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Tayson: So here's the big question, how do we live a life? full of adventures travel and memories on our terms without being millionaires without previous experience? And without unlimited amounts of time, that's the big question and this podcast will give you the answers. I'm your co-host Tayson
Dave: and I'm Dave in your listening to the Live Ultralight podcast. Powered by Outdoor Vitals. On today's episode, we'll talk with YouTubers Sintax77 learn how we acquired gear. First, first backpacking trip to now filming multi-day, winter adventures in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and this episode will learn how we got started on YouTube. His preferred shelter system with camping solo and Sub-Zero temperatures, how taste and handle spiders calling on his face at night and much more. So without further Ado, let's welcome syntax to the show.
Sean: Hey. How's it going everybody? Yeah, absolutely. My first backpacking trip was a little later in life. He was maybe seven years ago was 2011. I had Outdoor Experience, my dad always hunted and stuff like that, but I never actually went Other than like car camping. Backpacking until back in 2011 and a friend. And I decided we were just going to kind of do a joint vacation. I didn't know what we were going to do. I expected more like a regular vacation and he, Had been in the Boy Scouts and he had went to New Hampshire when he was a kid like 13 or something. And he came up with the idea to do a backpacking trip up in the White Mountains, I had no gear The honest, no real interest before and backpacking when I was like, okay, I'll go along with it. So I reluctantly bought a bunch of gear and went up there, and we actually did five days which was probably the longest trip I did. For some years after that. But it was amazing and I just got hooked and then I ended up wanting to do it more and because the scheduling and stuff like that, it's not always easy to find somebody to go with. So I started doing solo trip some recording. That's, that's really amazing. I gotta ask though. So you're very first backpacking trip ever. You say, you went out and bought some gear. Yeah, kind of gear, we talked about here, I went to EMS and emptied my wallet pretty much.
Dave: Oh yeah, on that would if you were to do that again, would you recommend buying it all at once? Like that or kind of piecing? It together maybe barring some gear from from different people or
Sean: yeah,
Dave: that way.
Sean: Yeah, I was on a time crunch and So we bought it all in a matter of weeks, kind of zero to 60 in a few seconds. Ideally, it would have been nice if it wasn't, So spur of the moment to maybe start thinking about it, you know, it's in advance. It's not, you know, a year. And like you said start pieces and stuff together, figuring out what I want at the time, honestly, I didn't have Even my friend, he hadn't gone since he was 13, he had no gear either. We were all starting from scratch, but we didn't have the luxury of really any friends who did it. Now, when I get people into it, it's awesome for them because I have like three or four of everything. So it's like, don't even worry about spending money other than like boots and stuff baring here from friends, I think is the way to go because you can kind of find out what you, what works for you.
Dave: Yeah, I think for me, personally, that's the route I went and was kind of borrowing different things from people. So now I'm, I'm a big advocate of paying it forward and definitely letting people borrow whatever they need. And that's, I'm always the first one to say, hey, whatever you guys need. Don't be afraid to ask, but I think the borrowing buddy system definitely helps out.
Sean: Yeah, it's awesome.
Tayson: Yeah, So you went five days in. You guys are a little bit less experienced and you're going into the White Mountains, which I've heard it can be kind of cold sometimes, right.
Sean: Yeah, I mean, even in August, I've had it drop into the 30s up there.
Tayson: Okay. So is this in the summer, then?
Sean: Yeah, this was, it was actually. Well, speaking of August, it was actually August my first trip there as well. and I do remember, I don't think on that particular trip it once So far is That low like in the 30s, but it definitely probably like the 40s and stuff. It's terrain up there and the weather is pretty Advanced. It was It was definitely jumping into the deep end.
Tayson: Yeah. Do You Remember by chance? Like what kind of pack weight you're looking at? Or just just even off of remembrance like, did you get a pretty good way or was it pretty loaded down?
Sean: It was an insane pathway. I bet you my friend, Mike had, he had an 80 pack, going back to Emma.
Tayson: I think he started with
Sean: 60 and I swear that was the exchange like two times. So it was his third backpack. The biggest one he could get was a Gregory 80 leader and I bet you he had 60 plus pounds in there and less than that, but I wouldn't be surprised by 50 or something. It was insane.
Tayson: So, I don't think you backpack like that anymore. What's, what's changed for you?
Sean: Yeah, I I definitely started within, I would say a year or a year and a half reading about ultralight. Backpacking. You know that elusive cut off which is, you know, debatable how serious that is, but the whole like can you get under or at ten pounds, which took me a long time? But I did start shedding weight. I stuck with my original backpack, which is a 70 liter EMS. So it was still like a six pound backpack, but it mostly just started shedding unnecessary items, which would say, some money in the beginning, but part of the process I suppose,
Tayson: I definitely agree. I think the more you go, the less you take, it's like you you get lighter stuff but at the same time you just start leaving stuff home.
Sean: Yeah. And one of one of my comment things that I see people, comment and slightly frustrating. Sometimes this, that ultra light is So expensive. And I guess because they're thinking of the more advanced gear like Cuban fiber and stuff like that. But I mean, saving the last two pounds might be expensive, but I think honestly and I've done some videos on it. You're going to spend less money if you go Ultra like because you're just not buying and bringing as much crap. You know.
Tayson: Yeah, it's it's less quantity but more higher quality, right,
Sean: right, exactly. And, and even that, I mean, now there's ultralight backpacks that even from high-end companies because they're So minimal, it's less materials, like, it doesn't have to be 300 dollars for a backpack. Now, you can, you can easily spend less than that. And then once you have your backpack, like you said, you just bring less stuff even more selective, but I think a lot of people get scared away. They're like, oh, it's kind of doing its expensive and You know, they, they say the heck with it, and they don't pay attention to know. They're, they're like Lincoln with the 60 pounds.
