Sam Kolder is one of the best.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
A.I. VIDEO – Hiker Crossing River
I unexpectedly got free-to-me access to the BEST A.I. VIDEO generating tool as of May 2025 — Google Veo 3.
… It costs U.S. $250 / month as I post. 😳
I first asked for audio and video of a hiker crossing a river in a rain storm on Vancouver Island.
NEXT I was offered an A.I. enhanced version of that same prompt:
Atmospheric and moody cinematic scene, reminiscent of a Pacific Northwest indie film. Overcast day, with a soft, diffused light filtering through the dense canopy of evergreens. Cool blues and grays dominate the color palette. Medium shot of a lone hiker, seen from the waist up, mid-stream in a rushing river. The hiker is wearing a waterproof hiking jacket and a backpack. His face is partially obscured by the rain and the hood of his jacket. The river is rocky and fast-flowing, with the water churning around the hiker’s legs. The background consists of a lush, green forest with ferns and moss-covered trees. The camera slowly pans to follow the hiker as he makes his way across the river. The sound of the rain and the rushing water create a sense of immersion and isolation.
Finally, I changed the last enhance prompt to have the hiker in deeper water. 😀
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Whether we like it or not, A.I. video will be increasingly included in movies, television, and YouTube videos.
Art of Travel Filmmaking
On my hikes I shoot video, trying to approach how the best of the best are telling stories.
Lisa and Axel have been traveling the world for 3 years. And they’ve got it figured out.
Subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
A.I. Generated HIKING Video
A short experiment to assess quality of artificial intelligence VIDEO in April 2025. I used A.I. generated music and voice over, as well.
Not bad. But I’m still not keen to use it on a regular basis.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
HOW to pack your Backpack for Hiking
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.
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:
- Snow and rain in Canada.
- Hiking Iceland.
- Up high in the Austrian Alps: Innsbruck and Kitzbühel.
- Adventuring in the Faroe Islands.
- Cycling Denmark and Germany.
- Hiking in Idaho.
related:
Top 10 BestHike VIDEOS
- BestHike VIDEO Highlights 2023
- BestHike VIDEO Highlights 2022
Subscribe to the BestHike YouTube channel.
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.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
besthike.com 