My Optimized Ferro Rod Carry System: Quick, Easy & Secure

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks for watching! Remember to like, subscribe and share! 🙂

[@karlhungusjr1]

this is the very last bushcraft channel that still talks about knowledge, gear, skills and setups rather than drone shots of a fort they made out of pallets or is trying to sell you a bunch of junk.

[@PaulKirtley]

:-) I'm glad you appreciate what I do here. Thanks for your support.

[@Bluejay1968]

Not the only one, I try and put some skills on my videos, but I get your point sadly not many show tips and skills these days.

[@susrev88]

same here. i'm sad to see that many channels degraded bushcraft, primitive technology, ancient knowledge, ethnology into sheltet-builds with drone-shots and/or pushing gear. having said that, i'm happy that there are people like you and Paul out there.

[@abdreyuki]

100% agree

[@mshockley17]

This is and always has been the best Bushcraft channel on KZbin. Don’t ever stop, Paul. You make us all better woodsmen.

[@GreytOutdoorsMedic]

His courses are even better.

[@susrev88]

@@GreytOutdoorsMedic true. online course is phenomenal.

[@DanielBelliveau-y5x]

I also carry my Swiss Army , Huntsman , Knife the same way ; which I learned from you .

[@PaulKirtley]

Great! 🙂

[@ihearsimon]

I always tie a short length of reflective guy cord to my ferro rod loop, so that if I do drop it or put it down and forget where it is, a quick flash of a light on it will cause it to shine and show up. Highly recommend this method.

[@CragDawgs]

Sick tip

[@rickbartley9255]

I like the concept of essential pocket tools all being tethered together and terminated on the belt! Well done!

[@jouzel8951]

Good stuff, I use lanyards for all the stuff I really don't want to lose while adventuring in the Canadian Rockies, fero rod, Swiss army knife, truck keys, ect.

[@KiwiBushcraftAndSurvival]

Recently I have implemented this same setup that you have shared. I think its a great idea. And am very happy with it. Thanks for sharing, Paul.

[@kosfireandbushcraft]

great idea! this ties in with your previous video about orange-ifying your critical gear. combining these 2 ideas is like double security. critical gear is attached to your person in a robust way BUT should you somehow lose it, you have a great chance of finding it. imho many people underestimate the risk of losing stuff UNTIL they indeed lose one.

[@eriktaylor5704]

This is a very practical system. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience. I look forward to your next pocket load out. I, too, appreciate the way you conduct yourself in your videos. I don’t feel like I’m being pressured by a greasy car salesman or some hipster that requires all the latest gadgetry. Sensible, practical, and easy to deploy. Cheers.

[@AdventureBon99]

Thank you I. I really like your presentation and way of taking. Love bush craft life.

[@Reeceeeyyyy]

I saw you using a lanyard many videos ago Mr kirtley. Have adopted it ever since. Haven’t lost one yet 😆 Great advice thank you for all your free advice and knowledge passed on 👍

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks. Glad the lanyard idea is working for you!

[@VintageEngineRepairs]

Hey Paul, you may remember I was on your early courses online (Tom Scandian). I thought of you yesterday when I visited the Otzi iceman museum here in Italy. Seeing otzi’s 5000 year old incredibly well preserved body, his tools (copper axe, flint knife, unfinished yew bow and his clothes) as well as his medicine kit, fire lighting kit etc in person was amazing. If you ever get a chance to visit if you haven’t already, I highly recommend it. Glad to see you’re well and continuing on with the channel and teaching. Tom.

[@AdventureBon99]

Another great vid. Thought I was the only one carrying the things clipped on my belts xxx

[@vonsprague7913]

I attach the ferro rod to the clip with a 50mm piece of paracord as I find the split rings dig in when they're in your pocket and can wear the pocket too. As usual great advice and information Paul.

[@TheOaken1]

Thank you, good idea. I normally keep my faro rod and whistle in a daypack, but I don’t always carry my daypack with me. I just set up a lanyard on my bed with my rod and whistle. Now it will always be with me.

