Hi Neil Don't forget the temperature of the water! Deep mountain lakes and quarries often don't warm up much! Hypothermia is a bitch, don't ask me how I know!
Late to the show, sorry , but here is my story... I was 17 and a school boy cadet involved with the Brecon Beacons mountain rescue team . So I was asked to demonstrate a river crossing to younger lads , as if I knew anything about it myself , a few hundred yards down stream of the old bridge across the Usk river at Brecon town . An older, larger lad took a climbing rope across the Usk at a more sensible point , fair play to Ade . So he tied that rope to a tree and it was secured both river sides . Then I waded out with a pole facing up stream , like the video here , but I had another ' safety rope' lassoed around me . This was meant to show the younger lads how river crossings were done. Yeah right . What I didn't know was the rope , once I was in the pretty fast moving water , took a route through a 'stopper' . These are rolling waves of cascading water caused by a largish rock below the water . When I got to the visible at the surface wave I was ordered by our ex special ops Sargent to drop into the quite turbulent water , to actually sit down in the very fast moving water. Kinell , WTF , the fixed climbing rope snapped , I felt a huge pressure on my body. I was chest height deep for literally a second and then I was launched down stream and I swear I ran on water for three seconds . Seriously , I have had serious motorcycles , GSXR750's , Laverdas , and this was a quicker acceleration experience . Then the riverside lads on the safety rope tried their best at fishing me back to their feet. Thanks guys , you nearly drowned an a one swimmer ! They were doing what they had been told to do ...............PLEASE do not mess with water that looks anything like a stopper . Ade crossed safely . I unknowingly demonstrated what could go wrong . I could have died . It was fun mind ! Lol ..... DONT MESS WITH FAST WATER .
Good video, and demo. I've never done any water crossing outside of my four years in the military. Luckly I was stationed at Ft Benning and Ft. Bragg where it was warm most of the time, and we also went to Panama for Jungle training, JOTC at Ft. Sherman. One thing we were taught, was to put ziplock bags filled with air, in our cargo pockets for added buoyancy. It was amazing how much easier it was doing a water crossing with that added help. Of course this was all warm weather crossing, so getting wet was actually welcomed. Keep up the great work.
Alternately, like a good comrade, one could use one’s trusty Plasch Palatka, as used in the Crimean War, the Great Patriotic War, Afghanistan and Chechnya. Fill it with dry grass and straw, tie it in a bundle and if you’ve done a good job, you may even be able to sit on it, paddle across, just getting your patriotic feet wet. Long Live the Motherland!😁 Seriously though, it is one of my favourite pieces of bushcraft kit, so versatile and tough as old boots!
@ That’s the one. 😁 it’s a really good channel, real “bushcraft”, not Instagram bushcraft. He uses two and stays dry, but I’d imagine a Russian squaddy would use one as a buoyancy aid, especially as it’s one soldier, one palatka and definitely no luxuries for them. ☹️😬
Great advice Neil! I’d like to think I’ll never need it but really good knowledge to have. Thank you for the demonstration and for keeping your modesty 😆
Colin Fletcher "the complete walker" recommended besides your recommendations that you take along a "May West" life vest. More kit to carry so check your topo map and look for a bridge or ford first
@@jamescherry2082 The kid was only 11 at the time of the swimming pool incident, she must be 40 by now. Anyway, it was wrong and ruined Len's Outdoor Pool building career. 🤦♂️
Personally, I can't think of a single reason why I would have not planned to avoid having to enter any water deeper than a puddle! The pre-planning of your adventure would surely discount it. I'm not saying I'd never fall in from the bank, or canoe, but to actually enter voluntarily is foolish beyond belief. My life would really have to be in danger to do it anywhere on the planet, it certainly wouldn't need to happen in The UK.
Ste, likewise I always plan to avoid having to go into the water, preferring to use bridges. However i have had to on several occasions. On dartmoor one winter due to rapidly rising water levels and disappearing light. In Scotland on a couple of occasions when the bridge show on the map was no longer present....always best to be prepared.
