@David Canterbury
— · 73 videos curated
Bushcraft, survival skills, self-reliance training, and preparedness-focused gear and woodcraft knowledge.
All 73 videos
Freedom Camper Update: 3 Nights of Camping & Upgrades
First impressions and lessons learned after 3 nights using a camper setup for overlanding; planned improvements to a practical vehicle-based camping system.
Tripod Torch: A Game Changer for Overland Camping
Two-minute gear review of an elevated tripod torch for camp warmth and ambiance during overland and base-camp setups.
Cleaning the Cook Partner Stove | Overland East Field Notes
Two-minute walkthrough: maintaining and cleaning a two-burner camp stove in the field—essential gear care for reliable camp cooking.
My Rig 2027: Jeep Gladiator + Freedom Camper Tour
Nine-minute walkthrough of a truck-camper setup: exterior, sleeping quarters, and camp living configuration for overland travel and outdoor basecamp living.
20 Unconventional Uses for a Compass | Skills Part 1
Twenty practical applications of a compass beyond navigation, suited to bushcraft, camping, and wilderness survival kits.
Jim Brown Coffee Challenge | Trail Life USA Daniel Boone Fire Challenge
Fire-building competition at the Daniel Boone outdoor event: participants demonstrate wood-gathering and fire-starting techniques under challenge conditions.
Poncho Pole Hunting Blind | Ultralight Pathfinder Setup
Two-minute walkthrough converting a Pathfinder poncho and poles into a lightweight hunting blind for field concealment.
Two-Man Bow Drill in the Swamp: Friction Fire in Damp Conditions
Demonstration of two-person bow drill technique for starting friction fire in high-humidity swamp environment during Pathfinder School training.
Stainless Camp Cookware Prototypes | Spaghetti & Garlic Toast Field Test
David Canterbury tests new stainless steel camp cookware prototypes by cooking a full meal outdoors, evaluating design and practicality for backcountry kitchen use.
Bushcraft 101 in the Everglades: Shelter Building and Campfire Cooking
Three-minute glimpse of a Pathfinder School class: building a bushcraft shelter and cooking fish over coals in the Everglades.
Toggle Tricks and the Pathfinder Dog Bones
Practical bushcraft techniques for using the Pathfinder Dog Bone toggle in tarp setup, cordage connections, and camp shelter configuration.
Everglades Bushcraft: What a Survival Instructor Packs
Survival instructor David Canterbury walks through his gear choices for the Florida Everglades, explaining the practical reasoning behind each item selection for a subtropical wet environment.
Modifications to Our PF Filter Canteen and Integration to Your Survival Kit
Thirteen minutes on translucent filter canteens: design features, measurement markings, and how to integrate one into your existing water-carrying and camping kit.
Gray Squirrel from Field to Table: Appalachian Camp Cooking
Seventeen-minute walkthrough of harvesting, preparing, and cooking gray squirrel with potatoes and gravy over a camp fire.
5-Minute Camp Stool: Easy Bushcraft Project with Sticks and Cordage
Seven-minute walkthrough building a functional camp seat from sticks and cordage, demonstrating field-tested materials improvisation for outdoor self-reliance.
Best Kept Secret in Military Surplus? 1945 AGM Two-Burner Stove
Twenty-one minutes evaluating a vintage military two-burner stove: layout, portability, field cooking applications, and why surplus gear still works for base camps and outdoor cooking today.
4 Day Squirrel Camp 2026 | Complete Camp Setup & Gear Review
41-minute walkthrough of a complete four-day hunting camp: shelter, layout, cooking setup, gear choices, and lessons learned from the field.
Axe Sharpening Technique: Woodsman's Field Skills
Three-minute demonstration of a field-applicable axe sharpening method and the minimal gear needed to maintain a working edge in the woods.
