Funny how everyone still reacts with "Hey kid" given that this is 9 year old footage. My respect to you sir, that reminds me of the stuff my dad taught me some 20 years ago. We had no high-end gear and such. Love the passion for the outdoors.
Hey Kid. I'm a former Green Beret that wants to give you a thumbs up for thinking out there and applying what you know. As you gain experience in the field you'll find ways to survive comfortably and literally be prepared for anything. Myself, I use to build a fire (if possible) and set large stones next to it and get them hot. Then dig out a small foxhole and place those stones deep in the dirt. Then make my hooch (Bed) over it. Always if possible, make a field expedient cover with a poncho or tarp in case during the night it rains. Also dig a trench around your sleeping area the redirect the water away from where you are sleeping. Very simple and worth the time to stay warm and dry getting a good night's rest. For safety purposes, always build your sleeping area next to and surrounded by trees so no one accidentally runs you over 4 wheeling. I was stationed in Germany and a soldier was in his fart sack unprotected and was ran over by a 13 ton 113 APC. Listen, I like that you are thinking Kid. That is the difference between life and death sometimes out there. Well done!
you have to be careful camping near trees, if it begins to storm out with lightning you could get electrocuted if you are sleeping near a tree, the lightning strikes the tree and travels down and out through the roots of the tree, and if you're sleeping on or near a root you're fried.
Been down this road many times on the AT, here in the states. A wool blanket, a reflective heat barrier, a tarp--can be all you need. And it works great in winter as an addition to a light weight bag...
Thoughts: 1. I can imagine that sometimes one woolen blanket is not enough. 2. Wool keeps you warm even if wet. Smart to have. 3. If you sleep outdoors, you still need some sort of shelter to protect from snow or rain. 4. If you sleep outdoors, you would be wise to have a gun. 5. This kid has an accent. Can't trace it, though. Danish? I'm actually surprised if it's true. 6. To sleep better in cold weather, wear a gator or scarf and cover your mouth and nose when you sleep. Helps to warm the air as you breathe and stave off pneumonia. Camping in the wilderness is a GREAT way to teach kids (or learn for yourself) how to pay tremendous attention to detail, how to plan and how to organize. I respect the kid for what he's doing. That's a solid kid.
@@Kakker71 In America it's essential. Wildlife has recovered a great deal over the last 60 years. You can now find cougars (not the divorced/unmarried 40+ women in bars kind - the actual hunting cat) from California to Maine, and wolves have been seen as far south as Colorado and Arizona in the West. Also, there are black bear pretty much everywhere and grizzlies have made a comeback in the northern part of the West as well. I've never actually had to fire a shot, but there have been several instances where I was glad I had one with me.
For those wondering about finding straps to bind their wool blanket,I bought two boy's size belts from WalMart.You can always add holes with an awl or leather punch if needed
Leave the kid alone.. at least he ain't sitting in front of a game console turning into a bowl of jelly. If it works for him, then that's great! What business is it of yours anyway? Don't like the video, then move along and keep your crap to yourself.
This video inspired me to go to the local thrift store where I found three WW2 wool blankets. After feeling you were cold in one blanket I sewed the three wool blankets together and made a sleeping bag with zipper around. I thought you would be warmer in mine but it weighs 10 pounds lol! If you had a sled you could easily take it with you in winter.
Once, when I was in the army, I had to go out into the field without a sleeping bag. I took two wool blankets with me. I laid my poncho down with one blanket folded in half under me. Then I folded the second blanket in half with me in the middle. The final later was half the poncho folded over on top. It worked quite well. In the morning I woke to ice and snow. I wasn't exactly toasty. But I survived without hypothermia or frostbite.
Can't beat wool for insulation. I have fond childhood memories of sleeping outside in my dad's army issue pup teen in Alaska with the Army green wool blankets for warmth.
I had seen this wool blanket folding method before, but had forgotten about it, so thanks for reminding me! Also, like the reuse of belts for strapping!
I like the second method best as it gives you more layers on insulation. In addition, it makes a nice tidy jelly roll for the bears that might stumble across you during the night. lol
Thanks for the video. I like the second way arranging the wool blanket better. Sorry you got a cheap wool blanket, I have no first hand experience, but folks I went camping with a couple of nights ago swore by the Italian wool blankets.
Yo your voice kicks ass!! You even have cool background music to go with it. I actually never had a wool blanket but I did just buy my first 100% wool coat.
you can sew the edges of the woolen blanket and make a sack with it (to prevent cold air from entering), and you can even sew over it a sack made with anti-sunlight solar curtain fabric (which retains the radiating heat or infrared)
Good video, nice background music ;-) I like the '15 minutes later'...."Did he fall asleep or is he frozen to death?" Truth is that a blanket could make that difference in emergency situations. If possible a simple shelter and fire should be made. I recommand a 'reflector fire'. Some years ago I slept that way at -12⁰ C and it felt warmer than my bed at home! But in the open air without fire I prefer my sleeping bag with bivi during the winter.
