Definitely the best fire steel demonstration I've ever seen. Glad to say I own one myself. Thanks for literally putting your life on the line for this test. Wow
ReWildUniversity I have to admit. At first, I didn't think much of them because they were so small compared to others out on the market. Once I used them , there's no going back. I've tried others and I'm honestly not that impressed. Stay safe and by all means stay warm brother.
Bro. You ARE genious! You showed that the firesteel will still work, even in worst case scenario. Your video shows that the right technique with the right gear can and will save lives. You earned yourself a like, comment and sub, dear sir.
Hi Pyro7502, Great question. In the winter in the woods, I usually look for thin, dried stalks poking up from the snow. I believe they are snakeroot stalks. These are usually high enough to poke out of the snow, and are thin and light enough that they take a spark. In this case, they would have been tough to gather with numbed hands, because you need a lot of them and they don't have much bulk. Winter-dried leaves, still on the tree, also can work well, especially oak. Thanks for watching!
I know this is old but huge respect and hell of a review - few put this kind of effort into replicating conditions in order to demonstrate efficacy. You are to be commended. Subbed and Liked!
Dude....don't even worry about your hair. The things you teach are so very helpful. I haven't learned anything from the videos where people are doing their hair, and nails and makeup.
That is what I call a review! I really think it took courage to drench yourself in that frozen pond.LMF Firesteels are AMAZING.very efficient.Exellent review and will subscribe.
I’ve got admiration for you mate. I was saying to my wife last night how ‘domesticated’ humans have become. We think cold is being without a jumper, hunger happens after an hour etc...I believe we could all benefit from going a back to nature more. I’m not one of these people I talk about, I’ve known true hunger, true cold and so on. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.💪🏼 Kids these days are very ‘soft’
Adam, well said. It's interesting, because we live in this comfort-worshiping society. When we have our forest monks out in the woods for 4 months, they often complain at first about all the discomforts (too many too list!) Yet universally, when they go back into civilization, they tell me a month later that they miss all those discomforts. With the discomforts, they felt alive. In comfort, like a zombie =)
You are gifted in so much more than surviving and the outdoors. I love your soft spoken words and your compassion for mankind in general. You should have 3 million subscribers + 1, stay true to yourself, it's definitely your meal ticket sir Kenton 😎
I love your challenges, Kenton. I save a little time each week to see how WELL you take the crazy body suffering. I watch then I watch again. I've seen you fall through thin ice a few times now so I might have that mastered! But wait! There's MORE! You give "survival" a new level of experimentation that I find fascinating, a chosen endurance, a persistence of TRYING that defines SURVIVAL. I would rather NOT practice hypothermia so thanks for giving me this vicarious experience. (Or you might say that I have practiced hypothermia until the thrill is gone). . . I'm thinking I might need to carry THIS firesteel. I do practice a few other things . . . silence, solitude, certain kinds of physical struggle . . . but those seem like rest rather than suffering. Blessings to you my friend!
Kenton, thank you so much for this amazing video. You can be sure that your videos are helping a lot of us to get out or avoid potential dangerous situations. Sincerely, you are a life saver. Thank you!!!
AMAZING review. This happened to be the first video I saw of yours, and I knew I'd be hooked to your stuff after haha. Wish I lived closer to where you are - I'd definitely sign up to a be student for your classes!
What a great video. It's clear that you really enjoy what you do. Having you actually jump into the freezing water and then make a fire made this video very compelling and interesting. I was definitely hooked. The added element of the arm injury made it even more interesting. I'm definitely going to buy this fire still now. Lol. Something I would add is that in a real situation like this, a person could sprint around / dance / do jumping jacks to warm themselves up. This could help them have better control of their hands when using the fire steel. I once jumped into cold water in the winter and sprinted up a hill and was warmed up within a minute. Thank you for making this video and I have subscribed. Enjoy the woods.
sirstratocaster Thanks so much, and you're absolutely right about running around to heat yourself up. A great method! This time around I was trying to purposefully go into very mild hypothermia, but in real life as you note, getting that internal heat up would be of paramount importance. I also want to thank you for your subscription -- it is appreciated!=) Kenton
Good to hear from you, and you're right I remember you saying you were trying to get into hypothermia so you could test the steel. I am looking forward to practicing and learning to start fires with a steel. I just recently discovered two new tricks for starting a fire with a match that I'm really stoked about. Have a good one.
ReWildUniversity Sure! I've been practicing with one-match fires in wet conditions lately without a knife. Here's what I've learned: If it's raining, I make a lean-to by shoving some sticks in the ground and laying one of my sweaters on it. Makes a great space to work underneath. Most of the time, there will be some dry tree bark out there. Cedar bark can form the small kindling for the fire. If everything is totally soaked, small, dead but fresh cedar branches can be broken down by hand to expose the dry interior. They can be broken down small enough to form the small kindling. As with any fire, I make a dry base of wood to build on. To create an air space, a curved twig jammed in the ground at both ends. Kindling gets laid on the twig. To light it: Hard black pitch will burn on its own. It can be jammed into the end of a split cedar twig to form a match/torch. Gooey pitch can be smeared on the outside of the twig to help the black pitch light. Gooey pitch can work too, smeared on a twig or bark. Strike the match and light the pitch torch, then use that to light the kindling! This method works well. I will probably tweak it and change it over time but its worthwhile as it is. The two tricks I had just learned were the black pitch burning on its own like a firestarter, and the curved twig to make an airspace.
sirstratocaster This is GREAT! I hope other people are reading this -- some awesome firestarting tactics. Thanks so much for sharing with us all! =) Kenton
I don't usually comment but I wanted to thank you for what you did here for all of us. Wonderful detailed information and WOW you sure made it real. I really appreciate it all and loved your fun comments. I will check out your other links. Thanks again for your service to all of us, teaching us how to survive and what works. I did learn a lot from your video :)
Well sir you are dedicated to product testing in a real life situation. I live in Northern Alberta and rely on good outdoor equipment. Most manufacturers state what the item is capable of under ideal conditions but when the "arse falls out the bottom the of her " it's great to know that the product will work. This company just sold a couple of Fire Steels. Thankyou for your dedication.
WOW! I was in a doubt if I should buy this FireSteel, looking for a review. Would never expect to see such a REVIEW! Absolutely impressed! Now I'm thinking if I should buy more FireSteels for my friends :D
I hope you like it! Recently, I've also been buying larger ones from EricX, which seem to be a bit easier for kids (as I'm often sharing these skills with younger ones =)
Appreciate a ferro rod review geared towards trekkers who consider weight, and for whom lighting a fire is likely an emergency situation rather than a feel-good hobby. As we know, there's no shortage of bushcrafters and "survivalists" who recommend gear based on different needs (real or perceived) than the rest of us.
@@ReWildUniversity Hey actually just a follow up question: How much usage would the average person get out of a small ferro rod like that? I'm debating between the Scout vs the Army sizes. Thanks!!
@@ParkourEh I'd go for the Army size -- I used to get the scouts, but went through them too fast. On the flip side, you have to pay attention to how you strike, or over time you can wear the Army down in a way that makes it difficult to strike. If you learn how to use the end, you can whittle it away and it will last a LONG time. Of course, if you get really good at using it, you can get a lot of a scout too. So after that long winded thought, the advice is -- if you are new to it, go for Army, if you are really good with it, the scout will last you a long time.
I have much respect for you. This is the first video of yours I came across. I am a duck hunter and an ice fisherman and here in Minnesota this falling in the ice happens all the time and it is important that people should how to survive. you sir got your self a new subscriber
***** Hi Bobby,You're exactly the sort of person I was hoping might see this video -- people who venture out into the ice on a regular basis. And you're right next door in Minnesota (I'm in Wisconsin). Thanks so much for your comment and subscription -- it is appreciated!=) Kenton
Hi Wo Ra, Ha! Love your comment =) I actually wore these electrically heated underwear with a little battery pack ;) No, just the trousers, actually, because I knew I'd probably have to take them off frozen. It sure would be nice to get paid for doing things like this, but so far it's just an exercise in self-punishment for the fun of it. Thanks for commenting!
