Primitive Survival Shelter Build with Bare Hands - No Tools Needed
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Date: 2019-09-10
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Comments and reviews: 10
Cheeky Devil
Looks like the ideal place to build a shelter with all that wood hanging around. I got stranded once up north at our cottage, or close to it at least. This is in the Kawarthas, about 2 1/2 hours north of Toronto where I live. Weve had a family cottage up there for ages, about 10 years ago, as I often did, I just grab the canoe, and went fishing all day. But this day was an exception, because I didnt check the forecast, and I was at least 3 km from our cottage in the middle of the lake, when one of those massive powerful flash thunderstorms hit, with almost no warning at all. All I could do was paddle like hell to the closest island. The waves were at least 10 feet high, not an easy thing when youre in a canoe. I knew the area like the back of my hand, so I docked where are usually did on that island, tied my boat up to the nearest tree, and ran like hell to an outcropping of caves. As I look back this powerful wind comes out of nowhere, and blows not only my boat, but the tree its tied to, away. I had left my phone at home on purpose, I didnt wanna be bothered in the middle of fishing, I just love being in nature alone, its so relaxing, except this time. I was stranded on the island with no way to get in touch with anybody, and because I was on the side of the island that faced an area where there were no homes or cottages, and its impossible to climb to the other side because of the cliffs that rise 100 m up, and I had no ropes, I was stranded for sure. The only good thing? Dont ask me why but when I left my canoe, I had grabbed my tacklebox and fishing rod, which was my savior I grew up in Toronto but spent three months every summer up north at our very rustic cottage, up until 10 years ago we didnt have a telephone, all we had was a TV with an antenna, and cold water running up from the lake through a small pump. My dad built the cottage back in the early 50s, so needless to say it wasnt exactly a luxury home, but it did teach me a lot about how to survive in the outdoors. Anyways, the storm pass by within 20 minutes, but my canoe was nowhere to be seen, and I knew I could not swim 3 km to the other side, as I had recently had surgery, only two months prior on my ankle, and theres no way I couldve made it, so, just like you did in the video, thanks to a bunch of downed trees, are used nothing but my Swiss Army knife, a bundle of twine and fishing wire, and constructed very very sturdy shelter attached to the cave, so I was guaranteed to stay dry, and safe from who we called old smoky, a bear that would frequently swim all the way to the island just to eat all the blueberries growing there. Thankfully he didnt show up, and there were plenty of berries to eat, combined with the rainwater, and the fish I was able to catch, I was able to last five days by myself with no help. I always carry waterproof matches in my tacklebox, plus a little emergency kit, because as most people know who fish, getting scratches and scrapes is inevitable. I was able to start a fire, and kept that sucker burning, piling green tree limbs, knowing they make the most smoke, all day and night, until a rescue plane finally spotted the smoke. Worst of all, I had driven up two days before my family was to meet me there, so they had no idea Ive gone missing until they arrived and saw my car but not me. I feel so guilty, my poor parents must of had a heart attack, because yes theyre still alive, And even though they are now in their 80s, and Im in my 50s, they still treat me like Im five years old They didnt waste time calling the cops, and I became the target of a massive search party. So thank you for making this video, because I can tell you that knowing the simple skills can literally save your life and me and the difference between life and death. The only hard part was cooking my fish without a frying pan or any utensils, but Im pretty good at improvising. I found a really flat rock, and some other stones to put over the fire to cook my fish on, my Swiss Army knife had a knife and a fork of course, so I didnt really panic at all, if anything I kind of enjoyed it, because I knew for a fact they would find me, my specialty is bonfires, even if I didnt have matches I know how to start one, using only what I can find in the woods. Its true that necessity is the mother of all invention, you get really creative when you think you might die Thankfully the island had everything I needed to survive, its not very big, only 1 km long and about 750 m wide, but when youre surrounded by a freshwater lake filled with fish, blueberries everywhere, and proper shelter, not to mention it was towards the end of summer so the weather was just perfect, but still, Ill admit after a few days I began to worry a little, but I knew that I could stay alive for many weeks without any help. I think I mustve eaten half the Fish in that lake while I was waiting for my rescue LOL Nothing like a plate of blueberries and fish for breakfast lunch and dinner But hey, you do what you need to do to survive, like I said, it was actually kind of fun, I knew that whole area so well because I grew up there, but Ive never really explored that island, so I kept the bonfire burning and went for walks, found some interesting things too, including a womans diamond ring that somehow washed up on shore. The only uncomfortable part is sleeping and wearing the same