If you watch Scott Tatum on Instagram and TikTok, you’ll be struck by his message. He’s open, honest and REAL: staring right into your eyes as he gives you his daily “friendly reminder,” which encourages you to know your worth, live your best life, and take care of yourself.
Scott is in his lower 60s and is a nomad, living and traveling full-time in a Four Wheel Truck Camper.
This episode is sponsored by Four Wheel Truck Campers.
Follow Scott on Social Media:
If you listen on Apple podcasts or Spotify, a quick rating or review will really help me out. Thanks!
Want to live the van life but have no idea where to start? My FREE Van Life Starter kit has specs and measurements on 10 different vans, van buying and build ideas, remote work ideas and websites I use to find free campsites.
Download it here: https://thewaywardhome.lpages.co/van-life-starter-kit-podcast/
Connect with Kristin Hanes and The Wayward Home!
If you watch Scott Tatum on Instagram and TikTok, you’ll be struck by his message. He’s open, honest and REAL: staring right into your eyes as he gives you his daily “friendly reminder,” which encourages you to know your worth, live your best life, and take care of yourself.
Scott is in his lower 60s and is a nomad, living and traveling full-time in a Four Wheel Truck Camper.
This episode is sponsored by Four Wheel Truck Campers.
Follow Scott on Social Media:
If you listen on Apple podcasts or Spotify, a quick rating or review will really help me out. Thanks!
Want to live the van life but have no idea where to start? My FREE Van Life Starter kit has specs and measurements on 10 different vans, van buying and build ideas, remote work ideas and websites I use to find free campsites.
Download it here: https://thewaywardhome.lpages.co/van-life-starter-kit-podcast/
Connect with Kristin Hanes and The Wayward Home!
Hey there, this is Kristen with the wayward home.com, and I spend half the year in my camper van and half on my sailboat. So today on the Wayward Home Podcast, I am speaking with Scott Tatum, who has a popular Instagram feed called You Can Outdoors, and Scott is also a nomad and lives in a four-wheel truck camper. And that's the company that's also sponsoring this episode. So Scott, I'm so happy that, that you're here, um, chatting with us today. Thank you. Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm, I'm ready to go. Awesome. So first I wanna talk a little bit about, um, your nomad status. So how long have you been, uh, traveling and living as a nomad? So it's, uh, almost five years. Um, yeah, so it started when my young youngest son was, uh, we're launching him out into the world. So I, uh, just made some plans. Started out in a 16 foot. Trailer. then went into my truck, well did the trailer for two and a half years. Went into my truck for a little over a year. Um, I just kinda redid it and, you know, kind of did a build out for it. And then went to, uh, on the Appalachian Trail last year for 94 days. And, um, when I came back out, I'm trying to figure out, I knew I wanted to travel again, so I got hooked up with four wheel, um, campers and, got set up with that and, um, and I'm back out on a two year commitment for myself. Just, um, just, just moving around. So fun. And what prompted you to want to be at Nomad in the first place? Yeah, my whole journey and when people, uh, they, they do investigate my social media a little bit though. They'll kind of see, you know, what I'm about and where I've come from. But this was a, this has been kind of a personal progression. Um, again, it's uh, kind of a personal journey around, you know, my, my self-care and, also I wanted to minimalize. There was a lot of things tied into letting go of a lot of possessions, and again, getting in that minimal state and, and working toward that and, um, which I did over this, this, uh, goal period of time. Progressing down into a backpack. Then now deciding going forward what I wanted to, uh, have or not have. But the, it, it's the, I found hiking, hiking the outdoors saved my life originally. That's kind of where I'll spur this, this self, uh, thing I went on starting about 10 years ago. And, and this was just a, a great progression. To get further out in places and, and hike. And, and the nomad spirit and that life is all about healing the mind, body, and soul for me. Totally. And just being out in nature is just such a positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing. Um, absolutely. You know, same, same with me. I'm in a house now just temporarily and I just wanna get back to my van. But if if you Yeah. It gets in your blood. It does. What does, yeah. For you, like, what does it mean for you to be just out in nature all the time and hiking and, and doing what you Well, I have to be, it's, uh, that's where it is for me in my life. It's, it's, I have, I've progressed a long ways. And through this process. Um, and the, again, that, that being part of, um, saving my life and when I talk about saving my life, it's not like I was fixing to go to on a mountain and