Man Creates Incredible Wilderness Shelter Using Only His Hands

If you’re an outdoor enthusiast like this guy, then we’re sure you share his drive to push limits and explore the unknown. Growing up broke in a city surrounded by some of the best adventures known throughout the world led this determined man on one unique mission: to make his own trail through nature’s backyard without spending a dime!

Apparently, he wanted to make the most of his free time, so the explorer set off for a big adventure in the mountains. What started as an ambitious challenge soon turned into something more than he could handle—getting lost without any supplies!

As the sun set, he became lost and realized it would be best to wait for daylight before deciding on a course of action. The man huddled against a tree and wrapped himself in his jacket, starting a small fire at his feet in an attempt to get some sleep.

After several hours of hiking along the river, he finally came across a trail that led down to the road. Even though he was exhausted and covered in scratches from the dense bush he had to navigate, the sight of the road filled him with relief.

However, the experience taught him a lot about himself and his ability to overcome challenges, even if they were not particularly life-threatening. From this experience, our main man learned the importance of always being prepared and trusting their instincts. As a result, he now always carries a backpack full of gear on hikes, even if they are just a few hours long.

He certainly learned this lesson the hard way and has since been dedicated to learning and studying survival techniques. As he became more comfortable with his skills, he felt more confident in pushing the boundaries of all adventures and seeing new and exciting things.

He recently came across a video by Primitive Technology that demonstrates how to build one of the best outdoor survival shelters, called a Wattle and Daub structure. This type of shelter has been used by civilizations for over 6,000 years and could come in handy in the event of an extended stay in the wilderness while waiting for rescue.

Before we begin building our shelter, we need to find a flat, level piece of ground with plenty of nearby natural resources. This type of shelter is not suitable for most desert areas because of the lack of resources, but anywhere with foliage and greenery will provide everything we need.

We can use a round rock to chip away at a flat rock to create a sharp blade. With enough effort, we can craft a heavy blade that can be used to cut down the trees we’ll need for our shelter. Look for branches that are between 2 and 3 inches in diameter and utilize the sharpened stone to hack at the base of the branch to cut it down. 

To build the base columns for your shelter, use a digging stick and a large rock to pound holes into the ground. These holes will hold your main support poles in place. Look for vines in the woods to use as binding material. Almost anything thin and pliable, from small branches to roots, will work. 

Repeat this process on the edges of the area, using smaller branches and creating a structure about half the size of the main one. These smaller structures will hold up the roof, which can be created using smaller branches lashed together at the ends and placed on top of the main form.

Here’s the easy but crucial step in creating the roofing for the shelter, gather a large quantity of leaves, making sure to choose ones that have already fallen to the ground. These are the best ones to use as they will not alter their shape when they dry. 

Start at the bottom and work your way up to create a waterproof structure that will allow water to flow off the edges of the roof. To provide additional structural support, use the binding material to lash some crossbeams between the main supports on both open sides of the shelter, leaving one side open for an entrance. 

We may make an elevated platform for resting by using the cutting stone to trim the limbs that will serve as support for the platform. Next, hammer the four posts into the ground and then strap a beam in between the two sets of posts, one set at the front and one set at the back.

Now that it’s all done, the following step will guarantee that we are protected from harm and able to maintain a level of comfort despite the severity of the storm. So, here’s the drill: make two separate cuts down each of the smaller branches with the cutting stone. 

When the branches are sawn in two, they gain a great deal of flexibility. We should start at the bottom and work our way up, alternating the method that we weave them in and out of the wall supports as we go. 

If one has never tried it before, building a fire by hand may be a really challenging experience, even though it always seems to be presented as an easy task on television shows about surviving in the wilderness. Before, some folks felt comfortable doing it in the wild, they had to practice it quite a few times in their own yard first, and even now, they struggle to get it to work most of the time.

It seems like he had little trouble getting the fire going, so here’s what we should do. First, stock up on dry wood and dry, fibrous kindling for this. Then, gently drop the ember into the kindling and blow on it lightly. After then, turn to God, hoping that the fire will start.

The creation of the daub is the next phase in the process. Basically, it is a mixture of organic plant debris, water, and mud are the three components that make up a daub. It is, in essence, an early kind of concrete.

Although time-consuming, this process will provide the equipment and supplies we need to finish building our shelter and equip ourselves with a number of valuable conveniences. To use the daub, roll it into “snakes” and stack them.

When making the containers, employ the “snake” approach since it will result in more consistent and robust containers. If one tries to mold a bowl using just one hand, the bowl will almost certainly disintegrate when one tries to dry it.

The new clay bowl will become more durable after being subjected to a low-heat burn all around its circumference. This will allow it to hold water without becoming unstable. Clay has a fibrous substance that functions similarly to rebar in that it contains the concrete together.

The next step is to bring water back to the hideout so that one may make much more daub. This daub will be utilized to insulate and preserve the walls of the lair. These walls will not be able to protect us throughout the night or keep heavy rain out, but they will do a decent job of shading us from the sun and keeping light rain off us. 

The man then created a tiny drainage trench by using mud that was directly on the outside of the shelter to keep the base of the wattle and daub structure dry. When we have finished forming the daub by mixing together the earth, water, and plant components that are fibrous, pack it into the wall. 

Take a few of the coals you made previously and start a smoldering fire within the makeshift shelter. Your newly constructed walls will begin to dry out as a result of this. He went one step further and built a permanent fire pit right next to the bed, which was an impressive addition.

By climbing the tree and removing the bark from areas that one would not ordinarily be able to access, he was able to utilize as much of a single tree as feasible. It is possible to destroy a tree by removing its bark; therefore, you should strive to do so as little as possible.

After that, you are going to want to make a hole in the freshly dried wall that you have constructed. Perform this action on the side of your home that is opposite your front door. Again, take your time and remove only a little section of the wall at a time to avoid causing any damage to the structure you are currently working on. 

The story doesn’t end here. Now, the man in the video started constructing a tiny fireplace that would be located on the exterior of the wattle and daub shelter by using the ground next to him as well as the water containers he had with him.

Now, this is a permanent solution to the nighttime smoke problem caused by the fire inside the building. There’s a chimney! Because he planned for the chimney to rise above the cover, he had to seal off the entire structure. It enables him to proceed with erecting the vent on the side of the hut. 

The last piece is placed on the top of the chimney, and while doing so, care is taken to ensure that it reaches above the level of the roof. This will put an end to any flames that may break out. The air that enters the building through the aperture on the interior is fed into the fire.

The way things are looking, if you had a constant supply of food and water, you could live here indefinitely. This is an incredible building, and it shouldn’t take more than a couple of days to erect. I’d rather sleep in one of these than shiver the night away under the shade of a tree.

The most crucial guideline of exploration and adventure is always to be ready for anything. Being well-informed is vital. One may pack as much gear as we like for a trip into the wilderness, but if we don’t know how to stay alive without it, we may leave everything at home.

Those actions and their proper sequence may be easily remembered by recalling the initial letter of each of the aforementioned terms. In this case, “P” is for “protection,” Keep your safety a top priority at all times. Keep clear from “widow makers,” as we call ancient trees, and learn about local animals and other dangers.

The letter W denotes the element water. Currently, water is the most pressing issue. It’s a good idea to look in both obvious and less obvious places, such as riverbanks and washes. Try to locate any spots that appear greener than the others to find a water source. “F” is for “fire” to start. 

The lack of hypothermia and the presence of predators are both avoided with the help of a safe place to rest. Even though this refuge is not ideal for more than one night’s stay, we’ll never know when help will arrive.