You were being too hard on yourself in the past when you said this footage wasn’t interesting enough to make a video! Very interesting, just in a different way from last year’s cabin.
@@replicators the skills used in cabin building made this easier too - it's clear that this was CD easier in part, because of having improved during the cabin build - that reflects what the folks building the original shanties would have experienced. Watching the changes makes this even more interesting.
hi everyone ,if anyone else is searching for survival shelter ideas try Franaar Escape Death Formula (should be on google have a look )? Ive heard some awesome things about it and my co-worker got great results with it.
There is substantial comfort in knowing our ancestors survived on so little. and in times of constant uncertainty. I'm a 21st century woman in the UK, but your snapshots of life in 18th century America bring consistent peace to me. Thank you.
The early pandemic lockdowns showed us how bloated the world is, when the economy collapsed when people started only buying “the essentials.” So much of our culture is based on us buying unneeded things.
A friend and I built one of these about 25 years ago when we were kids. Still standing last time I was back there. We used nylon rope for lashing though.
When I was in 3rd grade, my little brother and I built our own little "lean to" in the woods, but it was literally just a bunch of branches we found on the ground that we leaned against a big tree. Covered in grass, it wasn't a bad shelter! It withstood the test of time until last year when a path was built through the nearby area. :/
@@sststr depends on the number of people you have , the abundance of resources, the tools and skill of the workers and the location of the resources from the build but would most likely only take a few hours with 2 people
Hey Jon, this is the structure that I had asked about during one of the live Nutmeg Tavern episodes. I remember you and Aaron saying it would be shown sometime in the future. I'm glad you released the video as I want to build one too! Its also good to see Josh again, thanks!
I'm a living historian myself but I specialize in the Civil War. We built several structures similar to this a few years back for a winter quarters demonstration we did. It was surprisingly comfortable even when the snow started coming down. And they can be modified easily in multiple ways. We packed the gaps between logs with mud and moss and threw a couple of oil cloths over them. With a little bit of effort you can make something out of almost nothing.
I built one for my two sons when they were boys it was still standing years later when they had moved on to have families of their own. Thank you for bringing history to life!
Thank you for posting this, On a windy rainy day, this brought back so many memories , from a child hood, when we built many cabins like this, down along the creek. I mean after all we were all mountain men when we were 10 years old
I loved this video! I just got done reading Little House on the Prairie books and even though it doesn't take place in the same time period so many things are similar. They built so many homes. These were simple, especially the claim shanty that wasn't much more than the structure you built here. Such hard work. I love your channel!
I am in the process of making a prairie dress/bonnet for my 7 year old granddaughter! She has read all the Little House books and is so into it!! I'm making a prairie dress/bonnet for her AG doll and her 16 month old sister!
I was so delighted to hear you quoting Catharine Parr Traill. Here in Peterborough, Ontario, you can visit the Museum and Archives and see a beautiful pair of moccasins gifted to her by the Michi Saagig Anishnaabeg. They also have her writing desk and even a pen she used. She was an accomplished illustrator and botanist - her Herbarium is beautiful!
Until the industrial revolution and mass-produced iron and steel, nails were expensive, hand-forged items and were used very occasionally. Most of the woodwork - be it roofs, furniture, farming equipment, boats or ships - was joined using wooden locks, pegs and carpentry joints. In most circumstances such constructions are far more durable than those with nails. Iron nails were used primarily for connecting metal elements (such as handles, hinges, locks or ornamentation) to wooden ones and even very expensive pieces of furniture, like richly carved wardrobes or dining tables were made without a single nail :)
Nails are cheap nowadays also because we use and forget them. For temporary buildings, a few nails are worth the price since you'll be using them every year.
Excellent! It's impressive to see what two people could create together in the wilderness as a standing shelter. And really nice to see Josh in a new episode, as well. Thank you!
There have been structures, like churches, that were built without nails, long ago, and they are still standing. They are in places like the former Soviet Union. It is interesting how structures were built, long ago. Hope you had a great Easter. Cheers!
Nowadays we have to be aware of ticks when sheltering. I was out for a walk yesterday, scouting the fiddleheads, and I came home with 9 ticks on me. This year seems to be bad already.