Hi boxcarbunny, It's a good question, actually. I've done this enough times to know my body's reaction, but there's a chance of cardiac arrest with sudden immersion like that. My camera-woman, happily, was an extremely capable person who I wouldn't hesitate to trust with performing a rescue and/or CPR.
this is great, better than most vids where they just talk about situations , i like the way you get down and actually do the deed i am impressed and will subscribe, when i was 8 years old i fell through the ice at the neighborhood pond , i managed to get back to shore while my little friend went to get his mom by the time ( 10 minutes) she got there i was blue.. the doctor ( they made house calls then ) put me in warm water, it took several hours to get me back to normal temp..and that's the first time i tasted castor oil ( bad stuff ) . i forgot all about that till i saw this vid thanks
+Chris h Glad this could bring back a memory (that is, if you wanted to remember it! =) But I always love hearing from people who have actually experienced this themselves. It sounds like you were seriously cold! I'm so glad you made it through okay! As for the castor oil, luckily I've made it through life thus far without tasting it. I've heard it's not too pleasant. Thanks for your subscription, as well! =) Kenton
+ReWildUniversity thanks for the great reply Kenton, you are welcome, i got your newsletter but havn't had a chance to read it yet and ur lucky, not to have had the opportunity to taste the castor oil,,, hey if you are willing to jump in freezing water,,, you can do a vid on you sampling some caster oil how about that :) ... it has many benefits, i just looked it up and it's really great stuff www.homeremediesweb.com/castor-oil-health-benefits.php Chris
I prepared a small bundle of dried grass and wood, and luckily, i must say, scrap of papers... And it worked! Found that after doing long strokes(5-10) and after doing short and fast strokes(not more than 5) and blowing hard immediately it worked fantastically! Because of you, i Could save my Life, but most importantly, other ones. Merci!!
ikust007 So glad it worked for you! They're not actually that easy to use unless you can get some instruction. When I first tried a ferro rod years ago, without any knowledge of how they worked, I just threw a lot of sparks and never got anything to light. =) Kenton
Great demo, very captivating to watch. I initially wanted to get the Light My Fire 2.0 Army, but now I think I'll get two of the smaller Scout models instead.
David Dang Glad you liked it, David. I haven't tried the Army, but I've heard great things about it. To be honest, it will probably the next one I buy, just to give it a try. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment!=) Kenton
Chris Roper After using them for a few years, I'd get their "Army" model, because unless you are good at getting a fire in a one or a few strikes, it will wear out pretty quickly. I think it's a bit softer than other steels, which makes it easier to get sparks, but not as long-lasting.
Talk about a REAL review and test~~~ I just bought this at REI before I saw this video. After watching this video, I'm glad I bought it haha I've tested it out but just to see how much spark it outputs and it's pretty damn good~ thanks for the video and keep up the great work!
Hi liquidSpin, Thanks so much for watching, and I'm happy to hear that you're pleased with your firesteel! I know -- it's always nice to buy something, check out reviews, and find that you've bought a good product =)
Wow. Unbelievable video!!! You have just sold me on the product. Im only 15 so that renders me extremely inexperienced so im hoping that this will be a tool that starts me on the right path. I look forward to further videos. Thanks so much man. -Alex
Wow, that's a proper review! I was a bit scared for you. I'm not a fan of cold water. I've just ordered 2 Light My Fire firestarter kits. I can't wait for them to arrive.🤗
@@ReWildUniversity I did! I'm enjoying your channel! I've ordered 2 of their titanium sporks as well. I don't know when I'll get to use them because of this virus (and because I live in a city atm), but I'm still excited nonetheless.🤗
@@Crina-LudmilaCristeaAuthor For me, having some "adventuring gear" at the ready always is exciting -- it makes me think of future adventures to be had =)
I always look for fire starters for a disable person.Like I said before," your the man." Sorry with my ability, will it work with a foot & a hand ? I rigged 2 up to use, but they are 6" long.
Thanks so much, Chad -- I think it's always good to see how gear (and our bodies) perform in extreme situations, especially when we can do it in controlled circumstances. Glad you liked it!
Hey! Thanks so much. I've always felt like if I'm going to do something, I might as well really go for it =) Hope you enjoy your firesteel, and thanks so much for subscribing!
+BlindEyeAirsoft Man, I'm glad you're not setting up my scenarios! You'd definitely test my skill! Interestingly, though, I actually did something similar to that in this video -- ua-cam.com/video/BUvDJSdFe7s/v-deo.html =) Kenton
Hallo. May i ask you this? In 9:47 at the subs you say "i've been at it about 10 minutes". Do you mean 10minutes from the moment you step in the water or 10 minutes of strikin' the stick to create fire? thanks.
I am. It's a great striker. The whistle included also almost blew my ear drums out, which is a good thing. Those Swedes know how to make some great stuff ! Maybe you should get the Mora Light my fire knife man. Has the same striker but its included in the hilt of a Mora blade. Amazing reviews and videos show it in action and it only costs about $8 more than the striker by itself. I just discovered this and hate myself for buying the fire steel alone, lol. I'll grab the link where I saw it at, although I suspect you can get it many places.
Here it is. They have other colors too thankfully. Price has jumped a bit though today it seems. But still a pretty cool design: www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007JIIQJS?vs=1
I was using both an under-tongue measurement, and a digital thermometer, and much of it was based on estimates after I was back in a house, since the thermometers weren't functioning well due to the ambient outside temperature, despite efforts to keep them warm. But was it accurate? Tough to say. To really do it right, I should have done rectal, but I wasn't feeling quite manly enough to drop my pants every few minutes =)
Omg, and people call ME crazy and I haven't done anything like this (but I do like to test my equipment BEFORE it comes to an emergency situation) Very realistic video and as Aaron said, much respect! You earned yourself a subscriber :-)
Thanks so much for subscribing! It sounds like you'd have some crazy stories to tell about your own adventures! =) I know what you mean about testing things BEFORE you're in a bad situation. There's so much gear out there, and I think some of it has never been tested outside of a warm room, or at best, out in the woods during a nice day. We really need this stuff to perform when we're compromised, when the weather is horrible, and when situations have moved WAY past the comfortable stage. After all, most if it is billed as "survival" equipment, right? Thanks so much for watching and it's great to have you on board! Also, thanks for that +1 on the comment about danger =)
I'm gonna go ahead and give you a thumbs up on this review just on sheer commitment and effort, but sometime next week, I really wanna see you review a snake bite kit with the same level of realism.
I like that the striker is included. Those big chunky firesteel that you strike with the back of your knife are great for camping but in a survival situation you really want a piece that works by itself and not be useless should you lose your knife (which would be bad enough on its own)
+capgains Great question - for frost bite, the current recommendation is to rewarm slowly in wet heat (warm water or a wet cloth). For anything more than very mild frostbite, it's ideal to get medical attention for best results. Another thing you might be thinking of is the importance of heating from the core if you are hypothermic. In this case I wasn't cold enough for it to be an issue, but if you are extremely hypothermic and heat your hands or feet, it can be deadly. Best practice is to fully insulate the person with heat pads placed on core areas. However, the first 30 minutes of rewarming are often when a person dies. It's called "afterdrop". Best idea -- don't do silly things like what I did here, and do your cold conditioning in very controlled conditions while knowing your current limits. =) Kenton
Nice and very realistic review! Wonder if you would not have had more luck if you pulled the firesteel towards you, not moving the striker, instead of striking it?
