I am a lover of hiking and been going to the mountains alot (I was born and live in a mountainous area). For many years I have been obsessed with survival, prepping, "tactical stuff", etc. A couple of times I went to such remote places where I got lost, and had to stay there more than I expected. When I saw Josh's rifle and huge backpack at the beginning of the video, I knew right away that there was too much stuff there). I'll sharesome of my survival kit. I won't list something as trivial as a kit for fire and the like, but for example, I use a sniper's mat in addition to a sleeping bag for sleeping. I am a Ukrainian, so I don't have a "gucci" rifle, instead I use a good proven single barrel 12 or 16 caliber. And from my experience, the main rule I've come to is to have a minimum of stuff. The heavier your backpack, the worse. And the second rule is that even if you have a whole vanload of stuff, but zero skills, it won't help you. First skills, then equipment.

Saws guys, Saws. A lot of people are not bringing those and for processing firewood and building shelter it is far more usefull then axe and also safer. Sometimes, I am also bringing hatchet, but good saw like Silky Bigboy Outback together with chopper like Skrama 240 goes a long way and is far more versatile.

It's so funny that Drew brought all his tactical stuff. That would be me. I'm glad we gun guys are getting out of our comfort zone and taking classes like this. Thanks for the great content, guys!

random little top for you, to help keep your water from freezing overnight put powdered drink mix like Gatorade in it and it lowers the freezing point by roughly 20 degrees. Also store your bottles upside down as water freezes from the top down and if its cold enough where its still gonna freeze some at least you'll be able to drink some of the water assuming it doesn't completely freeze

The more I see your videos on camping/outdoor survival, the more I can tell you guys don't have much experience backpacking. It will be interesting to see how that changes in the future

Cold Steel shovel is my #1 tool. Refinish the handle with linseed and keep the edge sharp, it'll dig, cut, or chop just about everything.

*Huzzah* to whomever brought their son to participate! I miss the America I grew up in and it's great to see it still survives in some places.

Before bed, fill a water bottle with hot water and put it in your sleep system by your feet. Will help keep your feet warm all night. Good video.

I'm in central Kentucky, I'm gonna check it out. I have a 350 acre farm that could be a good place to do a class. Thank you guys for keeping us informed on cool shit like this

When I went through tom browns tracker school we went into the woods with nothing but a knife and not even at first we flint knapped our own knife made fire from ice, friction,bow drill,and a few others plus making a fox nest I remember it was 20 below up there that winter and I stripped down to my boxers climbed insidey nest packer FULL of leaves and stayed warm all night long when real survival situations kick in y'all had sooooo many luxuries we didn't even have a back pack just our person we made our own snares , axe head and handle, hammers, and rope from tree vines and bark peelings and dead falls to catch and kill game studied will plants and locating ginsang what bugs and small lifeform u can cook and eat or even eat raw. primitive skills are so important because I know I'm my heart that if someone is coming up my driveway me and my family could run out the back door with NOTHING and I could keep us alive for weeks and when I say NOTHING I MEAN NOTHING I have thermal,nods, suppressed weapons,gear out the yang gps plus my own off grid wifi server that runs of raspberrie pie software but although this stuff is nice u guys should really get more in touch woth nature thw hard reality of survival it will truly change thw way u look at life 🧬 as a whole amd can change u as a person for thw rest of your life people from the city get out in survival situations all the time and the ones who make it out Alive usually mive to the mountains and retire up there living off the land

I went hammock camping in Upstate NY at 30 degrees for my bachelor party the night before my wedding. Got married right when the Salmon run started. I got the GI cold weather sleep system. I used the green bag and let my brother (from NC) use the black bag. Needless to say, I was cold all dang night, but it was a great time.

The husqvarna forester’s axe is a good bang for the buck. I don’t leave home without it.

Top notch content, gentlemen. Thank you. Just a couple of thoughts I had about water and weapons: in my time on active duty not once did I ever complain about to much water, or to many bullets. You may not need all the water you carry, but someone else might forget a container or have a failure in the field. Plus, when things do go bad for really real, that day scout might easily turn into a multiple day crisis. I personally believe we should carry a full load for any training. It helps ingrain item accountability, and awareness of what to do when you're trying to balance defense and survival. Train how you'll fight, because your first mistake will be your last. Godspeed, gentlemen.

