3 Survival Skills Every Man Should Know

The average teenager in the 1800s was more prepared than the vast majority of modern American adults. These are three easy and inexpensive ways to build shelter, filter water, and start fires with minimal modern tools. Because knowledge not passed down, is knowledge lost.
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00:00 We're Weak
02:02 Shelter
10:49 Water
18:27 Fire
26:00 Touch Grass
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[@je2848]

The production value of that intro was way too damn high for a simple DC video, what the hell.

[@NicholasJonesCreative]

🫡

[@johnspartan3405]

Have you not been watching lately? Their intros would make Tarantino cream his shorts.

[@EathenRice]

I KNOW. THEY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND!

[@armstrong2052]

Love the hell out of the effort tho😅❤

[@Blackpowderdad]

So so good!!! I was laughing so hard

[@TheCaptnHammer]

I am a Park Ranger. I have spent the last decade plus of my life teaching outdoor skills. Over 14k people per year attend workshops in fire starting, medicinal and edible plants, making cordage, shelter, medicinal kit building, what to carry in a daypack, and in your vehicle, etc. thanks for showcasing these skills. I know way too many people who can’t even change a tire, and asking them to start a fire without some lighter fluid and coals is too much. I treat that as a teachable moment and give them some skills to whet their appetite in the hopes they will seek out more skills on their own. Rock on y’all.

[@GarlicGoblin]

Hello sir, where would i go to get taught these skills?

[@jayheavyequipmentoperator1208]

Never knew the park Rangers held classes...

[@donaldcurtis9229]

I learned all my Outdoors back in the seventies I was a boy scout My True Believer song was a Army Ranger there was 35 Acres Auburn Pennsylvania he made me a bet he can find me a 15-day he didn't find me in 30 days I won the bet

[@malone212]

Few quick things just as tips. 1. Hold your striker staionary and pull your ferro rod back. It will concentrate your sparks better into a specific area. 2. When making char cloth, you want to use 100% cotton. Synthetic material will melt. I figured most people know this, but just in case someone doesnt. 3. You can make your own fire starter cubes/tabs with cotton balls and petroleum jelly. Rub the petroleum jelly into the cotton balls and store them. They will take a spark super easy. 3. Certain snacks in your pack can be used as a fire starter. One that I've shown to a lot of people is corn chips. They will sustain a flame for a good while due to the oil in them. Great video guys! I love what you're doing with the channel and content your putting out! Some times we need to be reminded that the basics are what will keep you alive. Rules of 3!

[@AriesTheCam]

You can also soak the cotton balls in rubbing alcohol and squeeze out the excess before coating them in petroleum jelly. Works fantastic

[@Texan_BoyKisser]

Doesn’t need to be cotton either, can also use any natural airy/non-dense carbon source. Paper, linen, burlap, spunk wood, inner bark 👍

[@ColinHeddle]

Make waterproof fire starters. Round cotton make up remover pad thingies soaked in lighter fluid and wax.

[@AriesTheCam]

@@ColinHeddle We're gonna start a pyro thread lolol... Save your dryer lint and old steel wool. Those will take a spark from a ferro rod (or bic lighter that ran out of fluid) like no ones business.

[@ColinHeddle]

I've got enough dryer lint to last me a century XD

[@CharlesChamberlain-rb5ze]

One thing you guys missed was what bug spray does to your equipment. Do not mix bug spray with anything water proof! The chemicals break down the water tight seal, and will ruin your frog tog, poncho, and most tarps. If you have a tent it will destroy the rain cover. The general rule of thumb is to only apply bug spray 10 ft away from your camp site with your shoes off, no rain coat, no hat, no nothing. If you have a long sleeve undershirt you can spray it with bug spray and then after a few minutes you can put the undershirt on, wait another 2, and then put everything back on. When packing bug spray, you should contain the can in a bag. I have had leaks, and its gotten in my food. My final tip is to never plan to always have bug spray, and get use to the bugs. Sometimes the spray won't work no matter how much you apply, if you are in the woods for a ling time, you will run out, and as long as the bugs aren't carrying any nasty disease, you will survive. no hate, I just appreciate what you guys are doing here, and i just wanted to give my 2 cents too.

