But only after you complete his quest. His friend has gone off into the wild and he's heard wolves nearby so you need to go look for him. Dude has arrows to sell and is worried about his friend.
Everything's for sale, my friend! Everything! If I had a sister I'd sell her in a second. I'd even buy one of your relatives if you're looking to sell! Hahahaha-haha!
@@thomash4950 I notice that they do this when it's more inconvenient to do demonstrations in their studio. Like the episode about gems. Wouldn't be a good idea to have her move millions of dollars with of gems to their studio. And I'm sure they didn't want him showing how to start a fire in their studio lol
@@divinecreation6 that's not the point lol. there are tons of women who are experts in these fields, they just aren't generally selected as they are overshadowed by men
I'm literally 1 second in and I'm already like "yeah this dude knows exactly 100% wtf he's talking about" He doesn't survive nature, nature survives him.
Lived in the Arctic for many years, and I can confirm his explanation for igloos is pretty spot on. The only thing I would add is that the inside of the igloo isn’t exactly _warm_ . At best it will be around 0°C/30°F, but when it’s -50°C/-58°F outside that temperature difference feels very warm.
0°C with no air movement, which there shouldn't be if the igloo is built right, isn't bad. It's not _fun_ but you don't need that much in the way of clothing and blanket to stay alive. The main thing is to have some kind of isolation between you and the sleeping platform (you do not sleep on the floor, you sleep above the floor).
obviously, you can't have the interior of the igloo be above freezing temps, or the snow will melt and if the interior 'walls" of the igloo glaze-over, you have to make a new one
Yeah, this guy’s the real deal. Dude knows everything about survival and can demonstrate it! He even looks exactly like I would imagine an expert survivalist.
I don't know, "shotten" as a past tense for "shot" (which is already past tense for "shoot") seemed a little nonsensical to me. The whole "repeatedly referring to nature as 'the bush' while all of your geographical nature tips are specifically catered to the northern hemisphere" parts are also a little silly.
@@LisaAnn777former marine corp veteran served in counter intelligence left the marines to pursue survival and wilderness education now owns a well known wilderness education school in Colorado
It's incredibly refreshing to see that someone who is survivalist and leans on nature by choice doesn't necessarily means they're ignorant to science and actual reality of life
I can assure you, Donny can pretty much survive and thrive anywhere. He doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. He’s been there, done that, got the tshirt and wrote the book. Not being a fan boy, just fully aware the man is an absolute wealth of knowledge and expertise.
I've never seen this guy, but you're so right. He looks like an angry homeless guy sleeping in the bushes in a park, but speaks like a college professor. No doubt I believe everything he's saying!
When he says razor sharp he means it. Obsidian and flint knives are sharp down to the molecular level. Even though you can't see it, it's there. They break along that fracture and it goes all the way down to the molecules. We think of razors as sharp, and they are, but they are considerably duller than these fragments when they are initially broken. The main difference is that we trade sharpness for durability. What makes them sharp, also means, they are considerably less durable than metals.
Definitely dangerous to handle. The edge is so fine. You won't even feel yourself get cut. And it also doesn't really scar the same. They used to use obsidian scalpel blades for like plastic surgery to minimize scarring. If they still do
I'm so amazed by how well he explains things. Just...he clearly has taught total beginners, and has the patience to explain things again and again, and do so clearly so anyone would be able to understand
Can you imagine the filming insurance contract? “Uh yeah, my guy’s gonna be letting loose some leather cutting shards of razor sharp stone and starting bundles on fire around the set. But no worries, he’s probably also the most prepared to solve any issues that might come up”
Also worth mentioning if you go on any excursion alone, to tell your family/close friends/someone who cares about you where you are going, how long for, and what to do if you aren’t back by then.
Yeah that cannot be stressed enough. Even the most seasoned survivalists need to do this if they don't as things can still go wrong, plans can be subverted, etc.
I practiced making a friction fire in the Boy Scouts, what that taught me was that I absolutely did not want to be in a position where my survival depended on me making a fire by friction, and that is why for the last three decades I've carried at least half a dozen mini-bic lighters stored in various places in my gear when out in the woods. Those who can reliably make a fire with just the natural materials lying around have my utmost respect, but I've noticed that when I see it demonstrated successfully, it's usually in an arid climate, not my neighborhood of the PNW when its been drizzling rain for two months straight.
I agree about the PNW, but it's always good to have flint and steel. They're easier to use than you think and will always spark, even when wet. Your lighters, not so much. I carry both.
I live in rural place when i was kid i was interested in survivalist vids. Showed my dad how to make fire by friction. "That's cool, but you really should just use matches" "Ok, what if you don't have matches?" "You go to your neighbor and borrow some" 😂
@@davek00 I was at a matchstick museum when I was younger and they had flint, steel and tinder laying at one place and I got it working in no time. Put it out right away and don't know if you were allowed to touch it or not but I was a kid and wanted to see if I could do it.
I like to imagine that he actually knows absolutely nothing about survival, but he's so incredibly good at looking the part that he's even convinced nature itself to adhere to his beliefs.
@@bdepas1813True but it's a lot less useful than any of this knowledge. Most the stuff we know now would literally do absolutely nothing for the normal person. Objectively speaking the world would be better off if everyone knew these skills compared to contemporary knowledge. These skills are part of the subset of skills that actually make us independent which helps make people dependable. These should be life skills everyone should know regardless of their future goals. Cook, sew, swim, climb, make fire, tell direction and rough time telling, what types of clouds mean, how to survive 2 nights without anything, how to change a tire, drive, read, tell if water is drinkable (this has gotten hard so boil to be safe if you aren't sure), first aid, and more.
Didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did. You never know what situations you might end up in. One added it of info: If you're going to go hiking alone, _always_ let someone know where you're going and how long you anticipate being gone.
