Coleman Outdoors

As a homeowner, I can’t always get outdoors to hike and backpack. Fixing and maintaining that home always gets in the way of my outdoor fun. Demolishing a pool hands-down is the biggest chore I’ve ever had on my never-ending list of “things I need to do around the house” Was I excited about it? Not in the slightest. Although I’m happy that I’m no longer a pool owner. The job was tough, stressful and dirty. DIY pool demolition is not for everyone, but if you’ve got time and you’re comfortable with hard work, you can do it. You’ll save a ton of money. You need to do it by the books though. Every city and county have different codes and regulations that need to be followed if you want to be able to sell your home in the future. Google it! Music featured: Night Wish Wendy Marcini https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/RvVkFcKy7q/ You may also follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eric_coleman_outdoors/

A variety of short clips from hikes and backpacking trips over the last few years. Annie's Song by John Denver sums it up. I know that the song is an ode to Denver's wife Annie. The video clips coupled with the music is an ode to my metaphorical Annie, the great outdoors. #hikecalifornia #hike #outdoors #backpacking

Northeast of Los Angeles California, sits Strawberry Peak, located in the San Gabriel Mountains in the Angeles National Forest. I’ve concurred this peak a handful of times, but this year I decided to try something a little different. It was time to hike this mountain via the Mountaineer route. This hike was completed on February 4th 2023. For this hike, The Colby Canyon trailhead is located a couple miles south of the Red Box Picnic area along the Angeles Crest Highway. Total mileage to complete this hike is roughly 13 miles. My emotional support and friend, Tony Lopes, joined me for this hike. This peak is also included as one of the alternate peaks in the Southern California Six Pack of Peaks Challenge. For more information on the Southern California Six Pack of Peaks Challenge or other possible challenges near you visit. https://socialhiker.net/ Music featured: Replicants Hampus Naeselius https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/HCeoC9RNZp/ Bad Mood Rising – Cover Musical ensemble by Brian Ravtich Vocals by Eric Coleman You may also follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eric_coleman_outdoors/

If you wear pants, shoes or carry cash, credit cards and identification and you like, “Made in the USA”, then the Grip6 Manufacturing Company should be your go-to provider for minimalist wallets and belts and comfortable rugged merino wool socks. I first discovered Grip6 through online advertising and thought I’d give their wool socks a try. I’d been a fan of Smartwool’s merino wool socks for hiking and backpacking for several years. They make fantastic products. However, I was looking for an ankle sock for hiking and decided to try something different and I had heard great things about Grip6. I was not disappointed with the pair of Approach XT ankle socks that I purchased, so I decided to do a review video and post it on the channel. After Grip6 received word of my review, they asked if I’d like to review the belts and the wallets as well. Truthfully, I was already eyeing them and when they offered to send them to me at no cost, I said, absolutely I’ll give them a review. The rest is history. Everything they make is quality build, functional and stylish. When I discovered they were located in Midvale, Utah, I told myself that’d I’d pay them a visit the next time I was in the state visiting family. As you see in the video, I brought them one of my signature redwood carved signs as a thank you. Head on over to www.grip6.com and check-out the variety of wallets, socks and belts. Every product they sell is made in the USA and backed by their lifetime “Guaran-Damn-Tee”. You may also follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eric_coleman_outdoors/ #grip6 #woolsocks #minimalistbelts #minimalistwallet