Apparently the weather hasn't been cold enough to curb their numbers, and they've actually gained territory. There is more widespread Lyme's disease, oh joy.
I emailed a few weeks ago asking if there was a video of how this structure was built and was disappointed to learn that there wasn’t one. I just walked in the door after a rough shift at my hospital, saw the notification, and just smiled as I felt the day’s cares lifted off my back. Thank you! You’ve made this old RN’s day!
I have to thank you for the stale bread and cheese recipe. I made some from a failed sourdough bread disaster. We had it for three meals...delicious! You have no idea how valuable your channel is in these hard times.
When society collapses, those in touch with primitive skills like this will be the ones thriving. Skills like this are all but lost to the modern world except through these daring, resourceful and ingenuitive souls.
Angelus_Solus We are seeing a bit of a “thinning of the herd” right now. Just a prelude to what shall come. However, there will be plenty of those not afraid to work that will thrive.
This is becoming one of my favorite channels! I grew up in the mountains on the east coast, and study and live the mountain man way of life. This channel is such a treat, between the cooking and survival, and outdoor lifestyle. It so therapeutic and relaxing. Thank you for all your efforts, and hard work.
TheSmilingLord I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes that. My husband insists that those were nails and that a rather "checkmark" shape was at one time traditional. I disagree and saw thorns, but it's not an argument I'm going to pick.
I love how you bring the 1700 & 1800's to life. From the cooking to the day to day life to the craftsmanship, you bring history to life! My kids and I love your videos. They've learned so much, Thank you
I'm just amazed watching how easily the bark came off the tree let alone seeing the cabins entire construction! Wow! They need to teach this in Schools.
As a youngster in the 60's I too built a survival shelter. Mine consisted of two saplings bent towards each other and lashed together. Then logs place on them with the ends resting on the ground like a lean to. It was covered with brush, then leaves, then dirt and then leaves again. It lasted for several years with no maintenance, as the two saplings continued growing and vines intertwined the framework of the shelter. It was quite cozy for two people.
I love how you don't claim to be any kind of bushcraft channel yet you pull off better bushcraft techniques and practice than any bush-crafter on TH-cam. One thing makes the difference: a deep understanding and appreciation of history.
I see you have Advertisement in the backwoodsman magazine have you ever thought about contributing to the pages and content of the magazine you are a wealth of knowledge thank you for your knowledge and expertise and thank you for what you do
Hi! I've been following your channel for over one and a half years now. Initially I was just doing some digging into the origins of a type of dish, and I wasn't at all interested in your work. But somehow your enthusiasm for experiencing history got to me. Last year I went to visit the ruins of a nearby castle (I live in a rural area in the Netherlands), where a group of passionate people intend to rebuild the castle though the means and materials that would've been used for the original castle. I love following their progress, and I probably never would've discovered this fascinating project if it hadn't been for your channel. Thank you so much for making these videos and breathing life into historic treasures that would otherwise have remained undiscovered
If you're making a longer term shelter like they are, you could "smoke it out" by burning a bunch of green foliage inside the structure for a few hours. This would drive out any bugs and help preserve the wood.
This takes me back to the first time I watched Primitive Technologies build a hut. Seeing these simple structures being pulled together out of the most basic materials with barely any tools at all is always amazing, and you shouldn't have felt like there was nothing here in the least little bit. This was a calming and wonderful ... god, 7 minutes? I thought it was twice as long and soothing to boot!
I appreciate these videos and documentaries about life in the old days. It will keep the youth knowledgeable in survival when disaster strikes. It should be learned and practiced now while we have electricity and internet. I'm learning as much as I can now to use later.
John, often we forget that early trappers, and others would have built shelters like this as temporary shelter while making more permanent ones or simply as a place to use while working a trapline. We forget that the trappers often had a trap line that was several miles long. A good trapper would try to inspect every trap regularly so they did not lose any animals to a scavenger, either animal or human.
This was pretty neat. If I were camping, I would build one of these shelters rather than use a tent. Keep up the awesome work Townsends. Five year fan right here. Been watching since I was 19. I just love the old fashioned ways of doing things. 😀👍
If you look closely, you can see those are, in fact, thorns! It's difficult to tell, but you can see the interior of them as he hammers them down. I'm not sure what kind they are, as they're very thick - and they may be a wooden equivalent - but they're not actually iron nails.