Pathfinder Bed Roll Sleeve: One Piece, Multiple Camp Uses
Two-minute walkthrough of the Pathfinder bed roll sleeve—how to pack it, set it up in camp, and what cord and attachment details enable its flexibility.
PFFSS Pack: Pathfinder Forest Service Style Pack System
Hands-on review of an external-frame bushcraft pack system designed for extended backcountry and forest work, examining its practical configuration for durability and load capacity.
The Best Cook Set for a Bedroll? My 6-Year-Old Design
Six-minute walkthrough of a lightweight, multi-function cook system designed for traditional bedroll camping: boiling water, preparing hot food, and grilling over open fire.
Coleman 502 Stove and Accessories: Versatile Retro Camp Cooking Kit
Nine-minute walkthrough of the vintage Coleman 502 stove system—examining its accessories, cooking capacity, and practicality for camp, hunting, and off-grid scenarios.
Radio-to-Radio Programming with the BiTech UV-PRO
Two-minute walkthrough: program a BiTech UV-PRO two-way radio directly from another radio without a computer, useful for emergency comms and group field deployment.
EmComm Jeep Kit: BTECH UV-PRO and UV-50 Mobile Communications
Thirteen minutes assembling and organizing a vehicle-based emergency communications system: radio selection, antennas, power, cabling, storage, and field-readiness considerations.
Flintlock Hog Hunt: Traditional Muzzleloader Hunting with Dave Canterbury
Dave Canterbury hunts wild hogs with a traditional flintlock muzzleloader, demonstrating low-dependency hunting techniques and old-school fieldcraft.
Retro Camp Dove Dinner: Cleaning & Camp Cooking Tips
Field-to-table walkthrough: cleaning wild dove and preparing it over a camp fire, with practical tips on meat handling, cookware, and fire management.
Lamp Wick for Flint and Steel: Traditional Fire-Starting
Two-minute walkthrough using lamp wick as tinder with flint and steel — a low-tech fire-starting method that works when modern equipment fails.
Extend Your Skillet Handle: Simple Bushcraft Cooking Hack
Two-minute walkthrough on safely extending a cast-iron skillet handle with a wooden stick for better control and heat protection when cooking over a campfire.
Extend Your EMCOM Range: BTECH UV-PRO and BS50 Bluetooth Mic
Seven-minute walkthrough on using a Bluetooth microphone to remote-operate a handheld radio from elevated positions, improving emergency communications range and portability.
Easy Saw Buck for Base Camps: Simple Woodsman Setup
Two-minute walkthrough building a rope-and-natural-materials saw buck for controlled firewood processing at a longer-term camp.
Caesar Cipher Reimagined: Pathfinder Coded Messaging
Build a compass-based field cipher for secure off-grid communications using nothing but a compass, notebook, and a shared offset key.
The Secret Design Feature of the 1910 Canteen Cup
Three-minute breakdown of the clever handle design on vintage military canteen cups and why the engineering still matters for field cooking and camp safety.
Ferro Rod Technique — An Instructor's Perspective
Three-minute walkthrough of ferro rod fire-starting technique: proper angle, control, consistency, and spark placement from a bushcraft instructor's teaching framework.
Vintage Surplus Survival Fishing Kit: Instructor's Evaluation
David Canterbury evaluates a vintage military survival fishing kit—what works, what's outdated, and how to build a modern version that actually catches food.
Snapping Turtle From Field to Table: Cleaning, Processing & Cooking
Complete walkthrough of harvesting, cleaning, and cooking snapping turtle as a wild food resource, from water's edge to finished meal.
Charring Materials for Fire Starting: Planning Ahead for Emergency Scenarios
Three-minute demonstration of charring cloth and other materials to create reliable fire-starting resources for grid-down and wilderness survival situations.
Scouting a Survival Course: Reading the Water's Edge Before Training
How an experienced survival instructor evaluates a landscape before training begins—reading water resources, wild food, animal sign, terrain, and planning realistic survival scenarios.