Something we used in Alaska was put your poncho down (if not using as shelter), then sleep pad, then woobie, then sleep system (which ours included the goretex bivy) and that system worked pretty good when we had to sleep outside in the open one night when it was like -21. Or put poncho, then bivy, then the rest and it works good as well.

Finally! Someone addressed bringing items for allergies. 😃 Almost no really gives that any major thought or discussion, aside from saying they include a couple of tablets of benadryl, unless they have them. Eye wash is another big item. Get something dirty or irritating in one or both of your eyes and you'll quickly realize how important eye wash, rinse is.

Why no Silky Saw?? Looks like that would be one of the best pieces of kit to have out there! IMHO. 👍🏼

being totally blind, I have dressed my own game, birds and deer, built and maintained my own fire solo, and used my 30.06 to fend off a would be animal attack at night. Trakcs were destroyed by the rain next morning when the guide came to my campsight to get me for the bear hunt, but he figured by the damage to the shelter, small bear or mountain lion. so if a guy uses braille and cane can figure it out, you can too. All can be worked around with thought.

Enjoyed watching your loadout video. In my younger years I did a lot of backpacking, seven times down into Grand Canyon, a couple of times in the Superstition Mountains and other various trails throughout Arizona. I had to laugh at the size of your pack outs and the large variety of items. When hiking I tried to keep my pack at 31 lb. With experience I learned what to take, essentially what you actually used and what you should have left at home. Making a detailed written list and checking off the unused items after returning from my trips helped a lot. We usually had 6-8 guys in our group and always held a prep meeting prior to a hike. It was especially important to stress to any "newbies" how to pack as light as possible (such as no 32 oz. cans of beans). On one particular trip into the Grand Canyon, I caught a nice rainbow trout in the Little Colorado River. When I walked into camp with it, one of the non-fishermen in our group said "how are you going to cook that large fish in that little backpack skillet", I responded "I'm go to fillet him and cut him into smaller pieces". The "newbie" in our group took off running to his tent and when he returned said "hey use this" as he handed me a 10" cast iron skill. I guess he missed the speech about packing light.

I am starting a new base camp in a week on a friend's property and this video reminded me of something I knew but had forgotten..."Don't pack your fears - you can't carry it all: increase your knowledge, not your base weight". BTW, as cold as it might have been on the perimeter of the shelter, I would have preferred that than to need the bathroom at stupid O'clock and have to roll over those between me and the exit LOL

Good training you guys got there. Essential knowledge to have.

Agonic.. BEST Belt I have ever owned!!

Great videos not everybody is born knowing how to do this stuff and it's good that you guys are teaching people like myself

Keep up the awesome work gentleman!!!!

Gotta get that dirt time !!...it really does teach you what you can add or takeout necessary items

I think it was 2009 but my unit at Ft Hood did a 3 day land nav exercise. It wasn't until I got out there that I noticed I had brought my bivy cover but not my actual sleeping bag. Nighttime temps were in the low 40's and they were the longest/coldest nights I spent in Texas.

Thank you for the video.

It makes me happy to see civilian gear still being g used and performing well with all the tactical craze going on lately.

This episode flowed pretty well! Didn't feel like 28 minutes

Hennessy hammock rain fly is my go to, awesome shelter to keep in your bag with a poncho to keep on body.

My pack has almost a dozen snares working on my fishing kit and getting Bowfishing bow

16:45 Folding saw is the best and most efficient and precise tool you could get, highly recommend!

Just went on a 2,5 day hike in the mountains and was very grateful that my sleeping bag and insulation layers were inside dry bags. Definitely a consideration if there is a chance of rain or heavy mist.