I've always loved history. Especially how people lived and survived. Thank you for bringing it back to real life. You do an amazing job. I've always wanted to do some sort of reenactment. My choices would be the 18th century such as yourself or may be late 19th century early 20th century. The Victorian era.
I'll bet you guys are making this look easy from all that practice and experience building your cabin. Love your channel and the knowledge you all bring
In the Adirondacks, these types of structures are called "lean-to's" and they're frequently found at wilderness camping spots. More modern techniques, but still made of logs. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean-to
I want to take a moment and thank you for bringing good clean knowledge to TH-cam. I feel confident every time one of your videos post I can watch this with my kids and know they will learn something, and there isn't anything I need to sensor. Thank you. P.s. from my kids, they want to see more kids in the videos.. like them
Jon, your videos are always so interesting! You help me calm down and mellow out, the vibe is so inviting, i will definitely have to visit your store as soon as this pandemic is through
I've heard in Jerusalemthere are some that are four inches in length that they used even when they crucified Jesus. I don't remember what bush or whatever they were from only that they were pretty long
this is such an amazing video. Of course I heard many times that people built shelters but I never spared a thought about how exactly they built them from scratch.
These videos teach basic survival skills. These were the kinds of things people did on a regular basis before modernization. My great aunt said, Oh yes. The good old days. You mean before air conditioning and grocery stores? She was really clever at hiding sarcasm.
I'm the 9th generation to live in Northeast Tennessee, the great frontier west of the Appalachian Mountains. Some of my first ancestors lived in hollow logs etc, when they first got here in 1769. You remember the old saying that said,,,,when the English came here they first built a church. When the Germans came here they built a barn. When the Scotts from Ireland came here they built a stile house, to make whisky!😷
I really enjoy seeing you out of the kitchen John! I LOVED the sessions with the guy from coalcracker bushcraft, Dave. And I ALSO REALLY enjoyed your cabin building VIDEOS! I absolutely love and USE the recipes, but seeing you do primitive/frontier skills stuff just really makes me feel the itch to click "play" no matter what!
Very neat stuff! It would be cool to see more about indigenous farming villages and the ways that the people who lived on the land before European colonists built homes and prepared food. Thanks for the videos, and more nutmeg!
In context, you would have built a lean -to, and done some hunting/fishing, so when that Survival Shelter is being built, you have a food source to cook over that fire, and rest those weary bodies. Great video, I can feel the dirt under my nails.
It is amazing how often people do not realize that shelters like this quite literally dotted the landscape along any travel routes. The one exception being the more informal “war paths” that deliberately ran along the mountain tops and away from major water / agricultural sources to avoid other human settlements. Used only by warriors cold camping and sleeping in the open or under natural shelter so as to leave as little sign as possible. At least within my area of the Appalachian mountains in Pennsylvania. Indians would have many small huts at convenient stopping places along their routes. Use and repair them when needed. Sweep them out to avoid snakes and rodents. Leave no trace Ethics have developed only because of our ability to create petroleum products of light enough weight for everyone to bring their own. If we truly want to camp in harmony with nature it would not be leave no trace of petroleum products from 1000s of miles away. Rather it would be live with what each ecosystem provides. “Primitive” style shelter made of natural on location products left clean and tidy without modern trash is no blight. Rather a part of the landscape and history as it has been for 10,000+ years. Within the eastern Woodlands they didn’t carry shelters with them nor spend two hours every night building a new one. Especially since the most common bark coverings were only available to build with in the spring. The trade routes were extensive. Pre-horse everything was hand carried. With items like flint, wampum, tobacco and food being traded, North, South, East and West through the mid Atlantic states. History has documented the most durable of western cultures offerings. Such as early settlements like New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and steel tools. However when you research the travel routes and modern roads you find that many of them are built on the Indian paths. Where they deviate it is a interstate going an extra 25 miles to enable cars and trucks to cross mountain’s in overdrive instead of by the shortest quickest route. Look at Europe outside of a major metropolitan such as London or the Roman roads. The rural by ways were no different then what was common to “unsettled” North America in the 15 and 1600s. Except for the width being sized by horse rather than human traffic. Even the Roman roads had their counterparts within the Incan and Aztec cultures of South America.