[@rodrigocappato4207]

Nice! I also like to attach a small piece of fatwood together with the ferrod and the striker. I make a small hole in the fatwood to pass the cordage through. With that, I always have a complete fire kit attached together. Greetings from Sweden

[@steveblunt9532]

Always great when another vid comes up Paul and I hope you're well. I remember seeing how you did this on one of your courses, stored it away and put it into practice. I use 2 cords, one for each pocket - ferro and striker for one and other stuff on the other, to prevent overloading the one. Great detailed tips as always. Thanks. And love the silver fox look!

[@PaulKirtley]

Haha thanks for your compliment Steve. Hope you are doing well. I'm glad you learned some good lessons on the course and they are still working well for you. All the best, Paul

[@ronaldrose7593]

Hello 👋 Paul, sincere thanks for sharing this informative video. Yup did a fine job. Keep up your great video and stay safe out there 🏕️.

[@SmithandWesson22A]

New Paul Kirtley video...liked before viewing. Good point about the Olight, I carry the smaller AAA or AA battery light. ( of which I have way too many😂 as a collector) Side note, many Olights are available in bright orange.

[@markmartyn8555]

Again great content

[@markbellinger]

Nice! And that cheeky bit of duck tape will also take a spark 😉

[@PaulKirtley]

🙂

[@MrTangent]

Try it. It’s incredibly hard to actually accomplish. I’d wager it’d be extremely hard with such a small piece of duct tape. I am pretty proficient with a ferro rod and found fluffing out the fibers AND hitting one with sparks was damned near impossible (and mine was a lot larger piece). Thinking I finally got it to light by augmenting my setup by scraping magnesium shavings onto duct tape first, which caught a spark and ignited the duct tape finally. In any event, duct tape is a bad tinder for catching sparks.

[@markbellinger]

@@MrTangentI wasn’t suggesting it as a first choice, more a case of great to have if nothing else is easy to hand. As for lighting it, maybe I’m using a different brand to you as I’ve never found it particularly hard to light the one I use.

[@MrTangent]

@@markbellinger I used both Gorilla tape, and regular grey duct tape. I’m not talking about taking a flame. Any decent tinder will light with direct flame. I’m talking using on sparks from a ferro rod. It was damned near impossible, and I have decades of survival and ferro rod experience.

[@markbellinger]

@@MrTangent Not sure what to say, I’ve never found it a problem. Maybe @PaulKirtley can give us a demo? 😆

[@Lex-Hawthorn]

A nice bit of advice for the uneducated out there Paul. Look forward to your next post. Stay safe, take care.

[@kevinharry7418]

Good video Paul with some useful advice. Thanks

[@pB-vp3mo]

Another great video! I like your instruction and how you talk about WHY you do things. You tell us WHY you do things not do it my way. You encourage us to discover what is best for us. Keep up the great videos!

[@justindawson3428]

Good to watch another one of your videos Paul. I like to have a long cord attached to my fero rod, I like it long enough I can use it without unhooking it from my belt, the reason being if I get up to do something it will come with me and never be left behind, I just make sure it does not touch the ground when standing. I also like to use natural fibre cord so I have emergency tinder if needed, I make small ropes from Jute twine, cheap and easy and plenty strong enough, you do need to check it before each adventure as natural fibres are not as durable but they do last long enough and when they do need replacing a ceremonial fire is a good send of for its service. I should be getting back on to your webinars soon, it has been way to long.

[@AlexSwanson-rw7cv]

If I want to thread paracord through stuff I like to wrap it tightly with sellotape near the end then cut through the cord and tape to leave a sort of compressive tape aglet on the end. This is easier to thread through small holes than sealed or unsealed raw paracord. Once done I'll cut off the taped end and seal with a flame as usual since the tape isn't a permanent solution.

