Hike/Camp/Cook
Here you’ll find the full videos and reports of my overnight backpacking trips into the Koʻolau Mountains. Usually solo, mostly ultralight and always cooking up a good meal. If you have questions or need advice about backpacking or camping then shoot me an email here.
Solo Overnight Camp
A simple overnight solo camp in the Koolau mountains with ASMR and cooking. A simple camp, but heavy with overcoming setbacks and sharing experiences.
The Skotti Grill
Here it is, after years of waiting and trying to get it shipped from Europe, the Skotti Grill! I cook up a full BBQ feast with a nice ribeye, kimchee sausages, grilled veggies, shiitake mushrooms with garlic and a nice hot pot of jasmine rice. I was super happy with the grill’s performance and I probably hold the record for best BBQ plate on the summit ridge.
Above the H3
One of the rare non-solo hike/camps, I take one of my good buddies up to one of my favorite spots overlooking the H3. H3 is a highway that connects the east side of Oʻahu to the pretty much all the other sides. There’s a long and complicated history about the H3 involving Hawaiian burial grounds that I won’t get into here, but it’s an amazing view from this camp site. I cook up a big batch of mountain beef stew and overall it was a great hike. 🤙🏽
Back to the Koʻolau Summit Ridge
One of my favorite spots on the summit ridge, I can see views of Kaneohe down to China Man’s Hat, over to Kailua to the three peaks of Olomana, through Waimanalo, Hawaii Kai area and finally Honolulu in the distance. I forget my bamboo sticks, cook a basic but flavorful pork bourguignon and have a great night in the high wind.
Hawaiian Rainbow
I drink some whiskey, dream of sweet treats and pan sear a couple of well-marbled ribeye steaks and it was honestly one the best meals I’ve had in the mountains so far. I’m in the perfect spot to capture the nicest rainbow I’ve ever seen and overall it was a great camp.
Return to the Koʻolau Mountains
This is the first successful hike/camp/cook video I filmed after getting my camera equipment. To get this point was an achievement–I struggled with a serious shoulder injury and subsequent surgery/rehab, issues with jobs, finances and overall life stability during the peak of Covid in Hawaii. I cook up my famous mountain beef stew and show you a little bit of what it’s like to be camping solo in the Koʻolau Mountains