AAR: After Action Review/Report ENT: End of Nautical Twilight BNT: Beginning of nautical twilight After sunset there is a period of twilight. The moment that period ends and the night is as dark as it's going to get, that's ENT In the morning before sunrise, the moment that you first start seeing light in the sky is BNT Many people have commented about my shortcut. Leaving the road and going through the bushes was NOT a shortcut. It made the trip longer. It was about going off road and negotiating obstacles, not about making the trip shorter.
Great practical insight as per usual. The best part of getting lost is finding yourself. I habitually mark my route when I travel off the trail. Doesn't work so well in the jungle however.
Pro Tip: It behooves one to listen to Paul's anecdote(s) not only to gain useful insight on his situation(s) he's incurred, but also perspective on his Top 5 and WHY he selected these topics as his Top 5. "A wise student sits down, shuts up, pays attention, and listen to the wisdom gleaned from his elders. A wise student will know to ask questions and verify and validate or refute the wisdom being given. A foolish student ignores, debates without reference, and then retreats when they've confirmed to others of their own foolishness and doesn't want to admit defeat." (I know Paul isn't old; but he's been around the block long enough to become wiser with age.)
Paul, when can we see you complete the USMC table one and two with a RCO? And compare that to iron sights. I believe I was one of the last companies to graduate parris island that used iron sights.
If you're gonna end up having a wilderness survival story the best kind is the boring kind. Often the exciting ones end up being told by the people who found your body.
@@jwash3rd omg im doing that at the moment and completely understand your comment. Just the other night we found a missing 14yr old that had ran away from his parents and was shelter hopping. We ended up seeing and amber alert that had his picture on it. We called police and they got him home safe... But we were pretty downtrodden bc we wondered why he had run away in the first place
I got lost in the woods once. I had my dog with me and I noticed that he kept looking at me like I was an idiot. Then I realized that he knew how to find the way back. So I told him "find the way back." He took off and I followed him, and he took us straight back. The moral of the story, as Paul said, keep your ego in check. My dog is too stupid to realize that his reflection in the mirror is not another dog, but he was smart enough to not get lost in the woods. Sometimes people, or animals that you think are dumber than you, can be smarter than you in certain situations.
I got lost in a big-ass wooded trailer site once (after many drinks). I was specifically walking my dog, and same thing: he's a big doofus great dane but as soon as I stopped and just said "let's go home" he took me right back to our trailer. Dogs have a lot more "tools" than we do.
I'm 70 years old, can't really walk more than 100 yards and have no desire or inclination to go into the woods or anywhere else where I might use Paul's 5 tips but I enjoy watching him and his videos so much that I sat here for 40 minutes and tried to digest every word he was saying. What I'm saying is that Paul Harrell is the best there is. Thank you sir.
Just enjoy the fact that it's 70 years old he's still have the attention span where you can sit down watch 40-minute video like this For the average twenty-year-old like me even with something that they're interested in that still takes a bit of doing because we grew up on different things
I thought the video was highly informative. It really open my eyes to practical limits and the ego that I thought I did not have. This video is more valuable than any of the individual skills that you needed to survive that night. From now on I am going to be much more prepared without having to take everything in the kitchen sink with me
What likely got under his skin is the response that probably went through his head: "Then where the F*CK WERE YOU LAST NIGHT WHEN I WAS FREEZING MY SEEDS OFF!!?!"
I'd near bout give anything to be able to go back and have "That Particular" frame of mind, along with the obvious testicular fortitude required and go over a few hill's and stream's headed westward...looking!
@@rollingstone1319 character and integrity may be “boring” according to today’s standards. But, I admire those qualities. In my opinion, after raising three children, that is my GREATEST HOPE for them. That they have integrity, courage and are trustworthy human beings. Being able to live with YOURSELF is one of life’s hardest journeys. Just an old gal’s opinion. Seems like, you have a good grasp on these qualities. Godspeed.
Tracking isn’t hard once you’ve got the know how, but if someone tells ya it’s ever easy the only thing they know how to track is their package on the internet haha. And in the terrain and conditions you described without modern equipment good luck. Probably Woulda lost you at the stream for the night.
My Grandfather was a lifelong hunter, trapper, spent time in Alaska, Canada, all over the country. Was in the 82nd Airborne in WWII and was by far the toughest man I ever knew. My Uncle who was a Forest Ranger here in NY would call him back in the 1960's and 70's when they would sometimes need someone to help search in an area that was really rugged and they knew he could track, and he did on many occasions, sometimes it ended up being a recovery of a body instead of a rescue, and he told me when I first got hunting that anyone, no matter their experience could get lost, turned around and to not think it can't happen to you. It's one of the things I learned when I used to hunt and spend so much time in the high peaks here where there's no main road for miles. You need to be very self reliant, but as Paul says, you do need to keep your ego in check because everyone sooner or later get turned around and suddenly all those trees and trails look exactly the same. Don't think it can't happen to you just because it never has.
Getting turned around due to deep penetration into a swamp brings useless sight/sound references: everything looked the same; no wind either. Plus, mountain sides which look wooded and generic from below, can be full of gullies, ridge swirls, and cut backs that seem to lead up or down but don't;, and when you're in those, your direction of travel goes to crap. After one frightening episode with night setting in, I NEVER hunt over to an alternate way back to camp. Come back, as you went in!!
@@MillerJW100A compass is non negotiable when going out into the wildernes. People have died and they were found just a few minutes off the desired trail. It's so easy to get lost.
Paul Harrell truly is the Bob Ross of GunTube. Clear, calm and collected, but still interesting enough that your eyes are glued to the screen for the entire duration of the episode and you always learn something, even if you didn't expect to.
All good stuff. On the subject of ego, I was taught a good lesson while on training exercise in Norway once. The instructor said that many of the people who did not make it back _died of embarrassment._ They were too embarrassed to ask something, or to call someone, or to bother to demand a decent map, or whatever it may be because they thought it made them look weak or afraid. Don't die of embarrassment!
We've taught that for decades in Learn to Return courses here in Alaska. Either we took it from their SAR folks, or they took it from ours, or we all figured it out at the same time. Either way, good ideas take on their own life. One more dictum. Don't Die Stupid.
I think for many of us it always a pleasure and a privilege to hear these lectures from Paul. The bit about "Packs like that get left in your vehicle and your vehicle's going to survive just fine..." had me in stitches.
To me the shooting is the closest thing to "boring parts" that apparently others come here for. I always show up for the "boring parts where he just talks". Paul, your videos have no boring parts.
It's Oregon, every day has a 95% chance of rain, or drizzle, maybe sprinkles, or a shower, seldom a downpour, almost never a deluge, but practically impossible to avoid at least a spritz.
I tracked Paul easy that day. I found him shivering on top of that hill. Watched him waking up every half hour or so to collect the firewood that I was dropping off for him. I even went on ahead and spooked a squirrel out into his path the next morning. Pretty sure he never even knew I was there. He was so easy to track.
@@TheStraycat74 When you are from the Pacific Northwest, you stand out in the rain, and you don't even notice it. In the Olympic National Forest, we get between 100 to 170 inches of rain a year.
In the 82nd, we call that "infantry weather". Proof that God loves the Airborne. He sends that rain to make the enemy huddle in their vehicles while we walk right by...
So great going back and watching these. Paul Truly was a great teacher and a true outdoorsman and his love of all these and the shooting sports is incredible. Real life and real shooting stories are so much better teachers than just imagining things and doing a target shooting instruction. Rest in Peace Paul your truly missed.
The part where he's talking about admitting to yourself that you're lost really caught my attention. I've never considered how dangerous the time between becoming lost, and realizing that you're lost, can be. During that time problems are compounding all around you, and it's quite likely that you're not even aware that it's happening.
Very true. My experience in wilderness has taught me when you have a problem, if you can have a seat and drink some water, nine times out of ten the solution will come to you.
8 or 10 year's ago our local sheriff an 1 of his buddies decided to horse back ride into a Really off grid part of our county 1 Sunday about mid-day.. I noticed from my farm witcha way and what trail they where heading up..Lucky for Them! After about 9pm an the truck&horse trailer STILL sitting in same spot, I saddled my mule an gathered up a few supply's headed out the track them. Sure enough half hour after I headed out a Chopper was circling the farm . They'd got turned around mired up a horse in a bog an was bout to be spending the night in that bottom... Sally pulled that damned ol' wild-eyed horse right out that mud hole. Bastards Never would admit to getin turned around in there But, I know every inch of it and have become disoriented a bit coon hunting at night...js
@@AndrewSmith-rp6ee Yeah...my years working mining exploration taught me to stay calm....I recall one time realizing that the area I was in (British Columbia forest) all of a sudden looked the same in every direction....which was disconcerting at first, I can see how people could panic and take off in a wrong direction.
Yes, early assesment of the situation and keeping your wits about you go a long way to preventing compounded factors. Disorientation, panic or even in some cases persistence can lead to unfavorable results.
I particularly liked hearing that, two days after his impromptu overnight adventure, he returned to the area with the express purpose of figuring out what the hell happened that he missed the lower road.
It's like his Wilburforce comments, wouldn't be part of the man, the myth, the legend, if he didn't come across as an old instructor. Some people just respond to it. If he really hated things then he would stop making videos.
They got close enough to hear a .single 22LR shot in a dense forest. I think Paul should give them a little more credit, They could have really fucked up that rescue a lot worse...
@@TheWarmotor lol not that I care much but he actually specified it wasn’t a rescue situation anymore after he survived the night. With that being said I think Paul’s a libertarian that itches to prove independence; he was probably kind of annoyed by people looking for him
Just imagining Paul telling stories to his kids or grandkids. "Just go upstairs and get in bed, dear. Grandpa will come up and tell you a story in a minute." Grandkid - "Oh, no!"
He's too humble for this world. I remember in one of his videos he referred to himself as "the average shooter". Paul, you're ex-military and you've won international shooting competitions. You're better than us.
I remember my Dad smacking me upside the head one time, because I was talking while he was trying to teach me something. His comment to me was, "God gave you two ears and one mouth. You need to listen twice as much as you need to talk." A lesson that has served me quite well for many years.
I've learned in my many years of life(good,bad, or indifferent) simple tasks such as coloring with a small child or, just remembering such a thing can really be ....umm, soothing . I reckon.
@@Heywoodthepeckerwood Just because there's a road doesn't mean the wildlife aren't plentiful and wild. Clearly, you've never been in the sticks where roads run through quite literally the middle of nowhere, with miles upon miles to the next house or crossroad. I would recommend a road trip to Alaska. You'll understand once you're about a quarter of the way through Canada.
@@Heywoodthepeckerwood "Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation." You're being pedantic, a trail or path through a forest doesn't count as "significant modification" Especially since those paths or trails can go 50+ kms or miles away from notable civilization or cell service. if you know anything about paths or trails like that, you can tell by looking at the path he is on that is is not maintained or regularily travelled except but a small amount of enthusiasts.
Thankfully, youtube showed me your second comment first. The moment you brought politics into this, I couldn't care less what you have to say. So like, Im happy or sorry that happened to you. I hope you find happiness one way or another
I learned my lesson at the ripe age of six years old. A group of older kids went into the woods in December to find a Christmas tree. A friend of mine , also six and I tagged along for a while, just long enough to not be familiar with where we were. We became bored and decided to return home and watch Hopalong Cassidy on TV. We did not tell the older kids and turned around and headed back. Our family dog was with us and we thought he was heading home so we followed him. He was not headed home , he was hunting squirrels and very shortly we were lost. We were on a ridge and there was a faint trail following the crest. We walked and walked and it was getting close to dark. My friend starting crying and about the same time I spotted a logging trail heading downhill. I told him I was not staying on top of that mountain all night and that logging road is going downhill and I was going to find out where it went. We were lucky as that logging road led us to a sawmill dust pile and there was school friends that lived nearby playing in the sawdust. They took us to a main road that we were familiar with and we made it back to my friends house just as it was getting dark. One of the older kids walked me home which was about five miles from where we started. Low forty's, dropped into the teens that night, December, no way to build a fire, no food, no water, totally lost, If we had not gotten lucky we could have frozen to death. I've never forgotten that experience and and for the next seventy years I have prepared for the worst, no matter what outdoors activity that I did. I have not forgotten the whipping I got for being so stupid leaving the main group either!! There was a search group organized and looking for us but they were looking in the wrong direction. My dad fired shots into the air to let them know we had been located. P.O.
@@hansgruber9685 not sure if it's exactly what you're talking about, but paradoxical undressing is a common symptom of hypothermia. Basically, you get so cold it confuses your nervous symptom into thinking you're too hot and you start taking off your clothes.