+Fjell Wood That's a great method too. To get close enough, I often have to put the steel into the tinder, which also disrupts it. These days I use a sort of hybrid method, just touching the steel to the tinder, then doing a small "push-pull" that doesn't break up my tinder bundle but also gets great sparks. Of course, it's easy to pull off with warm hands, but I have more trouble when my hands are cold . . . =) Kenton
Wow... More than impress! I had bought one for a Long Time and decided to try it with no success before watching you video. I am going to try it again, the right way (hopefully). I have subscribed! Cheers for Quebec.
ikust007 Glad you liked it! And thanks for letting me know where you are writing from. Always fun to hear where people are. Cheers in return from Wisconsin, USA! =) Kenton
great videos. also liked the other one where you fell through the ice and made fire with a hand drill. I would'nt of thought it was possible to do,being so cold, but it just goes to show what you can achieve if you have the right skills. great!!
You, my dear are nuts. (In a great way!) I'm not much of a survivalist/planner, but I will buy this and do some practice with it. It's great to see a "real world" scenario in which you are trying to survive with fire and a firesteel.
Get the Armageddon Gobspark with that honkin big handle on the rod itself and the palm scraper to go with it. Just the ticket for starting fires when you're as cold as you were. Those big handles are great with glove covered arthritic paws like mine. Good honest review. You made yourself work at this one :)
Most fire steels work well,but cold and wet a larger one is easier to handle for me. One thing you said kind of puzzled me if you can't get your buttons undone what do you do? Great video, it was real Thank you.
quercus I agree -- bigger is better if you have cold hands. I've been on the search for a small one that would also work, and that's what I found here -- not as easy as a big one, but its design allowed me to use it under some rough conditions.As for your second question . . . I just hold it =) Try to get my hands warm and then undo them. So far I haven't peed on myself, but it's been very, very close!=) Kenton
ReWildUniversity Joking aside,I get a bare ferro rod and whip it for about an inch and leave a loop to stick a finger through. Thanks for taking the ribbing.
Cry. =) A more serious answer? I've made it through some frigid nights by essentially exercising all night long. Usually in the winter you have to be careful about finding a balance between generating heat through exercise and sweating, which can be lethal. But in this case, since I was already wet, I could have run up and down some hills until I was really warm, and then keep up lower-level exercise for the rest of the night, doing bursts of higher-intensity if I started to cool down. But that is basically a night of torture and I'm glad I could avoid it via fire . . . =) Kenton
Cry. =) A more serious answer? I've made it through some frigid nights by essentially exercising all night long. Usually in the winter you have to be careful about finding a balance between generating heat through exercise and sweating, which can be lethal. But in this case, since I was already wet, I could have run up and down some hills until I was really warm, and then keep up lower-level exercise for the rest of the night, doing bursts of higher-intensity if I started to cool down. But that is basically a night of torture and I'm glad I could avoid it via fire . . . =) Kenton
Hi Alex, 15! Best time to start, when you're young. There is SO much to learn about nature, survival, and outdoor skills. As long as you start to learn about tinder and how to make a good tinder bundle, this firesteel will serve you well. Not sure if you subscribed or not, but I have an upcoming video on natural tinders. Maybe see you out in the woods someday!
When you fell in the water, shouldn't you have taken off your clothes and done exercise to increase the blood flow? I've seen a few people do this, such as Bear grylls.
Hi TimmyJoe John! I've heard of Bear doing that. I think that in some very specific conditions I might think about it, but usually the convection heat loss from bare skin (if there is any wind at all) that is wet equals very rapid heat loss. Plus, if temps are below freezing much, your clothes turns into cardboard and becomes very difficult to get get back on =) I find that the clothing acts as a sort of "wetsuit", with your body heat warming the water next to you, and since the outside of your clothes quickly freeze, that frozen barrier acts as a windbreaker. Or maybe I'm just too wimpy to take off my clothes =) Roots, Kenton
i have the light my fire folding pocket knife, which is my favorite knife right now. it too has a whistle on the handle which is very effective. this is the first video of yours that i had seen, just subscribed. there are a lot of guys out there who have great knowledge that i respect. but when i see an average to poor physique, i tend to think of them as campers or hikers, not survivalists. u look like u could survive about anything.
Hi Alan, I haven't tried out that knife. Thanks for the recommendation -- I might just check it out! And those whistles really are impressive, aren't they? I hurt my ears every time I try it out =) Thanks for your subscription, and also for your words about my fitness. I feel that my fitness (physical, emotional, and mental), is my best survival tool, and I've been making some videos lately that I hope will inspire people to improve their fitness levels. It makes so much difference when you're putting your body under extreme conditions. I hope you continue to enjoy ReWildU's videos!
I know what you mean about bad management and bad luck and having hands so cold I can't even undo my fly (mine was zipper, not button and I couldn't pinch the zipper tag with enough force to pull on it). Nice to see that it looks like I made the right choice in firesteel, though. Great review. Thanks.
Glad to hear someone else has been in that place! All we can do is laugh at ourselves in that situation, I suppose. And practice our monk-like discipline in bladder control . . . ;)
You are crazy :) but thank you for the review, my scouts used up and then lost my Bear Grylls Fire steel, I was looking into a replacement, defiantly I will purchase Light my Fire Firesteel. Wouldn't be better to shed some wet clothes and do some worm up exercises before starting a fire?
Hi Scoutmaster, My brother has a BG firesteel, and it actually works quite well! I haven't subjected it to this kind of testing, though =) Shedding some clothes would probably have been a good idea in this event -- the temps were such that I might have been able to warm my body through some strenuous exercise. As you know, that's a great way to warm up -- I've spent more nights than I care to admit just jumping up and down/doing pushups/ running around at night because I was foolish and got caught in cold weather without adequate gear. Hey, it gets you through the night alive, right? (so long as we don't sweat!) At any rate, in this case I was aiming to purposely get as cold as possible, so I spent time walking out there in the wet clothes to speed my heat loss. I know, sanity was never really my strong point, but I hope others can benefit from watching! Incidentally, thank you so much for your work in getting people out into nature and teaching them skills of self-sufficiency and bushcraft -- this is so essential, and I celebrate every person who makes it an important part of their life. Keep up the awesome work!
i'm of the understanding that you should remove wet clothes in these situations because they will keep sucking the heat from your body i too have gone into a frozen pool some years ago and i know exactly how you are feeling in this video lol it's not fun :) really painfully cold! great video mate really enjoyed it
***** It was fun to hear that you've shared a similar experience! Brrrrrr! I've heard this as well -- in my experience I'm finding that it's highly dependent on the weather. If you strip down and there is the smallest amount of wind, it seeps the heat out of you very, very quickly. The ambient temperature, how soaked your clothes are, etc. -- all these factor in. In most cases (I try to do at least one ice immersion a year for practice) I keep my clothes on. They seem to insulate fairly well even when wet, and interestingly, even when they freeze. The icy outer layer seems to create enough insulation to allow my body to heat a small thermal barrier between skin and ice. It's certainly not comfortable, but it seems like whenever I strip down, I find myself looking longingly at my frozen clothing . . . =)
=) No. They may not even know about it. Maybe I should shoot them an email and see if they'll send me more things to test. Maybe, "trying to start a fire after falling in lava, being attacked by piranhas, and scaling El Capitan. Naked." Now that would get some hits! Except maybe not the naked part . .; .=)
I used some high quality ferrocerium rods, actually they seems like mischmetal rods as someone else called, which can easily make lots of fire balls instead of sparks when struck. I also compared them with Light My Fire & Firesteel flint fire starters, hardly to find difference between them. The manufacturer of the rods can be found at www.sinosed.com, their website. Hope it helpful to you guys!
