Cheers from a former German soldier: Our combat boots/ mountain boots also got these hooks. What we were taught in boot camp (no pun intended) is to stow the laces' loops inside the boots themselves after binding them (does it make sense? I find it diccicult to describe this). Especially if you are geared up and marching fast paced through difficult terrain, not having open laces/loops is absolutely vital for not tripping. Great video sir, thank you so much!
Danke. Former US Marine Grunt here. Thanks for reminding me of something I did as a grunt and sometimes still do is that I use a simple square knot instead of the most common double slip knot for tying my combat boots. The extra lacing still needs to be tucked in, but if they work themselves out there is no loop to hook onto anything. This would really just be a bonus however because the square knot is mainly to do what a good knot is supposed to: Stay tied, reliable. The double slip knot is fine for soft cushy civilian life, but for warfighters, serious athletes and other on-their-feet hard workers it's really not a good choice. A surgeon's knot also works extremely well.
@@paulrevere2379 That's been a keen elaboration of how a proper man is supposed doin' his knots. I have absolutely nothin' to disagree upon. Thanks for sharing! And thank you for your service sir! BTW: Same thing here in Germany: people don't appreciate a solider as they should. But we know. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Take Care!
I've spent nearly fifty years in the woods. Yours is one of the very few YT channels that seems to be from an actual woodsman. Good tips, every one. Only one I'm lacking is the Garmin, and when I go into semi-retirement next year and head into the forest I plan on having one. You've got another new subscriber.
What impresses me about Greg is that he's not afraid to talk about his failures, and he doesn't act like his survival skills make him invincible. Sometimes it's just plain hard to light a fire regardless of how skilled you are with flint and steel or a bow drill (or a sandwich bag). It's important (and fun) to practice those skills, but good luck trying to use them if you fall and break an arm. That Bic lighter and candle might just save your life on a cold, rainy night.
@@TsandLman My dad was a city boy, who learned survival techniques in the 82nd Airborne, including a stint at Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado. Having learned them, he arranged his life so that he would never need them. He'd regale us with stories and talk about survival skills, but he had zero interest in leaving the comfort of home to go camping with us kids. So even though I've spent a lot of time out camping, fishing and hunting, pretty much everything I know and do is trial-and-error, and the slow accumulation of the right kind of gear, on what started out as a pretty limited budget. But I learned in my 20s that it was worth paying extra - even if it meant waiting a whole year - for equipment that worked and would last many years.
Very good tips, Greg! Thanks! The guy who died in the storm had called for help, alarmed the rescue. But the weather conditions were so bad that the rescue team couldn't go out. So, the best help-calling-system and rescue-system can be useless if the weather conditions don´t play with. That´s the reason why we should have always a minimal survival kit with us in our trouser pockets, when we on unsafe path.
Sounds like that poor dude who died, he fell, he had a broken nose. Wonder if he had a concussion that blurred his thinking, too? Yes, carry a lighter, Bigfoot Bushcraft fire tabs or something similar, a birthday candle and always wear a belt knife or a pocket folder. Even an emergency blanket folded in your back pocket would be handy - shelter, fire and protection on you at all times.
I got in the habit of tucking the loops into the top of the boot. Started after I tripped, do to exactly what you described. Fortunately I was more embarrassed than injured. Had a Marine friend suggest it. He also said check them often, only takes a couple of seconds when you have stopped to take a break. Great idea on the candle. Great video as usual Greg.
Greg, please do another 30 day survival challenge. They are pure gold my friend. Thank you for these videos and all your hard work. Best UA-cam channel hands down
@@phillee2814Yep, almost anything designed for convenience, even if not the main design point, there is a trade-off. It's a good idea to consider the trade-offs with almost every piece of gear. Sometimes a simple extra step is enough to mitigate a trade-off that adds a hazard.
1:10 sos radio (in reach) 2:20 knife preferabbly with ferro rod 2:32 candle 3:37 hammick 4:38 paracord 5:02 dont bring bulky flashlight 5:33 bring spare smaller flashlight w/ extra batteries 5:57 small first aid kit containing crazy glue for cuts 7:20 good boots/footwear (ones without the hook laced design) 9 tips from the man himself Personally id have some form of snacks and backup fire starters (cotton balls handsanitizer. Little duralogs you can get which are small) Happy holidays ty for the tips Greg! Those boots made me eat it few times. Seriously really great vid!😊
For survival,sure bring a ferro to cosplay bushcraft but if your injured and/ or hypothermicgood luck with that.....a waterproof lighter with a couple of good 10 minute firestarters?....grew up in Canada running trapline in frozen Saskatchewan
@@BradtheButcher1234Ferro rods aren't for 'cosplay bushcraft', they're for people smart enough to know lighters can fail or break whether they're weatherproof or not. Always bring one as a backup in case the lighter doesn't want to work.
@@BradtheButcher1234- Flat plastic bag ties can be shaved into smaller pieces and burn quickly but last long enough to get something started - saw that on a survival show once
Get a flashlight radio with a crank that makes it rechargeable. Unlimited light with minimal work. Also, get a whistle. If rescuers are close and you need them to find you a whistle is invaluable. It's a hell of a lot more energy efficient than yelling. It can be done with a controlled breathing pattern and your voice will go out if you are yelling.
@@multimode1876 depends on how long you might be stuck in the bush. One is finite, one can last over and over. It takes 60 seconds of cranking for 20 minutes of battery life with the one I own.
@@multimode1876Bingo. Once in a while someone has an unusual idea that is actually good, but a common idea that you just don't see in use, not by hikers anyway, is a no-brainer. If the idea is good then people would already be doing it. Now if someone is not really hiking, but instead is setting up a semi-permanent shelter, then a manual recharching device might make some sense, although tbh I have yet to see a single legit "this saved my life" story about one of them, but that's just me.
Whistle AND one if those small freon horns. If you are too badly injured ribs to blow/hollar. Another cheap possibility, small battery bicycle horn, can be quite loud/different sounds, might well startle aggressive wildlife?
I also spend a lot of time in the wilderness alone with my Pack Goats so, I bought a Bivystick which works like a Garmin but I'm able to text my friends and family while sitting next to a fire at night and have a conversation with them. Really comforting having it!
