Tayson: What's up everybody? Welcome back to the Live Ultralight podcast. Today. We have a not so special guest by the name of Dan Becker on the podcast Know, Dan is a dear friend of mine. We've actually got to backpack a few times and we have them in our studio. Yeah. So we convinced him to leave with Wisconsin for a moment. Yeah and gladly I mean I love Wisconsin but you guys don't know what you've got out here so awesome. It's so awesome special. It's not what else? Okay, he's just you just, yeah, for those of you that don't know, Dan, he runs YouTube channel, that is highly successful. Crossed 100,000 Subs sometime this year. Yeah, and he's killing it, he's killing it. He's got some awesome content, personally. I mean, I mean, just on what I appreciate from Dan is, he's super authentic, he tells it how it is and super relatable. I feel like that's that's and you're kind of comical. I mean, you're good, you're good on camera. Okay, wow. But but yeah, I highly flattered here if you haven't seen Dan's channel which I'd be. Highly surprised if you haven't, I'm sure to go check it out but what I miss well who's Dan supermodel bodybuilder? That makeup team did just the building. Yeah. No far from it.
Tayson: Yeah. I I'm curious of a lot of things but I kind of want to dig a little bit deeper. I'm sure people. When they go to YouTube, they get a good idea of who Dan is. I mean, you don't hide anything, but but we've had some conversations on trail and and over food and whatnot that I enjoyed and I feel like people have no idea all the deep dark secrets around the campfire. Those conversations. Yeah. Okay you can tap out at any more. Oh man just let me know but yeah. Tell me for a second about how you got started on YouTube. Your first video. Oh man. Okay so that was I, my first official attempt at an actual YouTube video. I had filmed like a backpacking trip video, just kind of fun video, just put it on for me, nothing special. But my actual video was I had was like November of 2818. I just learned something about backpacking. And wanted to see if I could find something online about more about it, couldn't find anything and I thought, you know, I wonder if anybody else would want to know how to do this. So I made a video, put it online and Came back a day later and saw that people actually watched it. So, I mean, some people like five. Yeah,
Tayson: yeah, yeah. One, two, five. Six not many. Okay. Just I just couldn't believe that. Anybody clicked on the video? I might goal wasn't to start a YouTube channel. I'd never intended to start a YouTube channel ever like it wasn't like, hey I'm gonna be a YouTuber, it just, you know, I started posting videos and I'm highly addictive personality. In a good way. But yeah, then I just started posting more videos. I got addicted. I was just like let's let's pull another one. See what happens and then that was it like video to is, is what? Um, golly man, I don't remember it at your pulling up the archives here, get the Cowboys off. Yeah, man, I was probably something price, something like total clickbait like I don't know, like top five best backpacks of all time or something. And I'd probably only use like two at that time. So, because your background is not like grown up backpacking. No, no. I never even camped until I met my wife. So like, growing up Outdoors. Now I'm from Wisconsin, like yeah, Outdoors there's Outdoors. Obviously Wisconsin. But now like here, so yeah. Oh, we just camped like car, camped. And then Probably back in 2014 or 15 or so a bunch of a couple guys in myself just decided we wanted to go. Backcountry camping and we did that and I knew nothing. I didn't know what I was doing. I took I literally took like a school backpack like like a laptop bag
Tayson: and packed as much stuff on it. As I could like, literally strapped like a sleeping bag on the outside of it. We hiked in like maybe a mile set up camp and that I was hooked absolutely hooked. And then right? Yeah. Then I was all over YouTube. Like Jeff like the worst night sleep ever. Anything or? Oh yeah it was horrible. I try to Hammock Camping. Oh okay yep so I redid a little research job under quilt their pad and I had a pad. I had one of those like the rest like the it was like the one from Walmart. It was like 20 bucks, you know. Right folds out. Inside the hammock. So did you lay on? Edited it on? You. It was, it didn't even help. Nothing helps. It was horrible. I had like some cheap Chinese hammock and bought a tarp off Amazon for like 20 bucks, barely covered and it rained that night, which I stayed covered. Okay. Yeah, that was my first. Yeah. But somehow you liked it. Yeah. Oh man, I loved it. I was, I don't know, I just was absolutely addicted. The whole thing I just then I went on YouTube and Just researching like crazy. Well, was like, what? What made you want to go back? I don't know, you know, bad gear sounds like I think I realized like Um this is can't like this is like the camping that I've always wanted to do. I just didn't know I wanted to do it like
