My new backpacking blog: www.trailnamebackstroke.com

Lady Grey

Lady Grey

Thru Hiker
That's great, photos speak words.
Beautiful pics.:thumbsup::thumbsup:
Will be on a section of the JMT :D this June...hopefully will be a, 'low snow year'. Have 'cherry-picked' :rolleyes: a scenic 8 day section.
I'm on a, 'Scare-a-Bear trip :bear::bear::bear::eek:.
 
EM - Tacblades

EM - Tacblades

Ultralighter
I personally like blogs its more relaxing to read through, but i wonder if many people read them these days vs the youtube / facebook generation, it seems more and more the content is there and less and less on websites, forums and blogs.
 
gixer

gixer

Thru Hiker
Added to my favourites :thumbsup:

To be honest i've become a bit of a miserable old git with blogs, there's just soooooo much crap out there that i don't really bother any more.

Just looked at your though and the quality of the photography and penmanship is fantastic, great job :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
gixer

gixer

Thru Hiker
Tacblades said:
I personally like blogs its more relaxing to read through, but i wonder if many people read them these days vs the youtube / facebook generation, it seems more and more the content is there and less and less on websites, forums and blogs.
Click to expand...

As long it's not being used it to generate income does it really matter how many click to read it?

No idea if there is any way of telling, but i'd bet my underwear that the percentage of people that read an entire blog is dramatically more than those that watch an entire video blog/review

Youtube blogs and reviews are great in theory, but arrogance and delusions of grandeur has ruined it to the point that i'll rarely even bother any more.
Just too many "back yard" reviews and "pre-review" reviews waffling on and on just so they can listen to the sound of their own voice.
 
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Lady Grey

Lady Grey

Thru Hiker
Agree, Gixer; :thumbsup: I like photos, no music and if it's someone making something, no voice, just written instructions.
One person's tastes in music doesn't always match up with the person's that's watching; can be off-putting and ruin, a potentially good vid'.
Don't do Facebook; prefer a good Blog.
Don't do Twitter;
If I did all that I'd never have time to get outside.

Cameron M, re Glacier, do you really have to still book each camp?
Bureaucracy involved with PCT and JMT, makes you want to tear your hair out.

Keep writing the Blog....:D; I'll read it.
 
E

EM - Ross

Thru Hiker
Blogs - not a fan generally, although I have started one recently myself for a bit of a laugh. So far my only gear post has been on cable ties!

Facebook - I only do groups now. FB is a linear format. Post today & it's usually buried by tomorrow. Crap format for reference topics/subjects. OK for show & tell, bragging & transient look-at-me fluff.

Youtube - excellent resource but the video's I enjoy least usually involve the subjects I'm most interested in. The Radio 4 syndrome. I can listen to that all day & be captivated by stuff I have no direct interest in. I go to Youtube for entertainment admittedly but it's been a great resource when wanting to know how to fix something like a dishwasher etc. Video's on my interests - usually over-long, boring with distractingly poor production values. I can rarely watch someone yakking on about kit for more than 5 - 10 minutes. Less is more. The only thing I usually learn from a 30 minute Youtube video is that I'm an idiot for watching it.

gixer said:
.
Just too many "back yard" reviews and "pre-review" reviews waffling on and on just so they can listen to the sound of their own voice.
Click to expand...

Videos of folk unpacking a parcel of new kit! :banghead::banghead::banghead:

Twitter - I haven't a clue.

Forums - many chat & social based forums have suffered due to Facebook which does it better. Forums remain strong if information has to be categorised & organised for reference. Facebook can't do that. I have a couple of forums doing really well which both have over 400 reference subsections. People visit for advice & chat but the purpose of the sites is reference & folk can easily navigate to what they want & add their own info. There are now lots of Facebook groups which share my forums subject matter but I don't see them as a major threat. Forums that aren't mobile friendly aren't doing them selves any favours.
 
Mole

Mole

Thru Hiker
Nice blog
Love the Hadrians Wall report:)
Your blog has been bookmarked.

