20 Bushcraft Tips: Heavy Rain & Wet Weather Conditions 

Hope you enjoy this one folks! Watch more Bushcraft vids here: ru-vid.com/group/PLxnadpeGdTxAJy5_f_-6cjrAnuWRwUf8M

I really appreciate that you did it in the actual weather conditions , instead of just explaining it while the weather was nice.

Someone said that the British created the empire in order to get away from all that rain.

I'd add that it's good to angle the tarp against the prevailing wind, so the smoke and rain won't blow in on you, and also to check the trees around you for big deadish branches because if the wind is going to blow hard, that's when they're most likely to come down.

Dutch bushcrafters, fellow victims of the miserable south North Sea climate, appreciate this, thanks :)

EXCELLENT presentation, perfect English, and no crazy background music!!!!

There is nothing more satisfying than the rain on a tarp, a warming fire and the self confidence gained from being able to cope with anything that nature throws at you!

One more minor tip to building a fire in wet conditions - if the fire is smoking, give it a bit more time and/or oxygen. Once you get a clean, nearly smokeless flame, it's ready for a bit more fuel. Smoke will let you know that a fire is "struggling" a bit. Thanks for a fantastic and really helpful video. Love the 3x3 m tarp idea. That's just brilliant. Cheers! J

Honestly one of the most helpful and useful tips and tricks videos I’ve seen. Most helpful for me was how you packed the tarp for a quick deploy and how you kept the firewood.

Bro literally today i finished watching your playlist with these tips and now a new video, i'm really happy thank you !

Not quite as rainy here in Brisbane but a universal tip is to not add too much fuel to the fire in the early stages. Important to have enough wood gathered to get the fire to a stage where it doesn't need to be constantly fed. Next time we go camping I'll make a featherstick with the boys and see if we can get it going just using the rod.

Rode my bike in the Highlands of Scotland last year. One truly miserable day (3 degrees C and horizontal rain) I chose a pine plantation as a likely place to set up camp. At home in Canada, pines tend to grow in nice sandy soil. Big surprise! Pine plantations in Scotland are bogs - just like this one! Too tired to ride on, it took me quite some time to find a relatively dry bit of ground. Thankfully I stayed nice and dry in my wee tent (no exaggeration, it was tiny). On the rest of my ride, if I found a nice place to pitch my tent in the late afternoon - I didn't ride any further; learned my lesson. Oddly enough this little video brought back some great memories.

My best friend and i do an annual 65 mile canoe trip. We take our time and cover the distance in 6-days. The first year was picture perfect conditions, warm days and cool nights. The second however, it rained everyday and poured at night. We had fire 🔥 every morning and every night using these same methods. We didn’t have any birch bark, but we did have plenty of fat wood. 👍 we had good rain gear and it was probably the best year we’ve ever had for fishing on that trip.

Approximately 60 years ago I was in the Boy Scout program. One of my Scoutmaster showed me a little trick to facilitate starting a fire in wet weather. That little trick is a short piece of candle about 2 inches long. Take the fire wood ( such as a teepee style lay out leaving an opening into the center for a place to put a burning candle). The candle stays lite while drying out the wet/damp wood.

One trick I was taught to better direct your "blow" to get the fire going is to piinch your thumb and forefinger on both hands together. Then bring the tips together to form a diamond shaped hole. Hold against your mouth and blow towards the heart of the fire. You get a far stronger, and better directed, jet of air.

I remember when TA Outdoors started. I was going through some horrible times, It was then I watched some of his videos, and they gave me confidence to go outside again. Once in the woods, I felt out of place, second time felt secure, third time, i had a camp with a hot meal. Thank you 🫡

Nicely done. Helpful hints for a rain-soaked environment. Thanks.

Finally a no nonsense very informative wet weather shelter setup and fire making video using one knife and a wooden baton, a tarp and a bit of paracord. Well done you👍 Tired of watching videos of people setting up camp with so many different bits of kit they couldn't possibly have carried it all into camp. Great video, thanks for sharing 👍.

Where we used to camp - Kaimai Range, North Island NZ - there would invariably be piles of dead trees or shrubs at the corners of the river so there were always dry dead branches well above ground/water level that could be snapped off for fire lighting. If it was actually raining, the water on those upper branches was generally only on the surface so it wouldn't take much for them to dry off and catch fire.

Brilliant video! Great to see someone actually doing in adverse conditions rather than just telling!

I just love watching the art of fire lightning, from collecting resources to the actual chill out time!

As someone who grew up in the kind of bush alaska, these videos just feel very familiar and comfortable while providing great information. I appreciate content like this and love to listen to it while I go about my day

Great video especially for up and coming bushcrafters. I found this information so beneficial, thank you from Adelaide, Australia as rain is rain no matter where you live on this planet.