Here's what I take, usmc mainpack, bivy sack, sleeping bag, poncho liner, USMC tarp, 3 MREs depending on planned activity level, Etool, basic IFAK and small IFAK, NVD compatible helmet, PVS14, rifle, 10 mags, gloves/eye pro, 2 pair socks, 1 extra shirt, and multi tool. Only thing I'm not sure on is water, 2 canteens and a Nalgene bottle isn't enough for 2 days so maybe bring a gallon jug in your pack or a life straw for filtering

Very interesting,informative! Been prepping for the worst of timrs,disasters,etc.nonMiltary,.Not much for group think.But veri ft ovation of my thinking on this subject of packing up moving out ,esp. In a hurry takes me some straining to do. Was never fast when young. Now cannot do much real. Movement,standing ,or the normal activities of life. I probably never bug out because of my slowness.But dig in. Enjoyed seeing what all you packed You make me look a little light!

Great video. Thanks for the share.

This should be on TV awesome stuff lads

Get a good saw with the good axe Drew. A 21" boreal or whatever packable bucksaw you like is vital. A 2ish pound 26" boys axe makes short work of most shelter sized trees.

I go backpacking pretty often so I'm set. I will say that saws are more energy efficient than axes. Silky saws are some of the best. Another useful tool is a settlers wrench.

gransfors bruks small forest axe is my go-to for a pack axe!

So much extra stuff it’s crazy

I'm going to the April class, couldn't be more excited. This video couldn't be timed better, as I'm putting together my gear this weekend to see what i might be missing. Keep up the good work!

NE Kentucky here. Very good class it sounds like.

You guys are a blessing. Such a relief from all the tacticool operators KZfaq and instagram is flooded with.

That looked like a good course. It reminds me that needing any of it will be a bad day.

Geeez i pack less stuff for a week camping trip

Hello from New Zealand. This is something I have always wanted to do but never did due to circumstances over my years. I haven't been out to practice anything, I do what I can from home in the city. If time came to the crunch, I dearly hope my family and I can survive if ever it came to heading to the bush. Thank you, guys.

Good deal . Always good to keep items ready . 30 rnd hole puncher supply mandatory accessories

One thing to help you stay warm in the shelter, check the wind directions. In my area, wind comes from the NW in winter, SW in summer. Angle your shelter to block the wind and if able, don’t make it a straight tube. Do a circular shelter with one entrance. That will also stop wind from shooting through a bunch. Use your packs to use as a wind block for the entrance, especially when there are multiple people, you can make a good wall.

"The big thing here is, we didn't die," haha

Tarps at he end could make good wind blockers and to hold heat in to a little. Just caution of condensation

Drew if you’re looking for a good axe you should check out Gransfors Bruk’s axes. They’re pricey now adays but I’ve got 5 in all different sizes from hand hatchets to splitting mauls that I’ve had for years now. Great quality and craftsmanship and they come hair shaving sharp I’ve put mine through some serious abuse. Just rub some boiled linseed oil on the handle once a year and keep it sharp and it will last a lifetime

Definitely need this class in Utah!

Would love to see a class like this in TX hill country

I know tourniquets are something that everybody carries now, but I don’t understand why that’s everybody’s first go to item to prevent bleeding. If you talk to combat medics or people who spend a lot of time in the outdoors, you should have an Israeli bandage on your person first and foremost, secondary would be a tourniquet. Most wounds that you would encounter in the field are not going to be bullet wounds. You don’t need to apply a tourniquet you need to apply a bandage first.

For a ground cloth a lot of people use tyvek home wrap it’s lightweight and strong

I would argue against disposable things like hand warmers and such.. Yeah they may be cheap and not take up a lot of space, but you are not training if you don’t embrace the suck.

Conversation in the shelter the night before go's like this. I just have one question guys, who farted!!! 😂

In case no one else has commented, look into some backpacking style sleep mats, they can be warmer and way more compact then the foam pads you guys have. I recently went on a backpacking trip with my girlfriend and she has a sleep pad with a 7.something R-value that packs down to the size of a Nalgene. A little shorter then one but a little fatter

Keeping a hose close to your body or feeding it to be completely in your pack when its cold out is essential. My first hunting trip i only had my hydration bladder when hunting elk in november and it froze. Couldnt drink anything until late in the day when the sun came up. The next year i had both a water bottle just in case and the hydration bladder was mostly packed in my pack to keep warm in the mornings. Ended up using the water bottle more often because it wouldn't freeze as much. The lessons you learn, right? And the boo boo kit was used a lot including pain meds, but surprisingly not much for me other than my feet. It was more used for the other 4 people out with me. I ended up having terribly fit boots on ehich gave me blisters and had to take care of that the second day out with my knife, bandaids, and some polysporin. Never ever go in boots you havent vetted in a long walk or a break in. Invest jn good footware more than anything.