It’s amazing the stuff you can do with what resources you have around you and a good axe. Garand Thumb said that you can rebuild society with a carpenter’s axe, and I’d have to agree after seeing this video.
This was so fun to watch. I've been working on a lean-to in a similar style of using no modern construction items like manufactured rope or nails. Some trees in our woods have similar thorns as the ones you used as makeshift "nails." I'll have to try that!
If you have an axe, know how to weave and know how to make lashing, your creative possibilities are endless. Mud daub caulking, straw and clay bricks...such fun, and so practical.
I would imagine this type of shelter was more of a permanent structure set up for light weight travelers. Reason I would think this is because of how labor intensive it is for a ""just passing through"' type survival shelter when oil cloth or canvas tarps with a simple hoop style frame to throw it over would be more for traveling mans quick shelter.. But I could see these being set up along a established trail for travelers to stop for a night or 2. Maybe rest, replenish meat supplies, or maybe even heal from and injury. But very nice and sturdy. That shelter isnt going anywhere any time soon. Great job.
I used to build semi long term shelters as a young boy and on into my 20's and all together had about 13 total. Most of them where furnished with a buried metal barrel to hold gear such as candle lanterns, matches, bit of can food from mom's pantry 😁, wool blankets ,metal water bucket, pots and old GI mess kits for a plate and fry pan, fork an spoon. Really wasn't a whole lot but enough that I was dry and warm. These places had a pole bed about the size of a twin bed. Sure feels good to think back I had real adventures none of this virtual reality kids have today.
You were being too hard on yourself in the past when you said this footage wasn’t interesting enough to make a video! Very interesting, just in a different way from last year’s cabin.
It's interesting to compare it to the cabin. Much simpler, but most of the skills apply to both.
@@replicators the skills used in cabin building made this easier too - it's clear that this was CD easier in part, because of having improved during the cabin build - that reflects what the folks building the original shanties would have experienced. Watching the changes makes this even more interesting.
hi everyone ,if anyone else is searching for survival shelter ideas try Franaar Escape Death Formula (should be on google have a look )?
Ive heard some awesome things about it and my co-worker got great results with it.
Why no gloves? Surely there were gloves available at that time period, no?
There is substantial comfort in knowing our ancestors survived on so little. and in times of constant uncertainty. I'm a 21st century woman in the UK, but your snapshots of life in 18th century America bring consistent peace to me. Thank you.
The early pandemic lockdowns showed us how bloated the world is, when the economy collapsed when people started only buying “the essentials.” So much of our culture is based on us buying unneeded things.
A friend and I built one of these about 25 years ago when we were kids. Still standing last time I was back there. We used nylon rope for lashing though.
When I was in 3rd grade, my little brother and I built our own little "lean to" in the woods, but it was literally just a bunch of branches we found on the ground that we leaned against a big tree. Covered in grass, it wasn't a bad shelter!
It withstood the test of time until last year when a path was built through the nearby area. :/
So how long does it take to build something like this? These videos always conveniently leave out the construction time for these projects...
@@sststr depends on the number of people you have , the abundance of resources, the tools and skill of the workers and the location of the resources from the build but would most likely only take a few hours with 2 people
@@sststr Not long if you're not a half wit city dweller ;D
You guys just cut down trees you dont own?
Hey Jon, this is the structure that I had asked about during one of the live Nutmeg Tavern episodes.
I remember you and Aaron saying it would be shown sometime in the future.
I'm glad you released the video as I want to build one too!
Its also good to see Josh again, thanks!
I truly don’t understand how someone can dislike this.
I think there are just trolls who enjoy using their facelessness to spread misery. they need more nutmeg!
I love this channel reminds me of ray. Mears
Right? No soul for survival in the more basic means.
Angry tent manufacturers afraid of being made obsolete if this knowledge gets out?
@@zualfaqar My favorite Ray Mears special was the one about Roger's Rangers
Whole new meaning to “shelter-in-place”! I’m much happier sitting here watching you do all the hard work. Thanks!