Wow the begining of this videi he explains the difference of wet, and green wood vs. dry usable.wood. Here inthe US we call the dry wood "squaw" wood. because the native Americans used it from up on thetrees thus it is dry!. GOOD JOB!!. This was the first time I have seen some one who knew what to do . As a former scout master I used to teach this. My scouts and I used to have a contest who could start a fire the fastest. Thumbs up!

I love bushcraft videos. They always end happy and warm with a good fire going.

Well done. I really liked the quick shelter setup. Very efficient, and comfortable. I live in a temperate rainforest n coastal SW Washington, USA (where the Columbia River enters the Pacific.). Over my years I’m well familiar with the challenges of lighting a fire under damp, wet, sometimes snowy conditions. I’ve found getting a beach warming fire going with beachcombed wood and a cold wind blowing some of the most challenging. As you so capably demonstrated, success lies in the preparations. Thanks for another great clip. Be well. Safe journeys. Happy trails!

Great vid! Couple of things I learned the other day. 1. If you allow some gaps at the bottom of the tarp you can have the fire under the tarp (depending on the height of the tarp of course) the gap makes sure the smoke from the fire doesn't go everywhere into the space understanding the tarp. 2. A big industry plastic bag will do the tiny waxed tarp job as well and much cheaper.

BEST video ever about starting a fire! Congratulations!

This is awesome. Just moved to Tennessee where it constantly rains from california where it never does. Been struggling lighting fires while camping because everything is wet. Gonna try some of these tips

This is a great video! Tons of useful tips. Although I will say "Heavy Rain" has a completely different meaning here in the Southeast US

Very good video,good tip regarding not putting to much wood on too early.mistake I've made too often.Thankyou.

I like to watch outdoor videos or bushcraft videos from time to time. What strikes me again and again is the degree of ridiculousness that is already being practiced in this field. For example, knives are presented and subjected to tests, tons of gimmicks, tools and other rubbish. When you're in a situation where you really have to survive in the woods, you're lucky to even have a knife. The peak is then the so-called survival videos in which steak and vegetables are then fried, chopped on a thick oak board with some strange cleaver... as if you were carrying something like that with you. In a word, a lot of this is just bullshit. I can only express my personal opinion but THIS video is one of the few videos that is really 100% bullshit free. No constant chatter, no strange product placements but tight, informative and very good. Thanks for that!

🌧☔🏔 Your insight into the relationship between temperature drops and rain or hail is fascinating! It's intriguing to learn about the varying levels of rainfall in different regions, like the maritime PNW. The historical context of the Lewis and Clark expedition's experience with constant rain showcases the unique weather patterns of the area. Your love for the rain and its effects on the environment and solitude is inspiring. It's interesting to consider how living in a wetter climate may limit encounters with certain dangerous animals. Exploring bushcraft tips for heavy rain and wet weather conditions would be valuable in such environments.

I'm amazed at how good this video is, so many small tips that you normally don't think about, and you always explain why you do things the way you do. GREAT video!!!

Great explanation of using a feather stick for fire lighting technique, thanks.

I've watched a bunch of videos but I like that you explained everything so it was easy to understand plus the closeups of the how. Good content. Thanks

I love that the tarp is so small and lite! This looks like a great idea for parents going on a walk with kids too. Creating a small shelter fast if fantastic! Even going to a park this could be useful.

The amount of precious knowledge you give us is just incredible. Every explanation is clear and well filmed. Great job! First time watching your channel, instant sub! Thanks a lot !

Great video. Love the deployable tarp. “Snappy makes fire happy,” is the rhyme I use when teaching scouts how to prep a fire.

Thank you for shedding light on the incredible lengths bushcrafters go to in preparing their firewood.

Lifelong Scout here: Very nicely done! In my own experience the worst possible condition is heavy sleet that just sticks to everything and just stays there while melting.

This was great man! Seriously one of the best videos I've seen out there of the basic theory of fire preparation and getting started with wet wood.

What a gem of a human you are. What a precise way of teaching advising and making a compact video. Bravo. Well-done

So many practical tips, and so calming to watch and learn. Thank you!

An excellent video with some good advice. I've camped beneath many rainstorms using just a tarp!

That sudden drop in temperature is a very clear sign of incoming rain or hail, especially in the spring. Here in the maritime PNW we get between 30 and 115 inches of rain a year, depending on the local topography and location. When the Lewis and Clark expedition arrived on the west coast of America they were both astonished and depressed by the fact that it rained for nearly their entire time in the area. I love it, both for the green it brings and for the solitude it provides those who can tolerate it. Whenever I visit further inland where it is drier, I am uncomfortable and irritable. Another excellent feature of living someplace so wet is that it seems to limit the number of dangerous animals, particularly insects, spiders and snakes. Yes, we have bears and mountain lions and wolves, but encounters with them are infrequent and usually very manageable. If the UK is as wet as we are here, i think i could be happy there.

