I like agenda free honest no nonsense strieght forward channels.

Isn’t it strange how so many people benefit from being in nature , getting fixed by society , being torn away from nature and ultimately how many people suffer because this connection is being lost. Love hearing your marine story’s. Keep up the good work.

These camping/bushcraft videos are the only thing that helps me sleep, PTSD is a hard thing. I applaud you for supplying me with some help overcoming my sleep issues. Thank you!

As an American veteran I want to thank you for your service. I was very fortunate to have served in your country twice, total of nearly eight years. My wife and three children were all born in Chelmsford. I worked alongside RAF fellas who used to "drag" me to the local pubs...what great times! Although I have tents, I prefer to hammock camp with tarps including a 3mX3m DD tarp, my favorite. I usually set up one side as an awning with the backside protecting me from the wind. While stationed in the UK, I often camped and fished all night with my kids. We used a white parachute one of my mates gave me and it covered a huge area. My twin boys usually invited their school mates with them and the 'chute would shelter me and six kids. However, by the evening the white parachute was nearly black with all of the insects that were not invited. Anyway, thank you for showing some of the shelters used by campers. I love to stealth camp now as the nearby state park has been closed due to the health climate. So I use the DD tarp (dark camo version) as low to the ground as possible or shelter under huge fallen trees with the tarp set up on the windward side.

I served alongside bootnecks in Helmand as a young US Marine! Having worked with Royal Marines, ROK Marines, Thai, Mexican and Philippine Marines, it really does seem like Marines worldwide have a particular sense of fraternity. Being in the AF Reserve now, it isn't the same. Small wonder we seem to be attracted to similar occupations when we leave the service! Cheers, bootneck!

I love stealth camping channels, dunno why, awakens a sleeping child within my old old soul. I don't think I would ever go stealth camping myself, I'm more of a glamper but man I love watching other people creep around.

Remember this patrol base very well, funny as hell watching guys screaming after the camel spiders crawl over them. Great video mate & we call it a Basha.

I love how he talks about how fast the weather changes. Here in Ontario, Canada you can have four seasons worth of weather in a week. In April we had weather warm enough to be in shorts, then freezing rain, then snowfall, then just heavy rains, we understand weather changing quickly and feel your pain here. Now we are in the month of May, and as we say here , it May be warm, It May rain, It May snow, the weather May change from morning to afternoon, prepare for anything, lol. Cheers!

He explains absolutely everything, what can't you not like about his advice. Remember he's been there in hostile situations,life and death so for me I'll definitely take.his advice on board..

Thanks Nick, after a rough PTSD episode this week, this was a breath of fresh air and fun too! Best...Cam 👍🏻👍🏻

I've used tarp tensioners for decades and you can get your tarp taut, and it will stay that way through storms. I have a couple videos on how to make them. The simplest version is just to use shock cord loops at each tie out point. 1 to 4 loops depending on how windy, I just larks head them on as needed. With tensioners, the wind blows and the tensioner flexes and then returns back to taut. Have a great day

as an ex member of the NZ army we do things on the cheap as well, and were always borrowing from Oz and US folk as well for decent kit

Always a basha for me, many memories out on exercise in the backside of nowhere in October, pouring rain, freezing cold; had to make it work for the sake of sanity… moral was a luxury at that point 😂

Thank you for your service 👍

Realistically your going to be pairing the OEX (which is really a pimped up bivvy bag) with a Poncho or Basha anyway. Good thing about it is (as you pointed out) is the superior thermal and bug protection.

Another great vid Nick. Big fan of the 4x4 DD tarp in our woods, although we’ve progressed to parachute over the fire!

My best ever buy was a 9.99 tent from lidl, I used it for ten years all across Europe and UK including the top of Scotland where the wind tore a really expensive tent to ribbons. I gave it to a homeless charity a few years ago with utter believe in its usefulness as a shelter from the elements. Pound for Pound one of my best buys ever.

USMC here, we loved working with you guys!

In Australia a "Poncho" is something that you can throw over the top to keep you and your gear dry, generally with a hood in the centre and can be used as a shelter. We call the 2.6 x 2.3m tarp shown a "hutchie" (pronounced hootchy). I would prefer to put an inflatable sleeping mat inside the pack. Nothing worse than getting to camp and finding your sleeping mat has been holed by a thorn or bramble along the way.

Nice to see a festival tent used. When I use a tarp with mine, I use the ridge poles built into the frame of the tent and also allows me to create a natural porch at the front, for sitting out, cooking etc but can also then be pegged down for wind & rain protection. Looking forward to more videos.

As a former Marine, I really enjoyed working around you guys in Afghanistan. It also helped that you were “allowed” beer on your camp! Camel spiders! They say they are harmless. But , no thanks!