jump off. It was going forward in my life. I had kind of given up on myself and, um, and, uh, it was, you know, kinda lost any ambition and just, you know, all the catastrophes I created in my life. And I just was living life. and I went on a hike one day and, and I haven't stopped. And this has just been all part of it. And, um, I've always had a nomad spirit in me, and, and it just, uh, I can't right now. I couldn't shake it if I wanted to. Um, you know, the times that I've taken a minute and, uh, like you're doing right now, um, that's pretty much all I was thinking about was getting back out and, and going and searching and. Exploring and, and just being in it, immersing myself in it. That's, that's, it's a, that's what it means to me is just immersing myself in it. And that's what, it's what keeps me again healthy everywhere in here, Totally. So did you notice like a transformation in yourself in the past five years of being a nomad? Oh yeah. It's um, Yeah, it's, it's a, it's very freeing. It, it, you really, really get into a, a place that, that it helps you calm your mind and again, calm, it calms everything and you just, um, you stop worrying about anything else. You stop worrying about other people, and, and I don't mean your family or your friends or your loved ones, you know, having. you know, your, your relationships and your worries with them. I'm talking about worrying about what people think or worrying about, you know, just, just dumb stuff. And just getting up and moving because for me it's it's, uh, having the rig I have now and being able to, especially designed after doing it so long, you know, I can, I can literally in five to eight minutes be on the move. So for whatever reason, because I want to, because something comes up, because I'm just not feeling where I'm at, to, uh, whatever, I, I have that ability and, um, it's just very freeing to live that way without the constraints of, of, of life and bricks and, you know, sticks and bricks. all of those things that go along with that kinda stuff. Yeah, totally. And so you started in a 16 foot trailer, right? That you pulled? I did. Yep. Yep, I did. Yeah. And how did you make that decision to, to get rid of that and go even smaller? Well, I wa I, I wa it was part of that minimalization process. Now, I didn't quite know exactly how I was that was gonna happen. It wasn't in my head to the first step was I wanted to go small with a trailer. I looked at. Uh, you know, 20 foot trailers, 25 foot trailers, and trying to figure out what kind of, kind of rig to get. And when I first started doing the research on it, and I just wanted something small and it was just me and, and I just, again, it, it was also to force me into not to, to having his least amount of stuff, uh, you know, that I, I, I could carry with me, and, and of course 16 foot trailer in the truck, you can carry a lot of stuff. So I was still overpacked. So you just learned that you, you, you just ha have too much stuff. But I, yeah, I started there and then again, as I was doing, I was like, you know what? I'm ready to take a next step. I had a two year commitment to be in that trailer. I made it two and a half. and I thought, you know, I'm gonna sell the trailer and sold the trailer. And again, I pulled the passenger seat outta my truck. I put a topper on, did, did, you know, did some other things to it so I could manage myself in it. And I had already made a decision I was gonna do the Appalachian Trail. So I thought, well, this is a great transition from the trailer to my truck. That was gonna be about a year, right at a year before I went out on the Appalachian Trail. 16 foot trailer truck backpack. Now what? So it was just, it just ended up being in that progression. And, uh, this is what I decided I wanted to continue was, again, this part getting back into my truck, but I just wanted it to be different, um, than those two elements I had. The, I wanted a little bit of the comfort of the trailer, a little bit more of, uh, of the space of the four wheel camper and then, still to be very mobile, you know, uh, and, and, and be able to go back further on National Bo Lands and, you know, do those things where I could be more remote and, and all those kind of things. So that, Totally. And how did you first like, come across the four wheel, uh, popup campers? I was looking when I was actually, it was even before I came off trail. I was, I was like, I think, you know, I'm, I'm certainly gonna go back on the road and so I'm gonna look at some options. I was originally started looking at The truck camper tents, you know what I mean? The rooftop tents. Yeah. Yeah. I was looking at those and then I, you know, that when you start doing stuff like that, it starts leading you down all these other options. Um, I, I, I looked at the truck tents. I had some opportunities with that, and then I ended up talking with Dan at Four Wheel Campers and, and I just liked the people. I liked their story. I liked, you know, how long they've been in business. I liked the, the