All posts by Tristan

Is it Stupid to Visit DEATH VALLEY in Summer?! [VIDEO]

July 17, 2021VideosTristan

In this first video from a two-week-long trip through Nevada and California, I spend a couple of days in infamous Death Valley National Park. Is it worth visiting in the insane summer heat?? (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)

DATE FILMED: Late June 2021

GPS COORDINATES, LINKS, etc.
* Devils Hole: 36.425324, -116.291434
* Devils Hole info
* Devils Hole earthquake/tsunami video
* Dante’s View: 36.220551, -116.726708
* Dante’s View Peak: 36.226226, -116.725538
* Hat sun shade attachments on Amazon
* Zabriskie Point: 36.420010, -116.812265
* Badwater Basin: 36.229954, -116.767500
* Campsite: 36.34133, -116.65561
* Natural Bridge trailhead: 36.281216, -116.769728
* Natural Bridge: 36.28464, -116.76585
* Some of my other (older) Death Valley videos are here and here.
* Alabama Hills potential campsite: 36.60004, -118.11284
* Mobius Arch trailhead: 36.611381, -118.125050
* Mobius Arch: 36.613550, -118.125763
* Alabama Hills arches book

OTHER LINKS
* Adventure Know-How – My membership site that offers access to a map of my campsites, monthly bonus videos, and more.
* Kamchatka Gear (My online store)
* Gear I use
* SUV RVing the book (Amazon affiliate link)
* Instagram (@SUVRVing)
* SUV RVing Facebook group
* My second YouTube channel (It’s about minimalist fly fishing)

SHE’S BACK! Into in the Wild with My Wife and Our Dog [VIDEO]

July 10, 2021VideosTristan

After a long hiatus from the channel, my beautiful wife is back! So is our sweet little dog. Come along as we spend a couple of days enjoying the outdoors in the glorious state of Montana. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)

DATE FILMED: June 2021

GPS COORDINATES, etc.
* Ringing Rocks: 45.943408, -112.238876
* Milwaukee Trail (where we started): 45.891740, -112.474261
* Milwaukee Trail (where we turned around): 45.856202, -112.439285
* Campsite: 45.633560, -112.033020
* Ousel Falls Trailhead: 45.243992, -111.332313
* Ousel Falls: 45.240190, -111.338989

VIDEO LINKS
* The spare tire bike carrier
* The dog bike basket
* Square video light
* Another Butte video
* Dog water bottle
* Water Ouzel picture from Wikipedia by Dominic Sherony

A Versatile No-Build SUV Camping Setup in a Suburban!

July 6, 2021VideosTristan

In this video we go through Kim’s great camping setup in a 2000 Chevy Suburban. This is a great no-build design (i.e., it requires no tools to expertise to set up) that anyone can get ideas from and replicate. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)

LINKS
* StowAway2 Hitch Cargo Box
* Alps Mountaineering Camp Table – Folding Aluminum Table
* Alpicool K25 fridge
* 30-inch wide tri-fold mattress
* NRS cam buckles
* Upholstery push-pins
* Tent ceiling hammock: Couldn’t find a link for one that you can buy separately
* Luci Light
* Plano Storage Trunks
* Elastic cargo nets on the side
* Katadyn water filter
* Thermacell MR300 Portable Mosquito Repeller
* Tri-fold mattress
* Cleanwaste Portable Toilet
* Auxiliary battery + solenoid video from Kim’s mechanic friend (apparently they had trouble uploading the second part)
* Here’s another aux battery + solenoid video
* Solar charge controller

Hiking Above the Clouds & Searching Along the Coast! [VIDEO]

July 3, 2021VideosTristan

In this final video chronicling my adventures along Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, I experience a rare and unexpected natural phenomenon and then set out to find something incredible along the coast. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)

DATE FILMED: April 2021

GPS COORDINATES, etc.
* Mt. Storm King trailhead: 48.058515, -123.788262
* Mt. Storm King viewpoint (it’s not the actual summit of the mountain): 48.055328, -123.773440
* Marymere Falls: 48.0498, -123.7888
* The Strait Slice Pizza Co.
* Ozette Lake trailhead: 48.154430, -124.668951
* The petroglyphs: I’ll no longer be giving out the coordinates here of lesser-known Native American sites.
* Campsite: 47.73399, -123.02155

This Is One of America’s Most Incredible Regions! [VIDEO]

June 26, 2021VideosTristan

In this video I explore Washington’s famously beautiful Olympic Peninsula. It’s an area full of gorgeous rivers, raging waterfalls, jaw-dropping beaches, and ancient trees. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)