The 155-mile Big SEKI Loop is located in the Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. The trail was originally created as an alternate to the popular John Muir Trail. Although shorter than the JMT by 56 miles, it’s still just as beautiful and challenging. The trail takes in portions of the John Muir and High Sierra Trails and can be modified to fit one’s needs and can be entered in by way of Roads End in the western Sierras or from Onion Valley on the eastern side. The reason the title reads as Big SEKI Loop “North” is because my friend, Tony and I, hiked the northern portion of the trail of Onion Valley which is west of Independence, California, located along highway 395. The trip took place over 8 days and comprised of 104 miles. This is the longest trip I’ve ever attempted and for that reason alone the most challenging. Would I do it again? Probably not, but that’s only because there is some much more I want to hike in the Sierra’s before I die. However, I will hike portion of it as often as I can. And if all goes as planned, I’ll be hiking about 1/3 of this trip in the coming months for my summer trip. Part one of the trip consists of the first four days, crossing Kearsarge Pass, through Roads End, crossing The Lip (a pass of sorts), crossing Granite Pass and hiking down The Bitch Trail to the Middle Fork Kings River where we stopped for night four of our journey. Music featured in this video: Mountains Air Cody Francis https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/vOWgi7FbrL/ Running Circles (Instrumental Versions) Cody Francis https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/tEnDhzPbdv/ You may also follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eric_coleman_outdoors/ #themountainsarecalling #sierranevada #backpackingadventures

If you have OSA or Obstructive Sleep Apnea, you know it kind of sucks…or blows depending on your perspective. Fortunately, we live in an age where medical science has really made it pretty easy to deal with when it comes to getting a good night sleep. Those of us that like to enjoy the great outdoors are faced with the challenge of suffering without our sleep therapy. Or we limit our destinations solely on whether or not there’s a power source for our CPAP device. If we car camp or RV are way into mother nature, the workarounds are fairly easy to manage. What about those of us that like to strap to our backs the bare necessities for a 3-day trip and go way back into the wilderness? Well, we live with it the best way we know how, by suffering! Carrying your in-home CPAP would be the easy part, but finding an outlet in the backcountry is near impossible. And I don’t think they make a 10-mile-long extension cord and if they did, hiring enough sherpas to carry and lay out the cord, isn’t very cost effective. Luckily there’s a solution to this problem. Travel compact CPAP devices do exist and are rather small and lightweight. Pair these with the wonder of the modern battery and you’ll get to enjoy that backcountry retreat you’ve been longing for. Batteries on the other had can be heavy and the good one’s aren’t cheap. Make a battery specially for a medical device and now we’re talking out of this world cost. Sadly, these medical grade batteries run $300 to $400 and they only give you a single night of therapy. Several years ago, I was very excited when I discovered the possibility of owning a travel CPAP for my backpacking excursions. When I learned about the overly price ineffective medical grade batteries, I realized it just wasn’t a possibility. Suffering horribly in the backcountry was going to be my lot in life. Then I found the brilliant Scott Carrol DIY battery hack on YouTube. He discovered a way to use more cost effective and efficient hobby LiPo batteries that could give you several nights sleep on the trail in a single charge. To make this work though, you needed to have a little bit of electrical soldering know-how and a willingness to build this special Backpacking CPAP kit. You’re really going to want this though because all said, I’m probably about $1,000 into building the best sleep kit I’ve ever had on the trail. Do I like the extra 3.5 to 6 lbs. I’m carrying on the trail? Not really, but it’s totally worth the weight. A special thank you to, Scott Carroll ( https://youtu.be/HwurfTzRc9I ) ,for figuring out how to build this simple hack and publishing it on YouTube for the world. All credit goes to Scott. I’m really here to pass this information along to my audience and hopefully those who want to backpack, but hesitate doing so because of our annoying condition. Save those pennies Apneites and get yourself back in the backwoods with the best sleep you’ll ever have while mother nature lulls you off to wonderland. Items featured in the video. Breas Z2 Auto - https://www.apriadirect.com/breas-z2-cpap-portable-travel-auto-cpap-machine 8,000 mAh Lipo Battery - https://hobbyking.com/en_us/zippy-compact-8000mah-4s1p-30c-w-xt90.html Battery Charger - https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Battery-Balance-Discharger-Adapter XT90 to XT60 Connector - https://a.co/d/1ji83M3 Battery Checker/Alarm - https://a.co/d/0ajb8mW Barrel leads - https://a.co/d/eNbDwd3 Hillsound PackStack Pro Storage Cube - https://a.co/d/gZWcDPf Scott Carroll DIY video - https://youtu.be/HwurfTzRc9I You may also follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eric_coleman_outdoors/ #backpackingcpap #sleepgood #sleepapnea #campingsleepapnea