[@vincentf5823]

As long as you stay away from DEET, most other homeopathic-type bug sprays are g2g for clothing and food i.e. citronella, eucalyptus

[@aaroncarapace8054]

I replaced the foam insert in my Tilley hat with a bug head net that way its always with me. I also bring a pocket sized thin windshirt with me that I wear to protect my neck and arms from the bugs as well

[@notengospacebar]

Cool info, good to know!

[@noboy345]

I didn't know that cool info good tip!

[@grantlingley1385]

@@aaroncarapace8054 Bug net inside the Tilley Hat! Great idea!

[@ethanedwards7834]

I don't know why they needed to collect kindling when they started with such a fire intro.

[@Darthbaldmouse]

Put a pencil sharpener in your fire kit for making spark kindling Three absolute necessities for survive, Shelter, Substance and security

[@Sniperahead]

buy a magnesium sharpener, u can scratch the magnesium of it to use as fire starter

[@clamum9648]

Good idea big 🐕

[@tazandoreo]

or you could carry a knife and save the precious space. lol

[@eliot1970]

Pencil sharpeners appear to be the new dryer lint.

[@ManInTheWoods76]

​@@Sniperaheadif you're referring to the magnesium block that sometimes has a small ferro rod on it, that isn't a sharpener. It's just for scraping off small shavings to catch Ferro sparks

[@Terrato45]

Sometimes I forget that not everyone grew up in Scouting or similar programs. Glad to see the knowledge being shared.

[@robpolaris5002]

You can thank feminists for that. They decimated the Boy Scouts instead of just improving Girl Scouts because they don’t want capable, confident men. I am SO grateful I grew up before all this psychotic BS.

[@ascalon132]

Intro legit slaps 🔥🔥

[@esdguns2378]

Top 10 best KZbinrs, especially in the firearms industry and in survival industry.

[@Polofour]

One tip I learned is hold the steel still and pull the ferro rod, lets you control the sparks better

[@raulrostas7183]

That intro was production level like my GOD. Whatever camera you are using is clearer than my eyes. The slowmotion is soooo smooth and even your guys' acting is on point. Props to all of you.

[@whiteskyflyer]

All stuff we teach at the youth archery camp, glad to see the basics being showed…being former SAR guy simplest is usually the best!

[@supertrooper7403]

This video ignited a fire in me and brought me out of early onset man-o-pause. I needed this. Thanks guys.

[@Architect_Art_Vandelay]

This channel is truly helpful. Not only is the gun content cool, but you guys are teaching average joes extremely valuable skills in an increasingly fatherless society where men no longer learn these things.

[@sofloflow]

As a backpacker, I love this. Id argue the best water purifier is a sawyer squeeze + boiling the water + collecting from a flowing source far from contaminants

[@jw5297]

Was lost after the great depression, once we started becoming dependent upon the government to start providing for people, and after WW2 and Korea, our father became more focused on feeding the system, vs stoking liberty and history. And has accelerated vastly as our generation has grown older during the GWOT ERA,

[@rangerbird270]

It’s wasn’t lost, y’all just got lazy and fat, weak and to comfortable

[@BackintheFight]

Huge Fan fella's. 8 months ago, I was thinking about starting my own channel for folks that dont want to "hear" the preppers, but want to learn self reliance. My heart wasn't in it at all. I found y'alls YT channel and almost exactly the content i wanted to make. I just recommend Dirty Civilian to all my city friends and focus my personal time on more personal hobbies (like teaching my kids this stuff instead of watching YT all day hahaha).

[@metalfarmer9286]

Boy Scouts taught us these basics and so many more. I'm glad I learned all I did in Scouts, it has saved, helped, and guided me through numerous situations.

[@ericvonfeldt5200]

Came down here to comment the same thing, all of this seems obvious to us who had the good fortune to be in the scouts

[@BigTexOrdnance]

Dryer lent soaked in melted petroleum jelly makes a great fire starter for your kit.

[@jw5297]

My packs have ziplock bags with cotton balls with Vaseline all over them for fire and skin care.

