What I Bring on Day Hikes in Japan

[@GoNorthJapan]

Hope this was at least a little bit useful or interesting! I'll release a short video showing one of my favorite spots in southern Akita soon - but the next full-length video next week will be a sake-tasting with some other people in a great spot in Morioka!

[@Elonquin]

Sake tasting in that store you went to in an earlier video or some place new? Really curious. Looking forward to it.

[@Glarson03]

Looking forward to some sake! Great informative video Quinlan. I'll be digging this one up for sure before I traverse Mt. Iwate! Keep up the good work sir.

[@GoNorthJapan]

The same store as the earlier video!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Glad it was ok! I'm hoping to do Mt. Iwate for the 8th time this year tomorrow and maybe spend the night on top and come down Wednesday.

[@ariyanrezaei2070]

your voice is relaxing

[@heytheressydney]

right! he could be an asmr channel 😂

[@GoNorthJapan]

Hahahaha, I really appreciate that. I could try doing a soothing hike with just the sounds of nature and some gentle explanation.

[@hitachicordoba]

For a Relaxing Time... GoNorth Japan (with Suntory)

[@lykins8]

He does have a nice soft yet masculine voice

[@suigetsushark]

literally was going to say this! I love listening to him talk :)

[@lrwalters14]

This was really helpful. Looking forward to some hikes in Aomori, Iwate, and Akita over the next couple years.

[@samlook]

I'm with you quite often and even I didn't know half that stuff was in there! I now fully appreciate all the times you lugged that drone along!

[@GoNorthJapan]

It's a fair bit of weight!

[@Tastychronicles]

Hey Quinlan, I thought that was a bear bell that I heard in your videos. It's bigger than I thought. Thank you for showing us what's inside your pack. And, thank you for all the really cooling hiking videos in Japan. Stay safe.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Thanks for watching!!

[@plusrien12]

Thank you for the information. I hope one day I could go on a hike in Japan.

[@linbautista2586]

Yeeeeeyy 😀 thank you quinlan. Excited for the trek very very soon. 💪

[@Mrkakebubble]

Love these videos

[@lilyb7439]

This is wonderfully helpful! I'll be sure to keep in mind those hiking essentials next time I go out on the trails. ☀🏞

[@Vovelic]

Great video!!!!

[@sparkeletons]

Thanks for the information! This is all super useful info for someone like me who's just starting to get more serious about hiking, even if I'm only doing it in California for now, haha. Someday Japan! Be sure to show us your new knife when you get one, I've been waffling over which one I want to buy for months!

[@GoNorthJapan]

So glad to hear that it was useful! I'll definitely show any new gear I buy, probably in the next hiking video after I happen to buy anything!

[@AsantePE]

Very informative

[@nickm1187]

Loving the videos Quinlan. I wish I knew about the YAMAP app when I previously hiked in Japan as looks incredibly useful.

[@GoNorthJapan]

It really is. You can also use it like an SNS to keep a record of your hikes, browse other people's routes and photos, etc.

[@minusforty4323]

Awesome stuff friend! Very helpful for me personally as I intend to do a little hiking in the Kohoku area with my wife, after this mess is all sorted. Much thanks Quin! Stay safe!

[@GoNorthJapan]

So glad that it was helpful!

[@studioROT]

Hey thanks for another great video, Quinlan. I live in the south-west of Ireland and have done a lot of hiking in the mountains here. One handy and lightweight safety device in case of an accident - broken leg, god forbid, or something else that makes you stop walking -, is and old CD disk. In places where there is no cellphone coverage, the glossy disk can be used as a mirror to attract attention from other climbers by reflecting sunlight. I have been told that it has been successfully used in the past.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Wow, never thought of that, thanks!

[@EricNeuls]

Great and informative, I feel like these are good things to have hiking anywhere! (upstate New York especially lol! Hiking in the Adirondaks can get sketchy at times!) YaMap seems like it is basically the same as AllTrails, that I use in NY. You can download the maps of the hikes and save them and stuff! Super cool.

[@XSemperIdem5]

Didn't expect that knife and legit laughed out loud at that part 😂 I don't even go hiking, but I know of a super bright flashlight you can take hiking with you and a good KZbin channel for putting together emergency kits, including for forest rescue. I'll find the links and DM them via Instagram.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Thanks!

[@bertman4]

Yamap is a great app. I've only used it once, on my last visit, but it was very useful. The articles on their website are also great.