[@journeyman7189]

Great tips Paul. Ever since I saw you do this years ago I've had a SAK farmer in 1 pocket and my ferro rod on the clip in the other. Always attached and have never lost them. Thanks Looking forward to your pocket dump! Nate

[@artiknanook9189]

I look forward to your video on your organization of your pockets. A habit that serves me well, is to always keep my bic lighter in my high right pocket high and not in the cargo pocket (and a back-up in my shirt pocket). Here in Canada, temperatures can be very cold, which affects the performance of the lighter. The upper pocket, which is usually tighter on our body, has less air and the lining inside is less thick than the cargo, making the lighter less affected by cold and more easily ignited, the gas being warmer, therefore more volatile at ignition. This can make a big difference at -20C, the fingers quickly numb and flicking the bic, becomes a task in itself.

[@hansesselink9386]

Looking forward to your pocket organisation.

[@RickTOutdoorAdventure1969]

Cheers Paul, thanks for sharing that. Its funny, no matter how much experience you have, sometimes you see something so simple and think 'Why the hell didn't I think of that lol ' . Change the para chord for a longer bit 🙂🙂. I'm gonna do it right now 😉. Cheers Paul Atb Rick n Billydog

[@JohannSwart_JWS]

Almost every SAK I have has a can opener. The sharp(ish) edge of the can opener makes a great striker for ferro rods.

[@gedfi]

Great tip! (pardon the pun)

[@bushcraftbasics2036]

Great video. I have always liked those small clips but found I am gravitating towards a larger one in colder weather to make it easier with gloves.

[@bigmaninthewoods]

This is such a simple yet really useful idea, Paul! Thanks for sharing. I'm thinking of having my Scout Patrol Leaders make these.

[@Countryboy071]

Another informative video, keep them coming Paul 👍

[@PaulKirtley]

Thanks. Will do!

[@rickyfargason8859]

Nice video. These tips will help you from losing your ferro rod. I like the bright orange. Helps you always see it even if you drop it on the ground.... Or dropping it into the fire like a guy did on Alone. 😦

[@mccoyburgess844]

Very worthwhile, particularly coming from someone who actually goes outside. Thank you. Looking forward to the video on organizing your pockets. I would love your thoughts on organizing 5 pocket pants, I.e., jeans.

[@thesteakdetective]

I say Old chap! I love this channel on the wireless. The bushcraft and outdoor knowledge is outstanding 👏 Ruddy good show!

[@Ichinin]

I've been using that "cow hitch" for my apartment keys with a long cord to be able to reach the door. The clip on (or rather off) was a good tip, i've found that carbine hooks are great for many things.

[@paulevans-u2o]

Great way of holding on to your kit and a versatile method for usage cheers paul

[@jurgenkrebbekx4329]

Thanks for sharing Paul, always great to see tips tricks and skills especially the way you do, very educating on an easy way👌🏻

[@darrengreaves3068]

Hi Paul really enjoyed that love watching and listening to your tips look forward to seeing you in the next video take care mate 👍

[@stuartadair7052]

Great vid. I use a tiny loop made of fisherman knotted micro paracord instead of a split ring on my olight - seems to put a lot less stress on the tiny lanyard hole.

[@joeyfekete1433]

Great video Paul! The lighter sleeve/ waterproof case was a nice little bonus; I've been trying to remember what they were called for a while now!

[@mspellyt1]

Thanks Paul. Always find your videos and podcasts informative.

[@richardnichols1392]

I do some thing similar with my fero rod lanyard combo but also have a section of fat wood with a hole through it and a piece of leather thong fed through and tied in a knot this is added to the lanyard and is a way of insuring i have some material on hand that will readily ignite if scrapped in to a pile and struck with the ferro rod sparks ,i do enjoy your great videos .

[@Bluejay1968]

Interesting video Paul, some good ideas there. I use a similar idea, I have a similar clip but it's on a D ring sewn onto a webbing loop that goes on your belt. So the whole lot just unclips from your belt. On mine I have the ferro rod, striker, whistle and a small keyring petrol lighter.

[@MorganBW53]

Thank you Paul. Some very interesting things to ponder.

[@kringsja922]

I use a Swiss army classic SD Alox as a striker i just give the nail file a 90 degree spine and carry it on a necklace 24/7 that way i always have a knife/scissors/file/screwdriver/striker, and it is less bulky than the LightMyFire striker and works just as good, just wanted to share in case someone is interested. Great video Have a nice day :)

[@JW-nk5hu]

Always good to see you. Take care.