variety of, of everything that was going on. and it, and it just, again, it fit me. I like the minimal part, so I, I could have, you know, uh, generously on their part a little bit too. Uh, I could have gotten something, you know, that was more expensive and how all stuff in it, but I, I wanted the minimal part so I could work to build it the way I wanted it through that. Yeah. And you, it looks like you chose the, the Project M, is that correct? I did. I did. Yes. And love it. It's just so minimal. You know, I got a little, just a little bit of the menus, the solar, and then, you know, I've got a couple fans and, you know, I love the look. I'm six two, almost six three and, and, uh, just the fact that I can, uh, whenever I, I am gonna be somewhere for a few days, you know, I can pull the, the bed all the way out to a king size bed, I mean, Those are those little things that, you know, brings that little bit of comfort, you know, that little bit of, um, you know, more, you know, more space and it can be easily put back. There's just lots of little things around it that can be worked with and it, and lots of space from stuff and just easy in and out and weighs, uh, itself just weighs 400 pounds. And, uh, again, like I like to do a little bit of the over landing. I don't, I'm not an overlander, I don't think I'm kind of a hybrid. You know, sometimes I get a little brave if I want to go further or do something, but this allows that still to gimme that capability without having to drag a trailer or doing something that, that can cause a little bit more, uh, issue or keep you from maybe where you want to go. Yeah. And so you're kind of setting that up and building it out as fits your lifestyle. What have you done to it or what are you planning on doing to it? Well, I haven't done a lot to it. Again, I'm in that research stage. I waited about four and a half months before I got it was done, and, and I just got it November 30th. So I've just been out right about two months in it. And, uh, so now I'm, I really feel like what I've looked at and seen, so, um, Again, it's, it's, it's now it's just comforting it up a little bit. You know? It's, it's not so much, again, remember it's me. I think that always, I always try to stress that to people, cuz there is a difference when there's two people or there's whatever again, then, then it becomes, you know, the elbows touch a little bit sometimes depending on what you're in. But, um, so it's, it's just comforting it up. It's, um, I don't think there's a whole lot that needs to be done to it. Again, I need to, to work on the, you know, getting a more of a electric, uh, you know, uh, refrigerator thing versus just a, a, a cooler. But the cooler's great for me cuz a couple of bags, ice gets me through the week. But, so things like that. I'm trying to figure out, you know, the, uh, pullout system for, for cooking. You know, I'm, I, I, I'm a tailgate cooker. I don't mind just, you know, slapping. Little, uh, board platform down and put my little, uh, stove on it, or my little, uh, pocket rocket, making my bowl of water for coffee or whatever. But just little things like making it a little bit more space wise and things like that. So I have ideas I wanna do. Now it's just kind of taking a little bit more steps, like little to spit who do I need to go to? Uh, where can I, you know, just kind of things like that. So, um, I like efficiency. I'm very my, I like my stuff. in places. So if you were to go even look at it now, pulling into my son's, you know, it's, you know, I need to clean it a little bit, but everything's gonna be nice and that's great that it's so customizable. I love that version of the popup camper, so you can just do what you want, you know, it's really cool. Yeah, and I can stand up in it too. I tell people, you know, that, ask me about it. Because it does draw a lot of attention. You know, there. I think that there is a lot out there, but I haven't run into any, even being on two months and I've been out. Southern California and Arizona and a little bit through Colorado and New Mexico, Texas. I'm fixing the head to the East coast, uh, Monday. But, um, I haven't run into anybody with this camper, but I get a lot of people that have, you know, approached me at, you know, gas stations, things like that. It's cuz it does have a very slick, very cool, very rugged kinda look and, and that pop-up part. Um, is, is important because again, being six two, I, you know, I can stand in that and still have, you know, good three inches, uh, for me, um, which is a luxury. Looking back, even in that, uh, uh, camper I was in, I, my, my hairs were grazing, you know, when I was walking through there. This, so it's, um, just, it's different. Mm-hmm. same. Yeah, I've seen those and they're really awesome. So I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it. And same with everyone who follows you, I'm sure. Keeps asking so, yeah. Yeah. And I, and I do some video and I kind of keep everybody up on that. Yeah, totally. Yeah. So I was curious