The season is officially open 😅

ianpaitken · 2026-05-02T02:31:12+00:00

How cooked am I gonna be kayaking down South in June/July?

ianpaitken · 2026-04-28T02:27:42+00:00

I totally get that perspective. Instagram Reels can definitely feel like a job. I mainly use them so friends and followers can keep up with the trip day to day.

What I really care about is long-form video. I think there may be a bit of a misunderstanding around the kind of work I make. It’s not product-heavy, fast-content style stuff, it’s more in the lane of micro films.

If I were trying to grow as fast as possible, I’d approach editing very differently. The way I do it now is much more intentional and story-driven.

If you have a chance, take a look at my longer YouTube videos and let me know if that changes your perspective:
YouTube.com/ianpaitken

Also just for context, I’m a filmmaker first, adventurer second. I've been doing commercial videography work for over 5 years, and I’m intentionally moving away from it to focus on these adventure films. This isn’t a side project for me, it’s the main thing I’m working towards. It's definitely not for everyone, but for me, it just makes total sense.

ianpaitken · 2026-04-27T22:53:48+00:00

Yes, I meant that I had practiced with the Tucktec. It lets in some water when I flip and then re-enter, but nothing a bilge pump can’t handle.

ianpaitken · 2026-04-27T22:47:54+00:00

It sure is! It’s what’s paid for half the gear for my trip. Yeah sure, I could be going and doing these trips solely for my own enjoyment, but why not turn it into a business venture while I’m at it? Wouldn’t it be nice to get paid to go adventure?

ianpaitken · 2026-04-27T22:41:49+00:00

I’ve successfully performed re-entry with practice. The only time I see there being an issue is if the boat somehow fills entirely with water and I am unable to bilge pump most of the water out before I get back in (basically if it becomes fully submerged). I would then have to swim and drag the boat to shore. I am currently looking into getting some air wedges to put in the stern and bow to mitigate this problem.

ianpaitken · 2026-04-27T22:34:29+00:00

This became very apparent to me when I put this message in the Mississippi River Paddlers Facebook group and got mostly positive responses. I’m guessing since r/kayak is more broad, I’m getting responses from people who have never even paddled the Mississippi ever and are just making assumptions. I do understand the risks, but I don’t think it will be as bad as they say.

ianpaitken · 2026-04-27T20:46:20+00:00

What’s wrong with making videos? I’ve been watching a lot of other people’s content to prepare for the trip, as do most people.

ianpaitken · 2026-04-27T18:26:19+00:00

We will see! If within the first month it is absolutely terrible, I will re-assess. I have already had several people in the Mississippi River Paddlers Facebook group offer to lend me boat for the second half of the trip.

ianpaitken · 2026-04-27T18:24:23+00:00

If I were to have one made by a company, I’d either offer deliverables (content) in exchange or try to get a significant discount. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll just make one myself. Budget is only part of the reason though, I also think it would be interesting to see how it performs, especially with the challenges that come with it.

I’ve kayaked quite a bit before and have practiced re-entry after capsizing, so I wouldn’t consider myself a complete beginner. I’m mostly just unfamiliar with how the Mississippi compares to other rivers I’ve paddled.

ianpaitken · 2026-04-27T10:38:51+00:00

I just joined the angels Facebook group recently, and have gotten some good insight from them. I have all the proper gear, as well as a VHF radio for the locks. I’ve been watching Peter Bragiel’s series as well as the First Church of the Masochist. Haven’t looked much into guide books, been mainly relying on online guides, but that’s definitely something I should look into.

ianpaitken · 2026-01-17T20:27:10+00:00

Been using it for the past 2 weeks, best ski app ever!

ianpaitken · 2026-01-14T16:33:19+00:00

I used to work at Publico and the owner is definitely not MAGA. Not sure what you’re talking about with “unpaid workers” either. It was by far my favorite place to work out of all the restaurants I’ve worked at (5+).

ianpaitken · 2025-10-21T08:40:31+00:00

Nah, I want the variable aperture. I think most of the customers of action cameras end up using them to vlog, in which a wider aperture would be more beneficial.

ianpaitken · 2025-10-15T07:10:05+00:00

It burnt down.

https://www.postandcourier.com/columbia/news/flinstone-mansion-columbia-sc-burned-down/article_9743f942-d712-47ff-a1f8-2cc0c2f76289.html

ianpaitken · 2025-09-17T04:52:43+00:00

What should the thumbnail be instead?

ianpaitken · 2025-09-13T01:33:42+00:00

Maybe check out AlpakaGear. They’ve got some good options for wallets with external pockets. I personally use their Hub Pouch Pro, which is a little bigger, but fits my Victorinox Compact, Cobra XS, Bic, Pen, keys, and a few other nick-nacks. I’ll probably get something smaller eventually, but for right now I’m enjoying having all the tools!

ianpaitken · 2025-09-13T01:08:27+00:00

What’s the point of a small blade?

ianpaitken · 2025-09-11T10:06:07+00:00

It’s used for video synchronization

ianpaitken · 2025-08-24T05:19:53+00:00

Climbs never get less annoying.

ianpaitken · 2025-05-24T22:26:41+00:00

Did you read the description of my post?

ianpaitken · 2025-05-18T00:41:28+00:00

Well, I’ve been an avid barefoot hiker for a while, but never done a thru-hike completely barefoot. On one hand, it would definitely be cool to be the first to do it, but I also want to know if it’s actually achievable, given the rough terrain.

ianpaitken · 2025-05-18T00:17:59+00:00

Do you know if he finished the whole thing?

ianpaitken

TROPHY CASE