Category: video

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Ugreen’s 145W, 25,000mAh Power Bank

Increasingly on the trail, I need reliable power.

My latest purchase is Ugreen’s 145W 25,000mAh portable power bank.

… 3 ports: a USB-C port for charging the unit at a maximum power of 65W — capable of being fully recharged in 2 hours using a 65W AC charger — and for outputting up to 100W, another USB-C port that supports outputs up to 45W, and a USB-A port that allows for outputs up to 18W. 

… a small LED panel designed for a singular purpose — to display the battery capacity …

  • Battery capacity: 25000mAh
  • Total output: 145W
  • Charge protocols:
    USB-C1
    USB-C2
    USB-A
  • Bi-directional charging: Yes
  • Dimensions: 16 x 8.08 x 2.67 cm
  • Weight: 505 g (1.11 pounds) !

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

There are other better, heavier, and more expensive options.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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BestHike VIDEO Highlights 2024

by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

The biggest change shooting hiking video in 2024 was having a NEW drone with excellent obstacle avoidance.

I only crashed it once. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. I like the pacing of this one.

Some of those clips come from 2024 adventures:

related:

Top 10 BestHike VIDEOS

Subscribe to the BestHike YouTube channel.

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Apple Watch for Photos / Videos 2025

My main use case is taking a photo / starting video recording remotely.

Of course I put my iPhone on a tripod.

A.I. generated image
  • Camera Remote on Apple Watch is fantastic. Within about 33 feet or 10 meters it provides these options:
    • photo timer delay
    • switch Camera (front or rear)
    • LIVE PHOTO (auto, on, or off)
  • all iPhone camera modes work with the app — aside from panorama
  • framing the photo / video from a distance is a plus
  • I always use LIVE PHOTO to later choose the best image
  • I set up the iPhone to get closer to birds / animals. And then click remotely when they are in frame.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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In Praise of Pampas Grass

Pampas grass or pampas-grass or Pap’s grass are common names for several similar-looking, tall-growing species of grass.

Cortaderia selloana is native to southern South America, including the Pampas region after which it is named. 

It is widely distributed throughout the world as a cultivated ornamental plant. And it is common in the yards on Vancouver Island where I’m at right now.

In fact, it’s my favourite of the ornamental plants here. Tall, impressive, and pretty.

Jindai Botanical Garden, Japan, height 4 metres (13.1 ft) and diameter 7 metres (23 ft)

That said, many gardeners hate the stuff, considering it an invasive weed. It’s difficult to manage.

Click PLAY or watch a short montage on YouTube.

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My Drones CRASHING Montage 😀

I can laugh now — but each was traumatizing in the moment.

My first drone was the inexpensive Mavic Mini SE.

Though careful, I crashed it a LOT.

And finally killed it completely flying into the restaurant doors … twice.

Upgrading to the DJI Mini 4 Pro, I’m unlikely to crash. Often.

It has VERY good obstacle avoidance.

This montage includes perhaps half of my crashes.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Lighthouse Country Regional Trail, Vancouver Island

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

. 😀 … There is no lighthouse on this inland trail.

Lighthouse Country is a tourist designation for a coastal region just north of Qualicum Beach consisting of smaller communities: Dashwood, Qualicum Bay, Dunsmuir, Bowser, and Deep Bay.

It’s named for the offshore lighthouses on Sisters Island and Chrome Island.


Lighthouse Country Regional Trail is an easy — family friendly — 5.6-km loop that takes an average of 1 h 23 min to complete.

The trail was dry and in great shape, even in chilly December.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube.

I did find the Nile Creek logging road less interesting than the portion closer to the ocean. You could walk north from the parking lot, then backtrack whenever you wish to enjoy the most scenic sections twice.

If you do the entire loop, feel free to call it the Lighthouse Loop.

There are other trails to explore aside from the loop, of course.

Though you don’t really need a map, I followed AllTrails.

related – nearby, more challenging, Nile Creek Trail