Great video. One suggestion I would make is bring a metal canteen or single walled metal water bottle and nesting cup. They won’t contaminate your water sitting in a hot car like a plastic water bottle will and you can cook food in the nesting cup and boil/sterilize water in both.

Good video, it's always good to test out equipment to see how it works for you. Like others I would encourage you to add a couple 55 gallon drum liner bags instead of space blankets. Keep a couple space blankets but the drum liners do so much more. They can be filled with leaves for a mattress and provide a lot of insulation which you needed. They can also be used to haul things if needed. They can also act like a bivy bag. They don't breathe so they retain your body heat and keep you about 10 degrees warmer than you were with just a space blanket. Good to see you out there doing this. If you force yourself to camp this way on occasion you will learn a lot.

1 - You survived the night, a chance to do better. 2 - Get three 55 gallon Drum liners, 2 to will with leaves and stuff, to pad you from the cold cold ground., and one to put arm and head holes in. Wear it for wet weather gear, but also as a bivvy bag of sorts. It will block the wind and hold in heat better. 3- Trade those cheap mylar blankets for the "Don't die in the Woods " brand, they are a full 5'x7', and can get them in a sleeping bag type of thing. I have an older video where I made shelter with one. I'll find it and repost it, may help some. 4- Every couple of months or so, empty your bag, as to remember what you have in it. It's easy to forget. 5- Stick a check list in your bag, to help remember what to add from your vehicle. You can add all of the above for very little weight and money. Still very cool test! 73 and God Bless

Can you imagine David's Get Home bag when shepherding the flock for his father? Sling, 5 stones. A flint knife, water bottle, blanket...

I guess I will add one other comment. There are KZfaqrs who camp this way all the time and they stay comfortable. I would highly recommend corporals corner. Not a Christian by any means, but what he knows about survival is priceless.

Add a compass, even a button compass would be good, I use a Molly Patrol Pack, it's just a little bit bigger than what you have already. It has more room, with out being bulky. Experience really is the best teacher isn't it? You see a lot of prior military guys on here ( myself included ), but most don't have the actual experience, with the logistics that go into this, so we are stuck with these little practice runs. Looks like you are headed in the right direction to me. If your kids are old enough to carry a small pack ( book bag ), let them carry some snacks and one of those mylar sleeping bags. Dad can't do it all, no matter hard badly he wants too. Keeping your prayer life up to date will help too lol!

Great reflections on what you did/didn't do, and what you did/didn't have! This is how you - and the people watching (includingmyself!) learn. Thank You!

Hi, Tip #1 When lighting a difficult fire, scrape lightly the ferro rod to extract the magnesium. Once you have a quarter size pile of it. Scrape hard. Tip 2 You scraped the Ferro Rod to far. Shove the ferro rod inside the bundle. Anchor the striker holding hand firmly on the ground. Pull back the ferro rod really hard against the striker. It will create red hot beads not little sparks. I hope these 2 technics will help next time.

When I do something unplanned and outside, there are two things I always end up needing: lighting and gloves. Any job with a hand tool will give you blisters quickly without gloves, and mechanic's gloves do a little for keeping your hands warm. And I always need lighting. About 75% of the time it needs to be hands-free (like changing a tire), so I keep a single AAA flashlight and a headlamp in my glovebox (I use both too much to be "bug out bag" items). Wool beanie, sweater, and socks for cold weather. In warm weather, I replace it with a big floppy hat, bug spray, and extra water. I don't have a great solution for water storage during winter. Do you keep water in your vehicle during the winter?

A lot of folks will argue with me on this. You probably know your area well, but when things get tough, it won't be as easy, with stress, lack of sleep, and so on, just a button compass can keep you on track. Little grayman wisdom for you.

I agree with @edwinklaver and would add, What ever you put in your bag leave in your bag. You don't forget it if it is in the bag. Thanks for the video

Great series, Something I am working on doing myself, a get home from work kit. Things to consider adding. Map/compass. they are small, light, and cheap. Water purification pills expire, take too long to work, and taste bad, even with the taste neutralizer pills. Those I have tried. I would recommend a water filter system like the sawyer squeeze. Lots of long distance hikers use them, you fill up a bottle, screw on the filter, and drink trough it. they are in the $30 range, light, and last a long time as long as you dont let them freeze after you have had water in them. I like the esbit stove that use the little pellets. they are small, compact, and light. to go with that i would add a small metal cup with measurements. this combo will be low profile, low smoke, low visibility and will let you boil water. For food I would add in some mountain house freeze dried meals, a Hot meal after a long day or a cold night can make all the difference and with the cup you can measure and boil the water for the meals. Lastly, you need a fire kit. Like a small nylon baggie. Keep your fire steel, lighter, matches, fire starters all together. I prefer cotton balls soaked on vasteline, just put them in a zip lock baggie. They start right up with a spark from a fire steel and burn well, no tinder bundles.