@david j True, but we have to educate such people. Even Democrats should support civil rights. Many don't obviously, but that doesn't mean we should give up.
My grand parents had a 50 acre farm, smack in the middle of the Big Thicket piney woods of southeast Texas. They raised catfish. Part of their land was up near the highway...and part of it was was about a mile back in the woods. I was down there visiting one time during spring break, in my early teens. I told my grandmother I was going out to do some exploring, and that I may or may not be back that night, that I may decide to stay out in the woods overnight. That was a mistake...I should have committed to either coming home or staying out. So I set out on my adventure. I got 4 to 5 miles deep into the woods. Very thick brush, and lots of obstacles. There are some old oil field roads that were half grown up, because they hadn't been used in years... but it was almost entirely thick brush elsewhere. There was wild cattle out there, and they had created trails in certain places as well. So in my travels, I came to what had been a crossroads ...and looked down to my right...I saw about 10 wild hogs rooting in a ditch. They were maybe 80 yards away. They all looked up at me at the same...and the big male started heading for me, at lightning speed...with the rest of them right behind him. I had never seen them run in an open space like that. I was shocked by their speed! I took off running. I didn't know where to go at first. But I remembered there we some old above ground oil field storage tanks nearby, with stairs going up the side. So I headed for that and made it just in time. I ran up the stairs and they milled around the tank...eventually lost interest in me and started rooting up the area. I'd guess somewhere between two or three hours passed before they were out of sight, and I stopped hearing them. I had a one man tent, and some overnight gear...a little food and water. And by this time is was dark...I mean pitch black, you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face. I had flashlight, but it was malfunctioning and barely working. I didn't want to set up on the ground...because I was freaked out by this point. And there was no way to stake my tent up on top of the tank. So I used what little light I had to get a fire going. And stayed down on the ground while I enjoyed the fire and some food. Then laid down on top of tank when got tired. Using my tent as a blanket, and my wool blanket as a pallet. I'd occasionally go down and get the fire going. I used damp wood to create as much smoke as possible...it helped keep the mosquitoes at bay. The next morning I got up and headed for my grandparents house. I thought I knew where I was...because I was familiar with that tank. But it turns out it was another tank, down at the next crossroads area. It was just enough difference in distance, that I over shot my grandparents property....and hiked right passed it. I got sorted out and headed in the right direction...but it took a few hours of back tracking. My grandmother was furious. But I learned a whole lot from that experience. I never went without a gun before or after that. Not sure why I didn't feel the need then. I think I was on a youthful "be one with nature" kick....and thought I wouldn't need a gun. Me and one of my cousins used to head out in those woods...and try to out do each other...with how little we could get by with. It was good practice. But being older now. I am a little smarter, and take things that match my need. I'm not a young kid anymore.
I'm glad you didn't blow up someone's (possibly active) oil tank with your fire. Those can contain flammable fumes for years. Crude oil fumes can blow up if enclosed.
@Kevin Hart ... Why so smug and condescending? The land was old oil field land...unused since the 1970s. The oil company still owned the land, and a few employees used it for deer hunting, during deer season. But it was uninhabited the rest of the year. My uncle worked for that company...and my family had a long relationship with the company owners, dating back to the 1950s. They even donated land for my grandparents church. They gave my grandpa easement rights from two different directions, to access his tract of land that was further back in the woods. We had all the permission we needed.
One of the things that I appreciate the most is how precise Paul is. Often,I already know, but not always. He's such a good instructor if you care to pay attention.
I appreciate this too, i made a gun vid & get so much flack. Tried to keep it precise as hell, and recently i got a "cant you just GET TO THE POINT!" typa comment 😂
@sosy1178 And he's got that senior NCO instructor delivery fuckin nailed down. "We're doing a thing, here's why the thing is important, we did the thing and here's what we learned so next time we do the thing better." Straightforward without cutting corners. Talking from experience without talking down to anyone.
a man who is not afraid to state all the mistakes he made- too much ego in so many videos- it takes a confident, yet humble person to stand in front of thousands and admit mistakes. Kudos to you Paul and thank you for this video
I've personally found that when navigating an unknown wilderness, taking any apparent shortcut or alternate way back is seldom a good idea, especially if alone.
I do it fairly often, but never if I don't have a couple of hours of daylight left. I would say a full 20% of my shortcuts saved time or energy - so yeah, I think that counts as "seldom a good idea". OTOH, I'm not a hunter, I'm a hiker; I'm in the wilderness to explore and it's never ended badly in 40+ years, so I'll keep doing it. Good judgement and knowing what you are capable of are the only two critical items for wilderness survival. the rest is just bonus.
Been there done that by accident because I was in very thick understory. I've learned the hard way that a compass is my best friend when I can't see beyond 10 metres in the Australian Bush(Mountain terrain).
"We tracked you easy!" Was he trying to hide or throw anyone off his trail? That's like bragging about scoring a touchdown...when the other person was playing croquet.
There's a whole series of funny images that Monty Python's Flying Circus could have run with there. John Cleese as the announcer: "And Murry lines up his shot through the hoops......Wait! Johnson has just scored a touchdown!"
It sounds like a stupid joke about having found some footprints earlier in the day. Because that's what it most likely was. If you think everyone else is constantly "bragging" with every minute comment they make that reveals more about yourself than others.
@@poika22 " If you think everyone else is constantly "bragging" with every minute comment they make that reveals more about yourself than others." Over analyzing humor reveals more about yourself than others.
Wouldn't be my first choice. Leaving the known trail at dusk when you don't have a flashlight is a serious lapse of judgement. Though presumably he's learned his lesson.
Man I love your long-winded explanations, please never stop. Details matter and people with short attention spans and little patience simply have to deal with the fact that they'll never know things in the same detail that you and people like you do.
sad thing is... we ALL would still watch it.. we would ALL give it a thumbs up.. and most of us would comment on the fact that Paul feels the need (rightly so with the current environment) to even do disclaimers.
@@warblerblue No I didn't name it people just started calling it that. I'd built a dry goods store, sawmill, a haberdashery, and founded a barbershop quartet (despite being the sole member) before the first settlers arrived.
Is that what they are doing along the 205? And I just thought that they were homeless camps. They are city building. Cool, just north of the junction on 5 you can see a 2 story shanty house built of tarps and pallets. Kinda wondered what they are thinking.
@@saskafrass1985 I'm far too aesthetically-minded to use blue tarps. Form and function are equally important, even in a survival situation. For instance, in this video, to demonstrate what gear he had in his story, Paul was wearing mismatched camouflage. No. Unacceptable. Death before Dishonor.
Oversensitivity or hypervigilence is often a result of a tic or tendency. He apparently is bothered by his speech issues and really does not want to garble his words or transpose syllables, so he pays very close attention to what he says and how he says it. The "Shatneresque .... pauses" are likely an artifact of that. It seems that he takes a breath, holds it, decides what he is going to say, then gates that breath to say what he wants how he wants to. Its likely that his monitoring hardware is a little buggy so he can't concentrate on what he wants to say and monitor what he is saying at the same time, so he can get a little tripped up unless he's very careful and plans things out ahead of time. After a while that type of routine becomes second nature. If you had to work to speak clearly, you likely would be careful to speak very distinctly and not interject placeholders like 'um'. That's just my surmise, though. I certainly do not know the fellow, although I know some people with similar effects.
@@danielzatkovich4659 why does anytime anyone make a meaningful comment it have to be degraded by miserable people like you? It's a good explanation and everyone else is too scared to speak their mind in fear of being called a nerd or something.
Paul takes pride in being the guy that wrote all the legal disclaimers for chain saws, sky diving companys, swim with the sharks tours and fireworks manufacturers.
Paul seems painfully aware that not everyone in the youtube audience is dipping with both oars. Many feel obligated to apply their opinions and critique things and situations they know nothing about. Some of these individuals are likely to pose hypothetical questions like”Yeah but what if the Indians had army tanks?” C Personally I believe his disclaimers are tongue in cheek humor, calling out the lack of common sense
@@BigBlueSwisher I totally agree. Also kind of a private wink and a nod to those of us whom he knows really appreciate him. A bit of an inside joke- to me anyway. On the flip side, there are actually other youtubers who could take a lesson from this. Many of them should be doing exactly this practice as sometimes I just want to get to the point of the video and don't have time for the 'fluff'. It shows respect for the viewer.
As someone who spent two years living/working outside, getting lost is one thing I actually recommend to people. It's humbling and forces you to use skills and senses completely foreign to most. Obviously, I mean getting lost in a semi-controlled manner so that you can actually survive to learn from your mistakes. Also, small tips from personal experience: - waterproof rain gear (even a poncho) can still make you really soaked from sweat if it's not breathable material. - if camping in a remote spot, mark the trail back from the pooper so it's visible at night. Neon flagging is best. - cotton is good for heat, bad for cold. Wool is good overall but more expensive, worth it as a base layer. - use quick release knots when possible, moisture and tension will cinch your knots up and you don't want to needlessly cut your cordage. - a tube of Vaseline is portable blister treatment, chapstick, and fire starter. - if you learn to use chopsticks, you'll never have to worry about forgetting your silverware, sticks are everywhere. - cook on the coals, not the flames. - don't buy Nature Valley bars. just don't. please.
I always have a tube of vaseline on me - but it's because I'm addicted to lip balm. And if I'm in a survival situation I'll eat with my hands, no need for silverware and cutlery
You,Sir,are truly a breath of fresh air in today’s world of CZcams “experts”! Your “boring parts are so much better than most of the content of other producers. Thank you for the honest input.
One of the best ways to keep the ego in check is getting lost once or twice. I have a very good sense of direction and once I was out deer hunting with a buddy on a property about a mile square. It was bordered by a river, paved road, stream and fence as so was really "impossible" to "get lost." However, after lunch together my buddy decided to take a nap on a log next to his tree stand and I headed off to my deer stand maybe a quarter mile in the distance. As I walked there quietly so as not to disturb the deer, it was the most beautiful fall day, with great weather, leaves changing, one of those days you just love being outside. As I walked along observantly, after about 30 minutes, i spied the most remarkable thing while looking for my hunting stand. There was a tree stand out in the woods. Wow. It is a self climber, just like my buddy has. Wow. It has tape on it too, just like my buddies does. Wow. There is a man on the log. Wow. He is dressed just like my buddy. Wow, how remarkable that there are two people out here dressed the same. Nobody else is suppose to be out here hunting. Hmm. I stood there silently. I was stunned, amazed, bewildered, and embarrassed that I had unintentionally walked a large circle in the woods. It was humbling, to be faced with the inevitable truth that I had indeed just walked in a circle, and was right back where I started from and thought long and hard about how I had gotten there. We can debate whether I was truly "lost" or not. That is not the moral. The moral is being lost once really helps keep the ego in check. At this point I pulled out my compass, (equipment that was generally brought along for just in case, and I had no intention of using), and took a heading and walked straight to my deer stand to avoid embarrassment. In hindsight, I had walked into a gully which I had mistaken for the stream at the edge of the property and turned right to "stay on the property," then I saw the woods change ahead, -which I that I thought brush next to the road, which was in fact the access driveway, as so made another slight turn to find my stand. At that point. I was in a full circle. There were also some clouds in the sky, which helped hide the sun, and I was also just enjoying the wild woods so much I wasn't really paying that close of direction to navigating and I didn't think there was a chance on getting lost. Anyway. Just think it is fun to share stories like these so others learn. Stay humble.
#1 survival tool of all time, Bic Lighters. Buy 10-20 of them, store them in your car, your bag (in a sandwich bag), you coat pockets(in a sandwich bag), your pants pockets. Lightweight, cheap, light source, fire source, etc. provided you know how to make signal fires etc, they GREATLY improve your odds of getting out of a situation.
And if they get wet, just give em a few good puffs from the old whistle and run the striker wheel on your pants thigh area over and over again until they spark. Also look up EDC Peanut Lighter on amazon. They don't hold much fuel, but they are sealed with a rubber gasket so what fuel is in them stays in them, and they'll run off of anything short of diesel. It's a keychain must.
Back when I was still a smoker, I never liked lighters, not even the usually trusty Zippo's that were often built like tanks. Used mostly matches. Got into the habit dipping smaller wood matches in candle wax. If I needed to start a fire I used dryer lint soaked in some '3-in-0ne' oil.
No joke I had this same thought 🤣. Did just take it and eat it? Did he unceremoniously dump it on the ground? Did he toss it in a fire pit? I really want to know!
