Solo Bushcraft Winter Camp Natural Shelter - ASMR No Talking

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Solo Bushcraft Winter Camp Natural Shelter ASMR No Talking

The goal for this trip was to go out and in a short amount of time, build a sufficient shelter to stay overnight using just the materials from the forests around us. No tarps and no cordage just simply what was in the environment.

I found myself in a grove of spruce and Tamarac which was perfect for what I wanted to do that day. Lots of straight timber lots of dead standing timber to utilize and create a makeshift lean-to using a downed tree.

Going in blind to a location you don't know what you're going to find and so it was key for me to keep my eyes really engaged on to the forest and what was there that I could use. I found this one particular type of fallen tree. It was sufficient to not only sleep under but sit, split firewood, prepare food and even use it as a makeshift table.

I also wanted to cook up some venison steaks from last hunting season.

Using the down tree that I found as the primary support for the lean-to I then cut maybe 15 straight poles to the same length and maybe 10 short of holes for the foot end and the head end at the shelter.

I rested them upon the fallen tree making a lean-to-type structure. Once that was completed I went about collecting spruce boughs which ended up being more tricky than I thought as the woods were fairly immature and therefore didn't have a lot of large Spruce boughs to be collected.

I ended up having to go further afield and collect lots of smaller ones for the shelter, which is a good example of how things can go when you're in a new area. You might have almost everything perfectly set up and then one thing you might have to go and work a little bit harder to get. After the spruce boughs were laid on the back of the shelter I then collected more and put them down as a base for the bed. I laid my sleeping bag out and that was fundamentally the whole setup of the shelter It was very simple and effective and quick for a single night in the woods.

So this trip I wanted to make a fire that would burn evenly and quickly to create a nice bed of coals to cook on within 35-40 minutes of burning. I decided to go with the upside-down fire technique which for me has always been a really good fire for even burn, not a whole lot of smoke and quick coal creation.

Start by placing three or four large logs in the snow or on the ground. Then work your way up with each layer added being slightly smaller and stacked perpendicular to the previous layer. By the time you get to the top of the pyramid, the thickness of the wood should be pretty small.

The beauty of this fire is once lit, the embers fall through each layer igniting it, and allowing the fire to burn unattended. Because each layer is stacked perpendicular to the last it allows a lot of airflow which means this fire will burn hot and fast allowing for a very quick bed of coals to form. This makes it ideal for cooking on.

I think really it's special to go back to the woods and prepare the meat that you've spent time in the previous year harvesting and there's something really full circle about that and venison is delicious. After you've had a tough day building a shelter it's a nice way to finish.

I noticed that you used the fallen tree for a lot of different things

Yeah, That's something that has come with experience in time in the woods. Looking for things in the immediate environment that can now become a useful tool. The tree was very study and solid and made a perfect place to split wood and do a lot of the axe knife work that we needed to do for the preparation of the fire...

I think ultimately getting out into the woods and practicing your bushcraft and wilderness living skills is the best way to become more comfortable in the outdoors. It's interesting as your skills develop and you gain experience, the way that you see the woods changes. Suddenly as you walk through the woods you're seeing resources, wild edibles, fuel, and shelter around you whereas before it would have just been wild woodlands. Over time everything becomes less intimidating and more welcoming, and I just love that.

00:00 - Introduction
00:41 - Natural Shelter Location
00:60 - Natural Shelter Preparation
05:44 - Natural Shelter Supports
09:38 - Natural Shelter Roof
11:09 - Bushcraft Bed
12:21 - Preparing a fire
15:38 - Fire Lighting
17:38 - Venison Dinner

#walkwild #bushcraft #solo #wintercamp #primitiveskills #canada