[@Jhardy64]

I read somewhere if you wrap foil around the cotton balls and cut a slit in the top you can pull the cotton out of it and use it more like a re useable candle, have yet to try it though

[@jw5297]

@@Jhardy64 That is correct

[@user-ye9nh2yr1r]

Sir, have you ever thought of having a few cotton balls with "Vaporizing Rub" instead of Vaseline? Someone said you could cover the cotton balls with aluminum foil, then pull out a bit of cotton, light it and make a small candle. That got me to thinking about using the Equate brand Vaporizing Rub which has Camphor, Eucalyptus oil, Menthol, Turpentine oil and White Petrolatum. If a person burned that as a 'candle' it ought to open up your sinuses and maybe help keep some bugs away. It's just an idea. If I remember, I'll try it to see if it works.

[@jw5297]

​@@user-ye9nh2yr1rI had not, there are cases of it exploding when heated. May not be a real issue but according to poison control its a thing and there are reports out there about it.

[@johnrugotzke3207]

Good video, guys. Every time that I start a bonfire in my fire pit I use a different starting method as practice.

[@pyeitme508]

BRO did u sing for the intro?! XD

[@AJohnSmith]

Ex Dee

[@bringer-of-change]

It was actually a dub lol

[@Smitty_Werbenjagermanjenson]

sounded like AJR to me

[@noboy345]

I thought it was PSR or something 😂

[@fishez17]

That was the best intro I've seen in a very long time on any video on KZbin. Nice job!

[@christopherpike8269]

The 10 foot knot tying method was gold. Even with back to the basics videos you can learn something new. Just took my hanks of paracord and combined them with this knot.

[@ImaMerican-jb9ot]

Something you could have done before installing the filter is just open the bottom of the bag and drain off the majority of the settled dirt

[@user-zl3wo1ux2t]

Theirs a great documentary on Sawyer. I used a Sawyer filter that screws on to any plastic drink ( think soda) bottle, in Central America for almost two months with a partner also using it, daily. Never an issue. Their technology and purpose is awesome. I swear by it and carry one always. This could also be a good video for you guys. Thanks for the great vid.

[@Xxcoletrain83]

Opening goes hard

[@alexg.5322]

Congratulations from Spain for your excelent work guys!

[@pmedic523]

That intro was top notch. Had me rolling! First time watching you guys. This was a great video. Loved the presentation, how well you two work together. Sometimes 30 minute videos can be kind of grueling but you guys kept it simple with only three things you went over and then went over them super well. I’m an Eagle Scout but it’s been years since I went and did any “survival” style real camping. Been wanting to do something for years with some friends to keep skills up and learn but the few friends I have aren’t really into camping and such. My son however will be. Can’t wait to get him camping so I can teach him all the stuff I learned to love about the outdoors.

[@angryveteran8585]

We just always used bungies for rigging up ponchos easy peasy.

[@davidprice1908]

Heavy and bulky. Used to use them, but stopped. Plus, not as multi-use as 550

[@mrnukeduster]

A pine needle bed and bedding and making a "blanket" out of them saved my life one night in a forest. It was also a decent enough night's sleep, too.

[@davishunt7402]

The best conversations are spoken around a fire , so true.

[@PolkaPig578]

Got lucky and got here 10 minutes after the vid dropped! Love the intro, and I love all the content you guys make. Been binge watching it all and trying to apply all the things to my life. The work you guys do has more impact than you may know, please keep up the good work!

[@LandonWest]

I love the middle ground approach to these things. This is the most practical way for most guys to practice the basics.

[@pest_predator_nz]

Haha that intro was gold. Had a good laugh. Cool vid thanks for sharing the basics. A lot of people nowadays can't even set up a camp. Greetings from NZ.

[@timunderbakke8756]

Kids are out of school after this week. I think I’m going to drag the boys out to have some fun learning this summer to work on shelters

[@austinmcwilliams3412]

Good info. Appreciate what you guys are doing and teaching. Keep fighting the good fight!

[@alhart6126]

A stainless single wall bottle on a small fire is best...maybe a bandana or filter clothe for cloudy or particles..

[@Gundyadventures]

Great idea going from bag to bag for filtering and having them labeled for sure.

[@matthewrussell3935]

Great video guys! And I've gotta say, y'all's production quality is ALWAYS top-notch!

[@fasterrthanyou]

I always carry a waterproof case with 2 lighters, one traditional one butane, a striker, and waterproof matches. I found out about pyro putty around 4 years ago and have added that to the kit, some pretty good stuff.