I love his ability just to film in the rain as if it's nothing! I think my favourite is where he's simulating shooting in bed and he's laying on a mattress in the rain at the gun range
As somebody who walks a lot and got lost a lot over the years - though not to the point of having had to camp in the wilderness - here is what I learned: Always backtrack and retrace your steps! As soon as you discover that you're "lost", turn around immediately to the last known location. NEVER EVER try to take short cuts or continue to push further into the unknown, no matter how sure you think your navigation skills are.
I know I posted already but I was reminded of a relative of my wife. This guy decided to livestream his hunting trip in central Oregon, all of it. He got lost, of course, and naturally as expected had injured himself. My wife had just by chance tuned in as he was panicking on live stream. It was mid day in early fall and he was trying to start a fire with a taken apart shotgun shell to no avail and was yelling for help. My wife messaged back that he should stop live-streaming, get a grid from the phone gps, and call his hunting buddy that he had wandered away from following a set of tracks and scat that in reviewing were plain to see could nearly be considered fossils. About that time his phone battery died. My wife had me pull up a map of the area he had mentioned in his video description. I had a laugh as the area was a triangular shape maybe four square miles in area. From the video I could tell he was a few hundred yards from the intersection of two boundary roads. When my wife let someone or other know where he was he was “rescued” and to my knowledge has never ventured from town again. So to expand on your tips for the modern day kids, don’t waste your resources trying to impress Facebook friends.
At this point he was rescued; he was so lost and scared he had no idea where he was anyway. Better he stay in town; rescuers get hurt or killed trying to save people from themselves every year.
@@michealdean3750 The least these idiots could do is carry a solar charger. Maybe then, when their phone dies while they're livestreaming in the wilderness, they'll have the sense to charge it and realize that they should have used it to call for help.
“If you know that about yourself… change that about yourself.” This applies to everything in life, not just survival situations. If you know you have a persistent, negative habit, work on fixing it. Dovetails right into “keep your ego in check” too! Find those you know who have the opposite traits, and pick their brains on how to improve.
That advice about a walking distance limit is spot on. I remember once I tried to walk around an entire lake, which is 6 miles. I got half-way around and found out I couldn't do it so I had to turn around and walk back.
I tried skipping the boring, tedious anecdote just to see what would happen. My phone restarted on its own and the boot screen said don't do that again! Lesson learned Paul!!!
I have been the recipient of hard learned lessons most of my life and I am 53. I learned that wearing wool was better than cotton after breaking through some ice in a slough up to my armpits in -15°F temperatures with a 20mph winter wind. I learned that a cell phone with GPS capabilities was in today's day and age important after trying to talk SAR in after my sister-in-law flipped the ATV she was riding causing her to have injuries requiring a helicopter and my simple .99 emergency blanket made a great landing zone marker for the chopper. (Fortunately the responder I spoke with was familiar with the area and knew where we were by my description.) I have also learned that having a trauma kit's a good idea and an ace bandage makes a great pressure bandage in lieu of it after cutting my finger off six miles from my car before cell phones were invented and not having great gear. Lots of lessons (I could write a book!) and now that I am unable to walk around much in the field due to Muscular Dystrophy, I can carry a substantial kit that weighs almost fifteen pounds or so depending upon the season. My survival gun is a Henry lever action 22 rimfire. Granted, I won't be walking out, but at least these days I'm better prepared. Thanks for the video Paul!
I thoroughly appreciate your point on flashlights as well. Light can absolutely save your life and it's absolutely effortless to carry a bright, long-lasting light source these days. Carrying a bigger or bright one depending on your situation is always a moving target but the bare minimum is amazingly easy to clear. I suppose that means it's equally easy to let people continue making bad decisions into the darkness hours but better tools generally mean better work.
The part about trying to reason really hits home. I was lost at a national park overnight and I definitely got farther off track while I was telling myself "I must've...", "Maybe I..."., etc. I was doing an established trail that was only like 3 miles point to point, I'd have to be an idiot to get lost on a popular hike in a national park (yes, I'm an idiot). I started bit later in the day than I should have. Had nothing useful on me because I wasn't planning on being out "that long". I missed my turn by about 50 yards then took the right turn that *must've* been the turn I needed. I realized way too late after lots of walking and additional turns, that I didn't know where I was and I had no visible landmarks. The sun set quickly because I was kind of in a bowl or canyon, and finally my ego released its grip and I said "oh, I screwed up." I remembered a lot of exposed edges with long falls even on the trail, so I decided it's safest to just hunker down instead of walking around in the dark. Looking at a map later, I wasn't far from the trail but I was well below it in elevation. There was no way I'd see it from where I was and it was still a very steep climb or a long hike if I knew, so camping out was still necessary, but in the daytime anyone on trail could've just looked down at me easily. Had I admitted to myself that I was off track earlier, I could've stopped to re-evaluate and backtrack, I would've had more light to put myself in a better place, maybe had some voices to follow while people were still hiking in the area. I now treat day hikes as overnighters, as far as preparation goes.
That is a great story to learn from. Thanks for sharing it. Also, treating a day hike like an overnight, or longer, trip is also a great approach. I am always impressed by those that navigate well in the dark. Land nav was probably my favorite subject in the Army and I still was not very good at it in the dark. Day time was easy for me but at night is a very different thing, at least for me. I once got turned around just trying to make my way back along our outpost perimeter. All I had to do was literally turn around and backtrack and I still ended up somehow in front of my squad (outside) and extremely embarrassed, but alive. I never did figure out how I got disoriented. Also, everything looks different in the changing light conditions as the sun goes down.
You have to mark your path along the way. It helps if there is a landmark that you can see from different directions. You can count paces and utilize directional arrows in your markings. As soon as you leave a familiar entry point it's good to start placing indicators.
LED flashlight, Fox 40 whistle, space blanket, firestarter/waterproof matches, compass, snack bars, water. cellphone (in the US, without or without service you can still dial 911, and many dispatch centers can get rough locations before even calling the cellphone providers to triangulate). Hmmm...I should put this stuff in my car trunk maybe. And get an extra charger cord and/or USB adapter for your cellphone and leave it in your vehicle ; even a "dead battery" likely has plenty of power for a phone to run or charge off that cigarette lighter or newer "power port".
I wanna try that so badly dude... Not many places around here sell squirrels thou, and I live in a cucked country so owning any weapons would put me in the slammer for a long time.
@@TSWARD-xb9rk Tell that to my countrymen and they'll just be like "WhY wOuLd YoU wAnT tO oWn WeApOnS uNlEsS yOu PlAn On KiLlInG pEoPlE" They're completely irrational.
@@moritamikamikara3879 for survival situations. PROTECTING ME AND MINE FROM PSYCHO JR OR SR. . Or hunting for food you are going to eat. Not just because you get off on torturing animals.
I also love the keychain flashlights. There are small led ones that last forever and run off a coin cell battery. Flashlight technology has improved so much in the last few years! I think everyone should have these. By surrounding yourself with quantity and quality gear it is so much easier to be prepared. Having some essentials, like a knife, lighter, string, light, bandaid, and flashlight in a ziplock bag it is so much easier to pocket the emergency kit when you just plan to step outside for small outings.
There is a Chinese saying "People who are good at swimming usually drown at sea". Even you knew the forest area very well, it is dangerous to use shortcut in the forest in the dark without torchlight and compass.
That's a great saying. I knew a guy that went snowboarding off trail in the Rockies, and fell in a treewell. He never got out. An amateur snowboarder or a non-snowboarder wouldn't have been there in the first place. Keep your ego in check, especially in your teens and 20's, kids.
@@MetalAsFork My buddy tried to get my out of shape, no-health-insurance-having ass to go snowboarding all this winter. Got a text the other day, dude managed to break two teeth and entirely dislodge another one. My ego is in check. I'll never be as good as I once was, and chasing stale glory is a fools errand. I'm happy I used to be able to shred, and that's enough for me.
@@nutbastard Just get out there, float around on the board, no fancy tricks. You might have a new rhythm for casual boarding. And you'll keep your teeth.
When I was a kid, my dad would have videos like this playing on the TV, and I would be like borrrinnngggggg. Here I am, an adult, grabbing a blanket and excited to watch this video. Life is funny.
Makes me wish I could watch some Paul Harrel videos with my grandpa, I know he would have loved them and it would have brought up many great stories i'm sure.
I had a friend died in a snowstorm when he left the stuck car and tried to walk home. Two other guys stayed in the car and survived, as it was not overly cold weather. Sad situation.
I survived a couple of winter's at Minot AFB.. big story at the time was a guy that had left a party inebriated to walk home in a blizzard one night.. Temp was said to be about 20° below zero.. he didn't make it.. they found him frozen solid between the houses.. oh btw,, he lived right next door to where the party was.
Paul needs a t-shirt that says "I make no claim that my opinion has its origin in the mind of greatness." That kind of humility works for me and one of the many reasons I subscribed.
I was once told that the definition of "being lost" was not knowing where you are and not knowing how to get back to where you came from, both at the same time. By that definition, when you were "rescued," you weren't actually even lost. It's rather difficult to rescue someone who isn't lost. I chased a deer back into the Maine woods once on a late November morning. I got temporarily lost. It had started snowing pretty hard. I found my way out of the woods in the afternoon. Thankfully my lack of preparation didn't cost me any more than some time and calories.
When I was a kid, probably 8-ish years old I got lost. And this story of getting lost was very similar to mine. I was riding my bike on a road I was very familiar with and decided to take a short cut home because "I could see it went where I wanted to go" even though I couldn't see that it actually did but it sure looked like it did. It didn't and by the time I figured out it didn't I didn't remember how I got there. Fast forward 3 hours later and my crying mother is recovering me from the house of some random people whose door I knocked on and who helped me get in touch with her. Alls well that ends well, but don't over estimate your knowledge or rest your faith on assumptions.
If Hickock45 is grandad to the shooting community, who is fun and relaxing, Paul Harrel is the father figure who tells you the facts of life nobody wants to hear, especially those who need to hear them the most.
@@MikeB128 Underrated? Pauls got a respectable subcount and following for a gun tuber and is known from memers to fuds in the sphere.. Plus what's wrong with sponsorships.
I was out squirrel hunting one day and I walked a couple miles through the woods and I crossed a few different clear cuts on the way in. Once I noticed it was getting late in the afternoon I started walking back and after a while it hit me that I was walking the wrong direction when I only crossed one clear cut then nothing but woods for the next hour or so. I grew up hunting those woods so I didn't bring anything but my gun, hunting vest, a bottle of water, and bullets. I ended up staying the night in the woods and ran across a farm the next morning about 16 miles from where I started the hunt. Now because of that one time I always carry a few things like a compass, a way to make fire, a way to get clean water to drink, a light and a couple big garbage bags.
For me: You are the BEST researcher and educator on firearms that I have come across (as a former combat vet - U.S. Military Police ). There's a few others out there, but you are at the TOP. I appreciate your "getting to the point", your excellent explanations, your honesty and truthfulness, and good speaking voice. Thank you. You are appreciated. Montana. Be safe.
You are teaching him well, every kid should hear what Mr. Harrell has to say. The nation would be better off if kids watched people like him instead of all the other garbage out there.
Mr. Harrell, as always, THANK YOU! your “long winded explanations” are ALWAYS worth my time - it is always time well spent. Please keep it up! Thank you
@@viterik69 the death toil during heat waves. Check out the 2003 european heat wave numbers. Couple that with Europeans regularly bragging that 'air-conditioning is stupid' then crying all June and July in the media about a heat wave.
Here is my top one tip for wilderness survival. Put yourself in a survival situation regularly so you know what to do and are comfortable with it. Fill your car with your camping gear as a backup but then try spending the night near your car but with only your survival gear.
@@shawnr771 as long as the seat reclines all the way.. I get so tired of my hunting buddies asking me if I want to sleep in they're camper. and more than a little suspect of they're intent,, especially Jeff. Lol
@@Oldmanwithagoldpan Old school bench seat with the seatbelt connectors sticking in the back. A good sleeping bag or a couple of heavy coats. Even though I live in Texas, there are at least 3 coats behind the seat of the truck year round.
@@shawnr771 been there done that.. only I shoved the seat belts down onto the crevice.. my problem is I can't stretch out on the bench. But it definitely works. 👍🏻 And ditto on the coats and jackets behind the seat lol..
@@MrOlgrumpy reminds me of that seinfeld episode where jerry stuffs mutton in his coat pockets and elaine wears the coat, which attracts vicious dogs. haha
As a lead advisor for a Scouts BSA crew headed to Philmont on a 60-mile backpacking trek this summer, I agree with you on all points! Great presentation, sir!