Pathfinder Dog Bones: The Small Camp Tool That Changes Everything
Sixteen-minute walkthrough of a lightweight cordage attachment tool for camp tasks: securing gear, rigging tarps, hanging cookware, and solving field problems without complex knots.
Offset Tarp Guy Line Compensation for Shelter Building
Seven-minute walkthrough on redirecting tarp tension when anchor points don't align perfectly with trees or terrain—a practical shelter-building technique for uneven landscapes.
Which Bushcraft Skill Should I Learn First? Beginner Bushcraft & Survival
Twenty-minute primer on foundational bushcraft skills for beginners: fire, shelter, knots, cutting tools, camp cooking, water, navigation, and gear selection.
HUGE Steak in the NEW Pathfinder Deep Carbon Steel Skillet
Real-fire testing of a 10-inch carbon steel skillet: searing technique, heat management, and why carbon steel is versatile camp cookware for bushcraft and overlanding.
Carbon Steel Skillet or Dutch Oven? This 2" Deep Skillet Does BOTH!
Ten-minute camp cooking walkthrough: using a 2-inch carbon steel skillet as a dual-purpose Dutch oven over fire, with heat control, coal-bed techniques, and meal preparation.
Sierra Cups: The True History
Two-minute exploration of the Sierra cup's origins and evolution as a bushcraft and survival staple.
NEW PF Poncho | Improved Shelter System & PF Poncho Pole Setup
20-minute hands-on walkthrough of poncho-based shelter configurations, pole setup, and weather protection in actual field conditions.
Taking the FSS Backpack to the Next Level | New Oil Cloth Backpack
Walkthrough of a modern oil cloth backpack inspired by classic US Forest Service designs, covering construction, features, and practical application for bushcraft, camping, and woodcraft.
Simple Transition Shelter with PF Poncho Poles
Two-minute walkthrough on reconfiguring poncho and tarp shelters using Pathfinder Poncho Poles for increased headroom and usable space in camp.
How a Survival Instructor Makes the Ultimate Tarp Pack
19-minute walkthrough of building and packing a compact tarp shelter system designed for fast deployment and organization in the field.
Keyhole Fire Cooking & Brown Sugar Bannock | Using a Carbon Steel Skillet Like a Dutch Oven
15-minute walkthrough on using a keyhole fire and carbon steel skillet to bake bannock and other foods in camp without carrying heavy cast iron.
Old School Shelter Trick for Stronger Tarp Setup
Three-minute demonstration of a traditional technique to improve tarp tension, protect ridgelines, and make camp shelter setup more reliable without expensive hardware.
What's the Best Fire Starter? Answers for Beginners from an Instructor's Viewpoint
29-minute comparison of fire-starting methods (ferro rods, lighters, matches, tinder) with guidance on building a reliable fire kit for emergencies, camping, or bushcraft.
Mid-20th Century Camping Gear That Still Works Today
Walk through a retro camp built with authentic mid-20th century gear—canvas shelters, lanterns, steel boxes, axes—and learn why classic designs remain practical for modern bushcraft and survival.
This 20th Century Knife Sharpener Was Brilliant
Examination of a vintage knife sharpener design and why old-school woodsmen trusted durable, low-tech tools for field work and bushcraft.
Should You Carry an Axe, a Saw... or Both? (Part 2)
37-minute guide to choosing between axes and saws for bushcraft: when to carry each tool, how experienced woodsmen decide, and how to avoid unnecessary weight.
Axe vs Saw: Which Should You Carry? (Beginner's Guide)
46-minute breakdown of axe and saw trade-offs for bushcraft and survival: when each tool excels, safety, weight considerations, and how to choose based on task and trip length.
Red Cross/Pathfinder WFA Certification Course
Forty-hour wilderness first aid certification combining Red Cross standards with Pathfinder hands-on training for off-grid medical response.