Great advice. I’d expand on that and say if you plan to be gone for a week or more, check in at a set time each day. If you miss one, they should be getting ready to come looking, but hold up, you might just have poor reception. But if you miss two or three, especially after maintaining a few days of communication, it’s time to go looking. Better than being stuck with a broken leg at the bottom of a ravine for two weeks before anyone even thinks to come looking.
@@joker0206 that's good advice. I'd look into communication devices too if you're doing a lot of remote solo trips. There's the Garmin inReach or PLB's that will get you out of a situation like that.
The fire demonstration also shows really well how little it takes for a (wild)fire to start. A tiny little piece of ember can light up some dry leaves, they light up some twigs, and bing bang boom the forest is burning down in no time. It's difficult to harness the power of making fire, but it's even more difficult to control fire.
@@blaynegreiner9365 I have to hard disagree, even fires you made yourself can get out of control extremely quickly. Even a tiny, controlled flame like a candle can pop, wax can ignite, and that flame can spread rapidly. Never get too confident and think a flame is controlled enough to let your guard down or leave it unattended.
@@gracel320 And then there's the Australian situation with the "fire raptors" that will steal burning objects off the fire so as to intentionally start bushfires to hunt with
@@gracel320 There's a story out there about a couple out on a date that got lost on a hike. They built a fire and it got out of control. Fortunately it lead to them being found. Unfortunately they burnt down a sizeable chunk of the forest and faced massive fines for doing so.
Like this guy. He understands the why not just the how. He can explain the underlying science behind the processes. Gives people a better understanding and therefore better execution.
Since he didn't completely answer the igloo question 19:34 the inside of an igloo is 32 degrees F which could be much warmer than the outside, add your body heat and clothing and it's a lot warmer inside since it also blocks the wind.
@gavinomeara8390 I don't know. One time when I was in 4th grade I got in a fight with a girl. She almost started crying after the fight. Ever since then people have pretty much known not to mess with me. I'm pretty sure I could take this guy.
I'm not really an "outdoorsy" person and yet I found this entire video extremely interesting and enlightening. It helps that this guy so obviously knows what he's talking about; a true expert in his field. Seriously, he spends most of his free time in the wild, and yet he has to be one of the smartest people I've ever heard speak. I could listen to him talk about this for hours. Truly goes to show, it's not what you do that stands out, it's how well you do it.
In high school, after a heavy snowfall my buddies and I made an Igloo. With 5 or 6 of us in there it was plenty warm enough to comfortably take off our winter jackets. Then we used one of those jackets to cover the entrance and hot-box that igloo. Good times.
15:30 For trapping in an area that is the slightest bit residential, be sure to use a live trap. I had a house in a very rural town. Too many animals going under my house, so I set a live trap. I caught four possums, two skunks, a groundhog, and the neighbor's cat. That last one is why you need a live trap. When I released him in the morning, he was very angry, but he was alive.
When I was a little girl, in Ohio, a neighbor of mine killed my cat 🐱 with a raccoon 🦝 trap. My cat did get out of the trap, but had eaten the poisoned bait, within, and probably suffered terribly, before he died, not long thereafter. It was very traumatic. 😭
1:10 I got so many tips on how to make out on which side of the planet I am by just waiting for one month that I feel confident enough to move to Alaska with only a pocket knife and a plush toy. Thank you survivaval Hesus.
Been knapping for over 12 years and he made the perfect bare bones description of flintknapping without getting into the nitty gritty as we like to do!
i heard knapping is considered to be the oldest profession; it's time consuming but in paleolithic times it was essential, so one person just made blades all day and the rest of the group traded with them for the blades
What a natural educator! Thank you Mr Dust, and the Wired team for making this video available to everyone, rather than hiding it behind a paywall! With a whole smorgasbord of medical, and cognitive, impairments, I'm not lasting long in the wilds, but I still find learning about (ethical) survival absolutely fascinating. It's also just lovely seeing the rudiments of flint knapping being demonstrated on the Internet - two of mankind's greatest technological leaps, to my mind. Thanks again!
just wanted to share a fun fact, the bow drill was used and coined by the eastern woodland natives. In fifth grade we learned about the Piscataway and Susquehannock tribes and found out they also used them! Ive used one too, one time we had a field trip to a nature center to immerse ourselves in the ways if life of these tribes and we used bow drills to start fires!
fair warning, bowline knots were replaced by double figure 8's for rappelling due to an anecdotal report of it slipping under tension. it SHOULD be perfectly fine for that use however there is a super small chance it will slip whereas the figure 8 will not
when he mentions the helpful plants for washing etc he calls them out by name. Room for improvement would be to drop an image of each plant so that we could recognize them by sight. I can't remember what sage looks like for some reason
A more useful thing is to just learn what plants are in your environment. No sense learning what yukka or sage is if it doesn't grow where you spend time outdoors.
15:37 This is a very important point for several countries, not just the US (or states therein). Snares and "bear-trap"-traps are luckily getting more and more illegal for hunting, unless as stated in the video that it is for immediate survival reasons (ie: for getting meat/ nutrition, NOT for getting fur/pelt).
Mainly because you can't control what you catch. Would be a damned shame if people accidentally caught a critter whose numbers are struggling out in the wild. At least most places do allow you to trap, just live only so you can confirm the critter. ((Mostly saying this for others who may wonder))
Also important to point out that some traps are legal while others or not and that some places have trapper's licenses etc. Basically, the laws surrounding trapping can be pretty complicated.
So glad people thought to ask about hygiene. I know it makes me sound like a wuss, but I've always thought being filthy would be one of the first things to sap my spirits if I had to survive in the wild.