[@lukes3462]

Thank you for sharing your gear. Got a few new things which i didn't have on my list earlier😊 Maybe a nice drone 😄

[@GoNorthJapan]

The drone really is great. Expensive, but one of the best purchases I've made.

[@DelorienAz]

That Yamap app sounds incredible. The number of times I've been out hiking and tried to find out where we were, only to find we had no reception...! This would spare me a lot of grief. Thanks for recommending!

[@suigetsushark]

Loved the knife joke 😂 I want to get into hiking - I did a hike in Banff last month and it was fun, but i kind of feel like all the Rocky Mountains look the same. Would love to try some trials in Japan!

[@GoNorthJapan]

I'm sure Banff is gorgeous though! But yeah- lots of great trails around here!

[@suigetsushark]

@@GoNorthJapan It is so nice! I think I'm spoiled because I live just a 1 hour drive from the mountains so I'm used to them 😂

[@JoleeKee]

Maybe I'm weird but I like the bear bell. Almost like wind-chimes to me.

[@ntr10me]

Happily subscribing ^_^

[@sammclaughlin5159]

Really interesting stuff! I know in the n. america they'll carry a bear horn, I've never heard of bear bells, is it as about as functional? Have you ever used water filters to collect water from streams en route to save on carrying?

[@GoNorthJapan]

I haven't seen bear horns here. Some guys carry radios that they just leave blasting... but I don't really like that so much. I have been meaning to buy a water filter so I can just get water from the streams. A lot of them are volcanic though so it would need to be able to turn poisonous sulfuric water into potable water. I'm sure that's not too much to ask of a modern filter though!

[@etherdog]

Good info, Quinlan! I heard you should pack a pair of fast shoes so, in case of bear attack, you can at least outrun the next slowest person. :-)

[@GoNorthJapan]

Hahahaha, right.

[@SingleMaltSmash]

you know, each of those empty いとえん sencha containers is 2 liters, you slap one on each side of your pack you can have a nifty 4 L for those longer hikes, pretty light and durable too-plastic is hard to get away from for water continers, unless you go with animal bladders (bota bags) or glass (which sucks haha). Rectangular shape makes them nifty too. Spyderco makes some lovely lightweight nonlocking knives that should be Japan friendly as well, their UK penknife comes to mind (nonlocking ofc). Opinel is another pick, but their rotating lock might be seen as risky.

[@kvasac123]

I read that Hokkaido bears are plain nasty and will mess you up bad, bell or not. I don't think spray is overkill, it will keep you safe and you are not causing any real harm to the bear. The 'worst' thing I encountered while trailrunning was a wolf, but there were 4 of us and one of him and he was just lazily watching us run by from the nearby rock.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Wow! I would love to see a wolf, or at least hear one in the wild. They were totally wiped out here more than 50 years ago.

[@hitachicordoba]

Nice hiking gear ASMR video. On a side note, are there any stories of Cryptid sightings in Japanese forests other than Yokai?

[@GoNorthJapan]

The main things that people see up here are kappa around the Tono area. A lot of people have claimed to see them. Not exactly a Cryptid, but the Kamoshika ("Japanese serow") are pretty cool to see. The main character's mount in Princess Mononoke was modeled after them.

[@327legoman]

Great Video! I was meant to start Teaching in Yamagata in May, would love to do some hikes around Tohoku when I'm there! One thing I am getting a little worried about it bears though. Hearing constant bear mauling sounds a little bit off-putting.

[@GoNorthJapan]

While there are regular reports in the news, there are sooooo many people in the mountains all the time that I think the risk is quite low. Just take precautions and you'll be fine! Yamagata is great!

[@christinanieto1104]

Thank you for sharing. How are the bugs in Tohoku? Like mosquitos or other biting insects?

[@GoNorthJapan]

In the forests that are the first part of most hikes there are mosquitoes... I usually move fast enough that I don't get bit, but it does happen sometimes. I've also never had a tick on me, and I do check... (Where I'm from ticks are a big problem.) In July and August mostly there are some pretty obnoxious (and HUGE) biting flies called "abu" in Japanese. I guess they're some kind of horse fly. They're so big they look like bees. If you get bit it leaves a little bloody welt and hurts. But if you wear a hat and keep moving you hardly ever get actually bit by them. The ones that I hate most are a type of biting gnat or black fly called "buyo" in Japanese. You don't necessarily notice them, but when they bite you get this little pinprick of blood and then it swells up in an hour or so and itches for the next 5 days.... I hate those. But most of these bugs are really only around in July and August.. (now) - and once you get out of the forest into the more alpine areas above the trees there aren't really any bugs to bother you. (Probably just wearing insect repellent would solve the problem, but I keep forgetting to buy it so I'm always hiking without any.)

