Vlog or YouTube.......and how to start?

[FromSeasToTrees]

Family and friends are asking me to video my hike. Should I use YouTube or is there something else? And any help on how to get started will be greatly appreciated.

My son calls me “box o’ nerds” but I am not feeling too nerdy needing help here, lol:confused:

[Slo-go'en]

There is a whole host of social media to choose from. What do your friends and family mostly use? Use YouTube or Instagram if you want a bigger public exposure, use Facebook for just friends and family.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

There is a whole host of social media to choose from. What do your friends and family mostly use? Use YouTube or Instagram if you want a bigger public exposure, use Facebook for just friends and family.
Except then you have to be on Facebook. I'd go Youtube and Instagram for vids/pics. Both have pretty easy phone apps. Plus a lot of hikers do Insta, at least on the PCT. Rather than texting you may find people just want your Instagram info.

[DuneElliot]

Depending on whether you want the public to watch your videos or not there are some privacy settings on YouTube that would limit who can see your videos

[fastfoxengineering]

Private instagram account to share photos with friends and family

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk

[Christoph]

I used Youtube and like the discussion tab where I could leave my daily notes, then put a video together (I used vidtrim, but there's a lot better editors out there). Only issue I ran into was upload times. A lot of times I couldn't get it to upload even leaving it overnight because everyone's using the wifi connections.

[Sara]

Hi FromSeastoTrees,

I was a YouTube newbie when I started my Appalachian Trail hike in 2014. I found it easiest to film brief clips on my iPhone and edit them with iMovie to create a short daily episode. When I got wifi in town or at a hostel, I uploaded them to YouTube. Here is my channel: www.youtube.com/saradhooma (http://www.youtube.com/saradhooma)

If you get your friends and family to "Subscribe" to your channel, they'll get a notification each time you upload something.

I now have over 500 videos on my YouTube Channel and love posting "direct from the trail". I find it was great "wind-down activity" before I go to sleep each evening. It takes me about 20-40 minutes each day to do my editing.

Good luck and and me know if you have any questions! :banana

BTW, "From Seas to Trees" would be a fantastic name for your YouTube Channel

[imscotty]

Hi FromSeastoTrees,

I was a YouTube newbie when I started my Appalachian Trail hike in 2014. I found it easiest to film brief clips on my iPhone and edit them with iMovie to create a short daily episode. When I got wifi in town or at a hostel, I uploaded them to YouTube. Here is my channel: www.youtube.com/saradhooma (http://www.youtube.com/saradhooma)

If you get your friends and family to "Subscribe" to your channel, they'll get a notification each time you upload something.

I now have over 500 videos on my YouTube Channel and love posting "direct from the trail". I find it was great "wind-down activity" before I go to sleep each evening. It takes me about 20-40 minutes each day to do my editing.

Good luck and and me know if you have any questions! :banana

BTW, "From Seas to Trees" would be a fantastic name for your YouTube Channel
Listen to Sarah, she makes great videos hat are fun to follow.

[Gambit McCrae]

Hit up some of the guys that do the vlogs now on YT. They are great at answering questions and helping others

[Crushed Grapes]

I found it easiest to film brief clips on my iPhone and edit them with iMovie to create a short daily episode. When I got wifi in town or at a hostel, I uploaded them to YouTube.
Exactly what I plan on doing on my hike this year. Seems like a good way to decompress in the evenings especially at the start when the days are shorter. Don't plan on sharing daily vids though, only weekly wrap ups. I figure daily might get old for me. But I do plan to shoot quite a bit of footage daily.

[swatsullivan]

Family and friends are asking me to video my hike. Should I use YouTube or is there something else? And any help on how to get started will be greatly appreciated.

My son calls me “box o’ nerds” but I am not feeling too nerdy needing help here, lol:confused:


Exactly what I plan on doing on my hike this year. Seems like a good way to decompress in the evenings especially at the start when the days are shorter. Don't plan on sharing daily vids though, only weekly wrap ups. I figure daily might get old for me. But I do plan to shoot quite a bit of footage daily.

Let us know your YT channel names! I've been keeping a list like Ramdino. My site is www.hikerfocus.com

I started keeping lists of thru hikers who were vLogging and some others I was following in 2016. After Early Riser's list last year, I decided to start a website to list all the thru hikers I had watched or found that were vLogging (plus others that hiked with them but were using trail journals or Instagram).

Anyway, it's been a fun hobby. I'm hoping to start NOBO myself in 2030!

