Great job? A Christian Non Profit saved my life! I was homeless for 7 years. Union Rescue Mission Downtown Los Angeles Skid Row. invested in me , I lived there for 18 months. I have been clean and sober for 23 years. And have very successful. My point is Christian Non-profits do great work. Good job to all involved.
Sorry for the long delay on the response Tony. What an incredible story you have. I just ran into a young man in San Diego that had a very similar story. He didn't spend a lot of time in the Skid Row area, but said the time he did spend was very helpful for getting him back on his feet. He now is without a home by choice living in a small camper trailer doing jobs off Angie's list. Thank you Tony for sharing your story.
We like that idea. Our newest thoughts have been tackling teardrop life in warm climates. We are starting to figure out Pacific Northwest Teardrop life, but have a lot to learn about the humid and desert south.
Bless you and thank you for sharing your journey!!! I am a single woman in my early 60 but I want to keep camping and all the info you have shared has me hopeful that I can do that!!
@12:22 I bought one of these puffy blankets after I watched this video last year. This is my go-to when I sleep on the couch when we have guests. It is like a cocoon. Very warm. But it's slick as black ice. So I make sure it's tucked under me securely at night. When packing it up, at first it looks daunting. But keep scrunching it up and it will fit back in its sack. I hope to try it out in the wild next winter. Real World Testing, as they say. Stay warm, dudes!
I find it a blessing and a curse. It’s great for around the campfire, because nothing sticks to it. But it’s a pain in the butt in the house or in the camper because it’s so slick. That’s why we own one of these one Kelty blanket. They both serve different purposes.
@@PlayingwithSticks Great idea to have a variety of materials to work with. Just like many things in life, one size doesn't fit all. Appreciate your comments.
As someone who has been living in my wrangler since TJ 2 doors were still in production, I approve of this message lol. Good ideas. I now live in a 4 door JLU Wrangler and its a night and day difference having almost as much room as a teardrop inside the jeep. If you look in his video around 4:20 you will see his setup in the background. The teardrop is not much bigger then his Liberty. I decided years ago to stop working just to live, and to stop being a slave to debt. I live in my jeep by choice. Even in negative temps I run a small tailgater 1200 watt generator all night 6-8 hours for about 2$ and it has enough watts to power 2 500 watt amazon basics ceramic heaters, and a 12v heated blanket. I use only DRY heat in my vehicle to keep condensation down. The Jeep is designed to withstand water in the cabin but a lot of vehicles will rust if you let condensation get out of control on a normal basis. I place the 2 500 watt heaters spaced out with one in the front and one in the very back. This helps to keep condensation dried up. You can also use damp rid but they can get expensive. Another thing I do if the cold is way negative is to place large wool moving blankets over the jeep to cover all the windows. This alone keeps out a lot of cold and is not a expensive or hard as making insulation panels for the windows. If its bad weather, no problem. Cover the wool blankets with a tarp. You can use the little buddy heaters in a vehicle without issue as long as you have fresh air coming in to keep you from suffocating though I think having to keep a window cracked and the fact that its a moisture producer are not worth the warmth they produce. They do produce a lot of heat. Little buddy on low uses 1# of propane in 6 hours. On high you will use almost 2# in 6-7 hours. The buddy heaters do have a low o2 shut off and they do work, tough when the heater cuts off and you dont have a window cracked to let more air in, you still are sleeping in a dangerously low o2 environment. MOST vehicles have some sort of vents open at full power off. If you want to know if yours does, just turn off the vehicle and sit there a minute. You will hear the vents open up. I believe this was a government mandate for modern vehicles in the late 90s. Running your vehicle is a option as well and i tested my 3.6 v6 to see how much it would burn at idle. .5 gallons per 2 hours. Does this hurt your car? NO and if someone tells you it does, they have been told this by a family member or mechanic that used to work on or own cars in the 80s. Modern vehicles are designed with optimum performance and fuel savings in mind. Lots of calculations are made by your vehicles multiple computers to make sure its only using the proper amount of fuel. So no there wont be pools of gasoline bleeding by the piston rings to ruin your oil. Does it put wear on the vehicle? yeah but its so small considering most cars idle at 500 rpms when in neutral and when your doing 70+ on the highway the rpms are around 2500. About 1/4 to 1/5 of the rpms. So what I do is just change my oil that much sooner. When it says 30% oil life I start looking to change it and usually happens at 15-20%. If you have not fallen asleep, I hope this has helped.
Hey Drew, My wife and I love your channel and all your cool videos. One item that I think you haven't mentioned yet is one that was included in our first teardrop rental, that is a heated mattress pad! It was amazing. We took the teardrop to Alice Lake north of Vancouver, BC where it was wet and cold and we were amazingly warm. I did have it turned a little to high once and felt a bit like a steak on a grill. But once I turned it down it took the chill off and worked great. I have no idea how much energy it used as we were hooked up to electricity in the campsite, but I think this is something every teardrop camper ought to consider when they have the power. Happy Trails!
Great suggestion on the heated mattress pad Paul. And yes, we actually do have a video all about our favorite electric blankets and that heated mattress pad is at the top of the list. Here is that link if you are interested th-cam.com/video/NbV5KziJFfg/w-d-xo.html It is funny you mention the steak on the grill. In our video we mention how crazy hot it gets on high! You are absolutely right. That trip you took to Alice Lake sounds wonderful. I just looked at some google images of the area. Really everything in BC and Alberta is wonderful. We could stay there all year if they would let us :)
Yes! Love the heated mattress pad! Changed my life! I tried all sorts of ways to preheat the bed, but the electric mattress pad is the best. Preheating the bed and feeling like a hot piece of toast getting into bed was just heaven on earth! I usually turned it off then.
@@mikemead2315 Yes. That took us too long to learn. Many of roasting nights with our electric blanket before realizing all we needed was a quick warm up followed by a down blanket and some wool overtop to keep the heat in.
I was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and your decision to go to Thailand and help the poor is so sweet. Thank you and I'll continue to follow your journey.
Great video. Although your coffee looks more like tea, you hit so many good points in this video. I happened to be in the market for a puffy blanket. And they sound like a great organization. I'm not much religious anymore, but being good, doing good, is a human thing. World needs more people like you. Safe travels and I can't wait for your next video.
Haha. I love the little one use small coffee containers. But, up here they only come in breakfast blend. I actually made one more coffee after that shot, added three times the grounds and half the water and it still looked like tea. But, I must admit both cups really hit the spot! Everything just tastes better out there. I really appreciate the kind words. Religion can definitely be the great divider at times. But, like you said it doesn't have to sour us from working with others who have the same intentions as us, weather that be religious or not. A human in need is a human in need, no matter what perspective we are coming from, it is still our duty to meet them where they are at.
@@PlayingwithSticks absolutely. And don't get me wrong, every time something good happens I look up and say thank you. And every time something bad goes wrong, I look up and say really? Ha! Happy travels and May the wind always be at your back especially after a few cups of coffee.
Incredibly touching story of what you are on your way to accomplish. Thank you for all you do and share. Good Luck. Just bought the blanket from Amazon. I'll be motorcycle camping across many states this year and now I have thee blanket for my trip. Good Luck and God Bless.
Your trip sounds amazing! I’m a little biased, because like you Im a big motorcycle enthusiast. I think everyone once in their life needs to take a big motorcycle trip. For me it was so life-changing. Now that I’m over in Thailand and my motorcycle is back to being a part of my every day life I can’t believe I went for so many years without one. Thank you so much Eddie for all the support. We really appreciate it. We’ve been over here a little over six months now. It’s been hard, but also amazing at the same time. Chokdee and God bless.
To stop condensation crack a window or 2. I crack my roof fan and a window. Sounds dumb cause it's cold outside but it works to stop moisture in my homemade camper. Thanks Drew for all your tips!
That is so awesome you’ll be in Thailand! We were in Chiang Mai with a Christian NGO a few years back as missionaries and loved it! Blessings to you and your family as you prepare to go and serve the people of Thailand! We look forward to support you with the blanket and our prayers!
Small world! How neat is that. Chaing Mai, what a wonderful/magical community. We really appreciate the blanket support, but really it is those prayers that are going to make this happen. So thank you!
You just made me love your channel even more. Christian missionary here in Lima, Peru. I return in November back to the US to full-time RV. When I get back I'll send you an email about what I plan on doing.
How amazing is that! I think you mentioned that to us one time before, correct? Or was that someone else on here? We have only done short term trips in the past. This will be our first time fully committing to something of this nature. Really excited about this opportunity! And yes, would love to get an email from you letting us know what you are up to.
So a small tip that goes along with what you said. If you are using a mummy bag and want some extra freedom use that smaller blanket. Tuck it between the zipper and your body. You can open the bag when hot and still maintain some heat. Also if you use coats or other clothes as pillows they are nice and toasty in the morning. This is just my personal observation of my time back in the army days.
These are great tips! Both I have never done. We use the blanket in our mummy bags, but have never utilized it to open the zipper a bit. Great idea! And the warm clothes for the morning. I am really excited to try that one out. I have a bag that I use for my pillow. I stuff my down jacket in the bag and it is super comfy. Sounds like I will be adding a few more clothes to that bag.
Small trick I learned a few years ago. If your hands are getting cold vigorously swing your arms in a circle for a few seconds. It forces blood to your extremities and will provide a bit of warmth.
I'm going to adopt that trick. Well, if you are sharing one we will share one too. In our training with cold water what we do (when on land) is put our arms at our sides. And then ball up your fists hard for 5 seconds, release, and do again until the blood gets down there. It works really well. To the point your hands feel like you are holding heaters.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thanks! One more from my army days. If your hands are cold the best place to put them is right into your armpits. Best heat source when all else fails.
@@justinfowler2857 That really makes sense. I have never tried that. I have seen a lot of dudes walking around with their hands in their pants, but never in their armpits.
I have been kind of forced into that option. As our galley is so low I hit my head on it when I get too close to the countertop. But, the galley does hang out far enough it covers me from rain and snow and makes a great little hideout. Unfortunately though, I only do this in the dead of winter. And yes crazy as it sounds, we get rain in the winter if I am on the coast. In the spring/summer/fall I do all I can to reduce the amount of good smelling oils all over the galley to bring in my BIG furry friends. This means the galley becomes my storage closet.
@@PlayingwithSticks Good points. I could see tarp sides and radiant heater pointing in to make a nice little toasty protected area. Speaking of furry friends and cooking smells, for my trip up through Canada to Alaska, I think I need to rethink my 6 hour crock pot chicken or pot roasts with lots of veggies. I just got into healthier “non-picnic” food while camping, so I need new recipes. I threw away my 101 hot dog recipes cookbook. Not sure I chose wisely😬.
Great video! Such great content and too much to comment on. First off - congratulations on your next step helping those in need. God bless you and your family. Andrea and l love your connection with gear and mission. We intend on buying a couple in an indirect way to support you and a directly impact a great cause. I recently bought a "Swag" tent and planned to give a trial run last night in the back yard. This was an awesome video to watch prior to jumping into the swag for the night. Combination of A: having the tent warm from the house (or little buddy to blast some heat into the tent) B: A good polyester winter base layer C: Zero degree sleeping bag D: Fresh air (low 20s) Resulted in an amazing night sleep. If all goes well, I plan to complete a short video talking about my experience on the trial run.