[@gregsanderson2470]

Brilliant, a small addition substitute the paracord for survivor cord. This will supply tinder, fishing line, brass wire as well.

[@troymanning3150]

Thanks for the video…..always good info from your channel.

[@evansimmons6894]

Great as always, Paul! Many thanks!

[@UltraBuc]

Awesome tips

[@bq688]

I carry my stuff in the same way. One added benefit: if I want to take a little nap along the trail I can pull out the lanyard and lay it beside me so that, as a side sleeper, I am not laying in my stuff. But when I wake up and move on, I won't accidentally leave my stuff behind as it is still tied to me.

[@GreencampRhodie]

Good to see you doing vids again Paul. Good video. I've been doing similar ever since your training in 2012 [THAT long ago, seems like yesterday]. Highest regards. C [ex-nhs].

[@jimcy1319]

I would just add regarding the little clips or karabiners is not to use ones that are too small and fiddly , when it's dark,wet or cold they'll really p*** you off and there's a danger of not clipping them back on to the lanyard securely if you're having to fiddle with them. You need something secure, but easy on, easy off and easy back on again. The addition of the whistle is a good idea.👍

[@LetoAt77]

Thanks for sharing Paul!

[@william3781]

Excellent system Paul. My Farmer Alox X has been on a lanyard with a clip for years now, so this is a sensible and practical extension of the system. However i can't help thinking that once the rod is taken off, the striker is too close to your body? Would you remove the whole lanyard (in the absence of your knife of course) or another clip and split ring for the striker? I'll try both ways. Horses for courses i guess. The black strikefire striker you use is the best I've used, i like it a lot!

[@Mat-kr1nf]

17:49 After losing my house keys whilst travelling on the channel tunnel, I strongly mistrust that type of holder, it was a very expensive brand as well, not ch4eap tat!☹️Some very good ideas on this video though, I like the carabiners.🤔If you want extra security, you can get locking ones- Nite Ize S-Biner MicroLock Carabiners, a fiver for two of the micro ones on Amazon. There’s a little lever that you push one way to allow the binder to open, the other way for it to shut, it is rather fiddly and takes a bit of pressure and dexterity, so probably not good if your hands are cold, but, as I say later, this can be a good thing in certain scenarios. I use them on the end of a paracord lanyard, attached to a leather belt hanger. One of them is for my 1952 British Army pen knife, the one with a rather handy Marlin Spike. If I ever got stopped by the police in town, I think/hope the fact that the lanyard is quite short(so you couldn’t use the knife offensively) and it’s locked to the belt would forestall any suggestion that it was being carried as an offensive weapon!🤔

[@thomasmusso1147]

👍👍👍.. a valuable post. I've got something similar, although the whistle hangs on a lanyard around around my neck .. also my front door key on another lanyard .. both always when I go out anywhere. I have two different pocket lanyard setups .. an 'Outdoor' and a 'City/just going down the Shops' one. The City one has a Leatherman Micro, Mini Torch and a little 'Cash Tube' which is large enough to accommodate a rolled up Chf 50.00 note. A SAK and an Opinel Folder in a sheath form part of the belt / pocket setup. I'm a believer in lanyards attached to my belt .. even a compact zip-up Leather Pouch big enough to carry an ID, Bank Card, Medical Card and some Cashl 'Pocket Discipline .. a Place for Everything and Everything in it's Place' .. Always! No matter what I am wearing, each pocket has a specific content .. thus no fiddling and faff looking for something. A good share .. thanks. Take care ..

[@ManInTheWoods76]

Wonderful video, sir

[@neoaliphant]

This is similar to Ranger Ricks survival necklace....ive a necklace like this , ive added a watch strap button compass and a glow stick...the long cordage of the necklace can be used with the glowstick to make a buzz saw.. also ranger band/inner tube helps torch from getting scratched and is flame extender...

[@TheAirlock]

Great video, thanks! PS I like using shock cord instead of paracord for this purpose. Not sure of any cons with the obvious pro. Hurricane whistle is ear-shatteringly loud. Not sure why not very widely used for bushcraft.