@@stuartb9194 No I didn’t. I was just giving my opinion on the practice of crossing a body of water. I don’t see the point in telling someone to not to do something inherently dangerous, then giving a practical demo of doing just that! I’m subscribed to the channel, so really like the stuff on it, just not in this case.
@@stetomlinson3146 fair enough. As I hike in western US, river crossings are a big deal and probably the most dangerous issue on the trail. I thought his advice was spot on in limiting the risks if its neccessary to do it. Hiking in the UK seems to have more alternatives to avoid a swim
@@stetomlinson3146 This is UA-cam where a lot of content is purely for the sake of putting something out different from anyone else and getting views. I agree with you, but I think this is meant to be a SHTF situation where Bridges become unsafe to cross, but if I had to do it, I'd do it differently and my pack wouldn't get wet either side straps up or down. I wouldn't need to empty my water bottle(s) either, but each to their own.
Why empty the water bottles and waste clean water? Water has neutral buoyancy so it won’t weigh you down. The air trapped in the drybag is buoyant. At least drink the water! Save having to filter or boil more.
You can never find a Royal Engineer with an assault boat when you need one!
You DEFINITELY get a thumbs up for getting in ! Well done 👏
Hi Neil
Don't forget the temperature of the water!
Deep mountain lakes and quarries often don't warm up much!
Hypothermia is a bitch, don't ask me how I know!
Late to the show, sorry , but here is my story... I was 17 and a school boy cadet involved with the Brecon Beacons mountain rescue team . So I was asked to demonstrate a river crossing to younger lads , as if I knew anything about it myself , a few hundred yards down stream of the old bridge across the Usk river at Brecon town . An older, larger lad took a climbing rope across the Usk at a more sensible point , fair play to Ade . So he tied that rope to a tree and it was secured both river sides . Then I waded out with a pole facing up stream , like the video here , but I had another ' safety rope' lassoed around me . This was meant to show the younger lads how river crossings were done. Yeah right . What I didn't know was the rope , once I was in the pretty fast moving water , took a route through a 'stopper' . These are rolling waves of cascading water caused by a largish rock below the water . When I got to the visible at the surface wave I was ordered by our ex special ops Sargent to drop into the quite turbulent water , to actually sit down in the very fast moving water. Kinell , WTF , the fixed climbing rope snapped , I felt a huge pressure on my body. I was chest height deep for literally a second and then I was launched down stream and I swear I ran on water for three seconds . Seriously , I have had serious motorcycles , GSXR750's , Laverdas , and this was a quicker acceleration experience . Then the riverside lads on the safety rope tried their best at fishing me back to their feet. Thanks guys , you nearly drowned an a one swimmer ! They were doing what they had been told to do ...............PLEASE do not mess with water that looks anything like a stopper . Ade crossed safely . I unknowingly demonstrated what could go wrong . I could have died . It was fun mind ! Lol ..... DONT MESS WITH FAST WATER .
Good video, and demo. I've never done any water crossing outside of my four years in the military. Luckly I was stationed at Ft Benning and Ft. Bragg where it was warm most of the time, and we also went to Panama for Jungle training, JOTC at Ft. Sherman. One thing we were taught, was to put ziplock bags filled with air, in our cargo pockets for added buoyancy. It was amazing how much easier it was doing a water crossing with that added help. Of course this was all warm weather crossing, so getting wet was actually welcomed. Keep up the great work.
Thank you for the comment buddy. It was February and the air temp was about 5 degrees....so definitely not warm!!
A pair of waterproof trousers and a bit of cordage can make a flotation device, I carry a pair of crocs for wading across streams
Thank you, one of, if not the best video on the subject!
Alternately, like a good comrade, one could use one’s trusty Plasch Palatka, as used in the Crimean War, the Great Patriotic War, Afghanistan and Chechnya. Fill it with dry grass and straw, tie it in a bundle and if you’ve done a good job, you may even be able to sit on it, paddle across, just getting your patriotic feet wet. Long Live the Motherland!😁 Seriously though, it is one of my favourite pieces of bushcraft kit, so versatile and tough as old boots!
