RAW Scenic Kayaking - Big Bend (3 Days in Santa Elena Canyon)
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- čas přidán 16. 06. 2022
- RAW paddling edit of the 3 day kayaking journey through Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park.
Its 1,500' walls cascade directly into the river creating an engaging place to explore. We spent 3 days paddling the river, hiking side canyons and swimming in springs all while trying to dodge killer wasps, lol. This was one heck of an excursion!
I started a dry bag company, Remote Designs!
Submersible Backpacks & Duffels - remotedesignsllc.com/
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So much great footage doesn't make the final video! Want to see more of these RAW edits?
Definitely keep them coming! Great background noise while working.
@@anthonycontrer man thanks for the response! I’m unsure how the community would respond but it’s something I’d like to start doing
Yesssss
This was honestly one of my favorite videos of yours. It makes it very easy to imagine myself right there.
@@ryanmayberry1991 thanks for the feedback! I think comments like yours make it clear this type of video would continue to be well received. Which is good since I enjoyed making it
This was one of my favorite videos you have done. Really liked how you did the captioning. The trivia about the river and your thoughts about what you and your group were feeling at the moment added a lot to the story. Also liked the music ... really set the tone for the video. We are going to Big Bend this spring to Kayak the Rio / Santa Elena ... can't wait to see this first hand.
Thank you Kent! Awesome to see y’all showing up and liking this format. I’ll have to do more of them! I enjoyed adding the subtitles, much less invasive than voiceover. Have fun in big bend! Should be back to flowing well by spring.
Tell the guy that commented on your go pros that those are for our benefit. We need to see all the views. Beautiful trip. Thanks for sharing
Yeah! It doesn’t bother me seeing as I know it’s a part of the experiences for me. Most people I don’t recommend taking the time to film these trips but it’s a ton of enjoyment from editing these trips and making videos
This is a Bucket List trip if I've ever seen one. Awesome work again Gatewood!
Thank you so much! Tried to go back this week but there’s no water lol. Waiting for rain!
Very calming!
Thank you FD!
Another great adventure there Gatewood thanks for sharing
Thank you so much! I appreciate you tuning in and watching
Easily my favorite video from you so far. Beautiful. Just discovered your channel a few weeks ago. Thanks for sharing these adventures with us 👍
Wow that’s a huge compliment thank you! I’ll have to make more with this style. Cheers man!
Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed that. Although I do love your Narrated story videos too!
I took your advice and got the Aquabound paddle and man oh man, it is amazing and will never go back!!!
That’s so cool to hear Kristina! Yeah the AB is amazing. Don’t think I’ll ever change haha
Great video as always amigo! You're editing skills are awesome, I would love to learn how to edit half as good as you. Haha. Thanks for top notch content. It's fun watching you and your friends embark on epic adventures
Thanks AT! Man all it takes is time behind the keys and you’ll be right there. Most people go crazy putting as much time as I do into these but it’s something I love! Stoked people like you watch and connect about kayaking
Blooper reels and raw edits are where it’s at for outdoor videos! Love the content brother! Keep on yakin
I’m stoked to hear that Tyler! I certainly enjoy them while consuming videos so glad to hear others do too
This was good! I also think you do a great job of mixing music in and narrating in your other videos.
Thank you so much Joe! This was a softer video for sure. I’m happy with the way it turned out
that sky tho!
It took many forms! When you could see it above the cliffs lol
This was a great video. You do such a great job of putting us on the adventure with you. So much fun. And I love the Big Bend area. It's such a magical place.
Thank you so much CW! Big bend is awesome, can’t wait to go back and experience that place again!
Not gonna lie I actually like to sleep to these kinds of videos 🤣 (kayaking sounds) currently it's a jazz, fireplace, thunderstorm video. I like these water sounds 💕! You're so very lucky to get to do this @1:26 @4:22 @10:21 BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Oh that’s actually really cool! Yeah the natural water and paddling sounds are definitely soothing. Just need rain and some nature sounds to mix in haha
The sights in that place are incredible, those rock scapes are amazing and it looks like such a great place to kayak. Great video!
Thank you so much, MK! Big Bend is surreal, Santa Elena Canyon takes it to a whole new level. Just amazing! It's a long drive from up north but definitely worth it someday!
this is so insane!