Tayson: a car camped but you're always around. There's like a 20 feet away. There's somebody else camping right next to you. So, there there's nobody, and then you can experience things that you could get out into the outdoors and go places that nobody else will ever get to. Unless they do this, unless they hike to it. There's a gate like that and hearing gate, anytime you put it back on and go somewhere and And it separates all totally, but that's cool. That's That's pretty interesting. So then from there you just you just started backpacking like crazy anytime you aren't selling insurance, right? So yeah, yep. So I sold insurance and then I, yeah, yeah. So I I would love to say I did it like crazy. I did it adds much as my wife would let me because I came back and she's like wait you want to do this again? Like what are you? Okay. Yeah. Like you wanna leave me with? Yeah I want to kind of want to go in a couple weeks. Honey. Is that okay? Like I don't know. Maybe every other weekend house. It was gonna work. No
Tayson: it didn't work too well. But then nobody I couldn't find anybody backpack because backpacking by me. It was just wasn't really a thing you know I mean people did it but you had to find people to actually go with you like, did you just solo ever know? I never wanted. I'm not a solo guy. I don't ever want to go solo. I don't have a desire to do that much rather. You know have I'm very social person. Yeah so I'd much rather hang out with people but yeah. No I I started buying then I started buying gear. Because I would go on YouTube and try to figure out what it was and then I tell people, hey, do you want to go do this with me and they all thought I was insane. They're like what you want to do, what? And then I stay they would tell me why I don't have anything to go with. I don't have any gear so that was kind of, you know, a big wall. Yeah. So then I thought oh, I'll just buy more gear. So, I doubled my gear. Okay, and then I'd ask people like you might go and I don't mean gear. I got you. Not an excuse. Yeah, no more excuses, him a backpack and they, you know, reluctantly come with me. Like I kind of like our trip. Yes, oh exactly. Like our trip.
Tayson: So wait for those, he don't know. You have to go subscribe to Dan's Channel and we did a video where he used my personal backpack and my personal gear on a trip. So anyways, yes. So you hand off your own backpack to your friends? Yes, go. And yeah, and you got a few takers. Oh yeah, yeah I was got takers one. Buddy of mine will still backpack with me to this day that's about it. Burnt through the others, yeah, burn through the others. And then you know, I've converted some people over time, you know, you a couple years later then, you know, a few more people would come along and so, yeah, I mean, I I can relate to that, my wife was kind of the guinea pig in the beginning of Of my backpacking. And there's a good stint where she just wouldn't backpack with me anymore after just too many. Bad tests, you can say, yeah. So that's good. It's good to some stuck through but I'm sure you have a long list of Friends Dan that you can, you can churn and burn, you know. Yeah, well my my wife will go. Yeah, she will go, she's gone a couple times but no, she's not she'd much rather. We are V Camp to she'd much, rather write sleep in a nice, big comfy bed at night. So you not only sleep in a tent and used to sleep in a hammock. Got not much hammock. No more. No, but you also have an RV, I do. Yeah. And we are the as much as I go backpacking. At least at least once
Tayson: a month somewhere. Do you get, do you hate for that? I mean, is that like no negative no no no. I thought I thought maybe that was gonna happen but no no I think like my crowd is that you know, they're not. They're just the average guy. They're the, you know, the weekend warrior and a lot of those people do that. So yeah, yeah. I I was talking to Peak refuel and they talked about how they've got this concept of everyone meets at the watering hole, right? Like like Hunters Fisher, Backpackers you know, whatever it is, they all meet at the watering hole and I feel like that's that's a culture. We giving her daughter's talked about a lot because everyone in the office has different Hobbies within the others that we all right. Just been in besides just back, right? So, I think that's cool. I we have a cam trailer. We go out as well with my family, especially the young kids that was that was kind of the deal breakers. When I was like we need a camper to get my wife and kids out there because it's just difficult. Yeah, get sometimes. Yeah, no, that's, that's awesome. I think the overall experience is what you're going after anyway. I mean, it's like, it doesn't matter if your backpacking, your RV, I mean, just get outside and do something, you know? Yeah. So we touched on this for a second, but before YouTube, what were you doing? So, I
Tayson: sold insurance. I was an account manager for an insurance company. For 10 years. And then, in 2018 started, my own agency. And then in 2019 went full-time YouTuber, still get my agency but YouTube was taking off to the point where I can just kind of hold on to it. The agency and then in 2020. Was it 2020? I don't know. It's been like a year and a half. I've been nothing but YouTube I sold the agency and It was that like to step off that ledge. You have that conversation with your wife. Yeah, try it. Just try it. Just try it. Hey, honey, I'm selling my career, you know, and I'm gonna be a YouTuber. yeah, it was an interesting conversation so but you know, she's got a lot of faith and she's a wonderful woman. I will say that. So and and you guys met Through through church, right? You did oh yeah. Counts your counselor. Yeah. Was it? Yep. I yep. I was a youth leader at the youth ministry and she was yeah. We met there. Yeah, man. Yeah, I feel like that was, that was a really interesting part. I feel like for me to learn about about you was just that Before Insurance before YouTube and everything. You were you were just really active in church doing. I mean, that was your occupation. Yeah, right? Yeah,
