I like to think I'm a bit more of a sophisticated YouTube consumer these days. Nah not really, it's just that my tastes have changed. I have always loved exploring and finding interesting things, as well as history and food. Throw in a bit of paranormal and alternate history, and there you go. So here is a list of the 10 channels I follow the most these days, and what is so interesting about them;
Simon Wilson - this guy has come out of nowhere in the last year, with his popularity surging incredibly. He has a super personality, is amazing with people, and does some truly remarkable things while travelling. He sets himself challenges, such as the 7 Wonders in 7 Days below. What got me in though, was his (continuing) No Money challenge series, where he visits cities and has to survive with no bookings and no money. Sure, some people might consider the sneaking into hotel breakfasts and faking Maccas purchases that were filled incorrectly so he gets a free burger, as mildly criminal, but it is compelling viewing. I highly recommend it.
PJ's Coin Capers - I'll say this upfront. If you are not into coins, then skip this one. But if you are, even only fleetingly, this channel rocks. I have collected coins in some way, shape or form for years, but until PJ introduced the hobby of noodling to me, I never realised how much fun coin collecting can be. Noodling is looking through circulating coins for those that have higher than face value. In a country like Australia, with a huge number of different coins minted each year, the interest in what can be found in your shop change or in bulk from the bank, is amazing! And PJ is professional, interesting and very good at shooting videos. Highly recommended.
Mark Felton Productions - this guy has one of the very best channels on YouTube, hands down. Remember when The History Channel used to actually be about history? Then somehow Ancient Aliens and Pawnstars took over and history was forgotten. Well fear not, go to YouTube, find Mark's channel, subscribe, and breath a sigh of relief, while you watch amazing history. Focusing mainly on WW2, but with many other snippets (such as below), Mark eloquently describes many events that are not generally covered on mainstream history media, and does so in a very informative, well-researched, and entertaining manner. Absolutely brilliant channel!
Cointector Australia - these guys, Paul and Troy, are bloody hilarious! Victoria-based, and focusing on treasure hunting rather than gold, they find some superb locations and some brilliant coins and relics. They do so with humour, character and in a very entertaining manner. I love watching them! Paul's classic line "I'm loving myself sick!" whenever he finds a decent coin, absolutely cracks me up! They have decent metal-detecting and camera gear, and shoot some very good videos. They're also very knowledgeable about what they find.
Aquachigger - Beau was one of the first people I ever watched on YouTube, along with the crowd mentioned at the top of this post. The fact that I still watch him frequently is testament to the quality of his content. He makes adventuring, treasure hunting and nature videos, all in the US. Many of them are set in colonial or civil war areas, and some of the things he finds and places he goes are incredible. He is a quality human being, tells a wonderful story, and is a pleasure to watch.
WW2HistoryHunter - wow, this channel is absolutely super. I have watched many videos of metal detecting, treasure hunting and exploring historical sites in general, and a lot of them produce superb content. But this one is special. This guy is humble, amazingly well-informed and researched, and finds some absolutely incredible relics of WW2. He tells the story from the perspective of history, not Axis or Allies, and that adds real humanity to the lives of the people who populated the various locations he explores, even if they were on the wrong side. As a half-German myself, I do understand what that means. Someone may well have worn a Nazi uniform, but that very, very much does not mean he/she was a Nazi at heart. Life is not that simple. But this channel is, and does it effectively. I love watching these "small adventures"!
Greg's Kitchen - when I first started watching Greg, it was almost morbid curiousity, as I found him really weird and a bit over the top. But I soon realised he addresses food at a level that I can seriously relate to, and has a face and personality that were born for the camera. I find him funny, interesting, ridiculous and camp in equal amounts. But I very, very much enjoy watching his videos! He does both reviews and his own recipes. Keep 'em coming at me Greg!
Simply Dumpling - Mike Chen is a food and travel vlogger. He makes some incredible videos of all kinds of cuisines in all kinds of places, from the highest class, right down to the junkiest of junk foods. He loves it all! He has a wonderful personality for the job and a never-ending appetite. Watching him eat is kind of like food porn! But I rate his opinion, have something in common with his appetite, and enjoy his videos. Keep it up Mikey!
Exploring With Josh - Josh's channel is also one of my originals. Like Aquachigger, I keep on watching him because he produces seriously good stuff. He explores abandoned places, like old amusement parks, mansions, bases, airports etc. Some of the places he gets to are incredible, and he and his team do it respectfully, which I like. They don't damage or take anything, they respect other people's property and they tell the story of the places they visit with real meaning. I enjoy watching his work. I believe he is going to get his on TV show soon!
So that's nine channels. Deciding on the 10th is proving to be bloody difficult! There are many that I enjoy, some that are more unique than others, but in their way, they all fit in. So I'm just going to go with the channel that I'd be most likely to sit down and watch a video on right now, assuming the kids would leave me alone for more than 30 seconds that is. Here goes....
Actually, I went a different way. I picked out 32 channels that I subscribe to and watch at least sometimes, and randomly pitted them against each other like a tennis tournament. That way I would need to pick one against another until there was only one left, which would become #10! The final was between Just Jay, a metal detecting channel, and Nicola White, a mud-larking channel. I enjoy both, but I must admit I watch more of Jay, so he becomes #10!
Just Jay Detecting - Jay is a Tasmanian, who does all sorts of detecting hunts, finding a host of coins and other interesting stuff. He is humble, got a good personality, and balances his videos well, between finds and hunting. He also throws in a bit of light-hearted entertainment in there, which is very amusing! A good one to watch if you like metal detecting channels.
Obviously there are so many channels it's not funny, and I imagine I have yet to discover 100's that I would love! But these ten are where I'm at right now. Anyone who reads this, let me know if you check any out!
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