It truly was! Such a unique landscape
Dope spot and trip
This is just beautiful, man. Thanks for deciding/realizing that all this "extra" footage is still totally worth a video, I love this kind of stuff.
That means a lot, especially coming from an OG! Assuming it’s worth the extra time I’d love to keep doing these. Basically a comparison of, spend more time on old footage to make a raw edit or dedicate that time to a whole new video. But ultimately 2 videos per series is more efficient for putting out more content!
@@GatewoodBrown Oh man, careful you dont go gettin our hopes up like that haha, 2 videos per trip would be incredible but SO much time to edit lol. Though I feel the 2 different vibes between the videos is a perfect juxtaposition, it feels like the kinda main edit focuses on the events of the trip, mainly highlighting you and your friends and the comradery there, then this new raw edit is like "hey also, this insanely beautiful place we were in deserves its own video showcasing that."
Either way, this is an excellent addition to my monthly "binge Gatewood's trip videos to live vicariously through his crew" night hahah.
@@Frozty I like that perspective! And spot on for the intentions of both videos. This second one was definitely about the river. The main edit takes exponentionally more time but this 'natural' video is much quicker so its not too bad. We shall see how it goes into the future! This one will be telling of the interest level
incredible video!
Thank you Michael! Looking forward to yours man! And thanks for having us on this trip! Such a blast
I love this so much! Love your commentary as well, but this was cool and different!
Thank you so much! I enjoyed this more chill edit. Think I’ll start doing them for the bigger trips!
It’s gotta be CZcams algorithm not giving you viewers cause you have the best videos on CZcams for this type of stuff….by far. And it took me 11 days to find your video and that’s only because I searched your channel specifically. If there’s anything we can do to help promote your page let us know in a video.
Haha the algorithm is pretty smart and seems to be quite fair. The hard part is making videos that are ‘good enough’ and have market fit. I’m stoked with the community we have so far! Kind of at a really cool stage where I can still interact with everyone. I’d imagine that gets harder with size
@@GatewoodBrown you sure have helped me find friends in the area that love to find new places and get a little uncomfortable. I love it.
I just found Your channel yesterday and honestly its awesome 👌. Keep up great work dude some adventures are kick ass adventures 🥳🥳🥳
Thank you and welcome to the channel! Glad to have ya along for the ride
Amazing canyon. I was on a rafting trip in the early 1990s and the water was level was much higher
Very cool! Yes this was at low water but I’d imagine it hasn’t changed too much since then
Cool! I really like this kind of life and I hope to travel outside as you are.
We are in the city Monday through Friday and try to spend time outside on the weekends. Definitely not as much as we’d like but it’s fun still!
Awesome video, Gatewood. My wife and I were just admiring that time lapse of the night sky. We have long dreamed of carrying our convertible teardrop camper to Big Bend and sleeping under the stars with the top rolled back. This video has me looking in to getting the old girl road worthy for about a 3,000 mile road trip. I built the teardrop in May of 2013, so this is her 10th summer. She's been from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes, and the Mountains of Virginia to the plains of Missouri. All with little work. She is still running the $10 used tires that were only meant to last a summer. And the top is made out of vinyl from a "$3.99 Foot Long Subway" billboard that was a typo. LOL! It may be time for some upgrades and start making some plans for a road trip. Thanks! LOl!
I wish I had one with a better camera! The GoPro is cool but doesn’t do it justice at all. Time to road trip for sure! That would be a sweet route. Lots to see on that path
@@GatewoodBrown GoPro is what I have to use, as well. My iPhone 11 actually takes better night pics, but I never have tried a night time lapse. 🤔🤷🏻♂️
@@mountainsmoore3657 GoPro should produce better night photos than phones when using the correct settings. Check out @abekislevitz for more info on that. But a big camera is always best for that!
@@GatewoodBrown I have a pretty decent little Canon DSLR, but even after a couple of years of owning it, i still have not messed with it enough to really know about all of it's settings and such. I bought it at Unclaimed Baggage Center, here close to us. So I got it about 1/2 off, but didn't get a manual with it. Shrugs.
Perfect video, the view was amazing😍😍😍. THank you for great video.Please share more video.❤️
Thank you for watching! I’ll be sure to release more soon. I have a full schedule of videos ready to be edited and uploaded. Just working through one at a time!