Tayson: Right. I really look to you as the guy who if anyone knows how to go camping on a budget. I feel like you've, you've specialized that to that on your YouTube channel. Which if anyone of our listeners do, you know have questions about, you know, how to go budget, how to go ultra light on a budget things like that. So Sintax77 you know your channel on YouTube is really good for that but going back to this. What do you feel like is maybe some of the first things that you could look at changing out your pack to go, lighter weight, and And maybe even recommendations on a budget. Or, or just where, where do you look very first in? Someone's package. You're 50 pound pack was the first thing you look at to change.
Sean: I think one of the first things is going to be. I'm just looking at what we overpacked for ourselves, clothing. Sounds really simple, but I swear we brought. It was like, we were going on vacation. I think we all fit for every day and like a separate, which is crazy. Now, in the summer, I might go with just the outfit I'm wearing and then have socks and underwear. Ellen, winter trip, maybe I have a backup but that's even winter. I might have just two outfits, really, So we had a ton of clothes. I'd say, you can save a lot of space weight and money by not bringing out every day, like it. And then a lot of the toiletry products, like, oh, we need sunscreen or bug spray. We would bring an actual like big spray paint kids size. Aerosol can a bug spray? Just not thinking. So, little stuff like that gets. So 100% deep, a little bottle, you can put in a different bottle that you buy a couple little leaders. You don't need that much. You know, stuff like that. Do you really need like Trail shampoo if you're going out for a few days? Probably not. Yeah. So I think those were probably the first things that I, that I shed and Bring it too much of, and then other than that, it's it's the novelty stuff that looks really cool in the store, but it's like, you know, there's the term. We brought everything, but the kitchen sink. And I've said this before, but on our first trip, we actually bought a kitchen sink like a collapsible sink, I guess. Because we thought, hey, we can do dishes at Camp, it was free. So when you're in the store there's all these cool ideas and items and maybe one or two of those you find out what you like but like you don't you don't need it. All you're really out there to In my case, I like to be minimal and then you're kind of enjoying Woods or wherever you are that much more.
Tayson: Now I, I can really agree with the people packing access gear inside my family. I didn't really grow up as as a Backpacker as much. I was in Boy Scouts as well, but really got into backpacking. It when I got kind of college age and whatnot and just the last year, we were my me and my family were out. We were actually on a hunt and we harvested an animal, and we packed all the meat out. So, everyone got out in the mail, had to go to, go back to work. And So I actually went, you know, the three four five miles back in to pick up camp. And I picked up four, people's camp and put it all on my back and Like I was So mad, not mad, but I was So frustrated that like, like specially like my dad, he's just not as experienced with this stuff. And, and I was So I'm like, why did you need three pairs of pants? I'm packing this all out. I can barely walk with all this stuff on my back. And I'm like, what were you thinking? Like when I got off the mountain, I had to kind of talk to each one of them. Like, come on, like you had So much just the clothing like I had them all set up in like, Outdoor Vitals gear. So their gear was really lightweight but clothing was just ridiculous. I'm just like you, like if I can find a pair of pants that I can just wear every single day and then I'm gonna change out underwear, I'm going to change out socks those two I just rotate. Yeah quite frequently and I like to use wool typically in those items just because of odor and things like that and I feel like they just stay a lot fresher but
Sean: Yeah, I think
Tayson: that's really good advice. I just going off the clothing, but, yeah, if you
Sean: have a spare pair, I mean, if even if you're on a long trip, like you could watch that other parents outside of your packing and Hike along and now there's her clean-ish clothes.
Dave: Yeah. I feel like it, you know, you're probably smelling day two. Anyway. I see a lot of people, you know, Big Sticks a dealer in all kinds of things like that, big tubes of toothpaste and like man, yeah
Sean: losing battle. Mean, you're not showering for five days, So,
Dave: exactly.
Sean: They're pretty much dead in half an hour.
Dave: I'm curious on how you got into to YouTube. And when you decided to start filming your trips and Adventures and things like that.
Sean: Yeah, it really was no consciousness. I mean, I guess it was but I can't remember, ever being like, I'm gonna make a YouTube channel. Like, I had an account like literally, I think it was in 07, I opened It or created an account just to watch videos and then I put a couple videos up here and there just messing around back then it was just like I don't know just it's kind of fun. See if somebody watches this but For whatever reason, when my friend back in 2011 said, let's do a trip. I just decided to document and I had no aspirations of making like good films or even anybody watching. I think it was mostly just to preserve our memories and it was easy for them. The I just posted it and then they can watch it on the internet wherever they are. So I actually filmed us like doing some car camping, testing out some gear, and stuff, just playing around. And then, for whatever reason, I filmed Us in New Hampshire and I just put it together, like I said for us and I threw it up there and And that was that and I didn't even it's not like I checked in on YouTube on a daily or even weekly basis but I came back, I guess a couple months later for whatever reason people were watching that video for me from my perspective a lot. So It's interesting. So then I just I just kept filming my trips So actually Every real backpacking trip I've done is. All documented on the channel.
Dave: Yeah, I mean for me they're really informative. I feel like you even kind of transitioning into, you know, more educational, informative type videos. You most recent winter, backpacking one was was great for someone that wants to potentially get into it, winter. Backpacking and all for myself. That's one of the things that I really wanted to get into this year's more getting out more and in the winter. And, and that's just a whole nother aspect of of backpacking and camping. And So, what are some challenges, or some advice that you have for someone that wants to get into to Winter backpacking or something like that?