I'm a living historian myself but I specialize in the Civil War. We built several structures similar to this a few years back for a winter quarters demonstration we did. It was surprisingly comfortable even when the snow started coming down. And they can be modified easily in multiple ways. We packed the gaps between logs with mud and moss and threw a couple of oil cloths over them. With a little bit of effort you can make something out of almost nothing.
We know u are living, how would u write a comment if u were dead? ...duh
@@borisbrkic3433 A living historian means they go out and do activities of the time period they are a historian in.
I built one for my two sons when they were boys it was still standing years later when they had moved on to have families of their own. Thank you for bringing history to life!
Thank you for posting this, On a windy rainy day, this brought back so many memories , from a child hood, when we built many cabins like this, down along the creek. I mean after all we were all mountain men when we were 10 years old
Great job, Jon and Josh. Never thought using those thorns would work so well.
Was anyone else surprised by how easily that bark peeled off? 😱 That was the most satisfying thing I've seen in a while. 🤩
Spring cut logs give up their bark freely while winter cut logs are hard to peel & you dont get nice usable pieces.
I loved this video! I just got done reading Little House on the Prairie books and even though it doesn't take place in the same time period so many things are similar. They built so many homes. These were simple, especially the claim shanty that wasn't much more than the structure you built here. Such hard work. I love your channel!
Oh my gosh before I got to your comment I was thinking that I needed to re-read those books!
I love the "soddy" idea! I'm thinking of doing one since I can't have a root cellar where I am (FL). Glad to see another LHOTP fan!
I am in the process of making a prairie dress/bonnet for my 7 year old granddaughter! She has read all the Little House books and is so into it!! I'm making a prairie dress/bonnet for her AG doll and her 16 month old sister!
I immediately thought of the little house books too. Especially remembered when they lived in a 3 sided shanty. Love those books! So much history!
I was so delighted to hear you quoting Catharine Parr Traill. Here in Peterborough, Ontario, you can visit the Museum and Archives and see a beautiful pair of moccasins gifted to her by the Michi Saagig Anishnaabeg. They also have her writing desk and even a pen she used. She was an accomplished illustrator and botanist - her Herbarium is beautiful!
Until the industrial revolution and mass-produced iron and steel, nails were expensive, hand-forged items and were used very occasionally. Most of the woodwork - be it roofs, furniture, farming equipment, boats or ships - was joined using wooden locks, pegs and carpentry joints. In most circumstances such constructions are far more durable than those with nails. Iron nails were used primarily for connecting metal elements (such as handles, hinges, locks or ornamentation) to wooden ones and even very expensive pieces of furniture, like richly carved wardrobes or dining tables were made without a single nail :)
Not to mention glue.
I remember reading that when they moved, settlers would burn down their cabin to collect the nails.
Nails are cheap nowadays also because we use and forget them. For temporary buildings, a few nails are worth the price since you'll be using them every year.
I am shocked at how good your joints are that you made with that small axe. That is truly#1 grade work, Jimmy.
Excellent! It's impressive to see what two people could create together in the wilderness as a standing shelter. And really nice to see Josh in a new episode, as well. Thank you!
There have been structures, like churches, that were built without nails, long ago, and they are still standing. They are in places like the former Soviet Union. It is interesting how structures were built, long ago. Hope you had a great Easter. Cheers!
@@dwaynewladyka577 I had no idea any such structures still stood. Interesting!
You are truly a National Treasure. The work you’ve put into this channel is greatly appreciated.
Nowadays we have to be aware of ticks when sheltering. I was out for a walk yesterday, scouting the fiddleheads, and I came home with 9 ticks on me. This year seems to be bad already.
Apparently the weather hasn't been cold enough to curb their numbers, and they've actually gained territory. There is more widespread Lyme's disease, oh joy.
Yeah I’d either stay inside or get some good repellent. You don’t need a compromised immune system especially right now.
Ugh, hate those things.
How do you enjoy your fiddleheads??
I emailed a few weeks ago asking if there was a video of how this structure was built and was disappointed to learn that there wasn’t one. I just walked in the door after a rough shift at my hospital, saw the notification, and just smiled as I felt the day’s cares lifted off my back. Thank you! You’ve made this old RN’s day!
Wonderful, Jon and Josh together on another adventure!
I have to thank you for the stale bread and cheese recipe. I made some from a failed sourdough bread disaster. We had it for three meals...delicious! You have no idea how valuable your channel is in these hard times.