Hey I'm a oregon logger live in the woods you remind me of my best friend he was a brother i never had his dad taught me so much about being a woodsman both are gone back 2017 miss them both I'm glad you make your videos awesome man one thing pitch is a life saving fire starter belive me I'm in the rain all day fire is key
I'm so glad you bought yourself a Garmin. This is my second viewing of this video. I know several friends who should watch and copy your survival tips. I always have a candle in my vehicle in Winter, and of course a lighter on my person. You didn't mention water and instant or dehydrated foods. I always carry either cereal bars or something prepackaged to eat if necessary. I suppose these items would be considered a part of someone's first aid kit(s). Stay safe Greg and Finn. Looking forward to your 2025 videos.
Being without essential items can be devastating.... especially if you are alone. Your content saves lives and helps homeless people so much. Ty for sharing your knowledge. You make a big difference! I like your channel because I feel these are essential skills but you are very entertaining and know what you are doing. Ty again from marysville Washington
Sadly, people get themselves in trouble even when they have enough essentials because they don't really have enough skill to make use of available stuff. This is where bushcraft comes in from fire to knots to shelter. Bushcraft is often confused with survival. Yes, the skills, a few essentials along with a key tool sometimes can save your life, but the heart of bushcraft is making a hobby out of developing and mastering some of those skills. In other words it's a way to turn something of potential necessity into something fun which is one of the best ways to learn and to motivate a person to practice which really is the key to many of these skills.
If you can find it, Derma Bond (Vet Bond) over Krazyglue. Headlamp over flashlight. Keeps hands free, especially walking around at night. AA is the most popular battery world wide. Use a square knot to tie up and tuck the laces into the top of your boot. 35 years in the Canadian Army and can't stop tying my boots this way now :) No loops to catch on stuff. Or simply get gaters.
I live 20miles from the spot where this Polish guy perish. It´s so tragic that he would have lived if he whould have known about the swedish conditions and known the forcast of the wheather. Greg thanks for all the work you are doing in education in this fields. For meny people this is common sense. But not for all of us. Thanks for all that you do!
Some of my older boots have similar hook styles as yours. I do have a few newer pair from Solomon where the hooks go all the way around and connect. You have to insert the string through it. After seeing your video I believe I'm going to always look for this style that Solomon uses. Thanks, Greg!
It would be nice if we could have all the best features we want in an affordable pair of hiker footwear. Most of us have to compromise on things and the lacing features just aren't high enough on the list I think, so we go with the best fit, if we are smart, and we hope that brand has a style with everything else good enough from type of sole to durability, foot protection, quick drying or waterproof, and somewhere down the line is lacing system. Sometimes I wish I could just afford a custom build pair of caligulae complete with a big lug Vibram sole. In my dreams right? Those are ancient footwear worn by Roman legionaries btw, sometimes mistaken as sandals, but they were much more than that. Except for the soles imo, they were much more advanced than most modern footwear.
Lol.. I got given a pr of led thumb/forefinger gloves.. The work eel. Each hand has own off swith. Adjust beamfocuse like adjusting finger on a glove. Compact. If it contributes.
I have a friend who owes me 2000.00 U.S.D for a wedding. He asked me to house sit his previous wife's 12 year old German Shepherd for two weeks. I've had Bear Bear for 18 months now. I believe i got the better end of the bargain. He knows English, listens, and pays attention to whatever we are doing. You only have to ask him to do something once. He may take his sweet time doing it, but shows total commitment to the task at hand.
i have 1 suggestion. a couple of buffs/neck gaiters. i got a staph infection on a camping trip in Hawaii from a small scratch on my calf. i was able to treat it myself by cutting the infection out, then using 2 neck gaiters soaked in sea water to create a pressure dressing. i washed and reapplied the dressing soaked in sea water 3-4 times per day, and also made sure to let it dry out for at least a couple hours every 2 days. once the redness had gone away, and there had been no more discharge for a few days, i started applying the pressure dressing without the salt water so the wound could begin to scab and finish healing. neck gaiters can also protect your neck face and ears from the sun during the day, or the cold at night and during the winter, they can be used like oven mits to protect your hands while removing a pot or canteen from a fire, to keep bugs out of your face and ears... neck gaiters are awesome, light weight, small, and cheap.
@@Mads-hl8xj Absolutely certain - both of my sisters are nurses, and both keep ordinary store-bought cyanoacrylate in their first aid kits (you have to replace it annually to be safe, or within a month if you break the seal, otherwise it may be solid when you need it most).
The hospital glued up my thumb one time and it still needed to leak anyways the next day it was twice the size I had to poke a hole or 2 to drain it dont seal it up 100% some places need to drip a bit
This is what super glue was designed/invented for. Designed to patch up wounded soldiers on the battlefield quickly. It’s why it stick skin together really good.
Talking about boot laces catching the other boot it happen to me at work while walking over a car lift thus falling about a foot further to the concrete floor than if I was just walking on the ground! I fell on my right side and stuck my right arm and hand out to break the fall. When I hit the floor I heard a snap/pop sound in my shoulder once i got up I couldn't move my right arm up higher than my shoulder and hurt like heck when I tried! I waited a few days thinking I'd get better but that didn't happen! I went to the Doc's got some MRI's done and found out my rotator cusp was torn and looked like spaghetti. I spend a lot of time in the outdoors and learned many a lesson from either poor judgment or bad luck like walking the length of a downed tree and slipped and fell in some thick underbrush in the fall that was full of woody like weeds stalks that were like three foot long spears. One stalk just miss my eye and but caught me in the face about a 1/2 inch from the outer corner of my eye impaling me about a inch deep near my temple. I was 4 miles back in the forest by myself with no COMM's to get help so I had to self rescue and seak medical aid. Luckily it missed my eye and didn't sustain any permanent damage! As far as carrying gear I now take a small med kit and cell phone, I also preferer a flashlight that can be worn on your head and a extra set of batteries this way I can use a light hands free with about 8 hour of hours of use per battery sets!
The hooks, happened to me on a paved road, happened to my wife on a mountain path. It goes super fast and totally unexpected. Always hid the shoelaces!
2:04 I've lived with a painful spinal injury for about 12 years now. I still spend a lot of time in the bush in winter. If your back breaks, you can usually crawl.
Thank you. In my kids/ grand kids fanny packs which i have them carry and train them with are a space emergency blanket lighter and matches, candle, whistle, glow sticks, small flashlight, sm. Water and some hard candies. But you have to teach them what they are for and how to use them. Just might save a life..