Beeing al alone in nature, living of what nature give's you. Its a dream❤

Great video. And perfect way to describe managing the fire early on. Well done, sir.

This really is one of the most wholesome and informative channels on RU-vid. Bravo Mike!!

Great video and Great tips! I live in Labrador Canada, and I always use a raft or plateforme when creating fires. In winter, with snow/ice on the ground the raft or plateforme will help greatly to reduce moisture and help the heat to be reflected towards the top of the fire. I had a survival teacher told be to keep some of that bark in a ziplock bag on myself to reduce the « contamination » by moisture from my own sweat when I travel in wet environments for long distances. Keep up the great work!

Thanks for that tip at the end about letting the flame rise above the previous wood pile, I’ve always had a problem with smothering the flame. This was a simple remedy

Did enough of setting up hoochies in wet weather out bush in the Australian Army.. home comforts for me.

Perfect timing with this video. We’ve had tons of rain here in Oregon 🇺🇸. Love your content! 👍🏻❤️

Excellent presentation! Instructive and memorable.

It’s so beautiful in the forest when it’s raining. And there is so much water which you can filter and use for drinking and cooking, so nice! With the right equipment it’s the best experience ever!

Terrific video. Very impressive that you did all this in rain. (I loathe videos where someone sits looking at the camera and just talks about it, but never does it.) A couple of months ago I was in the Philippines doing a hike with some Filipino army rangers (who train American soldiers in jungle survival). They demonstrated making a fire using bamboo. The first thing I noticed is the length of dry bamboo they carried was unlike almost all the bamboo in the forest which was either green or rotting. Second as they set up their friction they shaved a small pile of 'dust' or feathers from the surface of the bamboo. Then he compressed this pile. This increases the fuel to oxygen ratio. An important step. While teaching science I tried fire starting with sticks and a pump drill. The very first time I got a short lived ember. Then it was months all I got was smoke. These rangers could've turned any of that into fire. Compressing the fine shavings was the trick. They started blowing on what didn't look like embers to me, just smoke, but it caught. It looked like you use the met hod I use for staking my rain fly. Twisting the stake into a loop and pushing it into the ground. No tying, no adjusting. Rainflies have one advantage over tents in weather, they're all triangles. Tents are generally 'bubbles' to get more room. But this bubble will move around a lot in wind. My DIY rainfly in a storm with blowing wind in Connemara barely moved. So my method like yours, is super efficient. Strings attached to the fly at some grosgrain (nylon ribbon) loops. Nothing stronger. But all set up so if I don't need to stretch out a guy line I can just insert the stake in the loop, twist it around to secure it, then push it into the ground. Those heavy duty reinforced corners on your piece of waxed canvas are overkill. I used silnylon and 1" (25 mm) grosgrain. If I sewed 6" (15cm) reinforcing strips to the sil nylon on either side of the loop it would never tear or pull away. Another plus for a rain fly -- there's no 'floor' so there are always 360° of emergency exits -- I cook inside my rainfly. My Jetboil sits on the ground, not on my ground cloth. And rainflys are better in rain. They shed water. Tents are like my Goretex jacket. Terrific, especially when it might rain. If it IS raining, I want to have on a rubber or cheap plastic rain jacket and sleep in my rain fly. I live in California - very flammable - so when I camp (just over nighters mostly) I never make a fire, don't even bring my stove. I'll try to remember to bring matches, just in case. I'll drink cold instant coffee, usually don't even bring food. But I'm usually not out for more than a day. The only lesson from me is,: a campfire is not a requirement. A good night's sleep and not feeling miserable (wet and shivering) when you hike out are the key goals.

Awesome content, man. I live on Vancouver Island, Canada and we get like 200+ days of rain a year, easily. This is super useful information to me, I would love to see more rainy/storm/oceanside camping tips and tricks. Trying to get in touch with the primitive survivalist inside me. Have most of my gear and can't wait to get the fook out there with my trusty dogs and mother nature. Liked and subbed!

Absolutley the best movie about outdoor living. Your are so good at explaining. You are a great teacher!

What a nice episode. Amazing how comfy a tarp can look at times! Thanks for the top tips.

Thanks for the great video, sir. I enjoyed it very much, as usual.

Such an enjoyable episode. In my experience, most tarp shelters work well, but sometimes the wind changes and it can start blowing water under your tarp which can be very unpleasant in some designs.

I'd love to see a video about coping with the wind! I often find this harder to deal with than the rain. It flattens my tarp, and the noise from tarp flapping away stops me from sleeping! I'm always convinced it's about to cave in or blow away

Well done. I learned many of these tips as a Boy Scout many, many years ago, but your presentation and knowledge of your surroundings is excellent.