The Best Multi-Purpose Canteen Cup Cook System I've Ever Used
Nine-minute walkthrough building a functional USGI canteen cup cook set: component selection, nesting organization, and cooking technique over open fire.
Use Single Shadows to Find Direction | Simple Survival Navigation Trick
Two-minute walkthrough of the single-shadow method for determining East-West orientation using only the sun and a stick, a foundational bushcraft skill for navigation without GPS or compass.
Catfish Fillets and Hushpuppies | Catch & Cook on a Camp Stove
Twenty-minute catch-and-cook demonstration: selecting, cleaning, and preparing fresh catfish over a camp stove, plus traditional hushpuppies using simple ingredients.
10 Essential Camp Knots Explained | Transition Teaching Method for Faster Learning
Nine-minute walkthrough of 10 essential camp knots using a step-by-step transition method designed to build muscle memory and understanding for bushcraft, camping, and survival contexts.
Best Knife? Everything Beginners Need to Know for Bushcraft, Camping, and Survival
30-minute walkthrough of knife selection for outdoor skills: fixed vs. folding blades, steel types, blade grinds, and matching tools to specific tasks.
Knife Batoning Explained: When You Should (and Shouldn't) Do It
Thirteen-minute walkthrough of batoning technique: when it's useful, proper knife selection, safe form, wood grain reading, common mistakes, and when to use other tools instead.
New to Camping, Bushcraft, or Survival? Start Here!
36-minute primer on essential gear, skills priorities, and common beginner mistakes in bushcraft and survival training, emphasizing knowledge over equipment.
Water Filter Hack: Sawyer Mini with Jerry Can Gravity Filtration
Short tip on adapting a Sawyer Mini filter to a standard jerry can for gravity-fed water filtration in camp or vehicle settings.
Bushcraft vs Camping vs Survival: The Truth
Seventeen minutes clarifying the distinctions between bushcraft, camping, and survival disciplines, their overlapping skills, and how each fits into self-reliance practice.
Three Underrated C's: Crappie, Cornbread & Coffee | The Perfect Catch and Cook
Fourteen-minute catch-and-cook walkthrough: fishing for crappie, field dressing and frying fresh fish, baking cornbread in camp, and brewing coffee outdoors.
Pan Fishing Tips & Retro Gear: Why the Zebco 202 Still Catches Fish
Practical panfishing techniques and tips for catching bluegill and crappie using the classic Zebco 202 reel—low-cost, reliable gear for food self-sufficiency.
Deeper Sonar Initial Review and Testing | First Look from a Canoe
Eleven-minute hands-on test of a portable sonar fish finder from a canoe, covering setup, app connectivity, accuracy, and practicality for ultralight fishing.
Green Wood Birds' Nests & Bow Drill Fires | Tips and Tricks for Fire by Friction
31-minute walkthrough of friction fire techniques: building tinder bundles from green materials, bow drill fundamentals, common mistakes, and tips for reliable ignition in non-ideal conditions.
More Than a Bucksaw: 10 Tools in One Simple Design
35-minute walkthrough of a DIY wooden frame that functions as bucksaw, square, level, compass, measuring stick, and angle finder for field carpentry and navigation.
Quick Tension Loop for Bundles
47-second demonstration of a single-loop tensioning method for securing bundles with cordage.
New M81 Oil Cloth Products Made in the USA | Tarp & Cordage Tips and Tricks
Eleven minutes on oil cloth tarps, cordage selection, and field-tested shelter setup techniques for bushcraft and emergency preparedness.
Bucksaw Master Class: Geometry, Blade Selection & Performance
42-minute deep-dive on building a functional bucksaw from landscape materials—frame geometry, wood selection, blade choice, tensioning, and the physics behind efficient cutting.
Fast and Easy Saw Buck: Build This Bushcraft Tool in 5 Minutes
Eight-minute walkthrough building a firewood-cutting saw buck from found materials on-site, for safer and faster wood processing at camp or homestead.