[@serratlantean8662]

You guys always publish great material, thank you!

[@JCMoorer]

I’m excited to see the next lesson from you guys. Keep up the great work!

[@jcoolhand5]

Appreciate the effort you guys put into showing these skills.

[@mtoy1337]

Really looking forward to y'alls videos every week. This channel is awesome.

[@nathanallen6462]

Great stuff talked about in this video. Absolutely love it.

[@mikemc3389]

Thanks for all y’all have done to educate us

[@jelanibyrd5031]

That opening was BEYOND BRILLIANT!!! LMAOOOO I LOVE IT!

[@stephensands3485]

Best production intro ever, rest of the vid also had great production quality, you guys are great!

[@andrewlafferty9127]

I've been wondering about water filtration, I've got an idea of what I'm gonna start with. Thanks guys!

[@leesmith5972]

Love your content guys!!! 🔥🔥🔥 one of my top 5 favorite channels on KZbin!

[@homesteadishdad]

Holy crap the production value on this is nuts. Good job Nick! Also, I have the same backpack as Drew, sweet lol

[@johndunbar2393]

Hey Drew, a little tip, for the magnesium fire starter stick. instead of sliding the metal down the rod and risk hitting the char cloth (like you did), or the tinder bundle, hold the steel and pull the rod back toward you. That way when the rod slides out from under the steel, the pressure from the rod, makes it go up, instead of the steel hitting your ember and knocking it around.

[@skeledon]

Awesome video, awesome way to put this in perspective, and awesome execution. Good to see that you have dome so well with your channel! I subscribed my brothers.

[@denisestarr2314]

I was blessed to been raised in the counrty , this is stuff I learned as a kid .

[@xanthraas8241]

Thanks for this content - glad I found your channel!

[@michaelrodriguez6210]

Corporals corner is a good channel for learning knots and basic to advanced shelter building/fire starting. Kinda whiny about youtubes algorithm, but solid content

[@kurtismeinhardt68]

These intros are absolutely amazing. Thank you guys for putting them out! ❤

[@johngahrmann3952]

I like the teamwork format. nice video.

[@FITFO]

3:48 if you cannot tie a knot, TIE A LOT! Also with flint steel rods like that. Try pulling the rod away from the steel like your starting a lawn mower vs pushing your steel toward your tinder along the rod. Keeps your sparks more controlled and less chance of bumping the tinder and knocking it everywhere. As well, if your using a knife for steel it keeps the sharp thing stationary. I learned this at age 12 and still have a scar at 26.

[@TangoOscarMikeN3WS]

Awesome video. Instead of the earth pocket for the ripped tarp, you can use a sheet bend knot. I just learned that not that long ago and it works great.

[@Pegasus257]

When my friends and I go backpacking we have both water setups with the quick 1 L stuff and I bring the gravity system. On the trail they fill me up and then at camp I go get gallons so we don’t have to run for water all the time for cooking and stuff. Super useful.

[@bigfish995]

You can also build a well on the waters edge using bark from the surrounding trees to filter it I’ve been doing this forever. Water tastes kinda like cedar too. Milbank bags are awesome too.

[@junglesairsoftblog6311]

Knots- pitching a Tarp or Basha is a lot easier using "Jungle knots", doubled para cord lines girth hitched on to the eyelets with simple stopper knots every 6 inches, they work really well and basically are quick release lines with no clips or hardware to fail that are easy to use in the dark or when you're tired or it's raining hard.

[@JamesGrim08]

This is an amazing idea, I'm going to try this out.

[@samwebb585]

The BEST INTRO you’ve ever done. Maybe the best KZbin intro I’ve seen?

[@Disastrous.Affect]

Y'all make this so entertaining, glad someone is documenting this. For a cheap and quick fire starter, grab a gallon ziploc and fill it up with dryer lint. Burns mad hot and gets even damp twigs going.👊

[@RP-ks6ly]

As always, you guys are putting out great content, regularly, keep it up.

[@TacticalTimmyGoldandSilver]

See the gear skeptic series on water purification. There are some considerations with aqua tabs to keep in mind. They do not protect against viruses. Often a dual filtration methon between micro filtration with the sawyer and aquatabs or katadyn micro pur tabs is the best way to go.