Sean: Yeah, I would say winter backpacking. It sounds like simple advice, but start small. I think my first legit winter, backpacking trip. I went solo to Green Mountains in Vermont. So for me it was only, I say only but, you know, like a six. Our drive and and I didn't out and back. I usually am attracted the loops. And I like them, but I'd say if you're kind of on the edge of being comfortable with it or you're not sure if you're gonna like it, there's been a lot of trips that I've done solo as well as with my friend Mike where we only go in like two and a half miles or something. And I mean, it doesn't take much especially, like winter with tons of snow, you can be in a completely alien situation only. A couple miles from the trailhead, but it's like logically. It's nice because, you know, if you really don't like it or something goes wrong, you can bail and be back to you. You could decide at night. Hey, this isn't for me and, you know, that you could be back at that vehicle and go get yourself a hotel or sleep in the car or something. So, I would say, unless you can find a short Loop, just start with something where you just kind of go out a mile or two and just to see how you like it, how your gear Works your lyrics layering system stuff like that. Starts small.
Dave: Yeah, I think that's that's really good advice. What do you prefer in the winter? Hammock, or ground tent snow shelter? What kind of shelters are you using? I
Sean: done all three of you that you said, I like both for different reasons. I do the Hammock Camping. I got some videos on that Russia. That's set up. Tank camping. I do too especially because sometimes some of the locations were going. You know, might not have the tree situation. So even when it's not winter, I I'm not married to one or the other, I like both. By myself. If I solo winter, kamik up by solar Winter Camp, I tend to bring a hammock. I like it, it's comfortable. It's easy to set up usually, but for group trips, or it's usually not group. It's really only person I can drive out there in the winter. It's my friend, Mike. It is kind of nice to do a tent in the winter because a lot of times it's you're going, you might be pinned down and sit in that tent. The days are short, it gets dark quick. If it's windy, windy windy or rainy that whether you might be. If I'm by myself, I'll just go in the hammock but with two people it's like. All right now we're shopping back and forth from our hammocks. I do find with two people. I kind of like 10 sometimes as well because then you kind of have that communal spot to hang out.
Dave: You gotta get out here to do some winter camping at elevation?
Sean: I love it.
Tayson: I I gotta ask from our conversations that we've had before. I mean, the White Mountains, get, pretty cold. What's what's the coldest? You know of that? You've slept? Um, out there, you know, like, what's the coldest temperature, you've slept through in the winter
Sean: actual temp, not windshield, just real temp, I think it was negative 25. And that was our when Sub-Zero camping goes wrong video. So you're saying that that wasn't a great trip, it wasn't and it wasn't because of the temps, we just had some, some issues with sleeping bag getting wet and we it was supposed to be a two-night trip and kind of like I was saying earlier, we, we decided to bail that next morning, because he had a frozen down sleeping bag. So we just went back in town. Got a hotel and and luckily, we were only a few miles out.
Tayson: So I don't opens up a whole conversation. Yeah because I typically recommend down for everyone for sleeping bag but you know sometimes personally I like to have a synthetic jacket because if I'm hiking and it sweats you know, anything like that. I'm that's typically how I am. But how did you get this bag wet? And what was that failure? Like
Sean: So he did the The classic trick where you heat up water and you pour it in it. Now, at least, usually for it in a wide mouth. Now, Jean bottle seal it up, put it in your bag. I've never had a problem with that. Case though, wasn't the classic wide mouth Nalgene, it was like more like a it might have been algae brand but it was more of a sports bottle type. You might have at the gym and I guess there was ice on the threads and he was So cold and and preoccupied making a fire on top of the snow. That he threw the lid on there, felt I guess the resistance of the cap but it wasn't really on. So once that Ice on the threads, melted on soothing. It just dumped the whole leader. It's sleeping bag.
Tayson: Yeah, I mean inside typically there's not like the dwr coding. So I mean if you're putting it inside the bag and we're eating it So I could see how it actually get in there.
Dave: So besides for that was there any other issues or things that you might have done differently?
Sean: You know, I really think we would have been fine. We would have got through it, but I if not for that but I think it was just too much for us like a logical hit and probably a locked out because He went way Overkill, but it worked for him. He brought the whole like down suit that he brought for around Camp, So get down booties big down. Miss like you have one Everest, it was crazy pants and this jacket of course. So luckily, that first night, he wore that and got through the night and he slept in between us, there was three of us on that trip. And I actually had a quilt instead of a regular sleeping bag that unbuttons. So I did tell him worst case scenario and we'll just open this thing up and put it over top of two of us. It's not going to trap as much heat, but it's better than nothing. So but I think that hadn't happened. We would have pushed through
Dave: but it was shelter were using there.
Sean: That was, it was a 10 and we actually Goes first three of us and we decide to be insane. We took like a Mormon. Six-person. It was just ridiculous 18 pounds. Yeah and we did it in three. It didn't really split six. Six pounds each I forgot how it was pretty ridiculous. So, 10 wise, once we got up there because it was maybe 2000 feet of 2500 feet, something like that at elevation, it was quite a hole to get up there. But once we got there, we have like a palace, you know,
Tayson: which can be nice and winter conditions because sometimes you want to spread your gear out. And
Sean: yes, Yeah, this was taken out that we had all of our gear in there with this. We could we didn't have to like, go out even into the vestibule to take a look at our stuff. So, it was nice but it kind of, yeah, I wouldn't recommend that big of a tent. We were just, you know, trying to be Crazy, I guess.