Tayson: yeah. I was a pastor at a church for nine years old, by the way. That sounded like a, like, dated some youth girl? No, I did not. Okay. She was an adult. Oh man, that came out weird. Okay. Yeah. So no we, yeah. Then I was a youth pastor for eight years, nine years? Something like that. I feel like you would excel at that like just you know like connect with kids and yeah and just have a good time. Yeah it was it was a fun time for sure. Yeah. But I get we got If anybody's in the ministry, if anybody out there is a Ministry, you do experience, burnout to a degree. So that's kind of where that led to, but, yeah, for sure. I mean, varieties the spice of life, right? Yeah, yeah. But no, that's I think that's, that's just a really interesting part to kind of get to know your backstory because again, there's, there's faces out there. Who knows? People, maybe people see me out there and have no idea or don't feel like they know who
Tayson: who I am but like, you know, you get to learn some of that background. It's just like, man, I feel like now, I know how hard of a worker Dan is selling, insurance is no easy task. And you see some of the sure ethics and morals that have been built into you from from just other stages of life and it's cool to see. You're just your guy. Yeah. That like is a good guy and it just out here doing your thing on YouTube and, and doing your thing outside. Yeah. I'm a normal. Normal, I'm probably not normal. I don't. Yeah. Whatever you
Dan: Got problems, but, but
Tayson: you are not like, yeah, yeah, I hear you. Yeah. Which I think is super cool. All right, so let's let's fast forward back again to to getting into backpacking. So where are you learning? How to backpack if you're the one bringing Guys. Oh my gosh that's such a great question. You man, books are you know oh my gosh. No, no! Yes, I quiz people like crazy, I do that. I do do that. So experience getting out and actually doing it, learning things on my own was experiences the greatest teacher for sure. But then you're never going to get better at something unless you hang out with people that do it better than you. Right. And I don't there's no like better way to backpack but there's people that have done it longer and have more experience than you. So I try to get around people like that as much as I can and learn from them. How do you describe that to someone that like That experience Factor like you you can study. You can watch videos read talk to people and you can feel like you're pretty dang knowledgeable, right? Yeah. And then It seems like every time you're out on the trail, you can you find something or you learn a different way? Like how do you describe that? Totally. I mean, I literally had that moment happen to me. Just a few months ago, I was backpacking with a guy named Eric Hansen who has a backpacking Channel on YouTube. Great
Tayson: Channel, backpacking TV. And we were out there and I'm just asking him questions and where he came from and all that stuff. And I'm thinking, like, I'm gonna teach this guy so much about backpacking and he's like, oh yeah, you know, I used to be a guide. Oh, okay. He used to be a guy really. What'd you do? Well, I used to backpack, you know, and I, I did 200 nights a year on trail. It's like I quit. I'm done. Like please I, I was an instant sponge at that point, like, soaking up as much information as I possibly could. Like, right, right now. And what was funny though, is after the trip, I, we talked about that and he was like, damn, I kind of felt the same way I was like, really me. I'm just like the average guy just kind of learning as I'm doing this. And he's like, no man, you know, everything there is to know about gear, he's not a gear guys. So he was looking at all my gear and trying to figure out how he could do things differently and more efficiently and how I would set things up and I'm just thinking, wow, I had no idea. So I think it's, it's just like, the kind of comes full circle away, you know, with people and getting around people. But getting around people like that. That was, that was so beneficial. Yeah,
Tayson: yeah, no I it is, it is interesting. There's, there's two sides to it. Um, and we preached out a lot here that we, you know, after vitals at least like we can't just sell gear because that's only half the equation. The other half is is the knowledge and Stuff to accompany it, right? I know a lot of people that probably have thousands of dollars worth of our gear and still don't backpack, right? I don't know. A lot of people have the worst year in the world and are out there backpack, you know. So it's it's combining those two that I think the magic is in but So tell me about like like a worst case scenario experience and and how you grew on trail from that. Oh, like like what I experienced it was really terrifying. I think what makes guys like Eric Hanson knows so much is. Every time you get out of your comfort zone like push past something something, unexpected happens or whatever that's when you grow in life, right? Like you get totally like when times get rough, all of a sudden, you realize, like, holy cow. I came out of that stronger from it. So, tell me, tell me about something like that, like, where you took all this gear knowledge, that you have. And, and you took it, and we're like, you're on the trail. And you're like, boom, that's where I level up.