Well we’ve been on the planet for hundreds of thousands of years and have been cleaning ourselves and shaving funnily enough since the beginning (using soaps for over 4 thousand years)hygiene isn’t a problem just needs more prep time
The biggest thing about tooth health that he didn't mention is the foods you eat. Soda, candy, and anything with a lot of sugar and to some extent gluten annihilates your teeth which is why we need toothpaste. If you ate like a hunter-gatherer, you would never have tooth problems
An additional thing about snares, realize that they are an extremely painful way to catch animals. If it doesn’t go around the neck, it’ll catch a limp and basically amputate them. I’ve worked with wild chimps and many are missing fingers, hands, even one missing both feet, because of snares.
It was ok, but failed to point out that the increased difficulty to effect short-term survival in the absence of agricultural stores in no way reduces the validity of veg diets in the presence of agricultural stores, and that in the long run agriculture is far more reliable and efficient than scavenging for either veg or meat. It just takes time and a half decent location.
2 Points I was missing in answers Regarding life straw: Be adviced that it works on bacteria but less to none on viral and chemical contamination! Regarding navigation: Sun moves east to west / Polaris is always north and easy to find using ursua major/minor
Also the north and south directions are based on the axis of the earth. If you are in the northern hemisphere the southern face of ant object will get more sun throughout the day and the opposite in the southern hemisphere. East and get the most sunlight being the closest to the equator.
0:24 on top of ingesting waste, what if you have a weaker stomach than you thought and throw up? Even more energy and water more importantly wasted all because of nonsense. If you ever needed to for survival
To combat loneliness in the wild, find your Wilson, find an object, either in the environment or something that you brought with you, then name it and talk to it as if it was a real person, tell it how you feel, vent to it or just talk to it about whatever you want. I know it kinda sounds silly, but trust me it'll help a lot with the loneliness.
@@urdelulufriendrd Not really, I just happen to know that doing that helps, because of our nature. Imagine yourself in a situation like that, wouldn't you feel better doin' that?
@@urdelulufriendrd Haha! Well, you got me! 😅 Btw, what would be the thing you'd talk to if you were in a situation like that? Please don't say a caterpillar! lol 🐛
as someone who talks about details, did you get concerned when a user called "unstable employee" was the one who asked how to sharpen a machete. Weird question right!!!
The fact that he put his fingers on the hearth board (to stabilize the board) before he took his foot off the board shows he is knowledgable. I have seen so called experts ruin their ember by the board moving when they pulled their foot off. Very good knapper too!
Not only because I follow his channel but in all seriousness, this is probably one of the most informative Wired video I have seen so far. I enjoy most of them but this blew the others out of the park!
Out of all of these videos this one is probably the most interesting.. you can feel this guy knows what he is talking about and it might actually prove useful at some point
When it comes to brushing teeth in a survival situation, it’s also important to note that you won’t be eating as much sugar and almost no processed foods, so your teeth’s natural means of maintaining themselves should be enough. (But a good brushing is still very helpful)
That. Ancient people didn't brush their teeth and there are plenty of skulls with teeth in great shape. It's agriculture, grain and later sugar that create teeth problems. Agriculture was a life saver as it provided a steady supply of food but it came with its own problems as it's not what people were meant to eat.
5:40 - Another good tinder substance is the underbark of cedar trees. Peel the outer bark off and what you'll find is very similar to the juniper bark he has here and is an excellent source of tinder even in a downpour. If you have time to prep for a survival outing, a fantastic and inexpensive tinder-aid substance is laundry dryer lint mixed with Vaseline. Dreyer lint, as you would imagine, is insanely flammable, but it burns out almost immediately. The Vaseline will keep the flame longer to help start and keep the fire going. It's not tinder itself, but coupled with tinder, it will make starting your fire easer. This was taught to me in a survivalist class in the PNW. Before you head out camping, designate a half-used Vaseline container and mix a bunch of dryer lint in with it, about 50/50 that you can roll into balls or form shapes. Bam.
Water filters are so cool. My brother and I use the Sawyer Squeeze filter on our backpacking trips, turns muddy water into clean drinking water instantly. I love it.
@@halloweenfan158 He definitely shows useful knowledge but unfortunately most of the stuff he does/shows is complete b.s. Les Stroud (Survivorman) did it right and didn't even have a camera crew with him.
I love this series but this episode I definitely watched the whole thing without skipping ahead or feeling bored with the answers. This is top tier content.
The thing about the igloo is that it is ice but with a ton of air. it's compressed snow but not so compressed that it starts to become ice. Snow is ice but with air in it. Snow will become ice with sufficient compression.
I've never seen anyone that looks so much like their profession ever. If someone asked me, "What do you imagine a primitive skills expert looks like?" It'd be this man, 10000%. Loved it!
Fun fact about igloos. Northern sled dogs would bury a hole in the ground to sleep in, their breath would circulate in the hole they made and it keeps them warm.
Dude looks like a vendor in a video game who sells you arrows and magic axes.
But only after you complete his quest. His friend has gone off into the wild and he's heard wolves nearby so you need to go look for him. Dude has arrows to sell and is worried about his friend.
@@Koffling spot on 😭
Lol!
NPC for sure
Everything's for sale, my friend! Everything! If I had a sister I'd sell her in a second. I'd even buy one of your relatives if you're looking to sell! Hahahaha-haha!
Never has there been a more fitting background for a guest
That’s actually his own workshop, I guess the WIRED film crew went to him
@@thomash4950 I notice that they do this when it's more inconvenient to do demonstrations in their studio. Like the episode about gems. Wouldn't be a good idea to have her move millions of dollars with of gems to their studio. And I'm sure they didn't want him showing how to start a fire in their studio lol
Right, even the colours match perfectly
Or a fitting guest for the background
How are you guys doing today
Because when you make the ice house shaped, you trick the ice into thinking it is a house and it forgets it needs to be cold. I hope this helped
Don't tell the ice that!