Tayson: Well you bring up some interesting points. So one I mean it sounds like the down failure was Was something that could have been avoided. It was something that, you know, unfortunately, sometimes stuff like that happens. But right, I usually feel pretty confident. I keep my my down gear dry. If obviously there's ways to get around that, if people just have that fear and they can't get over it, we're trying to develop Solutions and different things. But I I also typically recommend, people use a top quilt more on the summer months. When like maybe if you get a draft in there it's not as terrible, right? And then I say like hey you know, use a sleeping bag in the winner, that's just my preference, but talk to me about sleeping in those type of conditions in a top looks. I mean, I know people that'll won't even sleep in like 20 or 30 degrees in the top quilt because they're So nervous about the drafts or things
Sean: really. Yeah. I used the quote Style For ground and hammock. All the time, I haven't used a real sleeping bag in Five years. I mean, the only main thing for me is you don't have that hood, but I always say in my videos, you know, I just sleep in it, like a whole hat or a knit hat of some kind. That covers the head and then draft wise. I've never really had an issue and I don't even have for the quilts for people who don't know. A lot of times you have the option to have a stone foot box where it's completely sealed up, where you can have buttons, the advantage being that you can unbutton, it just turns it to like a throw like something, just a regular blanket. I even have that button set up, where it's not. So there's a little Gap at the bottom. I find that you usually that's still not even a problem for me. So I have zero degree down quilt that I use. So it's super fluffy and worst case scenario. Quick tip, if you have the type that's button like mine with this drawstring bum you just put like a sock or something in there and it'll completely fill like Gap. So I find it to be fine.
Dave: What made you transition to a top coat over a mummy style bag with what do you like about it?
Sean: It was just when I made the jump from camping to Hammock Camping, it was just kind of the way to go. Now, I didn't originally do that. You know, for for Budget reasons, I didn't want to spend that much money. So originally, I want to use this a sleeping bag in a pad just like you wouldn't attend. And didn't have to spend any extra money, totally got by on that, but it is nice. So eventually switch to that under quilt, just because you get more Copper Ridge. You can roll around a bit more and then it's just kind of naturally goes with that to do the quilt because then you're kind of saving that weight you already have the undercoat under you So you can bring just enough. You know, quilt material on the cover your top. So I guess I'll wait savings and comfort issue.
Dave: Yeah, myself. I'm definitely a cool guy. Three seasons. But now I'm into trying to layer it with more of a mummy bag when it drops down. So using the mummy bag with the quilt or you know sub freezing, I'd say 20 to 0 below zero.
Sean: Yeah yeah.
Tayson: Well, and I think that brings up a good point of, you know, Dave's about to head out on. A winter backpacking trip and he's going up to nearly 12,000 feet in February. And he's, he's wanting to make sure he stays warm. And I think, I think most listeners. Like that's probably the number one thing that keeps them out of The woods in the winter is being able to stay warm or and there are like the gear costs kind of go up. Typically in the winter. I think there's some ways that you can try to get dual purpose type items and you can plan around some of that. But I think that, you know, staying warm is one of the biggest concerns people just some, you know, sometimes people have bad experiences in three season and they're like, man, I can't imagine what Four Seasons like, but I mean, how do you feel about like that type of a concern? What would you say to people like that?
Sean: Yeah. That's actually that last video I did with the, you know, upgrades you can do to go winter, backpacking. I was a big bulk of that video because That concern with clothing and staying warm. For me, that was the number one thing I was afraid of and I remember actually searching a lot. Trying to find. Specific articles or videos with tips and advice on, just what layers? Do I bring. whatever reason I couldn't find much, and I guess it's because once he do it and it kind of becomes second nature and you almost think that it's not something worth sharing or something, but Something So simple. Scare me So much in the beginning but it's really not. That might seem. I mean it's really just have a base layer and then a mid-layer which can be multiple mid layers, you know? Sure it's pants Etc. And then Heart shell of some sort for Pants and Jacket. but,
Tayson: As you say, how often do you wear those type of clothes into your, your top quilt at night?
Sean: Um, yeah, you know it depends on the tent because I I've taken that like I said the the quilt I have the lowest rated quilt I have is 0 degrees and I've taken that 20 plus degrees below that. So in those instances, I sleep often in I've slept in all my clothes except for hard shells, of course, base layer, and mid-layer, even in my pants. I know there's the whole debate, people say, you are going to be colder. If you wear clothes in the bag, I don't really I don't really believe that. I think the more Hairs to trap air between you and the outside. It's, it's only going to help, I think. the only instance where that might be true is if you don't layer evenly, like there's been times where I'm like, oh, it's cold And I'll wear my down jacket in the bag but won't necessarily have extra layers on my bottom half. So I'm kind of disproportionately warm. I'll be like sweating up top and cold at the bottom, but I think if you evenly layer, I think the more you wear to bed, the more you're going to get out of that bag.
Dave: I totally agree with that because you're bringing the gear and the layers. Anyway, I might as well. Yeah.
