If you can't move, you can't survive on your own — it's that simple. Mobility is essential, especially during intense survival scenarios. Most of us are well aware that a broken leg, dislocated hip, or even a twisted ankle can be disastrous in an emergency situation. But there's one part of our anatomy that we often overlook: the soles of our feet.

Anyone who has walked barefoot on hot asphalt or stepped on a sharp object knows how an injury to the bottom of the foot can be crippling. Suffering one of these painful injuries while attempting to survive in the forest is far worse. It's important to prepare yourself by selecting appropriate bug-out footwear, but you should also have a backup plan in case your boots are lost or damaged.

In the following video, the host of Primitive Technology shows how to make sandals from natural materials he found in the forest. The soles are made from a type of flexible cane found in his home country of Australia, but he says that these sandals can be woven from almost any type of natural cordage — leaves, bark, grass, vines, or roots. He states in the video description that the material was cut to 6 times the length of his foot, or about 5 feet (1.5 meters).

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As a die-hard primitive survivalist, the host of the Primitive Technology channel writes, “I personally don't like wearing footwear in the forest as bare feet give better grip, especially on inclines. But for heavy work or when my feet are injured I'll wear these.” While we respect his commitment, we'll stick to wearing some form of shoes, boots, or sandals whenever we can. We'd recommend you do the same.

Written by Patrick McCarthy