For many outdoors enthusiasts, living off the land and surviving in the wilderness represents the ultimate adventure. While the conveniences of modern technology are great, having the skills to build a primitive shelter can be one of the most empowering abilities you can have.
You never know when you might be forced to live simply. The economy might collapse, a nuclear holocaust might occur or there could be a zombie apocalypse. You just never know. It’s also just cool to learn and understand how native people’s lived and flourished in unforgiving terrain.
With increased attention on bushcraft skills in numerous reality television shows, many enthusiasts have taken to Youtube to showcase their skills. One young man in Far North Queensland, Australia has put together a stunning demonstration through various time-lapse Youtube videos on just how to build superb primitive shelters.
In a blog at PrimitiveTechnology.wordpress.com, the author who remains nameless explains that it took him 102 days to create a mud hut with kiln-fired tile roof and a mud floor heating system. Quite impressive work for using absolutely zero modern tools. He even made the axe he used to chop down the trees by flint-knapping a rock.
This hut was by far his most extensive project, having created other similar huts in the past, which are also documented in Youtube videos. He found that the thatched palm roofs simply decayed over time so he was in search of a more permanent material.
This survivalist is also fortunate to be building in an area that has clay he can kiln-fire into tile and bowls. He demonstrates start to finish creating a kiln and the painstaking process of firing each tile for the roof. These skills, however, can be universally applied to shelter building in many other parts of the world.
In the About section of his website, he explains that this is not the way he permanently live as this is only a hobby.
“I live in a modern house and eat modern food. I just like to see how people in ancient times built and made things. It is a good hobby that keeps you fit and doesn’t cost anything apart from time and effort,” he writes.
Someone needs to give this Aussie his own show!