Dan: Oh yeah, totally. I mean there's many times, I mean, just I was I used to be claustrophobic even intense hammocks tents, everything. Oh yeah. Like I remember vividly being in a three-person tent waking up at 2 a.m. with high in anxiety. Like I have to get out of this coffin now. Wow, so and just repetition constantly doing it over and over forcing myself to sleep through the night. I eventually became like like what was the last was the last night. No two nights ago. We mean you were on trail and I was in a one-person little trekking. Pole. 10 honest slope. Yeah. On a slope but I was, you know, and I thought about that at night actually that's in there. So that and then, Or I was in the Smoky Mountains recently. And made a rookie mistake, trusted my backpack too much. I thought it was gonna be Keeping my gear dry as a dyneema pack and ended up so wetting out because we were in like probably 15 hours straight of 30 degree rain, and it was miserable. And I had all my gear just completely, I had to pack out and pack out. I hiked out five miles in the dark.
Tayson: Know, when you say wet, like like, when you pulled out, say, you're sleeping soaking wet. It was as if you took a bucket of water
Dan: and dumped it in my backpack. That's all wet. I got like,
Tayson: okay. So what happened to Your sleeping bag. I assume. When you pulled that out, like was it was soaked. I was the insulated inside the insulation, so as well. Oh
Dan: yeah, totally. I could wring it out. Literally wring it out. Yeah, everything
Tayson: off. No, Loft. Really at all. Um,
Dan: there's probably a little Loft in some areas, but I it the what happened was, is it rained so much in the temp? Was at this time, I was sitting in my tent, it was probably Maybe 33 degrees, Fahrenheit. Just almost sleep. It was supposed to dip like another 10 degrees and I was not gonna take a chance. I was five miles from the truck. And it's dark, it's middle of December. So it was like Price 7:00 at night, you know, pitch black. Yeah. And I'm like either I can either just sit here and proved everybody how manly I am and make it through the night and risk hypothermia. But how stupid what? So I was like this is, I'm not doing that. There's no way I packed up and just hiked out and yeah, got to a hotel Frozen. It was a horrible hike out. It was it was miserable because it was raining the entire time, right? And you're in the dark headlamp headlamp like fog, you know, through the clouds because we're up, probably about six thousand feet, it was really foggy, I can only see maybe 20 feet in front of me, pouring rain that the trail turned into a river because that's where the water goes at least resistance, you know. Yeah. Yeah. So that was awesome. But anyway rookie mistake. I just I just I hadn't used to pack liner. Yeah big mistake. Well
Tayson: right. But you're you're fabric was waterproof but the seams right?
Dan: Yeah everything had been taped except for up by the oh it was taped inside. Yeah that's all yep. Except for where the Straps the shoulder straps meet up at the top. And so when I called the company to ask him, what was going, like, what could have possibly happened to have that happen. That's what we figured out that. It must have gotten in there, but it was, it was a, it was raining, it was hard, right?
Tayson: So, if one scene could let that much water. And so, yeah. Wow. That is, that's impressive. Well, I've had, I've had frostbite twice and you don't need to have. So, I'm good. Hiking out was probably a wise choice in this area for sure. But but so what do you take away from something like that? Like what what what? What do you take away and then like, why do you go back out again?
Dan: It's a plan. Exactly. Right, you go back. Why would you ever because you are not the next day if I remember, I did. Yeah, I woke up that next morning and just hired Greg back out and yeah. And most of my gear was still wet. Yeah, I mean I tried to dry it out as much as I could in a hotel room which it did a lot of it did actually the down actually dried out. I was really surprised but anyway, um, yeah. No, I don't know. I just it's because those those are, those are just, that's the worst case scenario. That rarely happens that kind of stuff when you're out there, I find. And if the weather's bad, It's, you know, you it's sucks, right? But you just kind of once you've done it enough, I don't, I don't know how to explain. I just don't think about it anymore. I don't think about Being miserable. I don't think about being cold. I'm just excited to be out there. So like if it's pouring rain and it's icy, like I was just in the Bear, Tooth mountains and Montana. Hiking through there and it was 30 in the high 30s but it rained quite a bit and a couple one of the guys I was with him was only like a second or third time, backpacking. He was like we gotta tap
Dan: out. I'm like, dude, we're 10 miles in, we're not tapping out. Yeah, like it was late at night like there's no way. and yeah, no, it was I don't know, I don't explain it. You're just kind of just do it. And you just the next day, is gonna be great, you know, usually is. So you're glad you stuck it out, you glad you stuck through. And, and now, you've got an experience, That you can learn from.
Tayson: Yeah. So have you ever heard like type 1 type 2 type 3 fun. Oh
Dan: totally. Yeah that's definitely type. 2 type 3 fun for sure. It's not yeah it's definitely not fun but it's I don't know. It's I don't I you know nobody goes backpacking to suffer, right? But you suffer through backpacking to experience the amazing things that are out there, right?
