I do a lot of backcountry surveying for my job, and I highly recommend everyone carry a sighting compass and know how to use it. So many people carry cheap, rinky dinky compasses that are hard to use with any real precision even if you are an experienced land navigator (or worse, rely on their phone compasses, which don't work with any precision... ever, really), and while a good compass certainly weighs more than a tiny bubble compass, navigation can be what prevents you from getting into a survival situation in the first place, and if you do get into a survival situation, you want your compass to be as easy to use as possible, as you likely won't be thinking as clearly as usual. Sighting compasses are especially great because they pack a compass and sighting mirror into one very robust and fairly lightweight package, and they pack in everything you need to be used with a map, or even create your own rudimentary maps. Even if you're hardcore into ultralight backpacking, your compass is not something to save weight on. Those extra few ounces can be the difference between a life and death situation or a lovely, incident-free hike. I also really recommend getting some practice using a compass in thick brush and rough terrain. It's a very, very different beast, and will give you an appreciation for just how powerful the topographic illusion really is. It makes it suddenly very, very easy to understand why people who get lost so often wind up walking in circles, and really makes you appreciate how important even the most basic compass is for preventing that.
Highly recommend the wilderness first aid. If anyone is wondering, your standard first aid class assumes help is minutes away. Wilderness first aid is from the perspective that help is days away. I've had taken this training twice to keep it fresh and have used it multiple times to help others.
"Mountain rescue have a responsibility to come when I press a button...." Yeah, but YOU have a responsibility to be there to rescue. Cultivating selfhelp and personal responsibility cannot be oversold in my humble.
Yes Dixie everything that you're telling us reopen our minds I want to go back back camping on 70 I just want to do a walk-through the first day I guess 12 me if that's possible and I don't want to carry anything heavy and all your videos are good for us to relearn how to make a fire a fire is always needed❤❤
Great intro to the basic survival skills all hikers should master. I would only change the square knot for a fisherman's knot, which is as easy to do but much stronger and reliable to tie lines together.
When I had to call for rescue for my son in the Sawtooth Wilderness when he was struck with altitude sickness, I had several sources of light, including a string of white lights. The SAR team said they saw where we were from a mile away. They really appreciated that I was prepared and was able to give them regular updates.
I recommend looking for orienteering clubs in your area for a fun way to learn map reading and compass work. I'm the plant finder on our backpacking trips with my sons troop, so we've talked about all kinds of edible and medicinal plants that could be used. You did a great job on this video, Dixie! I would recommend not sticking your sewing needle in the duct tape. The stickiness could be a problem. I just carry some of my smaller items like that in a piece of cardstock that folds over the pointy side, and store in my first aid kit. Fishing line could be used for thread too.
I find that outdoor enthusiast demonstrate the biological concept of niches. We become so specialized in one area and it's easy for us to forget there are other skills that are useful. The day hiker has a different set of skills than the section hiker and the thru-hiker has its own other set. Then you have the bushcrafters and survivalists who focus less on miles and more on the outdoor skills. Each one has a well of knowledge to explore and learn from with the common love of the outdoors.
Great Overview ! Situational Awareness (PREVENTION) should be first on the list - including on-trail. Not creating trouble is the best survival skill. Don't do anything overly risky or stupid. Examples are knowing when NOT to cross a dangerous stream or always watch for dangerous falling branches overhead (not just in-camp). Wilderness First Aid training can help raise your awareness - highly recommend for anyone who will be away from help for more than several hours or a day or more. Knowing edible plants can be tricky. It takes repetitive practice to build reliable knowledge - don't just look at a few pictures in a book. Make sure that someone knows your detailed plans and when & how they should take action if you are delayed from this plan.
In terms of visability, I was told as a kid to always wear something bright red, mostly shirts or a rain jacket. Still holding to that to this day, works very well in daylight and you have it on even while unconscious. Probably also helped my parents spot us during breaks, when my brother and I hopped off to climb all over nearby rocks.
Two quick tips for signalling to aircraft: in the daytime try to make a letter V on the ground, the bigger the better. There are a number of signs, but V is the one to remember. At night, if you have a chemlight tie the cord that came with it to the hook and swing it in a circle above your head. This makes it much more visible from a distance. The British military survival training teaches Shelter, Water, Fire and Food - in that order - because those are your priorities.