Soooo beautiful. I don't see myself doing this with my fiance right now, with the equipment (inflatable tandem kayak) and the cardio that I am in... Started the gym to rectify that in the future though. But this looks like a fantastic trip. Bucket list, no doubt! Thanks for sharing! Giving me hope that it'll happen one day!! Keep up the amazing work!
Cheers my man! Yeah I don’t recommend anything too gnarly with generic inflatables but they’re a great way to check out kayaking and seeing if it’s something you may want to expand in the future
super cool :)
Thank you DK!
Gatewood, I loved this video and its very inspirational!!! I love the Big Bend and I have backpacked through the Chisos many times in my younger years... But I am older now and can't really haul a heavy pack through the mountains anymore, so I am thinking of taking up kayaking. And YOU and your great videos are very much responsible for that!!!! Damn you Gatewood ( Ha ha )!!
So I was looking at Kayaks and I was strongly considering your Sportsmans 120... I figured that with your experience, if you had picked that one, it must be an outstanding option... HOWEVER, I am 66, 5' 10" and 225 lbs and I really wanted something lighter that would be easier for me to paddle upstream (if need be), and pull up out of the water and onto my car by myself.
So I just bought a Pongo 125. It can't carry as much cargo as yours, but it should be able to carry enough quality light weigh gear for me to go paddling anywhere here in Texas for two or three days in a row... Don't you think?
Anyway, SPEAKING OF GOING ANYWHERE; The drug cartels control the entire US/ Mexico borders. Are you aware of any issues traveling the Rio Grande along the BIG BEND area or is that pretty much too far out of their way for those "A-holes" to bother???
Again thanks for your great videos (that just caused me to spend over 1000 bucks on a canoe - Damn you again Gatewood!!!! Ha ha ha!!), and I would appreciate your insights on the Pungo 125 if you have any. Take care my friend.
Gene
I do love the 120 and have used it in many different environments with great success! You can’t go wrong with a pungo though. Excellent choice!
No issues out in big bend with that. It’s too remote and arid to promote drug running. They stick to the more populated areas I think. It’s unforgiving country out there! Being exposed to the sun will get you most of the year!
Wow so beautiful ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much!
Definitely wanna do that place
Youve got to man!
Man! GREAT way to end my work week-with a Gatewood Brown video! Truly makes my week-especially the day before I go on another of my own kayak adventures! Tomorrow I’m using an Aqua Bound Manta Ray paddle that I picked up a month ago. How do you like that Aqua Bound in this video? What model is it?
All the best and thanks for all you do for our sport
Curt
Perfect timing I’d say! Mine is the whiskey fiber glass. Best paddle I’ve ever used by far. I’ll be an aquabound paddler for life. You’ll really enjoy yours!
You should look into kayak the chain of lakes in Michigan. 12 lakes that are connected all by rivers that you can kayak down. Very Beautiful. About 3 day trip
That sounds perfect! We really enjoy 3 day trips and Michigan looks wonderful for paddling
👋😎👍 hey amigo!
your vids are primo quality!!
have a great weekend !@
Thanks canajian! Always good to see you in the comments. Early to the party every time!
When we were at Big Bend National Park last April there was barely any flow through Santa Elena Canyon. Still looks very low. Really cool video.
Yeah this was in September when flows were higher. Sad to see where it’s at now
I love watchin your videos when I want to relax, they always inspire to get outside. Big Bend looks amazing
Thank you! Hopefully this one delivered on the more relaxing end of the spectrum. Really enjoyed putting it together
Love the feeling of being immersed into the video! I am from Minnesota and was wondering if you have ever been up here? I think canoeing or kayaking the Boundary Waters up north would make for another stunning video.
Thank you so much CW! Never been up to MN but I’ve heard wonders about the boundary waters. I’ll do it one day for sure
We just got back from the McDonald observatory. Heading to Big bend within the next week.
Have fun! The sky is so brilliant out there
New to your channel but loving it. Just checking into kayaking so find myself immersed in your content!
What camera and equipment for shooting do you use? The quality is insane 🤩
Thank you so much! Glad to have you as a part of the community. Mostly GoPros and a Sony a7iii!
@@GatewoodBrown what camera are you using to film yourself when you're kayaking cause the background scenery is AMAZING 😻!?
If you haven't tried it, try the Boundary Waters up in Minnesota, probably a lot more bugs and greener then Texas, but just as beautiful.