Great stuff, so glad to see you still putting out awesome content ever since that Alone season! I would like to share my alternative to the candle: when I do laundry, I save the lint from the lint trap and mix it with melted beeswax into Altoid cans. Then I carry those cans with me, inside ziploc bags to keep them dry, and whenever it is difficult to light a fire, I break pieces of the mixture and light that up. I also make a rapid-fire version of it that I use steel wool to line a small tin, then add the lint and wax on top. When you deploy it, all you need to do is scrape some ferro rod dust on top of the steel wool and strike a spark to it. Works wonderfully!
I quit wearing my boots like that years ago for that exact same reason! Thanks for telling everyone. I will do the same now that you mentioned it. Great advice for everything else too. 💯
😅 It was just some weeks ago when I tripped at a fishing spot with these kind of boots, for the reason exactly like you said. It's when you turn around on a small spot, near rivers or rocks, the boots come close to eachother, then it happens. Falling on rocks with knees or worse, could end a journey quickly.
Ya, I found out about the boots the hard way, I was opening the door for someone and got my lace caught up and down I went, I'm 61 years old, I bruised my hip and broke 2 fingers.Im lucky! Thank you for addressing this,I went down like a rock, peace,be careful out there!
Love these. Those extremely cheap head lights you can buy at any store was and still is a must have for me. Saved me when I got caught out in the snow. Just walked till I found some barb wire fence, grabbed it and followed it to the nearest home till the storm passed. Lived in MT with no power, no running water for 3 years and it is the cheapest life saver ever, and has the added bonus of lasting a very long time and not having to be held in your hands.
I carry the large size tea lights not the small ones so that if i have to I can just leave it all in the fire base, I got a 30 pack for $10 from wally mart years ago and i still use them. as for lights i have a biolite 330 which is great because it is pass through and with my power bank thingy will run the light easily for 12 hours straight, I also carry an LED road flare they run for 72 hours on one set of batteries, hang it in a tree near your site very easy to find in the dark , and having done search and rescue in the past here is a very simple one, take a small bit of white cardboard about 3 x 4 inches ish,and draw a thick black arrow on it, and place it on your dash in the direction you went.very handy at trail heads with many trails leading in different directions. it narrows a search area considerably. we used to carry the PLB one sos beacons, dual band for SAR and triangulation. great video, it was very sad to hear about stormy when i saw all the comments etc about his skill levels etc etc it soon became clear that he found himself in a situation that should have been survivable. but his gear was wrong and underestimating a winter storm can and sadly was deadly. people watch winter videos and think it is easy it is not, miuns 20 wind chill is not a good place to be with the wrong gear.
Great video Greg, i carry 2 ferro rods plus a few lighters,extra battery for torch, wirewool, them birthday candle which you can't blowout in my rucksack, plus 2 small ferro rods Lace into my boots, all small items which you could save you
Your so right about the boots , i wear Merrell boots and like alot of peeps dont use the top 2 hooks .a couple of times now ive caught the lace from 1 foot in the hook of the other.luckily only hauling logs down the garden for the fire .as you get older 59 here , you dont fall over as good as ya used to!!. Great advice from Greg as usual.i know if i was alone i would want Greg with me!! (I know ok).
Yeah. I knew an MD who retired while he was still young and fit enough to go back to school, learn some of the math he didn't learn the first time through, and go hiking, skiing and camping. He was living the dream. Then he slid off a high-mountain trail in Colorado, and that was it for him. So sad, to finally be living his dream, enjoying all the years of hard work and dedication, only to perish due to ice on a trail in the spring.
Candle, Garmin, small flashlight with extra batterie(s), lighter, knife with farro rod, hammock, a light weight tarp, paracord, first aid kit with an antiseptic cream and super glue, and boots without hooks, got it. Thx.
Bingo with the crazy glue.. it saved a buddy’s bacon when we were on a canoe trip, and he cut his leg with a hatchet.. I krazzy glued the wound shut, and the site didn’t even get red. Another must have is surgical tubing for tying off any accidental, serious cut where a blood vessel’s been cut & it’s imperative to tie off the wound from.bleeding out.
I had boots with hooks like that as a kid, over 20 years ago. I still remember one of the trips because it embarrassed me in public. Funny how the bad memories stick around.
Even with an empty lighter you can start a fire. Remove the metalpiece from your lighter and warm it up in your hands for a while. Then press the gas permanently with your left thumb and ignite with your other hand. Now you have at minimum a little blue flame, and you can start a fire.Stay warm out there.
In the Army I learned to tuck my lace ends as deeply into my boots as possible because of the hooking problem. Sometimes small branches and brush would get caught in the laces as well, which could trip you too. Great tips Sir!
I am always learning, but one thing I know is something I just have not applied forcefully enough which is the fact that tips are mostly location and situation specific. Most how to and tip videos are presented as if everyone on every trip should follow the tip. I like how this video with the Canadian winter setting narrows down the conditions. I live in a US state that borders Canada. This is the location of my hikes in recent years. In this region I commonly find tree sap by keeping an eye out for it. By collecting this sap before I need it I have something that basically provides some of the benefits of a candle (a good tip in this video). I do carry candles too, but they are small. A bigger candle for me would get dropped when I look over all my gear, and not because I go light; I don't. In a different place, where I might not have access to tree sap I might change that and add the bigger candle to my load - - Location really does matter that much, and there's at least a dozen other things from footwear to food that I will do differently all based on where and when I am going to do my camping and hiking.
Thank you so much for the tips! When you mentioned the number one cause of fatalities out in the wilderness is falling, that also goes for falling in your own vehicle on the way to the destination or on the way back. Not that long ago, I almost drove off the side of a canyon while trying to park my car to go down and fish the river way down below. I was just being a little too careless, and before I knew what was going on, I almost went off, my truck balancing along the edge with both wheels on the driver's side well off the ground. That was terrifying, epic fail and felt like the biggest loser ever, but thank goodness I was alone when it happened and didn't put someone else's life in danger or traumatize them for life. The same goes for driving in icy or snowy conditions. If you're not used to driving in those conditions, you have no idea how dangerous it can be if you're not extremely careful.
Thanx Greg, long time back country adventurer here. I agree with alot of what you suggest, I believe there are too many outdoor enthusiasts that confuse fun, with dangerous thrill seeking. Knowledge is king out here, not to neglect common sense, and wisdom. So many ppl dieing in the outdoors, they are so dependent on technology, they do not realize, how much they don't know, and are not careful...ty be safe...