Tayson: But I think that's really good advice. I've never heard of that, like, the proportionate part, but I, I definitely think that's true because there are times I'll throw, like, you say, a puffy jacket on and and don't do the same on the bottom. And, and you kind of notice that. So that proportion idea, I think is, is pretty good too. I find for myself that, you know, a lot of times it's to save weight or different things. But I will specifically plan sometimes on wearing gear to bed, obviously, you know, in the winter temps, can just fluctuate pretty fast and drastic depending on, I mean, just things like cloud coverage, you know, can make a big difference or but a lot of times if it's going to be Say 15, 20 degrees out. I'll still use a 15 or 20 degree bag and not giving any buffer. But my buffer is in the fact that I have the option of wearing some some clothes to bed. So
Sean: yeah. So totally know that video though. Sounds super interesting. I'm gonna have to watch that. I I need I've been wanting for a while to put out some some content for our viewers on winter camping because I
Tayson: All right, then, you know, there's people that really argue that winter camping in general is just all around better because there's no crowds yours secluded. You know, it's very pretty. And there's snow out and things like that, but, yeah, we I've actually went on someone else's podcast recently and, you know, he, he pretty much camps year round. He's kind of in the, in the Colorado Backcountry year round and but he really sold me on the concept. Like, yeah, I didn't really put that together, but, you know, in the winter time, the mountains are empty and for some of us, that's what we love to see is, is to be able to get away from the crowds and really feel alone out there.
Dave: Yeah, I think it's good for your mental well-being too. When you're out there, you know, by yourself or with a group, but it's cold, and you're kind of, you know, challenge yourself here. You're out of your comfort zone. So I really I enjoy that aspect of it.
Sean: Yeah, the extra challenge is definitely that's the experience in the memories and then like you said, Just get these areas to yourself that are just So secluded. I mean, the trip, I actually just did last week. I went down the Smoky Mountains and I've been down there once before, and it was in the summer. And, but this time, I went down in the winter January and I went to campsite 113, which is right by Gregory bald, which for those not familiar with the Smokies. It's a hug. It's probably one of the most popular campsites hugely popular. It's probably I've never been in there there in the summer and it's probably a circus. But I went in the winter and I was the only person there. I mean, I never saw anybody that entire three days. All right, it would not happen in the summer,
Tayson: you know, a lot of times too. Even from a wildlife perspective, if you love, you know, watching wildlife and things their guards are down and the winner. They're not being chased around, they're not being pressured by the amount of people in the mountains and sometimes just for watching animals and things like that. You you get a much more intimate experience. There and get to see a lot more Wildlife, which seems kind of counter to. I mean, it depend on where you're going, but yeah. That's another thing to consider
Sean: know. I actually on that trip of my second day. I had my first first time ever. I ran into a coyote right on the trail. Just because I was probably the only person out there for, you know, a couple weeks,
Tayson: right, right. And for those of you don't know, coyotes are very skittish and oh, depending on where you go. I mean, sometimes like they like are always picking stuff out of a dump. Like I'm not talking about like that scenario, I'm talking. Like if you're in a real Wilderness Area, right? They are hard, hard, hard animals to spot and to see very often. So,
Sean: yeah,
Tayson: So we have a few different directions. We can, we can kind of go from here. I don't want to keep you too long, but you are like a world traveler. You just recently went to Sweden and did an RV trip. I think I want to save some questions regarding that for a later podcast because one of the reasons that we do, you know why we feel like you fit into that Live Ultralight category. So well is you do a little bit of everything and I think that's because of you know, just a lot of your life choices and and, you know, being able to do things on budgets and plan and and overcome the typical obstacles that keep people from doing that. But I mean, you do everything from solo trips, backpacking, you come across the country and backpack you've done that with us. And then you've all gone International and experience that which is really, really cool. And I'd love to tap into that. We've all brought you. You were kind of the beta test. We brought you out to Utah, as kind of an influencer we wanted to just give influencers an opportunity to see some of our gear and then maybe see some of Utah In a Different Light. We brought you out here it's when I realized that we could get along. We were driving in my truck to the trailhead and when I put on some post Malone and you know, you have liked him and I was like man this guy's he's cool but Yeah, and there's probably a lot more to unpack with that, So maybe I'll let Dave start that out. I know there's a specific situation on that trip where I was incredibly thankful for something that you brought, and I'll never forget that, but I'll get to that towards the end. I'll let Dave kind of started off. I missed a little bit of the first part of the trip, but let's talk. Just a little bit about what that trip was like. And yeah, just kind of go through that real quick. Yeah.
Dave: I mean for. So for us with the influencer trips, we just really are trying to to build relationships like this and have you on our podcast and you know, work on some, some R&D and different feedback from from you guys. So it was a great opportunity to to bring you out. And we basically said, bring your carry on, bring whatever personal items you need and we'll take care of the rest, and I guess, I would like to hear what your thoughts were on the trip and what you enjoyed it, what we could have done in the future and for future trips, what you'd like to see us to.
Sean: Yeah, I mean, from my perspective. Nikon better. I mean, I got to see. Because we went to Zion. We did Backcountry that first. Well, we essentially did kind of three trips and in one that first trip to the backcountry, there was amazing, you know
Dave: I would say for you guys that don't know what we did was we did the Western Trail and at the time there was actually some some flood damage So it kind of put a little Kink on our trip but we were able to do a night night on the Western Trail. And and then we we came down to Springdale, the town outside of Zion and kind of did the more. I would say, touristy type of type of trip but it's still as it was a pretty cool experience being shot. But the day together and then we were able to do the Narrows top down which yeah for you guys that aren't familiar. A lot of people do the bottom up. That's probably I would say 95% of anyone that does the Narrows is the bottom up and the experience from the top down is just totally different. So maybe he could elaborate on on that experience.
Sean: Yeah, I would say that's probably the first time where the majority of my hiking all day was With my feet full of emerged in the water.
Dave: Yeah, that adds a new Challenger element to it.
Sean: Yeah, that was crazy. Luckily, I brought some brand new boots. for that they definitely got a beating but yeah, it's just such a Crazy experience in there just to be. I mean, 90% of time you're just hiking in these. Well, Named and wall areas. and then, once you get to the campsite though, I think that can't say we got was probably one of my favorite campsites right next to that Landslide I guess
Dave: the waterfall.