And: the BG ultimate survival knife has a half inch portion of the back of the blade with a fire emblem. That is a part of the knife which was intentionally not coated so you would have a sharp spine to strike a ferro rod with it. Use it to strike a ferro rod and not the blade :)

Thank you for making this video. I have tested my gear around 40 to 50 times. My get home bag weighs around 12 to 15 pounds. I test distances of either 15 or 30 miles. I am just stating this because getting shouldn't be a camping trip. I only have one suggestion. Carry at leat a liter of water. Instead of a get home bag. It could become a find wster bag. Good luck.

This was a nice practical exercise...and more than probably 99.44% of other people will actually do. I would have had the ramen noodles with the jerky added for dinner. That bowl of soup will make a difference in your hydration and your comfort on a cold night. A packet of oatmeal would have been nice to wake up to. In roughly the order I would prioritize additions to the bag. Keep your gloves in the bag. Add a pair of socks to the bag. Add a hat, appropriate to the season, to the bag (ball cap in the summer, knit cap in the winter). Keep a good pair of walking or trail shoes in the truck. You might not like that same trip as much in sandals or dress shoes. Reusable space blankets tend to be better value over time compared to the thin mylar blankets. They are not quite as reflective, but they do last much longer…and are FAR more durable in even light winds. For $20 you get a blanket that will last longer than any emergency scenario that is likely. A reusable emergency bivy (e.g. SOL Escape Bivy) is a good option for cooler weather. The reflective interior really does make a difference. These bags breath better than you might expect. A small ¾ length inflatable pad, or even a 1/8” yoga mat (you can score this, reinforce with tape, and fold it into a “back pad” for the pack) will provide a bit of insulation from the ground. Combined with any amount of leaf litter or boughs, this will make an outsize difference in your comfort. Conduction from the ground is a BIG contributor to a cold nights sleep. You may only need this in the colder months. A candle lantern, like the UCO, is a good option. The standard candles will last for 8-9 hours, the beeswax candles will last for 12-ish hours. A single candle is easier to manage than even a small ground fire. In addition to the light, a single candle will put off about the same amount of heat as another person. Combined with a reflective tarp, this can make a big difference in establishing a micro climate. This is a good option when a ground fire is not desirable for any reason.

And: I think that finding stuff in tiny hidden compartments of packs is a common thing for many people. That's why I rather less compartment with several pouches which will then hold 10-20 smaller items together. That way you will not overlook anything that might be handy ;-)

Please add a compass to your bag. You can’t tell direction in cloudy-rainy days without it

If you don’t make mistakes you will never learn the lesson now shin up and write it down things that’s you forget on to the next one stay safe out there Hod bless you always

The military saying is travel light freeze at night. Bivy sack , a tarp + foam pad as well as a jacket and wool blanket would be a much better set up. More food as well.

1. I keep two bandanas and a shemagh at the top top of my pack. One is camo in case i want to cover my head and be less visible. One is orange and can be used as a flag. The shemagh is larger. Any and every time i pull stuff out of the pack. I lay the shemagh down as a table so i don't leave a piece of gear behind. 2. Another small bag in your trunk with a pair of broken-in shoes. In one shoe is a fresh pair of socks. In the other shoe is stuff that immediatly goes in your pockets. Knife, lighter, light, gloves, gaiter/muff, whistle... 3. If the gloves are clipped to your belt or backpack strap, you'll use them before you hurt yourself. If they're in your pack, you'll hurt yourself because they aren't convenient and you "probably won't get hurt".

Good on you. There are a lot of people that will say bring this or that, but experience and using your gear will tell you exactly what you are missing, or what you don't need.

I applaud you for testing your gear. I would suggest an SOL emergency bivy, they fit in the palm of your hand and zip up so you don't have to wrap yourself in a mylar blanket. They are so small, you could carry several for your children. The Mylar blanket shelter is good but if you get the SOL extra large blanket, you can make a slightly larger shelter. I've also found the SOL blankets to be a bit tougher. also some contractor grade bin liners can be filled with brouse to make a good shield from the ground.