Thanks for the blessings and the intended blanket purchase. We really appreciate it. As for the "Swag" tent . Is there a difference between bivvy tents and swag tents? Is it a sleeping bag with a tent built over it? I have heard Australians use this term before, but I am not familiar with it. You brought me back to some great Christmas childhood memories. It seemed like every Christmas one of my friends got some new piece of military camping gear or backpacking gear. We would throw it all up in the backyard to try it out that first night. Some of my best camping memories are 100 feet from the door of someone's home. Looking forward to seeing your video on the experience. Always fun to see new winter sleep systems.
@@PlayingwithSticks we purchased the blanket earlier today. Can’t wait to get it in the mail, hopefully next week. It will give me another reason get outside and try it out. I’d say the swag is really close to the bivy. The swag has its roots in Australia and I believe the biggest difference is it has a 2 inch foam mattress that rolls up in the tent. Just like anything it has its pros and cons. End of the day, I really like it and will be great for some quick adventures. I did post the video, so feel free to check it out. Please keep the community posted on your travels. I am really excited to hear about your next step in life! You will be an amazing Teacher to those in need.
I ordered my blanket yesterday and it was just delivered. I love it! Thank you for all of your top notch content, and good luck to you and your family on your journey in Thailand, they’re lucky to have you.
That is amazing! I am a little jealous. Since Covid it takes about 3 weeks for us to receive anything from Amazon. Thank you so much for the blanket purchase as well. We are super excited to share with you all what these funds end up going to in Thailand within the next month or two. We are quickly realizing it doesn't take a whole lot to make quite a difference with these funds. Our immediate goal is to help kids get to school during Covid when their parents do not have jobs to pay tuition.
What a great video. I'm linking to so many moments in so many of your videos from a new document I'm making on all the gear and hacks I need to use as a rookie teardrop camper.
Great information thanks for sharing. I have had good results using a thermos for cooking oil storage. I also use cast iron frying pans for dishes ,easy to keep food warm and add heat if dinner gets chilled.
Good idea on the thermos. Do you leave it dry? Or add warm water around the oil? Also thanks for the tip on the cast iron. Never thought of that. Sounds like I will be breaking the cast iron out for this week's adventure.
I just put the oil in the thermos at room temp. It's never gone bad or got solid with temps ranging from 105 to 20 although the cold temps were never for more than overnight.
Thanks for the great tips, Drew. I'm so excited for your upcoming family adventure to Thailand, what a great experience that will be! My daughter spent a few weeks a few years ago volunteering at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, it was awesome! I've heard candle lanterns are a good source of portable and emergency heat for small spaces like a vehicle or trailer. I'm looking forward to buying some of those blankets, will be great for family Christmas presents for everyone! Those large insulated Coleman or Igloo cooler jugs used for sports teams would be another way to keep water from freezing, especially when buried in snow. I've seen portable, collapsible wood stoves and chimneys made for hot tents, those would be great for your winter camping, you might even be able to adapt a chimney for your teardrop's roof vent
Thanks for sharing these ideas James. You are the second person to mention the cooler jugs. I never realized they were insulated. I am pretty sure that is the route we will be going. And yes, those candle lanterns or just candles in general make a great heat source. For a teardrop trailer that really is all you would need. We have been researching it a bit lately. I know it is one of those topics people will have major concerns about in the comment section. But, with this kind of stuff you just need to be smart about it. Funny that you mentioned Christmas. When I first picked up the Kelty blanket that was the first thought that crossed my mind. Maybe if I gave it to May as a present she would gladly accept it into our household 😂 And yes, we have been researching the collapsible wood stoves as well. We keep following kickstarter hoping to find the right one on there. But, I am still waiting for my next teardrop trailer before doing any modifications. Our family is still due for a teardrop that can support a rooftop tent. The tent will be such a fun adventure for the boys. And to be honest I wouldn't mind using it 50% of our travels. After doing the pop-up trailer this summer May and I quickly remembered why we love tent camping so much. What a great opportunity your daughter was able to partake in. Those sanctuaries have been a great resource for pointing out many of the issues going on in Thailand regarding cruelty to elephants. From our travels it seems elephant owners are taking some of the guidance to heart. Which is really great to see.
I admired how when you spoke about the organization you mentioned, Christian or non Christian, it’s about helping others. As a non-christian, I truly admired that. I will check out the blanket, as one been on my “to buy” list. Take care. 😊
For my tear drop, I made a metal hood for the propane heater, that fits inside over the window. It stays in place by gripping the glass and metal window frame. I also have a piece that mostly fills the open window, leaving about a 2 inch vent for the heater or butane stove. This works well and gives enough ventilation so that you can even cook or make coffee underneath it - and easily take it out when not needed. I use a single-size air mattress so about a third of the camper floor is open so I have room to cook.Thanks to your suggestions bought a battery powered blanket. Get a blanket with a timer. You can always kick it back on if you wake up cold, but without a timer you'll either have to reach out to turn it off, or you'll fall asleep with it on and wake up to a dead battery !
Thank you for sharing all of this. Any chance you could send us a photo of the metal propane heater mount? Sounds like a great idea. Great tip on the single mattress. That is what we like to tell folks as well. Having your bed take up the entire teardrop like ours means no room for a bookstand, a place to go to the bathroom, cook, set your water, etc. And yes, a timer makes a lot of sense!
@@PlayingwithSticks Here's a video I made of the hood and how it mounts in my camper. It doesn't get very hot, and the metal dissipates the heat mostly back into the camper. th-cam.com/video/GudKP-HPsYQ/w-d-xo.html
@@ke4gbe This is the best response we have ever had to a question! Not only did you answer the question, you made a custom video with the answer. Wow, thank you! We are really glad you made the video, because we were having trouble picturing it. It is a kitchen hood for your camping stoves. What a great idea! Also love your trailer setup. We really want a teardrop that is wide enough that we can have a smaller bed in there, giving us extra room to put our shoes, water, stove, etc.
I have several pairs of BAFFIN TECHNOLOGY boots...One pair i have are rated to -100 C or -140 F....very good product. Made not far from where I live. They are in STONEY CREEK Ontario.
Thank you for sharing. I am going to have to try them. May has found her perfect pair of boots (Bogs). But, I still haven't found a brand that I am partial to yet.
You should tryin an igloo at some point, they're so well insulated that the unside temperature stays around the freezing point even if it much colder outside. The trick is to have 2 insulating mattresses and a good, -10C rated mummy down sleeping bag.
We are right with you there. We love our family Igloo. I say family because it passes between me and the brother-in-laws. Even in the summer it is nice here in Alaska because it gets quite dark inside one. Thanks for sharing this. I completely forgot about sharing it with others. It is so common here in AK I forget everyone doesn't own one.
I've been a tent camper for decades but my first winter trip was such a failure that I never did it again. If only I had known all your tips and pointers. Thank you so much.
Glad this was helpful Carol. We have had some bad trips in the past with our tent as well. But, it definitely can be done and comfortable. Love winter tent camping! We really want to try a "hot tent" sometime.
OMG just ordered a bunch o gadgets from Amazon based off trial & error and I feel good about spending the $$. The heated matress pad, the water bottle...I am getting a Kimbo Camper for my Tacoma (not a tear drop) but love Duluth & 'da UP. So many, many, thanks for your tips!!
A KIMBO Camper! Nice. I am a teardrop lover, but I will admit I would trade mine any day for a Kimbo. Now obviously that wouldn't be a very fair trade as mine is probably only worth about $2,000-$3,000. We used to be pretty minimalist campers. But, the last few years we have found if we can stay comfortable it extends our time outdoors greatly. And that really is the goal for us. No excuse to go back home!
Hello from ‘da UP! That Kimbo is a sweet camper. Like a modern Airstream, which is classically beautiful! I REALLY want a truck camper. My sleeping on the back seat and cooking out of the solar covered bed had tons of mileage and maneuverability benefits, but it has gotten old .... rather, I have gotten old. I want more. Taking a second look at the Kimbo. Thanks!
A little 12 volt electric blanket was a game changer for my wife and I while cold weather camping in our teardrop. I use a 400 watt Yeti battery and we turn the electric blanket on an hour before going to bed. My wife sometimes turned it on again in the morning when the temp is at the lowest. We typically only use less than 10% of the battery capacity/night. An hour connected to the solar panel during the day will top up the battery up to full again.
This is awesome to hear! Folks have asked us how much energy these use if turned on just before bed and again when waking up. We have never actually took the time to check. Nice to hear for you it was only 10%. Hard to beat that when you have the sun to charge it back up everyday. Like you we have really enjoyed the addition of the electric blanket. Thanks for sharing Rod.
Hi Drew Hi May and family. Your collaboration with Debbie from She to Me brought us here to your channel. We are already in love with your channel!! We definitely will be buying the blanket you mentioned to help support your cause. we will also be following your journey as you make your way to Northern Thailand to help at risk children. You are beautiful and kind hearted. My mom (Thavone's mom) is from Thailand and dad is from Laos. Because of the Vietnam War, I have been here about 40 years but have only been back to Thailand and Laos once in 1989. Safe travels!!!
Thank you so much! We got Thavone's name, but didn't get yours> May has a similar background to Thavone's. May's family is from Laos, but she was born in a refugee camp in Thailand. The Vietnam war is what sent them up here to Alaska after a very brief stay in California. The area we will be heading to in Thailand is small community May and her family lived in for a brief time growing up. Thank you very much for the well wishes and kind words. always fun to meet like minded people.
@@PlayingwithSticks It was me Thavone who wrote the above comment. David is my husband. We have been married for over 30 years. Like May, I was also in the refugee camp in Northeast Thailand for many years. I arrived here in CT when I was 16 years old. Tell May and family that I say Sabaidee!!!
Fun tip, you can use snow as not only an insulation on the outside of your camper, but as a reflective for both light and heat if you build a snow bank on one side of your fire. Eventually it will melt and ice over and be as hard as concrete. Also youll never die from dehydration in snow 😊
I've always looked forward to your videos because I found the content interesting and informative. These days I find that I watch not only for that reason, but because I've become fond of you and your family. Today I found one more reason why. Bravo.
Thanks Ed! This is our second year serving over here in Thailand. It’s been so busy. I haven’t got the opportunity to make the videos like I thought I would. With TH-cam and the passion project our hands are pretty full. I keep saying at some point I’ll get a website up.
Drew, you and your family are amazing. My husband, son (same age as East) and I love watching your channel. We love the outdoors too! We wish you the best of luck and happy to support your mission by picking up a blanket!
Thanks Jenny! We really appreciate the kind words and the blanket purchase. Isn't having a little one such a great blessing! And so much fun taking them outdoors. It makes us feel like kids again.
Great video thanks for sharing all these tips and your future plans. I am laying here in my teardrop watching with the 12v blanket you recommend in other video and I am cozy warm. Thanks again.
