*MORE INFO + COMMENTS ANSWERED:* 1) *Can you still get giardia from the raw cattails? / How safe are the Cattails to eat?"* Yes, technically, you can get giardia from eating those raw shoots. I haven't heard of anyone getting it that way, but these plants are filters, and one should always wash them off first, but even then, I'm guessing the parasite can technically be in the shoot. I eat them raw because they are way more delicious that way to be honest! But yes - safer method is cook them (at a minimum, wash the new shoots off well with clean water) Also, don't wat cattails from any roadside location simply because they are filter plants and any roadside toxins or pesticide runoff will accumulate in these plants. If you're in a survival or wild setting, there's no risk there - but in general, avoid grabbing them from the roadside! 2) *Why didn't you use your bag to boil the water in?* I just wanted to ONLY use the hatchet - I found some human trash at times, too; there was a can and piece of glass and a small frayed rope, but I didn't want to use any of these so I could focus on showing what to do with just nature. 3) *Is the Chaga Friction fire reliable?* I would say no. I think I got lucky and worked very hard for this fire. In the future, I would stick to the bow drill. If the Chaga is moist (which it is in pretty much all warm months, then it won't work.)
I feel a lot of kindred spirits here. We all grew up with Hatchet (I think I liked Brian’s Winter even better) and we are all still interested in survival and living with nature, despite many of us being somewhat stuck in the urban grind. Thanks for this video DJ, we appreciate it.
I can relate to your comment so so much. Thx for taking the time to write this - I live in the city right now, and am slowly taking steps to get out and live a life more in tune with nature. These videos, and my brand as a whole are my way of mixing this urban life with that. Even if it's just a bit at a time - the escape triggers something nostalgic and brings me a lot of peace. Im so glad making them brings that feeling to others too. That's all I could ever ask for. Thank you
The "Hatchet" was arguably THE book that got me interested in camping, Bushcraft and Survival. Love this style of video. Great change up from the knot tutorials (which I also love). Keep these coming! 🤜
42:10 -part of the reason i have a long beard is because if i can't find any bait and none of my lures are working, then i can run my fingers through my beard and come up with a couple loose hairs, then trim off around the bottom inch of my beard. then i put the trimmed off portion around my hook, and use the loose hairs i found to wrap around the tuft of hair and hook, tie it off, and boom, i have a fly. the cool thing is i have a bunch of different colors in my beard, and the more time i spend in the sun the more those colors come out, and the more the browns turn to reds and oranges, which seem to work really well. so if i do get stranded, by the time i need to make a fly from a small portion of my beard, it should be getting a lot of that red and orange color. also, if somehow you have no other options, you can make pretty good cordage for fishing line from beard hair. and hair is actually pretty good in a tinder bundle. but you want to mix it with other things because it has a bunch of natural oils and burns really fast. so ya, 1 of my most important and useful survival tools = my Beard oh, and great video, you got my sub!
I recently read the Hatchet series and I can’t get them off my mind. Kinda the reason why I’m watching this lol. As a city kid, I was always fascinated by the woods and those books brought it all back with a vengeance. It’s humbling to realize how much peril you would be in if modern infrastructure collapsed or if you were stranded in the bush.
Only real difference between green and dried is that dried is shrunk. So people dry their strands first so the line will last a much longer time. That fishing line I weaved green is only good for the time I was fishing it and the next day or two.
Really nice challenge! If I had to take one item with me in the wilderness, it would be as much salt as I can carry! Anything else can be replicated, but finding salt in nature could really be a challenge. Of course, if we are talking about long term survival
Good call; yeah, in prepping for alone, this was one of the bigger issues I had studied. There are a few plants - Coltsfoot (cattails have a bit of sodium) , hickory and dandelion. And one strategy that indigenous cultures use is burning them down to ashes - the salt content remains. You then put those in water, sift out the ash and what you're left with is salt-filled water! I think unless you are experienced and able to find chert/flint, I'd probs take a sharp blade as my one item. But salt would also be definitely high priority! Thanks for sharing your thought on this!!!
Have to admit my anxiety shot up a bit when you used river rocks for your fire ring, but I figured it wasn't going to be a huge one and obviously you were fine. Thanks for taking us along on your adventure!
This is an amazing video. You did a great job and taught a lot. I'd say the head lamp was a second item, but I'm not going to quibble because it just extended your day. You could have started the fire the following day if you needed to. The main thing is that you demonstrated you have the skills and knowledge and you're sharing them with people. I found this through looking at your knot tutorials which are also excellent.
