@@johncramer9564 Clips are good, but take up space and weight, every ounce counts. Better to use what nature provides, bit of wood or rocks to make a toggle for a rope loop.
Thank you for the hard work you put into all of your videos. I find my go to shelter is a 10x10 tarp with a 5x7 ground cloth sprayed with permetherin. In the summer I add a bug net and in the winter I add a heavy duty Mylar blanket. Happy New Year looking forward to more adventure in 2022.
@@paulblackburn4245 I like gear that works regardless of the cost so I make alot of my own stuff for the bug net I use window shears from walmart. Just sew 2 of the together add a shock cord at the hem full bug protection. I add a couple of pieces of webbing at the top to hang on the ridge line. The ground cloth is a 4 dollar seal nylon tarp with grommets. Got it a walmart I stake it down so it doesn't move at night. Spray the nylon side with permetherin for bug protection. I have 20 bucks in the hole thing and it will last me a couple of years before I replace it.
I love this video. I've got a tarp and a rolled plastic drop cloth in my get home bag in the car. I'm glad to see the plastic works, but most of all, I'm hunting down those clips! I can think of a thousand uses for them! Thanks so much!
Makes good sense. I've read/seen info from survival instructors that advocate heavy clear plastic for it's versatility. If having to hunker down for hours/days, natural light is a great asset to "mental health", easier to "stay put" vs. aimless wandering etc. And if using any source of light inside after dark, it'd be as visible as possible to rescue/search teams. And of course, the option of using it to make some sort of "super shelter" adds further to versatility of clear plastic. Impressed with those plastic clips, especially for that price! :D Did you order them, or find them in your local area?
I liked your demonstation of the usefulness of a sheet of plastic as a sheltering option. When I first started tent camping, during Boy Scout outings with my son's troop, I used a roll of Walmart purchased plastic as rain protection over my tent. It worked like a champ. I stayed dry during heavy downpours that soaked other campers' tents. I also have a set of the same tarp clips you used in this adventure. I love mine and they are a regular part of my tarp/tent camping kit. I really enjoyed seeing you show their effectiveness. I'm still not happy to see you beating down the windsock prooduct. My understanding from other commenters and from other RU-vid demonstrations of the product is it is a tool frequently used by skiers and hikers in mountainous wind/snow conditions. It is not a substitute for a tent. As far as I can tell, it's a highly regarded product in Europe. You and your wife are so good at showing people the beauty and challenges of camping. You are entertaining and witty during product reviews. You interweave good folksy stories of family and growing up in your reviews. I believe that is why so many of us tune in whenever you post a new video/review. Please stay on the positive side and don't give up that high ground when approaching camping tools and products. Remember, "One person's junk is another person's treasure."
So you want him to lie? He didn't like the product. He wasn't profane or, make multiple videos to talk down the product. Other peoples usage may vary but, the product failed in his video. I feel he "told it like it was".
The versatility is why I'm more of a tarp camper. There are ways to fully protect yourself, but usually, weather permitting, I'd rather just use a simple lean-to configuration, and sleep in nature. Just enough so that if there's a heavy dew, or rain, and if you're cagey enough, against the wind, is plenty for me. That, and a long fire, and I'm enjoying nature to the max!
I have a small zipper pouch I labelled "utility" where I have those very tarp clips and the bungee balls that I got at Harbor Freight. They work great. I keep duct tape, ripstop adhesive para shoot repair material to repair my tents and a lot of other doodads in there. Another great video. Thanks
Reminds me of cold days in my doghouse blind, deerhunting. Have done lots of squats waiting for some hunting action! I'm a blacksmith. I agree that we do make jewelry, I enjoy using horseshoe nails for that, but I also make other, larger items. Our teenage son wanted to start-his first forge was the lid to a broken bbq, and his anvil was a railroad plate. Things progressed, nice to have more than one hammer, and I enjoy our propane forge as well as our coal forge. Our son, now serving overseas in the military, taught me how to forge, and I promised him I would keep it lit and his smithing business going until he comes home. So, I hope you pick the hammer back up, light the forge, and heat some metal!! Thank you for your beautiful videos that make me feel like I'm outside, even when I'm not😊
I'm glad how you stress ventilated environments or risk suffocating CO2 Poisoning is a real danger Proper ventilation is always necessary. Thanks for Showing that plastic can provide proper protection in a pinch if you had to. Happy Trails stay safe Luke !
nice to play with the plastic painters drop cloth I taught cub scouts how to do that with a broom stick as a pole/walking staff Personally I use a 3x3/10x10 tarp, hiking pole, and a ground sheet The best bad weather protection for less than 1kg/2lbs
Hi Luke , I love your Channel , great reviews , and Knowledge , much helpful advice here , keep up the good work my Friend , Strength , Honour and Respect .