"Rat poison doesn't works cause rats don't know that poison is against them"
Fun fact: Cold doesn’t exist
@@User_1-r6t yea it does its low temp, isnt necessarily an opposite concept to heat but itr exists as the relative absence of thermal energy
i love this lmaooo
These "ask an expert" videos are quite possibly some of the best contnet on TH-cam.
Except they need more women representing this category in answering questions.
@@violetviolet888 No specific genders, just experts
Honestly feels like what the internet was made for
@@violetviolet888 average twitter user
@@divinecreation6 that's not the point lol. there are tons of women who are experts in these fields, they just aren't generally selected as they are overshadowed by men
I'm literally 1 second in and I'm already like "yeah this dude knows exactly 100% wtf he's talking about"
He doesn't survive nature, nature survives him.
Thanks for the chuckle. In the positive way, he really does look nature wouldn't stand much of a chance.
That's the power of face validity
@@TheDailyQuackwhat
He is instantly my second-favourite survival expert.
@@TheDailyQuack what
Lived in the Arctic for many years, and I can confirm his explanation for igloos is pretty spot on. The only thing I would add is that the inside of the igloo isn’t exactly _warm_ . At best it will be around 0°C/30°F, but when it’s -50°C/-58°F outside that temperature difference feels very warm.
0°C with no air movement, which there shouldn't be if the igloo is built right, isn't bad. It's not _fun_ but you don't need that much in the way of clothing and blanket to stay alive. The main thing is to have some kind of isolation between you and the sleeping platform (you do not sleep on the floor, you sleep above the floor).
exactly this: the igloo isn't warm, it's just not AS cold as outside - so you can insulate yourself enough to maintain your body heat.
obviously, you can't have the interior of the igloo be above freezing temps, or the snow will melt and if the interior 'walls" of the igloo glaze-over, you have to make a new one
Yeah we Finns would rather breathe - 2 C air than -22 C air
@@TomiTapioI feel pretty confident speaking for my countrymen when I say that we Americans too would rather breathe air that's -2° rather than -22°.
I listened to him like my life depends on it
😂
sameeee hahaha
the thing is IT MIGHT
He could be giving absolutely terrible advice for all I know but I trust him completely
@@lukew8337 🤣
This has been the best no-nonsense video about survival in the wild I have ever seen. No crap, no raving about his own skills, just good information.
Yeah, this guy’s the real deal. Dude knows everything about survival and can demonstrate it! He even looks exactly like I would imagine an expert survivalist.
He has his own TH-cam channel
the problem is not all of his advice is accurate
@@aggy5372 id be curious for you to tell me what wasnt accurate rather than just the broad statement
I don't know, "shotten" as a past tense for "shot" (which is already past tense for "shoot") seemed a little nonsensical to me.
The whole "repeatedly referring to nature as 'the bush' while all of your geographical nature tips are specifically catered to the northern hemisphere" parts are also a little silly.
“A middle of the rope knot is a knot in the middle of the rope” I love this man with all of my heart
"It [insects] tastes like popcorn covered with insects."
Cool that he looks the part but also clearly knows science, biology, tech, etc. Great guest!
He's got several book and actually has a popular TikTok where he goes in depth while out surviving. Donny dust
Yeah who is this guy?
@@LisaAnn777maybe read?
@@LisaAnn777former marine corp veteran served in counter intelligence left the marines to pursue survival and wilderness education now owns a well known wilderness education school in Colorado
jack of all trades, master of none > master of one trade, knowledgeable of all but that one
I showed this to a grizzly who attacked me, now he's making knots for hare traps. 10/10 would recommend.
It's always great to see people working with nature! 😂
LMSO!
LMAOI 🤣🤣🤣🤣
they won't tell you this in survivalist school but if a bear runs at you that means it wants to chat
The first step to bear civilization. Not long and they start making fire and flint tools.
It's incredibly refreshing to see that someone who is survivalist and leans on nature by choice doesn't necessarily means they're ignorant to science and actual reality of life
is no one concerned how "unstable employee" asked how to sharpen a machete
good point
Thank you - I was waiting for this comment
Since guns are the problem we will be fine
Lol
Asking for a friend
Absolutely zero concern for Unstable Employee looking for machete sharpening tips lol
LMAO I was also like....wait a sec
He was far more concerned about the guy who wanted to trap a rabbit.
You caught that too huh? Lol
😄
Best subtle joke ever lol
Ok but I love that he actually shows us how to do certain things with examples.
This gotta be top 3 of people that looked the part in this whole series. Got zero doubts this dude knows what he's saying.
I can assure you, Donny can pretty much survive and thrive anywhere. He doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. He’s been there, done that, got the tshirt and wrote the book. Not being a fan boy, just fully aware the man is an absolute wealth of knowledge and expertise.
@@joker0206 had to Google him after the video, yeah being legit works too.
I've never seen this guy, but you're so right. He looks like an angry homeless guy sleeping in the bushes in a park, but speaks like a college professor. No doubt I believe everything he's saying!
Him and that mortician guy
Him and that mortician guy
This mudafuka is smart. I've never seen an expert in this field be both knowledgeable AND concise. He should run a course.
He has a survival school in Colorado. "Paleo Tracks Survival" if you want to look it up.
mudafuka ? ahahhaha...........LMAO, you have a point bro
He wrote a book called Wild wisdom
😂🤣💯
When he says razor sharp he means it. Obsidian and flint knives are sharp down to the molecular level. Even though you can't see it, it's there. They break along that fracture and it goes all the way down to the molecules. We think of razors as sharp, and they are, but they are considerably duller than these fragments when they are initially broken. The main difference is that we trade sharpness for durability. What makes them sharp, also means, they are considerably less durable than metals.
yes, like a shard of glass. It's more like a ceramic blade.
