Primitive Survival Shelter Build with Bare Hands - No Tools Needed

I head into the forest to to build a primitive survival shelter using just my hands and no tools. This bushcraft shelter is ideal for a 24 hour survival situation. I forage for resources and use nature to my advantage. Using natural materials such as sticks and moss to build this primitive shelter. Building a bushcraft shelter can be a challenge, but by using minimal effort and your intuition you can work with nature to protect and provide for yourself. I scout the area for a fallen tree. I use the tree as a ridgepole for the A-frame shelter. Using sticks to support the frame of the shelter, I then use moss on the wood roof to keep the rain out. If I was looking to bug out, this would be the type of low-profile, stealth shelter that I would build.

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[GIguy]

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. We’ve 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 didn’t 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 you’re 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 it’s tied to, away. I had left my phone at home on purpose, I didn’t wanna be bothered in the middle of fishing, I just love being in nature alone, it’s 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 it’s 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? Don’t 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 didn’t 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 wasn’t 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 there’s no way I could’ve 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 didn’t 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 I’ve 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 they’re still alive, And even though they are now in their 80s, and I’m in my 50s, they still treat me like I’m five years old! They didn’t 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 I’m 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 didn’t 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 didn’t have matches I know how to start one, using only what I can find in the woods. It’s 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, it’s not very big, only 1 km long and about 750 m wide, but when you’re 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, I’ll 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 must’ve 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 I’ve never really explored that island, so I kept the bonfire burning and went for walks, found some interesting things too, including a woman’s diamond ring that somehow washed up on shore. The only uncomfortable part is sleeping and wearing the same clothes for five days, I’ve 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 don’t 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 I’ll 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 didn’t 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 couldn’t find his way back, and this was in late October. I don’t know exactly where it happened, but it was a very isolated area, and because he didn’t know any survival skills, he died within two days from exposure to the elements, poor kid, and my poor friend. He’s never been the same since it happened, and constantly blames himself for not teaching his son the very basics of survival, please don’t make the same mistake with your kids, thanks for listening.

[ericlinck]

You can always trust a dude speaking in an English accent to teach you survival lessons and techniques.

Bloody well done mate!

[stacywood]

you should do a 24 or 48 hour woodland video and make your shelter . like if you agree

[jamesdemaria]

I'm on the run from the law, and them fools cant find me in my moss shelter

[benrose]

Im being honest I watched it because I wanted to build and continue are neighborhood fort

[daveslifeover]

That was TA. No tools and a fairly well made shelter. Nicely done.

[jacobrogers]

i would recommend collecting moss from the ground further from your shelter because it can make the ground a muddy mess!

[thevoodooman]

0:25
Me passing High School with a 4.0, but a 90.27% in every class

[jasmijnariel]

No sl*tty thumbnail, no BS talking, no fancy tools, nothing of all those things.

Straight to the point, simple video that is perfect! Love it!👍😍

[LaurenKills]

This guy cares more about my safety than I do

[chamilton]

Great vid!! Loved hearing your thought process as you went along, especially given no tools
and no tarp. Thanks for the bushcraft common sense! God Bless, from Texas

[ragnarocking]

Love it. I hope you leave it up - I'm curious as to how long it will last and if it would possibly grow stronger over time, becoming more "water-tight" and insulated from wind.

[paulrogers]

TA, yours is the first vid. series that truly encompasses "bush craft".

[HuskySamuraiZ]

I’m 12 years old with not that much survival gear but I love the wild and building my own stuff this helps so much

[olliec]

Reminds me of when I was homeless. Me and a mate (also homeless) built one of these, and the tree that had fallen naturally that we used as the top of the A frame, was quite high. So we could literally stand under shelter, at the opening. It took us ages, and after a couple of months our 2 man campsite had grown to a little homeless community out in the woods. We were proud of it for a little while. Until humans did what humans do best and ruined it. Too many people just kept trashing the place with their rubbish and drug paraphernalia. That the local council barred us from using the land. So police would show up everyday and move us on. Such a shame.

[vinniesdayoff]

It is good that you are honest enough to admit the shelter would not be waterproof. Too many people on YouTube are building crap shelters and making out that they would be weatherproof and it is going to put someone in danger.I have to wonder what is the point of going to all this work just to stop the wind which may very well change as you said. You could use the roots of a fallen tree or a bank or a large rock. A large fire would keep you warm if that was the only worry. my opinion is that rain would be a real killer if you had no waterproofs

[alambiduanchanel]

Mate this is the most beautiful Survival Instinct i ever seen, you're clearly Hardworking person
Thank so much Mate
Cheerioo... 👍👍👍🤠🍻🍻

[mrinconsistency]

You make my day) Love you’re videos, so interesting and helpful, please make a series out of this or at least a second episode )

[carlbernsen]

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.

[annabnana_]

This is easier to make than some I’ve seen. I’m a girl and not that strong of course. This makes sense to me. I think I could actually do this. Good vid thanks!