I've had an an incredibly positive response from the bushcraft community. The challenge really seems to have struck a cord with peoples interests. Now I need to think about what my next vid should be. Any ideas? Perhaps continuing the survival challenge?
24 Hour Challege - Survive with just a knife.
- Thread starter Leigh Robinson
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What an inspirational video! Makes me very glad I've got a fire steel on my knife sheath 
Out of interest, what would you have done if you hadn't managed to scavenge a can or bottle? I bet you've never been so glad that some folk are inconsiderate litterers!
Out of interest, what would you have done if you hadn't managed to scavenge a can or bottle? I bet you've never been so glad that some folk are inconsiderate litterers!
My thoughts were if I couldn't find a container, make one out of bark. Was thinking a cone shaped filter for water. But I really didn't want to drink just with a filter. So realistically, I probably would have gone without water.
My main concern was getting hypothermia through the cold and the wet.
My main concern was getting hypothermia through the cold and the wet.
Leigh you did a remarkable thing to go out with nothing but a knife and survive for 24 hours.
Ok the resources you found were very limited but full marks for attempting it.
Bushcraft is the ability to use skills to not just survive but survive with some degree of comfort in our natural countryside surroundings.
You addressed this in it’s most basic form being equipped with only a knife, I’m not sure many others would attempt the same challenge.
Having said that it makes sense to carry more equipment, such as a tarp, axe, pots etc. to make the task of surviving in more comfort practicable.
The question is where do you draw the line, between bushcraft and just camping.
I’ve nothing against camping, but using a refined fuel camping stove, chemically enhanced tinder, and instant ignition is not in my opinion bushcraft as no skills are involved.
Ok the resources you found were very limited but full marks for attempting it.
Bushcraft is the ability to use skills to not just survive but survive with some degree of comfort in our natural countryside surroundings.
You addressed this in it’s most basic form being equipped with only a knife, I’m not sure many others would attempt the same challenge.
Having said that it makes sense to carry more equipment, such as a tarp, axe, pots etc. to make the task of surviving in more comfort practicable.
The question is where do you draw the line, between bushcraft and just camping.
I’ve nothing against camping, but using a refined fuel camping stove, chemically enhanced tinder, and instant ignition is not in my opinion bushcraft as no skills are involved.
I had a idea of a over nighter where for your shelter has to be elevated a decent amount of the floor which could be because of a number of reasons , and maybe you have to have meat not plants or mushrooms ect does that sound like a Bit of a challenge ?
It does sound a challenge. Getting meat on the plate would certainly be a big win in a survival situation for sure.
Yeah I mean it could be rabbit fish anything because if you could rig a few snares up and have a go at fishing however successful it may be as long as you catch one thing it would be I incredible moral boost and would make for a good challenge because just because you can hunt doesn't mean your gonna catch EVERY time 
Good video Leigh. I enjoyed watching it.
I've learnt that getting the fire going should be a priority, given the effort it takes. Leave it too long and you might not have the energy to do it. Without fire, you'd have been struggling.....and it sounds like you made little use of the shelter given the investment of effort you made in it. Clearly, the priority of the shelter could increase, depending on the weather conditions, but fire is itself a sort of shelter in that it provides warmth.
I didn't think you'd have had hope of making fire with the hand drill but you damn near did it. I suspect if you'd done it as your first task, you'd have been successful.
I've learnt that getting the fire going should be a priority, given the effort it takes. Leave it too long and you might not have the energy to do it. Without fire, you'd have been struggling.....and it sounds like you made little use of the shelter given the investment of effort you made in it. Clearly, the priority of the shelter could increase, depending on the weather conditions, but fire is itself a sort of shelter in that it provides warmth.
I didn't think you'd have had hope of making fire with the hand drill but you damn near did it. I suspect if you'd done it as your first task, you'd have been successful.
Impressive feat. What knife did you use?
