Wilderness Survival Challenge - Lost Day Hiker

The video shows a recent overnight trip I did, using only my day pack. In the video I show what gear I had with me, and what actions I took. The goal was to simulate a survival situation where a lost day hiker was stranded in the woods for the night.
For more details, have a look at my blog: www.woodtrekker.blogspot.com

[@Shewie01]

Gotta love the squeaky cold snow, hats off to you Ross, you're a braver man than I

[@RossGilmore]

Thank you. I'm just dumber than most.

[@mecamarodude]

Just like to say I appreciate what you went through to show us some reality. Thank you again

[@PhilCherry3]

Ross, you did a great job of setting up this scenario. It is very realistic because this very scenario almost happened to me and my family as we did a day hike about 16 yrs. ago. At the our two children were under the age of 10 yrs. old. What started out for us as what we thought was going to be a nice 5 mile afternoon walk down a segment of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Boone, NC turned a bit serious when we took a wrong turn at a spot where the trail was not marked well. My wife and I began to worry we would not get out before dark and we were unprepared for any overnight scenarios. Fortunately we found our way back onto our trail and arrived back at our vehicle just as darkness was falling. The memory of that close call has stayed with me until the present. I have never again gone into the woods without enough gear to sustain me through at least a few possible scenarios. I now pack more survival/sheltering stuff in my day pack, even if I don't intend to stay out overnight. Thus, the video you made is one of the most realistic survival videos I can recall! This was the real thing!

[@PaulKirtley]

Hi Ross, good video. I always enjoy your grasp of reality, the logic you apply as well as your willingness to be pragmatic.

[@phorisc]

That was the best "simulated" emergency situations i've seen. Props to you.

[@RossGilmore]

Thank you very much.

[@SamHaraldson]

Good, solid, honest stuff, Ross.

[@RossGilmore]

Thanks Sam.

[@jediknightofthewoods]

Fantastic simulation/real take on a very real scenario, if that makes sense! Its kind of annoying when people go out and spend hours and hours making debris shelters, and hours and hours collecting firewood, and then say its for an overnight 'stuck out in the woods' situation. I appreciate your efforts in keeping things to a very realistic brief of what can and does happen to many people every year, and pragmatically/practically speaking, building a thermally efficient debris shelter does not fit into that equation. Nice one Ross! All the best!

[@georgesouthwick7000]

By the time it takes to build the standard bushcraft debris shelter, one might well freeze to death. In this type of situation it is extremely important to build a shelter as soon as possible.

[@sandiabill1]

Great video, great idea. Quite a few people who've been in this situation become panicked which is very, very dangerous. You're experience showed through in your ability to keep calm and understand the situation as it was. Thanks for the learning experience.

[@BJJJUDO]

Excellent video. A very similar situation happened to my family and I recently. 5 mile day hike...got turned around without realizing it...walked to far convinced the end of the trail was around the corner. By the time we admitted we were lost it was wayyyyyy to late I the day. Luckily our circumstances were not as extreme as this video. Temp was around 35 or 40 degrees fahrenheit and I had a fire kit. We built a fire near some large bolders for shelter and wind break and we were fine. Point is your scenerio is very realistic. Pay no attention to the haters. I am now MUCH more prepared when I go on day hikes. I bring enough gear for 3 nights....which is not that much more then 1 night.

[@westmeathguy]

Nice going Ross! Great job!

[@maggiefay1]

You brought a lot of reality into your video. Very good, made me realize things that could go wrong even with a fire and a tarp.

[@Polioooo0]

That is pretty badass. Nice video!

[@oldguy537]

any questions I had about dealing with the cold , you answered as you went which was good , an interesting video , thanks for sharing ..

[@RossGilmore]

Thank you Tony. I posted some more Q and A on the blog post related to the video.