Question?: what do you recommend for a pull behind for camping gear, when traveling with four or more people, I thought about using my aluminum 16 ft boat, being pulled by for kayaks.
I definitely will do the boundary waters one day! The bugs are pretty thick up there so maybe I’ll go after the first freeze haha. Pulling anything would be dangerous so I’d just recommend leaving the luxuries behind and packing appropriately. A canoe and most kayaks should be able to hold gear for a week!
Sure do miss your videos
Hope you begin to do more...
Yes! I’ve got a bunch filmed. Just need to edit them up which takes a bit of time
I know what to play tonight when I want to fall asleep.
Dude right?! This is one of the most perfect "throw on the TV while you're cozyin' up to fall asleep" videos of all time.
Haha y’all are the best. Sounds like they need to be longer in the future. 30min is perfect for that ‘relax mode’ vibe
Idk how I came across one of your videos and couldn’t stop watching all your CZcams videos. AMAZING!! Great content and quality Mr. Brown. Looking forward on purchasing a kayak but haven’t done much research. Can u please tell us what’s a good kayak or kayak’s to start with that will let me do different kayaking adventures in different scenarios. I done kayaking on rental kayaks but they’re different to the ones u use in different videos. Thank u and keep doing greats videos.
Thank you so much for the wonderful note! I’d start with a ~10’ sit on top kayak on the used market. If ya don’t end up liking it you can sell for what you paid. Easy as that! Anything that gets you on the water is better than not having one at all
Yes to what Gatewood said, find a used one on the market and just go have fun. I have found 3 amazing kayaks that way and got me into it for sure so many years ago. I still was able to have a ton of fun, learn a lot, take a friend or two and then figure out which one I truly wanted and have gotten it and appreciate it so much more since I had the cheaper ones. Good luck and hope you find one!
@@kristinahill7869 totally agree with you on that!
I loved the video just subscribed after binging what kayak were you on in the video and why did you choose this one for the trip?
Thanks so much! This was a sportsman 120. I’ll be doing a full review on it soon now that I have extensive time with it. Basically I wanted a 12’ sit on top that wasn’t too bulky, could withstand the abuse I put them through, and looked cool. Plus I’ve owned old towns for years and really am impressed by their craftsmanship. It’s been a joy to paddle 120!
You should also hit the Devils river
I may or may not have just committed to doing it this year…and that’s all I’ll say for now!
Gatewood, how well is your new Old Town Sportsman 120 working out for you? I am going to buy my first Kayak and am considering that one based on your own choice of that model. Thanks!
I love it! The sit on top life is the way to go for what we do. Old town makes a sturdy product that’ll last for years. Great things to say! Best thing to do is go demo a few at your local kayak shop to get a feel for what you need
BREATHTAKING BEAUTY COLORS VIEWS SCENERY VIDEO WEATHER LANDSCAPE FOOTAGE ! AWESOME AREA ! WERE THERE ANY CLEAR / STREAM ALONG THE TRIP FOR FRESH WATER ?
Yes! Fern canyon can be found in the kayak camping edit. It’s a clean and clear stream although you’ll want to confirm the rock doesn’t have naturally occurring uranium and stuff. I’ve never heard of someone filtering it
Hey Gatewood! How has the hull of your old town sportsman held up to shallow rocky stretches of river and when you’ve had to drag it? Just curious if you have a keel guard on it or something like that 🤘🏻 love your work and just purchased a couple bags from remote designs 📸
No issues yet! Put it through some serious abuse too haha. My kayak is bone stock but I’m sure some extra protection would be nice. Thank you so much for supporting! Each order contributes to making these videos. Cheers!
@@GatewoodBrown right on! Appreciate the reply brotha✌🏻
So awesome! How do you get The drone shots? Are they from outside the park or is there some way to get permissions from NPS? I was wanting to take mine but saw it’s not allowed in national parks.
You nailed it! All droning was done outside the park. Wish I could fly in the park though!
That looked fun but was I wrong to expect no music added? I wish I could a/b compare this video with and without music. You know, the video was so good I think I'll watch it again.
There was definitely some faint music added! I may experiment with absolutely none in the future but I think music can often heighten a video. Open to trying different things though!
Whats the brand and model of the coffee percolator that you use? Also, what coffee grinder brand/model?
God bless yall.