Yes, especially obsidian being extremely brittle, and dangerous to handle if you're not careful.
The magic of crystalline structures. They break at rigid angles.
What thats crazy
Definitely dangerous to handle. The edge is so fine. You won't even feel yourself get cut. And it also doesn't really scar the same. They used to use obsidian scalpel blades for like plastic surgery to minimize scarring. If they still do
I worked with Donny for close to 3 years, maybe more. One of the coolest dudes I've ever had the pleasure of knowing during my time in the military.
Is Donny an ex-military guy?
@@slightlytoxic069 I believe he's a marine veteran.
@@slightlytoxic069 yeah he was in the Marines but when I worked with him he was out and working as a civilian contractor for the military
He has a military accent with a hippy twang
@@elgatorado4907 SERE instructor?
"Can you make a knife in nature?" has to be the most insane question I've ever heard earnestly asked lol
Bro's never heard of the stone age
Ikr
Don't knives grow on Knife Trees?
How to weed out dumb survival questions: How did we get to modern society?
@@fearguyQ There are no dumb survival questions. People who think there are just aren't cut out and aren't gonna make it.
I'm so amazed by how well he explains things. Just...he clearly has taught total beginners, and has the patience to explain things again and again, and do so clearly so anyone would be able to understand
Can you imagine the filming insurance contract? “Uh yeah, my guy’s gonna be letting loose some leather cutting shards of razor sharp stone and starting bundles on fire around the set. But no worries, he’s probably also the most prepared to solve any issues that might come up”
This was at his place
They were filming in his workshop lmao
Probably not as much as you think. Have you made your own knife or fire before?
I've never seen Donny talk so much for so long. This feels unnatural but satisfying. I love this guy.
Does he often use those teeth to bite and pull rope? That's surprising he doesn't have cavities.
"Can I make a stone axe? Yeah." - Donny
Also worth mentioning if you go on any excursion alone, to tell your family/close friends/someone who cares about you where you are going, how long for, and what to do if you aren’t back by then.
Yeah that cannot be stressed enough. Even the most seasoned survivalists need to do this if they don't as things can still go wrong, plans can be subverted, etc.
Saw a TikTok saying leave your voicemail with coordinates of the trial you’re on and where you’re gonna stop
“GOTWA”
Or, easier than all of those, just carry a waterproof GPS tag, they are like 20 bucks and you can be found instantly
I practiced making a friction fire in the Boy Scouts, what that taught me was that I absolutely did not want to be in a position where my survival depended on me making a fire by friction, and that is why for the last three decades I've carried at least half a dozen mini-bic lighters stored in various places in my gear when out in the woods. Those who can reliably make a fire with just the natural materials lying around have my utmost respect, but I've noticed that when I see it demonstrated successfully, it's usually in an arid climate, not my neighborhood of the PNW when its been drizzling rain for two months straight.
I agree about the PNW, but it's always good to have flint and steel. They're easier to use than you think and will always spark, even when wet. Your lighters, not so much. I carry both.
prepared. Good for you
Get some water & windproof matches dude.
I live in rural place when i was kid i was interested in survivalist vids.
Showed my dad how to make fire by friction.
"That's cool, but you really should just use matches"
"Ok, what if you don't have matches?"
"You go to your neighbor and borrow some"
😂
@@davek00 I was at a matchstick museum when I was younger and they had flint, steel and tinder laying at one place and I got it working in no time. Put it out right away and don't know if you were allowed to touch it or not but I was a kid and wanted to see if I could do it.
2021: "Mark Cuban Answers Business Questions"
2022: "Financial Advisor Answers Money Questions"
2023: "A.I. Expert Answers A.I. Questions"
2024: "Survivalist Answers Survival Questions"
I see what u did there
Don't say TH-cam didn't prep you for the fall of civilisation.
Apocalypse incoming.
2025: "Mutant Answers Post-Apocalyptic Questions"
really improving. Cuban is a moron who was in the right place at the right time.
I love how this guy explains things thoroughly and doesn't assume everybody has the same experiences or knowledge
I like to imagine that he actually knows absolutely nothing about survival, but he's so incredibly good at looking the part that he's even convinced nature itself to adhere to his beliefs.
This man is so incredibly attractive, he could tell me anything 😂
and good-looking!
Wow, this makes me think of how much knowledge our ancestors had about nature that we've just lost and will never know.
Yeah but those guys didnt have phones or internet
Well you have knowledge they wouldn't even believed to be true or dare to imagine my dude
@@myboysd5772yea both things that have actually dehumanized humans.
@@bdepas1813True but it's a lot less useful than any of this knowledge. Most the stuff we know now would literally do absolutely nothing for the normal person. Objectively speaking the world would be better off if everyone knew these skills compared to contemporary knowledge. These skills are part of the subset of skills that actually make us independent which helps make people dependable. These should be life skills everyone should know regardless of their future goals.
Cook, sew, swim, climb, make fire, tell direction and rough time telling, what types of clouds mean, how to survive 2 nights without anything, how to change a tire, drive, read, tell if water is drinkable (this has gotten hard so boil to be safe if you aren't sure), first aid, and more.
@@FreeWorldSpirit313 Yes and no.
One of the sanest survivalist videos I've ever watched.
Didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did. You never know what situations you might end up in.
One added it of info: If you're going to go hiking alone, _always_ let someone know where you're going and how long you anticipate being gone.
Great advice. I’d expand on that and say if you plan to be gone for a week or more, check in at a set time each day. If you miss one, they should be getting ready to come looking, but hold up, you might just have poor reception. But if you miss two or three, especially after maintaining a few days of communication, it’s time to go looking. Better than being stuck with a broken leg at the bottom of a ravine for two weeks before anyone even thinks to come looking.