You need two QUALITY wool blankets to do it right. With two blankets and a good ground cloth, I've slept out at below zero F. People seem to forget that sleeping bags have not been around forever, and neither have modern, lightweight tents.
I say BS. Wool blankets alone, at below zero F? I'll need details, weights, pictures of this environment, the campsite. No way without details, how much you weigh, where was the site, etc. etc. etc.
Yes, and way back when people used to freeze their ass off, but they were used to cold and extreme hardship. Freezing to death was not an uncommon way to die, even when your tough!
@faultroy Okay, so assume he didn't actually do this at zero F. I would think most milder temperatures would be doable with a single wool blanket, say, temps above 32F, with a small fire and a tarp under the blanket plus some sort of leave/pine-bought bedding?
I sleep with a wool blanket over my military sleeping bag and bivy sack. You'd be surprised how many pin holes you get in your gear being close to a fire. alot of them are so tiny you could never tell they were there. best to cover your sleeping bag and back pack with a wool blanket
I'm watching this sitting in a freezing draughty old farmhouse in Scotland, it's frosty and blowing a gale, I'm wrapped in many layers but my old (proper) wool socks that my mum bought me years ago are my favourite things (and the only part of me that is not cold! ;-)
Great vid/ teaching. I'm a reenactor-1750s period. Woodsman had multiple layers of wool clothes on and often a deer or bear skin to go under to create a thermal sandwich when using a blanket. I was in the military and am a big fan of poncho liners and fleece. Lt wt and drys quickly. Excellent presentation.
Thanks for posting this excellent video. Useful tips. It is one of the best I've seen on using wool blankets. I usually use sleeping bags and am thinking about purchasing a blanket. One advantage of wool over synthetics / sleeping bags is that they won't melt or catch fire from the sparks of a campfire. I live in southeast Texas, USA. It rarely gets cold here -- but I plan to camp to other locations where keeping warm is important, Take care, Ken
Here we are, two months later, after I just came back from some dirt time using my alpaca king sized blanket. Throwing one over other cover is a grand idea, also... it covers two people easily with plenty left over to cover your head. It was cold enough to keep the wolves howling all night.... but I slept through most of it. THEY didn't have an alpaca blanket, though! LOL
I used to use a wool blanket and military poncho... little or nothing more. Eventually I "upgraded" and spent years with "better" gear... Now I'm 43 and two weeks ago I bought a new wool blanket - because the fundamentals are always reliable! I realize this video is 8 years old... hope you're still getting out!
Hey young Man, I'm a Survivalist and 1 thing I appreciate more than anything is Honesty. We all get jacked every now and then, But you came out and admitted it hoping to save someone else a Headache. You get MAJOR PROPS FOR THAT. Well Done young Man. And I Subscribed as Well Because Not only were you Honest , But your Comments were Spot On. God Bless.
In my opinion, the best part of your video is your comments at the end, thanks for telling. That's such an important thing...not all wool blankets are created equal, but who but the most curious/informed would know. Thicker weaves are great in my experience.
I tried the Mark Baker thing...once. To be fairly comfortable, you need two good wool blankets with plenty of loft (US military blankets are among the worst) and a canvass tarp to go on the outside. Without the tarp, your body heat will escape and you WILL freeze. You also need some kind of insulation between you and the ground. A tarp alone will not be enough.
But remember, you dont have to choose either sleeping bags or woll blankets, it depends on your mood... If you feel like going traditional, grab the blanket. If you feel like lightweight hiking, grab the bags... Simple as that brother, just don't go out with anything that wont keep your butt toasty!
The only problem I see is that your boot are not covered for snow or critters. Being in the infantry in Germany back then we used our pup tents, sleeping bags rubber ladies as we call them with our boot as pillows under our sleeping bags. We slept with clothes on, and dry socks. It really got cold eary morning hours in the forest of Germany.
very good idea to block out the cold i wish kids your age in the uk were getting out like you, most of them are on smartphones and x-boxes most of the time - so sad :( great video my friend darren
Good on you kid I've only just stumbled across this channel as I've been looking for Wool blanket ideas. Ignore the haters at least your trying & have the balls to do it. There's only 1 problem I have with this set up is I'm a side sleeper & a very restless sleeper so it would be impossible for me to sleep in that position for very long & can see it all coming undone several times in the night. Great idea tho keep up the good work 👍
I am really impressed by your videomaking skills as well as knowledge. I have seen a lot of bushcraft youtubers and especially for your age you are really ahead of a lot of them.