It’s always a good day, when I get out to do some snowshoeing. Truth be told, I’ve only ever snowshoed here in Frazier Park, California from the Nordic Base parking lot at the end of Cuddy Valley Road. I should really try and expand my options. However, snowshoeing to Mt Pinos is a very safe and beautiful place to take friends and family for their first experience in the sport. Today’s inductee into the wonderful world of snowshoeing is my friend, Tony. We’ve hiked together all over the southern California mountains and some the Sierra Nevada’s over the past year or two. It was time to get Tony out on the ice for a little winter fun. The conditions were good, although not the best I’ve experienced. There was a nice pristine layer of fresh snow, but the night before was very cold and the powdery goodness was a little crunchy. The sky was a little gloomy as well, but like I said before, it’s always a good day when I’m out. With the conditions being a little icy and slippery we decided not to go much further beyond the Condor Lookout to Sawmill Mountain. Instead, we headed back to the trailhead and stopped in town and a local Mexican restaurant and had a nice lunch. It was a great day. Music featured in this video: Trying to Be Someone Headlund https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/SjtjD55vo4/ You may also follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eric_coleman_outdoors/

Are you still using a canvas Velcro wallet? Do you “George Costanza” the heck out of your billfold and carry every card, receipt and photo you’ve collected in the last 10 years? It’s okay, life is about to change for the better because you are watching this video. You’re going to move out of your mother’s basement, land the job of your dreams and find the love of your life. You need this wallet. The Grip6 Wallet is designed to minimize the clutter we often find ourselves collecting inside our wallet. In a world where everyone is carrying a cellphone, do we need to carry proof of the dinner we had at a restaurant 5 years ago? No, we have a photo of the evening in our phone. That home improvement credit card doesn’t need to be stored with the 5 other cards you never use. You’ll just apply for a new one the next time you’re in-store, just get the discount at the register. The Grip6 Wallet is a minimalist wallet that will force you to decide, what’s necessity and what’s garbage. This is not to say that you’ll be left tossing a coin on whether to keep the drivers license or take the debit card. The wallet will comfortably hold 6 cards and with the optional Wingman money band, you can carry additional cards and cash. You can even keep a receipt or two if you must. Head on over to www.grip6.com and check-out the variety of wallet choices. And while you’re there pick-up some socks and a belt or two. Every product they sell is made in the USA and backed by their lifetime “Guaran-Damn-Tee”. Music featured in this video: How Could We Lose Hope Experia https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/WwotCrHGfc/ You may also follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eric_coleman_outdoors/

Do you get tired of the abundance of carbohydrate loaded trail food while on an extended backpacking trip? It’s easy to end up with a bear canister for of expensive dehydrated and freeze-dried meals when you hit the trail because they’re convenient and lightweight. There is no doubt that having a good source of carbs for any trip is super important, but you can have too much of a good thing. Carbohydrates are an amazing fuel source because our metabolism is primarily a glucose burning machine when it comes to energy production. However, our bodies need fats as well. And the Standard American Diet has led many to believe for decades, that fats are bad and not as important as they really are for energy creation in the human body. Fat is the most essential source of energy for long-term endurance exercises. And if backpacking isn’t a long-term endurance exercise, I don’t know what is. Walking miles with weight on your back for days at a time makes one consider, how much of this should consist of food and how much room do I need to allow for the days I’m out on the trail? Carbohydrates can be much lighter, but sometimes take-up more space. Fatty foods are often heavier and more compact, but more calorically dense. We really need to find a balanced diet out on the trail just as much as we do in our regular everyday lives. In this video, I share my most favorite source for a delicious and diverse fatty protein that’s great for any meal during the day. SPAM. You may also follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eric_coleman_outdoors/ #spam #backpackingfood #backpackingnutrition