Kenton, you've got issues brother!!! LOL!. Just kidding bud, awesome video. Made me cold just watching it. Impressive firesteel though, have to find one of them. Is this the same one Mora has in the handle of a knife?
northpostman It is! I have one of those knives, and love it. One of my favorite parts is the point, which is fine enough to remove splinters. A great multi-purpose tool.
I've got a question about this. Aren't you supposed to take off the wet clothes as it drains the warm out of the body? BTW, nice channel, greetings from Russia.
Great question, Nikita! Ideally, we'd remove clothing and replace it with a dry covering we might have. Lacking dry clothing or blankets, as is often the case with ice breakthroughs, one has to make a choice based on ambient temperature, sunshine, wind, and precipitation. Usually, our wet clothes will still offer some heat retention as compared to being naked, even if the clothes aren't wool. The circumstances under which I might remove clothing after an ice breakthrough would be during an unusually warm day with full sunlight and a complete lack of wind. Even so, I'd probably keep them on simply because in those circumstances, I'd feel confident in being able to get a fire going within a short amount of time, and it would be easier to wear my clothes than to tote them around. Of paramount importance, however, would be to dry one's clothes before night came and temperatures dropped, or hypothermia danger will increase. At any rate, in this video I was purposely trying to go into mild hypothermia to test the fire starter, so it's less about what to do after an immersion than seeing how well this firesteel functioned when I was compromised.Thanks for watching, and for your thoughtful question!
You got balls!(Blue now,lol) I have Rheumatoid Arthritis so bad that if it gets below even 40-45F,my hands get like that.Although it appears to be a great tool(I'm shopping around for one now that makes great sparks,this appears to fit the bill,there are so many bad ones out there),I think if it were me,I'd want a longer handle on each to grip with my whole hand as my fingers curl in the cold,as well as a lot longer lanyard.Other than that,a fantastic,ballsy demo.Thank You for enduring the pain and sharing this! 5Stars
Bowtie41 Thanks for the kudos! I'm sorry to hear about the arthritis. Not fun at all. I don't mean to be nosy, but I'm wondering if you've tried any diet/exercise shifts. I've had some great results with people with arthritis/inflammation/and other joint pain finding that things changed when they cut out sugar, started eating a plant-based diet with "clean" meats (non-industrial) if they like meat, and began doing a lot of movement (within their current abilities, but 'pushing the edge'). Apologies if this is unsolicited advice, but I've seen so many people suffering from inflammation-based pain and I think that lifestyle changes can make more of a difference than we're told. =) Kenton
I dunno if this was a review for the firesteel or showing that this guy can keep his head and do what he has to ;) either way I subbed and I already own these steels.
Men you are crazy and ... courageous to put yourself in such hard condition. Congrat for this real review very much appreciated but please don't do it gain :)
Wow, that's real dedication, actually risking hypothermia just for a review! Impressive.
+Michael Thanks Michael!
=) Kenton
I truly believe that Kenton has a genuine passion for sharing his knowledge. A review is secondary.
Good god! That is the most hardcore of reviews...and a very interesting test for an outdoors man. Respect sir, really I mean it.
Wow, thank you!!! I so appreciate that!
I've never been so cold from watching a video on youtube at home. Probably the best one to learn from.
+Jordan “Dankish” Savoff Glad you could feel the cold coming through Jordan!
=) Kenton
Definitely the best fire steel demonstration I've ever seen. Glad to say I own one myself. Thanks for literally putting your life on the line for this test. Wow
Impressive!
Shane Coffey Thanks Shane. They're great little fire starters, aren't they?=) Kenton
Bowdrillaz Bushcrafter Thank you!
ReWildUniversity I have to admit. At first, I didn't think much of them because they were so small compared to others out on the market. Once I used them , there's no going back. I've tried others and I'm honestly not that impressed. Stay safe and by all means stay warm brother.
Shane Coffey
Thanks Shane -- especially for the warm wishes. We've been dropping to -25F at night down in our valley. Brrrr . . . =)
Bro. You ARE genious! You showed that the firesteel will still work, even in worst case scenario. Your video shows that the right technique with the right gear can and will save lives. You earned yourself a like, comment and sub, dear sir.
This was an excellent demonstration - real life, real world
Thanks Dean. It was pretty intense =)
Thumps up for just trying such a physically challenging test and also a very brave thing to do for others education.
Great test, great man.
sweetcostarica Thanks so much -- I appreciate your words!=) Kenton
Hi Pyro7502,
Great question. In the winter in the woods, I usually look for thin, dried stalks poking up from the snow. I believe they are snakeroot stalks. These are usually high enough to poke out of the snow, and are thin and light enough that they take a spark. In this case, they would have been tough to gather with numbed hands, because you need a lot of them and they don't have much bulk. Winter-dried leaves, still on the tree, also can work well, especially oak.
Thanks for watching!
I know this is old but huge respect and hell of a review - few put this kind of effort into replicating conditions in order to demonstrate efficacy. You are to be commended. Subbed and Liked!
Wow, thank you! Welcome to the channel -- I hope you like the other content!
=) Kenton
Every now and then I come back to view this piece of badass content, 10 years later and it's still insane
Thanks much =)
Dude....don't even worry about your hair. The things you teach are so very helpful. I haven't learned anything from the videos where people are doing their hair, and nails and makeup.
Ha!! You gave me a great laugh with this one, my friend =) I appreciate the good reminder!
That is what I call a review! I really think it took courage to drench yourself in that frozen pond.LMF Firesteels are AMAZING.very efficient.Exellent review and will subscribe.
Now that’s a real test! I’ve just bought a LMF steel and I am very confident in it after watching you. Well done and thank you for your demonstration.
I hope you love it, Adam! It was a fun test to run, that's for sure!
I’ve got admiration for you mate. I was saying to my wife last night how ‘domesticated’ humans have become. We think cold is being without a jumper, hunger happens after an hour etc...I believe we could all benefit from going a back to nature more. I’m not one of these people I talk about, I’ve known true hunger, true cold and so on. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.💪🏼 Kids these days are very ‘soft’
Adam, well said. It's interesting, because we live in this comfort-worshiping society. When we have our forest monks out in the woods for 4 months, they often complain at first about all the discomforts (too many too list!) Yet universally, when they go back into civilization, they tell me a month later that they miss all those discomforts. With the discomforts, they felt alive. In comfort, like a zombie =)
You are gifted in so much more than surviving and the outdoors. I love your soft spoken words and your compassion for mankind in general. You should have 3 million subscribers + 1, stay true to yourself, it's definitely your meal ticket sir Kenton 😎
I appreciate that Brad -- very much.
=) Kenton
I love your challenges, Kenton. I save a little time each week to see how WELL you take the crazy body suffering. I watch then I watch again. I've seen you fall through thin ice a few times now so I might have that mastered! But wait! There's MORE! You give "survival" a new level of experimentation that I find fascinating, a chosen endurance, a persistence of TRYING that defines SURVIVAL. I would rather NOT practice hypothermia so thanks for giving me this vicarious experience. (Or you might say that I have practiced hypothermia until the thrill is gone). . . I'm thinking I might need to carry THIS firesteel. I do practice a few other things . . . silence, solitude, certain kinds of physical struggle . . . but those seem like rest rather than suffering. Blessings to you my friend!
Thank you Julia. It always makes me smile when I see your comments, and think of you watching me suffer . . .
=) Kenton
Ooooh I do watch you suffer . . . touch a gentle hand to your brow. Thank you, my friend :-)
Julia Mahaffey
Hugs =)
Kenton, thank you so much for this amazing video. You can be sure that your videos are helping a lot of us to get out or avoid potential dangerous situations. Sincerely, you are a life saver. Thank you!!!
So appreciated Oscar!
=) Kenton
AMAZING review. This happened to be the first video I saw of yours, and I knew I'd be hooked to your stuff after haha. Wish I lived closer to where you are - I'd definitely sign up to a be student for your classes!