Sean: Yeah, the waterfall. And all this Rock City come down. Thankfully not on our side while we were there, it was crazy.
Tayson: Well that's I mean that's really the part that I was thinking about where you really saved me was We hiked all the way down these arrows, right? So we hiked actually, we had one to lower Camp spot. Which
Dave: campsite 12. I think it was the last
Tayson: one. Yeah. Remember I think we were the last campsite So we covered pretty much all the top half the Narrows. We've been hiking most the day and it was a little bit farther, I think than most of us thought it was going to be to get to the campsite. Yeah. But for those, you don't know the farther you hike the higher the walls get and the more pretty it gets and So our campsite was you know we were really centered in there. In fact, we were struggling to send GPS texts out to just our lives to let him know. Everything was going good, which is something that both, you know, Sean likes to do. And and I like to do and we carry different GPS devices. We were competing to see who's would get theirs out, but anyways, you know, is really cool experience in there and we got to experience, you know, everyone's kind of doing a different thing. I was going super ultra light. I was I brought a tarp but I just laid. I just laid on my tarp and I didn't put it over me and I was just gonna sleep on the ground. Yeah, I did not forget about this. And So we had our dinner and we're sitting there and it starts to get Dark, and I start to notice. Like I got up and I noticed this big old spider and I'm like holy cow. That thing is huge. That's wild and I think I tried to show it to someone and didn't think much of it. I went down to the river, and I think I washed my hands or something. I come back and I see another massive spider. And I'm okay that's two of these things, that's not good. And I go back to my pack. I think I was washing a dish or something like that, and go to put it in my pack and ride on my pack. There's this another massive spider and I'm like, oh crap, you know, I, I'm not sleeping in a tent. I'm not sleeping in a hammock you, and you, and Dave were in hammocks, right? And me, and Derek were on the ground with nothing. And I started waiting out, I'm like, what the heck, am I going to do? I don't want to sleep with these spiders there everywhere. At this point, I'm seeing him everywhere.
Sean: I've never seen that many. And they were the big like, yeah,
Tayson: like the guys, like you can see their eyeballs flashlighting back to you. And I'm wigging out, we can out. And finally, you said you're like, hey, I've got a bug net and I'm gonna Hannah, I probably don't need it. And I oh, man, I feel So early. So, I take the bug net, and I just Loop it up over my entire bag. And I'll never forget this part. I just slide it up over my head. I sent you down and I Lean back. And, you know, I just lay on my back and right, as I look up at the Moon, I just see the spider walk right across my face. I have never been So thankful to have a bug, net or a shelter. I mean, typically it's never been a problem for me. In that scenario, I probably wouldn't have slept all night. I don't know what I would have done. So bug nets for hammocks. Also work on the ground for those of you that don't know. Yeah. And I was super thankful that you'd pack that thing in there.
Dave: And that what are your thoughts on being able to come out to the west? And not have to worry about bugs or rain or anything like that and just using your hammock, no, no, tarp. No bug. Net, anything like that experience.
Sean: Yeah, I love that because I think that night, none of us bothered. Yeah top right?
Tayson: Yeah,
Sean: it's just nice. You Feel a lot more exposed especially well actually probably makes no difference at all whether you're on sleeping on the ground or in a hammock, it's just you out there, you know, get a nice view and all, So I'm lazy. So it's great to have one less thing to set up and break down. That was pretty nice. I've had a few occasions. Out here as well. Where I take the rest. Of tarp. It's always my ideal situation. If the weather permits to just be out there as much as possible,
Tayson: So let's just back it up a little bit. We kind of asked you originally just what you thought about the trip as a whole and maybe things that we could improve or do differently in the future. You know if we're able to put another one of these together this year
Sean: Yeah, I mean hopefully next time for me my schedule is pretty flexible So I forget when you guys reached out but I was like yeah. Let's you know I'm down. I guess maybe other people needed a little more notice to get time off in there and their private life
Tayson: and we did it kind of smack dab in the middle of everyone's travel season. My camera for July
Sean: is
Tayson: August. Yeah So it's just most people are I mean that's a busy time here.
Sean: Yeah. Are they might already burnt vacation time by then So yeah but yeah.
Dave: I would say, but I'll overall like the the amount of hiking I don't remember what that that first day was, but it wasn't it wasn't terrible.
Sean: No, no, I'm trying to remember stuff. Definitely well under 10
Dave: Yeah. And I think that, that narrows day was the longest nose pie. I don't know 10. 12
Sean: miles. Yeah, I want to say maybe 12, I don't know. Yeah, that one definitely after doing the other stuff when we were hiking in there especially because there was such a different experience for me with walking in the water and everything definitely felt like a long day. I had to get to Camp.
Tayson: Yeah, it's it's crazy how much that that slowed us down and mentally it starts slowing. You down, just your feet, get heavier and heavier and And then all we're like fighting the whole time to not get soaked and then right before our campsite
Sean: like
Dave: the full Deep in water like four feet at least. Yeah.
Sean: No, I think I fully submerged the pack that you gave me, which thankfully was like, very resilient, it didn't get anything wet inside it all, but I went all the way and
Tayson: yeah. It's a fun trip. That's that's a hard one to get permits for for those listening. It's a great one if you ever can get permits, but top down Zion or western or both great, great hikes. And like I said, if you can get the permits for it, the back country, permits in Zion are really tough. Diana's is almost as a zoo, these days, it's just how many people growing up in Utah. Like, it wasn't always that way and It's gotten absolutely crazy. But if you can, you know, secure some permits like that, it really cuts down on the amount of people you see, and gives you a little bit more intimate experience with that type of area. I mean and, and have you been out. I couldn't remember if you've been out to the west or seen, you know Landscapes like Zion before Sean.
