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YouTuber returns to Langford for stealth camping adventure

Steve Wallis spent a night on Langford Lake, with the video netting more than 500,000 views
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Alberta YouTuber Steve Wallis recently returned to Langford with a video of him ‘stealth camping’ on an island in Langford Lake, which has been viewed more than 511,000 times since being posted April 21. (Screenshot courtesy of Steve Wallis/YouTube)

Two weeks after his video of camping in a Langford roundabout went viral, Steve Wallis has returned to the West Shore, this time for some ‘stealth camping’ on Langford Lake.

In his video posted Thursday (April 21), the Alberta YouTuber paddled out to the island in the lake on an inflatable raft under the guise of a bird photographer. Once on the island, he realized he could not have chosen a better cover story as the trees on the tiny plot of land were filled with birds.

That led Wallis to have to re-think his sleeping arrangements.

With not enough room to set up his tent, he combined his stealth camping video with an improvised shelter video he is also known for and used his over-turned raft as shelter from the night’s rain.

“And now for the exciting thrill of sitting still, being quiet, and hiding,” Wallis said in the video as he settled in for the evening. Little did he know that the change in shelter plans would only be the start of a series of misfortunes.

READ MORE: Premier, mayor, children help restock trout at Langford’s Glen Lake

In a rush to get out to the island before rousing any suspicion, Wallis told viewers he didn’t bring enough water to both cook and drink, leading to an improvised meal which also spilt out of the pot at one point. And as he packed up the following morning to leave, his camera suffered damage.

While many would look at his adventure and say it was a failure because of those mishaps, loyal viewers know Wallis is no stranger to improvisation, with many of his videos dedicated to building shelters out of everything from bubble wrap to body bags.

As of April 23, the video had been viewed more than 500,000 times and many of the thousands of comments paid compliments to Wallis for maintaining his signature positive attitude despite the trip not going to plan unlike most of his recent outings.

In a video posted on April 7, Wallis camped inside the roundabout on Langford Parkway in front of City Centre Park without incident, despite nearly being found several times through the night.

He previously told Black Press Media he is on a long-awaited Vancouver Island trip and will be producing several videos featuring locations locals will recognize.

Having spent much time living in an RV in the Goldstream area years ago and with family and friends on the Island, Wallis said he has been itching to return to the area for years, but the pandemic and last winter’s destructive flooding kept delaying the trip.

READ MORE: YouTuber finds stealth camping nirvana in Langford roundabout


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