From experience I have learned as I go into the woods in the eastern part of the United States or the Sonoran desert regions. I always pay attention looking all around me and look back the way I came because that’s the way I’m going to go home. A couple of times I decided just like you Paul , I’ll just go in a different direction back home or towards my car, I know what I’m doing ( famous last words). Yes I did get turned around and it took me three extra hours just to find my way back. That was some good advice Paul , thank you for sharing.
The topic of "Survival" has been so romanticized and hyped by Tacticool Wannabees. It is actually not that difficult, just have some basic equipment and the skill to use it. But most of all: Keep calm and keep realistic about both your abilities AND the situation. I live in the north of Sweden and our climate can demand a lot so many of us have some realistic skills about what to do and how to do it. In the winter a car breaking down can be a life threatening situation if you don´t have some basic gear.
@@cactusmalone True! Thank you for steping in. Not complicated and fairly easy to prepare: Just get relevant information/knowledge and use it together with the right tools.
I was once in a covert camp and had to defecate. There were 10 of us hidden, waiting to meet up with our replacements. I carefully walked out of camp, staying covert. I was very focused on that. I did my business, buried it, still very covert. I turned around and instantly realized that I was completely lost and my compatriots were very good at staying covert, like me. I couldn’t wander around. I had nothing but toilet paper with me except a knife. As I contemplated my situation I noticed movement and heard a twig snap, in a direction that I was positive that my guys were not in. I figured that, if it was the bad guys, I could follow them and possibly find good intel but definitely find other people. I might be captured but I’d be found. It wasn’t anyone from my group, I knew that. I might be busted and caught and not be fully aware. But nobody was shooting at me and there was no apparent ruckus. Then I saw the movement more clearly and made out a real person. I followed him very covertly. Very covertly! He walked right into my group of guys. He was the only one of the replacements that hadn’t been captured when they dropped in. That’s a whole ‘nuther story from a long mission. I was lost as hell and wound up looking good coming in behind the guy. Pure freaking magic-aka luck! After I got back to camp and patted on the back, I filled the commander in and he wanted to see where I had gone. When I showed him, I was only 20 yards away from camp. But the bushes were thick and my guys were good. One moment of not paying attention to what I was doing was a near disaster. I learned a lot from that experience. The commander was a Senior Chief SEAL, I was nothing really special but we were on the same mission. Different training is all. He told me not to beat myself up over it, just learn. He once did the exact same thing but he got shot in the ass because his tp was white. He swiped. The movement caught NVA eyes and the shooting match was on, lol! I was still pretty embarrassed. It was a rookie mistake on my part.
Heard a similar story from an acquaintance back in the '70's. Westerners, especially Americans, smell differently from most Vietnamese because of their diet. A lot more meat, red meat and pork primarily, and cigarettes. The story goes that some where in the Delta at least two teams were waiting in ambush. Charlie comes along, mostly VERY quietly. They smell one of the teams and hit them hard. The other team, so far undetected hit back The ambush is a qualified success. The first team were mostly rookies. Kept their Western diet, and smoked, mostly, Western tobacco. The other team were veterans of several months, if not multiple tours. They had changed their diet, and if they needed to smoke, they utilized local blends. Someone needs to tell me if this is apocryphal, bad memory of some stupid movie, or complete bullshit. Thanks
It's great that you would relate this story. Twenty years ago I was bow hunting during a solo back packing trip for elk. Away from my main camp, with only a day pack, I cut across a non scouted mountain side of deeper woods to short cut back to camp. I stopped for a break, took off my day pack, put down my bow, and stepped away for a quick looksee at the terrain. On my way back to my break spot, I couldn't find it! Near panic set in. Getting dark, supply less, no bow (in fringe area for grizzlies), I sat down and considered all my movements and what direction I needed to travel. I finally recalled, I had stopped in a low spot between two higher rimmed swales: ie, I couldn't see my pack drop site, from any angle but from the side. I headed back up in height, and zig zagged along a couple of hog backs, and caught sight of my pack. I was one lucky bastard! I carry a red ribbon flag now to mark any rest site, but I almost never use it; too much of a bad chance, when you are indeed on your own.
Same here, only my relief called in. 14 hrs in on a 12 hr shift and I am getting annoyed. In a dull punch drunk sort of way. It may be survival situation... for my Gdm relief.
AAR: After Action Review/Report
ENT: End of Nautical Twilight
BNT: Beginning of nautical twilight
After sunset there is a period of twilight. The moment that period ends and the night is as dark as it's going to get, that's ENT In the morning before sunrise, the moment that you first start seeing light in the sky is BNT
Many people have commented about my shortcut. Leaving the road and going through the bushes was NOT a shortcut. It made the trip longer. It was about going off road and negotiating obstacles, not about making the trip shorter.
Great practical insight as per usual. The best part of getting lost is finding yourself. I habitually mark my route when I travel off the trail. Doesn't work so well in the jungle however.
Pro Tip: It behooves one to listen to Paul's anecdote(s) not only to gain useful insight on his situation(s) he's incurred, but also perspective on his Top 5 and WHY he selected these topics as his Top 5.
"A wise student sits down, shuts up, pays attention, and listen to the wisdom gleaned from his elders. A wise student will know to ask questions and verify and validate or refute the wisdom being given.
A foolish student ignores, debates without reference, and then retreats when they've confirmed to others of their own foolishness and doesn't want to admit defeat."
(I know Paul isn't old; but he's been around the block long enough to become wiser with age.)
Excent video, I'd love to see the long version
Paul, when can we see you complete the USMC table one and two with a RCO? And compare that to iron sights. I believe I was one of the last companies to graduate parris island that used iron sights.
Paul Harrel, hi. Avid viewer here. Could you please do a followup video and add some editorial on the Ninth Cir cus?
Anyone else going back and watching everything in Paul’s catalog? RIP Paul…. You are a legend!
That's me!
yup
sure will,, many times over
That's me too!
I often do. No reason to stop now.
If you're gonna end up having a wilderness survival story the best kind is the boring kind. Often the exciting ones end up being told by the people who found your body.
Ha! Absolutely right. I worked security at a homeless shelter and boring was always best.
Exactly, boring means you're surviving.
Boring: The condition under which no one is a casualty, not is on fire that isn't supposed to be, and nothing is damaged. AKA, a good day.
Amen to that!
@@jwash3rd omg im doing that at the moment and completely understand your comment. Just the other night we found a missing 14yr old that had ran away from his parents and was shelter hopping. We ended up seeing and amber alert that had his picture on it. We called police and they got him home safe... But we were pretty downtrodden bc we wondered why he had run away in the first place
Still learning from you from beyond the grave. Thank you, Paul. Rest easy and God bless your soul.
I got lost in the woods once. I had my dog with me and I noticed that he kept looking at me like I was an idiot. Then I realized that he knew how to find the way back. So I told him "find the way back." He took off and I followed him, and he took us straight back. The moral of the story, as Paul said, keep your ego in check. My dog is too stupid to realize that his reflection in the mirror is not another dog, but he was smart enough to not get lost in the woods. Sometimes people, or animals that you think are dumber than you, can be smarter than you in certain situations.
Good doggie!!! I know he got an extra treat!
I got lost in a big-ass wooded trailer site once (after many drinks). I was specifically walking my dog, and same thing: he's a big doofus great dane but as soon as I stopped and just said "let's go home" he took me right back to our trailer. Dogs have a lot more "tools" than we do.
@@Win7ermu7e We have all the same tools... theirs are just WAY sharper.
Best comment of my month right here.
When I lose the trail in fall with all the fresh leaves on the ground I let my dog lead.
I'm 70 years old, can't really walk more than 100 yards and have no desire or inclination to go into the woods or anywhere else where I might use Paul's 5 tips but I enjoy watching him and his videos so much that I sat here for 40 minutes and tried to digest every word he was saying. What I'm saying is that Paul Harrell is the best there is. Thank you sir.
Same here Terry, 73 and you got me beat by 50 yards lol!
If you know the basics of survival 100 yds is enough to take a rest and make another 100 yds and then another...
Just enjoy the fact that it's 70 years old he's still have the attention span where you can sit down watch 40-minute video like this
For the average twenty-year-old like me even with something that they're interested in that still takes a bit of doing because we grew up on different things
I thought the video was highly informative. It really open my eyes to practical limits and the ego that I thought I did not have. This video is more valuable than any of the individual skills that you needed to survive that night. From now on I am going to be much more prepared without having to take everything in the kitchen sink with me
@L Train45 ...they’re in for a .357 surprise.....
If you want to get under Paul's skin, just tell him: " We tracked you easy! " in a high-pitched, semi maniacal voice.
“wE TrAcKeD YoU EaSy!”
lmaooo!!
What likely got under his skin is the response that probably went through his head:
"Then where the F*CK WERE YOU LAST NIGHT WHEN I WAS FREEZING MY SEEDS OFF!!?!"
It's not that hard to get under his skin
We got under your skin EASY!
“I have never been lost but I was a might bewildered once for three days.” - Daniel Boone
I'd near bout give anything to be able to go back and have "That Particular" frame of mind, along with the obvious testicular fortitude required and go over a few hill's and stream's headed westward...looking!
in the boy scout handbook Daniel Boone said he was never lost just did not know where he was for a couple of minutes
Boone was my ancestor
Lost? Exploring? You be the judge.
@@HKPSG1Shooter GLAD to see ya comment Brother Carolinian ! New Sub. here ‼️
Paul Harrell - the only youtuber in history who can spend 30 minutes getting to the point and yet we all still watch 😂
Yes it takes AVEREY LONG TIME to understand what hes getting at but he does get around to it and he tells the truth.
@@rollingstone1319 totally agree
I think we all CRAVE cool, calm and kind. These days. 🤷🏻♀️
@@rollingstone1319 character and integrity may be “boring” according to today’s standards. But, I admire those qualities. In my opinion, after raising three children, that is my GREATEST HOPE for them. That they have integrity, courage and are trustworthy human beings. Being able to live with YOURSELF is one of life’s hardest journeys. Just an old gal’s opinion. Seems like, you have a good grasp on these qualities. Godspeed.
Amen
I agree that "Check your ego" and "Don't Panic" really are the best two tips for surviving, and in wilderness survival too.
Should be an everyday goal for many.
"Don't Panic" in big bold friendly letters on the front, and always know where your towel is...
sorry not sorry, I'm a geek :3
Tracking isn’t hard once you’ve got the know how, but if someone tells ya it’s ever easy the only thing they know how to track is their package on the internet haha. And in the terrain and conditions you described without modern equipment good luck. Probably Woulda lost you at the stream for the night.
Don't forget. When in doubt go without.
100% agree. As someone with only ancient Boy Scout training, I would have gotten anxious and made bigger mistakes much earlier in the story.
I appreciate Paul's 20 minute story about how he got lost and totally didn't need rescuing.
We TrAcKeD yOu EaZy 🤣🤣🤣 had me rolling
Wait wait, you forgot the posturing. XD love you Harrell
He kept his ego in check
@@PotbellyJesus Paul Harrell forgives, but he never forgets.
Absolutely definitely did not get tracked
That "WE TRACKED YOU EASY!" was something else.
awkward, egocentric, odd, something else,
"WE TRACKED YOU EASY"
2 seconds later
"But we lost the track"
My Grandfather was a lifelong hunter, trapper, spent time in Alaska, Canada, all over the country. Was in the 82nd Airborne in WWII and was by far the toughest man I ever knew. My Uncle who was a Forest Ranger here in NY would call him back in the 1960's and 70's when they would sometimes need someone to help search in an area that was really rugged and they knew he could track, and he did on many occasions, sometimes it ended up being a recovery of a body instead of a rescue, and he told me when I first got hunting that anyone, no matter their experience could get lost, turned around and to not think it can't happen to you. It's one of the things I learned when I used to hunt and spend so much time in the high peaks here where there's no main road for miles. You need to be very self reliant, but as Paul says, you do need to keep your ego in check because everyone sooner or later get turned around and suddenly all those trees and trails look exactly the same. Don't think it can't happen to you just because it never has.
How difficult is it to track a missing person? Did your grandfather ever say? He sounds like he was an amazing man.
Getting turned around due to deep penetration into a swamp brings useless sight/sound references: everything looked the same; no wind either. Plus, mountain sides which look wooded and generic from below, can be full of gullies, ridge swirls, and cut backs that seem to lead up or down but don't;, and when you're in those, your direction of travel goes to crap. After one frightening episode with night setting in, I NEVER hunt over to an alternate way back to camp. Come back, as you went in!!