Sean: the closest I came was Indian lands. Maybe a couple years before. We overnight backpacking trip. So that would be North, you know where we were but totally different Vibe and experience up there, but that's the furthest west. I was prior to that.
Dave: And what are your thoughts? If you can talk about the front country versus Backcountry type of camping and in that, that experience, I mean, I
Sean: gravitate towards that country just because I want to be more immersed, I guess. if you will, and the less people. The better just to get that more, immersive experience. But Country School too. Because like like you had mentioned in the middle of that trip. We did that car camping ground. Yeah.
Dave: Good way to break it up.
Sean: Then you meet other people and there's tons of people around socially. I'm working introvert, but you know, that can be Probably a bonus to that. In our case we were what like literally blocks away from the main entrance to the park. So
Dave: yeah, member Bailey, our friend of mine driven by and we just jumped in the back of her pickup truck and she gave us a ride into town.
Sean: Yeah, I think. Yeah. So it has its but its pluses and minuses but I would say probably 90 plus percent. If I'm gonna take time off and go out, I'm gonna go That country.
Tayson: So I think this is a good opportunity to kind of circle this around. So, back in 2011 you did this five-day trip as your first trip and you said that, you got hooked. Yeah. You personally, what, what hooked you like? What is it that you couldn't forget about that trip. That drove you back into the backcountry now for years and years and years. And you've made a career out of it,
Sean: I just like it was that feeling of Uncomfortable. Now this might sound weird, but I like to put myself in uncomfortable situations. That's why I think I keep ratcheting it up a little bit whether it's Going to a weird country here, we got a deal on or just you know, more aggressive winter backpacking. So when we went up there, I mean for the East Coast at least That's about. As crazy and extremely different looking that you can get. I mean that terrain up there is just really cool. There's above Tree Line areas and that's primarily what we did on that first trip. It's like you're on the moon or something. I'm So it's just So Weird and crazy. And So I decided to do that next trip and ended up being a solo trip, but because I just couldn't find anybody else to go with me. But then I discovered the whole, another whole other element of solo hiking and just really having time to just kind of be alone with your thoughts, it's almost meditative sometimes, you know, you 10 miles. I clip with nobody to talk to There's a whole nother element, So I really got hooked on that as well.
Dave: And I guess I have a question or we can maybe clarify, how do you find the time or advice? To our listeners out of how to get out more find the time. Maybe financially, how you're able to, to do that.
Sean: Yeah. I mean when I first started doing This trip and making these videos. And I still continue to do stuff like this as well. Although I do longer trips here and there it's all stuff that anybody with two days off at a time could have done because that's exactly what I was doing. And and I live in Delaware which is smack dab in the middle of the East Coast. Hiking wise was really nothing around here, but if you're willing to drive, North or South for about seven to nine hours. And I can hear get to the Smokies or New Hampshire, So it's not like I was even close to these places. I would pack a bag. Say on a Friday, I would go to work. I would have my backpack with me and change the clothes. I would do my shift and I would get changed the bathroom. I'd hit the car and I would drive that night. Like nine hours up to New Hampshire. I get there like, you know, one of the morning or something sleeping in the car. Do a backpack. Trip and I would be, you know, that to work on on Monday, just like nothing happens. So I didn't have to use any vacation time Expense wise. I mean, it's a little hardcore, not for everybody, but I sleep in my car. So I wasn't even spent all I was spent the money. I got back in food and gas. and then, you know, if you can always get 50 dollar Motel too, doesn't have to be expensive if you're willing to To you know, do shorter trips. I think people even for like world traveling vacations. They get kind of caught up and having like this Ultimate Experience, like the idea of like a full week off of work or even two weeks. And that's great but then I think you're setting the expectations So high for yourself that you just ends up being this like dream like yes I'm here. I'll do that. And then another year goes by but just make it happen in a weekend or two days or take an extra day off. If there's a holiday weekend a three-day opportunity, just go for it.
Dave: Yeah, I think that's, that's good advice and I know you probably do a lot of planning and into that maybe some advice on planning a shorter shorter shorter trip or Adventure.
Sean: Yeah. Because we're shorter trip like, you know, it's not like vacation style. So you're not getting up there with a buffer of days in the beginning and the end where you might have time to, you know, talk to a ranger and get some ideas stuff like That. Um I do a lot of pre-planning on the internet. I mean, half the fun of hiking for me is thinking about the next hike, you know? So just always kind of researching areas to go and I really have things ironed out pretty well because it is such a short time frame when I get there. I know what I'm doing. I'm ready to go. So I'll just Google the heck out of it. Let's go on the internet. I'll find hiking forums for me in New Hampshire. It's I think it's hiked up. Hike Dash. Nh.com has a forum. I get a ton of ideas from there. and luckily, for me, Well the smokies that I just is completely that's super regulated but most of the stuff all the stuff in New Hampshire, there's no real permit system, you might have to informal locations, pay three bucks for parking, but I didn't have to reserve stuff in advance or anything like that So I could just go up there show up in the middle of the night and totally legally just get right to it.