clothes for five days, Ive often jump into the lake to wash off the mud and sweat from sleeping in a cave, but even the rescuers commented on what a nice little place I had created for myself. Apparently I was in the newspapers and everything, damned if I can find it, but I got to be a celebrity for one whole day, thanks to the skills that you taught people here today. Why am I saying all this? Simple, because most people think that it will never happen to them, so why should they bother to learn, Especially if they live in the city, but life has a funny way of throwing things at you when you least expect it, which is why I always go prepared at least with the bare necessities. So trust me, pay attention to this video, because it can very easily happen to you, and if you dont know what to do, you as good as dead. Thanks for the video and thanks for listening, and if you have any questions feel free to ask, just respond to my comment and Ill get back to you as soon as I can. And one more thing, for those of you with young children, no matter where you live, teach them the skills, and make sure they can remember it. Something very similar happened to one of my friends sons, but sadly he didnt survive, because he was never taught how to survive in the wild by himself, he was 17, up north at a party, got drunk and wandered into the forest, far into the forest. He couldnt find his way back, and this was in late October. I dont know exactly where it happened, but it was a very isolated area, and because he didnt know any survival skills, he died within two days from exposure to the elements, poor kid, and my poor friend. Hes never been the same since it happened, and constantly blames himself for not teaching his son the very basics of survival, please dont make the same mistake with your kids, thanks for listening.
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Looks like the ideal place to build a shelter with all that wood hanging around. I got stranded once up north at our cottage, or close to it at least. This is in the Kawarthas, about 2 1/2 hours north of Toronto where I live. Weve had a family cottage up there for ages, about 10 years ago, as I often did, I just grab the canoe, and went fishing all day. But this day was an exception, because I didnt check the forecast, and I was at least 3 km from our cottage in the middle of the lake, when one of those massive powerful flash thunderstorms hit, with almost no warning at all. All I could do was paddle like hell to the closest island. The waves were at least 10 feet high, not an easy thing when youre in a canoe. I knew the area like the back of my hand, so I docked where are usually did on that island, tied my boat up to the nearest tree, and ran like hell to an outcropping of caves. As I look back this powerful wind comes out of nowhere, and blows not only my boat, but the tree its tied to, away. I had left my phone at home on purpose, I didnt wanna be bothered in the middle of fishing, I just love being in nature alone, its so relaxing, except this time. I was stranded on the island with no way to get in touch with anybody, and because I was on the side of the island that faced an area where there were no homes or cottages, and its impossible to climb to the other side because of the cliffs that rise 100 m up, and I had no ropes, I was stranded for sure. The only good thing? Dont ask me why but when I left my canoe, I had grabbed my tacklebox and fishing rod, which was my savior I grew up in Toronto but spent three months every summer up north at our very rustic cottage, up until 10 years ago we didnt have a telephone, all we had was a TV with an antenna, and cold water running up from the lake through a small pump. My dad built the cottage back in the early 50s, so needless to say it wasnt exactly a luxury home, but it did teach me a lot about how to survive in the outdoors. Anyways, the storm pass by within 20 minutes, but my canoe was nowhere to be seen, and I knew I could not swim 3 km to the other side, as I had recently had surgery, only two months prior on my ankle, and theres no way I couldve made it, so, just like you did in the video, thanks to a bunch of downed trees, are used nothing but my Swiss Army knife, a bundle of twine and fishing wire, and constructed very very sturdy shelter attached to the cave, so I was guaranteed to stay dry, and safe from who we called old smoky, a bear that would frequently swim all the way to the island just to eat all the blueberries growing there. Thankfully he didnt show up, and there were plenty of berries to eat, combined with the rainwater, and the fish I was able to catch, I was able to last five days by myself with no help. I always carry waterproof matches in my tacklebox, plus a little emergency kit, because as most people know who fish, getting scratches and scrapes is inevitable. I was able to start a fire, and kept that sucker burning, piling green tree limbs, knowing they make the most smoke, all day and night, until a rescue plane finally spotted the smoke. Worst of all, I had driven up two days before my family was to meet me there, so they had no idea Ive gone missing until they arrived and saw my car but not me. I feel so guilty, my poor parents must of had a heart attack, because yes theyre still alive, And even though they are now in their 80s, and Im in my 50s, they still treat me like Im five years old They didnt waste time calling the cops, and I became the target of a massive search party. So thank you for making this video, because I can tell you that knowing the simple skills can literally