It’s a generic Amazon brand. I think it’s called a grosche moka pot. Works well! The grinder I think is listed in my gear list in the description. $28 or something like that. Super budget setup!
@@GatewoodBrown Yeah I found the "complete" gear video and list. Thank you so much.
I really appreciate your making the kayak/canoe adventure videos. It has encouraged me to get outside and do those type of activities.
I bought a canoe for the family and I. We are looking forward to getting out on the water and having some great family time. God bless you and your family.
Do y'all ever encounter cottonmouths? when you're in TX?
Rarely! I’ve seen so few snakes out on these rivers. Best advice is to just stay away from spots on the river that look snakey. I’ve had a cottonmouth charge me on the Guadalupe before. That was wild!
What did you do for water? I assume you cant drink that even with filters
Correct! We packed gallon jugs of water for this trips. 1.5 gallons per day
Thanks for the reply! Trying to plan a trip for this winter there but I’m 30 hours away. Probably going to have to rent boats unless I decide to make the trek. Dumb question, but do you need a passport since it’s right on the border?
I dno if this is too forward but can we get married? Haha but honestly you are amazing ur aura shines through, my new obsession channel for sure ✨ 💕
Haha I’m taken already! I appreciate the kind words
Hey man where do you get your royalty free music?
Musicbed! It’s expensive but worth it for me no doubt
What shoes are you wearing for this trip?
Astral loyak AC!
What kind of shoes were you wearing, they seem most functional??
Astral loyak! Excellent water shoes for what we do
@@GatewoodBrown thanks for the reply!! Going order some now
@@aeneas116116 they’re the best quality water shoe I’ve worn! Whole sizes only and I rock a 10.5 so went with an 11. The 10 was too small
I have two "dumb questions" since I am new to Kayaking; Hopefully someone here can help me out with my doubts; I don't know who else to ask... Thanks;
1. Is there a DFW area Kayaking forum geared towards camping and the kind of stuff you do going down scenic rivers, etc? I would love to join up, make new friends and learn a lot. Everything I see seems more geared towards fishing and I am not interested in that aspect of Kayaking.
2. I notice that sit-inside Kayaks have lots of bungee cords on the top front and back; It would seem to me that they would not be able to very effectively tie down your gear if it got snagged somewhere... So am I correct to assume that this is done ON PURPOSE so that your gear can break free if you got hung up somewhere on the river? I was considering adding some cleats to my new Pungo 125 in order to be able to much more securely tie down my gear... but I became concerned when I saw no one else doing that in all the videos I have watched... I figured there must be a reason.
Hopefully you can clarify these doubts for me. Again, thanks,
Gene
Great questions!
1. Check out kayak tripping group and yak packing Texas group on Facebook. Then search on Facebook for something more local to Dallas
2. The bungees are not designed to break free. Rather to store small items like an extra paddle or bilge pump. Adding lots of gear to the deck will make the kayak unstable in rivers. I recommend a sit on top kayak for river tripping!
@@GatewoodBrown; Perfectly logical explanation: A low center of gravity is a must! Got it!!! Thank you so much!!!
My Kayak arrives tomorrow. My wife got hers Friday. My vest (same as your trekker) arrives Tuesday. So I am hoping this Thursday (when the wife is off ), to finally get out and try them out on the local lake of Mineral Wells State Park! Again, thank you my friend!!!
One side is the US and the other Mexico, but which is which in your video?
On the way up canyon Mexico is the left side. Way down is right side
Are flash floods an issue?
They can be an issue on all rivers, especially those in the desert where water runs off at a high velocity because the ground is hard and doesn't absorb it as fast.
How long is the total trip in miles? Is it all under class II ?
The canyon is about 8 miles long. Heading down river is a different story than doing a boomerang. Yeah I’d say it’s all class I at low water
@@GatewoodBrown is it suitable for small kids like 4yr old. Or dogs on the kayak?
If you step foot on the Mexico side there’s no one around to see it or get you for it
Yeah not many watchmen out there! Haha
could you do it downstream in a day?
Hard to say! I've never done that direction but I'm sure a local outfitter would know. I'd assume not though
Damn water looks really low
It was! Hoping more flow returns soon
Unfortunately mason wasn’t with you to rebuttal that guys roast
Ugh I needed him most right there. He would’ve tossed that guys ego on over to Mexico
Вода грязевая
Indeed!