Epic Remote Campsite / Solitude and Rain with an Ominous Vibe.

Join Kenny of all Trades in this epic remote campsite adventure, complete with solitude, rain, and a hint of ominous vibes. Watch as he navigates truck camper living and shares his experiences with sleep paralysis and night terrors in the great outdoors.
#camp #outdoors #camping #sleepparalysis #nightterrors #solocamping

This week Toby and I are taking you into the Chippawa National Forest. We are north of Deer River in the middle of nowhere. I found this spot while scouting via Google Maps and OnX. This was actually the fourth campsite I checked on Friday. The other 3 campsites no longer existed. I almost got the truck stuck in heavy clay trying to reach a hand launch on a remote forest lake. It looked like no one had been back there for a long time. As soon as I started spinning in 2wd I got out of there. I could only imagine what that tow bill would look like. I decided not to record on the way out this week. The drive out can take an hour or two longer if I record it and I was trying to beat sundown. One of these days I'll have to document the struggles I go through to find these hidden little gems.
I can't believe I've been doing this for 3.5 years, and I'm still finding new spots to bring you to. Minnesota is the hidden gem of outdoor recreation. I hear so much about remote camping in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, and Montana, all the states with vast amounts of BLM lands, but Minnesota is a sleeper state when it comes to outdoor recreation. Maybe it's because our winters are brutally cold, and our summers are sweltering hot with mosquitos the size of sparrows, but I love how much public land we have.
This spot was insanely beautiful with a little bit of an ominous vibe. There was a fog rolling off the lake most of the weekend. We had rain Friday evening into Saturday morning. The air Saturday was super damp and cold. It felt nice to have the campfire going all day. Toby and I were pretty lazy. We stuck to the campsite because I could hear hunter shooting in the forest.
Friday night I ended up having a terrible nightmare. In the past I have struggled with night terrors and sleep paralysis. I think all the stresses of life have opened the door to having sleep paralysis show up again.
Around 3am I was half asleep, half awake. I thought I saw lights outside my camper. I could hear people walking around, and then someone started walking up the steps. I tried to yell, but nothing was happening, I couldn't move! My body was paralyzed. The lock on my camper door is broken and I thought for sure someone was coming in. I felt completely helpless. Eventually, after screaming as hard as I could and trying to move with all my might, I was able to snap out of it. I was finally able to sit up and realized it was a dream. I hate that feeling. Sometimes when this happens, I'm able to recognize what is going on. I will scream "WAKE ME UP" over and over in hopes that my kids or Mandi will hear me mumbling in my sleep. I know I have a lot of trauma that I have never dealt with. Anyone who has worked in LE and first response knows exactly what I'm talking about. The years of hypervigilance and bad calls has no doubt left scars. That is why I seek out solitude and let mother nature heal my soul on the weekends.
I'm glad I didn't pack up Saturday morning and go home. The thought definitely crossed my mind. Sunday morning, I felt better knowing I I didn't let anxiety and fear steal something from me that I love.
Oh well....I've been talking enough....I hope you enjoyed following along with Toby and me. We will see you again next week.
Kenny and Toby