In Search of Less: YouTuber Kraig Adams
“I enjoy long form. I don’t know if it’s good or bad for the algorithm or making money. I’m over the threshold for worrying about all those things. I’m just trying to create the best thing — and what I want to create. I really value authenticity.”
Here on Never Nine to Five, we’re interested in the ways soloists unchain themselves from the corporate desk job to carve out a living doing what they truly love. Through that lens, Kraig Adams is the quintessential soloist.
At age 30, he’s built an enviable solo career hiking around the world. He’s trekked the Carpathian Mountains across central Europe, the Enchantments in Washington, the Laguna Mountains in Peru. He’s hiked in Alaska, Iceland, and Patagonia.
If it’s a breathtaking trail, chances are he’s hiked it — and he’s filmed all of it. Adams’ YouTube videos have attracted nearly 650,000 subscribers.
YouTuber Kraig Adams
But what’s unusual is that he’s built his enormous audience without any of the gimmicky editing or shock content that tends to draw eyeballs on social media.
In a world of TikTok and fractured attention spans, Adams has taken the path less traveled. His videos sometimes run over an hour. They tend to feature little-to-no dialogue. It’s just him hiking, taking in stunning scenery, accompanied by meditative music. And it’s spellbinding.
Adams' minimalist style is part of a broader philosophy about living with less stuff. For him, it’s all about simplicity and authenticity. He’s wholly uninterested in making videos to “grow an audience.” He simply aspires to create the kind of content that he’d want to watch. The audience just seems to follow naturally.
In this episode, we catch up with Adams in his minimalist space on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He tells us how he went from making wedding videos to forging an entirely new travel genre on YouTube. Grab your hiking boots. Prepare to be inspired.
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When we first saw Adams' videos, we were taken by their simplicity. They're not at all what you'd expect from a typical YouTuber. And they're LONG. Yet I stayed with them much longer than I'd anticipated. Adams is a grown-up creator on a platform built for dabblers. His instincts are timeless—do what you love and the rest will follow.
To take a hike (vicariously) with Adams, subscribe to his YouTube channel. And to learn about the gear he uses to make his videos — and the few other things he choses to own — visit his website at kraigadams.com
Never Nine to Five is a production of The Solo Project LLC. This episode was produced by Patrick Mitchell. I’m Nicole Dyer.
For more information visit TheSoloProject.com. And follow us on social media @TheSoloProj
Show Notes
Coming soon.