Better yet, just find a hiking buddy and don't go alone if you can help it
Thats a duhhh bud
@@joker0206 that's good advice. I'd look into communication devices too if you're doing a lot of remote solo trips. There's the Garmin inReach or PLB's that will get you out of a situation like that.
This is applicable anywhere you are, not just in the wilderness.
The fire demonstration also shows really well how little it takes for a (wild)fire to start. A tiny little piece of ember can light up some dry leaves, they light up some twigs, and bing bang boom the forest is burning down in no time. It's difficult to harness the power of making fire, but it's even more difficult to control fire.
It is easy to control fire if you are the one making the fire. It is not so easy to control a fire you didn't make yourself
@@blaynegreiner9365 I have to hard disagree, even fires you made yourself can get out of control extremely quickly. Even a tiny, controlled flame like a candle can pop, wax can ignite, and that flame can spread rapidly. Never get too confident and think a flame is controlled enough to let your guard down or leave it unattended.
@@gracel320 And then there's the Australian situation with the "fire raptors" that will steal burning objects off the fire so as to intentionally start bushfires to hunt with
@@gracel320 There's a story out there about a couple out on a date that got lost on a hike. They built a fire and it got out of control. Fortunately it lead to them being found. Unfortunately they burnt down a sizeable chunk of the forest and faced massive fines for doing so.
I love that he had actual demonstrations. Great stuff!
I'm not an outdoors person but I'm watching it because who knows when I might need this 😂
Wow. Profound stuff. Thank you so much for the update on your activity.
@rukus9585 bro your comment is even more pointless, and adds completely unnecessary negativity to a harmless post get over yourself
@@SnackPatrol You've got no bro here, babygirl.
@@rukus9585 Do you need a hug? I'll give you a hug. 1st one's free. I'll throw in a smoochie too if you talk nice & smell good
@@rukus9585 Do you need a hug? I'll give you a hug. 1st one's free.
Like this guy. He understands the why not just the how. He can explain the underlying science behind the processes. Gives people a better understanding and therefore better execution.
He has a great channel as well if you wanna see more! Donny dust paleo tracks i think its called
Please get this guy on here again!!! There are so many more questions to be answered, dude is a wealth of information.
He could have went into a lot more detail about what he ate when plant based. It could benefit a lot of people.
I’ve never listened so intently to someone speak. This is one of the best series on TH-cam.
Dude is the one saving Bear Grills when he gets stuck
Bwahahahahaaaaa…! Good one.
I'm surprised he was able to do this interview then!
The filming team staying at the nearby hotel are usually the ones he'd turn to if Grylls ever needed help.
Since he didn't completely answer the igloo question 19:34 the inside of an igloo is 32 degrees F which could be much warmer than the outside, add your body heat and clothing and it's a lot warmer inside since it also blocks the wind.
dude looks like the village elder who will kick your butt with great skill if challenged
Who’s be stupid enough to challenge this dude?!
@gavinomeara8390 I don't know. One time when I was in 4th grade I got in a fight with a girl. She almost started crying after the fight. Ever since then people have pretty much known not to mess with me.
I'm pretty sure I could take this guy.
@@davearonow65 😂 lol
@@davearonow65
Lmfao 🤣
Also looks rather like a certain dude who just wants his rug back. Just sayin...
I'm not really an "outdoorsy" person and yet I found this entire video extremely interesting and enlightening. It helps that this guy so obviously knows what he's talking about; a true expert in his field. Seriously, he spends most of his free time in the wild, and yet he has to be one of the smartest people I've ever heard speak. I could listen to him talk about this for hours. Truly goes to show, it's not what you do that stands out, it's how well you do it.
In high school, after a heavy snowfall my buddies and I made an Igloo. With 5 or 6 of us in there it was plenty warm enough to comfortably take off our winter jackets. Then we used one of those jackets to cover the entrance and hot-box that igloo. Good times.
You didn’t make an igloo, you made a snow fort.
@rogerc23 agreed lol. Igloo 😂 blud thinks hes in alaska
@@rogerc23 they're the same thing
Great to see Donny reach a bigger audience, this guy is a wealth of knowledge and a great story teller.
@@siradamthebombdiggity didn't know that, never watched the program.
@@siradamthebombdiggity i might check it out, is it good to watch in your opinion?
@@siradamthebombdiggity is it worth giving a watch in your opinion?
15:30 For trapping in an area that is the slightest bit residential, be sure to use a live trap. I had a house in a very rural town. Too many animals going under my house, so I set a live trap. I caught four possums, two skunks, a groundhog, and the neighbor's cat. That last one is why you need a live trap. When I released him in the morning, he was very angry, but he was alive.
I'm sorry but that was funny 🤣
And you absolutely right
They weren’t angry. All they thought was thanks for the free food, see you tomorrow.
@@rogerc23 I can assure you, any animal who ends up in a terrestrial live trap is not happy about it. They're not built to be pleasant.
When I was a little girl, in Ohio, a neighbor of mine killed my cat 🐱 with a raccoon 🦝 trap. My cat did get out of the trap, but had eaten the poisoned bait, within, and probably suffered terribly, before he died, not long thereafter. It was very traumatic. 😭
@@rogerc23 How to say you've never seen an angry cat without saying you've never seen an angry cat 🤣🤣
1:10 I got so many tips on how to make out on which side of the planet I am by just waiting for one month that I feel confident enough to move to Alaska with only a pocket knife and a plush toy. Thank you survivaval Hesus.
Been knapping for over 12 years and he made the perfect bare bones description of flintknapping without getting into the nitty gritty as we like to do!
i heard knapping is considered to be the oldest profession; it's time consuming but in paleolithic times it was essential, so one person just made blades all day and the rest of the group traded with them for the blades
"If you ever shot a BB at a windshield..."