DATE FILMED: Mid-April 2021

GPS COORDINATES
* High Steel Bridge: 47.368007, -123.279842
* Rain Forest Nature Trail (Quinault Rainforest): 47.459781, -123.862425
* World’s Largest Sitka Spruce: 47.477919, -123.829790
* Merriman Falls: 47.500314, -123.784192
* Tree of Life: 47.613182, -124.376722
* Ruby Beach: 47.710699, -124.414458
* Hoh Rainforest: 47.860851, -123.934522
* Campsite: 47.96246, -124.27401

A Baffling Natural Phenomenon & Oregon’s Most Famous Attraction! [VIDEO]

June 19, 2021VideosTristan

In this video I explore a handful of things in and around Portland before heading up into Washington to experience a natural phenomenon that continues to perplex scientists. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)

The software I used to recover my lost footage

DATE FILMED: Mid-April 2021

GPS COORDINATES
* Multnomah Falls: 45.576315, -122.115983
* Rocky Butte: 45.546706, -122.566181
* Voodoo Donut: 45.524458, -122.650381 (I think that’s the one I went to…)
* Mill Ends Park: 45.516206, -122.673248
* Cathedral Park: 45.587070, -122.761613
* Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve: 46.905304, -123.048220
* Tumwater Falls: 47.014773, -122.904629
* Campsite: 47.356040, -123.346550

Climbing One of America’s Deadliest Mountains—Solo [VIDEO]

June 12, 2021VideosTristan

In this video I climb Oregon’s (in)famous Mt. Hood—solo! (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)

Info on Mt. Hood climbing deaths

DATE FILMED: Late April 2021

GPS COORDINATES
* Campsite near Mt. Hood: 45.35152, -121.56757
* Mt. Hood climber trailhead: 45.3317, -121.7078
* Mt. Hood summit: 45.3736, -121.6960
* Campsite at the end of the video: 45.8295, -122.0218

SUPPLEMENTAL PHOTO & AUDIO ATTRIBUTION
* “Yay!” sound effect by Jela Hernandez (YouTube)
* Mt. Adams photo by Walter Siegmund (Wikimedia Commons)

My 10 Favorite Places in the American West (100k Subscribers Reached!) [VIDEO]

June 8, 2021VideosTristan

The SUV RVing YouTube channel reached 100,000 subscribers over the weekend! HUGE thanks to everyone who subscribes and watches the videos. To celebrate, here are my 10 favorite places in the western US. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)

Images used via Creative Commons
** Yosemite Tunnel View by Diliff (Wikimedia Commons)
** Yosemite Glacier Point by Diliff (Wikimedia Commons)

Better Than Jackery? Reviewing the Bluetti EB70 Portable Power Station [VIDEO]

May 29, 2021VideosTristan

In this video I review the Bluetti EB70 portable power station. I go over the features, talk about things I like and dislike, compare it to Jackery power stations, and make a recommendation. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)

VIDEO TIMELINE
1:39 Overview & Features
6:41 Things I Like About It
14:23 Things I Don’t Like About It
26:32 Conclusion & Recommendations

Disclaimer: Bluetti sent me the unit for free to review. As will be obvious once you watch the video, the opinions here are my own.

NOTE: I don’t know if “Life Poh Four” for lithium-iron phosphate (LiFePo4) batteries is a thing people say. But because that’s how it’s written, I decided to say it anyway so people (like me) who have only read it online would know what I’m talking about. I also call it lithium-iron phosphate for the pedants out there.

LINKS
* Bluetti EB70 (from Bluetti)
* Bluetti EB70 (from Amazon)
* The fridge I use
* PDF version of the manual
* Information about LiFePo4 versus lithium ion
* PopSocket
* 5.5×2.1mm to 12-volt socket adapter
* MC4 to 8mm cable (that I has to buy for my Jackery batteries)
* MC4 Y connector cables
* 12-volt cigarette lighter socket extension cable

* MC4 connector image credit by Multi-Contact AG (Wikipedia)

Note: Some of the Amazon links are affiliate links.

A Clever Subaru Outback Camping Setup [VIDEO]

May 25, 2021VideosTristan

In this video we meet up with Isaac, who shows us his camping/sleeping setup in his 2013 Subaru Outback. He a seasoned weekend warrior who travels around Idaho and beyond with his husky. (Click here if you can’t see the video below.)

STUFF MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO
* Cargo net
* Buckle straps
* Fridge
* Jackery power station
* CVT 55″ Pioneer Awning
* CVT 55″ Pioneer Awning Walls (tent room)
* My camp stool toilet video
* The stool (XL size) that Isaac bought (to turn into a toilet) after we made this video
* Ankeney Van Builds YouTube
* Ankeney Van Builds Instagram