Glad you like it! I feel the same about living closer -- I could learn some great kick-work from you, as well!
I can't believe you actually dove in that ice! You're insane, mate! In a good way. Thank you for this demonstration. Mad respect!
Alba Diz Thanks Alba!=) Kenton
This has to be the most dedicating review I've ever seen. Impressive sir! Interesting channel btw. Subscribed!
I'm glad you liked it! And thank you so much for your comment and your subscription -- that inspires me to keep making videos!=) Kenton
What a great video. It's clear that you really enjoy what you do. Having you actually jump into the freezing water and then make a fire made this video very compelling and interesting. I was definitely hooked. The added element of the arm injury made it even more interesting.
I'm definitely going to buy this fire still now. Lol.
Something I would add is that in a real situation like this, a person could sprint around / dance / do jumping jacks to warm themselves up. This could help them have better control of their hands when using the fire steel. I once jumped into cold water in the winter and sprinted up a hill and was warmed up within a minute.
Thank you for making this video and I have subscribed. Enjoy the woods.
sirstratocaster Thanks so much, and you're absolutely right about running around to heat yourself up. A great method! This time around I was trying to purposefully go into very mild hypothermia, but in real life as you note, getting that internal heat up would be of paramount importance. I also want to thank you for your subscription -- it is appreciated!=) Kenton
Good to hear from you, and you're right I remember you saying you were trying to get into hypothermia so you could test the steel.
I am looking forward to practicing and learning to start fires with a steel.
I just recently discovered two new tricks for starting a fire with a match that I'm really stoked about.
Have a good one.
sirstratocaster
Would you share the match tricks? I bet people would love to learn from you!
=) Kenton
ReWildUniversity Sure!
I've been practicing with one-match fires in wet conditions lately without a knife. Here's what I've learned:
If it's raining, I make a lean-to by shoving some sticks in the ground and laying one of my sweaters on it. Makes a great space to work underneath.
Most of the time, there will be some dry tree bark out there. Cedar bark can form the small kindling for the fire.
If everything is totally soaked, small, dead but fresh cedar branches can be broken down by hand to expose the dry interior. They can be broken down small enough to form the small kindling.
As with any fire, I make a dry base of wood to build on.
To create an air space, a curved twig jammed in the ground at both ends.
Kindling gets laid on the twig.
To light it: Hard black pitch will burn on its own. It can be jammed into the end of a split cedar twig to form a match/torch. Gooey pitch can be smeared on the outside of the twig to help the black pitch light.
Gooey pitch can work too, smeared on a twig or bark.
Strike the match and light the pitch torch, then use that to light the kindling!
This method works well. I will probably tweak it and change it over time but its worthwhile as it is.
The two tricks I had just learned were the black pitch burning on its own like a firestarter, and the curved twig to make an airspace.
sirstratocaster
This is GREAT! I hope other people are reading this -- some awesome firestarting tactics. Thanks so much for sharing with us all!
=) Kenton
Wow, you're taking one for the team here dude. Thanks for the review.
You bet! =)
I don't usually comment but I wanted to thank you for what you did here for all of us. Wonderful detailed information and WOW you sure made it real. I really appreciate it all and loved your fun comments. I will check out your other links. Thanks again for your service to all of us, teaching us how to survive and what works. I did learn a lot from your video :)
Appreciated! I'm glad you like those comments, too. I always enjoy putting those in during the editing . . .
=) Kenton
Great review! Good to see this fire steel perform so well in a life or death situation. Subscribed!
Thanks so much for your subscription! I really appreciate it, and am glad you liked this review!-- Kenton
Well sir you are dedicated to product testing in a real life situation. I live in Northern Alberta and rely on good outdoor equipment. Most manufacturers state what the item is capable of under ideal conditions but when the "arse falls out the bottom the of her " it's great to know that the product will work. This company just sold a couple of Fire Steels.
Thankyou for your dedication.
John, I still use these with my students at ReWildU years later. I do feel they make a great firesteel!
=) Kenton
WOW! I was in a doubt if I should buy this FireSteel, looking for a review. Would never expect to see such a REVIEW! Absolutely impressed! Now I'm thinking if I should buy more FireSteels for my friends :D
I hope you like it! Recently, I've also been buying larger ones from EricX, which seem to be a bit easier for kids (as I'm often sharing these skills with younger ones =)
This thing is really great. I have attached it to my keys and carry it around with me every time I leave the house, so I'm always prepared!
Perfect =)
Absolutely AMAZING test, best ive ever seen, glad i ordered this steel, great job sir!
Thanks! So glad you liked it!
=) Kenton
Now that's how you review a piece of survival equipment !!! Bought it today and subscribed to you
Appreciate a ferro rod review geared towards trekkers who consider weight, and for whom lighting a fire is likely an emergency situation rather than a feel-good hobby. As we know, there's no shortage of bushcrafters and "survivalists" who recommend gear based on different needs (real or perceived) than the rest of us.
Absolutely. I notice 'parkour' in your YT name. Are you a practitioner? So fun!! =)
@@ReWildUniversity Hey actually just a follow up question: How much usage would the average person get out of a small ferro rod like that? I'm debating between the Scout vs the Army sizes. Thanks!!
@@ParkourEh I'd go for the Army size -- I used to get the scouts, but went through them too fast. On the flip side, you have to pay attention to how you strike, or over time you can wear the Army down in a way that makes it difficult to strike. If you learn how to use the end, you can whittle it away and it will last a LONG time. Of course, if you get really good at using it, you can get a lot of a scout too. So after that long winded thought, the advice is -- if you are new to it, go for Army, if you are really good with it, the scout will last you a long time.
@@ReWildUniversity Wow thanks for the in-depth reply! I appreciate it! I'll go for the army model then.
I have much respect for you. This is the first video of yours I came across. I am a duck hunter and an ice fisherman and here in Minnesota this falling in the ice happens all the time and it is important that people should how to survive. you sir got your self a new subscriber
***** Hi Bobby,You're exactly the sort of person I was hoping might see this video -- people who venture out into the ice on a regular basis. And you're right next door in Minnesota (I'm in Wisconsin). Thanks so much for your comment and subscription -- it is appreciated!=) Kenton
Hi Wo Ra,
Ha! Love your comment =) I actually wore these electrically heated underwear with a little battery pack ;) No, just the trousers, actually, because I knew I'd probably have to take them off frozen. It sure would be nice to get paid for doing things like this, but so far it's just an exercise in self-punishment for the fun of it. Thanks for commenting!
Hi boxcarbunny,
It's a good question, actually. I've done this enough times to know my body's reaction, but there's a chance of cardiac arrest with sudden immersion like that. My camera-woman, happily, was an extremely capable person who I wouldn't hesitate to trust with performing a rescue and/or CPR.
this is great, better than most vids where they just talk about situations , i like the way you get down and actually do the deed i am impressed and will subscribe, when i was 8 years old i fell through the ice at the neighborhood pond , i managed to get back to shore while my little friend went to get his mom by the time ( 10 minutes) she got there i was blue.. the doctor ( they made house calls then ) put me in warm water, it took several hours to get me back to normal temp..and that's the first time i tasted castor oil ( bad stuff ) . i forgot all about that till i saw this vid thanks
+Chris h Glad this could bring back a memory (that is, if you wanted to remember it! =) But I always love hearing from people who have actually experienced this themselves. It sounds like you were seriously cold! I'm so glad you made it through okay!
As for the castor oil, luckily I've made it through life thus far without tasting it. I've heard it's not too pleasant.
Thanks for your subscription, as well!
