Judy and Erling in the woods.

Lessons From Creating 100 YouTube Videos

We just posted our 100th YouTube video. This has been a great journey and we have learned a lot. We thought we’d share some of our favorite memories and a few lessons learned from creating 100 YouTube videos.

We are Grateful

We are grateful for all the people that have joined us on our journey. We started our channel as a way to share the things we were learning and the places we were experiencing. We figured if we had a question, other people probably had the same question. Being able to help others has been the most fulfilling part of this experience.

How We Got Started

We started with a simple blog to share pictures and stories from our travels with friends and family. Over time, we got a bit more professional with the writing, gave it a name, and got a logo. Judy encouraged me to add video. I’ll admit to being a bit reluctant. But, I was willing to give it a try.

Early Videos

We loved camping with friends for Thanksgiving in the Woods. Back on our Thanksgiving camping trip in 2019, we hit record and made our first video about how to make a peach cherry Dutch oven cobbler.

One of the challenges we had when we started camping was how to bring our bikes with us. We discovered that an Arvika bike rack was a fantastic solution. We just had to share that with others. So, our Arvika Bike Rack Review video was another early video.

After that, we just kept on hitting record. When we bought a camper with two gray tanks, we had to learn how to setup an RV sewer hose setup for two connections.

A Few Favorite Adventures

Among our top favorites was our Hawaiian Island Adventure Series. We spent two weeks exploring Hawaii with a combination of an NCL cruise and two resort stays. We had a great time sharing everything we learned through our videos. Among those, our favorite might be the excursions video where we shared the adventures we had. The Norwegian Hawaii excursions were a fantastic way to see sample the islands and get a taste of the best of Hawaii.

We love state parks. We’ve had the opportunity to explore many great parks. A few of our favorites have been Huntington Beach State Park, Shenandoah River State Park, and Raven Rock State Park.

Lessons Learned From Creating 100 YouTube Videos

  • Keep it simple. You don’t need a lot of video gear. Just a phone and maybe a pair of wireless mics. For action shots, we occasionally a GoPro. The fancy camera, gimble, and other gear just isn’t needed.
  • Keep it moving. Short clips are better than longer ones. 6-10 seconds is a helpful rule of thumb for most video clips. While we might enjoy a long hike in the woods, you probably only want to see the highlights.
  • You can’t always predict what will get the most views. Things we didn’t expect to get a lot of engagement have been great. Other things that we worked hard at didn’t do as well. Over time, we have learned what works best for us.
  • You’ll get better over time. One of the biggest compliments we received recently was that we both seemed more relaxed on camera.
  • Keep learning, trying things, and hitting the record button.

What’s Next for Travel Trail Sail

Now that we’ve made 100 videos, we are excited to work toward the next 100. We have gear to review and RV travel tips to share. We are still looking for that next camper and are wondering if this is the year. And we may have another cruise or two that we’d like to share with you.

Watch this space. There’s lots more to come. We look forward to having you along on the journey.

We’d love to hear your ideas for future videos. Is there a place you’d like us to visit? Or a piece of gear you’d like to see reviewed? Let us know.

Our 100th YouTube Video

Erling and Judy in the woods sharing their 100th YouTube video.

It is pretty amazing to be here after sharing100 YouTube videos.

Thanks For Joining Us

We love having you join us on our journey. If you are enjoying what we share, consider following us on YouTube and Instagram. A like or positive comment on a video really helps. Thanks for your support.

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