Now I can say without a doubt these are my favorite types of comments! I just love hearing people getting out there! Even cooler to hear some of our tips were helpful. You got me excited to get out tomorrow!
Congrats on your upcoming adventure! I used to live in the big country above TL but now I live in Taiwan! I used to go to TL, prior to Covid, on a regular basis. I’m a missionary here in Taiwan. It would be awesome to meet you all some time. The ministry sounds great. So needed particularly in that country. TL has been my happy place. I’ve so missed visiting there and seeing my friends who live there. You need to check out scuba diving! I have recommendations if you even need any. Blessings as you make this transition.
Just watched your "Field" interview. What an amazing journey you are on. Looks like your website the host mentioned is no longer active correct? We have been over here now a little over 6 months. Ups and downs of course. The highest of highs and lowest of lows. But, what an experience! Would love to meet you some time. It has been years since we have visited Taipei. And we just scratched the surface of that city, because all our visits were just long layovers or a short weekend stop. The scuba diving sounds great! Thank you so much for the blessings. We definitely could use the prayers.
@@PlayingwithSticks You are correct. I took the website down quite a number of years ago. I really hope to be in Chiang Mai by the fall or early next year. Covid has messed up so many plans! Hang in there. I certainly hit the wall around month 9 but I got through it and then stayed on for 11 years in that country. So happy to be where I am now, in a free and democratic country. ;-)
I live in Kenai. I saw you fueling up in girdwood. Man, camping with you must be a blast. Thankful for you helping to support the Christian non profit. I'll either be building my item homemade teardrop camper or purchasing one for the right price.
Great video as always but just on the "core" temperature thing. Your core generally stays the same temperature regardless of whether it is hot or cold or if you feel warm or cold (unless unwell or suffering from exposure). You feel warm after sitting in a warm car because your body starts to radiate heat from your skin in order to maintain a safe core temperature. As soon as this balance flips (outside in extreme cold) your body then starts to protect the core from losing heat by reducing blood circulation for example - which is why our skin and extremities start to get cold. But your core stays about the same throughout.
Great tips for warm sleeping. Two things I think I did not hear you mention in this video: Warm Hat for sleeping, and mid-sleep exercise. The warm hat is pretty clear, I often default to my balaclava as it also covers my neck out of which much heat can flow. The mid-sleep exercise idea is simply to do crunches/sit-ups in your sleeping bag in the event that you ever wake up cold in the middle of the night. Also, I have found an efficient and tasty way to load myself down with calories for the night of slumber is to make a cup of hot chocolate and infuse it with generous amounts of Butter! Tasty and a great way to pack in some slow burning fat calories.
When my sons were Boy Scouts we went on a "Polar Bear" camp out. Had a canvas tent that the four boys and myself stayed in overnight. It got down to MINUS 23. First rule was the single layer of clothing that would breathe. 2nd was as many blankets on the bottom as on top of the sleeping bags. The blankets were German Surplus wool. Of course wool hats and insulated gloves. I bought a case of the shake hand warmers which we all had several in the bags with us. Our pants and shirts were stuffed in the bags with us.....they were warm in the morning. We all made it fine, slept well, although I did wake up every couple of hrs to check on the boys to make sure they were still covered well. Great camp out.....we had a great time!
Good for you man! Glad to hear what you will be doing. My wife and I had the opportunity to serve with a ministry in Bangkok short term. Hope to get back there sometime!
How neat to hear about you two serving in Bangkok. Definitely a fun city with a lot of charm. We have been chatting with a TH-cam creator from Thailand. He plans on taking the Chao Phraya river down from Chiang Mai to Bangkok in a kayak this fall. Wish he planned on doing it a bit later, because I would have loved to join in.
So nice having a big bright light on outside and not worrying about bugs. 👍 In all seriousness, congrats on your future adventures overseas. I will be supporting your partners helping you in this. Cheers from 🇨🇦
Right! I actually edited out a clip from this video that said why I love winter camping so much. And you nailed it, the bugs. You never get a break from those bugs up here. Where in Canada are you from Aaron? Thanks for the support. It means a lot.
@@PlayingwithSticks I'm from just outside of Calgary Alberta. Originally from NW BC near Alaska. I've had to tear down camp and leave once because of the bugs up north by the NWT border. Not a fan of bugs. Lol.
Wife and I have been watching your channel for a bit now and I fully understand and appreciate all the hard work that goes into making content like you do so I appreciate the sacrifice. Thanks for sharing you and your family’s mission and we will be praying for you guys, God bless! 🙏
We can't wait to follow your channel! The Patriot Trailer you purchased looks amazing. This is kind of the style of trailer we were hoping to track down to use in Thailand. Something strong, but a bit more open air. This summer we spent some time in the pop-up and absolutely loved it. It just felt like good old tent camping, but with the luxuries of a trailer built in. Thank you so much for the prayers and kind words. Hopefully one day in the not too distant future we run into each other as content creators. Would love to see your trailer in person.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thanks man, greatly appreciate that. We feel blessed. Wife and I spent 5 months going back and forth between teardrops and the Patriot Camper style and watched way too many TH-cam vids lol. Once we traveled to OK to see it in person it kind of sealed the deal for us to have the best of both world like you mentioned. There's been many times watching your vids I tell my wife we need to take our Patriot to Alaska to visit which then leads my wife to saying "how the heck am I going to stay warm" 😀. Would love to meet up one day and if you're ever visiting anywhere here on the east coast let me know, we'll make it happen.
@@NoLimitsOverland A meetup sounds great! And yes, it would be a sin against your trailer not to take it up to Alaska. Or at least Canada! That thing was designed for the north. It would be really fun to take it through the deserts as well!
Thanks Mike! We are feeling really blessed at the moment how everything is going. I used to secretly disagree with those folks that said pursue what you love and everything will fall into place. Who would have thought that chasing our love of small camper trailers would lead us to all of this.
Good luck with your new project. Kind of you to help people. And thanks for the nice video. I am going to test the water in the snow thing. It was kind of cool. Never heard about that before. I now doug the snow i isolering.
Its a fun trick to show your friends. We do at in extreme temps here in Alaska with the exact same results as this video. Glad you enjoyed the video Helen. And thank you for the kind words.
Thanks for the great tips. Who would have thought to bury your water. Congratulations on getting to work on your dream project in Thailand. Ill have to comfort myself with your existing playlist.
Glad they were helpful. And yes, that water thing when I first learned it seemed too good to be true. But, it is definitely true. We appreciate the kind words. Hope you have a fun time with the playlist. We had a blast making all these videos to be binged.
Awesome video with great advice! I live in Virginia and love to overland camp. I either sleep in my Jeep Compass or in some shelter configuration, tent or tent cot, outside. That snow trick with your water container was cool, no pun intended. I learned quite a bit watching two of your vlogs. Thank you!
Glad this was helpful Alexander! Love your style of camping. May and I used to own a Jeep Cherokee with a bed in the back. It had nice little drawers and systems for organization. It was such a great way to camp. Then the kids came and we had to change our style up a bit. Still fun, but miss those days.
@@maykouhansen6713 hello there:)) I am SOO excited for the adventure that Drew talking about you guys going on! Thailand will be blessed to have you guys!!!
Great job lots of good tips... hot water bottle with knitted sweater priceless! Love the Taiwanese passion project hope to see some vids up on your channel at some point ...good luck and safe travels!
Glad you enjoyed the tips Paul. And yes, sounds like enough people are interested in some videos overseas. We will have to work a few into the mix. Safe travels to you as well!
Your products ideas are very helpful. I bring my snow pants and down coat with me year around. We Alaskan women also love our snow skirts! My friend makes ones for men as well. Good news to hear about your passion project to teach overseas. It will be a great experience for your kiddos.
Two thumbs up here on the snow skirts! May absolutely adores hers. As does my mother and almost every other outdoor woman I know up here. I have never seen the men's version. I am picturing a Scottish/Irish kilt 😂 It will be tough saying goodbye to Alaska for 9 months out of the year. But, at the same time like you said, we are excited for the kids to have this experience.
A great video as usual. I love watching winter camping with snow, we don't get snow in most of Australia. Praying that all goes well for you and your family as you prepare to head to Thailand. God bless you and your family. Take care.
Glad you enjoyed the video Jennylee. Would love to do some camping in your neck of the woods. May keeps pushing me to make it happen over one of our longer school breaks in Thailand. We really appreciate your prayers. We have had some doubts lately. Basically freaking out about what we are getting ourselves into. So the prayers are very timely. Blessings to you and your family as well!
I have really enjoyed your videos. I choked up, and I don't even know you or your family, but I am so buying the blanket. Thank you from Madison, WI. Best wishes for your future adventures. Peace!
Aww, thank you for the blanket purchase! Yap, I was being a big baby in this episode. Quite the softy lately when it comes to the gratitude I have for everything that is happening regarding Thailand and this channel. Never in a million years did I think something like this could happen.
Thanks guys! For people who see this comment and are into Alaska and Firearms. In no particular order :) LWRoad is building himself quite the great little channel with glimpses here and there of Alaska life. You may want to go check it out.
Not exactly on topic, but planning an Alaska trip. Only state I have not been to. I know cannot do it all in 10-14 days. Will one day drive there with our Vistabule teardrop but this first trip we will fly in. Would love to know your thoughts on areas to focus on for the first time!
Wow, 49 of the 50 States. That is incredible! I can't imagine all the amazing people you met along the way. Great question. And good timing. The channel from She to Me and Playing with Sticks will be doing a collaboration video coming out early February. We will be answering questions from her subscribers regarding travel to Alaska. In that video I highlight a few of my favorite hikes, road trips, etc. I like to tell people that Alaska is BIG. And they know that. But, so big the trick is not trying to do it all, or even a large portion of it. Just know you will be back again. With 10-14 days in our opinion you really need to stay in one region. I think Southcentral would be that region because you have a little bit of everything. If it was us we would land in Anchorage rent a truck camper (best way to see Alaska) if money is of no concern, RV if you need to save a little, or a rental car if you are on a budget. Also check out Outdoorsy.com for van rentals and other small rvs. We would then head down the Kenai peninsula stopping in Seward, The Russian River/Kenai River, spend a little time in the Deep Creek and Ninilchik area, and then hit the end of the road in Homer. Obviously stopping at all the beautiful fun sites inbetween. From there you can take the ferry over to Whittier and then it is a 1.5 hour drive back to Anchorage eliminating going back the same way you came from the entire trip. If you want to get off the beaten path you can't beat a trip to Kodiak island. Kodiak has so much to offer, but all in close proximity to each other. I believe they only have about 100 miles of driveable road. You could also add Kodiak to the original itinerary by taking the ferry to Kodiak and then ferry from Kodiak to Whittier. But, that may be pushing it for the amount of days you have. Option #2: This requires a truck with camper due to road conditions. Head up to Denali, then when done cut across the Denali Highway (this is where you need the truck) then from there head down to Valdez and take a ferry from Valdez back to Anchorage. Hope this helps.