Great video Nick thoroughly enjoying them. Reading other comments it makes me think of my career as a Psychiatric Nurse and also Qualified in CBT. I am no longer registered as a Nurse and hearing your story of the PTSD you suffer from makes me regret leaving my career. Unfortunately I retired due to health issues mainly, orthopaedic . Looking forward to seeing future vids and possibly booking some time at happy valley when I get a new pair of knees. Great stuff.

Basha is the designation here, old school 58 pattern back in the day! I had a catoma Badger given to me by a friend in the USA, so I've experienced your mesh Afghan sleep setup. The badger has a flysheet if required, although not sure you'll find me using it on the side of a UK hillside in winter. Anyone who can deploy and repack a festival tent is a top bloke. Enhoyed the video and like hearing your tips, sometimes it's a reminder of skills parked out of sight in the old grey matter other times it's a new idea to try out. All the best.

Great vid and ex royal spend many a shift with your lads back in the day total respect to you mate subbed

Love the videos mate. Good to see them really upbeat. You should be on the telly fella!

With 6k subscribers, nobody thinks you're paid for reviews. I liked the military story insert. Keep up the good work.

so glad i came across your channel mate. quality content with great delivery keep up the great work

Awesome video, I love the basher/poncho specially the handles so it can be used as an emergency carry system.. I have just subbed and look forward to watching some more of your videos... Take care all the best 👍

Great channel, interesting video and even more interesting story behind all that. Love your videos. Keep up the great work!

Have just found your channel. Great stuff and always helpful to remind oneself of the basics.

I'm not an experienced hicker. But those were my thoughts when i opted for a tarp. And at that time i was not luky to find your videos, but i'm really glad i made the right choice. At the end of the day, bushcrafting is about freedom and tents do set limits.

I love my issued basher, I still use it even though I have been out nearly 4 years. Great vid, very informative.

Nice one Royal. Fond memories of Sangin too, living the dream.

Love how you called the DPM basha old school ! When we used them they where called a ponch when you wore it and a basher when you slept under it and they where green!!! Great video though !

Hi, I'm ex Army (Inf then AGC) and just touching 61 so old school 58 pattern poncho myself. Its used as a backup or as a ground sheet but its also part of my wet weather gear; use a DD 3x3m tarp as my primary. Was thinking of getting 2 IRP kits and sewing them together and then putting grommets in multiple around the outside (corners and along sides) thereby giving me a approx 10'x 7' tarp for about £20. Atb Malcolm 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

OohRah, good to see you brother from across the pond .

love watching your vids. very helpful. can't wait to go camping/hiking.

Love all the hard work you put into all these videos. 🤝

Hi from across the pond. Nick, you have a good way of explaining things. Good video and thanks for your service.

Poncho when it’s down, basha when put up and habitable!!👍

Loved this. Thanks for sharing. God bless.

Fantastic video. I'm a big fan of DD tarps and hammocks. I have one or two of them. Nice to see it holding up well after a year outside. Like you I have plenty of story's about camel spiders from my time in Iraq. The little buggers even chase you sometimes and one of the lads woke up with one over his face. Lucky for him he had mosie net between him and the spider

I was a little ways down the road from Tangiers. Operating out of FOB Whitehouse.

Spent 7 months out in Afghan on herrick 11 based in FOB wishtan. I spent 2 months in PB Tangers and lived like a king, we built a oven which we name a ( Govan) out of a small Hesco section and mud / clay. We mad pizza, roast chicken and bread in it, also made one at PB chakaw. You can rough it or you can make the best of a situation. B COY , 1 SCOTS op herrick 11, 3 Rifles battle group.

Loving the content bro, Recently bought a one man stealth tent, used it once, but went back to tarps ( Aussie here, same as a bivvy I think ), great tips on different configurations for setting up. Keep up the great work. Peace ✌️

Great stuff, thanks for showing so many options. You have a new subscriber.

Loving the videos nick 👍🏻 so helpful and informative keep it up

Semper Fi my Royal Brother. I am planning my Appalachian Trail thru hike and also have ptsd. Love the videos especially tarpology!!! Cheers Brother

Kept my poncho for ages but it got torn one year so just replaced it with a cheap ground sheet from go outdoors still use the old tarp between too trees with bungee chords or guide ropes an pin the back to the ground as a shelter with a 180° view when I'm out stealth camping sometimes... old military training never leaves us lol

Thank you for your service.

Thanks butty massive help definitely adding a British army poncho to my gear it’s a winner 💪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿👍

Dutch army hooped Bivvy is a decent alternative to that OEX one, though the Carinthia-made versions can be expensive. The Fecsa-made versions can be bought for around 100 quid, but they are known to occasionally have dodgy zips.