8:00 for everyone in the comments look into military surplus boots. you can find extremely cheap unworn boots for not even 20£ so probs around 35 dollars. tractions great. can tie the laces up all the way as its got hole loops instead of bent inwards ones. comfortability will depend on the boot. my personal recommendations are the magnum combat patrol boots
regarding the flashlight , i like that many led flashlights have a LOW or HIGH setting for the brightness so that you have an option to conserve the battery energy .... & great tip about the boots..& shoelaces ....thumbs up bro'
We made our own candles in the little old style plastic film cannisters with lids to protect them over long periods of travel and little use. But you have them when you need them.
Great video as always! I was surprised by the candle though. A very well thought solution to a problem that you could experience. At the age of 14 I was thrown from our white water raft on the Red Deer river in the rocky mountains during run off. I was left to my own to make it to the road and get help. I did not have a wet suit yet like all the adults and experienced what I think people call hypothermia. I was shivering so impulsive that my hands couldn't even do up my zipper. I managed to gather wood for a fire but for the life of me could not start it! A candle could of been a game changer I think.
Norwegian here: You have good advices! But at Wintertime I will always perfer a tent before a hammock. The hammock means that you are surrounded by cold air. In a tent, with a cold pit, a little spruce branches under a simple foam sleeping pad, (Not inflatable!), you are actually better insulated. Snow is a fantastic insulator against the cold.
When I was a kid, working on a Bridges and Building gang, an old CN guy showed me how to tie my boots using a square knot - one for each boot - ("left over right, right over left") No loops, no danger of tripping, easy to untie when you need to, just push the laces toward one another. The knot opens up.
First time I went proper out there hiking and camping and had myself a struggle with the fire, despite plenty of scout training and such. First think I did when I got home was throw a couple tea candles in the pack. Absolute game changer that costs like 5 cents.
Very good advices. I also keep all my fire gear in a small tupperware container: it weights almost nothing and it's absolutely waterproof. It will keep all the things you need to start a fire absolutely dry even if you take a dip.
My brother and I always camped out growing up. My father bought my brother each one for Christmas from Army Surplus, official Marine Jungle Hammocks. Best Christmas gift I ever got. We camped in a swamp over two feet of standing water, over snow, on the side of a steep hill, and even on the ground. And they were cheap back in the fifties.
We even camped out in thick brush over the brush and over rocks. You just needed two study objects to tie your hammock to. Trees, rocks, or two thick stakes hammered and tied off or tied down, or even two cars or a car and a tree or a trailer.
Thanks for what you do! I agree with what you said about the boot hooks I found out the hard way! I ended up removing mine and punched holes for the strings to run through, no problem since!!
I have a suggestion to replace the candle. Get a butane torch. There's one called FireMaple FMS-706. Screws onto your camping butane canister. It's relatively small and light. That thing will start anything on fire, and do it quickly. It could be wet, cold wood, it will light it even with minimal prep. Besides the Inreach and shelter, I take it on every trip.
Butane won't flow and burn at extremely low temperatures, cannisters can leak and go empty and burners/stoves can break. Candles have no such problems and for survival purposes you want your gear to be darn near bulletproof under all conditions.
Lace caught on the boot-hook; I've had that happen to me, and I broke a rib in a nasty fall. I have and will always remove (drill out from backside) these hooks and inserted lace grommets since then. Thanks for spreading the word.
Great advice, one could make the woodpile also waterproof with the candle to allows the wood to get heated if your stuck in rain or snow. So drip the candle wax on the woodpile.
Cheers from a former German soldier: Our combat boots/ mountain boots also got these hooks. What we were taught in boot camp (no pun intended) is to stow the laces' loops inside the boots themselves after binding them (does it make sense? I find it diccicult to describe this). Especially if you are geared up and marching fast paced through difficult terrain, not having open laces/loops is absolutely vital for not tripping. Great video sir, thank you so much!
You mean like tucking the laces inside after tying?
I always wear in my german Springerstiefel two pair of socks. After tying them, i roll the socks down over the boots.
@@Anna-Sofia_L yes, exactly. we tucked them inside the upper rim of the boots.
Danke. Former US Marine Grunt here. Thanks for reminding me of something I did as a grunt and sometimes still do is that I use a simple square knot instead of the most common double slip knot for tying my combat boots.
The extra lacing still needs to be tucked in, but if they work themselves out there is no loop to hook onto anything. This would really just be a bonus however because the square knot is mainly to do what a good knot is supposed to: Stay tied, reliable. The double slip knot is fine for soft cushy civilian life, but for warfighters, serious athletes and other on-their-feet hard workers it's really not a good choice. A surgeon's knot also works extremely well.
@@paulrevere2379 That's been a keen elaboration of how a proper man is supposed doin' his knots. I have absolutely nothin' to disagree upon. Thanks for sharing! And thank you for your service sir! BTW: Same thing here in Germany: people don't appreciate a solider as they should. But we know. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Take Care!
I've spent nearly fifty years in the woods. Yours is one of the very few YT channels that seems to be from an actual woodsman. Good tips, every one. Only one I'm lacking is the Garmin, and when I go into semi-retirement next year and head into the forest I plan on having one. You've got another new subscriber.
What impresses me about Greg is that he's not afraid to talk about his failures, and he doesn't act like his survival skills make him invincible. Sometimes it's just plain hard to light a fire regardless of how skilled you are with flint and steel or a bow drill (or a sandwich bag). It's important (and fun) to practice those skills, but good luck trying to use them if you fall and break an arm. That Bic lighter and candle might just save your life on a cold, rainy night.
@@TsandLman My dad was a city boy, who learned survival techniques in the 82nd Airborne, including a stint at Camp Hale near Leadville, Colorado. Having learned them, he arranged his life so that he would never need them. He'd regale us with stories and talk about survival skills, but he had zero interest in leaving the comfort of home to go camping with us kids.
So even though I've spent a lot of time out camping, fishing and hunting, pretty much everything I know and do is trial-and-error, and the slow accumulation of the right kind of gear, on what started out as a pretty limited budget. But I learned in my 20s that it was worth paying extra - even if it meant waiting a whole year - for equipment that worked and would last many years.
Cost a lot of money but the iPhone 16 is satellite capable.
Very good tips, Greg! Thanks!
The guy who died in the storm had called for help, alarmed the rescue. But the weather conditions were so bad that the rescue team couldn't go out.
So, the best help-calling-system and rescue-system can be useless if the weather conditions don´t play with.
That´s the reason why we should have always a minimal survival kit with us in our trouser pockets, when we on unsafe path.