I like blogs, I look at many once, some occasionally and follow just a few. Those I follow get weeded regularly - one only has so much time.


More and more content is out there, doesn't mean more and more is worth reading/watching?
I'd agree in the main with Gixer's and Ross's points.
Whilst some is fantastic, good or just plain entertaining, much Youtube stuff I've seen is overlong/poorly edited/boring/excruciatingly presented/produced.:nailbiting: Ain't nobody got time for that! I am very selective these days. We ditched our TV in 1996...
Also, I find a lot of GoPro footage hard work -makes me travelsick. :meh: And as for those 'videos' which are basically photosets with stock music and cheesy segueing software...:arghh:
 
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Ray Smith

Ray Smith

Summit Camper
Good blog and enjoyed reading through it. Pictures make me want to go and visit some of those places.

On a side note I find it a bit disheartening about YouTube comments. The amount of work and time it takes me and others to make a short clip is staggering. But have noticed a lot of the negative comments across many of the forums and as such have actually stopped posting links to them.

Initial my reasoning was so my wife who wouldn’t dare go on most of my walks and trips could see what it was like. Also thought it may be of interest to some and maybe even be a bit of inspiration to get off there backside and away from the TV, phone and xbox. But just my two pence on the subject.

Did come across your blog Ross by accident and look forward to see what you add to it. Can only imagine it will be some blinding stuff. You come across as the type of person that dont take many prisoners.
 
Robin

Robin

Moderator
Staff member
Ray Smith said:
Good blog and enjoyed reading through it. Pictures make me want to go and visit some of those places.

On a side note I find it a bit disheartening about YouTube comments. The amount of work and time it takes me to make a short clip is staggering. But have noticed a lot of the negative comments across many of the forums and as such have actually stopped posting links to them.

Initial my reasoning was so my wife who wouldn’t dare go on most of my walks and trips could see what it was like. Also thought it may be of interest to some and maybe even be a bit of inspiration to get off there backside and away from the TV, phone and xbox. But just my two pence on the subject.

Did come across your blog Ross by accident and look forward to see what you add to it. Can only imagine it will be some blinding stuff. You come across as the type of person that dont take many prisoners.
Click to expand...

I enjoy YouTube stuff. Just do it the way it suits you. You're not going to please everyone.
 
gixer

gixer

Thru Hiker
Ray Smith said:
Good blog and enjoyed reading through it. Pictures make me want to go and visit some of those places.

On a side note I find it a bit disheartening about YouTube comments. The amount of work and time it takes me and others to make a short clip is staggering. But have noticed a lot of the negative comments across many of the forums and as such have actually stopped posting links to them.

Initial my reasoning was so my wife who wouldn’t dare go on most of my walks and trips could see what it was like. Also thought it may be of interest to some and maybe even be a bit of inspiration to get off there backside and away from the TV, phone and xbox. But just my two pence on the subject.

Did come across your blog Ross by accident and look forward to see what you add to it. Can only imagine it will be some blinding stuff. You come across as the type of person that dont take many prisoners.
Click to expand...

If you enjoy doing it Ray then surely it's worth it.

There are many decent reviews and trip reports out there in youtubeland, i always look forward to Matt's trip vids, there is also the guy in Iceland i think that's on here, again really enjoy his trip vids.
Can't say as i'm very artistic so can't put my finger on exactly what it is i like, the pace and various camera angles help keep me entertained though.
The impression i get from their vids (there are others but i can't remember them off the top of my head) is that the trip is the star NOT them, i kinda like that.

Surely there is not a person on this planet that can find some ones 30min pre-review of some kit useful or entertaining?

First off what's the point of pre-review or unboxing vid?
Secondly any one that can waffle on for 30 mins to themselves about 1 piece of kit and their decision to choose it, is up their arse to the point they can't see daylight.

This from a guy that has a tendency to waffle a fair bit in posts :bag:

If you enjoy putting vids together then surely that's enough, i know my vids i've put up on youtube are absolutely terrible, i have no patience or inclination to sit faffing around with video editors so i just tend to stick mine up as they are and let friends and family that are interested skip through them.
 
