The Hidden Ground Mat You Never Use! Bushcraft Hack

[@QUANTUMRESIN]

Used a king size sheet the wife was discarding. Soaked it in diluted silicone and naphtha in a large trash bag. Hang to dry. Been using it for three years now and still works great. Very low cost and effective

[@jamescovan8853]

How long do you have to hang it before it can be brought inside?

[@thomasmusso1147]

Nice 👍😊. One point though .. it would be advantageous, it more rain is suspected, to have the ground cover footprint smaller than the overhead tarp.

[@lanecountybigfooters5716]

a 8x8 Tyvek sheet. Mere ounces.

[@jonfisher9214]

Good point Thomas. Maybe if the eyelets on the tarp are spaced fairly close together you could move the back tie out line so that the overhanging section is larger than the ground section.

[@davearonow65]

Yup

[@kengarland2181]

Dan I really enjoy your videos and content. I've learned a lot from you. I also want to applaud you for not using fowl language, not promoting alcohol, and I appreciate your positive attitude and not grumbling all the time. You set a positive attitude in your videos. I've got all four of my grandson watching you. I can't thank you enough. Keep up the great work.

[@paulvoit5610]

Avoiding obvious online scams is the key.

[@drew-gray]

Personally, I bought your oilskin trekker tarp (about 87"x55" for those that don't know) specifically for use as a dedicated ground cloth like this and it's phenomenal, especially to have it adjustable separately for various tarp configurations! I just roll up blankets or what else with it as a bedroll, with the dirty side out, and attach to the bottom of my pack. No mess, no fuss

[@rocketman3474]

I enjoyed this video so much I went back and watched the 10 tarp setup video again for the umpteenth time. I will be setting up my Coalcracker 8x8 tonight for a great night out. I started out with the plowpoint and have occasionally gone back to that but now I fly the starting point from a ridge line about a foot away from the tree to give these old bones some room to climb out. Then the A frame became my shelter of choice. With all the rain last weekend it was my go to. However I recently discovered how incredible the A frame with a fly is and that is now my configuration of choice. Wide open entry with a great view and convertible in seconds if the weather suddenly changes. Keep up the great work. Holy crap Batman. He did it again.

[@DriftlessWarrior]

Thanks for inspiring me to rewatch that video and get out and play with tarp setups again. I tend to get hyperfocused on one area, for example, fire starting, and let other stuff go. Then I get focused on tarp setups and forget to practice knots. Or knife/axe/etc. skills. And so it goes. The important thing really is...just get outside and have fun! And I totally appreciate your "old bones" comment too. I'm at that awkward age where my brain still thinks I'm 30 LOL.

[@jkocol]

When I bought a sunshade for my pickup windshield, I grabbed one of the silverized bubble insulated ones because I takes up no more space than a cardboard sunshade and it could be used as an emergency insulated ground mat. I never used it for that but I did tie it along the sunny side of my tent to block some of the summer heat one weekend.

[@tylertapp131]

Good stuff been doin this with a 10x10 tarp since i was a kid, lots of room and works great.

[@BrosephRussell]

Great tip for enjoying more time in the woods

[@daveprokop1917]

Sounds like Cleveland weather. Changes hour, by hour😆

[@BoxcutterBushcraft]

I call that a "taco" setup. It works really well. You can also prop the middle open and close down the sides with a larger tarp for more protection in bad weather.

[@Georgecobb-s1v]

Excellent explanation of an effective tarp set-up! Thanks.

[@sundaymorninghikes6275]

Good info and I appreciate how well you explain the reasons. The weather has been CRAZY (I live in NJ)! We had that horizontal torrential rain as well!

[@Meme-qd2oj]

Love Pennsylvania! Lots of trees!!! 4 seasons!!! 🥰

[@edtroup8606]

4 seasons in one day

[@Hector-vx5yc]

Wow!! Was looking forward to seeing your videos!! You always have awesome content and inspiring!!

[@SonnyCrocket-p6h]

winds change directions all of the time, especially in mountains or storms. When you have the fire in front of the lean to, wind coming over the top of the shelter causes the smoke to move right in with you. Lean-to's suck, basically and so does sleeping on the ground. Try it for a month even in your house, and you'll hate it, just like everyone else does.

[@jessesumrall2449]

I often wonder what you do when the wind and rain changes direction which it often does?

[@LittleJordanFarm]

Awesome...so you like your tarps better than store bought. I have said for years I was going to make one but haven't yet

[@quinntheeskimooutdoors6234]

Thanks Dan😊

[@Moffit366]

Yep coming drown sideways here in Lebanon county also. And now getting cold and extremely windy

[@waynesmallwood6027]

For those who don't know it, an instructor will state the obvious that "everyone knows", because someone's forgotten it.