Tayson: Yeah, that's that's a question. We like to ask those that are on the podcast you know what do you think? Colts people back time money or experience essentially your answer to that was was all of it but what I liked about it was Essentially just saying like if you want to get out there enough, you're gonna figure out a way and you know, you don't have to plan big extravagant trips which you know, you can do two day trips, which kind of eliminates the time aspect. You're saying you're paying for food and gas, which most people can can handle that which kind of eliminates that money part and then experience you touched on that kind of throughout the podcast of you don't have to be extremely experienced. I mean, we're saying we're not saying go out there and with no idea of what you're doing, but you can always improve your, your gear and your experience, and if you're nervous, you know, you can camp closer to that car and write overcome that obstacle. But one thing I also wanted to touch on here, I always understood this. I think you understand this but this last year when I took the Outdoor Vitals team up to King's Peak in Utah it was a it was a great trip but at times it was just a little bit miserable because we we chose the wrong time of year to go debate of Lee tons of snow up there. Still, we were going through lots of Snow banks around snowbanks through water. And, and Dave mentioned these that there's three types of fun and that's really stuck with me. So I'm gonna let Dave, explain these three types of fun and I think you definitely fit into a certain type of fun their syntax. So,
Dave: I definitely think The wrong time of the year is debatable. I think we saw maybe one or two people, So that's definitely a plus. But the conditions, Some people would say, maybe they weren't great, but I think that was part of part of the adventure. But So I like to say that there's three types of fun. There's there's type one fond. There's it's it's fun to do and it's fun to talk about. There's type 2 fun. It's not really fun to do. But it's fun to talk about and there's type 3 fun, which is it's not fun to do or fun to talk about. So those are how I usually categorize most of my trips and those three types of a fun.
Sean: No, I would totally agree with that. I would say type 2
Tayson: exactly. Like, it's a type. One type of fun. Could be a card game, but you don't remember the card game, right? No, you're always gonna remember, you know, that that winter camping trip. The winter wrong, right?
Sean: That's gonna suck while you're doing it. But you're gonna talk about your friends for years and you're grateful, if you car games fun and easy at the time. It's great way to pass time, but you probably won't be talking about that a year.
Tayson: Yeah, yeah. And, and So we, we love to look for type 2 types of fun. Not necessarily want to make a trip bad, right? You know, having obstacles that could be there unknowns? I mean, that's just part of going out in the wilderness. I think, I think naturally, if you're doing backpacking, you're, you're most likely going to somehow fall, into type 2 fun. Like not, everything's gonna go perfect, right?
Sean: But
Tayson: at the end of the day, you're making, you know, memories and, you know, just just listening to you talk about the outdoors and your experiences, like, I'm like amped up. I'm like, man, I need to get out and get something done here in the next short while. So, Well, I think that we're going to go ahead and close this off. Obviously, we have, I mean, you have So much knowledge. Like I said, I'd love to unpack some of your international travel experience in the future and, and dive deeper into some of those types of things. But I feel like you've dropped a ton of knowledge for listeners. Hopefully, you know, we were able to pull that out with some of the questions we asked, and I don't invite our listeners all So, to, to leave comments or what not of things that maybe they want us to ask, you know, people on the podcast in the future. If there's specific things that really are interesting, you know let us know and we can we can unpack those more as we bring guests on. But we really appreciate your support Sean and what you do we coming on the podcast and helping us out in that way. Real quick, if you just want to give people away to find you and contact you in the best way. So
Sean: yeah. I mean the quickest way is going YouTube and search Sintax77, It's s. I n t a x. 77. So my website Sintax77.com, but if you punch that in YouTube that'll that'll probably get you started. And
Dave: yeah I was gonna say there's some really good knowledgeable stuff on there. You can find the whole feature of your trip out here with us. So people want to check that out. That's a good video. Kind of get to know Sean and get to know us here at altar vitals.
Sean: Yep.
Tayson: Yeah, I mean, if you know, the titles, I think we talked about three, three different videos. If you know those titles those videos, you could maybe just let people know those right now and maybe they once they get off the podcast. So be fresh on their mind to go search for those specific videos.
Sean: Yeah, I think we talked about the Sub-Zero backpack and goes wrong if you search that it should come right up. That's the one where Mike's bag the Buckle occurred, the Smoky Mountains trip, like just did. I'm editing. Now, I'm hoping to have it up within the next week, maybe early next week. So I don't know what the title of just check out Smoky Mountains and text 777 and then I did the winter backpacking gear. Some tips, tricks and budget options is the other one that we talked about. It's it's an hour-long almost, something like that. So be prepared for that. But if you're, if you do want to make the leap to Winter backpacking. It's really, I just kind of break down some different options. Also, with some budget options in there as well to get out there and do it.
Dave: And we can put the description and where to find you and stuff like that in the description of the podcast of this episode So people can find that there.
Tayson: Yeah. But again we just really appreciate you coming on. We encourage people to go check out your channels. Watch some of those videos. You have some really good advice, you know, if for beginners, I think you've really nailed it down for if you're, if you're just getting started, especially and you've got a wide range of the types of trips you do. So we really appreciate you coming on. And we'll go ahead and close this out and hopefully we can get you back on a future episode soon enough. So, Now it's been great and a lot of fun. I'll definitely come back anytime. Yeah, thanks.
Dave: Thank you for listening to the Live Ultralight podcast. If you like what you heard today, don't forget to subscribe. Also, jump over to YouTube. Follow Sean, AKA syntax at Sintax77. He's got a lot of informative videos and information on there. Also jump over to iTunes. Let us know what you think of the podcast. Leave us a little review what you'd like to hear in the future anything like that. We will also read our Instagram comments So if you want to shoot us a message over to Instagram, we're at outdoor. Vitals will also listen to any feedback that you guys give us. And would really, really like to keep this going and keep it intriguing for everyone. So let us know what you think and what you like to see in the future. Thanks.
