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Building a Foundation for the Cabin - Autumn in the Wilderness

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Rating: 4.0; Vote: 1

Building a foundation for my off grid cabin. Watch the construction process of preparing the site and setting the frame. The construction process begins with careful site preparation, ensuring the ground is level and stable before any timber is laid. I spend the day laying out gravel and building wooden frames, followed by installing the vapor barrier. This work requires patience and precision to ensure the structure remains sound against the elements of the forest. Living this way reinforces the importance of manual labor in wilderness living. Seeing the completed foundation with the cabin nearby and the fire pit area serves as a reminder of the quiet satisfaction that comes from creating something with my own hands. These foundational tasks are essential for maintaining a home that stands the test of time. Subscribe for weekly wilderness breakdowns, and let me know in the comments if you enjoy these quiet, reflective building sessions. From cabin building and woodworking, outdoor cooking, and wilderness living, this channel documents the journey of creating a peaceful life away from the noise of modern society. If you’ve ever dreamed of: Building a cabin Living off grid Learning survival skills Homesteading Escaping the modern world you’re in the right place. Subscribe and follow the journey. Self-reliance is often mistaken for isolation, but in the deep woods of the forest, I’ve learned it is actually a form of radical connection. It isn’t about turning your back on the world; it’s about standing on your own two feet so firmly that you can finally hear what the world is trying to tell you. When I first picked up a broadaxe to notch the logs for the cabin, I wasn't just building a shelter. I was dismantling a dependency. Most of us live in a state of digital fragility. We rely on invisible grids for our warmth, global supply chains for our food, and glowing screens for our validation. When those systems falter, we realize how little we actually know about the mechanics of our own survival. To be self-reliant is to reclaim that knowledge. It is the quiet, steady work of bridging the gap between a need and its fulfillment. There is a specific kind of honesty found in manual labor. You cannot lie to a log. If your dovetail joint is sloppy, the house will let the cold in. If you don't stack your wood before the first snow, the fire will go out. In the wilderness, the consequences of your actions are immediate and indisputable. This accountability is the foundation of self-reliance. It forces a man to slow down, to respect the grain of the wood, and to understand that time is not something to be hacked or optimized, but something to be lived. People often ask me if I get lonely out here with only Cali for company. The truth is, the silent forest is where I found my clarity. In the city, the noise is so constant that we lose our own frequency. We become echoes of other people’s opinions and anxieties. But when you are miles from the nearest road, responsible for your own water, your own heat, and your own safety, the internal noise begins to settle. You stop performing for an audience and start existing for a purpose. True self-reliance is found in the Ritual of the Mundane. It’s in the seasoning of a cast-iron skillet, the brewing of pine needle tea, and the sharpening of a tool. These acts are small, but they are sovereign. They represent a life where your hands are in direct contact with your reality. As I look out the cabin window at the treeline, I realize that I am not conquering the wild. I am simply learning its language. Self-reliance is the humility to realize that we are part of a greater ecosystem, and the strength to ensure we aren't a burden to it. It is the peace that comes from knowing that, no matter what happens to the grid, the sun will rise, the forest will provide, and I have the toolsand the willto meet the day. My Self Reliance/Shawn James 200 Manitoba St, Unit 3, Suite 415 Bracebridge, ON P1L 2E2 For product information: adminmyselfreliance. com For sponsorships: myselfrelianceinfluint. co B
Date: 2026-10-28