Great idea. We fill the thermos each night with water as a backup. But, never thought about hot soup. That is something my family does more for hunting, fishing, skiing. We need to adopt this for fall/winter/spring camping. Nothing feels better than a warm bowl of soup outside.
Thank you so much on the well wishes! Yes, we were a bit shocked that they offered to help. I don't know if they want me sharing this. But they also offered to help us monthly out of their own pockets. No ties to the blanket. How amazing is that!
You and your family are just amazing and so real 🤗honestly watching your videos my family and I have learned so so much... I wish you much success in your experience and do hope that you keep connected and bring us into your new journey 🙏🏻
That is so awesome to hear Natalia! Fun knowing these videos have been helpful. And you know, there have been quite a few comments about bringing folks along on the journey. I think we will have to find a way to make it happen!
I just added insulation to the bottom of our 6x10 cargo conversion. Cant wait to try it out next weekend. Even the wife is like let's go camping, im tired of being at home. 😊
I think that was a great decision! On our cargo trailer that is where we feel all the cold coming from. Like you, we will have to do that to ours one of these days. In the meantime we have it covered with multiple layers of carpet. Not the best for insulation, but better than nothing. So great to hear you are getting out next weekend. We are feeling pretty antsy this time of year as well.
Thank you so much Cindy! We really appreciate it. We didn't mention it in the video, but sounds like quite a few families cannot afford tuition at the moment due to the global situation. A large number of the students have free tuition, but there are also paying families at the school. Because their parents do not have jobs right now, these funds will be going towards scholarships until things get back to normal.
@@PlayingwithSticks This is Mike now, Cindy’s husband. I am a winter solo hiker. We really enjoy your content, and your sweet family! We do ministry full time, and are so happy to support your next adventure! We will be telling others too. Blessing on you all!
Lots of great tips! I bought a electric blanket for a camping trip to TN, I didn't realize the led light on my power station I built had ran down the battery. The battery died around 1am ,so the blanket turned off, pretty much froze the rest of the night. I'll have to get one of those blankets you were promoting!
Loved watching this video. U touched my heart when talking about what your about to do over in Thailand bet it will be a awesome journey for you and your family stay safe much love and support from Australia this is definitely worth a sub from me
Thank you Regina! Hoping someday to make it over to your neck of the woods. Would love to do an Australian camping trip someday with the family. Hopefully sooner than later. I don't want to wait so long that it becomes a walkabout for the boys.
Glad you enjoyed it. You wouldn't believe how many people are out this winter due to Covid. It is fun seeing so many people on the trails and in the woods. Usually it is just us. Which is okay from time to time. But, I am really starting to enjoy seeing more folks out and about.
Thanks SO MUCH for another wonderful share and video! Ironic as a curry is always good in our house as well.. in fact just brought some home for Lunch from Tokyo Hurry Curry:) Your dinner looked great! Really caught my ear when you said you are moving overseas ! Thailand? My BFF retired with me in 2001; he joked I would end up there, loved it when we were there on business, he ended up moving,retiring, and marrying there..ended up back in the PNW after 16 years in Texas, but family brought me back. Again, thanks much and learned much as I always do from you nad your videos. May order a puffy blanket for daughter and grandson... they are always cold... not sure if it counts for your cause through Amazon link? All the BEST to you and family, in the New Year and sounds like overseas adventures.... btw, I follow notime2besad Thai based information and travels, Chuck and Paige did a Christmas event for their local school; kids looked SO happy in the land of smiles... Cheers! :)
Sounds like our families both have great tastes! We often call Thailand the black hole. It really does suck people in and they often don't return. Sounds like your BFF had the willpower to escape :) Thanks for looking into the blanket. We really appreciate it. There is an amazon link in the description that one will go to our cause. Doesn't increase the price or anything for you. We are going to have to check out that channel. We have never heard of it. We are actually just starting to watch Thai channels (mostly outdoor channels). But our favorite new family channel is "The Nake Guru in Asia" They are living on a farm in rural Thailand. Well, they call it a farm. Really it is a just a Thai "hometown".
I'm really happy about your plans, and I hope you do share the experience with us. We support a young lady in Northern Thailand through Compassion International, and a young man from our church has been working as a church planter in Phnom Penh for the last 3 years. We're also teardroppers and love your trips and tricks!
The King of the Panasonic GH5! For those of you who have asked how we are getting these colors out of the Panasonic GH5. We repeat, CALEB HOOVER! Caleb thank you so much for helping our family fall back in love with this little beast of a camera!
Great video Drew! 👌 I’ll be using your Amazon links to order everything I need for my new tear drop. I’ll be ordering some of your awesome swag too. Blessings to you and your family for sharing with us all. Not to mention everything you have been doing in Thailand. 🙏❤️
Glad you enjoyed the video. We are super excited to hear you are getting into the teardrop lifestyle. It was quite life changing for us. Hoping the same for you!
If it's semi-cold, in the 30s, I put up the 6x6 Clam with wind walls. I got enough wind panels to hang one over the front also. That doesn't do much for the view, but running a Mr. Heater, it stayed rather comfy for eating breakfast and waiting for it to warm up outside. I think it is more comfortable than sitting in the Joolca privacy tent, and I don't need both at the same time. The 6x6 is just big enough for my chair, dog bed, dog feeding station, dog, little table, heater, and it fits in the car when folded.
Have you ever tried a diesel heater? I camped in a10 X 14 Springbar tent and now I'm building cargo conversion and used my Big Buddy in both. It worked great but in the CT it creates too much condensation so I'm switching to a diesel heater. A 2Kw diesel heater would be perfect for your teardrop!
That is funny! You are absolutely right. Compared to the rest of Alaska, Anchorage feels pretty "City" But, once you leave this state you realize it is just a big town.
It is obvious you put a lot of work into really making this a quality video. Well done!! Thank you for all the great tips. 1st time seeing you and really enjoyed it.
Dang! I just found you and subscribed. I wanted to support a Christian and an Alaskan. I’m staying because it sounds like you’ve got the right calling.
I'm really excited for you and your family on the adventure you're about to embark on in Thailand! Let us know more about the blanket please. I would like to purchase one. I am really glad I found and subscribed to your channel. I'll be praying for you and can't wait to watch your new adventures!
Thank you Christin. It is really starting to feel real. Got an offer on the home, packing everything up to live out of our little cargo trailer. God willing this all goes smooth we will be on the road in June! And yes, the blankets are back in stock. And we love them. Two caveats on the blankets I like to share with folks. Even though the blankets are sold out of Canada they are manufactured in China. I know folks want to know this upfront. I do like to remind people that 99% of all North American outdoor brands are manufactured overseas. Even the highly ethical companies like Patagonia. #2 This blanket is slick, like I mentioned in the video. Works great in the camper. But, at the campsite you do need to tuck it under a leg. We actually prefer this over our non-slick blanket because nothing at the campsite sticks to it. Same fabric as high end sleeping bags. Here is the link to that blanket www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PDT9D21/?maas=maas_adg_0F913EF95988EBF533A06726B96A1FD5_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl&ie=UTF8&tag=playingwit061-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07PDT9D21&linkId=35a7ad7710d2247c97bff83839707900
06.06.24 this just popped up on my UT feed. It's so current. Would be fun to see if you would add or change anything. The water carrier experiment was brilliant! And I never knew the thing of water bottles freeze from the top down so turn containers bottom up in freezing temps. I would like to know the brand of those down booties. And, I too, am a compulsive blanket buyer. Would you, can you, overlay 'Drew in the future' and do comments on this video and add anything? Thanks!!
Don't be ashamed about doing good things. You guys have an adventurous heart. Glad you are helping other people out!
Great job?
A Christian Non Profit saved my life!
I was homeless for 7 years. Union Rescue Mission Downtown Los Angeles Skid Row. invested in me , I lived there for 18 months.
I have been clean and sober for 23 years. And have very successful.
My point is Christian Non-profits do great work. Good job to all involved.
God bless you, what a wonderful testimony 🙏🤗💜
@@AChildofLightHEATHER
Thank you and God bless you too.
Good Job and share Astrovan. Congrats on 23 years. Just turned 39 LOL ✌️☕️
Sorry for the long delay on the response Tony. What an incredible story you have. I just ran into a young man in San Diego that had a very similar story. He didn't spend a lot of time in the Skid Row area, but said the time he did spend was very helpful for getting him back on his feet. He now is without a home by choice living in a small camper trailer doing jobs off Angie's list. Thank you Tony for sharing your story.
Thank God there is no snow in Los Angeles.
Yes please let us come along with you and your family. You guys have a special gift and please be proud and let us watch your family grow. Thank you
Agreed Joyce, but I think it may be easier for them to just add some videos from Thailand on this channel, perhaps with a separate playlist created
Aww, thanks Joyce! We might give it a shot.
We like that idea. Our newest thoughts have been tackling teardrop life in warm climates. We are starting to figure out Pacific Northwest Teardrop life, but have a lot to learn about the humid and desert south.
Bless you and thank you for sharing your journey!!! I am a single woman in my early 60 but I want to keep camping and all the info you have shared has me hopeful that I can do that!!
@12:22 I bought one of these puffy blankets after I watched this video last year. This is my go-to when I sleep on the couch when we have guests. It is like a cocoon. Very warm. But it's slick as black ice. So I make sure it's tucked under me securely at night. When packing it up, at first it looks daunting. But keep scrunching it up and it will fit back in its sack. I hope to try it out in the wild next winter. Real World Testing, as they say. Stay warm, dudes!
I find it a blessing and a curse. It’s great for around the campfire, because nothing sticks to it. But it’s a pain in the butt in the house or in the camper because it’s so slick. That’s why we own one of these one Kelty blanket. They both serve different purposes.
@@PlayingwithSticks Great idea to have a variety of materials to work with. Just like many things in life, one size doesn't fit all. Appreciate your comments.
I had a feeling you were a Christian too! Great to find fellow believers. God bless your work overseas and in the place He puts you!