save your life and me and the difference between life and death. The only hard part was cooking my fish without a frying pan or any utensils, but Im pretty good at improvising. I found a really flat rock, and some other stones to put over the fire to cook my fish on, my Swiss Army knife had a knife and a fork of course, so I didnt really panic at all, if anything I kind of enjoyed it, because I knew for a fact they would find me, my specialty is bonfires, even if I didnt have matches I know how to start one, using only what I can find in the woods. Its true that necessity is the mother of all invention, you get really creative when you think you might die Thankfully the island had everything I needed to survive, its not very big, only 1 km long and about 750 m wide, but when youre surrounded by a freshwater lake filled with fish, blueberries everywhere, and proper shelter, not to mention it was towards the end of summer so the weather was just perfect, but still, Ill admit after a few days I began to worry a little, but I knew that I could stay alive for many weeks without any help. I think I mustve eaten half the Fish in that lake while I was waiting for my rescue LOL Nothing like a plate of blueberries and fish for breakfast lunch and dinner But hey, you do what you need to do to survive, like I said, it was actually kind of fun, I knew that whole area so well because I grew up there, but Ive never really explored that island, so I kept the bonfire burning and went for walks, found some interesting things too, including a womans diamond ring that somehow washed up on shore. The only uncomfortable part is sleeping and wearing the same clothes for five days, Ive often jump into the lake to wash off the mud and sweat from sleeping in a cave, but even the rescuers commented on what a nice little place I had created for myself. Apparently I was in the newspapers and everything, damned if I can find it, but I got to be a celebrity for one whole day, thanks to the skills that you taught people here today. Why am I saying all this? Simple, because most people think that it will never happen to them, so why should they bother to learn, Especially if they live in the city, but life has a funny way of throwing things at you when you least expect it, which is why I always go prepared at least with the bare necessities. So trust me, pay attention to this video, because it can very easily happen to you, and if you dont know what to do, you as good as dead. Thanks for the video and thanks for listening, and if you have any questions feel free to ask, just respond to my comment and Ill get back to you as soon as I can. And one more thing, for those of you with young children, no matter where you live, teach them the skills, and make sure they can remember it. Something very similar happened to one of my friends sons, but sadly he didnt survive, because he was never taught how to survive in the wild by himself, he was 17, up north at a party, got drunk and wandered into the forest, far into the forest. He couldnt find his way back, and this was in late October. I dont know exactly where it happened, but it was a very isolated area, and because he didnt know any survival skills, he died within two days from exposure to the elements, poor kid, and my poor friend. Hes never been the same since it happened, and constantly blames himself for not teaching his son the very basics of survival, please dont make the same mistake with your kids, thanks for listening.
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Sean C
i am not sure why there is this mindset that everything has to be done super fast, why, if you are not hurt, or naked and hurt you can survive the elements for a night, even if it's snowing or raining, most people don't die that easily imo (unless they have no clothes, and are injured in some way and in that case there not going to be doing much building quickly) i always just take my time, sometimes i lean up against a tree for an hour thinking, looking around, figuring out what i want to try, i also often go out in the bush unprepared, it's such a rush camping in winter with sandals and a T-shirt(i bring the proper clothes with me in case i just can't handle it of course i'm not trying to die lol) but half the time i don't even need a shelter, i just need a fire on the first day, unless it's pouring rain, i sure wish i could go to your country and do some camping out there, in my state you can barely walk through the woods, stinging nettles, huge thorn monster plants make it a nightmare. i moved to florida and it's almost as bad, but there is fire ants literally occupying every inch of ground here, no snow though so it's super easy survival camping, it's the most fun to kayak into a refuse island though, i dunno why they call them that, it's just random islands that are open to the public to camp on. anyways great video, it's really cool how the moss grows there