[Crushed Grapes]

Let us know your YT channel names! I've been keeping a list like Ramdino. My site is www.hikerfocus.com (http://www.hikerfocus.com)!
Awesome, I already reached out to Ramdino. I don't have anything on my YouTube yet, but my Instagram is @daveisoutside .
Also, I'm originally from Richmond, and definitely miss it!

[swatsullivan]

Awesome, I already reached out to Ramdino. I don't have anything on my YouTube yet, but my Instagram is @daveisoutside .
Also, I'm originally from Richmond, and definitely miss it!

Its great living and working in Richmond (except when it snows like this weekend and everything gets shut down!!). I am working with Ramdino to be sure I list the same hikers he has. I do not have quite the time he does, though! He does such an excellent job.

Bruce RTK Matson who thru hiked last year works across the street from my office. I am coordinating with him on a few things, too!

[FromSeasToTrees]

Not unlike my military family, people on here have been great helping me out!

I am going to go for the you tube channel and I beg of you all to be kind as I learn! FromSeaToTrees is my play on being a 22-year Navy veteran who just retired and wants to do nothing but hike in the woods!

[SkeeterPee]

Does anyone use an android phone? it seems most have iphones. What editing software would you use for android, and where do people get the music to add and not violate copywrites?

[Sara]

Does anyone use an android phone? it seems most have iphones. What editing software would you use for android, and where do people get the music to add and not violate copywrites?

Most of my Android friends use KineMaster to edit their videos.

For free music - YouTube Audio Library has lots of music available for download.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

Does anyone use an android phone? it seems most have iphones. What editing software would you use for android, and where do people get the music to add and not violate copywrites?
Consider the amount of time an energy you'll have at the end of each day.

[blackwater slim]

I have tried to do a few YouTube videos. I use iMovie and have done videos from a few seconds up to 15 minutes long. I have a huge amount of difficulty uploading to YouTube through several paths. I have an iPhone with the app on my phone. What can you recommend to do it successfully? Last ones I did I used a computer and it took hours (at home on WiFi). I can’t make it work with my phone at home on WiFi. I can’t imagine it working out on Trail or sharing with several others in a WiFi signal. Help! Thanks

[JC13]

I have tried to do a few YouTube videos. I use iMovie and have done videos from a few seconds up to 15 minutes long. I have a huge amount of difficulty uploading to YouTube through several paths. I have an iPhone with the app on my phone. What can you recommend to do it successfully? Last ones I did I used a computer and it took hours (at home on WiFi). I can’t make it work with my phone at home on WiFi. I can’t imagine it working out on Trail or sharing with several others in a WiFi signal. Help! ThanksI find the phone upload comment strange. I use iMovie and upload to YouTube from my phone exclusively over wifi. I have a 2GB data plan so I never use it for uploads. Does yours fail? I have noticed that recently it started taking much longer than it used to but maybe that was when I switched from uploading in 1080p to 4k as well.

[blackwater slim]

I have a 4G lte if that’s what you’re asking. I have tried the 1080 hd and the 780 hd (correct #’s??). Again, can’t get it to upload. I have tried it by uploading thru YouTube, from iMovie and also from my camera pics. I even tried an app to compress it to mp 4 video to no luck. I just can’t get it figured out.

[Sara]

I have tried to do a few YouTube videos. I use iMovie and have done videos from a few seconds up to 15 minutes long. I have a huge amount of difficulty uploading to YouTube through several paths. I have an iPhone with the app on my phone. What can you recommend to do it successfully? Last ones I did I used a computer and it took hours (at home on WiFi). I can’t make it work with my phone at home on WiFi. I can’t imagine it working out on Trail or sharing with several others in a WiFi signal. Help! Thanks

Uploading directly with iMovie is a big pain.

First I save the video from iMovie onto my phone.
Then I open the YouTube app and upload the video from there.
I've never had a video fail with this method.

I also like that the YouTube app will tell you how many minutes are left until the upload is complete.

[swatsullivan]

I like using my GoPro, but it is a pain to upload that to my iPhone or iPad and then make the movie in iMovie and then upload to YouTube. If and when I do a thru, I will consider just filming with my phone and uploading from there. Of course, by then, my personal drone will follow me everywhere and there will probably be a live feed 24/7.

[swatsullivan]

Not unlike my military family, people on here have been great helping me out!

I am going to go for the you tube channel and I beg of you all to be kind as I learn! FromSeaToTrees is my play on being a 22-year Navy veteran who just retired and wants to do nothing but hike in the woods!

Subscribed!