[@stellap.6664]

Excellent video. You sure looked c-c-cold by the next day and I was starting to feel cold right along beside you, lol. Even though I have experience in the woods I am fairly new at watching KZbin. Glad I found your channel. I've actually found a number of great channels and yours is one of the better ones! You explain a lot of fresh information and good details. Thanks! Stella Pivovarova

[@EatCarbs]

Wow... well done. Not sure how I would have done if I was in your shoes. Thanks for the video

[@vivalavida6518]

Very informative. Offered me some amazing insides (into stuff I ran into before : - )

[@almollitor]

You're one tough dude, Ross! I hope everyone appreciates how difficult it must have been to make such a video. Do you think the reflectivity of the blanket made a difference - before it blew away?

[@RossGilmore]

Thanks Al. The blanket was not making much of a difference. Those blankets are good at reflecting heat, but the fire I had was too small to send heat far back enough for it to reflect from the blanket in a meaningful way. If the fire was about twice the size, it would have probably created a nice micro environment in there.

[@HUZ9k3s5w]

Very nice, well done! Maybe some time during the night you really wished you had carried a dozen wool blankest - he he .

[@mazzy2749]

Great Simulation. it's a little late but maybe you can explain more about the danger of bittery cold when standing still/layed down or sleep in that situation. I would've thought that don't sleep at all is a must, if you sleep the core body temp will drop even more and you'll risk hypothermia or frozen fingers/toes, or risk to dead from hearth failure.

[@jayvillote4738]

Great video

[@BruceNitroxpro]

Telling it like it is can take a toll on you. Nearly losing a couple of fingers to the cold was a close call. Usually you need so much more firewood than you think goes without saying. A roll of cordage, perhaps #36 bankline, would have made it easier!

[@judyepstein1]

Impressive. Good humour. Cool head.

[@bogardrippy8881]

Thanks Ross, as always things could of been better. And as always you will have peopletelling you everything you did wrong and most of them are buttheads. Thank You for the Video. We can learn from it. And as you said it was your day pack. Do a video on your normal weekend pack.

[@neohubris]

Have you tried a open celled foam clothing system instead?

[@manwithbeers]

Great Job, In one mind I'm glad I wasn't there in another mind I wish I was. I'm surprised your camera battery did that well. What was it?

[@RossGilmore]

The only reason the battery lasted was because I had it in my jacket when I was not filming. Otherwise it would have been gone within a few hours. It's a rechargeable battery that came with the camera.

[@13rustyking]

Thank you so much for this video. I have a wilderness survival page that I would like to share this video on if you don't mind. So many people are not aware of how difficult it is to survive in any environment with minimal supplies. Bear Grylls makes it look so easy but in reality it is not! Thanks again for the video and if you have any advice for me and my wilderness survival page stuff I could really use it! God bless and stay prepared!

[@movedto5413]

How is this video made when it's the 16th of December and its January 27th 2014?

[@balticbushcraft]

A genuinely impressive exercise Ross, particularly in the way you set up the simulation. I hate to think of the consequences had someone with less knowledge that yourself and less of a cool head found themselves in a similar situation. It really puts all these bogus 'get out alive' type TV shows in contex,t too. And a very good point about the serious consequences of smoke inhalation. This is a hazard that seems strangely never to attract much attention.

[@RossGilmore]

Thanks a lot. Much appreciated.

[@yeshwanthdu5871]

Hey, let me know how can I contact you, need to talk to you something. Thanks.

[@stevemulholland1532]

I enjoyed the video. A Russian Evenk fire with 4 logs would be better than small sticks. It would throw the heat at you.

[@dreem1walker]

Way to little firewood to last all night.

[@RossGilmore]

Yup. Time always catches up with you.

[@dreem1walker]

I have a saying for myself .. "when you have gathered what you think is enough, gather equally much more .. and then some". :D

[@scottab140]

1) Not sure why you need shelter in a forest when it's not snowing. 2) Not sure why your clothing wouldn't already keep you warm and dry buy just laying in the snow 3) Not sure why you wouldn't just use the tent cloth as a tarp or wrap it around your body 4) Not sure how your fire starts with wet wood 5) Your camera is working, so the temperature hasn't drained your battery, so the cold shouldn't be a problem with past experience. 6) Not sure if you pretending to be a loss hiker, why you just wouldn't turn around and follow your footprints. 7) Not sure why you did the video. Perhaps trying to do a TV program.