Hi I really like this channel I sold my house when I was 27 bought 22 acres of property farther down the road bought a camper got tired of staying in it sold it started sleeping under the stars with a tarp on the ground nylon sleeping pad and a large piece of clear plastic covering me up just work to stay warm gathering firewood moving wherever you want I lived sleeping under the stars like that for about 7 years I could sleep really well in rain or snow on the ground just pack it away in a garage can and roll it anywhere you want now I live in a nice house with 2 ponds overlooking mtns and sunset on same property
Great video Luke, and thank you for suffering for us! This's why I like cheap products, they sometimes work much better than any high-end brand which costs 10 times more. Thanks for the video.
I've actually done this in real life. About 40 years ago, I was serving in a Canadian Army reserve combat arms unit. One weekend, in early March, we went out to a conservation area to do our Winter Indoctrination training. On the Friday evening that both squadrons of my regiment left their respective armouries, it was bitterly cold and quite windy. At the conservation area, we were supposed to meet a group from the base supply section of a nearby Regular Force base and receive canvas bell tents. The bell tents weren't something that reserve units would typically hold in their quartermaster stores, so they had to be requisitioned. After we got there, the base supply trucks failed to show up. One of the senior officers of the regiment attempted to reach the base supply section to find out what was going on, but was unable to get through to the duty officer. So, rather than wait any longer, the officers and a couple of senior NCOs went to a local Canadian Tire store to get all the thick vapour barrier they could get, lots of rope and duct tape. We made 'A'-frame type shelters using the vapour barrier and rope, and sealed off both ends of the shelters with duct tape. I don't remember how we managed to secure the bottoms of the A-frame shelters to the ground to prevent the wind from lofting up the walls of the shelter and getting inside. We were then given instructions to sleep in our arctic sleeping bags fully clothed, and wear watch caps on our heads to minimize heat loss. All of us were wearing long underwear, combat shirts and pants and over the shirts, arctic combat parkas. We had air mattresses to prevent heat loss through the ground. Even with all that, it was still a fairly cold night, but I slept OK. The bell tents that we were looking for didn't arrive until the following morning. Nevertheless, we learned that in a pinch, vapour barrier or plastic sheeting could be used as shelter in an emergency provided you had an air mattress or some other similar insulating kind of mattress, a warm sleeping bag and warm clothing.
Regular Army here. We used our rain poncho to make a shelter as part of training...and sleeping fully clothed is a rookie mistake even Scouts know. Great story though.
@@linebrunelle1004 In the reserve unit I served in, our ponchos had a dual purpose. Not only did they serve as protection from the rain, but they also had snaps so that two ponchos could be snapped together to form an A-frame shelter that could be hung on a rope, and grommets so they could be tied down like a tent. When I did the field portion of my basic training (mostly consisting of basic infantry section tactics and learning how to set up defensive positions) in the summer of 1979, that's what we slept under. We were lucky that the weather was excellent and rain-free. Today, reservists in the Canadian Army actually get real tents!
Hey Luke- hope you’re doing well. Cool idea with the plastic…glad I didn’t throw away the plastic leftover from a painting project. Always find interesting and useful information in your videos…keep rocking them out. Drift safe Brutha!
I always carry a 10' x20' sheet in my packs. Pick 'em up at most hardware stores for a few bucks. Lightweight, takes little space, and keeping dry is often critical. Plus it can be used in.many other ways.. The thing you never thought you needed, but are sure glad you got it tonite!
You were the Guardian for the "old lady" for what she perceived as going through the terrain she was uncomfortable with. You were the guiding light for her! As uncomfortable it was for you (not knowing who is endangering you with the tailgating) it was a sense of comfort to her! Yes, I happen to know that tailgating is dangerous. Work with me here.
There is a you tuber whose deal is cooking high end meals in various wild wilderness locations as opposed to being strictly survival. he made a mansion out of cling wrap on top of a mountain. it had a door with a sapling door frame and he heated it with candles. he had a hole at the top to vent any fumes or noxious gases. his cling wrap mansion was roomy, over 8 or ten feet tall. I'm not saying he built it quickly or anything but when he was done it was pretty spectacular for a temporary shelter. he also made a table out of saplings, a chair, and i think a bed frame and a bed.