Sounds like that poor dude who died, he fell, he had a broken nose. Wonder if he had a concussion that blurred his thinking, too? Yes, carry a lighter, Bigfoot Bushcraft fire tabs or something similar, a birthday candle and always wear a belt knife or a pocket folder. Even an emergency blanket folded in your back pocket would be handy - shelter, fire and protection on you at all times.
kit, not kid :D
@johan.ohgren right! Thx!
I got in the habit of tucking the loops into the top of the boot. Started after I tripped, do to exactly what you described. Fortunately I was more embarrassed than injured. Had a Marine friend suggest it. He also said check them often, only takes a couple of seconds when you have stopped to take a break.
Great idea on the candle. Great video as usual Greg.
That, along with 'blousing' your pant-legs, is taught in basic training for all branches of military.
And tie your boots with square knots, so there are no loops.
Tea lights candles have bailed me out starting fire in dark wet woods. 👍
You beat me to it!!
Me three.😅❤😅
Tea lights & a Mylar blanket have saved me more than once.
@@AnAmericanFather Same, hypothermia when I was 14. Always carry 2 in bugout/camp bag.
3 or 4 in my pack at all times
Greg, please do another 30 day survival challenge. They are pure gold my friend. Thank you for these videos and all your hard work. Best UA-cam channel hands down
Greg lives out there…
Yeah he's such an informative dude.
Pretty sure he is in the artic doing it now. These snippets are in-between the artic journey.
Great video....I have stumbled over those goofy loop hooks too. I avoid boots with them now 😊😊
This video will likely save dozens of lives this winter
can be , is good
100 percent right Greg I remember having a pair with hooks and the laces grabbing all the time never thought about causing injury though good call
Just do your boots up all the way and you won't have miles of spare lace to make a tripping loop out of.
Side laced boots or zippers. Tons of solutions to this.
Pay to have the hooks removed and install eyelet in their place. Or buy boots with 9 eyelet lace -up
@@phillee2814 Exactly. They wear them with shorts, laced halfway. Make sure to pull your pant leg down.
@@phillee2814Yep, almost anything designed for convenience, even if not the main design point, there is a trade-off. It's a good idea to consider the trade-offs with almost every piece of gear. Sometimes a simple extra step is enough to mitigate a trade-off that adds a hazard.
Right on!!!!!
Happy Holiday everyone!
Merry Christmas to you,eh 🎄
1:10 sos radio (in reach)
2:20 knife preferabbly with ferro rod
2:32 candle
3:37 hammick
4:38 paracord
5:02 dont bring bulky flashlight
5:33 bring spare smaller flashlight w/ extra batteries
5:57 small first aid kit containing crazy glue for cuts
7:20 good boots/footwear (ones without the hook laced design)
9 tips from the man himself
Personally id have some form of snacks and backup fire starters (cotton balls handsanitizer. Little duralogs you can get which are small)
Happy holidays ty for the tips Greg! Those boots made me eat it few times. Seriously really great vid!😊
For survival,sure bring a ferro to cosplay bushcraft but if your injured and/ or hypothermicgood luck with that.....a waterproof lighter with a couple of good 10 minute firestarters?....grew up in Canada running trapline in frozen Saskatchewan
@@BradtheButcher1234Ferro rods aren't for 'cosplay bushcraft', they're for people smart enough to know lighters can fail or break whether they're weatherproof or not. Always bring one as a backup in case the lighter doesn't want to work.
He forgot to mention his most important survival item.....A 40 pounder of whisky..
I've heard the lint from a dryer is also excellent as a fire starter.
@@BradtheButcher1234- Flat plastic bag ties can be shaved into smaller pieces and burn quickly but last long enough to get something started - saw that on a survival show once
Get a flashlight radio with a crank that makes it rechargeable. Unlimited light with minimal work. Also, get a whistle. If rescuers are close and you need them to find you a whistle is invaluable. It's a hell of a lot more energy efficient than yelling. It can be done with a controlled breathing pattern and your voice will go out if you are yelling.
And an extra set of batteries is a lot more energy efficient than trying to walk out of the bush while cranking your flashlight for 10 lumens
@@multimode1876 depends on how long you might be stuck in the bush. One is finite, one can last over and over. It takes 60 seconds of cranking for 20 minutes of battery life with the one I own.
@@multimode1876Bingo. Once in a while someone has an unusual idea that is actually good, but a common idea that you just don't see in use, not by hikers anyway, is a no-brainer. If the idea is good then people would already be doing it.
Now if someone is not really hiking, but instead is setting up a semi-permanent shelter, then a manual recharching device might make some sense, although tbh I have yet to see a single legit "this saved my life" story about one of them, but that's just me.
Whistle AND one if those small freon horns. If you are too badly injured ribs to blow/hollar.
Another cheap possibility, small battery bicycle horn, can be quite loud/different sounds, might well startle aggressive wildlife?
@clarkleakins879 I just like to carry a complete hot air balloon for self rescue...just in case you know.
Our Canadian Ambassador for bushcraft and survival from our own Rocky Mountains, Greg Ovens!❤🇨🇦👍
Never thought of bringing a candle into the bush. Learn something new everyday. Thank you brother for the helpful info. God bless!
He forgot to mention his most important survival item.....A 40 pounder of whisky..
I also spend a lot of time in the wilderness alone with my Pack Goats so, I bought a Bivystick which works like a Garmin but I'm able to text my friends and family while sitting next to a fire at night and have a conversation with them. Really comforting having it!
Can text with the garmin as well.
Great tip with the candle in wet conditions!
He forgot to mention his most important survival item.....A 40 pounder of whisky..
Hey I'm a oregon logger live in the woods you remind me of my best friend he was a brother i never had his dad taught me so much about being a woodsman both are gone back 2017 miss them both I'm glad you make your videos awesome man one thing pitch is a life saving fire starter belive me I'm in the rain all day fire is key
I'll be watching. Season's Greetings Mountain Man.
I'm so glad you bought yourself a Garmin. This is my second viewing of this video. I know several friends who should watch and copy your survival tips. I always have a candle in my vehicle in Winter, and of course a lighter on my person. You didn't mention water and instant or dehydrated foods. I always carry either cereal bars or something prepackaged to eat if necessary. I suppose these items would be considered a part of someone's first aid kit(s). Stay safe Greg and Finn. Looking forward to your 2025 videos.