My husband is my hiking partner and is very knowledgeable. However, as we hike more and more in the backcountry, I feel a strong need to learn the skills also. Thanks for giving me my homework for the summer!
Thank you for this knowledge. Especially fire building. If you are really cold and it it's important, It's good that you plan it out carefully. You don't want to start your little fire and then have to run out in the bushes to get more wood and return to find you little fire is out. It might have been your only chance. First thing to do is calm down, as hard as that might be, but you are smart and you can do it.
I just got wilderness first aid certified and I’ve taken several survival classes. Best to be prepared. Navigation is something I need to get better at.
If you don't have a signal mirror or space blanket, check your food wrappers. Chips, bars or other items are often wrapped with a shiny inner surface that can be used to signal.
Signaling is in fact one of the most important survival skills, this is how you get out the survival mode in the first place. This is also why I orderen my custom quilt Orange on the inside, and also my EE torid jacket Orange on the inside. Tips from a Scout leader, and ex sgt.
Great advice! The universal signal for distress is SOS. In Morse code that is. 3 short beeps or flashes, 3 long beeps or flashes, 3 short beeps or flashes. Dit dit dit, dot dot dot, dit dit dit. Or … -- … You are an inspiration to all of us who love camping.
Hey Dixie, all very good ideas. Back in the day, when in the Boy Scouts the first thing you learned was "Be Prepared". We learned more as we progressed. Use the winter while waiting on hiking season to read and learn. Was camping/hiking one time when a group of younger men came in and drank water straight from a lake without filtering, when I told them about prepping the water i.e. filtering or boiling, said they never heard of such a thing. And people wonder why they get sick when camping
I have taught basic outdoor survival classes and between backpackers and day-hikers, day-hikers are more likely to find themselves in trouble and are least likely to practice these skills. These things can be a matter of life and death and you can never have too many tricks up your sleeves.
I have noticed that dayhikers do sport a much wider range of footwear from stuff vastly superior to the flimsy trendy things popular with tourist hikers to the other end of downright absurd sneakers just begging for an accident.
Great and comprehensive list! My most difficult back packing experiences were due to weather. Thunderstorms that blew down large branches on a campsite in FDR State Park. And, unexpected single digit temp night hiking Savage Gulf on the Cumberland Plateau in TN. We should not have gone on the FDR trip and we were lucky on the cold night in Savage Gulf that someone buried a bottle of water because everything else was frozen solid.
Glad you included sewing. My sewing kit is bigger than my simple first aid kit after many years of using both. In the bush (on trail) clothing is not primarily a fashion statement. Ripped clothing isn't cool like jeans without knees is (to some). When conditions are not ideal, your clothing IS your shelter. It does not work with big holes. Basic sewing tip: Holes and big rips (especially in shoes or packs) are not practically fixable with thread alone. Remember to use patch material. In some cases, if done with skill, you can repair an item to be better than new. Some new gear starts with weak point that are almost designed to fail. It's really good to have Both heavy thread+bigger needles and lighter thread+basic/small needles. Safety pins are handy to include in your kit. A more advanced skill is to use small needles and thread to sew up some kinds of nasty skin cuts, especially on hands. Sometimes bandaids just don't cut it. For really tough sewing jobs, if you have a big enough needle, the center threads from a piece of paracord is a good strong solution. Don't just discard the outer part, btw as it can be used as a patch for tears in clothing, tent, et cetera.
Now, if you're doing "heavy" sewing wear some leather gloves or used needle nose pliers to push the needle. I've run the "blunt" side of the needle into my finger. imogi showing pain.
@@Jeff-jg7jh Excellent example of learning by doing. I fear that too many peeps these days think they have a skill just by watching a few videos, but it just ain't so (just ain't sew to make it punny). most aspects of bushcraft need not just a little practice, but quite a lot. Many of those who will experience severe hardship out in the wild can spare themselves most of the grief by practicing skills when they are not under severe strain. At those times difficult skills that are undeveloped can become impossible tasks.
I forgot to mention a favored tool I also have in my sewing kit, a mini awl for punching holes in tough material which makes the needle work much easier. Mine is a modified (sharpened) eyeglass screwdriver such as one can get from the dollar store. Nothing fancy needed to sharpen it either, as a basic rock, like a river cobble, works just fine.