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edh

edh

Thru Hiker
gixer said:
This from a guy that has a tendency to waffle a fair bit in posts :bag:
Click to expand...

ahem

But what he said.

I'm not a great fan of videos and prefer photo-blogs with a narrative (strange this, as this is what I do); it would be rare indeed if we all liked the same things.

Apart from endless discussions about gear of course - everyone likes those....eh Gix?
 
E

EM - Ross

Thru Hiker
Ray Smith said:
On a side note I find it a bit disheartening about YouTube comments. The amount of work and time it takes me and others to make a short clip is staggering. But have noticed a lot of the negative comments across many of the forums and as such have actually stopped posting links to them....

.....Did come across your blog Ross by accident and look forward to see what you add to it. Can only imagine it will be some blinding stuff. You come across as the type of person that dont take many prisoners.
Click to expand...

Actually Ray - I quite enjoyed yours although I'm not keen on music soundtracks usually. I appreciate the effort that goes into making them & amazed anyone can be bothered. You post them & I'll watch them but if they are long I'll likely skip through them. 10 mins is about my max! Most posted by users here are fine but generally there is so much over-long dross on you-tube. I like things in bite size chunks but that's just me!

Thanks for comments re blog. I hope to keep it up. A curmudgeonly dinosaurs view of backpacking.
 
edh

edh

Thru Hiker
The 'dinosaur' who employs what are arguably cutting-edge shelters......and other ephemera of the ultralight world; shirley shume mishtake.....

...you should be glancing heavenwards and admiring the pretty comet...
 
E

EM - Ross

Thru Hiker
edh said:
The 'dinosaur' who employs what are arguably cutting-edge shelters......and other ephemera of the ultralight world; shirley shume mishtake.....

...you should be glancing heavenwards and admiring the pretty comet...
Click to expand...

Paraphernalia maybe? My major gear refresh prior to last season may be new kit but still at the Traditional end of the spectrum - double skin tent, sleeping bag, Paramo. My ultra trad rucsac is now ready to collect. Dabbled with a ULA Ohm2 - didn't like it. You're unlikely to find me in a Cuben (or any fabric) single skin shelter. I dabbled with a Contrail - didn't like it. I like a proper tent but may choose to leave the inner (note inner - not a nest) at home. I also have a hooped bivvy - nothing radical. Likely only ever use on bike. Couple of old geodesics for base camping. Nor will you see me buying a quilt when I can unzip my sleeping bag like I always have. The concept & design inspiration of my stove pre-dates most if not all people on this forum. Mostly a Paramo wearer in winter. Pretty trad I reckon. No kilts, skirts, coolie rain hats, umbrella's, dirty girls. No high tech trail shoes - use clumpy looking old style design from Altberg. Food - don't even go there.
 
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Cameron M

Cameron M

Summit Camper
Thanks all for the nice comments. Next year I will be asking for advice on a UK hike, its been awhile.

Some mention the difficulty of permits and the PCT-JMT. Really, it is easy, and these days I almost always just walk-in. The worst that can happen is that you sit around one day waiting to get in the door first for next day. More than half of the time you get what you want that morning. Once you pass trailhead, you are free to go anywhere, camp anywhere. The only minor exceptions are Donohue Pass going south, and entering at Whitney, but there many well-documented work-arounds. Glacier National Park is not the same situation; I would not risk just showing up. My experience is limited there, but even getting a permit shoulder season was challenging, with rules not listed on the site, etc. But the Sierra are big and wide-open, so don't hesitate, I hope to meet you on the trail soon.
 
tom

tom

Thru Hiker
Thanks for the link - great blog and pics. Just read your GR20 trip. I hadn`t heard that they kept the cirque section closed after the big accident in 2015 (I was there when it happened). I found a map and the new route looks actually more interesting than the slightly over-hyped cirque (and bearing in mind your rain advice). Good reason to go back some time...
 
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