[@brandonm3375]

Awesome video. Thanks for the knowledge sharing. Always look forward to the next video.

[@codycarlton3719]

Fantastic info sweet and simple. Time to put it into practice!

[@lmtdefense3927]

The DC intros just hit different. Keep up the good work!!!

[@Ancient_Path]

I’m glad you guys showed water methods. It’s the one thing I’ve always been afraid to do on backpacking trips. In my mind it’s such a huge potential hazard and I never trusted any systems.

[@colenielsen5112]

Awesome video guys! Thanks! 👍🏻

[@brianmoore5138]

Y’all’s videos get better and better

[@BBQDad463]

Thank you for this video. Great information! Great presentation!

[@Lone_Painter]

Enjoyed video, you're absolutely right we need to know this stuff and pass it on.

[@janisheller4558]

What a great intro. I just to watch the whole video. And I have to say, it is really a great video and you explained it perfectly 😀 Thanks for the effort and I am looking forward to some more stuff

[@benkrage4]

thanks guys for all the great content

[@zoltannagy2920]

Outstanding instruction Gents! Thank You !!!

[@user-nm9gb6dt6o]

Thank you for making these videos

[@zackschmidt4381]

Great video! Keep ‘em coming

[@jacquesofalltrades1643]

Found this product recently called Aquamira. They have hydration packs and adapters for Nalgene bottles with inline filters. You can buy extra filters. Supposed to be rated for up to 200 gallons each. Packs with the reservoirs were around $100

[@natekinzie4749]

Loved the intro, that was hilarious. Also 100% agree with researching knots instead of doomscrolling...

[@deadrockerify]

new to the channel. really dig and appreciate you gentlemen

[@spencercard1371]

Love it! Great work guys!

[@dennisthemenace2726]

Love the content. Very relevant and timely.

[@jameskennedy4984]

Really good intro to what is needed. You’re playing with a folding saw BIG plus in your kit.

[@nicolasgolden9930]

A cheap pencil sharpener is small and great for turning small sticks into kindling. Also if you find dried wood that’s starting to decompose, you can rub it against other pieces and make a fine powder. Dryer lint pulled apart, some oily chips, “char cloth” - super cool, steel wool and a 9v. There are dozens of ways to do everything everyone should learn and be confident in a couple because 1 is none, two is one.

[@nobearclaw7308]

Thanks guys, great video

[@krukabman]

I have used a Dakota hole fire pit before! When I first ran across the video for one I tried it in the back yard, to see how good it would be. They burn hot and very little smoke. And if you’re in a situation that you need to be light disciplined just keep the flame below ground and you can stay fairly hidden.

[@snafuedem]

I bought that eberlestock freefall as well. Love it.

[@isaacjordan1272]

Keep up the good work gents, and thank you for the awesome videos!

[@MrSurvivalHarry]

Thanks for the great information and awesome intro

[@sayyeddeyyas8634]

Thanks for bringing this to light.

[@mmancino1982]

I use the gravity method whenever I'm camping more than two days. Water is heavy, but those filters work well enough to be confident you're not gonna get sick. I'll typically use up my carried water in the first two days, while using the gravity water I got during that time for cooking. Sometimes I'll run two just to have a surplus.

[@weswarden2216]

Intros to yalls videos are great lol had to subscribe for that alone.

[@nathanaelszafranski2261]

I love the concept here of entry level skill development. Not saying it is all one should do, but the easy intro to wet the appetite is great.

[@danielschmidt1990]

Such a good video guys! Really enjoyed it! Lets get more of these

[@jerryjonsson7444]

Thank you! Really nice video. I am working on my fire making skills. And I am a knot job! Started out a year ago and love those knots! :) Char cloth is nice. I find this tip I found here on the tube about cotton cloth dipped in heated floating petroleum jelly, then protected and adding fire time by dipping a couple of times in stearin to be a super nice way to start fires. Made a couple of hundreds of them now. :D

[@Raver_S_Thompson]

I’d use a longer farro. And my always have is a fixed blade that is baton capable with a 90 spine for striking. Long enough to split small branches, fine enough to clean a fish cavity, and generally easy to sharpen with a small stone.