I agree with needing to have a map and compass. I've been lost before because I had to hike around a massive pile of blow-downs and got turned around and lost the trail. But I had my paperr trail map and a compass and was able to locate the trail again using those 2 items and using landmarks shown on the map. I wont leave home without those 2 items.
Nylon beading thread, meant to hold up to abrasion by metal, glass, and stone beads, is light but very strong. You usually can only break it with a knife or scissors. Some good brands that are flexible and very strong are Nymo (B size), Toho One-G (Japan), and K.O. (Japan). The latter two almost have no fraying at all, but the Nymo is still conditioned and excellent for most uses. They're cheap, and 50-75 yards weighs very little for the strength you get. This stuff beats floss any day for sewing.
Hello 👋 Dixie, a big thank you for sharing this informative video. You covered all the bases. Always take good care of yourself and stay Safe out there. 😊
I have been following you since your first steps on the AT. It is very refreshing to see someone with your experience dip into the wilderness survival realm. Great tips. Thanks again.
One of the things that I'd add to the "Situational Awareness" section is to talk to everyone you see. This is maybe more important here in the west, where that might be a once-in-two-days sort of event. Just stop long enough to share where you're headed and find out what the other person is doing. If there is a search-and-rescue event in the near future, it might be life-or-death. (Edit: solo women might want to weigh this advice differently, of course)
This is prescient. A preparedness channel I follow was having a discussion about go/get home/ edc bags and how to carry what you actually need. I commented that through hikers can offer guidance and pointed her to you and Darwin. Then you come out with this just a few hours later...
Dixie would have a great chance of survival due to her comfort in the outdoors. Everything she said in this video is correct. That said I don't believe Darwin or here are good sources. I mean absolutely no offense to either of them. If you need info on thru hiking they are bar none. But survival. It's 2 different worlds. Dixie has a insane AMOUNT OF OUT DOOR KNOWLEDGE BUT SURVIVAL YOU CANT COUNT ON GEAR EXCEPT YOUR KNIFE. PROPS TO HER SHE USES A NECK KNIFE AND KEEPS IT ON HER PERSON NOT IN HER PACK. GET COMFORTABLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE. LEARN TO LIVE WITHOUT. TAKE A CLASS. LEARNING SURVIVAL IS LIFE CHANGING. NOT SURE WHY MY TABLET IS MAKING ME TYPE IN CAPS.
This video is right up my alley! I love survival skills vids 🤘. Gotta say.. I've been subbed for years and always thought you were beautiful but right now you're glowing! Cheers to you and your Husband on the baby!
Why are _matches_ never mentioned for starting fires anymore? IMO, they are far more reliable (yes, if kept in a waterproof container) than butane lighters; not temperature sensitive nor likely to leak. Maybe I'm just a dinosaur... In that vein, I'd rather rely on map & compass for land nav. The emergency beacon would be a must-have, though.
Great advice. Actually all of this info with detailed instructions can be found in a 60’s or 70’s Boy Scout Handbook. It’s an excellent resource and many can be found on eBay for less than $15. It also teaches boys how to be gentleman. Something lacking today.
I love the monument at the peak of Mount Baden-Powell. On one face is a list of the Boyscout virtues. Seeing it really helped me understand why the rich pampered tourist hiker culture rubs my wrong. Very sharp contrast with old Boyscout virtues on almost every point. One great consolation anyway is when I see a few of them grow out of their pampered ways and start taking up things like survival skills and bushcraft. It restores some of my hope.
Lots of great info (as usual ❤) and definitely some skills that I need to learn. I went through EMT school several years ago. Even though I let my certification lapse, the basic skills needed to help a fellow hiker are still there. If hikers ever get a chance to get at least first responder trained, I highly recommend it, even if you never serve in that capacity.
Dixie, I just have to laugh. Some youtube divas film in the kitchen, all the men film in front of their books in their libraries. But you are the only one who films in a blanket fort or your gear closet! LOLOLOLOL! What's not to love! LOLOLOLOL! Its so cute, and so you!