=) Kenton
+ReWildUniversity thanks for the great reply Kenton,
you are welcome, i got your newsletter but havn't had a chance to read it yet
and ur lucky, not to have had the opportunity to taste the castor oil,,, hey if you are willing to jump in freezing water,,, you can do a vid on you sampling some caster oil how about that :) ... it has many benefits, i just looked it up and it's really great stuff www.homeremediesweb.com/castor-oil-health-benefits.php
Chris
Chris h
I'll check this out! We're all about herbal or non-conventional health options! Thank you much!
+ReWildUniversity Great, your welcome, I been watching some of your vids on your ReWild U site,,, they all good, glad i found your channel
Chris h
I appreciate your words -- I hope you keep finding them valuable!
I prepared a small bundle of dried grass and wood, and luckily, i must say, scrap of papers... And it worked! Found that after doing long strokes(5-10) and after doing short and fast strokes(not more than 5) and blowing hard immediately it worked fantastically! Because of you, i Could save my Life, but most importantly, other ones. Merci!!
ikust007 So glad it worked for you! They're not actually that easy to use unless you can get some instruction. When I first tried a ferro rod years ago, without any knowledge of how they worked, I just threw a lot of sparks and never got anything to light.
=) Kenton
ahhaha!!! cheers!
Great demo, very captivating to watch. I initially wanted to get the Light My Fire 2.0 Army, but now I think I'll get two of the smaller Scout models instead.
David Dang Glad you liked it, David. I haven't tried the Army, but I've heard great things about it. To be honest, it will probably the next one I buy, just to give it a try. Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to comment!=) Kenton
One of the realest reviews I've seen, thanks.
Glad you liked it, Chris!
=) Kenton
Could I also please ask - What do you think about the durability of this fire steel; does it last for a good amount of time?
Chris Roper
After using them for a few years, I'd get their "Army" model, because unless you are good at getting a fire in a one or a few strikes, it will wear out pretty quickly. I think it's a bit softer than other steels, which makes it easier to get sparks, but not as long-lasting.
Oh ok thanks for the info. I will definitely keep that in mind, since I'm looking to get a fire steel and this brand is availible nearby.
You are one CRAZY bastid for putting yourself through all that to demo the ferro rod! I’ll just say a big thanks for that and well done!
Wow, thanks John! Appreciated!! =)
Talk about a REAL review and test~~~ I just bought this at REI before I saw this video. After watching this video, I'm glad I bought it haha
I've tested it out but just to see how much spark it outputs and it's pretty damn good~ thanks for the video and keep up the great work!
Hi liquidSpin,
Thanks so much for watching, and I'm happy to hear that you're pleased with your firesteel! I know -- it's always nice to buy something, check out reviews, and find that you've bought a good product =)
Hi!
Thanks so much. It was indeed a bit chilly =) Glad you've had the same experience with these firestarters, and thanks so much for subscribing!
Hi Paul,
Thanks much -- can't say it was all that fun doing it, but I can't wait for the next challenge of this kind!
Wow. Unbelievable video!!! You have just sold me on the product. Im only 15 so that renders me extremely inexperienced so im hoping that this will be a tool that starts me on the right path. I look forward to further videos. Thanks so much man.
-Alex
Yooo are you 25 now? How's life?
haha! yeah i'm 25. life is awesome! I actually remember this video. I miss the days when I was obsessed with bushcraft. @@Aethelhadas
Wow. Most intense review I have ever watched. Incredible and a little scary. Hypothermia sucks.
So glad you "enjoyed" it, David, if that's the right word!!!
=) Kenton
Wow, that's a proper review! I was a bit scared for you. I'm not a fan of cold water. I've just ordered 2 Light My Fire firestarter kits. I can't wait for them to arrive.🤗
Crina, so glad you liked it! I'm still using this brand, even these many years later.
@@ReWildUniversity I did! I'm enjoying your channel! I've ordered 2 of their titanium sporks as well. I don't know when I'll get to use them because of this virus (and because I live in a city atm), but I'm still excited nonetheless.🤗
@@Crina-LudmilaCristeaAuthor For me, having some "adventuring gear" at the ready always is exciting -- it makes me think of future adventures to be had =)
@@ReWildUniversity Yep!
@@ReWildUniversity Actually, that's one of main reasons why I bought them now.🤗
awesome video.you got my subscription after seeing how serious you took this project
Thanks Kevin,
I value every subscriber, and I hope that you continue to find my videos to your liking!
ReWildUniversity thank you
Hi Corey,
Thanks so much. I'm kind of vain about the hair, but when I'm doing things like this it tends to get a bit unruly and in the way =)
Amazing review. Seriously impressed. Thanks .
I always look for fire starters for a disable person.Like I said before," your the man." Sorry with my ability, will it work with a foot & a hand ? I rigged 2 up to use, but they are 6" long.
Hmmm. What an interesting thought, to try it with one hand and a foot! A challenge I'll have to try!
=) Kenton
Awesome video great to see serious dedication to possible real world situations!
Thanks so much, Chad -- I think it's always good to see how gear (and our bodies) perform in extreme situations, especially when we can do it in controlled circumstances. Glad you liked it!
Amazing demonstration, 3 of us were watching this in anticipation and when we saw the fire we all cheered ...like a field goal. Fantastic video !
Awesome! That's so cool to think of all three of you cheering me on! So appreciated!
=) Kenton
Hey! Thanks so much. I've always felt like if I'm going to do something, I might as well really go for it =) Hope you enjoy your firesteel, and thanks so much for subscribing!
here is a scenario "OH NO! you lost the flint in the pond!" Great review. Real dedication.
+BlindEyeAirsoft Man, I'm glad you're not setting up my scenarios! You'd definitely test my skill! Interestingly, though, I actually did something similar to that in this video -- ua-cam.com/video/BUvDJSdFe7s/v-deo.html
=) Kenton
Good video! Very informative and good job on explaining everything calmly and clearly. Very helpful.
+Tom van Iersel Glad you liked it, Tom!
=) Kenton
Hallo. May i ask you this? In 9:47 at the subs you say "i've been at it about 10 minutes". Do you mean 10minutes from the moment you step in the water or 10 minutes of strikin' the stick to create fire? thanks.
Without going back and watching the whole video -- I made if a few years ago -- I'm pretty sure I meant the striking.
=) Kenton
Excellent job! Great test of the equipment in a real survival situation.
Thank you Brad!
=) Kenton
Just bought this fire steel today. That's excellent and great video man! Way to take one for the team.
Hey, thanks! I hope you like that steel. Mine is almost used up -- time for me to buy a new one, too =)
I am. It's a great striker. The whistle included also almost blew my ear drums out, which is a good thing. Those Swedes know how to make some great stuff !
Maybe you should get the Mora Light my fire knife man. Has the same striker but its included in the hilt of a Mora blade. Amazing reviews and videos show it in action and it only costs about $8 more than the striker by itself. I just discovered this and hate myself for buying the fire steel alone, lol.
I'll grab the link where I saw it at, although I suspect you can get it many places.
Here it is. They have other colors too thankfully. Price has jumped a bit though today it seems. But still a pretty cool design: www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007JIIQJS?vs=1
Nice! You're right, though -- I'd probably go for a different color =)
Incroyable test pour cette firesteel ! Respect man !
Thank you!
=) Kenton
That was an awesome test, man!! Thanks for doing it and posting it!
featheredprop You bet!=) Kenton
ReWildUniversity By the way... how were monitoring your body temp? Was it accurate?
I was using both an under-tongue measurement, and a digital thermometer, and much of it was based on estimates after I was back in a house, since the thermometers weren't functioning well due to the ambient outside temperature, despite efforts to keep them warm. But was it accurate? Tough to say. To really do it right, I should have done rectal, but I wasn't feeling quite manly enough to drop my pants every few minutes =)
Omg, and people call ME crazy and I haven't done anything like this (but I do like to test my equipment BEFORE it comes to an emergency situation)
Very realistic video and as Aaron said, much respect! You earned yourself a subscriber :-)
Thanks so much for subscribing! It sounds like you'd have some crazy stories to tell about your own adventures! =) I know what you mean about testing things BEFORE you're in a bad situation. There's so much gear out there, and I think some of it has never been tested outside of a warm room, or at best, out in the woods during a nice day. We really need this stuff to perform when we're compromised, when the weather is horrible, and when situations have moved WAY past the comfortable stage. After all, most if it is billed as "survival" equipment, right?
