If you searched for hiking and backpacking on YouTube, there’s a good chance you came across the channel called Homemade Wanderlust.
Homemade Wanderlust is a YouTube channel and a website run by Jessica “Dixie” Mills. Dixie’s website and vlogs are a go-to for any queries about backcountry hiking, as well as for entertainment to outdoor enthusiasts. Homemade Wanderlust has become one of the most popular YouTube channels for this type of content.
Jessica “Dixie” Mills has an interesting journey. By sharing about her experiences and skills online, she has figured out how to make a living doing what she loves.
In this article, you will know the background story of Dixie as well as other interesting stuff about her and her YouTube channel.
Homemade Wanderlust
Jessica Mills known as Dixie started her YouTube channel Homemade Wanderlust in 2015 to document her adventure. This was the time when she completed a thorough journey of the Appalachian Trail, which spans from Georgia to Maine and passes through 14 states in the US. Jessica chose Dixie as her “trail name” in 2017, and around the same time, she completed the Pacific Crest Trail, a route that runs through California, Oregon, and Washington from Mexico to Canada. She completed the Continental Divide Trail in 2018, completing the so-called “Triple Crown.”
You can see on her vlogs how successful she has been in her endeavors as she shares her hiking and backpacking experiences. If you go to Dixie’s YouTube channel and read her information on the “about” tab, her self-description says it all.
Hey y’all, Dixie here! This channel began with my journey of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT) from Georgia to Maine. Since then I’ve documented the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, The Camino de Santiago (French Way), Pinhoti Trail, Florida Trail, Foothills Trail, and a few shorter section hikes. Most of my backpacking adventures involve long distance thru-hiking, but in between hikes I post informational videos that include the most basic backpacking info, my mistakes, gear reviews, and thru-hiking tips. I hope documenting my backpacking journeys and sharing everything I know gives you the push you need to get out there! Most new videos are uploaded every Wednesday! Happy Trails 🙂
– Homemade Wanderlust
The audiences of Homemade Wanderlust enjoy and find Dixie’s videos to be highly informative and inspiring, especially for those who love hiking adventures. Dixie makes difficult hikes appear to be a lot more fun in her videos. It is clear from her vlogs that Dixie is an expert at what she does.
Surely, Homemade Wanderlust is a home for hiking geek YouTube audiences.
Homemade Wanderlust Real Name, Age and Birthday
Jessica “Dixie” Mills, the creator of Homemade Wanderlust, was born and raised in Alabama USA.
Homemade Wanderlust’s real name is Jessica ” Dixie” Mills.
There is no official web source that states precisely when Dixie was born. But approximately, Dixie is now 36 years old and her birthday is April 14. Several of her fans wished her a happy birthday in a post on her Facebook page.
Homemade Wanderlust is approximately 36 years old.
Life Before YouTube (Homemade Wanderlust/Dixie Background)
The story of Dixie is incredibly fascinating and inspiring.
She received a degree in biosystems engineering from Auburn University in 2012 and began working at a job, but by the time she was 26 years old, she wasn’t happy and desired a significant change in her life. She decided to leave her work in the Colorado oil field, fund her retirement and began hiking the Appalachian Trail even though she had never hiked more than a few miles in her life.
She was able to turn backpacking into a career thanks to the success of the YouTube vlogs she created to document her travels.
Homemade Wanderlust Boyfriend / Husband
Dixie found a hiking partner with whom she clicked immediately and had a good time. Dixie and her boyfriend MarDe Brooks just completed the Florida Trail in 2021. The two of them appeared to be getting along well as they took on the task of a thru-hike, and Dixie appeared to be absolutely enjoying his journey with his hiking partner.
MarDe Brooks appeared to be a singer and a songwriter, he is an Alabama native also. They first connected at The Campout Festival, where Dixie and his partner MarDe appeared to sing a song of John Prine and Iris Dement while MarDe played his guitar on stage. The admirers were so awestruck that they found it hard to believe Dixie could sing well as well. You can check the footage in the official YouTube channel of MarDe Brooks which was uploaded in June 2019.
But as of right now, there are no online sources that can be used to find out how the couple’s relationship is doing. It is not known whether Dixie and MarDe are still together. But fans and subscribers hope that everything is okay between them.
Homemade Wanderlust Social Media
Along with her YouTube channel, you can follow Dixie’s frequent camping and hiking activities on her other social media accounts and official website.
You can click the links below to go to social media accounts where you can connect with Dixie and Homemade Wanderlust. Included here are Homemade Wanderlust’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, as well as it’s Patreon account and it’s official website.
- Homemade Wanderlust Facebook
- Homemade Wanderlust Instagram
- Homemade Wanderlust Twitter
- Homemade Wanderlust LinkedIn
- Homemade Wanderlust Patreon
- Homemade Wanderlust Official Website
Homemade Wanderlust Most Popular YouTube Video
The most popular video of Homemade Wanderlust on YouTube is titled, “Backpacking Basics: Everything You Need To Know To Start Backpacking,”. There is a ton of useful information on backpacking in this nearly 4-hour-long video. Dixie covered everything from the basic requirements for trekking to the clothing, tools and supplies and much more!
As of the latest tally, 3.4 million people have watched it!
This is without a doubt the best video Dixie has ever produced. Dixie’s effort to compile everything into one video is truly a thoughtful service. The research, filming, and editing of the content for this video took a lot of time. She made such a significant effort specifically for the aspiring hiker and traveler, and her followers are appreciative of it! Her fans were even more motivated to walk outdoors after watching it.
These are the top comments from Homemade Wanderlust’s audiences:
Wow just the sheer amount of time researching, filming and editing the content of this video is a huge undertaking, so thank you very much for putting in all that work for us!