No, I don't think I have.
Yeah we aren't all dickheads Donny 😂
That’s why he said *IF*
What a natural educator! Thank you Mr Dust, and the Wired team for making this video available to everyone, rather than hiding it behind a paywall! With a whole smorgasbord of medical, and cognitive, impairments, I'm not lasting long in the wilds, but I still find learning about (ethical) survival absolutely fascinating. It's also just lovely seeing the rudiments of flint knapping being demonstrated on the Internet - two of mankind's greatest technological leaps, to my mind. Thanks again!
Please have Donny back, this was fantastic.
Donny has his own TH-cam channel if you want to see more.
They'll have to find him first... Took them 5 years to track him down in the wild for this one
Love this guy, please do a part 2 😀
He has a yt channel it’s Donny dust paleo tracks
@@theunkownboss8052 thanks just seen this reply 👍🏻☺️
just wanted to share a fun fact, the bow drill was used and coined by the eastern woodland natives. In fifth grade we learned about the Piscataway and Susquehannock tribes and found out they also used them! Ive used one too, one time we had a field trip to a nature center to immerse ourselves in the ways if life of these tribes and we used bow drills to start fires!
fair warning, bowline knots were replaced by double figure 8's for rappelling due to an anecdotal report of it slipping under tension. it SHOULD be perfectly fine for that use however there is a super small chance it will slip whereas the figure 8 will not
I like how Donny just decided to put a table in his trapper shack and do the video instead of going to their studios
i've never heard of any of the navigation methods until this point, the drying puddles is genius
Not really.
@@rogerc23 wrong, it's very impressive
He totally looks the part. Handsome and rugged :)
I can see he’s very handsome under that hair and beard.
@@DioneN I like his hair and beard :) But I'm also not normal, so... xD
@@SviraSvi it’s well kept and trimmed, just hides his handsome face a lot. He has gorgeous eyes!
@@DioneN Indeed, the eyes are so catchy! :)
I would not mind getting lost in the wild with him! Very handsome and smart.
I NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD APPEAR! I'M SO HAPPY
I think he was born like the rest of us. I dont think he just appeared.
@@user-jy9rq8nj7q too late
@@user-jy9rq8nj7q 😂😂😂😂
A wild Donny Dust appeared! Donny Dust used Teach Wilderness Survival!
>FIGHT >SWITCH >BAG >RUN
Bro is stuck in an island
I love the fact that this guy is a survivalist... on TH-cam.
when he mentions the helpful plants for washing etc he calls them out by name. Room for improvement would be to drop an image of each plant so that we could recognize them by sight. I can't remember what sage looks like for some reason
@@eciekocthey were bringing up a valid point
@@andylutz3505 thanks
@@andylutz3505 eciekoc was also bringing up a valid point tho
@@kvassman_ not at all. you both should go to that Google and search the meaning of "room for improvement".
A more useful thing is to just learn what plants are in your environment. No sense learning what yukka or sage is if it doesn't grow where you spend time outdoors.
15:37 This is a very important point for several countries, not just the US (or states therein). Snares and "bear-trap"-traps are luckily getting more and more illegal for hunting, unless as stated in the video that it is for immediate survival reasons (ie: for getting meat/ nutrition, NOT for getting fur/pelt).
Mainly because you can't control what you catch. Would be a damned shame if people accidentally caught a critter whose numbers are struggling out in the wild. At least most places do allow you to trap, just live only so you can confirm the critter. ((Mostly saying this for others who may wonder))
I was instantly reminded those old cartoons with someone stepping in a bear trap. Must have been a major (and legit) fear back then
Also important to point out that some traps are legal while others or not and that some places have trapper's licenses etc. Basically, the laws surrounding trapping can be pretty complicated.
I didn't know survivalists were scientists. This man is so knowledgeable!😮
So glad people thought to ask about hygiene. I know it makes me sound like a wuss, but I've always thought being filthy would be one of the first things to sap my spirits if I had to survive in the wild.
Well we’ve been on the planet for hundreds of thousands of years and have been cleaning ourselves and shaving funnily enough since the beginning (using soaps for over 4 thousand years)hygiene isn’t a problem just needs more prep time
The biggest thing about tooth health that he didn't mention is the foods you eat. Soda, candy, and anything with a lot of sugar and to some extent gluten annihilates your teeth which is why we need toothpaste. If you ate like a hunter-gatherer, you would never have tooth problems
@@CrizzyEyes That is not true
can you become a survivalist if you can't grow a beard?
No
😂😂😂
No
The beard comes with being a survivalist. This question isn’t relevant.
Only if on a deserted island.
Yes.
10:00 he forgot my favorite knot the might knot, it might hold and it might not 😊
An additional thing about snares, realize that they are an extremely painful way to catch animals. If it doesn’t go around the neck, it’ll catch a limp and basically amputate them. I’ve worked with wild chimps and many are missing fingers, hands, even one missing both feet, because of snares.
Are you a guidance counsellor.
Hats off for the reaction to the vegetarian/vegan prompt. Pleasantly surprised by that!
It was ok, but failed to point out that the increased difficulty to effect short-term survival in the absence of agricultural stores in no way reduces the validity of veg diets in the presence of agricultural stores, and that in the long run agriculture is far more reliable and efficient than scavenging for either veg or meat. It just takes time and a half decent location.
I could listen to him for 4 more hours without going to the toilet tbh. One of my favorite people ever to listen to
2 Points I was missing in answers
Regarding life straw: Be adviced that it works on bacteria but less to none on viral and chemical contamination!
Regarding navigation: Sun moves east to west / Polaris is always north and easy to find using ursua major/minor
Lifestraw has specific filters that can filter out even viruses.
