Emmie's Big Adventure

You may recall my video blog, where I went to French Creek State Park to showcase my skills. While I was up there, I learned my final skill: fire-starting. It wasn't too rough-and-tumble; I didn't bang rocks together or twist a stick into a log like Survivorman. *Disclaimer* That's not me :( Instead, I used these! Cotton balls covered in Vaseline. I made them in preparation for the overnight. They're fantastic fire starters for planned trips. They're Lightweight, making them perfect for backpacking Cheap And easy! The only negative I can think of is the mess after you make them. Your fingers get pretty gross. 🔥   Now for the mandatory fire safety tips! 🔥 He's right! In my vlog, I have a clip of me building a fire in a stone fire ring. That was not allowed. It was dangerous and, upon reading the park rules, I realized shouldn't have done that. The stone ring was not made by the park. It was made by some reckless person befo...

Hi everyone! I'm SUPER proud of this video guys. It was a pain to film but I had so much fun demonstrating everything I've learned and telling you about my inspiration. Enjoy!

No, I didn't "make water" as in mixing oxygen and hydrogen and hoping for the best. I'm not a nerd. I used this: What is this? This is a water purifier and it's probably the most important thing to bring on a wilderness-related trip. There's a common misconception that when you're in the wilderness the first thing you need to look for is a source of food. That is NOT TRUE!!! The first thing anyone needs is a source of water. Not only is it more necessary in the short term, but animals tend to visit sources of water anyway, so you'll find food soon enough. The rule of three's should remind you of what you should prioritize: Personally, I don't have to worry about food and shelter. Those will be in my backpack. I also don't have to worry about air; I'l be hiking on a path of average altitude and I won't be falling into any bottomless springs. Looks like I'm going for a swim Another common belief is that water is ...

Before I show you the process of setting up a tent, I should tell you how to take care of it. Don't beat up your tent! For starters, the tent can NOT get wet! Do everything in your power to avoid getting the tent wet. That includes keeping drinks outside and putting up a rain fly. If the tent gets wet, it will take FOREVER to dry. If you put it away wet, it'll get all mildewy and start to rot. Tents are expensive. You do not want to keep buying them because you forgot to protect them from the rain.  You should not eat food in the tent. That might sound a little weird, but food in the tent attracts bugs and wild animals to your sleeping area. No one wants to wake up to bears sniffing their way around your tent. That happened to me once. Besides attracting animals, crumbs stick to you when you're walking around barefoot in the tent. Can you imagine laying down in your sleeping bag and feeling crumbs in there? Yuck.  Finally, be aware of where you’re putting the tent...

Howdy! Pardner REI is both a GREAT hiking store and a super informative website. We go there to buy most of our backpacking-related products. They have instant meals, hiking boots, even kayaks! I was browsing the website for tent set up tips when I came across this amazing backpacking supply checklist! Wow! Fancy We don't use some of the appliances listed here (soap and bugspray are for wimps if you're only there for a day or two) but this would be a fantastic starting point for any backpacker. You'll just need to consider the climate of the area. Enjoy! -Emmie

  Guess what? My dad left to go on his own camping trip this weekend so he couldn't teach me how to set up a tent. How ironic. Instead, I learned how to plan a backpacking exhibition. I used the occasional phone call with my father, fact-checking with my mother, and the backpacking youtube account Outdoor Adventures to guide me. However, my dad was only available to call for a small window of time. It turns out that a lot of the planning process is just logical. You need to plan out directions to the trail and the distance you're hiking when you get there. If you're not hiking for very long and you're on a pretty even terrain, you can probably bring some heavier items. But if you're going up a mountain to camp on a high up flat area, you're going to need to keep your gear light. Of course, you'll need to pack the essentials: food, water, and shelter. But have you ever carried a full-size tent for 4 miles? Me neither and I don't plan to. Here...