As someone who has been living in my wrangler since TJ 2 doors were still in production, I approve of this message lol. Good ideas. I now live in a 4 door JLU Wrangler and its a night and day difference having almost as much room as a teardrop inside the jeep. If you look in his video around 4:20 you will see his setup in the background. The teardrop is not much bigger then his Liberty. I decided years ago to stop working just to live, and to stop being a slave to debt. I live in my jeep by choice. Even in negative temps I run a small tailgater 1200 watt generator all night 6-8 hours for about 2$ and it has enough watts to power 2 500 watt amazon basics ceramic heaters, and a 12v heated blanket. I use only DRY heat in my vehicle to keep condensation down. The Jeep is designed to withstand water in the cabin but a lot of vehicles will rust if you let condensation get out of control on a normal basis. I place the 2 500 watt heaters spaced out with one in the front and one in the very back. This helps to keep condensation dried up. You can also use damp rid but they can get expensive. Another thing I do if the cold is way negative is to place large wool moving blankets over the jeep to cover all the windows. This alone keeps out a lot of cold and is not a expensive or hard as making insulation panels for the windows. If its bad weather, no problem. Cover the wool blankets with a tarp. You can use the little buddy heaters in a vehicle without issue as long as you have fresh air coming in to keep you from suffocating though I think having to keep a window cracked and the fact that its a moisture producer are not worth the warmth they produce. They do produce a lot of heat. Little buddy on low uses 1# of propane in 6 hours. On high you will use almost 2# in 6-7 hours. The buddy heaters do have a low o2 shut off and they do work, tough when the heater cuts off and you dont have a window cracked to let more air in, you still are sleeping in a dangerously low o2 environment. MOST vehicles have some sort of vents open at full power off. If you want to know if yours does, just turn off the vehicle and sit there a minute. You will hear the vents open up. I believe this was a government mandate for modern vehicles in the late 90s. Running your vehicle is a option as well and i tested my 3.6 v6 to see how much it would burn at idle. .5 gallons per 2 hours. Does this hurt your car? NO and if someone tells you it does, they have been told this by a family member or mechanic that used to work on or own cars in the 80s. Modern vehicles are designed with optimum performance and fuel savings in mind. Lots of calculations are made by your vehicles multiple computers to make sure its only using the proper amount of fuel. So no there wont be pools of gasoline bleeding by the piston rings to ruin your oil. Does it put wear on the vehicle? yeah but its so small considering most cars idle at 500 rpms when in neutral and when your doing 70+ on the highway the rpms are around 2500. About 1/4 to 1/5 of the rpms. So what I do is just change my oil that much sooner. When it says 30% oil life I start looking to change it and usually happens at 15-20%. If you have not fallen asleep, I hope this has helped.
Hey Drew, My wife and I love your channel and all your cool videos. One item that I think you haven't mentioned yet is one that was included in our first teardrop rental, that is a heated mattress pad! It was amazing. We took the teardrop to Alice Lake north of Vancouver, BC where it was wet and cold and we were amazingly warm. I did have it turned a little to high once and felt a bit like a steak on a grill. But once I turned it down it took the chill off and worked great. I have no idea how much energy it used as we were hooked up to electricity in the campsite, but I think this is something every teardrop camper ought to consider when they have the power. Happy Trails!
Great suggestion on the heated mattress pad Paul. And yes, we actually do have a video all about our favorite electric blankets and that heated mattress pad is at the top of the list. Here is that link if you are interested th-cam.com/video/NbV5KziJFfg/w-d-xo.html It is funny you mention the steak on the grill. In our video we mention how crazy hot it gets on high! You are absolutely right. That trip you took to Alice Lake sounds wonderful. I just looked at some google images of the area. Really everything in BC and Alberta is wonderful. We could stay there all year if they would let us :)
Yes! Love the heated mattress pad! Changed my life! I tried all sorts of ways to preheat the bed, but the electric mattress pad is the best. Preheating the bed and feeling like a hot piece of toast getting into bed was just heaven on earth! I usually turned it off then.
@@mikemead2315 Yes. That took us too long to learn. Many of roasting nights with our electric blanket before realizing all we needed was a quick warm up followed by a down blanket and some wool overtop to keep the heat in.
I was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and your decision to go to Thailand and help the poor is so sweet. Thank you and I'll continue to follow your journey.
Great video. Although your coffee looks more like tea, you hit so many good points in this video. I happened to be in the market for a puffy blanket. And they sound like a great organization. I'm not much religious anymore, but being good, doing good, is a human thing. World needs more people like you. Safe travels and I can't wait for your next video.
Haha. I love the little one use small coffee containers. But, up here they only come in breakfast blend. I actually made one more coffee after that shot, added three times the grounds and half the water and it still looked like tea. But, I must admit both cups really hit the spot! Everything just tastes better out there. I really appreciate the kind words. Religion can definitely be the great divider at times. But, like you said it doesn't have to sour us from working with others who have the same intentions as us, weather that be religious or not. A human in need is a human in need, no matter what perspective we are coming from, it is still our duty to meet them where they are at.
@@PlayingwithSticks absolutely. And don't get me wrong, every time something good happens I look up and say thank you. And every time something bad goes wrong, I look up and say really? Ha! Happy travels and May the wind always be at your back especially after a few cups of coffee.
Great mission! Love it. Fellow sister in Christ here! Love your channel! Beautiful family. 😃💯🙌🏻
Incredibly touching story of what you are on your way to accomplish. Thank you for all you do and share. Good Luck. Just bought the blanket from Amazon. I'll be motorcycle camping across many states this year and now I have thee blanket for my trip. Good Luck and God Bless.
Your trip sounds amazing! I’m a little biased, because like you Im a big motorcycle enthusiast. I think everyone once in their life needs to take a big motorcycle trip. For me it was so life-changing. Now that I’m over in Thailand and my motorcycle is back to being a part of my every day life I can’t believe I went for so many years without one. Thank you so much Eddie for all the support. We really appreciate it. We’ve been over here a little over six months now. It’s been hard, but also amazing at the same time. Chokdee and God bless.
To stop condensation crack a window or 2. I crack my roof fan and a window. Sounds dumb cause it's cold outside but it works to stop moisture in my homemade camper. Thanks Drew for all your tips!
Thank you for sharing this. Much appreciated. I always love it when others share their tips on here.
That is so awesome you’ll be in Thailand! We were in Chiang Mai with a Christian NGO a few years back as missionaries and loved it! Blessings to you and your family as you prepare to go and serve the people of Thailand!
We look forward to support you with the blanket and our prayers!
Small world! How neat is that. Chaing Mai, what a wonderful/magical community. We really appreciate the blanket support, but really it is those prayers that are going to make this happen. So thank you!
Ohhh man. Loved this video. The scenery is amazing and love all your knowledge!, WE LOVE CURRY! 💯😃🙌🏻
You just made me love your channel even more. Christian missionary here in Lima, Peru. I return in November back to the US to full-time RV. When I get back I'll send you an email about what I plan on doing.
How amazing is that! I think you mentioned that to us one time before, correct? Or was that someone else on here? We have only done short term trips in the past. This will be our first time fully committing to something of this nature. Really excited about this opportunity! And yes, would love to get an email from you letting us know what you are up to.
@@PlayingwithSticks I think we did talk about that before. I just emailed you.
So a small tip that goes along with what you said. If you are using a mummy bag and want some extra freedom use that smaller blanket. Tuck it between the zipper and your body. You can open the bag when hot and still maintain some heat. Also if you use coats or other clothes as pillows they are nice and toasty in the morning.
This is just my personal observation of my time back in the army days.
These are great tips! Both I have never done. We use the blanket in our mummy bags, but have never utilized it to open the zipper a bit. Great idea! And the warm clothes for the morning. I am really excited to try that one out. I have a bag that I use for my pillow. I stuff my down jacket in the bag and it is super comfy. Sounds like I will be adding a few more clothes to that bag.
Small trick I learned a few years ago. If your hands are getting cold vigorously swing your arms in a circle for a few seconds. It forces blood to your extremities and will provide a bit of warmth.
I'm going to adopt that trick. Well, if you are sharing one we will share one too. In our training with cold water what we do (when on land) is put our arms at our sides. And then ball up your fists hard for 5 seconds, release, and do again until the blood gets down there. It works really well. To the point your hands feel like you are holding heaters.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thanks! One more from my army days. If your hands are cold the best place to put them is right into your armpits. Best heat source when all else fails.
@@justinfowler2857 That really makes sense. I have never tried that. I have seen a lot of dudes walking around with their hands in their pants, but never in their armpits.
A small trick my daddy taught me was to turn up the thermostat and stay inside lol
I like your teardrop’s kitchen setup allowing you to sit while cooking. Never thought about that setup.
I have been kind of forced into that option. As our galley is so low I hit my head on it when I get too close to the countertop. But, the galley does hang out far enough it covers me from rain and snow and makes a great little hideout. Unfortunately though, I only do this in the dead of winter. And yes crazy as it sounds, we get rain in the winter if I am on the coast. In the spring/summer/fall I do all I can to reduce the amount of good smelling oils all over the galley to bring in my BIG furry friends. This means the galley becomes my storage closet.
@@PlayingwithSticks Good points. I could see tarp sides and radiant heater pointing in to make a nice little toasty protected area.
Speaking of furry friends and cooking smells, for my trip up through Canada to Alaska, I think I need to rethink my 6 hour crock pot chicken or pot roasts with lots of veggies. I just got into healthier “non-picnic” food while camping, so I need new recipes. I threw away my 101 hot dog recipes cookbook. Not sure I chose wisely😬.
Great video! Such great content and too much to comment on.
First off - congratulations on your next step helping those in need. God bless you and your family. Andrea and l love your connection with gear and mission. We intend on buying a couple in an indirect way to support you and a directly impact a great cause.
I recently bought a "Swag" tent and planned to give a trial run last night in the back yard. This was an awesome video to watch prior to jumping into the swag for the night. Combination of
A: having the tent warm from the house (or little buddy to blast some heat into the tent)
B: A good polyester winter base layer
C: Zero degree sleeping bag
D: Fresh air (low 20s)
Resulted in an amazing night sleep.
If all goes well, I plan to complete a short video talking about my experience on the trial run.
Thanks for the blessings and the intended blanket purchase. We really appreciate it. As for the "Swag" tent . Is there a difference between bivvy tents and swag tents? Is it a sleeping bag with a tent built over it? I have heard Australians use this term before, but I am not familiar with it.
You brought me back to some great Christmas childhood memories. It seemed like every Christmas one of my friends got some new piece of military camping gear or backpacking gear. We would throw it all up in the backyard to try it out that first night. Some of my best camping memories are 100 feet from the door of someone's home. Looking forward to seeing your video on the experience. Always fun to see new winter sleep systems.
@@PlayingwithSticks we purchased the blanket earlier today. Can’t wait to get it in the mail, hopefully next week. It will give me another reason get outside and try it out.
I’d say the swag is really close to the bivy. The swag has its roots in Australia and I believe the biggest difference is it has a 2 inch foam mattress that rolls up in the tent. Just like anything it has its pros and cons.
End of the day, I really like it and will be great for some quick adventures.
I did post the video, so feel free to check it out.
Please keep the community posted on your travels. I am really excited to hear about your next step in life! You will be an amazing Teacher to those in need.
I ordered my blanket yesterday and it was just delivered. I love it! Thank you for all of your top notch content, and good luck to you and your family on your journey in Thailand, they’re lucky to have you.
That is amazing! I am a little jealous. Since Covid it takes about 3 weeks for us to receive anything from Amazon. Thank you so much for the blanket purchase as well. We are super excited to share with you all what these funds end up going to in Thailand within the next month or two. We are quickly realizing it doesn't take a whole lot to make quite a difference with these funds. Our immediate goal is to help kids get to school during Covid when their parents do not have jobs to pay tuition.
What a great video. I'm linking to so many moments in so many of your videos from a new document I'm making on all the gear and hacks I need to use as a rookie teardrop camper.
Glad you are enjoying it. If you ever complete that document, I'd love to see it.
Absolutely love your content and am touched by your goals to go to Thailand with your family. I sincerely hope you document the next chapter.