Compass works wonders. Or wait until night and look for lights, or use the stars to get your bearings.
@@MillerJW100A compass is non negotiable when going out into the wildernes. People have died and they were found just a few minutes off the desired trail. It's so easy to get lost.
Paul Harrell truly is the Bob Ross of GunTube. Clear, calm and collected, but still interesting enough that your eyes are glued to the screen for the entire duration of the episode and you always learn something, even if you didn't expect to.
Yep, until he imitates the annoying guy who said, "we tracked you easy!"
I always see him as the Joe Friday of GunTube. Deadpan humor over the top.
I was just about to make that comment and low and behold you and I are not alone.
Don't even like guns. Just here for the dry humor.
I could listen to Paul read ingredient lists on a bag of cheetos and be interested.
All good stuff. On the subject of ego, I was taught a good lesson while on training exercise in Norway once. The instructor said that many of the people who did not make it back _died of embarrassment._ They were too embarrassed to ask something, or to call someone, or to bother to demand a decent map, or whatever it may be because they thought it made them look weak or afraid. Don't die of embarrassment!
We've taught that for decades in Learn to Return courses here in Alaska.
Either we took it from their SAR folks, or they took it from ours, or we all figured it out at the same time.
Either way, good ideas take on their own life.
One more dictum.
Don't Die Stupid.
"There are going to be boring tedious parts of me talking"
Me 41 minutes later: "I was told there would be boring parts..."
I was thinking the same thing.
I think for many of us it always a pleasure and a privilege to hear these lectures from Paul. The bit about "Packs like that get left in your vehicle and your vehicle's going to survive just fine..." had me in stitches.
To me the shooting is the closest thing to "boring parts" that apparently others come here for. I always show up for the "boring parts where he just talks". Paul, your videos have no boring parts.
@@Rontheactuary Thank you for the information I’ll think about this next time I care bro
🤣🤣🤣
Paul watches weather forecast
Weather forecast calls for 95% chance of rain
Paul “we should film something today”
It's Oregon, every day has a 95% chance of rain, or drizzle, maybe sprinkles, or a shower, seldom a downpour, almost never a deluge, but practically impossible to avoid at least a spritz.
We basically only get like 12 days of sunshine here in Oregon, so rain is our normal state.
Pacific Northwest. Wait for sunny day to produce video. Make 2 videos a year.
A paul video without rain is not a real paul video
It very much fits the point of discussion.
I tracked Paul easy that day. I found him shivering on top of that hill. Watched him waking up every half hour or so to collect the firewood that I was dropping off for him. I even went on ahead and spooked a squirrel out into his path the next morning. Pretty sure he never even knew I was there. He was so easy to track.
I didn’t see Paul, I was too busy tracking YOU! LOL
The only guy that I know who will consistently stand out in the rain, while explaining what he does, how and why he does it.
Corporals Corner does as well, and I follow both.
Incidentally both Mister Paul and Corp Kelly were/ARE Marines.
@@TheStraycat74 probably not a coincidence.
Most oregonians don't mind standing in the rain
@@TheStraycat74 When you are from the Pacific Northwest, you stand out in the rain, and you don't even notice it. In the Olympic National Forest, we get between 100 to 170 inches of rain a year.
In the 82nd, we call that "infantry weather". Proof that God loves the Airborne. He sends that rain to make the enemy huddle in their vehicles while we walk right by...
Paul: "I'm going to start out by telling a long, boring, tedious anecdote."
Me: YES!!!
Only true Paul Harrell Fans get excited for the boring stories 😂
Lol. Its always really just saying “ i know most of you are idiots, so here is why not to be an idiot”
“Even though it’s long - it’s the shortened version” Noooooooooo! 😀
I find it relaxing listening to him talk.
Long: YES !!!!!
Boring: NEVER !!!!!!!!!!!
So great going back and watching these. Paul Truly was a great teacher and a true outdoorsman and his love of all these and the shooting sports is incredible. Real life and real shooting stories are so much better teachers than just imagining things and doing a target shooting instruction. Rest in Peace Paul your truly missed.
This is why Paul is one of the best channels because he will admit he makes mistakes and explains how to learn from them
This is the comment I was scrolling down looking for.
Extremely topical given recent events on another popular channel.
Same, and I live in the same area, PNW and the forests here are vast. People get lost and are never found out here.
The part where he's talking about admitting to yourself that you're lost really caught my attention. I've never considered how dangerous the time between becoming lost, and realizing that you're lost, can be. During that time problems are compounding all around you, and it's quite likely that you're not even aware that it's happening.
Very true. My experience in wilderness has taught me when you have a problem, if you can have a seat and drink some water, nine times out of ten the solution will come to you.
Staying calm is imperative for clear, quick problem solving. And you can still make judgment errors, as Paul's story shows.
8 or 10 year's ago our local sheriff an 1 of his buddies decided to horse back ride into a Really off grid part of our county 1 Sunday about mid-day..
I noticed from my farm witcha way and what trail they where heading up..Lucky for Them!
After about 9pm an the truck&horse trailer STILL sitting in same spot, I saddled my mule an gathered up a few supply's headed out the track them. Sure enough half hour after I headed out a Chopper was circling the farm . They'd got turned around mired up a horse in a bog an was bout to be spending the night in that bottom... Sally pulled that damned ol' wild-eyed horse right out that mud hole.
Bastards Never would admit to getin turned around in there But, I know every inch of it and have become disoriented a bit coon hunting at night...js
@@AndrewSmith-rp6ee Yeah...my years working mining exploration taught me to stay calm....I recall one time realizing that the area I was in (British Columbia forest) all of a sudden looked the same in every direction....which was disconcerting at first, I can see how people could panic and take off in a wrong direction.
Yes, early assesment of the situation and keeping your wits about you go a long way to preventing compounded factors. Disorientation, panic or even in some cases persistence can lead to unfavorable results.
I particularly liked hearing that, two days after his impromptu overnight adventure, he returned to the area with the express purpose of figuring out what the hell happened that he missed the lower road.
Smart-Alec: "We tracked you easy!"
Paul: "Did you find me?"
Smart-Alec: "..."
It's like his Wilburforce comments, wouldn't be part of the man, the myth, the legend, if he didn't come across as an old instructor. Some people just respond to it.
If he really hated things then he would stop making videos.
@chris mclaughlin 😂🤣
After they watched this video they won't come looking for him next time.
They got close enough to hear a .single 22LR shot in a dense forest. I think Paul should give them a little more credit, They could have really fucked up that rescue a lot worse...
@@TheWarmotor lol not that I care much but he actually specified it wasn’t a rescue situation anymore after he survived the night. With that being said I think Paul’s a libertarian that itches to prove independence; he was probably kind of annoyed by people looking for him
"I'm going to start out today by telling a long, boring anecdote."
Everybody: yessss a long exciting anecdote!
This. So much this.
I think the hardcore Paul Harrell fans love these kinds of vids
Exactly how it goes!
Just imagining Paul telling stories to his kids or grandkids. "Just go upstairs and get in bed, dear. Grandpa will come up and tell you a story in a minute." Grandkid - "Oh, no!"
He's too humble for this world. I remember in one of his videos he referred to himself as "the average shooter".
Paul, you're ex-military and you've won international shooting competitions. You're better than us.
One of my most favorite of all of Paul's videos, watched it several times over the years. Hard to believe he really is gone. Thank you Paul ❤.
Paul: “I’m going to be doing a lot of talking”
Me: “that means I’m going to be doing a lot of learning”
100%
Few more accurate words have been spoken my friend.
Paul's one guy who won't scare me away with that line.
Hah! What a loser. I watch Paul's channel, because I already know everything.
I remember my Dad smacking me upside the head one time, because I was talking while he was trying to teach me something. His comment to me was, "God gave you two ears and one mouth. You need to listen twice as much as you need to talk." A lesson that has served me quite well for many years.
I want to see the footage of Paul sitting at the kitchen table with a box of Crayolas coloring that rabbit.
I'm going to color this rabbit with a Brown Number 4 Crayola Yellow & Green box paper wrapped...
Next weeks video.
How to make and draw realistic animal targets.
I wonder if he ate any of them? He was a Marine, after all... 😛
Lol i thought i was the only one thinking the same! I thought that looked hand drawn
I've learned in my many years of life(good,bad, or indifferent) simple tasks such as coloring with a small child or, just remembering such a thing can really be ....umm, soothing . I reckon.
"We're out in the wilderness today so please bare with the lack of gunfire"
@@Heywoodthepeckerwood Just because there's a road doesn't mean the wildlife aren't plentiful and wild. Clearly, you've never been in the sticks where roads run through quite literally the middle of nowhere, with miles upon miles to the next house or crossroad. I would recommend a road trip to Alaska. You'll understand once you're about a quarter of the way through Canada.
@@Heywoodthepeckerwood "Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural), are natural environments on Earth that have not been significantly modified by human activity or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation."
You're being pedantic, a trail or path through a forest doesn't count as "significant modification"
Especially since those paths or trails can go 50+ kms or miles away from notable civilization or cell service. if you know anything about paths or trails like that, you can tell by looking at the path he is on that is is not maintained or regularily travelled except but a small amount of enthusiasts.
Thankfully, youtube showed me your second comment first. The moment you brought politics into this, I couldn't care less what you have to say.
So like, Im happy or sorry that happened to you. I hope you find happiness one way or another
You Sound Funny
Bear, not bare.
I learned my lesson at the ripe age of six years old. A group of older kids went into the woods in December to find a Christmas tree. A friend of mine , also six and I tagged along for a while, just long enough to not be familiar with where we were. We became bored and decided to return home and watch Hopalong Cassidy on TV. We did not tell the older kids and turned around and headed back. Our family dog was with us and we thought he was heading home so we followed him. He was not headed home , he was hunting squirrels and very shortly we were lost. We were on a ridge and there was a faint trail following the crest. We walked and walked and it was getting close to dark. My friend starting crying and about the same time I spotted a logging trail heading downhill. I told him I was not staying on top of that mountain all night and that logging road is going downhill and I was going to find out where it went. We were lucky as that logging road led us to a sawmill dust pile and there was school friends that lived nearby playing in the sawdust. They took us to a main road that we were familiar with and we made it back to my friends house just as it was getting dark.
One of the older kids walked me home which was about five miles from where we started. Low forty's, dropped into the teens that night, December, no way to build a fire, no food, no water, totally lost, If we had not gotten lucky we could have frozen to death. I've never forgotten that experience and and for the next seventy years I have prepared for the worst, no matter what outdoors activity that I did. I have not forgotten the whipping I got for being so stupid leaving the main group either!! There was a search group organized and looking for us but they were looking in the wrong direction. My dad fired shots into the air to let them know we had been located. P.O.
Great story loved every word. If you wanna get smart, you better start early.
Sounds like the beginning of many a missing 411 story... Glad you made it out
@@ApachePieman Good thing they didn’t take off their clothes and and go mountain climbing like those other people inexplicably do.
Did you watch hop along Cassidy after all that
@@hansgruber9685 not sure if it's exactly what you're talking about, but paradoxical undressing is a common symptom of hypothermia. Basically, you get so cold it confuses your nervous symptom into thinking you're too hot and you start taking off your clothes.
The corona virus created a lot of new gun owners. To those people, this is your guy. No fluff, just educated commentary.
Bunch of idiots out buying guns they will never use or practice with
@@jackmeovf4010 Hopefully they sell them cheap and unused when they feel safer. I'll be waiting.
Welcome! Support your Second Amendment. Get involved! Call your state and federal representatives. Your civil rights are under attack.
@@jackmeovf4010 hopefully your wrong and we get a bunch of new support.
@david j True, but we have to educate such people. Even Democrats should support civil rights. Many don't obviously, but that doesn't mean we should give up.
My grand parents had a 50 acre farm, smack in the middle of the Big Thicket piney woods of southeast Texas. They raised catfish. Part of their land was up near the highway...and part of it was was about a mile back in the woods. I was down there visiting one time during spring break, in my early teens.
I told my grandmother I was going out to do some exploring, and that I may or may not be back that night, that I may decide to stay out in the woods overnight. That was a mistake...I should have committed to either coming home or staying out.
So I set out on my adventure. I got 4 to 5 miles deep into the woods. Very thick brush, and lots of obstacles. There are some old oil field roads that were half grown up, because they hadn't been used in years... but it was almost entirely thick brush elsewhere. There was wild cattle out there, and they had created trails in certain places as well.