[@8itmap]

I was wondering if you could do a video about the difference in hiking gear that Japanese hikers have or things that they bring that differ to American/European hikers. Would be interesting to compare and pick up ideas!

[@GoNorthJapan]

I would love to! The only flaw with that plan is that I don't know what kind of gear American/European hikers carry.. lol I started hiking after moving to Japan...

[@8itmap]

@@GoNorthJapan awww ok, i thought the bear bell was very unique!

[@chabedieux]

Do you have any light jackets or outer shells that you recommend? Just had to return a Patagonia Houdini because it felt very flimsy and doesn't seem to pair well with wide shoulders. I saw your Montbell, those look pretty nice!

[@GoNorthJapan]

I have a nice Montbell outer shell! It fits me just fine and my shoulders are somewhat wide. I'm surprised that the Patagonia wasn't good.. they're generally the best for everything -but so expensive that I don't have any of their stuff...

[@chabedieux]

@@GoNorthJapan I have some other Patagonia shorts and a windbreaker that are fantastic, but I wanted this one because it is packable. I found a Montell that is about the same price, you've convinced me to give it a shot now :) Tohoku look amazing to hike, thanks for showing us how cool it is!

[@joshuamerced]

What's the name of the store you bought that pepper spray? Do they have pepper gel, or bear spray available?

[@GoNorthJapan]

I got it on Amazon.

[@monoman567]

Curious if Japan has anything like personal locator beacons , emergency radios, or weather alert radios. I can't imagine being half way into a hike and feeling an earthquake and wondering if that's just the precursor to something bigger.

[@GoNorthJapan]

Cell phones serve most of those roles these days. For back country skiing there are beacons, but summer hikers don't carry anything like that- just your phone. Most hikes these days are in areas with cell phone reception once you get to a bit higher altitude.

[@lazyhammer]

My chances of dying of mania walking around with a bear bell all day are 100% I'm afraid 😅

[@6omni6draconian6]

Zinc branded sun screen works 30000000x better cuz of how thick it is, and you only have to apply a little every hour!

[@GoNorthJapan]

That's where I fail with sunblock... I always space out reapplying, or only do it once its too late.

[@noskap]

Anyone who doesn't take the sun seriously should come to Australia. The sun will destroy you before noon if you let it 😂

[@PallmallFtw]

I hope this covid crisis is over soon, i safed a shit load of money and want to hike soon :)

[@GoNorthJapan]

Hah! I wish I could say the same thing. Haven't been spending... but haven't been earning either. Can't wait for foreign travelers to return so I can start making money again, LOL

[@WillyToulouse]

Those salt tablets and ume candies are nice to have to replenish your electrolytes

[@GoNorthJapan]

Good call! Japanese guys that I sometimes hike with always seem to have a bag of those and pass them around. I should start carrying them so I can return the favor.

[@doughoffart1247]

Hey Quinlan, have you checked out an app called Geographica? Free topographical software of Japan that you can use without cell service. PS I have drone envy now, thanks!

[@GoNorthJapan]

Yeah, drones are really great. Expensive but such a good purchase. I haven't heard of that app. I'll check it out, thanks!

[@Defelade]

Check out the app What3words. It can be a life saver for the emergency services to locate you.

[@GoNorthJapan]

YAMAP also has that functionality. You can let your family members or whoever track your location while you're hiking. I'll check out that app though, thanks!

[@Northstar_004]

Where’s YAMAP... 😆🤣.

[@XxXxDominator]

i sound like a broken record but please please get something more, a flare gun is legal i hope in japan and would scare a human being aswell even before you fire the safety flare.. pepper spray is underkill for bear defense watch "Man takes grizzly attack selfie " for the quick story of the man surviving a bear attack with pepper spray doing nothing to help and this is the longer interview with the video he recorded directly after as he is covered in blood and it is an EYE OPENER "Surviving A Double Grizzly Attack " last time ill comment on this and for safety sake this is a great insight from a bear attack survivor

[@GoNorthJapan]

Wow, that is terrifying. That's maybe part of why I have yet to go hiking in Hokkaido, where there are brown bears. I haven't seen any flare guns, but I'll ask around. That said - all the mountain guides and professionals that I've met in Tohoku say that the pepper spray is enough for the Asiatic Black Bears.. they're really not anywhere near as scary as the grizzlies. That said, I appreciate the warning and will look into it!