Great information thanks for sharing. I have had good results using a thermos for cooking oil storage. I also use cast iron frying pans for dishes ,easy to keep food warm and add heat if dinner gets chilled.
Good idea on the thermos. Do you leave it dry? Or add warm water around the oil? Also thanks for the tip on the cast iron. Never thought of that. Sounds like I will be breaking the cast iron out for this week's adventure.
I just put the oil in the thermos at room temp. It's never gone bad or got solid with temps ranging from 105 to 20 although the cold temps were never for more than overnight.
@@philipjsecor That is great to hear. Thanks Philip.
Thanks for the great tips, Drew. I'm so excited for your upcoming family adventure to Thailand, what a great experience that will be! My daughter spent a few weeks a few years ago volunteering at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, it was awesome! I've heard candle lanterns are a good source of portable and emergency heat for small spaces like a vehicle or trailer. I'm looking forward to buying some of those blankets, will be great for family Christmas presents for everyone! Those large insulated Coleman or Igloo cooler jugs used for sports teams would be another way to keep water from freezing, especially when buried in snow. I've seen portable, collapsible wood stoves and chimneys made for hot tents, those would be great for your winter camping, you might even be able to adapt a chimney for your teardrop's roof vent
Thanks for sharing these ideas James. You are the second person to mention the cooler jugs. I never realized they were insulated. I am pretty sure that is the route we will be going. And yes, those candle lanterns or just candles in general make a great heat source. For a teardrop trailer that really is all you would need. We have been researching it a bit lately. I know it is one of those topics people will have major concerns about in the comment section. But, with this kind of stuff you just need to be smart about it. Funny that you mentioned Christmas. When I first picked up the Kelty blanket that was the first thought that crossed my mind. Maybe if I gave it to May as a present she would gladly accept it into our household 😂 And yes, we have been researching the collapsible wood stoves as well. We keep following kickstarter hoping to find the right one on there. But, I am still waiting for my next teardrop trailer before doing any modifications. Our family is still due for a teardrop that can support a rooftop tent. The tent will be such a fun adventure for the boys. And to be honest I wouldn't mind using it 50% of our travels. After doing the pop-up trailer this summer May and I quickly remembered why we love tent camping so much.
What a great opportunity your daughter was able to partake in. Those sanctuaries have been a great resource for pointing out many of the issues going on in Thailand regarding cruelty to elephants. From our travels it seems elephant owners are taking some of the guidance to heart. Which is really great to see.
always close your bed covers when you get out of bed in the night. when you get back the bed is warm.
I admired how when you spoke about the organization you mentioned, Christian or non Christian, it’s about helping others. As a non-christian, I truly admired that. I will check out the blanket, as one been on my “to buy” list. Take care. 😊
Thank you. It is great to hear you understood what I was trying to say. I wasn't sure if I got my message across well!
For my tear drop, I made a metal hood for the propane heater, that fits inside over the window. It stays in place by gripping the glass and metal window frame. I also have a piece that mostly fills the open window, leaving about a 2 inch vent for the heater or butane stove. This works well and gives enough ventilation so that you can even cook or make coffee underneath it - and easily take it out when not needed. I use a single-size air mattress so about a third of the camper floor is open so I have room to cook.Thanks to your suggestions bought a battery powered blanket. Get a blanket with a timer. You can always kick it back on if you wake up cold, but without a timer you'll either have to reach out to turn it off, or you'll fall asleep with it on and wake up to a dead battery !
Thank you for sharing all of this. Any chance you could send us a photo of the metal propane heater mount? Sounds like a great idea. Great tip on the single mattress. That is what we like to tell folks as well. Having your bed take up the entire teardrop like ours means no room for a bookstand, a place to go to the bathroom, cook, set your water, etc. And yes, a timer makes a lot of sense!
@@PlayingwithSticks Here's a video I made of the hood and how it mounts in my camper. It doesn't get very hot, and the metal dissipates the heat mostly back into the camper.
th-cam.com/video/GudKP-HPsYQ/w-d-xo.html
@@ke4gbe This is the best response we have ever had to a question! Not only did you answer the question, you made a custom video with the answer. Wow, thank you! We are really glad you made the video, because we were having trouble picturing it. It is a kitchen hood for your camping stoves. What a great idea! Also love your trailer setup. We really want a teardrop that is wide enough that we can have a smaller bed in there, giving us extra room to put our shoes, water, stove, etc.
I have several pairs of BAFFIN TECHNOLOGY boots...One pair i have are rated to -100 C or -140 F....very good product. Made not far from where I live. They are in STONEY CREEK Ontario.
Thank you for sharing. I am going to have to try them. May has found her perfect pair of boots (Bogs). But, I still haven't found a brand that I am partial to yet.
You should tryin an igloo at some point, they're so well insulated that the unside temperature stays around the freezing point even if it much colder outside.
The trick is to have 2 insulating mattresses and a good, -10C rated mummy down sleeping bag.
We are right with you there. We love our family Igloo. I say family because it passes between me and the brother-in-laws. Even in the summer it is nice here in Alaska because it gets quite dark inside one. Thanks for sharing this. I completely forgot about sharing it with others. It is so common here in AK I forget everyone doesn't own one.
Just made our backyard igloo this afternoon, so good to go for sleeping in it with our daughter. ☃️
I've been a tent camper for decades but my first winter trip was such a failure that I never did it again. If only I had known all your tips and pointers. Thank you so much.
Glad this was helpful Carol. We have had some bad trips in the past with our tent as well. But, it definitely can be done and comfortable. Love winter tent camping! We really want to try a "hot tent" sometime.
It's ever too late to try again, Carol! ☺️
@@jamespaul2587 so true,
I'm born and raised in the US southwest desert and I can swear to you that we also use these same heating tips at night. They truly work.
OMG just ordered a bunch o gadgets from Amazon based off trial & error and I feel good about spending the $$. The heated matress pad, the water bottle...I am getting a Kimbo Camper for my Tacoma (not a tear drop) but love Duluth & 'da UP. So many, many, thanks for your tips!!
A KIMBO Camper! Nice. I am a teardrop lover, but I will admit I would trade mine any day for a Kimbo. Now obviously that wouldn't be a very fair trade as mine is probably only worth about $2,000-$3,000. We used to be pretty minimalist campers. But, the last few years we have found if we can stay comfortable it extends our time outdoors greatly. And that really is the goal for us. No excuse to go back home!
Hello from ‘da UP! That Kimbo is a sweet camper. Like a modern Airstream, which is classically beautiful! I REALLY want a truck camper. My sleeping on the back seat and cooking out of the solar covered bed had tons of mileage and maneuverability benefits, but it has gotten old .... rather, I have gotten old. I want more. Taking a second look at the Kimbo. Thanks!
A little 12 volt electric blanket was a game changer for my wife and I while cold weather camping in our teardrop. I use a 400 watt Yeti battery and we turn the electric blanket on an hour before going to bed. My wife sometimes turned it on again in the morning when the temp is at the lowest. We typically only use less than 10% of the battery capacity/night.
An hour connected to the solar panel during the day will top up the battery up to full again.
This is awesome to hear! Folks have asked us how much energy these use if turned on just before bed and again when waking up. We have never actually took the time to check. Nice to hear for you it was only 10%. Hard to beat that when you have the sun to charge it back up everyday. Like you we have really enjoyed the addition of the electric blanket. Thanks for sharing Rod.
Hi Drew Hi May and family. Your collaboration with Debbie from She to Me brought us here to your channel. We are already in love with your channel!! We definitely will be buying the blanket you mentioned to help support your cause. we will also be following your journey as you make your way to Northern Thailand to help at risk children. You are beautiful and kind hearted. My mom (Thavone's mom) is from Thailand and dad is from Laos. Because of the Vietnam War, I have been here about 40 years but have only been back to Thailand and Laos once in 1989. Safe travels!!!
Thank you so much! We got Thavone's name, but didn't get yours> May has a similar background to Thavone's. May's family is from Laos, but she was born in a refugee camp in Thailand. The Vietnam war is what sent them up here to Alaska after a very brief stay in California. The area we will be heading to in Thailand is small community May and her family lived in for a brief time growing up. Thank you very much for the well wishes and kind words. always fun to meet like minded people.
@@PlayingwithSticks It was me Thavone who wrote the above comment. David is my husband. We have been married for over 30 years. Like May, I was also in the refugee camp in Northeast Thailand for many years. I arrived here in CT when I was 16 years old. Tell May and family that I say Sabaidee!!!
Fun tip, you can use snow as not only an insulation on the outside of your camper, but as a reflective for both light and heat if you build a snow bank on one side of your fire. Eventually it will melt and ice over and be as hard as concrete.
Also youll never die from dehydration in snow 😊
I knew you were good people. Bless ya in all you and your family do. And yes! That is a very cool water trick!
Thank you Janelle! We appreciate the kind words.
I've always looked forward to your videos because I found the content interesting and informative. These days I find that I watch not only for that reason, but because I've become fond of you and your family. Today I found one more reason why. Bravo.
Love hearing this. Thank you so much. Love knowing there are like minded people on here joining us for the journey.
Love your videos. Also excited about the passion project in Thailand will look for videos on that.
Thanks Ed! This is our second year serving over here in Thailand. It’s been so busy. I haven’t got the opportunity to make the videos like I thought I would. With TH-cam and the passion project our hands are pretty full. I keep saying at some point I’ll get a website up.
Drew, you and your family are amazing. My husband, son (same age as East) and I love watching your channel. We love the outdoors too! We wish you the best of luck and happy to support your mission by picking up a blanket!
Thanks Jenny! We really appreciate the kind words and the blanket purchase. Isn't having a little one such a great blessing! And so much fun taking them outdoors. It makes us feel like kids again.
Great video thanks for sharing all these tips and your future plans. I am laying here in my teardrop watching with the 12v blanket you recommend in other video and I am cozy warm. Thanks again.
Now I can say without a doubt these are my favorite types of comments! I just love hearing people getting out there! Even cooler to hear some of our tips were helpful. You got me excited to get out tomorrow!
Congrats on your upcoming adventure! I used to live in the big country above TL but now I live in Taiwan! I used to go to TL, prior to Covid, on a regular basis. I’m a missionary here in Taiwan. It would be awesome to meet you all some time. The ministry sounds great. So needed particularly in that country. TL has been my happy place. I’ve so missed visiting there and seeing my friends who live there. You need to check out scuba diving! I have recommendations if you even need any. Blessings as you make this transition.
Just watched your "Field" interview. What an amazing journey you are on. Looks like your website the host mentioned is no longer active correct? We have been over here now a little over 6 months. Ups and downs of course. The highest of highs and lowest of lows. But, what an experience! Would love to meet you some time. It has been years since we have visited Taipei. And we just scratched the surface of that city, because all our visits were just long layovers or a short weekend stop. The scuba diving sounds great! Thank you so much for the blessings. We definitely could use the prayers.