Tayson: yeah, and And usually you suffer one scenario. Once hopefully if you're smart usually for me it's like four or five times. Yeah. And then you learn how to like make it better for the next exactly. Totally. yeah, I I can relate to that when you Like when you're what, what does it take for you to come back from a trail and be like? That was a successful trip like I accomplished or I got out of it. What I hope
Dan: all along. um, So for me, I I mean I love being in a place where I can say like even to myself I would never experience this. Unless I took the brutal Hike out here to set up camp and be here, whatever this place is. But I also love the camaraderie with my friends and just being out there and sharing that experience. And if I can have that memory of the place, I'm at the experience with my friends and just the, the escape from Just life in general and just all the things and just share that at that to me is a successful trip. I feel like
Tayson: yeah. Is it that disconnect from technology or communication or or like?
Dan: Yeah, I think so, I think because I think just as people we get so caught up in just just the routine of life and out there, it's so far from the routine of life, like it become if you do it enough, if it's a routine. But every place you go is always different. so
Tayson: when we were just doing the you in a high line, it's it's funny and you get into that groove of like, There's it's just so simple. You get up, you hide, you hike, he hiked. Yes sleep, you know, and you just kind of go through this routine and you're like man life gets way more simple. When all you have to do is walk and eat right? And there's not everything else that you usually hits you and you know, it's not quite that simple but but it kind of it is at some points and not, there's something really beautiful. I would Say about. Being that simple for me. Yeah, totally having just just your Essentials. Just your gear on your back. And yeah that's it. And I know that there's people out there that
Dan: like, for instance, I did a poll on my channel recently and I just wanted to know who my audience was, and I found out that 17% of my audience had never even backpacked before. I'm like, 17. You're watching a backpacking Channel, and you've never backpacked, like, what are you? This is a gear Channel. Like, what do you, what? What's your? So I feel like that's People, they see this. Place. And I think that that's, that Pinnacle that plays of Serenity or whatever people painted as when you get to Camp or the hike or just being out in the mountains or The Meadows or wherever you're at, I feel like people just long for that escaped from whatever they're doing and so I don't know. I was really deep know a little too deep. Now that's
Tayson: like the beauty of hardly. It's it's so hard to work to it. It's so hard to put words to it, but, but I, I believe in this this, I don't know, it's a quote or something, but it's if, as long as you understand, the why you can endure any, what, right? So if you want something bad enough, you'll do whatever it takes to get, it would be another way to say it or so on so forth. And so, to me, I have such a strong belief and desire and and pull to go and do these things, right? They like there really wouldn't be any what they could stop me from getting out there, right? And then you've got this percentage, I'm sure that are maybe even listening to this podcast or following us on YouTube as well. That aren't getting there. And to me, it's like, you gotta paint, you gotta help them paint that picture. So they do the hard things, whether it's acquiring gear, finding someone to go with planning a trail or really. There's, there's absolute obstacles to getting out of doing this totally, but if they if they want it bad enough, just like you want a bad enough, you'll buy two sets of gear, bring your friends, right. Oh
Dan: man, yeah, it's it's just, it's it's so hard to explain to somebody who's Who who doesn't even car camp? Like, you just say to somebody, I got people back at home, you know, through just life and you just say, hey, we're gonna go camping this weekend. They're like, really, you're, you're you both. Do you enjoy living homeless for
Tayson: the weekend and you're like,
Dan: oh man, oh, you just want to just you gotta come with me and just see you know, right? It's just yeah
Tayson: and somebody just turned. Yep, I did. Sorry. Yeah, that's
Dan: yeah, you go ahead and stay here. Have fun.
Tayson: Yeah, so if I was to ask you, like, what, what's been your favorite trip in, like, what comes to mind? I mean, might be recent or whatever. Just first thing.
Dan: Man, favorite trip. That is such a great question. I've had so many good trips.
Tayson: Oh man, first one and your best ever, but saw tooth mountains in Idaho. Yeah, that
Dan: was, that was And it was epic from the location. If anybody's never been to the Sawtooth mountains and I know you got to go there beautiful place but all just I went with just great guys, you know, and we just had such a good time. I could have been in the middle of a parking lot camping and we had a great time now. Yeah. That was a good one, Beartooth mountains. That was probably the most epic place I've been to in the US so far. I have not backpacked outside of us. I cannot wait for that to happen.
Tayson: Yeah. Super stoked to do that but yeah.
Dan: Oh Maui, I did some hiking. I didn't do any overnight camping, but Molly. Oh,
Tayson: Yeah. Yeah. That I've I've talked my wife out of Hawaii for a long time and I'm always like we just go to Mexico and get same experience for half price something, right? And then recently, I was watching a channel that I that I like and they were I was actually in the past, something came up and he was doing some, some running some fast packing and stuff in Hawaii. And I'm like whoa yeah whoa that's I didn't I didn't know.