This is the First Time I came across your videos. You are an excellent educator/teacher in bushcrafting. Simple and straightforward information and instructions in a very clear voice with the use of less expensive basic equipment. Greetings from the land Down Under, Sydney. Subbed. I do go out in the bush often, and use cheap but reasonably made equipment and materials We do not have much rain but always prepared as much as you are as there is no network connections unless you use sat phones. I do the same way in lighting fires and looking for kindle, but you explain well! Cheers

Awesome skills🌄

Great video. I would love to have only 159 days of rain, I have 202 days of rain in Ireland.

Excellent video. Glad i do somthings rigjt. Most important....make sure you have a tarp, water and a few snacks are really all you need till weather breaks.

Thanks. preparing the firewood and keeping it dry before the rain starts is key

Would love to see your next steps for preparing the ground of your shelter for extended stay and sleeping with the ground being that satuated. I would imagine failing to secure a good base would be a direct path to hypothermia and things like pneumonia in a survival situation. Would also love to see you recommended KIT/load out for a survival situation in bad weather

Thank you for this video. You offer excellent guidance for anyone who has to light a fire in wet conditions. Again, thank you for this video.

Well done. Very informative and detailed. The most complete video I’ve seen on the subject. Thanks.

I have a tarp a bit bigger than that one that I set up over my Hammock and / or Tent. The Hammock is a great way to sleep off the ground

Being from the PNW videos like these are essential

I love your tip for stuffing your tarp in a pocket. I definitely will give you that edge for setting up in the rain.

OK, I have quite a bit of outdoor experience (mostly in dry sunny areas, and certainly not in wet soggy areas), yet I still learned something new today. Thank you! New subscriber now!

Excellent techniques shown here. Good stuff. Thanks again for the adventure in the rain.

This sort of weather is one of the reasons I have a camp pack ready to go. Mind healing sleep.

Good viewing 👍 Can't beat the good ol' British weather 🌦️🌦️

As others have said, great to see it done for real in the rain. Like the quick tarp set up, going to try that out soon. Just like to agree that it is important to have enough of all sizes of fuel before you light your fire. Thanks for sharing.

Oh very good. Clear, right length, excellent demonstration of technique.

Excellent demonstration of skills.

As long as you are carrying firesteel, I suggest that you bring some homemade tinder as well. The easiest one I know is lint. Each time you use a dryer, the lint filter of your dryer has to be cleaned. There is enough lint each time you do this to make a very nice ball of lint. The lint compresses into a very small ball, and it will catch fire under almost any conditions unless you are trying to light the fire under hard rain. If you want to be sure, you can take this lint and roll it around in paraffin or wax. You can carry 20 of these lint balls in a small, flat tin, or in a ziplock bag. Also, while i always have firesteel, I also carry a small waterproof butane torch. With a torch and a lint ball, you can start a fire under almost any conditions. Do I know how to make a featherstick and all that? Yes. But sometimes you don't have to go 100% primitive if you also have handy technology.

I've seen all kinds of tarp shelter setups but not like this one. This is probably the simplest I've come across. Very good video!

Really apprecieate the video. Was unsure of what the best emergency shelter is in rain, and this is honestly the best methods ive seen so far. Keep it up!

I love to watch your videos. You are a. Great teacher and I appreciate your knowledge base.

Wonderful shots mate! What a sharp focus.

the special featherstick technique is one of the best 'i have ever seen!

Thanks for the tips and filming Mike! 👍😁👍😁

DAMM IF YOU DON'T REMAIN THE MOST OUTSTANDING HOST OUT HERE ON THE SUBJECTS WE LOVE! GO MIKIE GO!!

Brilliant. Excellent tips wonderfully demonstrated. Thanks!

Great video. It's the basics, but the basics are what keep you alive

I’d love to spend time around those woods.

These tips are great. I can always depend on you and your knowledge. Thanks for the info.

Yes, yes I did enjoy that. I will never go and do it again myself (hunting with dad in the new Zealand bush when I was young was enough), but I like watching someone else do it.

Nice video presentation. This kind of knowledge should not be allowed to die. I like the way you make use of the pocket deploying the tarp. I, as an old timer, would advise you to take care of you hands. Snapping twiggs will take it's tole. In the early '60s boy scouts we made Swedish torches camping in boggy areas. One nice feature, of them, is their mobility. One will burn, even if the base is submurged. It mitigates wire in a kit. Any cordage will do. Thanks.

Nice used to keep a army bivi tarp with a mylar blanket taped to the inside for such occasions, between that and a poncho I got to stay dry more often than not. Adding a small square of tarp to the day bag now , top tip thanks 💪

Your tips videos are incredibly helpful, thank you 👍

Well Done - I know how hard it is just to get a fire going in the dry. Some really good tips. Thanks.

Another great video, you always explain the reasons why you do things and that suits my mind fully, thanks

Now that's a video I respect!