@@PlayingwithSticks You are correct. I took the website down quite a number of years ago. I really hope to be in Chiang Mai by the fall or early next year. Covid has messed up so many plans! Hang in there. I certainly hit the wall around month 9 but I got through it and then stayed on for 11 years in that country. So happy to be where I am now, in a free and democratic country. ;-)
I live in Kenai. I saw you fueling up in girdwood. Man, camping with you must be a blast. Thankful for you helping to support the Christian non profit. I'll either be building my item homemade teardrop camper or purchasing one for the right price.
Just purchased a blanket as my birthday present to myself, love your videos. Godspeed to you and your family on your new adventures in Thailand.
Thank you so much Jen! That means a lot to us. We really appreciate the well wishes!
Hey awesome stuff my friend. Best wishes to you and your family God bless you all. Much appreciate your hard work. Take care mate. Much love from UK
Thank you so much for these kind words. We really appreciate this comment. And even neater to know it is coming all the way from the UK.
Great video as always but just on the "core" temperature thing. Your core generally stays the same temperature regardless of whether it is hot or cold or if you feel warm or cold (unless unwell or suffering from exposure). You feel warm after sitting in a warm car because your body starts to radiate heat from your skin in order to maintain a safe core temperature. As soon as this balance flips (outside in extreme cold) your body then starts to protect the core from losing heat by reducing blood circulation for example - which is why our skin and extremities start to get cold. But your core stays about the same throughout.
Great point. You are absolutely right there. Thank you for correcting me on that.
@@PlayingwithSticks that reply got you a sub! Great channel.
Great tips for warm sleeping. Two things I think I did not hear you mention in this video: Warm Hat for sleeping, and mid-sleep exercise. The warm hat is pretty clear, I often default to my balaclava as it also covers my neck out of which much heat can flow. The mid-sleep exercise idea is simply to do crunches/sit-ups in your sleeping bag in the event that you ever wake up cold in the middle of the night. Also, I have found an efficient and tasty way to load myself down with calories for the night of slumber is to make a cup of hot chocolate and infuse it with generous amounts of Butter! Tasty and a great way to pack in some slow burning fat calories.
I learned something from your vlog now. I like the way you talk it's very clear words. I am Asian.
Happy to hear that! What part of the world are you from? My wife is Hmong. She wasn't in this video, but is in all the others.
When my sons were Boy Scouts we went on a "Polar Bear" camp out. Had a canvas tent that the four boys and myself stayed in overnight. It got down to MINUS 23. First rule was the single layer of clothing that would breathe. 2nd was as many blankets on the bottom as on top of the sleeping bags. The blankets were German Surplus wool. Of course wool hats and insulated gloves. I bought a case of the shake hand warmers which we all had several in the bags with us. Our pants and shirts were stuffed in the bags with us.....they were warm in the morning.
We all made it fine, slept well, although I did wake up every couple of hrs to check on the boys to make sure they were still covered well. Great camp out.....we had a great time!
Love stories like this.
Good for you man! Glad to hear what you will be doing. My wife and I had the opportunity to serve with a ministry in Bangkok short term. Hope to get back there sometime!
How neat to hear about you two serving in Bangkok. Definitely a fun city with a lot of charm. We have been chatting with a TH-cam creator from Thailand. He plans on taking the Chao Phraya river down from Chiang Mai to Bangkok in a kayak this fall. Wish he planned on doing it a bit later, because I would have loved to join in.
Will be purchasing a blanket for winter road trips. Indeed God Bless you and the work you are doing.
Thank you so much Gunners. We really appreciate the blessings.
So nice having a big bright light on outside and not worrying about bugs. 👍
In all seriousness, congrats on your future adventures overseas. I will be supporting your partners helping you in this. Cheers from 🇨🇦
Right! I actually edited out a clip from this video that said why I love winter camping so much. And you nailed it, the bugs. You never get a break from those bugs up here. Where in Canada are you from Aaron? Thanks for the support. It means a lot.
@@PlayingwithSticks I'm from just outside of Calgary Alberta. Originally from NW BC near Alaska. I've had to tear down camp and leave once because of the bugs up north by the NWT border. Not a fan of bugs. Lol.
Wife and I have been watching your channel for a bit now and I fully understand and appreciate all the hard work that goes into making content like you do so I appreciate the sacrifice. Thanks for sharing you and your family’s mission and we will be praying for you guys, God bless! 🙏
We can't wait to follow your channel! The Patriot Trailer you purchased looks amazing. This is kind of the style of trailer we were hoping to track down to use in Thailand. Something strong, but a bit more open air. This summer we spent some time in the pop-up and absolutely loved it. It just felt like good old tent camping, but with the luxuries of a trailer built in. Thank you so much for the prayers and kind words. Hopefully one day in the not too distant future we run into each other as content creators. Would love to see your trailer in person.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thanks man, greatly appreciate that. We feel blessed. Wife and I spent 5 months going back and forth between teardrops and the Patriot Camper style and watched way too many TH-cam vids lol. Once we traveled to OK to see it in person it kind of sealed the deal for us to have the best of both world like you mentioned.
There's been many times watching your vids I tell my wife we need to take our Patriot to Alaska to visit which then leads my wife to saying "how the heck am I going to stay warm" 😀. Would love to meet up one day and if you're ever visiting anywhere here on the east coast let me know, we'll make it happen.
@@NoLimitsOverland A meetup sounds great! And yes, it would be a sin against your trailer not to take it up to Alaska. Or at least Canada! That thing was designed for the north. It would be really fun to take it through the deserts as well!
I think you project will be very rewarding! Your hard work and natural ability has paid off.
You done good😃.
Thanks Mike! We are feeling really blessed at the moment how everything is going. I used to secretly disagree with those folks that said pursue what you love and everything will fall into place. Who would have thought that chasing our love of small camper trailers would lead us to all of this.
Beautiful story about the ceo casing and about what drives you. Thanks for ask the great info!
Good luck with your new project. Kind of you to help people. And thanks for the nice video. I am going to test the water in the snow thing. It was kind of cool. Never heard about that before. I now doug the snow i isolering.
Its a fun trick to show your friends. We do at in extreme temps here in Alaska with the exact same results as this video. Glad you enjoyed the video Helen. And thank you for the kind words.
Wow, that was interesting. Loved hearing about your passion project.
Aww, thanks Debbie! Super excited about our collaboration video with She to Me coming up. Oops, did I spill the beans? 😀
@@PlayingwithSticks Bring on the beans Drew, they go great with curry and rice! ☺️
Congratulations of moving forward with your calling. I would love to support you all and order a blanket. Wishing you all the best! 🥰🥰
Thank you so much! We really appreciate the support and well wishes!
Thanks for the great tips. Who would have thought to bury your water. Congratulations on getting to work on your dream project in Thailand. Ill have to comfort myself with your existing playlist.
Glad they were helpful. And yes, that water thing when I first learned it seemed too good to be true. But, it is definitely true. We appreciate the kind words. Hope you have a fun time with the playlist. We had a blast making all these videos to be binged.
Awesome video with great advice! I live in Virginia and love to overland camp. I either sleep in my Jeep Compass or in some shelter configuration, tent or tent cot, outside. That snow trick with your water container was cool, no pun intended. I learned quite a bit watching two of your vlogs. Thank you!
Glad this was helpful Alexander! Love your style of camping. May and I used to own a Jeep Cherokee with a bed in the back. It had nice little drawers and systems for organization. It was such a great way to camp. Then the kids came and we had to change our style up a bit. Still fun, but miss those days.
Gracious! I love watching your video’s Drew!
Love you seeing you on here! Thanks Julie.
Hi Julie!
@@maykouhansen6713 hello there:)) I am SOO excited for the adventure that Drew talking about you guys going on! Thailand will be blessed to have you guys!!!
Great job lots of good tips... hot water bottle with knitted sweater priceless! Love the Taiwanese passion project hope to see some vids up on your channel at some point ...good luck and safe travels!
Glad you enjoyed the tips Paul. And yes, sounds like enough people are interested in some videos overseas. We will have to work a few into the mix. Safe travels to you as well!
Your products ideas are very helpful. I bring my snow pants and down coat with me year around. We Alaskan women also love our snow skirts! My friend makes ones for men as well. Good news to hear about your passion project to teach overseas. It will be a great experience for your kiddos.
Two thumbs up here on the snow skirts! May absolutely adores hers. As does my mother and almost every other outdoor woman I know up here. I have never seen the men's version. I am picturing a Scottish/Irish kilt 😂 It will be tough saying goodbye to Alaska for 9 months out of the year. But, at the same time like you said, we are excited for the kids to have this experience.
Love your new adventure. May God bless you and your family. Keep in touch.
Thank you Sandy! We really appreciate the blessings. Blessings to you and your family as well.
When I look for winter camping on youtube, THIS is what I'm looking for! Thank you!
That is awesome to hear! Glad you enjoyed this.
A great video as usual. I love watching winter camping with snow, we don't get snow in most of Australia. Praying that all goes well for you and your family as you prepare to head to Thailand. God bless you and your family. Take care.
Glad you enjoyed the video Jennylee. Would love to do some camping in your neck of the woods. May keeps pushing me to make it happen over one of our longer school breaks in Thailand. We really appreciate your prayers. We have had some doubts lately. Basically freaking out about what we are getting ourselves into. So the prayers are very timely. Blessings to you and your family as well!
Really enjoy your channel and info you give on all the neat and cool gadgets thank to both you and the family ⛺️
Our pleasure!
I have really enjoyed your videos. I choked up, and I don't even know you or your family, but I am so buying the blanket. Thank you from Madison, WI. Best wishes for your future adventures. Peace!
Aww, thank you for the blanket purchase! Yap, I was being a big baby in this episode. Quite the softy lately when it comes to the gratitude I have for everything that is happening regarding Thailand and this channel. Never in a million years did I think something like this could happen.
Congratulations on the move to Thailand! Thanks for sharing, we look forward to following your journey.
Thanks guys! For people who see this comment and are into Alaska and Firearms. In no particular order :) LWRoad is building himself quite the great little channel with glimpses here and there of Alaska life. You may want to go check it out.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thanks guys! Hoping to expand more into Alaska life once winter loosens its grip on our fair state. =)
@@LWRoad It is one of the nice things about having a TH-cam channel in the Great 49th State. Never a lack of content ideas!
@@PlayingwithSticks Absolutely!
Not exactly on topic, but planning an Alaska trip. Only state I have not been to. I know cannot do it all in 10-14 days. Will one day drive there with our Vistabule teardrop but this first trip we will fly in. Would love to know your thoughts on areas to focus on for the first time!