I've been in the infantry for just shy of 8 years, I would say y'all packed pretty well compared to how we pack minus the water filtration (Army will give us water lol) but in terms of a tarp, I'd reccomend a 8x10 you can make a lean too or a standard tent. For me ponchos dont work well in heavy rains they leak a little bit and im 6'2 so I don't exactly fit either. One more thing is all of you guys had one thing in common. Cold feet. Y'all had jet boils and Nalgene so when you wake up and your feet are either A) fluff your bag to produce more air in the cavities of the material B) boil some water in your jet boil and put it by your feet, it'll hold heat for about 5 hours

I just signed up for the April class! I’ll make sure to bring a big boy “hatchet” 😁 I’ll look into saws too, I see several people suggesting that instead.

Get a 24" Council Tools Pack Axe, instead of one of the fixed blade knives. Makes your bush crafting so much easier.

I watch a lot of these sorts of videos and something that I almost never hear mentioned is the inclusion of a good knife/ax sharpener. Dull knives/axes are more dangerous than sharp ones. Worksharp makes a combo unit with diamond/ceramic/leather surfaces that I finally settled on as the best, but a very minimum of a medium stone is a must.

I'll be honest, the bulk of your sleep system seems overkill, but comfortable. There are days where it gets bellow freezing in VA. I rock a mylar tarp, poncho, clear tarp, bivi, poncho liner, and the clothes on my body. With those I can make through even sub zero as the clear tarp and mylar tarp can build a green house if you have a fire outside, or wrap yourself in the poncho liner wrapped in the mylar tarp, inside the bivi inside a makeshift shelter. It'll keep you alive. What I need to add is a flare gun and GPS, I'm running map based land nav.

Videos like this make me think these communities are oblivious to the ultralight scene and how easy it is to survive in the wilderness on very little gear.

i learned all that as a kid ....good times...still go few times year similar

Josh's pack looks like the Eberlestock Terminator, very nice pack. I have their Operator, Phantom, Gunrunner, and Apprentice packs, and I love all of them.

I have a glass magnifying glass in my pack, it’s a renewable fire starter and useful for removing splinters

I’m gonna check yall out! I’m in KY

High speed Boy Scouts stuff. Hell yeah.

Good stuff

lmao, "its the woods so of course I needed a chest rig, thermal and a rifle" I've never seen anybody hiking in the woods with all that kit beyond 1 mile from the trailhead

27:22 the ol' stick in the eye

Something I’d add is super glue. You can use it for so many things. First aid, fixes and fire.

Honest question, any reason to not use the tarps/ panchos you all brought to supplement the wood/ leaf structure? Over top if there was rain, control airflow at ends or setup all on windward side to control cold air ingress?

Always gotta watch where you go in the mountains. Moonshiners and guy's growing weed ain't gonna play around.

I'm blessed that my wife is an id physician, but I highly recommend getting broad spectrum antibiotics to keep on hand (something stronger than penacillin for sure).

for water purification check out the GRAYL system. for me the ultimate thing because it filters bacteria viruses chemicals etc. out of the water

If anybody’s looking for a decent all around axe I’d suggest the Gerber Bushcraft axe. I’ve had it for a while now and I don’t use it often but it’s not bad at all. Not the only good option but worth a look

learning how to swing an axe is key, those size hatchets can be very efficient when properly sharpened.

I was at a training that was so cold the leaves were froze to the ground and building a debris hut was really complicated

I remember as a 13yo Boy Scout making snow walls 2/3rds the way up in the Winter and riflery courses in the Summer. #genX

A class in the Poconos area would be awesome. Within driving distance from the DC, Baltimore, Philly, and NYC areas!

