I’m exhausted. Not tired—exhausted. The barrel on my shoulder is getting heavier with every step. My feet feel like they’re made of lead, my sodden boots squelching in the dirt.
Just make it to the light, I tell myself. Forty more paces. Then turn left, and I’m there.
I look down at my feet, forcing one in front of the other. When I glance up again, the light is gone.
No! If that light is off, how am I supposed to find my way?
I resist the urge to panic. Instead, I put the barrel down and take a moment to find my bearings. It’s never a good idea to get flustered in the wilderness—especially in the bush.
I turn around. What?! The light is twenty paces behind me.
And then it hits me.
I had fallen asleep while walking. With a barrel on my shoulder.
What Is A Vasbyt?
Let’s rewind a second. This was the last night of a three-day Vasbyt I did back in 2019. At this point, I hadn’t eaten or slept in 40 hours, and I had walked nearly 80km—most of it carrying heavy objects.
Other highlights of my Vasbyt? Hallucinating. And squaring off with a troop of baboons with only a small knife to defend myself. But before I tell you about that, let me explain what Vasbyt actually is.
Vasbyt is an Afrikaans word that literally translates to “bite down” but is better understood as “grit your teeth.”
A Vasbyt involves:
Food and sleep deprivation for several days
Surviving only on water and jungle juice (water mixed with sugar and salt)
Carrying heavy objects over extreme distances
Completing mentally and physically punishing tasks—especially as exhaustion and hunger set in
Originally designed in the 1970s by the South African Defence Force, the Vasbyt was a test of mental toughness and leadership ability.
There’s only one rule: If you show any sign of wanting to quit, you fail instantly.
A proper Vasbyt is designed to break you down. The instructors will braai (barbecue) food right in front of you, telling you how good it is—offering you a bite. The second you take it? You fail.
Vasbyt is not about physical strength. It’s about mental resilience.
Why Would Anyone Do This?
So now you know what a Vasbyt is, you might be wondering—why would anyone voluntarily do this?
The answer is simple: Confidence.
Since completing my Vasbyt, I’ve measured every challenge in my life against it. And every single one has come up short.
Whenever I face adversity, the doubt creeps in: This is too hard. You can’t do this.
Then, my inner voice answers back: Not as hard as the Vasbyt. The Vasbyt was much harder, and you got through it. If you can get through that, you can get through this.
Reclaiming What We’ve Lost
We, as a species, have forgotten what we are capable of.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t reclaim it.
Modern life is too comfortable—and while comfort has its place, too much of it destroys resilience. If you never test yourself, how will you know what you’re capable of?
Now, I’m not saying jump straight into a Vasbyt—that’s a recipe for disaster.
But I am saying this: Challenge yourself.
Push your limits.
Get out there and test yourself.
You will be amazed at what you can endure.
Someday, you might even be ready for your own Vasbyt—the ultimate test of resilience.
Just remember: I’m not special. I don’t have superpowers. I’m just a man—a human being, just like you.
If I can do it, so can you.
Ready to Build Your Own Mental Resilience?
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