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i am not sure why there is this mindset that everything has to be done super fast, why, if you are not hurt, or naked and hurt you can survive the elements for a night, even if it's snowing or raining, most people don't die that easily imo (unless they have no clothes, and are injured in some way and in that case there not going to be doing much building quickly) i always just take my time, sometimes i lean up against a tree for an hour thinking, looking around, figuring out what i want to try, i also often go out in the bush unprepared, it's such a rush camping in winter with sandals and a T-shirt(i bring the proper clothes with me in case i just can't handle it of course i'm not trying to die lol) but half the time i don't even need a shelter, i just need a fire on the first day, unless it's pouring rain, i sure wish i could go to your country and do some camping out there, in my state you can barely walk through the woods, stinging nettles, huge thorn monster plants make it a nightmare. i moved to florida and it's almost as bad, but there is fire ants literally occupying every inch of ground here, no snow though so it's super easy survival camping, it's the most fun to kayak into a refuse island though, i dunno why they call them that, it's just random islands that are open to the public to camp on. anyways great video, it's really cool how the moss grows there
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carl bernsen
Nicely made video, well done. It's good that you honestly pointed out the disadvantages too, and it's a lot of work for a shelter that's not really very waterproof I'm always interested in what the 'survival situation' really is. Someone needing to sleep outdoors unexpectedly is likely to be either lost or injured, and realises they can't get back to base camp or home before dark. This is more likely if they're exploring unfamiliar territory and they've gone further than they can easily walk back in half a day. They'll realise that as it starts to get dark and they have little time left. They'll only need shelter if it's cold or wet or both. Imagine the time and energy saved if they had even just a thin waterproof tarp and a thin foam sleeping mat Why not add a lightweight sleeping bag and a few oat bars and they're all set Being prepared is not only about knowing how to make natural shelters, etc, it's about realistically assessing risk and planning to avoid it. Carrying lightweight, basic camping gear when exploring new places can make an unplanned overnighter, even in pouring rain, no more than a slight inconvenience, rather than a survival situation.
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Nicely made video, well done. It's good that you honestly pointed out the disadvantages too, and it's a lot of work for a shelter that's not really very waterproof I'm always interested in what the 'survival situation' really is. Someone needing to sleep outdoors unexpectedly is likely to be either lost or injured, and realises they can't get back to base camp or home before dark. This is more likely if they're exploring unfamiliar territory and they've gone further than they can easily walk back in half a day. They'll realise that as it starts to get dark and they have little time left. They'll only need shelter if it's cold or wet or both. Imagine the time and energy saved if they had even just a thin waterproof tarp and a thin foam sleeping mat Why not add a lightweight sleeping bag and a few oat bars and they're all set Being prepared is not only about knowing how to make natural shelters, etc, it's about realistically assessing risk and planning to avoid it. Carrying lightweight, basic camping gear when exploring new places can make an unplanned overnighter, even in pouring rain, no more than a slight inconvenience, rather than a survival situation.
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Cramaine
I spent the night in a shelter like this. Being in Australia there was no moss, so branches with leaves were used and it was built using a live tree as the main support with the branches laid against it in an upright cone shape. It was big enough for three of us to sleep in although we had to squat inside and lean against the tree. It rained quite heavily and it leaked alot, was pretty miserable but immensely better than sleeping in the open and being drenched and exposed to the wind. There were thousands of spiders and they were not shy about crawling all over me but none decided I was a threat worth biting. Another time I slept in a hedge that had been hollowed out and lined with cardboard boxes, that was actually pretty good but it didn't rain so no idea how it would have compared.
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I spent the night in a shelter like this. Being in Australia there was no moss, so branches with leaves were used and it was built using a live tree as the main support with the branches laid against it in an upright cone shape. It was big enough for three of us to sleep in although we had to squat inside and lean against the tree. It rained quite heavily and it leaked alot, was pretty miserable but immensely better than sleeping in the open and being drenched and exposed to the wind. There were thousands of spiders and they were not shy about crawling all over me but none decided I was a threat worth biting. Another time I slept in a hedge that had been hollowed out and lined with cardboard boxes, that was actually pretty good but it didn't rain so no idea how it would have compared.
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Spiraling Universe
I find it the less we need even less tools, We can be happier. All things baggage attachments, always having to need can weigh on you. You can not really migrate or live as human with the earth. In the wild and just be how earth source creation god intended for life to be. A human can adapt and live with the earth and only need fire nothing else and just be human. Side note i am enduring cold and hot more in life to get adapted to weather more. To get by in winter wearing summer clothes and sandles and still feel warm. It's my dream to be atleast shirtless in winter maybe couple years or so.