Wow, 49 of the 50 States. That is incredible! I can't imagine all the amazing people you met along the way. Great question. And good timing. The channel from She to Me and Playing with Sticks will be doing a collaboration video coming out early February. We will be answering questions from her subscribers regarding travel to Alaska. In that video I highlight a few of my favorite hikes, road trips, etc. I like to tell people that Alaska is BIG. And they know that. But, so big the trick is not trying to do it all, or even a large portion of it. Just know you will be back again. With 10-14 days in our opinion you really need to stay in one region. I think Southcentral would be that region because you have a little bit of everything. If it was us we would land in Anchorage rent a truck camper (best way to see Alaska) if money is of no concern, RV if you need to save a little, or a rental car if you are on a budget. Also check out Outdoorsy.com for van rentals and other small rvs. We would then head down the Kenai peninsula stopping in Seward, The Russian River/Kenai River, spend a little time in the Deep Creek and Ninilchik area, and then hit the end of the road in Homer. Obviously stopping at all the beautiful fun sites inbetween. From there you can take the ferry over to Whittier and then it is a 1.5 hour drive back to Anchorage eliminating going back the same way you came from the entire trip. If you want to get off the beaten path you can't beat a trip to Kodiak island. Kodiak has so much to offer, but all in close proximity to each other. I believe they only have about 100 miles of driveable road. You could also add Kodiak to the original itinerary by taking the ferry to Kodiak and then ferry from Kodiak to Whittier. But, that may be pushing it for the amount of days you have.
Option #2: This requires a truck with camper due to road conditions. Head up to Denali, then when done cut across the Denali Highway (this is where you need the truck) then from there head down to Valdez and take a ferry from Valdez back to Anchorage.
Hope this helps.
Thank you so much!!! That is a huge help!! Always look forward to your posts!
I put boiling water in a pre-heated thermos to drink at night to heat me internally as needed. Or hot soup, raviolis, etc. Warm from the inside.
Great idea. We fill the thermos each night with water as a backup. But, never thought about hot soup. That is something my family does more for hunting, fishing, skiing. We need to adopt this for fall/winter/spring camping. Nothing feels better than a warm bowl of soup outside.
Good luck on your new adventure! I will be checking out that blanket company, so happy that they are willing to help you.
Thank you so much on the well wishes! Yes, we were a bit shocked that they offered to help. I don't know if they want me sharing this. But they also offered to help us monthly out of their own pockets. No ties to the blanket. How amazing is that!
You and your family are just amazing and so real 🤗honestly watching your videos my family and I have learned so so much... I wish you much success in your experience and do hope that you keep connected and bring us into your new journey 🙏🏻
That is so awesome to hear Natalia! Fun knowing these videos have been helpful. And you know, there have been quite a few comments about bringing folks along on the journey. I think we will have to find a way to make it happen!
I just added insulation to the bottom of our 6x10 cargo conversion. Cant wait to try it out next weekend. Even the wife is like let's go camping, im tired of being at home.
😊
I think that was a great decision! On our cargo trailer that is where we feel all the cold coming from. Like you, we will have to do that to ours one of these days. In the meantime we have it covered with multiple layers of carpet. Not the best for insulation, but better than nothing. So great to hear you are getting out next weekend. We are feeling pretty antsy this time of year as well.
We ordered a blanket to support what you guys are doing! God bless
Thank you so much Cindy! We really appreciate it. We didn't mention it in the video, but sounds like quite a few families cannot afford tuition at the moment due to the global situation. A large number of the students have free tuition, but there are also paying families at the school. Because their parents do not have jobs right now, these funds will be going towards scholarships until things get back to normal.
@@PlayingwithSticks This is Mike now, Cindy’s husband. I am a winter solo hiker. We really enjoy your content, and your sweet family! We do ministry full time, and are so happy to support your next adventure! We will be telling others too. Blessing on you all!
Fantastic love the info. But even better the opportunity to follow your dream and hope you will allow us along in some way
Thanks and be safe
You and your family are amazing! Thank you for helping others!!!
Thanks Joyce. I don't know about amazing. But, we are willing to put our necks out there to try to be better each day.
Lots of great tips! I bought a electric blanket for a camping trip to TN, I didn't realize the led light on my power station I built had ran down the battery. The battery died around 1am ,so the blanket turned off, pretty much froze the rest of the night. I'll have to get one of those blankets you were promoting!
Bless you for your work that you are doing.
We appreciate that Sheila!
Loved watching this video. U touched my heart when talking about what your about to do over in Thailand bet it will be a awesome journey for you and your family stay safe much love and support from Australia this is definitely worth a sub from me
Thank you Regina! Hoping someday to make it over to your neck of the woods. Would love to do an Australian camping trip someday with the family. Hopefully sooner than later. I don't want to wait so long that it becomes a walkabout for the boys.
Great tips and awesome scenery. Another superb video. Especially while hunkering down against the cold and Covid. Greetings from the lower 48!
Glad you enjoyed it. You wouldn't believe how many people are out this winter due to Covid. It is fun seeing so many people on the trails and in the woods. Usually it is just us. Which is okay from time to time. But, I am really starting to enjoy seeing more folks out and about.
Good deal. At least something good is taking place during this still lingering pandemic.
DUDE.....THANK YOU. IM SO HAPPY FOR YALL. GO BE AWESOME PLEASE BRING AN UPDATE BACK.
Thanks SO MUCH for another wonderful share and video! Ironic as a curry is always good in our house as well.. in fact just brought some home for Lunch from Tokyo Hurry Curry:) Your dinner looked great! Really caught my ear when you said you are moving overseas ! Thailand? My BFF retired with me in 2001; he joked I would end up there, loved it when we were there on business, he ended up moving,retiring, and marrying there..ended up back in the PNW after 16 years in Texas, but family brought me back. Again, thanks much and learned much as I always do from you nad your videos. May order a puffy blanket for daughter and grandson... they are always cold... not sure if it counts for your cause through Amazon link? All the BEST to you and family, in the New Year and sounds like overseas adventures.... btw, I follow notime2besad Thai based information and travels, Chuck and Paige did a Christmas event for their local school; kids looked SO happy in the land of smiles... Cheers! :)
Sounds like our families both have great tastes! We often call Thailand the black hole. It really does suck people in and they often don't return. Sounds like your BFF had the willpower to escape :) Thanks for looking into the blanket. We really appreciate it. There is an amazon link in the description that one will go to our cause. Doesn't increase the price or anything for you. We are going to have to check out that channel. We have never heard of it. We are actually just starting to watch Thai channels (mostly outdoor channels). But our favorite new family channel is "The Nake Guru in Asia" They are living on a farm in rural Thailand. Well, they call it a farm. Really it is a just a Thai "hometown".
@@PlayingwithSticks Too funny! I have watched Naked Guru in Asia as well, very rural on farm:) Thanks again, Cheers :)
I'm really happy about your plans, and I hope you do share the experience with us. We support a young lady in Northern Thailand through Compassion International, and a young man from our church has been working as a church planter in Phnom Penh for the last 3 years. We're also teardroppers and love your trips and tricks!
I seen that bass pro shop sleeping bag and had to sub. I have the thick thick one good for minus 40 celsius or something. Never need anymore then it.
Hey Drew! been watching your videos for a while now! I am so glad to hear about y'all going to Thailand. I'll be praying for yall.
Thank you so much Will. We really appreciate the prayers!
Prayers for your mission project to go well. Love your videos.
Thank you! We really appreciate the prayers.
Awesome Drew!! Best wishes to you and your family!
Thanks Andrew! Appreciate it.
just trying to stay warm here in south dakota too!! great cinematography in this! love the vid
The King of the Panasonic GH5! For those of you who have asked how we are getting these colors out of the Panasonic GH5. We repeat, CALEB HOOVER! Caleb thank you so much for helping our family fall back in love with this little beast of a camera!
Agree, video and audio are very nice 👍🏼
wow! thanks so much Playing with Sticks! So glad the GH5 is still working strong for you!
Great video Drew! 👌 I’ll be using your Amazon links to order everything I need for my new tear drop. I’ll be ordering some of your awesome swag too. Blessings to you and your family for sharing with us all. Not to mention everything you have been doing in Thailand. 🙏❤️
Glad you enjoyed the video. We are super excited to hear you are getting into the teardrop lifestyle. It was quite life changing for us. Hoping the same for you!
Wishing you well in your new adventure.
Thank you Cheryl! We really appreciate the kind wishes.
If it's semi-cold, in the 30s, I put up the 6x6 Clam with wind walls. I got enough wind panels to hang one over the front also. That doesn't do much for the view, but running a Mr. Heater, it stayed rather comfy for eating breakfast and waiting for it to warm up outside. I think it is more comfortable than sitting in the Joolca privacy tent, and I don't need both at the same time. The 6x6 is just big enough for my chair, dog bed, dog feeding station, dog, little table, heater, and it fits in the car when folded.
I'm glad you shared this. We have been wanting to get a few more wind walls. We only have 3 and could greatly benefit from having more.
Very informative video. Thank you for sharing.
Have you ever tried a diesel heater? I camped in a10 X 14 Springbar tent and now I'm building cargo conversion and used my Big Buddy in both. It worked great but in the CT it creates too much condensation so I'm switching to a diesel heater. A 2Kw diesel heater would be perfect for your teardrop!
Coming from Los Angeles, your idea of city is country for us. Love your videos!
That is funny! You are absolutely right. Compared to the rest of Alaska, Anchorage feels pretty "City" But, once you leave this state you realize it is just a big town.
Drew, I am going to get few blankets for my family and look forward to see some videos from your passion project.
Thanks Leo! We really appreciate it. We are also excited to share the project this fall.
It is obvious you put a lot of work into really making this a quality video. Well done!! Thank you for all the great tips. 1st time seeing you and really enjoyed it.
Thanks so much! We really appreciate the kind comment.
Dang! I just found you and subscribed. I wanted to support a Christian and an Alaskan. I’m staying because it sounds like you’ve got the right calling.
By the way just watched your two videos. Amazing! So incredible that you got that opportunity with a little help from science.
I'm really excited for you and your family on the adventure you're about to embark on in Thailand! Let us know more about the blanket please. I would like to purchase one. I am really glad I found and subscribed to your channel. I'll be praying for you and can't wait to watch your new adventures!
Thank you Christin. It is really starting to feel real. Got an offer on the home, packing everything up to live out of our little cargo trailer. God willing this all goes smooth we will be on the road in June! And yes, the blankets are back in stock. And we love them. Two caveats on the blankets I like to share with folks. Even though the blankets are sold out of Canada they are manufactured in China. I know folks want to know this upfront. I do like to remind people that 99% of all North American outdoor brands are manufactured overseas. Even the highly ethical companies like Patagonia. #2 This blanket is slick, like I mentioned in the video. Works great in the camper. But, at the campsite you do need to tuck it under a leg. We actually prefer this over our non-slick blanket because nothing at the campsite sticks to it. Same fabric as high end sleeping bags. Here is the link to that blanket www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PDT9D21/?maas=maas_adg_0F913EF95988EBF533A06726B96A1FD5_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl&ie=UTF8&tag=playingwit061-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07PDT9D21&linkId=35a7ad7710d2247c97bff83839707900
So awesome, just purchased earlier this morning! Good luck and stay safe!
@@4Rezona Aww, thank you Christin. Much appreciated.
06.06.24 this just popped up on my UT feed. It's so current. Would be fun to see if you would add or change anything. The water carrier experiment was brilliant! And I never knew the thing of water bottles freeze from the top down so turn containers bottom up in freezing temps.
I would like to know the brand of those down booties. And, I too, am a compulsive blanket buyer.
Would you, can you, overlay 'Drew in the future' and do comments on this video and add anything?
Thanks!!