Also the north and south directions are based on the axis of the earth. If you are in the northern hemisphere the southern face of ant object will get more sun throughout the day and the opposite in the southern hemisphere. East and get the most sunlight being the closest to the equator.
"Is the water drinkable?" Yes. ...
Similarly, all mushrooms are edible. Some are only edible once.
😂
0:24 on top of ingesting waste, what if you have a weaker stomach than you thought and throw up? Even more energy and water more importantly wasted all because of nonsense. If you ever needed to for survival
To combat loneliness in the wild, find your Wilson, find an object, either in the environment or something that you brought with you, then name it and talk to it as if it was a real person, tell it how you feel, vent to it or just talk to it about whatever you want.
I know it kinda sounds silly, but trust me it'll help a lot with the loneliness.
sounds like an experience
@@urdelulufriendrd Not really, I just happen to know that doing that helps, because of our nature.
Imagine yourself in a situation like that, wouldn't you feel better doin' that?
@@Jackkenway yh I was just jockin with ya 😅
@@urdelulufriendrd Haha! Well, you got me! 😅
Btw, what would be the thing you'd talk to if you were in a situation like that? Please don't say a caterpillar! lol 🐛
Can I use a tree? Like just name some trees and talk to them and give them their own personality or is that just signs that im a loony? lol
I appreciate the level of detail he gives with added
demonstration to the questions
as someone who talks about details, did you get concerned when a user called "unstable employee" was the one who asked how to sharpen a machete. Weird question right!!!
Let’s goooo, remember seeing this guy on TikTok a while ago before he had a thousand followers, crazy to see how far he’s come
You have my respect! Not only are you an expert in your craft but you also have a very interesting delivery and magnetic charisma.
I want to be as cool as him, I'm starting survivalism right now, on my balcony between my plants. Hope I'll make it after 25 minutes.
I like how he demonstrates most of the things. Very informative
I love this guy, I have great respect for him. I'd feel safe with him out in the wild.
He's the equivalent of a bear. ^ ^
I think they edited out emergency food sources as slow guys.
I'm surprised to say I think this is my favorite support episode and they are all good!
The fact that he put his fingers on the hearth board (to stabilize the board) before he took his foot off the board shows he is knowledgable. I have seen so called experts ruin their ember by the board moving when they pulled their foot off. Very good knapper too!
Not only because I follow his channel but in all seriousness, this is probably one of the most informative Wired video I have seen so far. I enjoy most of them but this blew the others out of the park!
I never thought I would see so much science in creating flint razors. A+
Finding cardinal direction is genius and everyone should know it. 💯
That crescent moon tip is way cool!
a new one on me
somehow it is satisfying when suddenly one man who you are subscribed to pop up on another channel you`re subscribed to 😁😁
Out of all of these videos this one is probably the most interesting.. you can feel this guy knows what he is talking about and it might actually prove useful at some point
i'm the only one thinking he seems like a really nice person i would love to hang with and listen to his stories ?
Yeah he has big teddy bear energy lol
When it comes to brushing teeth in a survival situation, it’s also important to note that you won’t be eating as much sugar and almost no processed foods, so your teeth’s natural means of maintaining themselves should be enough. (But a good brushing is still very helpful)
That.
Ancient people didn't brush their teeth and there are plenty of skulls with teeth in great shape.
It's agriculture, grain and later sugar that create teeth problems.
Agriculture was a life saver as it provided a steady supply of food but it came with its own problems as it's not what people were meant to eat.
5:40 - Another good tinder substance is the underbark of cedar trees. Peel the outer bark off and what you'll find is very similar to the juniper bark he has here and is an excellent source of tinder even in a downpour. If you have time to prep for a survival outing, a fantastic and inexpensive tinder-aid substance is laundry dryer lint mixed with Vaseline. Dreyer lint, as you would imagine, is insanely flammable, but it burns out almost immediately. The Vaseline will keep the flame longer to help start and keep the fire going. It's not tinder itself, but coupled with tinder, it will make starting your fire easer. This was taught to me in a survivalist class in the PNW. Before you head out camping, designate a half-used Vaseline container and mix a bunch of dryer lint in with it, about 50/50 that you can roll into balls or form shapes. Bam.
I've seen his videos pop up on occasion. This guy is immensely intelligent and passionate about nature.
I've been watching his shorts on and off. Glad to see him on here!
Phrasing!
@@JustWandering 😂 glad it wasn't just me
Possibly the coolest dude
Not only is this good survival advice, but good for writing too! Thanks for the various tips!
Water filters are so cool. My brother and I use the Sawyer Squeeze filter on our backpacking trips, turns muddy water into clean drinking water instantly. I love it.
I really wanted him to say “yeah” for some of these.
This guy is what Bear Grylls thinks he sees when he looks in the mirror.
Bear grylls is a former british SAS member, so would not underestimate him.
@@captnmaico6776he certainly has knowledge but he spouts absolute nonsense on his show and doesn’t actually really show any useful knowledge
@@halloweenfan158 He definitely shows useful knowledge but unfortunately most of the stuff he does/shows is complete b.s. Les Stroud (Survivorman) did it right and didn't even have a camera crew with him.
is nobody talking about the look he gave the camera at 15:31 😭
I love this series but this episode I definitely watched the whole thing without skipping ahead or feeling bored with the answers. This is top tier content.
The thing about the igloo is that it is ice but with a ton of air. it's compressed snow but not so compressed that it starts to become ice. Snow is ice but with air in it. Snow will become ice with sufficient compression.
I've never seen anyone that looks so much like their profession ever. If someone asked me, "What do you imagine a primitive skills expert looks like?" It'd be this man, 10000%. Loved it!
Thank you so much. This was a great video. You sound like a very kind person
Fun fact about igloos. Northern sled dogs would bury a hole in the ground to sleep in, their breath would circulate in the hole they made and it keeps them warm.