Dan: It's crazy know that it's another world man. You got like bamboo forests and remote waterfalls that you can just dive in and
Tayson: oh it's beautiful. Yeah. Yeah, it's on my list, it's on everyone's list right now so therefore it's pretty my list for the near future. Just yeah, there's a wave of Hawaii or right now but I've since decided it's worth my time to go to Hawaii. So totally worth it. I'll have to make that happen for some some R&D or something. Yeah. So man where there's, there's a lot of options. I feel like to go because there's still so much. That's inside Dan's head and
Dan: I don't want a peek in there. Yeah, well it's it's a pretty scary place.
Tayson: I'll let you filter it, you know. But Ah, what? Holy cow. I feel like we can we can talk about like the gear side of like all the stuff you've learned about gear. Why don't you take us through a little bit of your journey with, with the word, ultralight. Oh boy. Here we go. Yeah, here we go. I came out of nowhere. Yeah. So okay. Just super fast
Dan: when I started backpacking. Somehow on YouTube. I got fed by YouTube. Ultralight, backpacking. Stuff videos and so you
Tayson: mean like the extreme? Yes.
Dan: Super extreme stuff. Just maybe just or just anything to. Yeah. Just like you got to have your base weight below, 10 pounds or your you don't know what you're doing. And so yeah, my goal in life was to do that. And I mean, I was I I could get my base weight closer to seven pounds if I wanted to, with all the stuff that I have now, and yeah, I just remember, getting out there and thinking Why am I doing this? Because I wasn't through hiking. I had no desire through hike. My goal wasn't to get like as many miles in a day. I could care less about Myles. I was there to have the experience. So I whether I hide five miles or 20 miles in a day or more whatever didn't matter to me I could care less about that. It wasn't like I I just don't like being bored during the day, so that's where the hike comes in, you know,
Tayson: and I like slow, I like Fast, whatever, it doesn't matter. So it's your only hiking to not be bored. Yeah, pretty much from people. I am,
Dan: I have my brain and my mind literally has like a thousand topics on it at any given moment. And it's I just
Tayson: yeah. I think most people that go out go out there and create something have an element of add. I'm sure I've got. Oh man I claim it. My wife. Sorry. Just I'm like I tell my wife that she's like I can tell you get a test back that says it. I'm like, that's
Dan: fine. So anyway, yeah. So I I just was like I'm not that person. So then I just was like, I started to be very uncomfortable at night. I wasn't and I know you can be, don't ever somebody screaming at
Tayson: like what's the what's the one piece of gear you look back and you're like, I can't even believe I tried that or like I used to use that and think it was okay. Oh man, that's a great. Probably probably like through. This like the I
Dan: had this, I used a pillow that was as late as a Ziploc bag. I filled it up with the
Tayson: straw so I can't believe I used that like that in a way like maybe
Dan: a quarter of an ounce. I mean, it was It was ridiculous. Yeah. Anyway, but you know, I did you ever sleep on like a foam pad like the Z? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I slept on a z-lite. Yeah. Those are, you know, you have to because if you're if you don't if you don't know what you're doing. But alright, ya know. So, I I know there's somebody screaming at their podcast. Listen, that this screaming at me right now, like what? Yeah, you can be comfortable and be ultra, like, yes, I get it, I know that, but that's not my goal. I could care. I don't care about being ultralight anymore, I just care about. So I don't even waive my gear anymore. Like,
Tayson: I know how much my gear weighs individually so I know how much my sleeping bags are. My backpack is my all the stuff, right? I know how much it weighs when I buy it but then when I go to a trip, I don't even think about it. I just slam everything in the backpack that I know, I don't even keep a list anymore. I already know it's like I don't have to keep this. I just know I need my backpack. I need my sleep system image Ultra, I need my water filter. Anyway diddy bag, all the stuff that's in there. I Pick it up and I go yeah, that's about right? Yeah, that's about what it normally weighs or whatever. And then I get out the door and people get frustrated that watch my channel. They're like how much is your backpack weigh? I should have waited it. I have no idea. Right? Sorry. But like like, if you were just a guess here for a second mine is your camera equipment. Like what do you think you're you're based weight is like oh and 15? Yeah probably 12 15 pounds so that's just because I I have the luxury of having A lighter weight gear. Yeah, based on my YouTube channel occupation. Yeah, so it's not like that was my goal. It's just that I have it right but like let's say let's even say it was 15 pounds. and you think about all the stuff that you bring that that Ultra, like I might call a luxury item, like you're gonna bring a chair You're gonna
Tayson: bring two pillows. Yep. I bring two tools that rain chair for sure. Yeah. And they're are pillows. They are full on like puffy pillows. Yeah, you've along the way decided that you still prefer sleeping bag. So you've got these touch points where you, you are purposely choosing slightly heavier options, for comfortably to me, though. That's that's a great way. And I would still totally classify you as someone who is on the Spectrum from old for ultralight because the pieces of gear, you're buying are still ultralight for that. Absolutely right. Yes. And and you care about the weight. Yeah. But but you, you add in what you need and what you wanted. And to me what I what I typically end up doing a lot of times is I will I'll try to get to the 10-pound base weight with, with all my important stuff and it's like, all right, I'm there now. What do I want to bring on this trip? Do I want to share this trip or do I want a pair of binoculars? Right. Binos is the column out here. Yeah, you