So in my travels, I came to what had been a crossroads ...and looked down to my right...I saw about 10 wild hogs rooting in a ditch. They were maybe 80 yards away. They all looked up at me at the same...and the big male started heading for me, at lightning speed...with the rest of them right behind him. I had never seen them run in an open space like that. I was shocked by their speed!
I took off running. I didn't know where to go at first. But I remembered there we some old above ground oil field storage tanks nearby, with stairs going up the side. So I headed for that and made it just in time. I ran up the stairs and they milled around the tank...eventually lost interest in me and started rooting up the area. I'd guess somewhere between two or three hours passed before they were out of sight, and I stopped hearing them.
I had a one man tent, and some overnight gear...a little food and water. And by this time is was dark...I mean pitch black, you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face. I had flashlight, but it was malfunctioning and barely working. I didn't want to set up on the ground...because I was freaked out by this point. And there was no way to stake my tent up on top of the tank.
So I used what little light I had to get a fire going. And stayed down on the ground while I enjoyed the fire and some food. Then laid down on top of tank when got tired. Using my tent as a blanket, and my wool blanket as a pallet.
I'd occasionally go down and get the fire going. I used damp wood to create as much smoke as possible...it helped keep the mosquitoes at bay.
The next morning I got up and headed for my grandparents house. I thought I knew where I was...because I was familiar with that tank. But it turns out it was another tank, down at the next crossroads area. It was just enough difference in distance, that I over shot my grandparents property....and hiked right passed it.
I got sorted out and headed in the right direction...but it took a few hours of back tracking. My grandmother was furious. But I learned a whole lot from that experience. I never went without a gun before or after that. Not sure why I didn't feel the need then. I think I was on a youthful "be one with nature" kick....and thought I wouldn't need a gun.
Me and one of my cousins used to head out in those woods...and try to out do each other...with how little we could get by with. It was good practice. But being older now. I am a little smarter, and take things that match my need. I'm not a young kid anymore.
I'm glad you didn't blow up someone's (possibly active) oil tank with your fire.
Those can contain flammable fumes for years.
Crude oil fumes can blow up if enclosed.
Great, gripping story! Where did this take place? And in what year?
@@1978garfield ...the fire was on the ground, several yards away from the tanks.
@@Flexapr .... Southeast Texas, Big Thicket area...in the mid 80s ish.
@Kevin Hart ... Why so smug and condescending? The land was old oil field land...unused since the 1970s. The oil company still owned the land, and a few employees used it for deer hunting, during deer season. But it was uninhabited the rest of the year. My uncle worked for that company...and my family had a long relationship with the company owners, dating back to the 1950s. They even donated land for my grandparents church. They gave my grandpa easement rights from two different directions, to access his tract of land that was further back in the woods. We had all the permission we needed.
One of the things that I appreciate the most is how precise Paul is. Often,I already know, but not always. He's such a good instructor if you care to pay attention.
I appreciate this too, i made a gun vid & get so much flack. Tried to keep it precise as hell, and recently i got a "cant you just GET TO THE POINT!" typa comment 😂
Yup. Paul is pretty good at being precise, but that's what makes him and his channel so much different than others.
Yes he sure is! People can learn alot from this guy! With age brings alot of experience
@@KurticeYZreacts Impatient people always want to skip over the essential details.
@sosy1178 And he's got that senior NCO instructor delivery fuckin nailed down. "We're doing a thing, here's why the thing is important, we did the thing and here's what we learned so next time we do the thing better." Straightforward without cutting corners. Talking from experience without talking down to anyone.
The difference between survival and inconvenient camping is knowledge.
Nice 1-sentence summary!👍
Patrick F McManus has entered the chat
When I heard Dave Canterbury say that, it really changed my view on survival.
a man who is not afraid to state all the mistakes he made- too much ego in so many videos- it takes a confident, yet humble person to stand in front of thousands and admit mistakes. Kudos to you Paul and thank you for this video
I've personally found that when navigating an unknown wilderness, taking any apparent shortcut or alternate way back is seldom a good idea, especially if alone.
It’s often a shortcut to the boneyard.
I do it fairly often, but never if I don't have a couple of hours of daylight left. I would say a full 20% of my shortcuts saved time or energy - so yeah, I think that counts as "seldom a good idea". OTOH, I'm not a hunter, I'm a hiker; I'm in the wilderness to explore and it's never ended badly in 40+ years, so I'll keep doing it. Good judgement and knowing what you are capable of are the only two critical items for wilderness survival. the rest is just bonus.
Been there done that by accident because I was in very thick understory. I've learned the hard way that a compass is my best friend when I can't see beyond 10 metres in the Australian Bush(Mountain terrain).
Random guy: “we tracked you easy”
Paul: “and I took that personally”
Was it a snipa?
Paul’s response made no sense at all.
@@SkylersRants agreed
@@tubeTreasurer haha. Yeap tracking is only successful upon a visual of what your tracking.
Tracking easily someone who is not trying to cover their tracks?
"We tracked you easy!"
Was he trying to hide or throw anyone off his trail?
That's like bragging about scoring a touchdown...when the other person was playing croquet.
There's a whole series of funny images that Monty Python's Flying Circus could have run with there. John Cleese as the announcer: "And Murry lines up his shot through the hoops......Wait! Johnson has just scored a touchdown!"
Lesson being: humans (by default) love to brag about things they have no clue about. Matches my personal experience over 40 years.
It sounds like a stupid joke about having found some footprints earlier in the day. Because that's what it most likely was. If you think everyone else is constantly "bragging" with every minute comment they make that reveals more about yourself than others.
@@poika22 " If you think everyone else is constantly "bragging" with every minute comment they make that reveals more about yourself than others."
Over analyzing humor reveals more about yourself than others.
@@paulpolito2001 that's not true. There is a certain type of alpha male meat head that is like that.
Paul Harrell: "5 tips for wilderness survival."
Me: "1 tip for wilderness survival...bring Paul Harrell."
Only tip anyone needs!
@@Musicguy1161 9
Wouldn't be my first choice. Leaving the known trail at dusk when you don't have a flashlight is a serious lapse of judgement. Though presumably he's learned his lesson.
the only non sell out on you tube thank you Paul
Salty cracker and mark dice are not sellouts as well
Don't forget our long winded friend nutnfancy
Man I love your long-winded explanations, please never stop. Details matter and people with short attention spans and little patience simply have to deal with the fact that they'll never know things in the same detail that you and people like you do.
Well said.
The shortest route is a STRAIGHT LINE!
Ahyup!
he should make an april fools one where it's all just disclaimers and setup, then the video ends
Haha thats a great idea
Lol
You monster! :D
Talk about a cliff hanger!
sad thing is... we ALL would still watch it.. we would ALL give it a thumbs up.. and most of us would comment on the fact that Paul feels the need (rightly so with the current environment) to even do disclaimers.
I got lost once in the Pacific Northwest. Decided to build a fire, then a shelter. Then I just kept building.
It's now the City of Harrisburg, Oregon.
I live in central wisconsin and I SWEAR that's how most of the towns and cities IN Wisconsin were founded... just sayin
I see you named it after yourself. Nice.
@@warblerblue No I didn't name it people just started calling it that.
I'd built a dry goods store, sawmill, a haberdashery, and founded a barbershop quartet (despite being the sole member) before the first settlers arrived.
Is that what they are doing along the 205? And I just thought that they were homeless camps. They are city building. Cool, just north of the junction on 5 you can see a 2 story shanty house built of tarps and pallets. Kinda wondered what they are thinking.
@@saskafrass1985
I'm far too aesthetically-minded to use blue tarps. Form and function are equally important, even in a survival situation.
For instance, in this video, to demonstrate what gear he had in his story, Paul was wearing mismatched camouflage.
No. Unacceptable.
Death before Dishonor.
i will never get over how perfect his diction is. i dont think ive ever heard this man say um.
Oversensitivity or hypervigilence is often a result of a tic or tendency. He apparently is bothered by his speech issues and really does not want to garble his words or transpose syllables, so he pays very close attention to what he says and how he says it. The "Shatneresque .... pauses" are likely an artifact of that. It seems that he takes a breath, holds it, decides what he is going to say, then gates that breath to say what he wants how he wants to. Its likely that his monitoring hardware is a little buggy so he can't concentrate on what he wants to say and monitor what he is saying at the same time, so he can get a little tripped up unless he's very careful and plans things out ahead of time. After a while that type of routine becomes second nature. If you had to work to speak clearly, you likely would be careful to speak very distinctly and not interject placeholders like 'um'. That's just my surmise, though. I certainly do not know the fellow, although I know some people with similar effects.
@@visageliquifier3636 Thanks for the TED talk
@@danielzatkovich4659 why does anytime anyone make a meaningful comment it have to be degraded by miserable people like you? It's a good explanation and everyone else is too scared to speak their mind in fear of being called a nerd or something.
@@TheBanjoShowOfficial I appreciated the explanation and thought the TED talk joke was funny. Not everyone has to be so serious and sensitive.
Definitely focused and prepared.
Paul takes pride in being the guy that wrote all the legal disclaimers for chain saws, sky diving companys, swim with the sharks tours and fireworks manufacturers.
Did you know - you can only be attacked by a shark if you're Wet !!
LOLOLOLOL. Yep hes an almost exprt on almost evrything.
Paul seems painfully aware that not everyone in the youtube audience is dipping with both oars. Many feel obligated to apply their opinions and critique things and situations they know nothing about. Some of these individuals are likely to pose hypothetical questions like”Yeah but what if the Indians had army tanks?” C
Personally I believe his disclaimers are tongue in cheek humor, calling out the lack of common sense
"For those who are still here"
-- Absolutely every one of us.
Yup. I'm thinkin, his process is part of the charm here. Still, i find his offer when he does this in his videos as respectable.
You're wrong. There are 60 thumbs down people (at this moment) who probably didn't watch 5 minutes...
@@BigBlueSwisher I totally agree. Also kind of a private wink and a nod to those of us whom he knows really appreciate him. A bit of an inside joke- to me anyway.
On the flip side, there are actually other youtubers who could take a lesson from this. Many of them should be doing exactly this practice as sometimes I just want to get to the point of the video and don't have time for the 'fluff'. It shows respect for the viewer.
Everyone except Joe. ;)
As someone who spent two years living/working outside, getting lost is one thing I actually recommend to people. It's humbling and forces you to use skills and senses completely foreign to most. Obviously, I mean getting lost in a semi-controlled manner so that you can actually survive to learn from your mistakes.
Also, small tips from personal experience:
- waterproof rain gear (even a poncho) can still make you really soaked from sweat if it's not breathable material.
- if camping in a remote spot, mark the trail back from the pooper so it's visible at night. Neon flagging is best.
- cotton is good for heat, bad for cold. Wool is good overall but more expensive, worth it as a base layer.
- use quick release knots when possible, moisture and tension will cinch your knots up and you don't want to needlessly cut your cordage.
- a tube of Vaseline is portable blister treatment, chapstick, and fire starter.
- if you learn to use chopsticks, you'll never have to worry about forgetting your silverware, sticks are everywhere.
- cook on the coals, not the flames.
- don't buy Nature Valley bars. just don't. please.
"Nature Valley bars. Not even once."
Why cook on the coals?
@@scowler7200 It's a more even heat. Also, depending on the wood, flames produce more soot that will taint the taste or build up on your cookware.
@@MrHamsto24
Thanks.
I always have a tube of vaseline on me - but it's because I'm addicted to lip balm. And if I'm in a survival situation I'll eat with my hands, no need for silverware and cutlery
You,Sir,are truly a breath of fresh air in today’s world of CZcams “experts”! Your “boring parts are so much better than most of the content of other producers. Thank you for the honest input.
Ironically the “We tracked you easy” guy was never found again.
no one could track him!
😄
That's because OP buried him after the accidental 22cal discharge.