Being without essential items can be devastating.... especially if you are alone. Your content saves lives and helps homeless people so much. Ty for sharing your knowledge. You make a big difference! I like your channel because I feel these are essential skills but you are very entertaining and know what you are doing. Ty again from marysville Washington
Sadly, people get themselves in trouble even when they have enough essentials because they don't really have enough skill to make use of available stuff.
This is where bushcraft comes in from fire to knots to shelter. Bushcraft is often confused with survival. Yes, the skills, a few essentials along with a key tool sometimes can save your life, but the heart of bushcraft is making a hobby out of developing and mastering some of those skills. In other words it's a way to turn something of potential necessity into something fun which is one of the best ways to learn and to motivate a person to practice which really is the key to many of these skills.
If you can find it, Derma Bond (Vet Bond) over Krazyglue. Headlamp over flashlight. Keeps hands free, especially walking around at night. AA is the most popular battery world wide. Use a square knot to tie up and tuck the laces into the top of your boot. 35 years in the Canadian Army and can't stop tying my boots this way now :) No loops to catch on stuff. Or simply get gaters.
Gaiters are very useful. Keep you warmer and cleaner, and now we know that they keep you from falling.
full agreement on the lace tying especially around dangerous equipment, and the headlamp.
I live 20miles from the spot where this Polish guy perish. It´s so tragic that he would have lived if he whould have known about the swedish conditions and known the forcast of the wheather. Greg thanks for all the work you are doing in education in this fields. For meny people this is common sense. But not for all of us. Thanks for all that you do!
Some of my older boots have similar hook styles as yours. I do have a few newer pair from Solomon where the hooks go all the way around and connect. You have to insert the string through it. After seeing your video I believe I'm going to always look for this style that Solomon uses. Thanks, Greg!
It would be nice if we could have all the best features we want in an affordable pair of hiker footwear. Most of us have to compromise on things and the lacing features just aren't high enough on the list I think, so we go with the best fit, if we are smart, and we hope that brand has a style with everything else good enough from type of sole to durability, foot protection, quick drying or waterproof, and somewhere down the line is lacing system.
Sometimes I wish I could just afford a custom build pair of caligulae complete with a big lug Vibram sole. In my dreams right?
Those are ancient footwear worn by Roman legionaries btw, sometimes mistaken as sandals, but they were much more than that. Except for the soles imo, they were much more advanced than most modern footwear.
Lol.. I got given a pr of led thumb/forefinger gloves.. The work eel. Each hand has own off swith. Adjust beamfocuse like adjusting finger on a glove. Compact.
If it contributes.
Can't wait to watch this one. Never seen something like this before.
We got you! Live, love, learn! Makes the world go around!😂
He forgot to mention his most important survival item.....A 40 pounder of whisky..
Greetings from Germany, you have even fans here and your German Shepherd Dog too
I have a friend who owes me 2000.00 U.S.D for a wedding. He asked me to house sit his previous wife's 12 year old German Shepherd for two weeks. I've had Bear Bear for 18 months now. I believe i got the better end of the bargain. He knows English, listens, and pays attention to whatever we are doing. You only have to ask him to do something once. He may take his sweet time doing it, but shows total commitment to the task at hand.
north-central USA here Very cold...huge respect for this far-north canadian wilderness EXPERT...... epic life saving
Can't wait for another awesome episode! Absolutely love this channel! Helped me so so much!
I hope that Greg shares his recipe for brewing his famous “Wilderness Tequila” outa raw pine cones !!! That one always gets my hammock a’ rocking !!!
Ole!
@micahestep7679 what?😂
i have 1 suggestion. a couple of buffs/neck gaiters.
i got a staph infection on a camping trip in Hawaii from a small scratch on my calf. i was able to treat it myself by cutting the infection out, then using 2 neck gaiters soaked in sea water to create a pressure dressing. i washed and reapplied the dressing soaked in sea water 3-4 times per day, and also made sure to let it dry out for at least a couple hours every 2 days. once the redness had gone away, and there had been no more discharge for a few days, i started applying the pressure dressing without the salt water so the wound could begin to scab and finish healing.
neck gaiters can also protect your neck face and ears from the sun during the day, or the cold at night and during the winter, they can be used like oven mits to protect your hands while removing a pot or canteen from a fire, to keep bugs out of your face and ears...
neck gaiters are awesome, light weight, small, and cheap.
I never thought to use super glue for a bad cut. Thanks Greg. I greatly appreciate your sharing you knowledge with us.
They use it in hospitals in preference to stitches these days, and it scars less as well.
@@phillee2814 Are you sure it's the same superglue you buy in store?
@@Mads-hl8xj Absolutely certain - both of my sisters are nurses, and both keep ordinary store-bought cyanoacrylate in their first aid kits (you have to replace it annually to be safe, or within a month if you break the seal, otherwise it may be solid when you need it most).
The hospital glued up my thumb one time and it still needed to leak anyways the next day it was twice the size I had to poke a hole or 2 to drain it dont seal it up 100% some places need to drip a bit
This is what super glue was designed/invented for. Designed to patch up wounded soldiers on the battlefield quickly. It’s why it stick skin together really good.
Talking about boot laces catching the other boot it happen to me at work while walking over a car lift thus falling about a foot further to the concrete floor than if I was just walking on the ground! I fell on my right side and stuck my right arm and hand out to break the fall. When I hit the floor I heard a snap/pop sound in my shoulder once i got up I couldn't move my right arm up higher than my shoulder and hurt like heck when I tried! I waited a few days thinking I'd get better but that didn't happen! I went to the Doc's got some MRI's done and found out my rotator cusp was torn and looked like spaghetti. I spend a lot of time in the outdoors and learned many a lesson from either poor judgment or bad luck like walking the length of a downed tree and slipped and fell in some thick underbrush in the fall that was full of woody like weeds stalks that were like three foot long spears. One stalk just miss my eye and but caught me in the face about a 1/2 inch from the outer corner of my eye impaling me about a inch deep near my temple. I was 4 miles back in the forest by myself with no COMM's to get help so I had to self rescue and seak medical aid. Luckily it missed my eye and didn't sustain any permanent damage! As far as carrying gear I now take a small med kit and cell phone, I also preferer a flashlight that can be worn on your head and a extra set of batteries this way I can use a light hands free with about 8 hour of hours of use per battery sets!
The hooks, happened to me on a paved road, happened to my wife on a mountain path. It goes super fast and totally unexpected. Always hid the shoelaces!
Great advice thank you and Merry Christmas.
2:04 I've lived with a painful spinal injury for about 12 years now. I still spend a lot of time in the bush in winter. If your back breaks, you can usually crawl.