I learned First Aid and CPR along with Lifesaver Swimming in junior high. Wilderness survival and Orienteering in college, along with wilderness .edic training. Figure you can never be too prepared.
Happy you made this video, its super important, thank you. As for people in the back county, hikers tend to be more prepared and sometimes the least prepared. Always will tell people to take a weekend basic survival course, its not that difficult to learn, taught my son to make friction fires when he was 5. If you can't afford to take a course, a book i highly recommend is "camping and wilderness survival" by paul tawrell
Excellent information. I have been studying and learning about different skills needed when on your own. This is a very good start for someone who is just picking up the book so to speak. I would say It's ok to use store bought supplies at first. But remember this is a limited supply while Nature provides you with unlimited resources. So While you are using store bought wean yourself onto Nature supplies. You will greatly increase your survivability this way and save a TON of money at the same time. Happy Trails to you.
I ALWAYS carry a compass with a mirror for signalling, navigation, first aid and hygiene. The mirror can be used to signal, when washing up or if you need to look at a wound or bite on your back. For navigation I ALWAYS have a “safety bearing” in mind such as I know there’s a highway or power lines somewhere to the east. It should be something you don’t need to be precise to find. One time I was out and got turned around while rabbit hunting. I knew that I was to the west of a 500 km long stretch of power lines that crossed the road I had driven in on. I pulled out my compass since it was overcast, and walked roughly east until I found the lines and knew where I was. I’ve heard too many stories of people going off trail to find a bathroom and getting lost and even dying. If they had just shot a quick bearing before heading off they could have made it back to the trail without a problem. In my mind EVERYONE should carry a compass, preferably with a mirror, while hiking.
Your comment has a strong scent of situational awareness so I suspect that you would find your way even without compass, but folks using compasses should be reminded that large steel will seriously mess up your compass bearing. This includes - High voltage power lines - Steel towers - Rail Road Tracks - steel roadside guardrails - chainlink fences - That nice high carbon steel survival knife dangling from neck cord (yep!)
It's also worth noting, that if your bearing is on a linear path (like a road or trail) and you're trying to find a specific point along that path (like your campsite), you should shoot the bearing you're following back to it just a few degrees to the side of it. Following a completely straight path in the wilderness is near impossible, so when you're inevitably a little bit off from where you were trying to go, you'll know which direction to follow the trail/road/etc. to get back to where you want to be.
I loved this video!!!!! Yes, if you would be willing to do a more indept video on each of these things would be great. I've been camping, hiking and backpacking for well over 20+ years but still love to hear different ideas and see different people teaching different survival skills! So Please, Dixie, bring it on!!! You're truly the best! - Shybee from Utah
It's amazing to me that there are people you could give tinder, kindling, a hatchet, matches, a lighter...and yet would fail to make fire. Gotta practice! My camping partner is moving, an Inreach will have to be my new camping partner, keep the wife from worrying!
@@pithon3d477Comfort is such a new thing. She worries out of love but people have forgot the DANGER OF LIFE. PEOPLE NOT COMING HOME USED TO BE NORMAL DAY. WE EXPECT OUR CHILDREN AND WIVES TO SURVIVE BIRTH NOW DAYS. JUST 100 YEARS AGO(WITHIN SOME PEOPLE loving today's lives) IT WAS EXPECTED TO LOOSE A CHILD. THANK GOD THATS THE CASE BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER. MY KEYBOARD IS DOING SOMETHING WEIRD. WILL ONLY LET ME TYPE IN CAPS
@@3nertia Not me, I just know people who have recounted their failed efforts to me. I’d be happy to instruct someone but no one likes my style of camping. Hence the Inreach. Have a good weekend.
Would love to see more in depth videos on these topics. This video made me rethink of where my skills are…not been on a backtracking trip for well over a decade.
Building a skill set estabishes confidence in bad scenarios. So you practice that in non hiking times. Knot skill and 1st aid as well as compass and map reading are also important!
Survival skill are invaluable but after you truly learn primitive skills you learn than confidence is the skill. Knowing you can survive and knowing how starvation feels changes everything. Your first rollercoaster is scary, the second ride you know how it feels and your just along for the ride. Thirst and starvation WERE A PART OF LIFE FOR CENTURIES. BUG SPRAY WALMART and COMFORT are new.