Have you tried this?
@@sim-pitNo, there is a video by Survival Russia where he does it. I think it’s in the Russian Army Plasch Palatka manual as well.
@@The.Omnipotent.1 This one? ua-cam.com/video/7wBJ_ABVjsE/v-deo.html
@ That’s the one. 😁 it’s a really good channel, real “bushcraft”, not Instagram bushcraft. He uses two and stays dry, but I’d imagine a Russian squaddy would use one as a buoyancy aid, especially as it’s one soldier, one palatka and definitely no luxuries for them. ☹️😬
Great video mate...suffering for our entertainment and information updating. Huge respect to your knowledge mate.
Omg forgot the joy of this in the army lol
Excellent Neil. Well done demo. Always good to see people do rather than just talk.
Nate
Great advice Neil! I’d like to think I’ll never need it but really good knowledge to have. Thank you for the demonstration and for keeping your modesty 😆
Thanks. Would wear bottom rain paints. Enjoy your vids.
I remember having to do this in the army with full kit not fun at all nicely informed my advice always try to fid a different route atvb jimmy 😎😎
Find yourself a Royal Engineer with a BRIDGE.
@@RobertsBulgaria 😂😂😂😂
Colin Fletcher "the complete walker" recommended besides your recommendations that you take along a "May West" life vest. More kit to carry so check your topo map and look for a bridge or ford first
Excellent training video would love to see more of this type of situations, bravo.
Great video , thanks for sharing , God bless !
Good advice great video 👍👏👏😊
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, da Dum da Dum LEN FAIRCLOUGH😱!!!
😂🤦♂️Showing your age.
@@RobertsBulgaria yeh I realized only people of a certain age would get the reference.🤭👍
@@jamescherry2082 The kid was only 11 at the time of the swimming pool incident, she must be 40 by now. Anyway, it was wrong and ruined Len's Outdoor Pool building career. 🤦♂️
@@RobertsBulgaria 👍😂
Large trash bags are good for this too.
So...no bushcrafted catapult then??
This guy is officially part of the foreign Legion ..
I am not!
@@greencraft4783 Just kidding ..
I'm a field Marshall in the foreign legion, this time last week I was custer
Personally, I can't think of a single reason why I would have not planned to avoid having to enter any water deeper than a puddle! The pre-planning of your adventure would surely discount it. I'm not saying I'd never fall in from the bank, or canoe, but to actually enter voluntarily is foolish beyond belief. My life would really have to be in danger to do it anywhere on the planet, it certainly wouldn't need to happen in The UK.
Ste, likewise I always plan to avoid having to go into the water, preferring to use bridges. However i have had to on several occasions. On dartmoor one winter due to rapidly rising water levels and disappearing light. In Scotland on a couple of occasions when the bridge show on the map was no longer present....always best to be prepared.
You must have skipped the first third of the video when he explained that in some detail?
@@stuartb9194 No I didn’t. I was just giving my opinion on the practice of crossing a body of water. I don’t see the point in telling someone to not to do something inherently dangerous, then giving a practical demo of doing just that! I’m subscribed to the channel, so really like the stuff on it, just not in this case.
@@stetomlinson3146 fair enough. As I hike in western US, river crossings are a big deal and probably the most dangerous issue on the trail. I thought his advice was spot on in limiting the risks if its neccessary to do it. Hiking in the UK seems to have more alternatives to avoid a swim
@@stetomlinson3146 This is UA-cam where a lot of content is purely for the sake of putting something out different from anyone else and getting views. I agree with you, but I think this is meant to be a SHTF situation where Bridges become unsafe to cross, but if I had to do it, I'd do it differently and my pack wouldn't get wet either side straps up or down. I wouldn't need to empty my water bottle(s) either, but each to their own.
Why empty the water bottles and waste clean water? Water has neutral buoyancy so it won’t weigh you down. The air trapped in the drybag is buoyant. At least drink the water! Save having to filter or boil more.