Solo bushcraft trip - making primitive shelter, cooking bird over camp fire, homemade axe etc.

3 days bushcraft trip. Making a primitive lean-to shelter. Cooking a hole chicken over the campfire, building a fire reflector, walkabout looking for antlers etc. Open the full video description for more information.

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Date: March 2025

Day: 10°C (50°F)
Night: 0°C (32°F)

Hours of daylight = 12

Location: Scandinavia, west Denmark - sea, spruce/pine and hardwood forrest. Some of the most remote in Denmark, but limited how remote it can get. A lot of birds and deers etc. No bears, only a few wolves.

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Consuming:

Water and spruce tea.
Roasted chicken with salt.
Soup with left over chicken roast, onions, potato, garlic.

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A few questions:

1. Is the shelter water proof?
No - moss is only good enough if you expected relative dry weather.

2. What type of axe are you using?
Karelian axe. Homemade - C45 steel and ash handle. 900 grams (including the handle), 8cm cutting edge, 60cm handle, 16.5cm from pole to cutting edge.

3. What type of knife are you using?
A classic nordic knife, offen referred to by the finnish name "Puukko". Homemade - spring steel and birch burl handle. Here is how I made it    • Making nordic bushcraft knife - black...  

4. How long does it take to cook a chicken over a fire like that?
2-3 hours.

5. Why do you sometimes hit with the side of the axe instead of the poll?
Keeps the cutting edge away from your face and the larger surface area makes you less likely to miss. I usually only use the side of the axe in the beginning (when things can be unstable and or I don't need to hit hard).

6. What is you're kuksa/drinking cop made from?
Birch burl. Homemade.

7. Can I buy an axe, knife etc. from you?
No.

8. Who made the cooking pot?
It is a modified 2L Pathfinder Bushpot. Only the handle is homemade.

9. Do you hunt?
No - all food is from a local store. I only fish and gather mushrooms.

10. Is it safe to be in the forrest when the wind are so strong?
No and yes - on this trip was the wind quite strong at times but if you take the time to proper check for widow makers/problem trees/branches before choosing a camp site are you likely to be fine despite some strong winds. Needs to be a hurricane/serious storm before the forest becomes a dangerous place to be camping like this in.

11. How long was the trip? And how did you get there?
So far has the trip been one week. The trip will be 2-3 weeks in total. I did get there by train and cargo bike (SCO Short John from 1960's).

12. Why make the wall next to the fire?
Protects the fire from wind and reflects/light.

13. What did you use for making the fire?
Amadou tinder, flint and homemade steel striker. Here is how I forged the steel striker and prepare the amadou tinder    • Making fire steel -  blacksmithing, f...  

14. From what animal was the skull?
Deer. I guess a small red deer but not sure.

15. From what animal was the antler?
Red deer.

16. Can you twist all branches into rope like that?
Yes. Need to be green. Heat from the fire makes it easier to twist and in case you use spruce branches like I am in this video does the fire also burn away the sharp points on the spruce needles.

17. Why add the spruce branches under the reindeer skin?
It ads warmth and padding. Also protects the skin from wet ground.

18. Is it patches on you're reindeer skin?
Yes - it did get too wet on a previous trip. Reindeer skins are very durable when dry but then soaked/very wet are they fragile. Usually not a problem to keep then dry enought on trips.

19. What sleeping bag are you using?
Carinthia Defence 4. I use it as a quilt because the zipper are broken.

20. The sound issues at 23:50?
Yes - sorry about that. Did accidentally turn on the safety channel function on my microphone and it took a bit before I realized it. I can't change it in my simple video editing software. Sorry - will hopefully not happen again.

21. What if I want to do the same but it is illegal on public land in my country
Ask land owner for permission, buy land or travel to another country.

22. What if I have a question that is not included in this video description?
Consider leaving a comment - I read all comments made within the first few days of a new uploade.

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Some of the gear used in the video:

Tarp = Tschum
Cuting tools = homemade
Boots = Lundhags Forest
Pants = Bläklader (unknown model)
Anorak = Fjallraven Vardag
Sweater = handmade by local (not selling)
Backpack = Eberlestock Mainframe f1
Sleeping bag = Carinthia Defence 4
Cooking pot = modified Pathfinder Bushpot 2L
Raindeer skin = unknown, from Sapmi

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Video gear:

Nikon Z30
Nikon 40mm 2
Nikon 50-250mm 4.5-6.3
Røde videomic NTG
Macbook 2011
iMovie