Good discussion. I do day hikes & overnighters so I've taken several survival classes in the event I get turned around so I really appreciate this. Bushcraft / skills are fun but I'm a firm believer that a backpacker's perspective (especially one with 10k+ miles) is more realistic. I'd say stick with your guns & experience in regards to the compass. I carry one but few people actually have a map that is the right scale to actually navigate with. I lean more towards pace count & spare batteries for electronics. Thanks for sharing!
I teach orienteering (Map and Compass) use, and knots and lashings to the Scouts in the troop, so I agree, THEY ARE definitely a LIFE SKILL and need practice As for wilderness first aid, I always thought it was a joke. I am Red Cross CPR/AED and First Aid certified, then I took the course. OMG!! It is a GREAT course to show you the skills you need to use first aid in the backcountry. As for water, they say you pack your fears, well, WATER is mine. I double (or triple) my water cleaning efforts since I had Giardia. BTW, I do not recommend Giardia............
Sawyer Squeeze is great, but it didn't prevent me (and probably more than 100 others) from getting caught up in the norovirus outbreak that plagued the PCT from Mission Creek to Big Bear this year.
@Navy1977 I was going off what I heard people saying on trail. Never encountered a noro before, so I just assumed what I was hearing was correct. Thanks for the follow-up.
This is a great topic to pursue further. I hiked a section in WA last year (2023) and heard there was an outbreak in proximity to the cabin. (on trail almost dead center of Washington PCT). This too was said to be the result of poor human sanition practices. Unintentionally I was using bleach to sanitize my water that trip and glad for it.
There is some overlap between hiking and bush craft, and bush crafters have benefited from the advances in ultralight gear. Any hiking situation can turn into a survival situation, so hikers can benefit from bush crafters in that regard. Having said that, survival is first and foremost about two things: 1. how to stay hydrated 2. how to get adequate sleep (4 hours of REM sleep). For any item in your kit, you must answer the question of how it helps with these two things. The ability to start a fire and having a metal container are essential for both of the above. Having a knife greatly helps in starting fires and building shelters and I would say it is a must have item. There is more but that is the gist of it.
Not picking on you really but one thing to keep in mind is there is no RU-vid out there off grid. The time when skills are most needed is when the usual resources are exhausted and you are cold, tired, dehydrated, injured, lost, or some combination. Any skill that is difficult under ideal conditions becomes almost impossible under many real conditions, so it is best to get enough practice that these things are seriously easy when all is good, then mix in more practice under random adverse non-emergency situations. Best is to get to a point where the mental and muscle memory (fire building, knot tying, sewing, et cetera) can be done normally with minimal thought effort, which allows room to apply serious extra problem solving energy when conditions demand it. Cold Kills, Nature is Neutral, and Mountains Don't Care
If you have one near you, and can afford it, I highly recommend taking a hands on survival skills class to practice skills for the first time under supervision. This was immensely helpful in building greater skill confidence with new skills. Also one note about the debris huts, they are wonderful emergency shelters, but it will definitely take more than an hour. I built a two person hut with someone else, and it took us both 2.5 to 3 hours at least, and it is more work than you may think. You need a lot of leaf debris, so you will be walking around in a large area where you are building it to find enough material. It will consume a lot of calories building it
Everything you talked about are skills everyone needs before they venture out and about. Most can be learned at home. Maybe it's my farm background and the hunting and fishing I did as a kid. We learned to use the skills to start a fire in the fireplace, and never considered them surviving. If we got caught in the dark no one went looking for us, they knew we were holed up and would return after day light. What you are calling survival skills are the basic skills to get along in the outdoors so you never put yourself in a compromised situation. Survival to me means a person who is totally out of their element and are clueless as to what to do next. Think of the thousands of generations of Indians who lived in these remote areas. They built dwellings, raised crops, foraged for food and fiber to eat, secure equipment and to cloth themselves. They did not survive they prospered. They were in their element. They were prepared for what the elements threw at them. Only a Greenhorn would go into an unknow environment with inadequate knowledge thinking their equipment would save them. The most important tool to take on any trip is a well informed brain.