[@lawrencewiley8698]

Great video, and I love my Coalcracker tarp!

[@ramblynrocketeer]

We had those rains coming down ↔️🤣☔️ Yes!! Use equipment to its maximum potential!!

[@largo5348]

Great information 👍

[@TheTerryMarsh1]

A couple of thoughts: 1) Make the part of the tarp above you larger than the part below you, so that you are still covered when it rains. For example - using a 3m x 3m tarp and a 45 degree angle between the ground and the diagonal, have 1.2m on the ground and 1.8m on the diagonal. 2) Before putting the tarp on the ground, check for religiously for anything sharp (thorns, flints, nails, glass, etc) that is likely to puncture it. That way, your tarp stays 'holy' (aka pristine), not wholly holey! 😉

[@jcarson2469]

Used to refer to road flares as Guy Scout matches, when I was in boy scouts as a kid, used then to start wet fires...

[@brenthayes1671]

Great video, sir, and thank you!

[@johnduffy6546]

Being wet & cold sucks! But, it makes you smarter (hopefully) and more resourceful (or dead if you are a really slow learner)

[@davidclark7584]

How about that weather modification.

[@moorshound3243]

Yep a video of chem trails

[@gwpattrick]

Funny i just got the gum blanket yesterday. I was going to go out but i have other issues right now.

[@jasongarling20]

Great video! I like the oil skin with wool on the other side personally! I can always tape a space blanket on it it I needed the reflection!

[@yellowdog762jb]

That's awesome! I would really love to camp out with a rig like that. But I'm on the Texas Gulf Coast and the ground in most places is infested with fire ants. Plus we have loads of ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes, and scorpions. I think that I'd chance it if all I had to worry about was an occasional spider, centipede, or snake. As it is, it's a hammock or a bug proof tent as far as I'm concerned.

[@caseymauldin8396]

The perfect reminder.

[@thevirginiabushcrafter8833]

Thanks for Sharing

[@ruzzellp]

Thanks

[@GypsyBrokenwings]

Where I live, in Bama, the wind continuously changes. It'll blow rain from the north and 5 min later come from the south...

[@roel.vinckens]

Yep, you just made me want to go sleep outside. You'll explain to my missus? Thanks !

[@Katesharpandvoice]

My Dad, my older sister and I had to do this in the Boundary waters canoe area as kids. We were out and had just done a portage when there was a torrential downpour. So many mosquitos...I can't tell you how many. We did the same set up, but without as much for a floor. Dad set it up only a third of the way because "It'll be done soon." It wasn't. It rained and thunderstormed all night. No fire...too wet. LOTS of mosquitos seeking refuge under the tarp. LOTS OF MOSQUITOS on the peanut butter open face sandwiches..."Extra protein." said my Dad. I had to pee outside the tarp AND dig a cat hole to cover it up. SO MANY MOSQUITOS in places which should never see a mosquito bite when peeing. DEET didn't help. This was before trails, paved handicapped trails etc. I LOVE cabins with screens. I HATE rainstorms with only a tarp, but know I can survive it. Never want to do that again. We even had a large mosquito net OVER the tarp and staked down!!!

[@survivalkraft]

How do you protect yourself from insects like mosquitoes and especially ticks when sleeping with a tarp setup? Thank you!

[@Katesharpandvoice]

Wrap yourself and the tarp in mosquito netting...bathe in DEET...camp in a cabin with window screens.

[@mikerandle5713]

How much for a 9x9 oilcloth tarp?

[@nathanwhite5602]

Cool info

[@christopherbright1048]

Shoot I have all 3 eood stoves going in my cabin in WV today.

[@randystaller2366]

Where do you find gum blankets? Can't find them anywhere.

[@denisdegamon8224]

Go to most any Civil War sutler store and they have them. They specialize in period reenactor gear. They all have websites for contact or online purchases. Blockade Runner store comes to mind.... great folks. Regimental Quartermaster ; Fall Creek Sutlery to name a few.

[@JO-rk5gu]

Dan sells them on his website

[@jaykay8570]

No sir... have had wind/rain switch directions on me before, and ended up wet in the morning. I'll never do lean to configs ever here in the PNW. Great vids. Thx.

[@flyoverkid55]

Or, you can prepare for your outdoor excursions by packing a ground cloth. Better to have and not need...

[@jimlacy9963]

Sounds like iowa. 80 tomorrow next week snow.