Thanks so much for watching and it's great to have you on board! Also, thanks for that +1 on the comment about danger =)
I'm gonna go ahead and give you a thumbs up on this review just on sheer commitment and effort, but sometime next week, I really wanna see you review a snake bite kit with the same level of realism.
That was the best review of any product I've ever seen you definitely a wild 1
Thanks Bigbuck! Now what can I do for the next one . . . ? =)
I like that the striker is included. Those big chunky firesteel that you strike with the back of your knife are great for camping but in a survival situation you really want a piece that works by itself and not be useless should you lose your knife (which would be bad enough on its own)
I agree!
=) Kenton
what if you're dealing with frost bite...should the core be heated first in this scenario?
+capgains Great question - for frost bite, the current recommendation is to rewarm slowly in wet heat (warm water or a wet cloth). For anything more than very mild frostbite, it's ideal to get medical attention for best results. Another thing you might be thinking of is the importance of heating from the core if you are hypothermic. In this case I wasn't cold enough for it to be an issue, but if you are extremely hypothermic and heat your hands or feet, it can be deadly. Best practice is to fully insulate the person with heat pads placed on core areas. However, the first 30 minutes of rewarming are often when a person dies. It's called "afterdrop". Best idea -- don't do silly things like what I did here, and do your cold conditioning in very controlled conditions while knowing your current limits.
=) Kenton
Impressive test. The best test I have seen.
Thanks Jorge. So glad you liked it =)
Brave dive into the water. Nice informative video. Keep them coming!
Thanks, Hunter! Glad you liked it =)
Nice and very realistic review! Wonder if you would not have had more luck if you pulled the firesteel towards you, not moving the striker, instead of striking it?
+Fjell Wood That's a great method too. To get close enough, I often have to put the steel into the tinder, which also disrupts it. These days I use a sort of hybrid method, just touching the steel to the tinder, then doing a small "push-pull" that doesn't break up my tinder bundle but also gets great sparks. Of course, it's easy to pull off with warm hands, but I have more trouble when my hands are cold . . .
=) Kenton
Wow... More than impress! I had bought one for a Long Time and decided to try it with no success before watching you video. I am going to try it again, the right way (hopefully). I have subscribed! Cheers for Quebec.
ikust007 Glad you liked it! And thanks for letting me know where you are writing from. Always fun to hear where people are. Cheers in return from Wisconsin, USA!
=) Kenton
I have enjoyed your videos and learned a lot. Thanks for the extreme test and review of the fire steel.
Thank you for this great review! Very realistic. A bit crazy, but I've enjoyed watching every second.
+Stanley Blonk Glad you liked it!
=) Kenton
I would have just folded up and said my goodbyes. Takes some internal strength to continue trying to start the fire after that initial frustration.
great videos. also liked the other one where you fell through the ice and made fire with a hand drill. I would'nt of thought it was possible to do,being so cold, but it just goes to show what you can achieve if you have the right skills. great!!
+Nick Forrest Thanks Nick! So glad you liked them!
=) Kenton
You, my dear are nuts. (In a great way!) I'm not much of a survivalist/planner, but I will buy this and do some practice with it.
It's great to see a "real world" scenario in which you are trying to survive with fire and a firesteel.
astrangeone Loved your comment =) Thanks so much for taking the time, and let me know if the firesteel serves you well!=) Kenton
Get the Armageddon Gobspark with that honkin big handle on the rod itself and the palm scraper to go with it. Just the ticket for starting fires when you're as cold as you were. Those big handles are great with glove covered arthritic paws like mine. Good honest review. You made yourself work at this one :)
scarz1951 I've heard good things about the Armageddon! Would love to try one someday. Thanks so much for the your kudos!=) Kenton
ReWildUniversity I bought a LMF Army 2.0. Excellent ferro rod. I love the high iron content. Well worth the money.
scarz1951
I'm hoping to try an Army next. Glad to hear it's working well for you!
=) Kenton
Most fire steels work well,but cold and wet a larger one is easier to handle for me. One thing you said kind of puzzled me if you can't get your buttons undone what do you do? Great video, it was real Thank you.
quercus I agree -- bigger is better if you have cold hands. I've been on the search for a small one that would also work, and that's what I found here -- not as easy as a big one, but its design allowed me to use it under some rough conditions.As for your second question . . . I just hold it =) Try to get my hands warm and then undo them. So far I haven't peed on myself, but it's been very, very close!=) Kenton
ReWildUniversity Joking aside,I get a bare ferro rod and whip it for about an inch and leave a loop to stick a finger through. Thanks for taking the ribbing.
quercus
I love some friendly jabs =) Thanks again for commenting!
Strong man. Very good test.
Thanks!
Thank you!
what do you do in a situation like this if you *can't* get fire started?
Cry. =) A more serious answer? I've made it through some frigid nights by essentially exercising all night long. Usually in the winter you have to be careful about finding a balance between generating heat through exercise and sweating, which can be lethal. But in this case, since I was already wet, I could have run up and down some hills until I was really warm, and then keep up lower-level exercise for the rest of the night, doing bursts of higher-intensity if I started to cool down. But that is basically a night of torture and I'm glad I could avoid it via fire . . .
=) Kenton
Cry. =) A more serious answer? I've made it through some frigid nights by essentially exercising all night long. Usually in the winter you have to be careful about finding a balance between generating heat through exercise and sweating, which can be lethal. But in this case, since I was already wet, I could have run up and down some hills until I was really warm, and then keep up lower-level exercise for the rest of the night, doing bursts of higher-intensity if I started to cool down. But that is basically a night of torture and I'm glad I could avoid it via fire . . .
=) Kenton
Hi Alex,
15! Best time to start, when you're young. There is SO much to learn about nature, survival, and outdoor skills. As long as you start to learn about tinder and how to make a good tinder bundle, this firesteel will serve you well. Not sure if you subscribed or not, but I have an upcoming video on natural tinders.
Maybe see you out in the woods someday!
When you fell in the water, shouldn't you have taken off your clothes and done exercise to increase the blood flow? I've seen a few people do this, such as Bear grylls.
Hi TimmyJoe John!
I've heard of Bear doing that. I think that in some very specific conditions I might think about it, but usually the convection heat loss from bare skin (if there is any wind at all) that is wet equals very rapid heat loss. Plus, if temps are below freezing much, your clothes turns into cardboard and becomes very difficult to get get back on =) I find that the clothing acts as a sort of "wetsuit", with your body heat warming the water next to you, and since the outside of your clothes quickly freeze, that frozen barrier acts as a windbreaker.
Or maybe I'm just too wimpy to take off my clothes =)
Roots,
Kenton
ReWildUniversity Haha thanks for replying, I learn a lot from your channel. :)
TimmyJoe John
I appreciate hearing that -- those words keep me making more videos =)
I wouldn't of put myself through that for 6k views in a year for a firesteel review! Braver man than me!
Thanks =) At least it was fun! A little. Okay, not really, but . . . ;)
ReWildUniversity Well I glad you survived!
Me too! Alive to do future foolish things ;)
i only use swedish steels from light my fire, they are stronger made (in normal steels you can "carve" very easily) and they always work.
Niels Wehrens I'm right with you. Just really, really well designed and well made.
i have the light my fire folding pocket knife, which is my favorite knife right now. it too has a whistle on the handle which is very effective. this is the first video of yours that i had seen, just subscribed. there are a lot of guys out there who have great knowledge that i respect. but when i see an average to poor physique, i tend to think of them as campers or hikers, not survivalists. u look like u could survive about anything.