Tayson: know and I added I usually end up adding in a couple pounds back to my pack for things that would make that trip more enjoyable and and I quite like that system and it's it's similar. I think what you do. Yeah. So I I sort of equate it to okay. So I yeah like I'll carry 1215 pounds easily as a base weight and then my camera gear is probably another eight to 12 pounds, depending on what I'm bringing plus food and water. You wouldn't take my ultra like tripod, I try not my camera, I'm not risking my camera there, you know? So I I'll carry upwards to 30 pounds easily on a backpacking trip. and so, so do you You're in like a frameless pack or know. I have a friend back. No I don't ever even got into a frameless pack but like but I kind of equated to like the person who's looking at backpacking and is scared of it and goes on her first trip. Unless you experience the the torment sometimes, right. Um, you know, you like for me I don't think about the tormented more like I was saying before. So I just go, I just enjoy it. It's like now I don't even think about the weight anymore, I just I'm so used to it. That I know I'm capable of getting there with everybody else, and I don't even think like, Boy, if I didn't bring this chair, I probably could have been more comfortable. Well,
Tayson: that's not how I don't really care about that. I'd much rather be comfortable when I get to Camp. It's sitting a freaking chair, right? You know, because every time I set up my chair, somebody else wants to sit in it, I literally packed a chair for you. You used it a little bit and and one of the times I put it together, and went to hand it to you. And I'm like, I'm gonna sit in this. Yes, I'm just gonna sit down. Yeah, so, totally Yeah. I mean I think there's, there's so much when you take away from that because everyone to me, and that's why, like, our model like live Ultra, like it's more of the process. It's an active like actively living, ultralight means for every different scenario. And every decision you make, you just choose the lighter option, right? But but you're still living, you're still doing, you know, there's choices every day. So, I see, I think the only time that I cringe is when I see people that have like the 75 or no you know those those are my we can really help you guys. But but you know, if you're 15 pound base weight, you're doing a great job and and here's something else. How tall are you, Dan 6262? I'm 62 know. Do we fit on normal pads? Very well.
Tayson: Do you know, do we have regular length? No sleeping bags. Do we have, you know, do we have extra small jackets? And so a lot of these guys that are posting videos that 7 pound bass weights or whatever. They might be, you know, like like Derek in our office size, you know, where you might be 120 pounds, soaking wet on. Yeah, you know. And so there's just factors that all the way in and so I, I agree don't get so hung up on the way peel back. The weight is much as you can look at it, add the items that you want to add. They want and need them and you're gonna be happy with it. I look at it. Like, when I go about a backpack if I didn't use something, that wasn't something like like a medkit. Like yeah, you're always going to take a Medicare. Right? But if I didn't use something and I don't bring it the next time like it's, I'm never, I'm not packing stuff that just because I'm afraid. Like, I might have to use this. I might what if my lighter doesn't work, and I need 12, fire steals now, or whatever. Totally, you know. Yeah, you know. Yeah, I can actually know I'm using every piece so, to me, and I don't, you know, it's what I enjoy. If you don't like it, I don't really care, you know. You've never had anyone comment on you. Oh no. Never say anything like that. I'm no, that never happens. I don't controls what?
Tayson: Yeah, no kidding. They don't exist. I don't think on the internet. But um, no, I think that's big part I think this summer too. Like I feel like I can go out on the trail and if you're gonna, if I have a heavier pack, I feel 10 times better from some of the training I've done, or probably. Yeah. So that's that's just a big factor too. That was the tip I should have hit. Oh, we put together a free. Ways to yeah, save weight on trail save, wait on trail, you know it I guess you. We said we didn't want to like talk about losing weight. But even if you didn't lose weight, if you just, if you just trained a little bit backpack will fill lighter. Oh, totally, that's funny. Yeah, because this year, I lost a lost, you know, some weight and absolutely noticed it when I was hiking for sure. Yeah. And even even doing I've got a friend named Carl that will put on a backpack and he'll load it up like he'll like put it heavy. Let's say puts 30
Tayson: or 45 pounds or something in it, they'll go grocery shopping. Yeah, yeah. He's totally normal guy. Yeah, nothing strange about that, but Yeah, he'll go grocery shopping and just just wear the pack and, you know, occasionally Security will stop them. But other than that what it is is he just his body will get used to having a load on and then when he goes and hits the trail, he just feels better right in the pack is going to feel lighter, anyway? Right, if you, if you train at 45 pounds and your pack is 25 pounds, still feel better, right? Yeah, totally. Anyways, that might be getting onto a tangent, but your study I need to be more like you sometimes. Dude, that's, I feel like we've covered a lot here. What, what the heck are? We missing that people don't know about Daniel Bartholomew. Oh, man. Well, Bartholomew was not my middle name know, man. I don't know. I don't know. Yeah, I'm just a regular guy and do regular things and just happened to love backpacking. So if you like that stuff, too then Yeah. What will my friend can people expect from if they were to go? Follow you, or what could people expect in the next year of Dan Becker?