Hi, I enjoyed your two part journey. I have two suggestions that I didn't see in some of the other comments. Add a pair of thick wool socks. If your feet get wet and you are doing a substantial bit of walking you could be in for some serious blisters. The socks could have also been used as mittens since you forgot your gloves. The second is a disposable tin loaf pan. You can fold one almost flat and then unfold it and you will have something to boil water in (for your Ramen or just sterilizing the water for drinking).

Another really good video. Thanks for doing All these videos.

I really enjoyed your video. I've gone in the other direction, I work 18 miles from home. My get home bag has a sawyer water filter as I have multiple water sources on the way home a boo boo kit, TP and that's about it. I plan to huff it all the way home non stop. If you look at it most items they are to make you comfortable, I just want to get home as fast as possible which means I need to travel light. I have a very small sling bag or a daypack that I use, one for summer one for winter where I'll add warmer clothes, gloves, beanie and a few lighters.

You need something between you and the ground, and yes a bed of leaves will work but you need to make it dense and deep so after full compression there is at least a few inches between you and the ground. You can pile extra leaves up and have leave all around you, bottom and top if you don’t want the weight of a bag or blanket. I also would carry better water and more of it. You can use a camelback bladder in most backpacks, even cheap ones. That would be 2 or 3 liters of cleaner water than Dasani unless you’re drinking Memphis tap water. Walmart has those bladders in some off brand for far less than Camelback brand but fits the Camelback carriers

Put a list in your bag. must have a metal container of some sort. The barrel bags a must ,so muli use.keeps you dry if it rains.

man please as someone who has had between 2 to 3 decades of woods exp. please get something besides emergency blankets. you saw the downside of them. If there is no heat they are worthless. also they are good for one maybe 2 setups before they fall apart. I highly suggest a Mil spec poncho your shelter element as it is way more durable and gives better options and if nothing else i would rather curl up in a poncho than a mylar blanket. I would also suggest a poncho liner or a swagman roll for a cover element but i understand if its to much bulk at least a SOL bivvy bag. it's like a space blanket but has zipper is way more durable and will last longer.

A GI poncho has multiple uses and is way better than the survival blanket for the lean-to and not much heavier. But GREAT video.

Maybe small new testament for the mind the mindset is very important be a eternal preparer

Great videos. As you've already noticed: wool beanie (maybe a balaclava), gloves and a mylar bivy + a cotton sleeping bag liner will also bring you a long way. Thanks for the honesty!

⭕️ got a serious suggestion... especially for this time of year... clear out the area of your fire. you're lucky it didn't spread straight to you.

I enjoyed this.

Hey I think it's really good you use the fire striker although you had a lighter at least you know how to do it instead of being in that situation and not knowing what to do plus use the back of the knife not the sharp bit, and for those that don't have a sharp right angle on the back of your knife file it down a bit then your fire striker will work better

Awesome

I think after a hot shower and a meal you'll be pleased you used the ferro rod instead of a lighter. I've tested lots of kits and it's the little things you learn (like keeping a lighter in your pocket till it becomes habit) that make the difference when things are less than ideal. Learned a proper poncho with decent grommets are great in the smaller kits. Multi use and withstand the weather better than an emergency blanket (though no reason not to have both).

Lets do this again.

And that boys & girls is Y when ya put together a BOB or GHB or a EDC bag ya test it out close to home, even if U havta walk 15 miles in short circles,, ask me how i know 🤣 been thar dun dat !!

Another YTuber channel you might want check for what to put in your bug out bag is Waypoint survival. Enjoyed your video.

Don't forget the 5cs

Too many people don't know proper fire lays for survival. Where are the two 6 foot longs with 6 feet of fire the entire length? Mors has been teaching fire lays for decades and most instructors tell you to gather 3 times the wood you think you need. We are not talking handfulls, but piles and piles. This takes a lot of time, so it is important to dress properly.

Have you itentivied what wild edibles are around there?

So are you going to keep a pair of gloves in your bag now

Ok! I'm done for now! lol. I know, sometimes I talk too much.

If you cannot survive for 72 hours with your bugout bag then there is a problem with you or the bag or both.

TWO DAYS? lol Who couldn't survive that?

bug out to where? nowhere.

Take out first aid?? like canceling insurance or getting rid of your fire extinguisher because you didn’t use it. Silly

Lol 10 years homeless with just bike 60 lb gear years of boyscout 2 years seach and rescue ya I think I can on less I've done it over and over for years fools