Wise words, unimogbert, and good on ya for getting out there and forcing theory and reality to meet. So many of us carry stuff that we don't really know how to use. That's gonna suck in an emergency! Practice. Practice. Practice. Even if it's in your backyard. Try different conditions - wind, rain, hot, cold, dark, injured.... and practice in the environments you'd expect to have one of those emergency situations in.

You Tube has a way of making me think that things are easier than they really are. So many people cut out to flubs, fumbles and frustrations in their videos. It makes it hard to get a real sense of what it's actually like unless you try it yourself. The first time I tried a ferro rod, for example, I thought it was going to be so easy because all survival gurus on tv and the Tube make it look that way. It is easy for me now, but after LOTS of practice. The same goes for shelter building. Even with an instant roof or floor provided by a poncho or tarp, it still takes a lot of work and time to make a good shelter.

EDIT to add: What are you using for your paracord ridgeline? Is it a braid?