Following footprints is not tracking
One of the best ways to keep the ego in check is getting lost once or twice. I have a very good sense of direction and once I was out deer hunting with a buddy on a property about a mile square. It was bordered by a river, paved road, stream and fence as so was really "impossible" to "get lost." However, after lunch together my buddy decided to take a nap on a log next to his tree stand and I headed off to my deer stand maybe a quarter mile in the distance. As I walked there quietly so as not to disturb the deer, it was the most beautiful fall day, with great weather, leaves changing, one of those days you just love being outside. As I walked along observantly, after about 30 minutes, i spied the most remarkable thing while looking for my hunting stand. There was a tree stand out in the woods. Wow. It is a self climber, just like my buddy has. Wow. It has tape on it too, just like my buddies does. Wow. There is a man on the log. Wow. He is dressed just like my buddy. Wow, how remarkable that there are two people out here dressed the same. Nobody else is suppose to be out here hunting. Hmm. I stood there silently. I was stunned, amazed, bewildered, and embarrassed that I had unintentionally walked a large circle in the woods. It was humbling, to be faced with the inevitable truth that I had indeed just walked in a circle, and was right back where I started from and thought long and hard about how I had gotten there. We can debate whether I was truly "lost" or not. That is not the moral. The moral is being lost once really helps keep the ego in check. At this point I pulled out my compass, (equipment that was generally brought along for just in case, and I had no intention of using), and took a heading and walked straight to my deer stand to avoid embarrassment. In hindsight, I had walked into a gully which I had mistaken for the stream at the edge of the property and turned right to "stay on the property," then I saw the woods change ahead, -which I that I thought brush next to the road, which was in fact the access driveway, as so made another slight turn to find my stand. At that point. I was in a full circle. There were also some clouds in the sky, which helped hide the sun, and I was also just enjoying the wild woods so much I wasn't really paying that close of direction to navigating and I didn't think there was a chance on getting lost. Anyway. Just think it is fun to share stories like these so others learn. Stay humble.
#1 survival tool of all time, Bic Lighters. Buy 10-20 of them, store them in your car, your bag (in a sandwich bag), you coat pockets(in a sandwich bag), your pants pockets. Lightweight, cheap, light source, fire source, etc. provided you know how to make signal fires etc, they GREATLY improve your odds of getting out of a situation.
👍👍 And a ziploc containing some cotton balls wet with vaseline.
And if they get wet, just give em a few good puffs from the old whistle and run the striker wheel on your pants thigh area over and over again until they spark.
Also look up EDC Peanut Lighter on amazon. They don't hold much fuel, but they are sealed with a rubber gasket so what fuel is in them stays in them, and they'll run off of anything short of diesel. It's a keychain must.
thankfully im a smoker so i usually always have a matchbox/lighter
Back when I was still a smoker, I never liked lighters, not even the usually trusty Zippo's that were often built like tanks.
Used mostly matches. Got into the habit dipping smaller wood matches in candle wax. If I needed to start a fire I used dryer lint soaked in some '3-in-0ne' oil.
@@michealdean3750 i got wooden matches dipped in candle wax in my survival pack with cotton balls dipped in pet jel
Paul’s style of detailed wordsmithing and dry humor puts a smile on my face the whole time I’m listening.
Very sound advice.
Great minds think alike, I shouldn't be suprised that you are here to mr survival russia!
Hi Lars!
Fancy seeing you here!
Lars you legend!!
"This is not advice."
Dude, after 40 minutes of listening to this and I'm still left wondering:
What happened to the squirrel?
Your subscribers and fans deserve to know!
He should have pull a squirrel out of his pocket. :)
Seriously!!!
Great question man
Exactly. That was the first thought that came to my mind.
No joke I had this same thought 🤣. Did just take it and eat it? Did he unceremoniously dump it on the ground? Did he toss it in a fire pit? I really want to know!
The rain ambience throughout this presentation was quite relaxing.
I love his ability just to film in the rain as if it's nothing! I think my favourite is where he's simulating shooting in bed and he's laying on a mattress in the rain at the gun range
As somebody who walks a lot and got lost a lot over the years - though not to the point of having had to camp in the wilderness - here is what I learned: Always backtrack and retrace your steps! As soon as you discover that you're "lost", turn around immediately to the last known location. NEVER EVER try to take short cuts or continue to push further into the unknown, no matter how sure you think your navigation skills are.
Been there, done that, never regretted my decision! Thanks for reminding the viewers.
I know I posted already but I was reminded of a relative of my wife. This guy decided to livestream his hunting trip in central Oregon, all of it. He got lost, of course, and naturally as expected had injured himself. My wife had just by chance tuned in as he was panicking on live stream. It was mid day in early fall and he was trying to start a fire with a taken apart shotgun shell to no avail and was yelling for help. My wife messaged back that he should stop live-streaming, get a grid from the phone gps, and call his hunting buddy that he had wandered away from following a set of tracks and scat that in reviewing were plain to see could nearly be considered fossils. About that time his phone battery died. My wife had me pull up a map of the area he had mentioned in his video description. I had a laugh as the area was a triangular shape maybe four square miles in area. From the video I could tell he was a few hundred yards from the intersection of two boundary roads. When my wife let someone or other know where he was he was “rescued” and to my knowledge has never ventured from town again.
So to expand on your tips for the modern day kids, don’t waste your resources trying to impress Facebook friends.
Oh my. The modern idiot.
Comes with a cell phone attached.
Brains not included.
@@michealdean3750 LMAO
Aww poor guy
At this point he was rescued; he was so lost and scared he had no idea where he was anyway. Better he stay in town; rescuers get hurt or killed trying to save people from themselves every year.
@@michealdean3750 The least these idiots could do is carry a solar charger. Maybe then, when their phone dies while they're livestreaming in the wilderness, they'll have the sense to charge it and realize that they should have used it to call for help.
"Can't miss the longer road I never went down."
Famous last words...
“If you know that about yourself… change that about yourself.”
This applies to everything in life, not just survival situations. If you know you have a persistent, negative habit, work on fixing it. Dovetails right into “keep your ego in check” too! Find those you know who have the opposite traits, and pick their brains on how to improve.
That advice about a walking distance limit is spot on. I remember once I tried to walk around an entire lake, which is 6 miles. I got half-way around and found out I couldn't do it so I had to turn around and walk back.
🤔😂
But you made the 6 miles.....great learning experience I bet
Even funnier than this comment, which is hilarious, is that some people won't get it!
@@asmith7876 lol, very true
you still walked 6 miles :D
I tried skipping the boring, tedious anecdote just to see what would happen. My phone restarted on its own and the boot screen said don't do that again! Lesson learned Paul!!!
As Daniel Boone would of said "I can't say I was ever lost, but I was once bewildered for about 3 days.
That is hilarious!! 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍
I was lost once for 10 years and i had maps a car Landmarks a radio and still couldnt find my way. HOW DID HE DO IT???? LOLLOLOLOLOL
@@rollingstone1319 you lost your way when you started smoking dope.. I don't think ol' Daniel Boone had that problem!
I have been the recipient of hard learned lessons most of my life and I am 53. I learned that wearing wool was better than cotton after breaking through some ice in a slough up to my armpits in -15°F temperatures with a 20mph winter wind. I learned that a cell phone with GPS capabilities was in today's day and age important after trying to talk SAR in after my sister-in-law flipped the ATV she was riding causing her to have injuries requiring a helicopter and my simple .99 emergency blanket made a great landing zone marker for the chopper. (Fortunately the responder I spoke with was familiar with the area and knew where we were by my description.) I have also learned that having a trauma kit's a good idea and an ace bandage makes a great pressure bandage in lieu of it after cutting my finger off six miles from my car before cell phones were invented and not having great gear. Lots of lessons (I could write a book!) and now that I am unable to walk around much in the field due to Muscular Dystrophy, I can carry a substantial kit that weighs almost fifteen pounds or so depending upon the season. My survival gun is a Henry lever action 22 rimfire. Granted, I won't be walking out, but at least these days I'm better prepared. Thanks for the video Paul!
Please, do write a book.
I'm being sincere, not sarcastic
A 40 minute Paul harrell video???? YES. This is good.!
I thoroughly appreciate your point on flashlights as well. Light can absolutely save your life and it's absolutely effortless to carry a bright, long-lasting light source these days. Carrying a bigger or bright one depending on your situation is always a moving target but the bare minimum is amazingly easy to clear. I suppose that means it's equally easy to let people continue making bad decisions into the darkness hours but better tools generally mean better work.
The part about trying to reason really hits home. I was lost at a national park overnight and I definitely got farther off track while I was telling myself "I must've...", "Maybe I..."., etc. I was doing an established trail that was only like 3 miles point to point, I'd have to be an idiot to get lost on a popular hike in a national park (yes, I'm an idiot). I started bit later in the day than I should have. Had nothing useful on me because I wasn't planning on being out "that long". I missed my turn by about 50 yards then took the right turn that *must've* been the turn I needed. I realized way too late after lots of walking and additional turns, that I didn't know where I was and I had no visible landmarks. The sun set quickly because I was kind of in a bowl or canyon, and finally my ego released its grip and I said "oh, I screwed up." I remembered a lot of exposed edges with long falls even on the trail, so I decided it's safest to just hunker down instead of walking around in the dark. Looking at a map later, I wasn't far from the trail but I was well below it in elevation. There was no way I'd see it from where I was and it was still a very steep climb or a long hike if I knew, so camping out was still necessary, but in the daytime anyone on trail could've just looked down at me easily.
Had I admitted to myself that I was off track earlier, I could've stopped to re-evaluate and backtrack, I would've had more light to put myself in a better place, maybe had some voices to follow while people were still hiking in the area. I now treat day hikes as overnighters, as far as preparation goes.
That is a great story to learn from. Thanks for sharing it. Also, treating a day hike like an overnight, or longer, trip is also a great approach. I am always impressed by those that navigate well in the dark. Land nav was probably my favorite subject in the Army and I still was not very good at it in the dark. Day time was easy for me but at night is a very different thing, at least for me.
I once got turned around just trying to make my way back along our outpost perimeter. All I had to do was literally turn around and backtrack and I still ended up somehow in front of my squad (outside) and extremely embarrassed, but alive. I never did figure out how I got disoriented. Also, everything looks different in the changing light conditions as the sun goes down.
Had a very similar experience. A quick 30-45 min hike turned into an unplanned overnighter.
You have to mark your path along the way. It helps if there is a landmark that you can see from different directions. You can count paces and utilize directional arrows in your markings. As soon as you leave a familiar entry point it's good to start placing indicators.
LED flashlight, Fox 40 whistle, space blanket, firestarter/waterproof matches, compass, snack bars, water. cellphone (in the US, without or without service you can still dial 911, and many dispatch centers can get rough locations before even calling the cellphone providers to triangulate). Hmmm...I should put this stuff in my car trunk maybe. And get an extra charger cord and/or USB adapter for your cellphone and leave it in your vehicle ; even a "dead battery" likely has plenty of power for a phone to run or charge off that cigarette lighter or newer "power port".
@@markh.6687 Don't count on that cell phone. it has to be able to reach "somebodies" cell tower in order to work as an emergency phone.
Pop tarts with squirrel gravy, that's living large.
🤔🤗😂 it’s living. You are funny. 💜
I wanna try that so badly dude...
Not many places around here sell squirrels thou, and I live in a cucked country so owning any weapons would put me in the slammer for a long time.
@@moritamikamikara3879 it’s for survival situations not serial killer 102 😂😂😂
@@TSWARD-xb9rk Tell that to my countrymen and they'll just be like "WhY wOuLd YoU wAnT tO oWn WeApOnS uNlEsS yOu PlAn On KiLlInG pEoPlE"
They're completely irrational.
@@moritamikamikara3879 for survival situations. PROTECTING ME AND MINE FROM PSYCHO JR OR SR. . Or hunting for food you are going to eat. Not just because you get off on torturing animals.
I also love the keychain flashlights. There are small led ones that last forever and run off a coin cell battery. Flashlight technology has improved so much in the last few years! I think everyone should have these. By surrounding yourself with quantity and quality gear it is so much easier to be prepared. Having some essentials, like a knife, lighter, string, light, bandaid, and flashlight in a ziplock bag it is so much easier to pocket the emergency kit when you just plan to step outside for small outings.
There is a Chinese saying "People who are good at swimming usually drown at sea". Even you knew the forest area very well, it is dangerous to use shortcut in the forest in the dark without torchlight and compass.
That's a great saying. I knew a guy that went snowboarding off trail in the Rockies, and fell in a treewell. He never got out.
An amateur snowboarder or a non-snowboarder wouldn't have been there in the first place.
Keep your ego in check, especially in your teens and 20's, kids.
@@MetalAsFork My buddy tried to get my out of shape, no-health-insurance-having ass to go snowboarding all this winter.
Got a text the other day, dude managed to break two teeth and entirely dislodge another one.
My ego is in check. I'll never be as good as I once was, and chasing stale glory is a fools errand. I'm happy I used to be able to shred, and that's enough for me.
@@MetalAsFork "But we're young and invincible!! Nothing can possibly kill us!"
Death: "Hi, you must be new here..."
@@nutbastard Just get out there, float around on the board, no fancy tricks. You might have a new rhythm for casual boarding. And you'll keep your teeth.
When I was a kid, my dad would have videos like this playing on the TV, and I would be like borrrinnngggggg. Here I am, an adult, grabbing a blanket and excited to watch this video. Life is funny.
