bucket list of places to visit! You have a new sub

[@KristianPletten]

Thank you, Fred! Yeah, it's interesting that you mention that because I've been pondering the same thing. Usually I get that effect when stopping down, but here I'm at the lowest f-stop possible. Thank you for watching and subscribing. Hope you get a chance to come over, and let me know if you need tips on where to go and what to see!

[@f_r_e_d]

@@KristianPletten yes, maybe next year when travel gets back to normal. What would be a good scenic place to visit for a first timer? Maybe make some videos addressing this and also I would like to see some Auroras vids with the R5 if possible.

[@KristianPletten]

Perhaps I'm biased, but if you have a drivers license I'd rent a car in Bergen (on the west coast) and drive north along the coast, visit Lofoten and return the car in either Bodø or Tromsø. You can wild camp in most places, and there is lots to see. If you have less time or no drivers license I'd perhaps travel around the west coast north of Bergen. There you can take buses, trains and boats. There was actually auroras visible in the sky when I shot this video, right when the skies cleared, but they quickly became invisible when skies cleared in front of the moon, so I wasn't quick enough to capture it. I also need a faster lens (like your 1.2) to capture it on video, but I'm sure I'll capture it sometime during this winter. I shot this the other day on the R5, right outside where I live: drive.google.com/file/d/1nxCMx5W3OpcWRQUhxM79iB-otEQYvzh5/view?usp=sharing

[@madscottishmtber2093]

Got the enan in the best colour too 😍

[@KristianPletten]

Nice. 👌🏻 It's a fantastic tent. How do you think it fares in windy condition? I presume you have lots of it if you're from Scotland. 😄 Just curious, because I haven't pushed the limits of it yet. I often use the Staika if it's windy or exposed.

[@madscottishmtber2093]

I've had it in 50mph winds was bending a bit, but zero condensation recently. bought the 10mm poles still need to test them out. But yes loads of wonderful 4 seasons in 1 day weather here in Scotland

[@KristianPletten]

@@madscottishmtber2093 Good stuff! 😄👌🏻