Ya definitely could have been counted as a 2nd item. I was cognizant of making an entertaining video at the same time and figured I’d use it for the night hunt rather than just go to bed 😅
I had no bait when I was up in northern Ontario with the family on a canoe-in-camping trip and used random green leaves and caught a bunch of rock bass. The hooks are definitely what made it work but it was crazy to me when I was 25 years younger.
DJ, LISTEN PLEASE! This was absolutely 💯 a video that should be in the bushcraft/survival hall of fame! I love this type of video! Please keep doing more and sharing the skills needed to survive! As you said, yes, you had food, water and shelter for a day... but you definitely used way more calories than you replaced! And it was a great day! There will be days with no food etc... survival isn't easy, but it's possible...just NOT ALONE!
This is some serious survival challenge bro! I learned so much from this video! Would love to see more of these '1 item' challenge, and I don't mind if it's default hatchet +1 other item.
Oh man, its really so difficult to do, film, and get all the detailed shots! I will definitely do another - and in the winter, I will do another attempt at my no Item challenge (which failed last time haha - but is a great watch regardless) I think my next vid will be bushcraft focused as there's something new Ive been really wanting to try - and then I'll mix in another single or minimal item challenge :)
Eyyy thx brotha. I think it's nearly impossible unless the chaga is dried -I got really lucky with that one on the downed tree... Cant wait to see your Yukon Video dude!
Loved it!!!! Love how you come up to a "challenge" and then figure out what to do- some with success, some without. Then you move on and find a different way to get it done. Also like hearing your thought process. You have amazing fishing skills!
Came to your channel for the knots, started for the survival knowledge. Awesome video, Hatchet was my favorite book as a kid, and i just reread it as an adult and it still stands up very well. Brian's Winter is a great book too.
Hey DJ! 😃 I knew I'd love this video, and you didn't disappoint! It was absolutely amazing watching you just keep stepping up your situation better and better with every moment you were there. I know that in an actual survival scenario where you wouldn't be able to stop the experience, you would just keep on improving everything. Before you'd know it, you'd be living it up like Robinson Crusoe on Gilligan's Island 😅💪🏻 If I had a choice for a partner to survive with, you'd be my number one top shelf valuable source for knowledge, morale and heart! ☺️ Great shelter... And spectacular getting those fish my friend! 😲🤗 Thanks for taking us along and setting the bar 😁 See ya next time! 💖
I loved Hatchet. (the book and this trip!) I've read it and the companion books-this video is making me wanna read them again. I enjoyed your second shelter and was impressed with the gorge fishing! Well done.
@@TheBearEssentials I really enjoyed how you included nutrition facts with all the foods you were able to find. I think a video of you showing off a how to forage for and prepare some of the different wild foods in your area would be really interesting to watch, as the catch and cook part of the videos is always my favorite. Anyways, thanks for the response. I can't wait to see what you do next!
I had seen cattails drawings in mors kochanski books and tried to spot them in the city, and could only find small specimen (not even sure that was it). So it was great to see how they actually look like! Great episode as usual!
Mors is my favourite all time survival instructor. I’ve learned so so much from him. Rest in peace to a great Man! Happy to help, and thanks for the Mors mention too!!
Im a new sub from New 2 Zealand. Im sharpening up my fire lighting, chimney, shelter skills etc. your channel really helped me to learn some great knots. I spent all morning trying different tarp configurations. Thank you! If you ever travel yo New Zedland you have a home base with us here in the Tasman district , south island ❤❤
Kia Ora!!! First off, welcome to the channel, and thank you so much for watching and commenting. I had the privilege of camping and travelling for 4 months in NZ back about 9 years ago! One of the greatest times of my life! I do 100% plan to return some day, such a special and beautiful place. Thanks for bringing back a good memory for me!
Thx Felix! It was definitely one of the harder challenges Ive done. If I had given myself a week and decided to stay put, I think I could have done a few more fun long-term survival projects to help sustain myself. Maybe I'll try that in the future
DJ - this was an awesome video - I didn't know you made this style of content, RU-vid has only shown me your knot videos up until now. I've dropped you a sub and looking forward to seeing more!
Matt thanks a bunch brother. Ya I don't really have time to do it consistently. Maybe next year I will once Im done crafting my Bucksaws and can focus a bit more on YT.. Thanks for the sub my friend!
