BOOST Your Outdoor Skills By Doing This ONE SIMPLE THING.

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

What skill area or activity do you think you improve upon by practicing in the dark / poor visibility? Which skill area / activity would you want to avoid practicing in poor visibility?

[@jackvoss5841]

Muscle memory, organization of things like sequencing, physical layout, memorizing tactics to avoid - or handle - interruptions, etc. I’m guessing that you never had to field strip and reassemble a gun while blindfolded? Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

Setting up your shelter/finding stuff in your rucksack. Definitely things you must be able to do at night. Most people in the West have never seen darkness. I think that learning to do stuff without a BFO torch or headlamp is so important, not least so people understand how ‘night vision’ works. Ultimately you should be able to get your shelter put up without a flashlight

[@numberg8238]

I think it's that that muscle memory kicks in a lot easier when you don't have access to your eyesight; you see it (excuse the pun) a lot when playing/learning a musical instrument (or going back a bit further, learning to tie your shoelaces), as soon as you stop trying to do it with your eyes, the easier it gets!

[@my_handle....]

Brilliantly simple. Thanks you Craig. 👍

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

Thanks buddy, glad you enjoyed it. Don't forget to share it with your network.

[@HughesHikes]

Good tip! I like to go out at night or in poor weather to test myself, also feel its a good opportunity to learn to keep calm in more challenging situations making daytime hiking a lot easier. Thanks for sharing, hope you're well.. Day

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

Cheers Day glad you enjoyed the video. Hopefully see you on the hills soon.

[@slippery999]

Many years ago I was a trainer at work and I often used a quote attributed to Julius Caesar. “Without training, they lacked knowledge. Without knowledge, they lacked confidence. Without confidence, they lacked victory.” It matters not whether JC actually said it, the sentiment still stands in whatever you do. Practice your skills, practice with your kit in all weathers and conditions because most people think that under pressure they will rise to the level of their expectations whereas in reality they will sink to the level of their training.

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

Some very wise words and good advice there, thanks for sharing it. Much appreciated,

[@jackvoss5841]

I hadn’t thought of that, Padawan. May I also suggest that writing down the steps, checks, etc required for a task? That requires us to logically work our way through the task, realizing some common distractions, common errors, common variations, etc that might be involved. Try that for a task such as teaching a small child about flossing and brushing - it can be an eyeopener. Courtesy of Half Vast Flying

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

There is indeed a great deal to be said for documenting EVERY step of a process, can often lead to some interesting insights into the assumptions that people make.

[@summittaedae2323]

Its the best way to to hike 🌚. I love it

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

Glad you enjoyed the video, don't forget to share it with your network 🙏

[@dougdixonhull]

Great idea. Best to stay in an erea that you know and stay safe.

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

That's certainly an option if you are unsure about your general skills/navigation etc, but I'd always advocate for people to broaden their horizons and venture to areas that are not familiar to them.

[@ianrudd7442]

Interesting. I had not thought of it like that.

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

I'm glad it sparked some thought about this Ian, I appreciate the feedback.

[@WoodyAndy]

Would certainly make watercolour painting a lot more challenging! Seriously though, nice idea, I always enjoy your thoughtful takes on the usual subjects. Me and a mate went camping last weekend and set up in the dark, sub zero, in a sleet shower with fairly high winds. It certainly tested our abilitiies! All the best, Andy

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

It’s alright…we’ll put up a couple of flares… :)

[@WoodyAndy]

@@bob_the_bomb4508 that'd make for an interesting evening! lol

[@bob_the_bomb4508]

@@WoodyAndy “you’ll be lit up like a Christmas Tree…” - General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett

[@WoodyAndy]

@@bob_the_bomb4508 classic lol!

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video Andy and thanks for sharing your own recent exploits.

[@davidcann6021]

This remind me of what one of my scuba diving instructors once said which is if you can dive in the UK you can dive anywhere which is generally true. Having low viz, tides and full drysuits etc makes a dive in the tropics seem easy. I remember trying to navigate up William Clough in the dark, couldn't see the path at all with torches and even phone and GPS didn't help. Luckily i'd taken the more direct route up Kinder before :)

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

Your scuba instructor sounds wise! 🤿

[@lesdrinkwater490]

Nice video. Not sure that I know what administrating yourself means, thanks Craig

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

It was a slip of the tongue, I meant to say 'administering". Thanks as always for watching Les 👍

[@thebrit1976]

Very good upload and info 👍🇬🇧☕

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the feedback.

[@thebrit1976]

@@TheBushcraftPadawan 🇬🇧👍☕

[@davidvaughn7752]

Just going through my pack at night can be frustrating and confusing, especially looking for something I need immediately and when in a rush or focused on another incidental tasks. Yet another very relevant subject. Will consider protocols to make myself more capable after considering this!!! Thanks!

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

You're very welcome David, I'm glad you found the video useful. Let me know how you get on with 'fumbling about in the dark' 😉

[@synappticuser5669]

Born with Retinitis Pigmentosa. 1st symptom - night blindness. As I gre up I was thought to be clumsy, so I coped inmy own way without knowing I had visual impairment until, in late 1996 I had to make a small evasive manoevre in my Landy and decided to see the Optician. Registered Blind Dec 2000 at age 48. Consultant asked me how did I get on in the dark? I replied that I didn't understand the question. "Well how do you SEE in the dark!". Me, "I don't. Who does?" Result cknfused Consultant. Been a on the hill man and boy, father before me....father before him...a good apprenticeship from people who forced me to improve because I was "clumsy". You get good but you don't know your good so you're always trying to improve. What would have have been the outcome had I been diagnosed as a child? Still a hillman. By the way, fastest in my flight at dis-assembling, cleaning and re-assembling basic weapons in the dark, even when my Sargeant kiccked the ratstail away I could find it and carry on. At that time I never knew why. I now know I am very good at mind mapping i.e. not just terrain but wind direction, smells, what's underfoot.....and where I bloody leave things. Just don't move what's mine! All good hillmen do it in the dark. Good targeted vid. Best Wishes from Jockland. McIntyre

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

Thank you for sharing such a personal and useful insight, much appreciated. Have a great weekend 👍

[@blokeinabluehat241]

Practise one skill at a time. Do it at home or caravan park or near a hut so if you get too Cold Wet Frustrated Scared You can go inside. Don't practise mistakes. True story A couple of women set off their plb even though they were in a mountain hut - safe, warm and uninjured. It was dark and windy/stormy but they would easily have survived the night to walk out the next day. The search and rescue team thought they must be injured and took the risk fly in. The women were just scared. Search and rescue were not impressed. I don't know whether the women were fined but the rescuers "forgot" to remind them to bring their down jacket with them to the helicopter. They would have been taken back to an airfield which was a couple of hundred or more kilometres from where they left their car for their walk. No public transport to their car. Hopefully not even their home city.

[@TheBushcraftPadawan]

Wise words, thank you for sharing them 👍

[@nickhulley4350]

Hi there, can you help me - cheers in advance plus your content has always been bob-on, please keep it coming our way. I'm watching this in a browser on a laptop? since KZbin changed the display last year, to certainly my annoyance. I'm unable to see your helpful recommended other videos which you indicate as being on the screen now but nothing is ever displayed (I certainly don't think this is your fault at all). On this (and other sites etc.) occasion I view the drop down screen, to see your other info but for this video, the one you mentioned was not present. basically your a whizz at what you do, I've been following you since you began and I'm sure you can help me out - what can I do to get this on screen on the video on my laptop p.s. it does work if using a mobile but I want to use my laptop being older its easier on my eyes - cheers so much.