to chat about your, uh, Instagram channel where you have over. you know, 500,000 followers, over half million followers. Um, this is a really cool, inspirational, um, you know, feed that, that I was watching some videos and I'm just curious what gave you the idea to, um, start on Instagram in the first place? Well, I was, um, so I have, you know, I have adult kids, um, you know, my, my boys and, and, and so, you know, and then I'm, I'm 62. um, you know, there's no, no, uh, no distinction that I'm, I'm not a little aged, but there's, you know, I came from that time that, you know, there was no social media, there was none of this stuff going on. So I feel very lucky. And when I talk to people about social media and people my age are, a lot of'em are adverse to it, and they think it's best to be off of it and things like that. I have a, I don't believe that, and I have a different approach to. And part of that has been because of my kids, um, because it gets, that was really kind of introduced to me through my kids. I mean, I knew it was there, but it was kind of like their Facebooks and their things like that. So I got on it, 2010, had some business stuff I wanted to play around with on Facebook and do some advertising. And then I just progressed with it. And this is again, been about the time I started, doing mem. like I was, was traveling, taking pictures, and then I, whatever I was reading, because again, every, all this stems back to again, my, my personal journey, uh, that I've been on, uh, which I refer to as self-care savage thing, and taking care of yourself first. You know, you're, you can only be better for others if you're better for yourself. You know, I, that's my message, that's what I promote and I push it forward and, um, anyway. the progression of Instagram. I've been on since I think 2016. I actually looked at that the other day and saw when I joined, it was 2016, but I was still doing memes and then I started, TikTok came out and I got on that like two or three years ago and I was, um, trying to just kind of figured, I don't even know what I was doing. I was do, I was on there just because that's the way I am. It was the new thing. I wanted to stay up with it. And that's where the attention is. Social media is where the attention. and that's what I try to tell anybody, even if it's my age. And, and, and I don't talk to anybody about this unless they ask. And, um, but if you're not on social media, then you don't know what's happening. You, you absolutely don't be. You don't, and, and, and you're missing out on, on where things are going. The social media is, is just like anything that you absorb. You have choices on what you absorb or. If you are scared, you're gonna go down a rabbit hole or something's gonna happen that's on you, you know, that you, you can't stop. It's just like blaming all the other stuff that, that, you know, our parents blamed and, you know, all these things, these outside, it's, you're in control of yourself. And, and, and I think it's a good thing because of what it's done with my community now. And it is a community I used to talk about, talked about a month ago. I talked about, we were talking about it on a podcast. and it just came to me. I was just thinking, as I was talking, I was like, you know what? This is not about meaning. This is about everyone. This is about all of us, my community. That's what my community is now. And so getting back to your original thing, getting on there, it was a progression to where where you see now is on there. You can go back and you can send me pictures with the little meme up with the mountain behind me, but now it just got into that. And then, It's just evolving these friendly reminders and I'd have to do them. It's, it's, if you go through, you can go through one I put up this morning. You can go through there and look at the hundreds of comments and you can hear all the people. Thank you. You know, you save my life. I was able to move through a toxic relationship, this, that and the other. That that was, this is not by design. I didn't set this up and this is where I wanted it to go. All of this social media stuff that I'm getting a lot of attention on was, that was for me to hold me accountable. It was things that I was reading, it was things I need. Everything I put up, I need to hear over and over and over and over again. Um, it's taken me a long time to get to the point I am now the outdoors that this nomadic lifestyle, hiking, um, social media, every bit of it is my therapy. That's why I live it. I'm immersed. and that's what I need. I'm not someone with my past and the things I needed to move through. I didn't need the passive, uh, therapy or, you know, being spoken to or the pats on the back. It'll be okay and let's cry it out. No, I needed it bad, upside my head and I needed to. to be shaken and to look what, where, what you've been doing, and you can continue down this path and give up on yourself and just wait till you die. Or once I got on that hiking trail and things started