Great list. I'd add determining ahead of time what to do in certain situations. If a river is roaring at the end of the day, either wait until early morning when it may freeze up above to cross or consult maps for an alternative route or find a sturdy log to cross up or down stream. If high winds hunker down in a safe spot away from possible tree and branches falling. On a side note .... i replaced all of the plastic doo-dads on my tent lines for the taught line hitch knot.
Just get a faro rod and keep it your pocket at least 1/2 in diameter and 6in long. The products your talking about are useful but they are gimmicks and not to be relyed on. There's a million places to cut weight and try to achieve multifunctionality. Knife and fire aren't it. Good knife, good fero, always on your person, never in your pack. I mean no disrespect and not trying to tell you your wrong. Just rare the subject comes up and I get to share my knowledge.
I attached my InReach to a Firebiner along with a small sealed straw containing fire tender. I used Firebiner/ tender combo recently to help procure potable after my filter completely clogged.
@@paulrevere2379 I camp often. I've yet too trail hike. I'm looking too do it soon. I bet I'll not carry most of my Bushcraft gear. My backpack is getting lighter. But hardly like hikers.
Bushcraft and Survival skills are very closely tied together. They are not so closely tied to backpacking anymore. Such skills are not usually essential, but is a seatbelt or airbags really essential for a road trip? No, but most people rightfully take comfort in having/using such things on their road trip. That does not make them pessamistic, paranoid or fearful. Nor is that the case for hikers who take on old school survival skills. Practicing skills does not do much to puff up personal ego, but many of the skills are pretty basic fun. Kids typically have FUN when they do the things they learn in Boyscouts/Girlscouts. For many of them, the fun was the point. There's nothing wrong with being a kid again while having fun with these skills although it is still good to have an expert close at hand with some of it.
Hey Dixie, I have seen you in some of the videos with a cpap. Can you share what type of cpap it is? I assume it is a light weight travel type. Is it battery operated?
Regarding flash signals, there are local differences, e.g. here in Middle Europe you ask for help with short signals 6 times per minute (light or whistle) and the answer is 3 times per minute.
Make a fire starter with a paper egg container, dryer lent, and candle wax. I made these and I use my lighter to start it and it burns HOT for 10 to 15 minutes, enough time to start pine cone, pine needles, or mostly dry bark or wood.
Survival, the ancient and noble art of NOT! BLOODY! DYING! 😂 Many people love to make it seem like some occult wisdom that only the worthy may glean but in reality it's as simple as Dont get dead. If you're reading this then congratulations, you've been surviving all this time anyway! Watch your steps but look ahead.🤘 Great video and yes to more :-D Put a couple of needles INSIDE your floss container.*
One I'd add that I had to practice before heading out on a trail; practice your throws! If you're like me, you never learned how to throw properly in elementary school and your disinterest in sports meant the gym teachers never actually tried to correct it, just made fun of your throws. It took me a half hour to get my first bear bag hang done. Learning how to throw for a bear bag before you go out there is. very important.
Cedar is likewise. In some places it is abundant enough still to look out for it. The oil in it is the key which also makes it slow to rot compared to many other woods.
I want you to watch all of the Primitive Technology videos (don't forget to turn on closed captions) and then make a video of creating fire with two sticks. /jk Thank you for the content!
Yeah, yeah yeah. Ironically, the best take away lesson I got from practicing skills with a teeny tiny flint (high elevation, thus low oxygen to make it tougher) was this. Never go out without matches. Two is one and one is none, so I always have a box (small wood matches) tucked away. Lighter is for stove and for backup, not primary. Knowing that I can get by kinda primitive is cool, but having reliable items in my kit is even better. Plz don't take this to mean that taking luxuries for granted is ok. It's actually kinda stupid risky. Things happen like a party of four people digging for two hours before one finally finds a single small lighter between them all. I had to loan them my lighter in the interim.
Chicken of the woods mushrooms (mentioned near end of video, not that Dixie is suggesting anyone eat them without experience) are delicious and easy to ID but for a certain portion of the population will cause vomiting (estimates vary but may be as high as 1 in 10 people, sadly I am the 1, the rest of my family is in the 9). A smaller proportion of people get fainting and cool clammy limbs with it - might attempt to get this one tested in a controlled situation/bring it home and cook and eat a small piece before actual backcountry testing! 😂