Tayson: My next? Yeah. Oh next year. Oh my gosh. I have no idea. I don't even know what I do next week in life, but ya know I my my focus on people in my channel. My audience is I want the average person to be able to get out there and do this. I don't want them to feel like they have to look at some, you know. Oats and honey looking, dude, you know, you know, the guy that lives in his van his whole life and if you live in your van, I'm not making fun of you. But that's typically what people think of when they're thinking of Backpackers you know the Vagabonds and all that stuff. And it's I just want everybody to realize that that This is totally a normal thing to do, right? Normal. Yeah, what the average got to be able to get out. You know, I want, I want the, I'm an average guy. I'm a weekend guy, I don't really, I just like going on have fun and getting on the back country and it's like if you if you
Tayson: hang up YouTube and 20 years from now. What do you call? What do you hope you accomplished? I hope that. I hope that I got people out to experience things that they never thought they could experience before. Yeah, that's what I hope for sure. Yeah, no. I Resonate with that a lot. Okay, um, been going about an hour here and I, I feel like hopefully I've pulled some things out that many people didn't know about you before deep dark stuff. Yeah, um, A couple fast questions I guess. Number one, thing. If you've got a person who's got terrible gear, first thing, you tell them to change. First thing I tell him to change would be there. Probably would have to be. Oh my gosh. Why'd you do that? Shelter change shelter. Yeah, change your shelter, that'd be first. Um you've you've you're out here doing a little bit of testing of gear. Favorite piece of Obi gear, favorite piece of the jacket. The jacket that I just tried out. Oh, really. Oh my gosh, it was so good. Oh, other than the Ventus hoodie. Okay,
Tayson: then that's where that's been a favorite for a while. He was testing a jacket, the Nova Pro, we've got a couple jackets, that'll be coming out and you got. So there was super good. Yeah. Okay and you and the Ventus okay. Which also you were here today? When the Ventus arrived at the work. Yeah. That was a lot of boxes. Yeah, we'll be there receiving it right now. I'm really tired of holding them in the warehouse that you made me do. Yeah, you had to unload the container. Yeah. First, first tip that you would give to someone who's never backpack before. Uh, don't pack your fears. Okay. Yeah. Don't put things in your backpack just because you're afraid. You think you're gonna use it. Only put stuff in there that, you know, you're gonna use. Okay. Bucket list hike, just a band maybe in Canada Patagonia, okay, sorry, I go on forever. But yes, those two probably. And you your third months in Washington, if you, if anybody lives in the enchantments, please take me there. Okay. Oh, that might be it. I was gonna
Tayson: ask gonna go on like a how many, how many people ask you for YouTube advice. Like oh, it used to be a lot but I yeah, I filtered it. Yeah, I got a good filter in place but it was you almost every other day. Yeah, somebody was asking me some cat actually. Put a pay wall up at one point. Yeah, through patreon. Yeah. Yeah. That's good. It's a good way. At the end of the day there's you've got over 100,000 subscribers. He can't quite have conversations. Every single stuff. I wish I could though. Yeah, I believe it too. You would, if you could, I would. Yeah. Okay. So where do people go? Just go visit down here, is there? Other places? You have a book? You're writing. Oh, you shouldn't read it if I do, right? It'd be terrible. But yeah, no. Just type Dan bicker, tan, tan, Becker tan, tan back. I wish I was a tan Becker. Band. Oh maybe after yesterday I got some yeah, I know.
Tayson: Dan backer on YouTube, just type it in. I'll pop up. There you go. Find me there. Yeah, I got an Instagram but I don't really do much there. Yeah, sometimes that's um, yeah. Okay. All right, Dan, really appreciate it. Go ahead and close up the podcast. If you found some value in this, make sure you share it with some friends. Make sure you're subscribed and if you haven't yet, make sure to review the podcast. And with that, we'll see you on the next podcast. Peace. Sweet. He's busy, he's busy. You there the whole time whole time. What?