changing, I just meed myself in it. I, it, it just turned into the whole savage thing. And people had some people go, you know, it's a great message. I love your videos and things like that. Bitch, could you just take the savage off? No. look up savage in the dictionary. It's not a negative thing. It's I'm fiercely, fiercely and believe that it has to be approached with that fierce attitude to push through A lot of what's going on in this world today and a lot of what we are, most people ha don't have self-worth, and I'm gonna say it again. Most people do not have self-worth or they have very low. And that's just, just a big core of my message. And it might be a long-winded way of what you just asked, but it's, I'm very passionate about. It means a lot to me and I, and I am also very fiercely protective of the community and my social media in, I brought my youngest son in to help me with some YouTube stuff and, and some longer form videos, and I still haven't. you know, my password to like, some of, like Instagram, you know, everything else can crash, but I, I, I'm just fiercely protective of, of Instagram. Even though TikTok, I've got a half a million plus people, um, you know, Facebook, you know, it's got 23 plus thousand. So again, it's just grown. It's grown beyond me, so I feel protective of it and I want to continue. Now, I've, my, my gears have shifted with social media. To do whatever I can to, to get my message out the best, most effective way I can, and with the elements of hiking the outdoors, um, and, and pushing that, that narrative, that that's where you're going to heal your mind, body in your should. And I love that people can go on and watch, um, short clips where you're giving them reminders about, you know, their self-worth. Um, describe those a little more. Like, um, what are you trying to impart through your, your messaging? I'm talking to myself and the reason I think it, it just kind of, people started really, really resonating with it is I, somebody told me one time when I first, back when I started kind of putting this stuff out and they, and they kept, it was somebody that was already in social media and they were trying to gimme some tips. I really want'em because I'm not, I I was always that, well, I'm not doing this cuz I wasn't, I wasn't doing it for anybody else. This is for me, you know, I'm not trying to do this. But they just said, look, I just, lemme ask you a question. They said, what are you looking at when you're, when you're, uh, recording, you know, on your phone? And I said, I'm looking at myself. And I said, don't look at yourself. Stop looking at yourself because cuz they don't think you're looking at them. And they said, In the, you know, the little Kim hole, you know, the thought. And that was really hard to kind of do, not look at yourself and do that. But I started doing that and it was very quick. People started commenting, I feel like you're talking right to me. You know, uh, I, why do I think you're talking right to me? Um, it immediately, whether they knew it, Just, it really started, they were, you know, they felt like a real hardcore connection. Plus, I think too, it's cuz it's real, there's no protect production to it. You know, I'm on my phone, you know, I'm on a trail or wherever I'm at and I, I, I don't go out with something scripted. I'm still churning and burning and something comes up and, uh, it may even be a quote, it may be a quote from someone else, but I spit it out with my words and what it means to me and. So it's not for me anymore. It, it is for me, but it's, it's now it's for everybody. It's so I am, that's such a big motivator for me because it's almost like my therapy I was using for myself. I'm putting things out to be held accountable now. Is it? I it's just, it's 10 x now. It's, uh, you know, it's a higher level for me that, um, I'm so grateful. I mean, it, there's just nothing but gratefulness around this for, for all of this, for me. There's, um, for whatever reason it's evolved into this and, um, you know, I've got a book coming out. I've got a D h D or not so much the h anymore, but a lot of a d d still that I've, I, I work with and, and, and fight, you know, on my own and I'm dyslexic. I'm a, so much of a better reader. I've absorbed so many things better. No, 62 years old. I feel like I'm, I'm, you know, there's some things, you know, I'm just broken through some things that. You know, that have been decades, you know, decades that were, you know, in the coming. And, I mean, last thing I'll say about that, because those kind of things that I had when I was a kid, uh, you know, there was no dyslexia was as I did research on it, as I got older, dyslexia was just coming into the map into the mid sixties when I started in school. And then, you know, that's again, but my point is, is again, this is what this stuff has brought to me, and this is, I just want to bleed it into whoever else wants any of, of what I have to say or what I've been through. I think stories are powerful, um, and I think people