A Swedish windsack is designed to be used when you dig down in snow and not to protect against rain and i don't think the plastic shet will work on a mountanin in a snowstorm.
I paused at 6:45, right after you showed the tarp clips you were going to use. So I’m pausing in there and making a prediction: Wind picks up and tears out the clips. Suggestion: Find some small, smooth stones to create stronger tie-outs. Take a stone and hold it in the plastic at a tie-out point. Using para-cord, tie a knot around the opposite side of the plastic, at the base of the bulge, trapping the stone in a plastic bubble. The result is a durable tie-out point.
I grew up in the 70s in Northern Ontario canada. We would be out fishing at lakes in the middle of gods country, Saw horses and some 6mill polyplastic and we were good to go.Great times.
I’ve carried a drop cloth in my vehicles for years. Tons of uses; covering something your hauling, cover for changing a tire in the rain, floor cover for something dirty in a suv, and on and on.
Cold and humidity- Back when I still lived in the UK it would never get as cold as New England but the winters were nasty, nasty, nasty. I would wear multiple pairs of socks, there was a product that would keep your kidneys warm when outside, and multiple layers were needed way above freezing temperatures. I rode a motorcycle all year and have to stop to put mr gloves on top of the engine or exhaust to have warm hands for a few minutes t least- even putting my hands on the engine whilst in motion. I lived in what was arguably the mildest part of the country and still the cold would go right to the bone. Sometimes the wind would change in such a manner it came across Europe from Russia but as the temperature plummeted it was bearable because the air was dry. Under normal conditions the sea was 5 miles to the north, 10 miles to the south, 25 miles to the west- it was never dry.
I love your content and your stories! Have you ever run across anyone in the woods on your adventures? That would be my biggest fear being out there alone all night
most people are in the woods for the same reasons you chose to go and are harmless. They do not want your company either. carry a tazer if you need too. Pistol or even a AR7 survival rifle. loud whistle; all the stuff you would use for a bear encounter.
I was thinking the same as you before, then I went on a real hike with 2 overnighters in tent, I saw people in the distance but they also saw me and my camp so they stayed away since they didn't want to bother me or to have company by me when being out there :) So you just go out there and enjoy! Carry a knife and a small axe and you should feel safe enough haha
Nice! I've done a little Blacksmithing before too, made my own Krumkniv from an old Railroad Spike, came out really nice all things considered. Also been through Asheville a few times, definitely not the best place, a lot of hippies and "alternative" community there, some good places to eat though I agree. Strength and Honor bro!
Holy cow! That rain was horizontal! I’m an aircraft mechanic and have had to work in rain like that and can tell you no rain suit is gonna keep you dry in that! Surprised it didn’t blow into the tent at the bottom. Cold and wet Sucks.
THANKS for the 'shout out' on this one! The plastic sheet performed very well. I expected that the serrated jaws on the clips would rip out the plastic under the wind load. The system held up. Given the increased flexibility in the setup of this product over the WindSack, I would have made a shelter where I could make a bed and maybe get more beneficial rest as part of my survival strategy. You overcame that temptation! SO: low price, flexible setup, more space under shelter make a winner for the drop cloth and clamps. In the spot you found, I would have used the fallen pinecones to make buttons in the interest of saving stress on the plastic AND I would have used some of those needles to make a tea to add interest to the long wait for morning.
You apparently have more than enough ventilation to use a candle for additional heat. Possibly enough heat to be comfortable. Also a very dramatic presentation of tarp camping, as done by thousands of other campers.
I did a winter campout with a cheap tarp and those same clips a week ago. I love them clips so versatile. I am not an expert or claim to be but I do enjoy getting out. I been watching your channel for the last 3 maybe 4 year now. I really enjoy both you and Suzy. You guys are great. Keep up the great work.
For our Amazon links, how about doing a Amazon link that just has a list of everything you use, get, and recommend. Link to a public wish list. You can even break it down to cooking clothing shelter list. Using the cheap plastic I found it better to find saplings to just drape it over. Have 2 a few feet apart and 10’ to bend over staked down. No worries of those clips popping when the wind blows.