So many great (and less great) choices out there. Nice to see an honest review of kit and I love your anecdotes from your military days. I have a variety of tarps and tents....total addict! I love DD 3X3 metre and 4X4 metre tarps, and have a nice little lightweight solo 'basha' style tarp (forget where I bought that one) for day trips in reasonable weather. But, my new all time favourite is a Luxe Minipeak XL pyramid hot tent! It is a work of genius and now goes out with me in a day pack on most canoe trips, even just for a single day trip, as a lunch stop set-up. It it is so versatile and fast to pitch. No need for trees to set up and really quick and easy; great on a river bank where there may be nothing to tie off ridge lines too. You can use the bespoke adjustable centre pole, a pair of walking poles (with some gizmo I believe you can buy which converts two into a tent pole), or just cut or find a 'pole' from any suitable source! Apparently it can also be suspended from the loop on the top, so eliminating the pole completely, but that seems like a leap of faith for the strength of the small loop and the top seams! (if anyone has tried, this I would love to know if it held up OK?) It has two massive doors so on hot days when you need a sun shade, it works like a tarp with a central pole, or can be configured in many different ways. It comes with a winter half inner which can be left out, so it works brilliantly as a floorless tent shelter providing tons of space and of course with the addition of a stove (mine is a Winnerwell Fastfold titanium stove), it is incredibly snug and warm in mid winter. (Provided you prep plenty of wood for a cold night). If you have not tried one, I recommend you give one a go. The Hexpeak from the same company is also very popular I believe, but I think is single entrance. I love this channel and your great, open, positive and humorous approach.

I used to have a bivy tent similar to the one you showed first. Except with a separate rain fly. Yes, not only "snug" but the reason I tossed it is because of the way the door opens. To the sky. So, anything falling, including rain, will immediately get on your head rest area.

Brilliant advice Nick. really interesting advice re the Ticket to the Moon diamond tarp. Sweet. Take care and keep safe eh? ;-) Colin.

Really useful stuff. I have just bought a DD XL pyramid tent with single mesh inner. Can’t comment on it yet as I waiting until we’re allowed out to get up onto Dartmoor and give it a try. It was easy to put up in the back garden though and looks well made, like pretty well all DD’s stuff as well as being very light for the size of it. I will need a tarp to go with it though, so your vid has been dead handy.

Thank you for your service, and the good content, I'm subbed thanks bro cheers 🍻

Very enjoyable vid mate, as usual.

Great content and delivery, good luck with the channel!

Love the use of a poncho as a shelter!

I think that coffin is oex's take on a hooped bivvi bag. Impressed with the poncho - might see about getting one! Thanks for the video.

Great video,the xl and basha are my go to tarps

Thanks for showing us. Take care.

Some good setups there. I've used a Catoma and it was a great lightweight 3 season option along with a tarp, the only thing I learned the hard way it gives a mean uppercut...LOL. Thank you for your service.

Terra Nova Solar is the best tent I have ever owned. It's outstanding. Also have two bashers with bungees.

Just found your channel very informative and helpful, will be watching with my 5 yr old👍

Guday from WA! (Western Australia) The first "coffin" is called a 'Swag'. The versatile sheet Army issue we called a "Hoochie" and I used them but in the 70s (standard Aust Army issue).

Just found your channel and subbed nick, it's really good 👍

Nice video Nick, I'm a big fan of the tent over tarp set up especially for prolonging the life of the tent or for providing space to dry kit on canoeing trips. I've got a few of the DD hammocks tarps and there all excellent value for money.

I do love a good tarp, so dam versatile. Good shot bruv 👍🏻🍻

Great video brother! I'm a big fan of the 3x3 liteoutdoors tarp. 448g and perfect for 1-2 people. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦

Great video would love to see more two man tens like the vangos also do more on hammocks and the bedding set up. What do you use to stop cold air wicking away heat

Great Video Nick. £20 basha’s long gone. The link you shared now £41 I’ve got a woodland DPM basha. I’ve also got some flectarn poncho’s not military grade but can be used as a Poncho and a shelter. Two will snap together.

So good. Much appreciated. Thank you

Remember KISS? You do Keep It Simple and Succinct! You have tackled a vast subject with a huge product range to choose from providing the viewer with "food for thought." There is an army producing these presentations on Utube; all with their own agenda but not as good as your production. Experienced based learning, not forgetting the dits! I enjoy watching your videos; as I have stated before. B.Z!

Visited Tangiers a couple of times, and Inkerman in the opposite direction when I was in Sangin on H6. Definitely a basha and I have a few in different flavours, will have to eBay a couple!