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I find it the less we need even less tools, We can be happier. All things baggage attachments, always having to need can weigh on you. You can not really migrate or live as human with the earth. In the wild and just be how earth source creation god intended for life to be. A human can adapt and live with the earth and only need fire nothing else and just be human. Side note i am enduring cold and hot more in life to get adapted to weather more. To get by in winter wearing summer clothes and sandles and still feel warm. It's my dream to be atleast shirtless in winter maybe couple years or so.
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Cheeky Devil
Ps - if youre able to, try to build your shelter so that it rests at least a few feet off the ground, that way you dont get bothered by any animals. You only need to find four sturdy trees, and if you have a rope, even better, if not use rocks, the hold up the floor. You can easily make a shelter in less than an hour, with only some fishing wire and a pocket knife, just be creative. Make sure you teach your kids, but make it something fun for them, they tend to remember things more if they enjoy it, but do you teach them regardless, it could save their life one day.
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Ps - if youre able to, try to build your shelter so that it rests at least a few feet off the ground, that way you dont get bothered by any animals. You only need to find four sturdy trees, and if you have a rope, even better, if not use rocks, the hold up the floor. You can easily make a shelter in less than an hour, with only some fishing wire and a pocket knife, just be creative. Make sure you teach your kids, but make it something fun for them, they tend to remember things more if they enjoy it, but do you teach them regardless, it could save their life one day.
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dale maloney
next time you build one of these put the uprights 1 foot apart. tie them down. take a piece of heavy clear plastic, stretch it over what you built then put the rest of the timber on the sides like you did this wll make it water proof, no leaks, drafts, etc put a layer ofr two of plastic on the floor and stake it down. NOW you will be out of the mud. wont take much heat to heat the shelter then. stop the wet, stop the drafts, less heat wasted be SURE you tie the top layer of wood DOWN. plastic could leave if you dont
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next time you build one of these put the uprights 1 foot apart. tie them down. take a piece of heavy clear plastic, stretch it over what you built then put the rest of the timber on the sides like you did this wll make it water proof, no leaks, drafts, etc put a layer ofr two of plastic on the floor and stake it down. NOW you will be out of the mud. wont take much heat to heat the shelter then. stop the wet, stop the drafts, less heat wasted be SURE you tie the top layer of wood DOWN. plastic could leave if you dont
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shieldmaiden000
Thank you so much for this video. I enjoyed it very much. I just have one question: Why didn't you leave the moss rolled up and than place it on the structure and unroll it once you had it up on the A-frame? It would have been easier and it wouldn't have torn or fallen to pieces like it was doing. Your videos are very informative and I like very much the ones that show how to survive without manufactured tools. Thanks again and please keep us informed.
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Thank you so much for this video. I enjoyed it very much. I just have one question: Why didn't you leave the moss rolled up and than place it on the structure and unroll it once you had it up on the A-frame? It would have been easier and it wouldn't have torn or fallen to pieces like it was doing. Your videos are very informative and I like very much the ones that show how to survive without manufactured tools. Thanks again and please keep us informed.
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Angel Colantuono
I love watching videos like this I learn a lot from them I went out in my backyard and tried building a shelter I got the foundation down but when I went to cover up the gaps so no water gets in it collapsed on me lol. I also used moss like you did but I think I put to much on it that it got heavy. I also learned to make a fire with out a fire starter and I was atcually able to do it I felt so accomplished that day lol.
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I love watching videos like this I learn a lot from them I went out in my backyard and tried building a shelter I got the foundation down but when I went to cover up the gaps so no water gets in it collapsed on me lol. I also used moss like you did but I think I put to much on it that it got heavy. I also learned to make a fire with out a fire starter and I was atcually able to do it I felt so accomplished that day lol.
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Psiberzerker
Just a quick note: For the purposes of filming, he rather rushed through especially the brush clearing, because editing. Don't do this, take your time, conserve your energy, and be careful. In a survival situation (Not making footage to edit into a video) It's not worth doing wrong. Start early, so you have more time to do it right, and also account for unforseen delays.
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Just a quick note: For the purposes of filming, he rather rushed through especially the brush clearing, because editing. Don't do this, take your time, conserve your energy, and be careful. In a survival situation (Not making footage to edit into a video) It's not worth doing wrong. Start early, so you have more time to do it right, and also account for unforseen delays.
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