If the challenge had been different, and had instead been say "24h with just an axe?" or "24h with just a saw" would it have changed what you did?
I have loose permission to try my hand at natural shelter building in some chestnut coppice, but I'm struggling to find anything there I could use for insulation/thatch, it's all bramble or chestnut, and I'm not allowed to defoliate the whole plantation. Your video has given me much to think about, I wonder if there are nettles among the brambles...
Is this the new Daniel Boone Challenge?
J
If the challenge had been different, and had instead been say "24h with just an axe?" or "24h with just a saw" would it have changed what you did?
I have loose permission to try my hand at natural shelter building in some chestnut coppice, but I'm struggling to find anything there I could use for insulation/thatch, it's all bramble or chestnut, and I'm not allowed to defoliate the whole plantation. Your video has given me much to think about, I wonder if there are nettles among the brambles...
Is this the new Daniel Boone Challenge?
J
Great video, very very emotional ( thanks for leaving it in ) but I guess in a real situation the emotions would run higher still, good scavenge for usable bits and bobs.
Thanks for undertaking the challenge, and for sharing it.
Thanks for undertaking the challenge, and for sharing it.
I was so relieved that I managed fire. It meant I could now how safe drinking water and could stay warm all night. It meant I was safe and would be comfortable which was an incredible relief!
Yes, we can all see the relief when you had flame, the look and punch of the soil said it all, pure joy.
It seems churlish (or something) to question anything after watching that experience...
I'm wondering why you didn't do the fire first, when your energy was high knowing that the weather wasn't coming to later.
Also wondering why you rejected the glass bottles as boiling containers. Thomas Elpel used nothing but glass bottles in the video 3 days at the river with nothing but our bare hands.
In that case you would have been with fire and water after 2 hours max, with plenty of time to build the shelter. (though obviously that's dependent on the weather).
I'm wondering why you didn't do the fire first, when your energy was high knowing that the weather wasn't coming to later.
Also wondering why you rejected the glass bottles as boiling containers. Thomas Elpel used nothing but glass bottles in the video 3 days at the river with nothing but our bare hands.
In that case you would have been with fire and water after 2 hours max, with plenty of time to build the shelter. (though obviously that's dependent on the weather).
Most survival resources favour shelter as first priority. Hypothermia hits quicker than dehydration. Other people prioritise fire. Each to their own. Personally I like to know as soon as possible I have a shelter in case the weather turns quick. If it hammers down with rain, I crawl into the shelter. If I build the fire and it hammers down with rain, I have no fire and no shelter. You do feel exposed to the elements. The shelter for me is a primary fail safe. If it all goes wrong I can get in there and wait it out.
I didn't use the glass bottles as I suspected they might explode from thermal shock in the fire and I would end up with a face full of glass. My plan was if I didn't find a better container, to risk the glass bottles. Hope that makes sense.
I didn't use the glass bottles as I suspected they might explode from thermal shock in the fire and I would end up with a face full of glass. My plan was if I didn't find a better container, to risk the glass bottles. Hope that makes sense.
As long as its not damaged and you let the heat build up gentle like glass will be fine in a fire. Just make sure you put water in before putting on the fire. No heating the glass and then putting cold water in, that could be a disaster. ( Same thing as when boiling an egg, put them in cold water and heat and they wont crack, put a cold egg in hot water and "crack" messy eggy time) :'(
Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.
Sent via smoke-signal from a woodland in Scotland.
That's why I said it might sound churlish, and it seems difficult not to.
When watching we have the benefit of hindsight that it wasn't going to rain and how long things were gong to take.
I don't know if that says something about our weather reading skills that we can't predict a 4 or 5 hours window.
I was kind of wondering if hand drill or bow drill would have worked in say 30 mins if your energy was peak.
It's amazing how vulnerable you feel once the kit is taken away. Both frightening and liberating at the same time. Recommend the experience to everyone. Good test of skill.
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