Love your channel! This video hits at a good time for me. Weather is changing here in the PacNW where we mostly have conifer rain forest conditions, and I'm getting ready to spend the spring and summer mainly in the woods. I kind of cringed at the amount of stuff that you packed in for a 2 day class. My sleep system is an 8x8 reflective tarp, poncho, teton lightweight 20 degree bag (more like 40), an inflatable mat, and inflatable pillow. Four pounds tops. Sleep systems typically take up the bulk of your backpack space, and after spending an obscene amount of money on different sleep systems, I've figured it out. I stuff a hot nalgene bottle in the bottom of my bag if its going to get down below freezing with this system and it hasn't failed me yet. Waking up at 3am with cold feet is the worst. Reading some of the comments here suggesting silky outback saws (which I own) I would make a suggestion - the corona razortooth puts most silky saws to shame and is my goto. A saw is a must have on survival and backpacking trips for me. I no longer carry an axe/hatchet after doing so for nearly 30 years.

Now do this in High Desert.

Optics planet or any other site but the Cold Steel trail boss. I have two I use regularly for firewood. I’ve taken down small trees. Planning to get another for off-roading.

One of the most important tools are a hand saw. Always carry inexpensive in conjunction with your hatchet/axe or bushcraft knife. The saw will save you calories that’ll you need later if staying for more than 2 days.

These goobers brought NODs instead of a silky saw and decent poncho lol

Polar pure is light weight and good for purifying over short treks

great vid guys, thanks! PS 7:35 what are Nods?

A "Y" branch in the center would of braced the ridge pole better. After setting up the ridge pole everyone should of used there ponchos to line the left and right side of the roof. This would of ensured a good rain proof. Then stack your branches that don't have to be heavy on both side. These branches could be cleared on the side facing the poncho so you don't poke a hole in them. Then stack the leaves on top of the branches. Your pack is filled with way to much medical. 1 IFAK and a small booboo kit for small cuts and scrapes and a small toiletry kit. 1 Grayl 24 oz water filter and maybe 1 Sawyer mini as a back up. Jet boil is not needed because you have a Stainless steel cup. Switch your Nalgene bottle with a Titanium or stainless steel water bottle cup set. Always carry a military style poncho and a camping tarp or military tarp. To much 550 cord, need a ridgeline made of 550 cord and then use bankline for all the rest of your cordage uses. Bankline is 350lbs strong and is a lot cheaper than 550 cord. A good bed roll that doesn't weigh much is: SF bivi sack, sleeping bag or top quilt or poncho liner or swagman roll, insulated air mattress, and 1/8 sleep mat. Roll it up and tie it up, don't need to water proof it because the bivi sac will keep the important stuff dry. Over all it looks like most of you don't have any military training or survival training from your packing list and the amount of stuff you forgot to bring or you took. Plan ahead, inspect your gear, and limit comfort items as much as possible unless you are using conveyance to carry your stuff to your camp site. Inspect means you set everything up and have all tie outs already on your tarps or ponchos. The ridgeline should be made with prusik knots that are needed and toggles if used. The bankline will make future prusik knots or other lines that may be needed. 1 good pocket knife or multi tool with blade and a good hunting knife as back up of big jobs. 1 small weapons cleaning kit that works for both rifle and gun. A small steel and strop for touching up your blades. Small brush to clean up boots and pants when you go through a lot of mud. Mud dries and you just brush it off. This saves your boots and pants from wear and tear. 1 pair of fingerless gloves and 1 pair of good work gloves. Military leather gloves are cheap $ but work great.

Very nice channel fellas, Sub right now. Thx for sharing. Great loadout. Btw, Drew from which brand is your Woodland camo chest rig? Thanks you..

You guys should do a video on covering long distances with a pack aka backpacking. Its a whole different animal than hiking to a single spot, setting up, taking down, and hiking back.

Nice Vid!👍 Drew whats that jacket you wearing ?

If you don't have a leatherman, you're living wrong

Looks like fun. Way too much gear, most of that stuff is dead weight, dead weight is unnecessary burden, leave it at home. I fold that 10x10 tarp into a bivy by folding two triangle 5x10 floors on top of each other and use the rest in plow point.

Would love to see a class down here in Florida.

Now this is something school doesn't teach you.👍

Mio fit water flavor, so you can get some caffeine and flavor the purified water is a nice thing to have.

Check for fire spiders ants too in warmer weather