Nice work on the vid. Many people don't realize just how warm wool can be. If you have your base layers already on you can get by very nicely precisely as shown here.
Brother, no doubt this video is HEAVILY inspired by Dave, i'll give you that. But it's not uncommon for boys my age to get inspired by older and more experienced folks. If i make a video, where the subject is inspired by others, i always try to give my own input! I believe i did that in this video, with the other way of sleeping in it, and maybe with the more relaxed theme, which you don't see all that often with Dave. To be continued -
From the research I've done, I've narrowed it down to three blankets that are currently the best from what I've read. The Italian wool army blanket, the original vintage Swiss army blanket (not the re-production variant), and the Canadian Hudson Bay Company point blanket. The former 2 are much less expensive, but harder to come by. The latter Canadian wool blanket is still currently in production in England but costs $400. That may be a lot of money for some and it may feel that it's more of a fashion statement than a tool, but from what I hear they last generations.
Wool is great for surviving cold weather outdoors. You are correct that the short fiber blanket will not last with much use. It will also not insulate very well in severe cold but in a pinch it's better than nothing when you need something.
I love my wool blankets, but my family doesn't. Now maybe I can convince them, since they talk about snow camping, how truly wonderful they are! lol You did a good job on the video.
Simple and neat, Thanks. Alpaca blanket - May be bought in Germany as LAMA (try in health-care section of Dept.stores). Size - look for the full under-blanket size. Sheep's wool blankets hand woven in Wales from Bryncir Woolen Mills snowdonia. Ever tried the "Utility" blankets sold during post-WW2 scarcity - may still be available - I have one still used regularly since late 1940s. All "Utility" stuff was well designed and made to be indestructible - the blanket is heavy !! Happy Camping !
Just a closed cell foam mat. This one was thin (6mm). I recommend italian army wool blankets, Dutch army wool blankets and danish civil defence wool blankets.
Like your video. Your exactly right man about getting a good wool blanket. I was actually going to buy a rescue wool blanket till I saw this video. I like buying the GI. I wish they made over sized wool blankets you could probably do more with it.Hope to see more videos of yours. issued wool blankets. Some surplus stores sell them between 20-30 bucks
They make them up to king size machine wash and dry at Faribault mill but just remember a 100% quality wool blanket is HIGH they make them for the military.
As someone who has actually slept outside in winter with just a blanket, you would FREEZE sleeping like that on frozen ground. Bank up 3' of leaves, curl up in that with your blanket, and that would be credible instruction.
So 3 inches of leaves is better than a compressed foam sleeping mat for insulation is it? He is clearly demonstrating the technique for folding the blanket and not anything else as he would do this within a shelter as well or at least also roll the tarp over himself. The fact is sleeping with a single wool blanket is sub freezing conditions isn't pleasant unless you are wearing appropriate layers within the blanket as well. Should a person also have time they can of course build an insulating base of leaves beneath their sleeping mat.
I have slept like this on cold ground, with no problem. Wool is an incredible insulator, and he's using it on top of an insulated sleeping pad as well. In my experience this is better than a pile of leaves.
When I joined the Australian Army in 1977 we were issued a very thin wool blanket (called a horse blanket) and a nylon outer cover. It was fine until the temp dropped close to freezing and then even with all your clothes on it was cold. Then we got sleeping bags which were better, but not by much. It wasn;'t until about 1981 we were issued a much better sleeping bag. I still have my nylon outer but lost the blanket years ago. Great video and I wonder if you are still sleeping in the snow like that?
I watch a lot of Dave's videos. I didn't see the one where he wrapped up in a blanket, but I saw yours. It happened to be information that I already had in my quiver, but the point is the more people that share useful information, the more people that are going to be able to use it. I seriously doubt that Mr Canterbury would have any objection to anyone posting the same information that he shares. I'll bet he would even applaud your time and effort to put this video together. I say thank you.
great vid dude, I've been researching and looking into different methods of using woollen blankets for a while now and this video is the first one I found where the person in the video hasn't rambled on and on. Straight to the point and very informative. seing as this was posted some years back have you made any upgrades or have any new tips?
What hell's wrong with you people, he made a joke and probably doesn't care if their is or isn't fucking bears in Denmark, morons you just have to show how boring you really are, so chip chip ya' bloody bastards.
great job young man, This diamond technique looks like the best method for keeping your feet as warm as can be with the material that you have available, because if your feet are cold, it will keep you up all night....well done!