Makes me wish I could watch some Paul Harrel videos with my grandpa, I know he would have loved them and it would have brought up many great stories i'm sure.
Dude was a wildly good teacher. He had a gift.
I had a friend died in a snowstorm when he left the stuck car and tried to walk home. Two other guys stayed in the car and survived, as it was not overly cold weather. Sad situation.
I felt rather torn giving this comment a thumbs up.
I survived a couple of winter's at Minot AFB.. big story at the time was a guy that had left a party inebriated to walk home in a blizzard one night.. Temp was said to be about 20° below zero.. he didn't make it.. they found him frozen solid between the houses.. oh btw,, he lived right next door to where the party was.
@@Oldmanwithagoldpan Me as well.... but it confirms the idea that staying with your vehicle and others is usually the best route.
@@imxploring exactly.. Never split up!! Every horror movie ever taught me that much if nothing else..
Any first responder will confirm, drunk people freezing to death is a more common problem then most people are aware of
"As always don't try this at home"
Paul. It's not possible to try this at home, that's the point.
Can You ? Do You?
Fucking DAAAAAHHHHH
Awesome comment 🤣👍
I love watching Paul’s videos! He’s extremely intelligent, and very well spoken! Thank you Paul for sharing your amazing videos!
I don't care if it's 3:00am EST, Paul uploaded a new video, and it requires my full attention! 🇺🇸
8am on the weekend is perfect.
3am central crew here!
Paul needs a t-shirt that says "I make no claim that my opinion has its origin in the mind of greatness." That kind of humility works for me and one of the many reasons I subscribed.
I was once told that the definition of "being lost" was not knowing where you are and not knowing how to get back to where you came from, both at the same time. By that definition, when you were "rescued," you weren't actually even lost. It's rather difficult to rescue someone who isn't lost.
I chased a deer back into the Maine woods once on a late November morning. I got temporarily lost. It had started snowing pretty hard. I found my way out of the woods in the afternoon. Thankfully my lack of preparation didn't cost me any more than some time and calories.
"I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks." - Daniel Boone
"I've never been lost, I always know exactly where I am, it's just that sometimes I don't know where anything else is."
"I been fearsome confused for a month or 2 but I ain't never been lost." - Henry Frapp (played by Brian Keith) The Mountain Men
WWII pilot over the Pacific: "I'm lost, but I'm making record time!"
When I was a kid, probably 8-ish years old I got lost. And this story of getting lost was very similar to mine. I was riding my bike on a road I was very familiar with and decided to take a short cut home because "I could see it went where I wanted to go" even though I couldn't see that it actually did but it sure looked like it did. It didn't and by the time I figured out it didn't I didn't remember how I got there. Fast forward 3 hours later and my crying mother is recovering me from the house of some random people whose door I knocked on and who helped me get in touch with her. Alls well that ends well, but don't over estimate your knowledge or rest your faith on assumptions.
Its good you decided to knock on the door to ask for help instead of stubbornly biking away.
I got lost in the mall once. Mom found me 20 minutes later and bought me ice cream. Dad spanked the shit out of me. "They found me easily."
@@warblerblue 3 hours is a long time; there was a fair amount of stubbornness involved. Sounds like they learned from it though.
It doesn't get much better than a new Paul Harrell video. Thanks for all you do, Paul!
If Hickock45 is grandad to the shooting community, who is fun and relaxing, Paul Harrel is the father figure who tells you the facts of life nobody wants to hear, especially those who need to hear them the most.
And...we are Keanu? In our heads at least? While clutching our Benelli M4?
Except Paul isn't a corporate sponsorship sellout..........Paul is the MOST underrated Guntuber.
L Train45 the cartels
@@MikeB128 Underrated? Pauls got a respectable subcount and following for a gun tuber and is known from memers to fuds in the sphere.. Plus what's wrong with sponsorships.
don't really care for hickok45.
I was out squirrel hunting one day and I walked a couple miles through the woods and I crossed a few different clear cuts on the way in. Once I noticed it was getting late in the afternoon I started walking back and after a while it hit me that I was walking the wrong direction when I only crossed one clear cut then nothing but woods for the next hour or so. I grew up hunting those woods so I didn't bring anything but my gun, hunting vest, a bottle of water, and bullets. I ended up staying the night in the woods and ran across a farm the next morning about 16 miles from where I started the hunt. Now because of that one time I always carry a few things like a compass, a way to make fire, a way to get clean water to drink, a light and a couple big garbage bags.
For me: You are the BEST researcher and educator on firearms that I have come across (as a former combat vet - U.S. Military Police ). There's a few others out there, but you are at the TOP. I appreciate your "getting to the point", your excellent explanations, your honesty and truthfulness, and good speaking voice. Thank you. You are appreciated. Montana. Be safe.
Hot damn! Paul Harrell for Night Owls! 🦉
Got out of bed and woke my 3 year old son up to watch this together.
You are teaching him well, every kid should hear what Mr. Harrell has to say. The nation would be better off if kids watched people like him instead of all the other garbage out there.
Good deal
Good parenting! 👍👍👍
Good dad
Your son has a bright future if he listens to Paul Harrell.
Mr. Harrell, as always, THANK YOU! your “long winded explanations” are ALWAYS worth my time - it is always time well spent. Please keep it up! Thank you
Paul: "I'm going to start with a long tedious anecdote"
Me: *pauses video, pours coffee, presses play. "Ok my body is ready".
But don't forget the number 1 wilderness survival tip: Staying inside your house is a power play against nature.
Until Mother Nature destroys your house..
@@Newt_Keeper Just a couple thousand years of warfare until recently.
@@Newt_Keeper true. But Air conditioning is almost a unknown concept there.
@@Mirokuofnite Wtf? Where did you hear that?
@@viterik69 the death toil during heat waves. Check out the 2003 european heat wave numbers. Couple that with Europeans regularly bragging that 'air-conditioning is stupid' then crying all June and July in the media about a heat wave.
It’s only 300m away
Darkness: lmaooooooooooooo
wher do go camping ?
Here is my top one tip for wilderness survival. Put yourself in a survival situation regularly so you know what to do and are comfortable with it. Fill your car with your camping gear as a backup but then try spending the night near your car but with only your survival gear.
Very good training idea.
My truck is my camping gear. Spent plenty of nights sleeping in the cab.
@@shawnr771 as long as the seat reclines all the way.. I get so tired of my hunting buddies asking me if I want to sleep in they're camper. and more than a little suspect of they're intent,, especially Jeff. Lol
@@Oldmanwithagoldpan Old school bench seat with the seatbelt connectors sticking in the back.
A good sleeping bag or a couple of heavy coats.
Even though I live in Texas, there are at least 3 coats behind the seat of the truck year round.
@@shawnr771 been there done that.. only I shoved the seat belts down onto the crevice.. my problem is I can't stretch out on the bench. But it definitely works. 👍🏻 And ditto on the coats and jackets behind the seat lol..
I'm chuckling to myself about Paul getting a ride from someone with a dead squirrel still in his pocket
Or forgetting the squirrel and hanging the coat in the mud room for a couple of weeks --
I gave some guy a ride the other day right after going out and getting my dinner.
@@MrOlgrumpy reminds me of that seinfeld episode where jerry stuffs mutton in his coat pockets and elaine wears the coat, which attracts vicious dogs. haha
As a lead advisor for a Scouts BSA crew headed to Philmont on a 60-mile backpacking trek this summer, I agree with you on all points! Great presentation, sir!
From experience I have learned as I go into the woods in the eastern part of the United States or the Sonoran desert regions. I always pay attention looking all around me and look back the way I came because that’s the way I’m going to go home. A couple of times I decided just like you Paul , I’ll just go in a different direction back home or towards my car, I know what I’m doing ( famous last words). Yes I did get turned around and it took me three extra hours just to find my way back. That was some good advice Paul , thank you for sharing.
The topic of "Survival" has been so romanticized and hyped by Tacticool Wannabees. It is actually not that difficult, just have some basic equipment and the skill to use it. But most of all: Keep calm and keep realistic about both your abilities AND the situation. I live in the north of Sweden and our climate can demand a lot so many of us have some realistic skills about what to do and how to do it. In the winter a car breaking down can be a life threatening situation if you don´t have some basic gear.
Not that difficult huh?
Man vs Wild: At least one fatally stupid idea in every episode.
@@cactusmalone True! Thank you for steping in. Not complicated and fairly easy to prepare: Just get relevant information/knowledge and use it together with the right tools.
When he randomly speaks in a comical tone, it always jumpscares me wth
Me too! 😆
Same.
thank god for those people who tracked Paul so easily. If it weren't for them we probably wouldn't be getting all these amazing CZcams videos.
Tracking him aint that hard he lays a track like a Moose.
I was once in a covert camp and had to defecate. There were 10 of us hidden, waiting to meet up with our replacements. I carefully walked out of camp, staying covert. I was very focused on that. I did my business, buried it, still very covert. I turned around and instantly realized that I was completely lost and my compatriots were very good at staying covert, like me. I couldn’t wander around. I had nothing but toilet paper with me except a knife. As I contemplated my situation I noticed movement and heard a twig snap, in a direction that I was positive that my guys were not in. I figured that, if it was the bad guys, I could follow them and possibly find good intel but definitely find other people. I might be captured but I’d be found. It wasn’t anyone from my group, I knew that. I might be busted and caught and not be fully aware. But nobody was shooting at me and there was no apparent ruckus. Then I saw the movement more clearly and made out a real person. I followed him very covertly. Very covertly! He walked right into my group of guys. He was the only one of the replacements that hadn’t been captured when they dropped in. That’s a whole ‘nuther story from a long mission. I was lost as hell and wound up looking good coming in behind the guy. Pure freaking magic-aka luck! After I got back to camp and patted on the back, I filled the commander in and he wanted to see where I had gone. When I showed him, I was only 20 yards away from camp. But the bushes were thick and my guys were good. One moment of not paying attention to what I was doing was a near disaster. I learned a lot from that experience. The commander was a Senior Chief SEAL, I was nothing really special but we were on the same mission. Different training is all. He told me not to beat myself up over it, just learn. He once did the exact same thing but he got shot in the ass because his tp was white. He swiped. The movement caught NVA eyes and the shooting match was on, lol! I was still pretty embarrassed. It was a rookie mistake on my part.
Cool story, getting shot in the ass while taking a dump must be horrible!
@@rcintro1489 ; Yep it's the shits... Butt ya get a purple heart
@@johnthompson9513 LOL!
Heard a similar story from an acquaintance back in the '70's.
Westerners, especially Americans, smell differently from most Vietnamese because of their diet. A lot more meat, red meat and pork primarily, and cigarettes.
The story goes that some where in the Delta at least two teams were waiting in ambush. Charlie comes along, mostly VERY quietly.
They smell one of the teams and hit them hard. The other team, so far undetected hit back
The ambush is a qualified success.
The first team were mostly rookies.
Kept their Western diet, and smoked, mostly, Western tobacco.
The other team were veterans of several months, if not multiple tours.
They had changed their diet, and if they needed to smoke, they utilized local blends.
Someone needs to tell me if this is apocryphal, bad memory of some stupid movie, or complete bullshit.
Thanks
It's great that you would relate this story. Twenty years ago I was bow hunting during a solo back packing trip for elk. Away from my main camp, with only a day pack, I cut across a non scouted mountain side of deeper woods to short cut back to camp. I stopped for a break, took off my day pack, put down my bow, and stepped away for a quick looksee at the terrain. On my way back to my break spot, I couldn't find it! Near panic set in. Getting dark, supply less, no bow (in fringe area for grizzlies), I sat down and considered all my movements and what direction I needed to travel. I finally recalled, I had stopped in a low spot between two higher rimmed swales: ie, I couldn't see my pack drop site, from any angle but from the side. I headed back up in height, and zig zagged along a couple of hog backs, and caught sight of my pack. I was one lucky bastard! I carry a red ribbon flag now to mark any rest site, but I almost never use it; too much of a bad chance, when you are indeed on your own.
Damn, that tracker guy must have really got under your skin!
He tracked him easy
Paul was practicing his stealth tactics
Doing some overnight security for the first time in a while, thanks for the late night upload to give me something to listen to.
Same here, overnight security. Had to watch it
Haha same here man.
I've done that. It can be really boring.
@@jwash3rd absolutely
Same here, only my relief called in. 14 hrs in on a 12 hr shift and I am getting annoyed. In a dull punch drunk sort of way. It may be survival situation... for my Gdm relief.