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Comments and reviews: 20

j. mcinen4587
To state the obvious, and you like to do things your way, but it's usually not a good idea to sandwich decomposable materials between two vapor barriers. You want at least one side of a wall or subfloor to be ventilated or vapor permeable and allowing for moisture to wick out into the open air. Usually this type of subfloor is on piers and ventilated from below.
Without the Blueskin this floor could have dried toward the interior through hygroscopic action, up through the floor joists and the plywood, but now any moisture getting into the middle of the subfloor has to travel the longest path through the floor joists and out the rim joists, which you nearly covered in ground-moist concrete with no capillary breaks. Hygroscopic action works both ways, so any moisture on the exterior will wick toward the interior of the floor. There's also the risk of pooling, where rain or condensation pools on the plastic sheet at the bottom.
It would be interesting to see a follow up a few years down the line to see how this unusual subfloor fares in the real world.
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travm6501
Since Halloween is soon, I'll share a conspiracy theory I have. One of the last times we saw Scrambled O was at the cabin with a group of friends. Scrambled couldn't live with the fact that his steak was indeed raw, ventured into the woods behind the cabin while the others slept. Days passed and none of the friends could find him, only shreds of clothing he had on the night before. If you turn your volume all the way up on these videos, you can faintly hear 'scrambled o signing out'. Scrambled may have been forgotten, but his steak will live forever. btw I miss scrambled o.
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martyevans8162
I remember when nothing was built & the logs were first being cut & I worried as you single handedly lifted massive logs & built what progressed to this charming, inviting cabin that serves so many purposes in the lives of you & your family. You are amazing & your perseverance & work ethic are awesome. you are an inspiration in more ways than I can find words to describe.
Be well & enjoy the well earned fruits of your labor!
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EvalynChuran
Question, I just gutted an out building that was getting rodents inside my rocksaul insulation. How are you stopping that from happening, because I just gutted 6 bags that were totally infested from when I purchased the place with building on it. It was so dirty to clean. What are you doing for extra rodent protection Because I'm having serious issues here. It was one heck of a dirty job too, and it stunk bad.
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caide
Can't wait what beautiful cabin you build again. That floor system looked a bit strange. Usually you want air to flow under it, so it doesn't rotten. It looked like you sealed it in every direction and that could make big problems. I had here one building with kind of same solution. All the woods between non-breathding materials was totaly soft. I have to open walls and fix everything. It was made in 1967 I think.
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lindapetersen1800
SHAWN & OUR CALI! Hey there I am so glad you are younger than I am & sharing the wonderful videos with all of us ! Miss doing the logging & building butt coming right down to it I smell the Pine that you fall & remember how it was to build! Love the videos never give up on making the Shawn you are 1 in a Million for all of us out here!
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sfoglidellafusi
Solid beautiful work, out of curiosity: not a worry that the main wall beams concreted in will remain moist and the bluestep will capsulate all moisture in and evetually rot / get mold
Also same thing related, a cold bridge directly up the walls since there is no insulation. Curious! Let me know
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ws775
I just saw a video someone did about Dick Proenneke’s cabin and why he did a gravel floor. It actually was the ideal material to used instead of wood, and he wasn’t able to get anything else because of course how remote the location was.
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mechfeeney
Firstly love it all. Why nails instead of screws You do use a hybrid of modern and old so I’m wondering where you draw the line. Probably very organically and wherever you wish, but I do want to know why not torx drive wood screws.
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MRBACAdventures
when you flew the drone i thought to myself, man that's a LOT of progress since the move - and it blends in so well with the surroundings. as always, a great video for all of us from one of if not the GOAT of offgrid.
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samqa333
I've seen lot of movies, so want to ask you if there where you are living anything mysterious happened or happening Night time strange voices or noises. Where I live not Forest at all around, so I am curious about it.
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GiantRobo77
I was hoping for some approximate material BOM listing or dimensions in the description. I think the concrete guys would argue for a different foundation prep sequence and some different or additional materials.
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HotrodRon75
Nothing like a new project, keeps your mind busy, Wow looks like real plyboard. same kind of insal i put in my house here. u must be going to stud this place. A great one to watch. i Hope it stays warm till Jan.
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58maple
You're a hard worker Shawn! Hey, just a question, what's the purpose of Blueskining the whole floor I understand doing the outside edges as flashing, but shouldn't that go up the exterior walls
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NobleFeatures
Is that guest house going to exceed the chicken coop LOL I look forward to its completion and who will be the first guest. Daughters Me Thanks Shawn for this escape from the insanity!
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xfrontlawnshawn
Hey! Are you feeling okay I'm not sure just your process to build usually seems a lot more intentional and in this one idk it felt different almost like you were confused. Much love!
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c. rogers____
Wish there were some way you could get water pumped into all the areas that you need, especially your home cabin and then the new cabin. washer dryer, toilets, sinks.
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DorisGronewold
The respect you have, Shawn, for Nature and the environment, is obvious, and you are creating a path of Light in this World for all to see going forward.
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cycleplanet
Looks like camp resort now. Do you feel like its to big
Maybe make a guest building thats just a ( mini kitchen stove top ) dinning room great room.
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adenvet2830
Hi Shawn, it's a shame you didn't get an up-to- date wood stove, the type that burns off the smoke preventing the smoke that pollutes the atmosphere.
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