Most of the time I learn something from your videos. Thank you for putting them out there.
Thank you. In my kids/ grand kids fanny packs which i have them carry and train them with are a space emergency blanket lighter and matches, candle, whistle, glow sticks, small flashlight, sm. Water and some hard candies. But you have to teach them what they are for and how to use them. Just might save a life..
Great stuff, so glad to see you still putting out awesome content ever since that Alone season! I would like to share my alternative to the candle: when I do laundry, I save the lint from the lint trap and mix it with melted beeswax into Altoid cans. Then I carry those cans with me, inside ziploc bags to keep them dry, and whenever it is difficult to light a fire, I break pieces of the mixture and light that up. I also make a rapid-fire version of it that I use steel wool to line a small tin, then add the lint and wax on top. When you deploy it, all you need to do is scrape some ferro rod dust on top of the steel wool and strike a spark to it. Works wonderfully!
I quit wearing my boots like that years ago for that exact same reason! Thanks for telling everyone. I will do the same now that you mentioned it. Great advice for everything else too. 💯
😅 It was just some weeks ago when I tripped at a fishing spot with these kind of boots, for the reason exactly like you said. It's when you turn around on a small spot, near rivers or rocks, the boots come close to eachother, then it happens. Falling on rocks with knees or worse, could end a journey quickly.
Especially love the candle/lighter idea. Brilliant
This guy is the best survivalist in all nakedness and afraid history, so knowledgeable and many followers. 🎉🎉🎉
Keep up the good work brother!
Ya, I found out about the boots the hard way, I was opening the door for someone and got my lace caught up and down I went, I'm 61 years old, I bruised my hip and broke 2 fingers.Im lucky! Thank you for addressing this,I went down like a rock, peace,be careful out there!
Thanks for this info Greg! 💞
Merry Christmas Greg. Thanks for another cool video. Have a great New Year.!!!
Love the candle trick
Love these. Those extremely cheap head lights you can buy at any store was and still is a must have for me. Saved me when I got caught out in the snow. Just walked till I found some barb wire fence, grabbed it and followed it to the nearest home till the storm passed. Lived in MT with no power, no running water for 3 years and it is the cheapest life saver ever, and has the added bonus of lasting a very long time and not having to be held in your hands.
I carry the large size tea lights not the small ones so that if i have to I can just leave it all in the fire base, I got a 30 pack for $10 from wally mart years ago and i still use them. as for lights i have a biolite 330 which is great because it is pass through and with my power bank thingy will run the light easily for 12 hours straight, I also carry an LED road flare they run for 72 hours on one set of batteries, hang it in a tree near your site very easy to find in the dark , and having done search and rescue in the past here is a very simple one, take a small bit of white cardboard about 3 x 4 inches ish,and draw a thick black arrow on it, and place it on your dash in the direction you went.very handy at trail heads with many trails leading in different directions. it narrows a search area considerably. we used to carry the PLB one sos beacons, dual band for SAR and triangulation. great video, it was very sad to hear about stormy when i saw all the comments etc about his skill levels etc etc it soon became clear that he found himself in a situation that should have been survivable. but his gear was wrong and underestimating a winter storm can and sadly was deadly. people watch winter videos and think it is easy it is not, miuns 20 wind chill is not a good place to be with the wrong gear.
Great video Greg, i carry 2 ferro rods plus a few lighters,extra battery for torch, wirewool, them birthday candle which you can't blowout in my rucksack, plus 2 small ferro rods Lace into my boots, all small items which you could save you
incredibly useful.. thank you
Your so right about the boots , i wear Merrell boots and like alot of peeps dont use the top 2 hooks .a couple of times now ive caught the lace from 1 foot in the hook of the other.luckily only hauling logs down the garden for the fire .as you get older 59 here , you dont fall over as good as ya used to!!.
Great advice from Greg as usual.i know if i was alone i would want Greg with me!! (I know ok).
Yeah. I knew an MD who retired while he was still young and fit enough to go back to school, learn some of the math he didn't learn the first time through, and go hiking, skiing and camping. He was living the dream. Then he slid off a high-mountain trail in Colorado, and that was it for him. So sad, to finally be living his dream, enjoying all the years of hard work and dedication, only to perish due to ice on a trail in the spring.
I always appreciat these types of videos mate!
Candle, Garmin, small flashlight with extra batterie(s), lighter, knife with farro rod, hammock, a light weight tarp, paracord, first aid kit with an antiseptic cream and super glue, and boots without hooks, got it. Thx.
Add a Sawyer mini, too small and light not to pack for drinkable water
Merry Christmas Greg
A agree 100% on the Boot Hooks. I miss the Rings for the Laces.
Bingo with the crazy glue.. it saved a buddy’s bacon when we were on a canoe trip, and he cut his leg with a hatchet.. I krazzy glued the wound shut, and the site didn’t even get red. Another must have is surgical tubing for tying off any accidental, serious cut where a blood vessel’s been cut & it’s imperative to tie off the wound from.bleeding out.
I had boots with hooks like that as a kid, over 20 years ago. I still remember one of the trips because it embarrassed me in public. Funny how the bad memories stick around.
Glad you got that tracker, stay safe Greg. Love from England
Even with an empty lighter you can start a fire. Remove the metalpiece from your lighter and warm it up in your hands for a while. Then press the gas permanently with your left thumb and ignite with your other hand. Now you have at minimum a little blue flame, and you can start a fire.Stay warm out there.
In the Army I learned to tuck my lace ends as deeply into my boots as possible because of the hooking problem. Sometimes small branches and brush would get caught in the laces as well, which could trip you too. Great tips Sir!
Right 👍 on 😊
We have been watching your channel forever. Thanks for the great advice and adventures. Rock on and be safe 🤟🏼😎🤟🏼
Don’t get the bite, just keep your gloves on, don’t get the bite.
I am always learning, but one thing I know is something I just have not applied forcefully enough which is the fact that tips are mostly location and situation specific.
Most how to and tip videos are presented as if everyone on every trip should follow the tip. I like how this video with the Canadian winter setting narrows down the conditions.
I live in a US state that borders Canada. This is the location of my hikes in recent years. In this region I commonly find tree sap by keeping an eye out for it. By collecting this sap before I need it I have something that basically provides some of the benefits of a candle (a good tip in this video).