When I could hike I kept a trash bag with my water bottle. Not for survival but to pick up trash. One day while in Northern MN while wandering in a depressed stupor, miles from my car, I missed the incoming weather front. A twenty-degree drop with driving rain and sleet left me standing under a pine tree shivering in a lite jacket. I eventually remembered how warm I became while wearing a poncho, so I sliced a head hole in the trash bag and wore it for a cold night curled up on some boughs. Not a great night but I survived and now look back at those times fondly. I now keep a survival pack, with a thick drop sheet in my car, just in case.
Way better to use stones wrapped in the plastic for tie-downs. Cut stakes from green sticks or just weight it down with larger rocks. They're free and you don't have to carry them along with you in your bag like clips and tent stakes. Knowledge weighs nothing.
the hammock does a LOT to keep you warm, I use a buttpack and daypack when I hike. I can empty the packs, stuff them with debris (it need not be all that dry ) and use them as sleeping pads I can make a debris bag to wrap around my feet and lower legs
I liked how he expresses that, you are NOT going to sleep like a baby in a survival situation. its about staying alive not sleep. Worse case, you wrap yourself like a plastic burrito, and sit under a tree till morning, Your going to sweat, but you will survive.
Have a comment concerning the tents especially in the snow in the rain have you ever put a top out over top of the tent it was has a Extra protection against the weather especially the plastic one almost like a lean-to enjoying your program thank you for sharing
Where I used to work they had vat-bags- they were 8foot deep, by 10foot round- like a big garbage bag- glad I grabbed a couple- really heavy ply as well.
I don't even want to watch the misery I am anticipating this thin 2 mil plastic is going to cause Luke. I don't buy 2 mil for anything - usually 4 to 6 mil. But I so enjoy Luke's overnight trips. The foliage and scenery of his location is really interesting. I like the little evergreen trees but they are pretty scraggly and I don't see much of anything to work with. P.S. Ah - now I hear Luke saying 2 mil was all they had at the store or he would have bought something thicker. As always, am impressed by Luke's common sense and ingenuity.
Can you demonstrate a shelter that incorporates a military poncho, a poncho liner and/ or wool blanket, a reusable space blanket, a sleeping pad, a plastic sheet ( to make a "super shelter" that is like a greenhouse next to a campfire) and Paracord and tent pegs? That is what I want to take camping, but I haven't done it yet. I bet you would be creative with those options.
As a deer hunter and outdoor enthusiast , one of the things that I used to keep my eyes peeled was the plastic that covers a brand new mattress. This is typically a heavy plastic tube type material ; sealed on the ends by melting. I often used these as protection in the trunk of the car for a bloody deer carcass, however; also used them for protecting firewood from the rain as well as their potential as as emergency shelter. I also always carried 2 large, heavy duty 55 gallon drum liners in my pack intended as a personal temporary style shelter in an emergency as, after I experienced a 4 mile deer drag back to the vehicle during rain turning into heavy wet snow. There was no need for squats and push ups that night to stay warm; dragging a 150# deer was plenty. The idea being to stand in one bag , like a sack race; then pull the other over my head and torso. Possibly cutting a face opening or breathing holes. Put your back up against the down wind side of a large tree,, then sit down and wait it out. I could have also possibly used one as a rain parka/ponchos necessary. Yes, I'm aware of the condensation factor, however; also recognize hypothermia from winter clothing drenched by rain. It may have been enough to keep me dry until the rain changed completely to snow. One of those "Twin" siz mattress bags could have created a complete impromptu emergency shelter without too much effort.
Another great video Luke! 👍... Nice job piecing it together. Those clips you have, I bought a set of them several years ago while living in Florida, and they work great. The tarp I had at the time had a minimal amount of grommets, which resulted in needing them clips. They work great for setting up a ridgeline for a hammock. Again, great video, thanks for sharing. Be safe, God bless. On to the next group of videos! 👍
I bought one of those berry light down jacket/sweaters from them that are very popular. They were charging $300 for it. It’s made in Indonesia, and really is absolutely no better than the hundred other companies that sell them for $150, maybe worse. Only reason I bought it was the store was closing during summer, so I got it for $100. As for the plastic, people just starting out, and aren’t going too far, can use cheap solutions like this just to try it out and see if they like it. No need to rush out and buy a $200 tarp.
I actually carry the 9x12 2mil plastic in my pack. Just for an emergency. It's small and light weight. I don't intend to ever use it. But hey it's there if needed. And you have done the work for us. Thanks so much.
Definitely a good alternative, but being in Montana I would probably try to cover up things a bit so I wasn’t looking like a fish in a bowl to predators.