– DARKDEATHKILLER
This is a master course for a beginner, the best video for travelers.
– Aman Yadav
This could have been a Udemy course and I would have gladly paid for it! Amazing information def a master class thank you soooo much.
– SV Tabula-rasa
Jessica Mills Confederate Controversy
On the Pacific Crest Tail’s Reddit page, there was a discussion in 2018 on the questionable ethical decision made by Dixie to wear a confederate flag pin on her attire, which is visible in several of her videos.
Due to her sense of obligation, Dixie reacted to the conversation and made an effort to explain her error. She claimed that her buddy gave her a set of pins, one of which he kept. The pin reminded them of their bond as they split ways.
She ultimately chose to remove the pin after it was said to her in person. The disclosure received a variety of reactions from different people. Some complimented her for apologizing and decrying the Reddit writer as an attention-seeker, while others criticized her for her error of judgment.
Homemade Wanderlust Locations
Homemade Wanderlust YouTube videos were mostly produced and recorded in the United States. Most frequently in California, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, Minnesota, Montana and a few other states in the US.
These are the notable trails that Homemade Wanderlust has completed.
Homemade Wanderlust Gear and Equipment
Dixie devoted her website’s blog postings to detailing the tools and supplies she utilized for her hiking expedition. To browse all of her tools and featured items, visit Homemade Wanderlust’s website.
The most suggested gears and equipment by Homemade Wanderlust are listed below for this article.
Homemade Wanderlust Gear List
- Homemade Wanderlust Bagpack – Osprey Aura AG 50 Men or Osprey Aura AG 50 Women
- Homemade Wanderlust Tent – Big Agnes Fly Creek UL
- Homemade Wanderlust Hammock – ENO Double Nest Hammock
- Homemade Wanderlust Sleeping Bag – Sierra Designs Sleeping Bag
- Homemade Wanderlust Boots / Trailrunners / Camp Shoes or Sandals
- Homemade Wanderlust Clothes and Rain Gear
- Homemade Wanderlust Jacket – REI Jackets
- Homemade Wanderlust Long Sleeve Shirt – Under Armour Womens Sleeve Shirt
- Homemade Wanderlust Rain Gear – Frogg Toggs Rain Coat and Pants
- Homemade Wanderlust Cookware & Water Filtration
- Homemade Wanderlust Stove – MSR PocketRocket Stove
- Homemade Wanderlust Pot – Stanco GS1200
- Homemade Wanderlust Water Filter – Sawyer Products Squeeze Water Filtration System
Homemade Wanderlust Camera Gear
Listed below are the camera gear and equipment that Dixie is using in filming the episodes of Homemade Wanderlust. You can check the current prices for each item by clicking the corresponding links.
Homemade Wanderlust Camera and Lenses
Homemade Wanderlust Drone
Homemade Wanderlust Gimbals and Tripods
Homemade Wanderlust Microphones
Homemade Wanderlust YouTube Statistics
Currently, Dixie’s Homemade Wanderlust YouTube channel has 402K subscribers and is adding an average of 67 new subscribers per day, according to SocialBlade. As of writing, the total view count of the channel has reached over 70 Million which came from 532 uploaded videos.
Homemade Wanderlust YouTube Stats
Subscribers Count: Over 400K
Total View Count: Over 70 Million
The average monthly earnings of Homemade Wanderlust from YouTube ads is estimated to be 4,000 USD.
Homemade Wanderlust Net Worth
Based on several web sources, Homemade Wanderlust’s estimated net worth ranges from $95K to $100K. Dixie’s estimated monthly income ranges from $212 to $3.4K.
One of the big chunks in calculating Dixie and Homemade Wanderlust’s net worth is the money it gets in YouTube earnings which usually depends on the number of monthly views, the country, subscriptions, and viewer involvement.
According to several sources, Homemade Wanderlust may earn between $2.5K and $40.7K annually from her YouTube channel.
Other Similar YouTube Channels With Homemade Wanderlust
Below is the list of a handful of YouTube channels that are quite similar to with Homemade Wanderlust in terms of the overall theme and content.
These are the alternative YouTube channels for Homemade Wanderlust.
- Joe Robinet
- Gatewood Brown
- Lil Red Heidi Hood
- Free Bushcraft
- Victoria Outside
- Xander Budnick
- Rirang OnAir
Support Homemade Wanderlust
If you haven’t done already, consider subscribing to the Homemade Wanderlust YouTube channel to stay updated on all of Dixie’s hiking and backpacking activities. Dixie publishes new content with at least one hiking-related video each week.
If you’re looking for information on hiking, particularly on the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail, you can watch her instructional and vlog-style videos. You can not only have fun or learn something new by simply watching one of her movies, but you can also help her grow the channel’s viewership by doing so.
Dixie also wrote an ebook, a “How-To” Guide, which she also published after completing her Appalachian Trail thru-hike. Check it out here.
You can continue to encourage and support her by visiting her official website and by following her on her social media accounts.
Dixie’s trail trekking endeavors will carry on. Tens of thousands of others in addition to herself have benefited from what she and her YouTube channel has created. She is a pioneer. Dixie is indeed the modern-day Grandma Gatewood.
I just watched Dixie’s use of a travel CPAP for sleep APNEA.
I just saw an article by a Australian expert in sleep APNEA saying saying that CPAP also a preventive of dementia.
Apparently each loss of breathing in sleep APNEA sends blood to the brain that is deficient in oxygen, and that make a micro-sized injury. Thousand of such events aggregate to a significant injury, or dementia.
I send this in expectation that if she investigates it, she will be rigorously consistent with her CPAP use and avoid both death and dementia.
I’m a fan of her videos. I’m aged in mid 80s and on CPAP for several years and on an oxygen bleed of a half year.