should, should, should talk about their stories as much because it's just that one person that can touch her help and, and, um, again, You know, again, if anybody goes through my comments, you'll see it won't be long for you. You can understand where, how can, how could you stop? So, I'm turning it up. I'm trying to do some different things. I'm experimenting with things I'm willing to take anything I'll do right now, I'm gonna stage where I'll do any podcast, you know, as long as it's appropriate, you know, it's aligned with what's going on with me. But I'll do anything to, to keep pushing this, this narrative. Um, because I, it's just, I believe so much in it and I, and I now I feel like I owe it, um, because of what it's doing for me. Yeah. And it's so, um, authentic, like you were saying, you're just holding up your phone and, you know, recording into it. There's no fancy production cuz so much of Instagram and social media is so fancy and like unattainable and not relatable where you're just like, this is me and it's what I'm offering So I think people gravitate toward that these days. I agree. I think they get spotted as, you know, it's, uh, people. People can, people are not dumb and people can feel it. Social media's great to make things go really fast, but this is some of the things that slow it down too. It's just, um, everybody can go on there and talk and say things, and if they're, you know, a lot of times if they look good or they wanna present themselves in a certain way, or they're charismatic or they have, that, they're gonna draw in those people that are still in that victim mentality and that that wants some approval and want some help. And, and they, and they, they latch onto that, that face on one. And, um, it just, it keeps it going and moving. anyways. See, I'll go off on you. You don't really It's great that you're so passionate about it and you're obviously reaching so many people and helping them. Like you said, if you just read the comments, people are really into what you're doing and it's all very positive, I think, which is really cool. Absolutely. So it's very inspiring that you can, you know, be successful on social media, you know, with just such an authentic, you know, Budget message. You know, it's really cool. think that it's really good. Everybody can do it. Just, you know, I don't got anything. So encourage anybody, get it, you know, stick the phone on your face and say what you guys said. Yeah. Yeah. True. And I'm just wondering if you have any advice for people who are thinking about being a nomad. They're kind of on the edge, they're not sure. Um, what would you, um, tell them about it? I just, just do it. You know, you, you, it's obviously do your research. You, you. everybody's different. Everybody's physically, whatever your capabilities are to, to what you feel like you do need is in size wise, again, a 16 foot camper is very small that I started in, but it ended up being very too big from what I wanted and what, what I wanted to do with my was to minimalize. I was not, yeah, and, and again, Just do it, pull the trigger and go and, and, and, and the way to do that, it's just like when people ask me about the hiking. I don't know how to do that. I'm afraid to go outside and all that good. You know, that's part of it. But you can take baby steps, go rent a trailer, borrow one from a friend or family member or whoever, whatever they have campers, whatever you're interested in, if you can, or go rent one, do whatever, go out for a day, just drive it around. go reserve at State Park where it's nice and safe and it's lit. Mm-hmm. you know, you can go camp for the weekend with you or your, whoever your, uh, partner is or family and just, you know, ex you know, just try it out and you'll see if you like it. One of the biggest mistakes they do see people make is they don't do a lot of that. They think, oh, it's just this romance. They're looking at YouTube videos, bunch of. they're not looking at all of the things that are, you know, look, when I went out on my 16th foot camera, there was a lot of times it was like, what did I do? And I was, you know, I cried my eyes out just like, you know, oh, this is just so poor. Why would I wanna do this? But again, so, you know, test baby steps, but just do it. You gotta take action. And again, research is great. And you, I'm, I'm caring. But, but that could only go so far. You gotta do go experiment. Go play around, go. You know, you don't have to do it all at once. You don't have to sell everything and do whatever. Make sure it's really something you feel like you want to do if you do, and you will push through those tough months. You, you'll be you, you'll be, you will never be the same again. And, and, and everything that you'll get from it will be good. Mm-hmm. So true. And say that with 1% confidence. what really good advice. Um, great. Is there, is there anything else you wanted to add that we, that we missed? No, I think that's, that's good. I mean, I really appreciate you being on here.