The plastic is a great idea for an emergency shelter. Maybe combine it with two 10 hour candles for some warmth. I was thinking about buying a Dyneema tarp but the price scares me of a bit. I will test out the plastic now. Cheers.
That piece of plastic is probably bigger than most peoples Tarps. And it is like a piece of Dineama. Surviving is just that. Not comfy, not easy. But you can prevent Hypothermia, getting wet by thinking and using what you have. I read so much about people getting caught in conditions like you have in this episode. Except they don't have a Headlamp or any light source. Always bring the Ten Essentials no matter what.
Many times I have used a plastic shelter. I remember one spring grizzly bear hunt in Alaska my dad and I spent a week in a plastic shelter. We didn’t have the clips like you have. We used button balls for tie downs. They were a keyhole shaped metal ring with a rubber ball that you could hold the plastic with. We used 6 mill plastic and we had line and cut poles to fashion the shelter. We cooked inside it and slept there the whole trip. Back then we didn’t have a lot of options for backpacking tents except for expensive drawtight mountain tents. We were way too poor to afford that. We stayed very comfortable in that shelter for a week. We didn’t get a bear but we saw some and spent a great week in the wilderness. Now I can afford good tents and gear but that trip was one of the most memorable in my life. Thanks for bringing back great memories.
Great video! I grew up around Asheville NC, totally agree with your assessment and really hate how bad it has gotten. That being said the surrounding counties are amazing with some awesome outdoor areas!
Unbelievable a piece of plastic does better than the windsack awesome video but where was the coffee lmao . Love the videos keep them coming . Until the next video peaceout . And those clips awesome .
If you wanted to eliminate the clips you could always use the old balled up debris trick lol, I also put the thinner drop cloth plastic roll in most of my kits due to the versatility and they really come in handy for a super shelter lol.
An excellent video. Personally, I would like to see one more installment on this series to see you "MacGuyver" a proper reusable tent equivalent on a limited budget to see how DIY would stack up against the bottom-shelf and middle-shelf tents you've reviewed. I imagine a DIY tent would be notably heavier than a commercial tent, take longer to set up, and lack features like vestibules and pockets, but I think you could get decent airflow, waterproofing, and comfortable to sleep in with a sleeping bag. My initial brainstorm is to get a two-part shower curtain (one plastic, another breatheable cloth) and use magnets to connect them and draw the plastic one over the cloth one to close the vents.
Great video! So now use those clips to create tie off points on the sack and see if it improves it any. Still would need some better water proofing for the wind sack, though.
Interesting. But for the two pounds and the volume, I think I’ll throw my X-Mid 1P into the pack. I do sometimes carry a RAB 4 man, but no line or pegs. I typically just use it eat lunch when in -10°C to -20°C with wind. For overnight survival, I think the tent would be better. The RAB is lighter and a bit less volume. This video had made me think about that and the tent will go in now. There’s not the same room for exercising though, so that could be an issue.
I've seen drop cloth material instantly shatter in a really cold wind. Once you get single digits, with wind gusts that material might just break into small peices and instantly become useless.
I have used clips like those for 16 years. They are super for providing additional tie-off points to a tarp setup. Very cool video Luke. Enjoyed it as always.
Used a brass colapsadle model, when I camped on my younger days. Worked well enough but bring a flashlight. Would heat that plastic shelter nice. Those 8 hr beeswax candels worked good. Got the aluminum model later. The issue is co2 from the candle in a tent. They gave me 20 feet of light , single candle. If you can source the candles yes , ( haven't priced them in years,)warm on cool nights. Used it for my indian shawmanisom fase. And stealth camping add a pop can, directonal light. Used it camping next to big partying camp site 200yds away , they didn't notice me. Has its merits warms an area strangely enough, Can get citrinela candels for it. Went to head lamps , miss the feel of the old days. Try a kerosene lantern for night fishing, keep it on a bucket, trust me. And a pop can. Warm and bright enough for fall night fishing, Use citrinela torch fuel . wick trimming learning curve. A A candle in that shelter would be warn. It's an old survival trick, with a blanket , coalcracker survival , if you want to look it up. Am 55 now still would rather the old ways on cool nights, not as cold , batteries can get expensive. Like a old man once told me, if it ain't fun , it aint worth doing.
Interesting indeed! Another great review and it's good to know that 2 mil plastic and clamps would work if you have no other choice but If I can't lay down somewhere we're going to have a problem, lol. Especially if I get too cold cause I hate cold weather & snow! Nevertheless, thanks for sharing your adventures; i still learned something new!