I love my square DD Tarps for their versatility. They cover the A-frame, basha/poncho and diamond set ups shown as well as various tent configurations. I too like the diamond set up when hammocking for the field of vision it affords. Horses for courses but I can't see the point of the OEX coffin when a tarp + bivvy bag combo would be more versatile, more comfortable, lighter and cheaper.

New sub here. Love your vids. Cheers from the Canadian Rockies

Thanks for your service mate I'm subscribed

Again great video!

Very interesting especially to our cousins in RM commandos or royals as we called them in the RN.

How have you only got 5k subscribers? Mint video. Keep it up. Subscribed.

GREAT INFORMATION LOADS OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE AWESOME....👌👌

Your editing skills are getting really good, great stuff! What software do you use? Love the "handwritten" captions and arrows

Poncho: olive drab. Before that was the old gas capes, rubberised! Sprog lol 😆

Great stuff thanks for the upload!. I get super cold at night when camping in general. Do you think keeping warm is mainly on the sleeping bag and mat, or can a good tent have a big effect on the cold too? (I've recently invested in some high quality bag and mat so hopefully next time will be better!)

Just found the channel, great content and information. Certainly be subscribing

Excellent videos! Many thanks - I will enjoy coming back to these to bone up on skills. Currently looking at putting together Go-Bags for a family of 4 so looking at tarps rather than ponchos/tents - your opinion? Also load carrying - I have a couple of Karrinor SFs - 30 and 50L for me and the wife but the kids will have to put up with Black's kit - short sighted? And, cos were a family, I've got a Trangia - any other ideas? We live in Brighton and if I could get everyone out of town it would be a lot easier but we're mainly in urban environment (except for the beach) - any advice there?

I'm gonna be picky here, a Poncho has a hole in the middle for the head to poke through, ask a Mexican, a Basha is a military term for a sheet of material that can be used in many configurations to provide a shelter from the weather. I like the hooped bivi, I have a double hooped GoreTex bivi bag which I use in conjunction with a DPM Basha for woodland, I took the grab handles off the basha so it's a bit lighter and packs a bit easier, I use my 4x3 tarp for hammocking and occasionally I use my Terra Nova Solar 1 tent for hikes like Hadrians Wall and a bigger tent with separate sleeping / living quarters for the wife and I, the kids are now in their 20's so they don't partake no more, but the hooped bivi and basha is what I prefer to use. Good video Nick.

Hi, another great video thanks for sharing. I'm wondering if you ever used the British issue hooped goretex bivi bag during your time with the Royal Marines ? Similar in shape and design to the first tent shown, I'd be interested in your opinions please. Many Thanks John.

Rah. Just discovered your content. Keep it up. USMC vet here as well. Helmand Province. Good times…

Hi Nick - great channel! I 've managed to pick up one of the desert camo poncho/bashas and wondered if you had any luck turning them into tent configurations - most of your other videos seem to use a larger 3 x 3 tarp for that? The biggest problem I had is actually getting it back into the bag as simply folding it in half etc. just put all the thick handles on top of one another and made it too thick to fit back in the bag. It was only when I saw another video that showed that you were supposed to 'pleat' it along the ridge line that I was able to put it away properly.

Thanks so much for this! I’m really enjoying your videos. At 12.30mins on this particular vid, you mention showing a client how to turn the tarp into a tent. Do you have a video of this as I’m really interested in the design?👍🏻

Brilliant vid. B.A.S.H.A. (BRITISH ARMY STANDARD HOTEL ACCOMMODATION) I love them I've spent a whole year under 1 in a hammock and it never let me down once.

Thanks for the great content, Nick. Down here, your Antipodean brethren call that a Hoochie (or a Hutchie), and quite frankly I never want to sleep under one again. Cheers mate.

Have a Terra Nova Jupiter bivvy. Used it in UK in Autumn, Spring, Summer. In pouring rain, dense cloud in Lakes and fairly brisk temperatures. Never had a single drop of moisture overnight, zero condensation. OK it's expensive. But worth it in my opinion. As an aside I seriously hope this proliferation of outdoors advice following Covid Open Up does not end up with less tolerance to wild camping. Tips: Leave nothing behind. Be stealthy as possible. Aim never to be seen or heard, on your way in or out of camp. And please, if you do find somewhere that makes a great base camp, don't make a video about it and put it on KZfaq!

When me and my daughter went camping the other week, she had a green pop up tent. She looked like a ninja turtle with it strapped to her rucksack 😃😃😃😃

Another great vid I’m working my way through them on night shift lol. Have you used those crocodile trap clips, if so what’s your opinion on them.

Thanks for demonstrating shelters we wouldn't want to use in the field. Process of elimination is nice to see...

great video mate ex kob here you call it a poncho but i remeber the poncho and was much smaller my head or feet would pop out one end and remeber tieing up the hood