Hi Alan,
I haven't tried out that knife. Thanks for the recommendation -- I might just check it out! And those whistles really are impressive, aren't they? I hurt my ears every time I try it out =)
Thanks for your subscription, and also for your words about my fitness. I feel that my fitness (physical, emotional, and mental), is my best survival tool, and I've been making some videos lately that I hope will inspire people to improve their fitness levels. It makes so much difference when you're putting your body under extreme conditions.
I hope you continue to enjoy ReWildU's videos!
I know what you mean about bad management and bad luck and having hands so cold I can't even undo my fly (mine was zipper, not button and I couldn't pinch the zipper tag with enough force to pull on it).
Nice to see that it looks like I made the right choice in firesteel, though. Great review. Thanks.
Glad to hear someone else has been in that place! All we can do is laugh at ourselves in that situation, I suppose. And practice our monk-like discipline in bladder control . . . ;)
Nah, these days I wear trousers with an elastic waist and no fly - it's easier than learning monk-like discipline :D
You are crazy :) but thank you for the review, my scouts used up and then lost my Bear Grylls Fire steel, I was looking into a replacement, defiantly I will purchase Light my Fire Firesteel. Wouldn't be better to shed some wet clothes and do some worm up exercises before starting a fire?
Hi Scoutmaster,
My brother has a BG firesteel, and it actually works quite well! I haven't subjected it to this kind of testing, though =) Shedding some clothes would probably have been a good idea in this event -- the temps were such that I might have been able to warm my body through some strenuous exercise. As you know, that's a great way to warm up -- I've spent more nights than I care to admit just jumping up and down/doing pushups/ running around at night because I was foolish and got caught in cold weather without adequate gear. Hey, it gets you through the night alive, right? (so long as we don't sweat!)
At any rate, in this case I was aiming to purposely get as cold as possible, so I spent time walking out there in the wet clothes to speed my heat loss. I know, sanity was never really my strong point, but I hope others can benefit from watching!
Incidentally, thank you so much for your work in getting people out into nature and teaching them skills of self-sufficiency and bushcraft -- this is so essential, and I celebrate every person who makes it an important part of their life. Keep up the awesome work!
Wow you realy did test it, ya I know it's a old video but hey good product
Thanks -- I really wanted to see how it would perform in a crappy situation!
=) Kenton
Thank you for your concrete example. Take care.
Absolutely! =)
i'm of the understanding that you should remove wet clothes in these situations because they will keep sucking the heat from your body i too have gone into a frozen pool some years ago and i know exactly how you are feeling in this video lol it's not fun :) really painfully cold! great video mate really enjoyed it
***** It was fun to hear that you've shared a similar experience! Brrrrrr! I've heard this as well -- in my experience I'm finding that it's highly dependent on the weather. If you strip down and there is the smallest amount of wind, it seeps the heat out of you very, very quickly. The ambient temperature, how soaked your clothes are, etc. -- all these factor in. In most cases (I try to do at least one ice immersion a year for practice) I keep my clothes on. They seem to insulate fairly well even when wet, and interestingly, even when they freeze. The icy outer layer seems to create enough insulation to allow my body to heat a small thermal barrier between skin and ice. It's certainly not comfortable, but it seems like whenever I strip down, I find myself looking longingly at my frozen clothing . . . =)
Did LMF finally send you some kind of souvenir in thanks for this commercial?;]
=) No. They may not even know about it. Maybe I should shoot them an email and see if they'll send me more things to test. Maybe, "trying to start a fire after falling in lava, being attacked by piranhas, and scaling El Capitan. Naked." Now that would get some hits! Except maybe not the naked part . .; .=)
Very real situation in Northern Canada. Great object lesson.
So glad you found it useful, John!
=) Kenton
u are a true prepper... good work..im still considering bout' gettin this... awesome video
Thanks much!
=) Kenton
I used some high quality ferrocerium rods, actually they seems like mischmetal rods as someone else called, which can easily make lots of fire balls instead of sparks when struck. I also compared them with Light My Fire & Firesteel flint fire starters, hardly to find difference between them. The manufacturer of the rods can be found at www.sinosed.com, their website. Hope it helpful to you guys!
That is how you review a product in life situation, thanks!
So glad you liked it! =)
Now that's what I call a real-life testing. I hope you did not get too bad of a cold :)
+Matus Kalisky It definitely took me a while to recover . . .
=) Kenton
Kenton, you've got issues brother!!! LOL!. Just kidding bud, awesome video. Made me cold just watching it. Impressive firesteel though, have to find one of them. Is this the same one Mora has in the handle of a knife?
northpostman It is! I have one of those knives, and love it. One of my favorite parts is the point, which is fine enough to remove splinters. A great multi-purpose tool.
Hi Invictawarrior,
Now THAT would be a review =)
I've got a question about this. Aren't you supposed to take off the wet clothes as it drains the warm out of the body? BTW, nice channel, greetings from Russia.
Great question, Nikita! Ideally, we'd remove clothing and replace it with a dry covering we might have. Lacking dry clothing or blankets, as is often the case with ice breakthroughs, one has to make a choice based on ambient temperature, sunshine, wind, and precipitation. Usually, our wet clothes will still offer some heat retention as compared to being naked, even if the clothes aren't wool. The circumstances under which I might remove clothing after an ice breakthrough would be during an unusually warm day with full sunlight and a complete lack of wind. Even so, I'd probably keep them on simply because in those circumstances, I'd feel confident in being able to get a fire going within a short amount of time, and it would be easier to wear my clothes than to tote them around. Of paramount importance, however, would be to dry one's clothes before night came and temperatures dropped, or hypothermia danger will increase. At any rate, in this video I was purposely trying to go into mild hypothermia to test the fire starter, so it's less about what to do after an immersion than seeing how well this firesteel functioned when I was compromised.Thanks for watching, and for your thoughtful question!
I was very happy for you when you got you flame.
Timothy Ryan Fisher Thank you Timothy! I can assure you that I was too. Definitely struggled with this one.
=) Kenton
You got balls!(Blue now,lol) I have Rheumatoid Arthritis so bad that if it gets below even 40-45F,my hands get like that.Although it appears to be a great tool(I'm shopping around for one now that makes great sparks,this appears to fit the bill,there are so many bad ones out there),I think if it were me,I'd want a longer handle on each to grip with my whole hand as my fingers curl in the cold,as well as a lot longer lanyard.Other than that,a fantastic,ballsy demo.Thank You for enduring the pain and sharing this! 5Stars
Bowtie41 Thanks for the kudos! I'm sorry to hear about the arthritis. Not fun at all. I don't mean to be nosy, but I'm wondering if you've tried any diet/exercise shifts. I've had some great results with people with arthritis/inflammation/and other joint pain finding that things changed when they cut out sugar, started eating a plant-based diet with "clean" meats (non-industrial) if they like meat, and began doing a lot of movement (within their current abilities, but 'pushing the edge'). Apologies if this is unsolicited advice, but I've seen so many people suffering from inflammation-based pain and I think that lifestyle changes can make more of a difference than we're told.
=) Kenton
nice nice nice video! realy realy thank you!! but are you ok?
Sirgrudgerock I'm okay in body. If I'm okay mentally is perhaps up for debate . . .
=) Kenton
was someone spotting you? With med. training? Don't get me wrong, great video
I dunno if this was a review for the firesteel or showing that this guy can keep his head and do what he has to ;) either way I subbed and I already own these steels.
I'm glad you enjoyed this, and thanks so much for both your comment and your subscription. Both are appreciated!
Men you are crazy and ... courageous to put yourself in such hard condition.
Congrat for this real review very much appreciated but please don't do it gain :)