[@pbooth88]

I like to use thiner cordage like Zing-it as less bulky and you can splice the joins instead of knotts.

[@MrLashaKobi]

Dear Paul, please suggest how do you store/maintain your ferro rods - it starts to corrode wherever I put it.. I have put it in a sealed container, put permanent marker on it, nail polish, spray paint - nothing helps, it gets some round shaped cracks and corrodes with gray powder. please suggest how do you maintain your ferro rods mate ;)

[@gerardvanengelen9001]

Like the setup.

[@oferbechor1579]

THANK YOU 🙏

[@edmangiarulo1185]

I have my ferro rod in left front pocket on orange cord and striker in right front pocket on orange cord both attached to belt so i can strike, drop and attend to fire quicker. Since they are both attached i don't waste seconds while starting tinder , and i never lose them since they're attached, one on each side of me

[@briar6851]

Loving that Raven Pk1 if that’s what it is?

[@38thfoot]

I copied your method of threading a medium crab onto my belt to allow attachment of my pocket knife. Have you switched away from that or is this method just for the ferro rod/odds and ends?

[@THENEWWRANGLER]

I carry a small baton type flashlight and a lighter wrapped in a bandanna in one of my cargo pockets. I also carry a Swiss Army knife, Huntsman, in a similar way. But inuse a nite eyes locking figure 8 so i can remove the tool and use it easily.

[@michaeljenkins6476]

the ferro rod-striker wrapped in duct tape has the additional advantage of providing easily ignited combustible material for fire-starting too.

[@danielflowers3564]

Paul K. The man The legend

[@Trailtraveller]

Take a bright color handled one (like orange)

[@ManInTheWoods76]

I care little about my pocket set ups. Rather I focus on my first piece of kit (level 1) using a small belly pouch. It's large enough to hold a sandwich, so there's plenty of gear in it. My entire fire kit is there, plus many other items. If I'm in the woods, it's there with me. If I lose that, I'm left with only my Leatherman Signal (has fire capability.)

[@ProfessorBushcraft]

What has it got in its pocketses, precious? ;)

[@enriqueestebanantoniosuare6414]

I always carry also, a magnesium bar. Just in case...

[@PaulKirtley]

🦾

[@willek1335]

What kind of diver is on your arm?

[@susrev88]

omega seamaster 2254.50

[@willek1335]

@@susrev88 Thank you sir.

[@sebastijanfalle9304]

Great video,vaseline will prevent ferro rod corrosion.

[@chaswarren7239]

What I hate about ferro rods is corrosion, especially around water (I canoe) and even worse salt water. Also an issue in leather storage.

[@simonhopkins3867]

Don't go too small/fiddly for the carabiner clips. Cold hands and poor light encourages you not to clip on.

[@saxdonkey]

Directly

[@jon210478]

Just Gorilla taped my striker 😂

[@PaulKirtley]

🙂

[@PierreEklund]

Piston clips don't snatch on stuff.

[@donz8501]

Great video but dude you talk waaaaaaay to much

[@marpro765]

Very practical. Thank you.

[@micheloff-grid4248]

You try your best but I do not agree whit you to many gadgets Yes I have my fero rod whit me all the time no gadge first get that plastic off made to v groves at about 1/4 of inch get a copper pipe smaller a bit of the rod plastic is not attach to the rod good a bit a craft a bush man should be about one inch crimp the copper to the rod and if you can put some glue to had drill a small hole by some good climbing utility twine about 1/16 made double fisherman knot on the rod and made triple fisher nut to made a loop bring it the link you can used whit OUT …take rod off. your belt 12 inch about in your pocket slide the knot and you have about two feet the rod away this way you will never LOST your fero rod …if not clear for you just contact me ……please in prouve your teaching to much talking but I still love your teaching AND MY SELF THE ENGLISH

[@warwickshireoutdoors]

Nice Paul. I do the same since I saw you mention it before. ATB🏕🍻

[@PaulKirtley]

Nice one 👍