The Heroes Project: Climb for Heroes event has been around since 2013 and takes place in Mt Baldy, California. For more information regarding The Heroes Project organization please visit: https://theheroesproject.org/ The day hike typically takes you to the top of Mt. Baldy, but with storms rolling through a few days before, it left too much ice and snow on the trail leaving it potentially dangerous for what’s generally a safe but rigorous hike. The improvised route this year took the participants about halfway up the mountain or right up to the section of the trail know as the Devil’s Backbone. This is not your typical day hike as you are surrounded by a lot of people, but it is loads of fun and its for a great cause. This was my first year in attendance and it’s definitely not my last. #theheroesproject #climbforheroes #mtbaldy #sixpackofpeakschallenge Music featured in this video: Crowned Kings Dream Cave https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/cTBz6mgNRz/ American Flag Kikoru https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/uPKojSEkKj/ You may also follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eric_coleman_outdoors/

Playing a game of hide and seek is as close as most people get in their lives to ever being “hunted”. However, if you’ve ever been hunted, you know it’s totally different than a silly child’s game. Participating in the Grunt Proof Survival Games was the closest I’ve ever come to experience. Was it for keeps? No. No one was actually out to kill me and then mount my stuffed head like some trophy on a wall, but there were reputations at stake and I was not about to let some yahoo tarnish my character. The Grunt Proof Survival Games, now known as the Grunt Proof S.E.R.E Challenge, is the brain child of Randall. The owner and creator of the Grunt Proof YouTube channel. For several year now, Randall has made himself famous in the digital world by testing and reviewing gear in the way he knows best. This is done by treating it like all Army grunts do when they’re out on the battlefield. If a piece of gear can hold up to certain standards, it will receive his stamp of approval, Grunt Proof. Randall made a career in the Army and spent nearly 20 years fighting and training others in defense of our country. It’s hard to argue with an expert. And although, his testing methods may seem a bit extreme for your average weekend warrior’s load-out, you can be certain that if a tent, sleeping bag or backpack meets his rigorous standards, you know you’ve got a product that will stand the test of time. The Survival Games is based on a type of military training called S.E.R.E, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape. The reason for this training is fairly obvious, it’s to prepare military personnel to survive in a real-world survival scenario. Have you ever seen the movie, Behind Enemy Lines? It’s just like that, but without the Hollywood embellishments and special effects. It’s a good movie though and I recommend it if you haven’t had the chance. Randall and I became acquainted with each other when I began to consume his content while searching for “how to” videos specific to stealth camping. His “no BS” approach and genuine nature was informative and entertaining and I was an instant fan. I love the comment section in YouTube because it allows creators and fans to connect and create these world spanning friendships. It’s also a good way to network. Content creators often “Team-up” like your favorite Marvel comic book heroes to “collaborate” and that’s how I ultimately became a participate in this excellent adventure. Over a year later and I’ve finally decided to conduct my own debriefing on my participation in the Grunt Proof Survival Games. Self-evaluations are apart of live. I have to do two at work every year and I kind of hate’em, but it’s necessary. This however, was a lot of fun and I hope it will reignite some interest in Season One and also hype Season Two, scheduled for release on February 5th, 2023. Go check it out @gruntproof now! Check out the participants CONTESTANTS @Brent0331 Jared, from @2alphasolutions SUPPORT @STOKERMATIC Music featured in this video: Mechanolith Mechanolith by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Majestic Hills Majestic Hills by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Medussa Medusa by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Achilles Strings Achilles - Strings by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Hitman Hitman by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Dangerous Dangerous by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Bad Moon Rising Cover performed by Eric Coleman and Brian Ravitch You may also follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/eric_coleman_outdoors/ #gruntproof #SEREChallenge #SERE