[@DanielBelliveau-y5x]

Down but not dirty , tips and tricks with Dan ! ! !

[@bigsarge2085]

✌

[@jerrymacklow1452]

In Britain we have things called IPKs army-surplus. a do-it-yourself, portable bomb-shelter. It comes with surprisingly good string, great for bow-drills, some next to useless pegs and a cover sheet that makes an excellent groundsheet. Lightweight and very tough. Don't know if the U.S. army ever did a similar thing.

[@apar1560]

👍👍👍

[@user-ie1ij9nr7e]

Dude I thought Pennsylvania had big ass snakes!? Right?!

[@archangel20031]

Not the way to do it! You lay 3 feet for the floor, then 3 feet for the top where you run the ridge line, then the remaining 2 feet (a total of 5 feet for the roof) and have it angle down and out as an awning to close up the opening a little from the top to help divert any rain swirling around, and you can lower the top angle to close it further if need be.

[@simonwinwood]

❤

[@edwardenglish6919]

3' x 5' not 4' x 4'

[@ElohssArehtonAtsuj]

So am i really the only one that seems to only experience wind that blows in all directions at some point or another within an hour. i have tried to figure out what direction the wind is blowing and before i finish setting up my tarp suddenly change happens and the tarp is bellowed out like a full sail and less then 15min later it was coming in from another direction. Sorry tent life for me...

[@Troy-nr7ku]

Not comfortable, but better than nothing.

[@iseyopo7270]

You have to fix your audio, it sounds horrible. Set your levels manually while recording, don’t use the automatic level feature.

[@101smokingman]

Bahahahahahaha

[@davidjacobs828]

You're gonna get SOAKED with this set up . Your main error is staking out the ground cloth portion . You're gonna get big water puddles on it if you do this ... Better to roll it up over your body . Please stop giving people wrong advice ... Thanks .

[@scottmiller8354]

Common sense

[@billg7101]

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@sambar_slayer]

Why is it that you look exactly like brock Lesner I mean does no one else see it

[@CarlSanford76]

I gotta get an oilskin tarp. No more messing around.

[@kejadventures241]

Well as long as you haven't sold your soul to only carrying one backpack with only basic tools in it. You could always carry this modern invention called a lightweight camping chair. They come in these small little sling bags.Really easy to throw over the shoulder not a terrible burden. You could carry it like a lunch kit. And don't play the long distance game with me. You're going to play survival in the woods you're not hiking the CDT. I'm not hating on the hobby, i do it too. I'm just honest with myself, And have no need to Validate my manliness with a way of life that existed before I was born.

[@TimmyBobinson]

Unless you're a complete beginner this video did nothing. Sorry.

[@gregchandler900]

I’m a beginner

[@TimmyBobinson]

@@gregchandler900 Then you are watching the wrong channel. Try a channel that is aimed at beginners.

[@alisonmlewis4825]

@@TimmyBobinsonare you the channel police? First you complain the video is aimed at beginners, then you complain because beginners are watching it!

[@TimmyBobinson]

@@alisonmlewis4825 🤭

[@iconofsin1043]

Forgot to put the space in the thumbnails subtitle, bud

[@kejadventures241]

Just Took a look at your website. You're selling a tool steel tomahawk for $300. And a remake of an old hickory knife for $200. You are insane. You have zero understanding of pricing and value.

[@kejadventures241]

For reference, a good tool steel tomahawk will cost you around Fifty to a hundred dollars. A good. Carbon steel old hickory clone will cost you around fifty or less. He is charging 3 to 4 times that for the same thing just because he touched it.

[@kejadventures241]

@Frankthetank-et7wo I'm not talking about stuff made in China or India.I'm talking about american made products that are significantly cheaper. Assuming he's not using a nail hammer to forge all of this out.He probably has access to basic drop equipment. With that you can pound out a tomahawk in about 2 to 3 hours.

[@kejadventures241]

@Frankthetank-et7wo I'd imagine it's because he quit his day job and is now trying to rely on this to make an income.

[@kejadventures241]

@Frankthetank-et7wo A few weeks or months of success can absolutely blind somebody to the truth if they're desperate enough.

[@Ajaxykins]

@@kejadventures241 Go buy the equipment, the materials, then forge your own knife. Track how many hours it took and pay yourself at your regular hourly rate. Then add in the cost of materials, a bit of the equipment, a portion that goes to running the website, etc. and tell me how much money you'll sell your knife for People really don't understand shit about process and economies of scale

[@johnwyman5939]

Having the same problem with weather in North Dakota... Nice job on video and showing off setup. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🪓🔪👍👍

[@mrkultra1655]

Thanks