I do carry candles too, but they are small. A bigger candle for me would get dropped when I look over all my gear, and not because I go light; I don't. In a different place, where I might not have access to tree sap I might change that and add the bigger candle to my load - - Location really does matter that much, and there's at least a dozen other things from footwear to food that I will do differently all based on where and when I am going to do my camping and hiking.
Wow great point about the boot laces clips.
Thank you so much for the tips! When you mentioned the number one cause of fatalities out in the wilderness is falling, that also goes for falling in your own vehicle on the way to the destination or on the way back. Not that long ago, I almost drove off the side of a canyon while trying to park my car to go down and fish the river way down below. I was just being a little too careless, and before I knew what was going on, I almost went off, my truck balancing along the edge with both wheels on the driver's side well off the ground. That was terrifying, epic fail and felt like the biggest loser ever, but thank goodness I was alone when it happened and didn't put someone else's life in danger or traumatize them for life. The same goes for driving in icy or snowy conditions. If you're not used to driving in those conditions, you have no idea how dangerous it can be if you're not extremely careful.
Well, I already have cancer lol
All the best to you ❤
Well not good so sorry 😢
Thanks Greg, I've made peace with it but I do need these skills to extend my stay lol@@OvensRockyMountainBushcraft
Fight till the end ❤️
By the horns. Thank you all
Thanx Greg, long time back country adventurer here. I agree with alot of what you suggest, I believe there are too many outdoor enthusiasts that confuse fun, with dangerous thrill seeking. Knowledge is king out here, not to neglect common sense, and wisdom. So many ppl dieing in the outdoors, they are so dependent on technology, they do not realize, how much they don't know, and are not careful...ty be safe...
The boot deal is so true. I’ve about took a few spills myself from a lace catching the hook of the other boot at work.
Nice watch with my morning coffee! Keep up the energy my dude.
8:00 for everyone in the comments look into military surplus boots. you can find extremely cheap unworn boots for not even 20£ so probs around 35 dollars. tractions great. can tie the laces up all the way as its got hole loops instead of bent inwards ones. comfortability will depend on the boot. my personal recommendations are the magnum combat patrol boots
regarding the flashlight , i like that many led flashlights have a LOW or HIGH setting for the brightness so that you have an option to conserve the battery energy .... & great tip about the boots..& shoelaces ....thumbs up bro'
We made our own candles in the little old style plastic film cannisters with lids to protect them over long periods of travel and little use. But you have them when you need them.
the epirb is 100% the best tip here. I watched this last night and had to come back 16hrs later to say how good it was
You just listed my backpack contents... glad to hear i am carrying the right gear.
Appreciate the relatively quick video. Not slogging through an hour long video rocks. The boot tip was awesome.
Thanks. Particularly liked the candle drying out the wood.
Great job, as always, Greg. Keep on rocking, brother!
Thanks, Owen! Stay safe in your excursions, friend.
ThE boot thing has gotten me also, great tip glad you bring that up to people
Great video as always! I was surprised by the candle though. A very well thought solution to a problem that you could experience.
At the age of 14 I was thrown from our white water raft on the Red Deer river in the rocky mountains during run off. I was left to my own to make it to the road and get help. I did not have a wet suit yet like all the adults and experienced what I think people call hypothermia. I was shivering so impulsive that my hands couldn't even do up my zipper. I managed to gather wood for a fire but for the life of me could not start it! A candle could of been a game changer I think.
Love your content. Respect from the Netherlands.
You rock bro! Thanks for the tips. Checking in from rural western Washington.
Norwegian here: You have good advices! But at Wintertime I will always perfer a tent before a hammock. The hammock means that you are surrounded by cold air. In a tent, with a cold pit, a little spruce branches under a simple foam sleeping pad, (Not inflatable!), you are actually better insulated. Snow is a fantastic insulator against the cold.
Sound advice. And nice to see that it's actually decent, solid advice too. HAPPY HOPPING 👌🏼 👍🏼
When I was a kid, working on a Bridges and Building gang, an old CN guy showed me how to tie my boots using a square knot - one for each boot - ("left over right, right over left") No loops, no danger of tripping, easy to untie when you need to, just push the laces toward one another. The knot opens up.
Great one Greg. Sharing this knowledge will definitely help save some lives .
Thanks for the great video. 1st time I've seen the candle trick, what a great idea! Thanks for sharing
First time I went proper out there hiking and camping and had myself a struggle with the fire, despite plenty of scout training and such.
First think I did when I got home was throw a couple tea candles in the pack. Absolute game changer that costs like 5 cents.
Hello Greg ❤ wishing you a great Christmas 👍
Very good advices. I also keep all my fire gear in a small tupperware container: it weights almost nothing and it's absolutely waterproof. It will keep all the things you need to start a fire absolutely dry even if you take a dip.
So glad you got one of those Greg. All those good looks and smart too. Merry Christmas
My brother and I always camped out growing up. My father bought my brother each one for Christmas from Army Surplus, official Marine Jungle Hammocks. Best Christmas gift I ever got. We camped in a swamp over two feet of standing water, over snow, on the side of a steep hill, and even on the ground. And they were cheap back in the fifties.
We even camped out in thick brush over the brush and over rocks. You just needed two study objects to tie your hammock to. Trees, rocks, or two thick stakes hammered and tied off or tied down, or even two cars or a car and a tree or a trailer.
I’m getting into trucking and wear boots like that. Don’t need to be tripping on the job. Thanks for the info!
Thanks for what you do! I agree with what you said about the boot hooks I found out the hard way! I ended up removing mine and punched holes for the strings to run through, no problem since!!
Great video and knowledge thanks for sharing brother
I have a suggestion to replace the candle.
Get a butane torch. There's one called FireMaple FMS-706. Screws onto your camping butane canister. It's relatively small and light. That thing will start anything on fire, and do it quickly. It could be wet, cold wood, it will light it even with minimal prep. Besides the Inreach and shelter, I take it on every trip.
Butane won't flow and burn at extremely low temperatures, cannisters can leak and go empty and burners/stoves can break. Candles have no such problems and for survival purposes you want your gear to be darn near bulletproof under all conditions.
Lace caught on the boot-hook; I've had that happen to me, and I broke a rib in a nasty fall. I have and will always remove (drill out from backside) these hooks and inserted lace grommets since then. Thanks for spreading the word.
Great advice, one could make the woodpile also waterproof with the candle to allows the wood to get heated if your stuck in rain or snow. So drip the candle wax on the woodpile.
Merry xmas ✌️🙏🇺🇸
Love ya Greg. Merry Christmas from Dry Gulch. B.C.