Great video DJ. I especially liked watching you purify water. I love British archaeology and they often discuss that method as it was used by the stone age, bronze age, and iron age people. They call the stones "pot boilers" and they would make containers out of hide to hold water or milk. Also, thanks for giving a shout out to Otzi!
That book probably wasnt the best choice for schools to read to kids becauss when i was little after hearing that book i took my older brothers hatchet and was like seriously about to run out into the wilderness like a dumbass when i was packing my mom caught me 😅
Nice video, as always! Just bought your sharpening kit and I am really happy with the functionality. And amazed by the design! Love your logo as well. That’s why I would love to buy a Bonnie with your logo on top. Maybe that’s something for the future. Greetings from Germany :)
Hello my friend, thanks for watching and picking up one of the sharper wallets! Im so happy you like it! As for a Bonnie, that would definitely be something I'd like to have in the coming years - when it does come out, just know that you were the first to suggest the idea to me :)
suprised this doesn't have mroe views, great watch for the backround while doing homework and I learned a lot from it. I dont know if you do already but if you don't you should do specific tutorials for things like cordage and guides on edible plants.
It's amazing 👏 watching your videos on survival, so detailed n the ideas I get makes me want to go right now lol. Just saying I love your videos on knots, thank you bc I have learned so much n continue to learn the more I watch your videos. I really hope you get a lot more sponsors so you make more videos. Thank you so much for the entertainment as well as teaching me so so much!!!!!😊
Great video, DJ. So helpful. Surprised you didn't make chaga tea. I was wondering if soaked cattail leaves can be used for cordage? Perhaps quicker, easier and longer sections. Be safe and thank you..
Holy shit I LOVE the hatchet. Absolutely beautiful piece of literature. I first got my hands on the book during one of the book fairs in my school, maybe 1st or 2nd grade? I love that book more than any.
YES!!! You did the frogs legs as I mentioned in your last video! 😁 And yup...I remember them tasting just like chicken too, lol. I was on the edge of my seat when it looked like you weren't gonna catch one, and also when you lost the one! Another awesome video!
@TheBearEssentials I'm thinking that when you can get frogs legs in fancy restaurants these days, they must have very large farm raised ones, cuz there isn't a lot of meat on those wild ones, lol. And hey- you were only there with a hatchet. If you'd started pulling out ingredients to cook up with the legs, it wouldn't have been a survival video 😊 And I'm not joking: JUST before I watched your video, I was watching an old TV show called Leave It To Beaver, a great classic. Anyhoo, one of the episodes involved Beaver wanting to buy a used canoe for $25. His father said if he could raise half the money, he'd contribute the other half. A friend told Beaver he could catch a bunch of bullfrogs and sell them to a guy for $0.25 each. So he catches 50, then finds out the guy 'croaks' them and sells them to labs for dissection. Well, Beaver had made 'pets' out of the frogs by the time he was supposed to take them to the man, so he ended up letting them all go-- couldn't bare the thought of them getting killed! I'm yelling at the tv: "they're JUST frogs!!" .... and then I watched your video and was like-- "YESSS!!", haha!!
HOW TO FIX AUDIO ISSUE PLAYING IN ONLY LEFT EAR: *Sorry about that it's COMPLETELY my fault, I had a new FPV camera for this one* *On iOS:* go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Mono audio > toggle the switch on. *On a MAC:* Go to System Preferences > Accessibility > Audio > Tick the checkbox for Play stereo audio as mono. *On a PC: * Just search "Mono" after hitting the Windows key and its the first option that comes up. And after you're done watching the video just remember to disable the setting and you're good to go!
giardia usually takes like 10-14 days to kick in tho so if your ever in a pinch without a way to boil water and your confident you can make it back to safety within that time you can risk it. not recommended but its better short term then dehydration.
Right on Mark - only thing is the regulations here, theres only 2 types of fish legally allowed to spear where I was and neither were in this waterbody. Also i was sort of unsure if I could use the gig on frogs legally here. I don't see why not, but I was reading the regs and couldn't really be certain of it.
I thought the "Apex Predator" thing was fun while trying to catch frogs. But the the chipmunk startled you and the first thought I had was "Apex Predator? More like Apex-thetic Predator." Hey, it happens. Sometimes when you are out in the wilderness, under stress and heightened senses, the slightest, silliest thing can startle you. Been there, have a few of the T-shirts.