[@fission1110]

1. Do you think he can predict the future, and know whether or not it's going to snow during the night? Shelter will also protect you from wind, and rain. Plus, that's a mylar blanket, the intention was to reflect the heat from the fire, because that's what mylar blankets do. 2. Snow is cold. You lose most of your heat through conduction by being in contact with the ground. The most important thing you can do is separate yourself from the ground. 3. See 2. 4. Kindling was dry, logs were wet. 5. What? 6. He covered this multiple times. By the time hikers know they're lost, it's too late to turn back. By morning, his tracks were likely covered from all the wind and snow. 7. Not sure why you made this comment..

[@scottab140]

ryan edge Bad trolling is epic fail.

[@gaucheproductions]

you don't get out in the woods much do you?

[@mlaningiriou238]

you talk to much

[@jamesfriedrich700]

respect

[@TJackSurvival]

Excellent video. Thank you for this.

[@stanolauko]

I enjoyed your whole video, perfect ! Last weekend I was the first time to sleep in low temperature (-13C / 8,6F - I know you smile, that´s nothing for you, but pretty cold for me in my country, Slovakia :) and it is not so easy, even with the equipment :) Looking forward for your next videos.

[@alphapaks3554]

Finally, someone who shows it like it really happens...not like that fake and staged "reality" stuff we see everywhere else. Perfect scenario from what someone usually carries, how they let it happen, and on how Murphy always seems to show up and make things go wrong in the night. Kudos on one of the best I've seen.

[@BoltonOverlander]

Very extreme bro. Good job. Like your vids and I have subbed you. Be safe.

[@georgesouthwick7000]

This is why you always carry emergency gear, even if you only plan to be taking a day trip. This video is exactly what everyone needs to see. I would suggest adding a 10 X 12 sheet of plastic sheeting along with some paracord the day pack. It makes a god quick emergency shelter. Great video.

[@davidweirauch849]

Good video, but ,I would say you were still better equipped than most hunters. Sad to say it ,but it is the truth.

[@Tacticalgearhead]

Great video, I enjoyed it a lot.

[@inregionecaecorum]

Kinda reminded me of this. Jack London's "To Build A Fire" film

[@smeagle6092]

great simulation thanks

[@Smedley60]

That was seriously impressive.

[@PYE172]

oxo is good to put in your drink

[@hartstudebakerkid]

You are in a hard wood forest and you have a small saw.....you should have gathered wood for both a fire and a raised bed. You spent to much time cutting wood into short pieces. You should have drug in more wood and cut it up in the firelight.

[@bogardrippy8881]

+hartstudebakerkid As he stated, it was his day pack and creating a what if application.

[@TheNickathome]

Definitely not enough firewood brother. If it were me in that situation, I'd have first gathered a shitload of firewood. After I had gathered enough wood to last at least most of the night, I'd turn my attention to the setup of the shelter, making sure it is still light enough to set it up. Once the shelter is up, I'd get the fire going, and would process wood as I'd need it, or would just put big branches into the fire, putting it into the center as it burned down. Then I'd eat something and would make some hot liquid to keep the boiler working, and would then try to get some sleep to get through the night.

[@RossGilmore]

Sure, but that would have missed the point of the challenge. People rarely get lost with a full day ahead of them to prepare.

[@bearcub2480]

Nice job

[@krophiquon]

Nice video. What was it that you used to process the wood? I couldn't quite make it out.

[@RossGilmore]

Bahco Laplander saw and a knife.

[@kanukkarhu]

Enjoyed that. I respect the fact that you did this, and appreciate you sharing the experience. I have been thinking about a similar night myself, and I've a better idea what to expect.

[@RossGilmore]

Thanks kk. I would love to see it, although I think out "cold weather" is a bit different. What is the temperature where you are now, -40F? :)

[@kanukkarhu]

It's actually quite warm now. It's only going down to -24C (about -11F) tonight. That's probably pretty close to the temps you were experiencing in this video I bet.

[@nelsonpagel2175]

Enjoyed your video, pretty cold night but sometimes people get lost and with a few pointers can survive the night to make it out the next day. Thanks for taking the time but don't put yourself in too much danger to make a point!