When society collapses, those in touch with primitive skills like this will be the ones thriving. Skills like this are all but lost to the modern world except through these daring, resourceful and ingenuitive souls.
Angelus_Solus We are seeing a bit of a “thinning of the herd” right now. Just a prelude to what shall come. However, there will be plenty of those not afraid to work that will thrive.
This is becoming one of my favorite channels! I grew up in the mountains on the east coast, and study and live the mountain man way of life. This channel is such a treat, between the cooking and survival, and outdoor lifestyle. It so therapeutic and relaxing. Thank you for all your efforts, and hard work.
Nice video. The part that really impressed me was the use of thorns as nails. That's a first for me.
TheSmilingLord I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes that. My husband insists that those were nails and that a rather "checkmark" shape was at one time traditional. I disagree and saw thorns, but it's not an argument I'm going to pick.
Now I've got a use for the invasive buckthorn in my area. The outer bark also seems like it could make nice cordage too.
@@Delenne_Russell I believe I have been told that those thorns are from the Black Locust, an Eastern species of tree.
Thank you for saying what they used because I couldn't tell and they didn't say. At least I never heard them say anything about using thorns.
@@winfieldjohnson125 I think in our area they are the "Honey Locust". And after almost 50 years I see there is a use for the darned things!
I love how you bring the 1700 & 1800's to life. From the cooking to the day to day life to the craftsmanship, you bring history to life! My kids and I love your videos. They've learned so much, Thank you
I'm just amazed watching how easily the bark came off the tree let alone seeing the cabins entire construction! Wow! They need to teach this in Schools.
Carrying a log to keep the required isolation distance - could become a thing 😂
Plus a stellar workout!
@Miguel de Luis But then you're stuck smelling the skunk oil, too. :D
Patricia des Angeles... Carrying an axe works too!
As a youngster in the 60's I too built a survival shelter. Mine consisted of two saplings bent towards each other and lashed together. Then logs place on them with the ends resting on the ground like a lean to. It was covered with brush, then leaves, then dirt and then leaves again. It lasted for several years with no maintenance, as the two saplings continued growing and vines intertwined the framework of the shelter. It was quite cozy for two people.
I love how you don't claim to be any kind of bushcraft channel yet you pull off better bushcraft techniques and practice than any bush-crafter on TH-cam. One thing makes the difference: a deep understanding and appreciation of history.
I see you have Advertisement in the backwoodsman magazine have you ever thought about contributing to the pages and content of the magazine you are a wealth of knowledge thank you for your knowledge and expertise and thank you for what you do
One of my absolute favorite Townsend videos - if not THE favorite. Wow that was good for the soul. I wish it was 3x as long.
The most useful tool is the one that we carry with us every day. We simply have to fill it with useful knowledge. The more you know the less you need.
Very true. For every one thing they owned they knew 10 things. For every 10 things we own we know one
Hi! I've been following your channel for over one and a half years now. Initially I was just doing some digging into the origins of a type of dish, and I wasn't at all interested in your work. But somehow your enthusiasm for experiencing history got to me.
Last year I went to visit the ruins of a nearby castle (I live in a rural area in the Netherlands), where a group of passionate people intend to rebuild the castle though the means and materials that would've been used for the original castle. I love following their progress, and I probably never would've discovered this fascinating project if it hadn't been for your channel.
Thank you so much for making these videos and breathing life into historic treasures that would otherwise have remained undiscovered
Relaxing in the forest is so cool, at least until your whole body is crawçing with bugs lol.
Rainforests and temperate forests are two different things. Yes, both have bugs but nothing is as diverse ecologically speaking than a rainforest.
If you're making a longer term shelter like they are, you could "smoke it out" by burning a bunch of green foliage inside the structure for a few hours. This would drive out any bugs and help preserve the wood.
@@corruptedminds5679 good tip!
If you make a smoky fire the bugs will stay away.
Something really relaxing about watching you build that shelter. It makes me wish for a more simpler time.
2:38 You gotta lift with your legs! My back hurt just watching you!
Indeed, that is a good way to injure yourself. I'd hope Jon sees this to avoid it in the future. Butt out and back straight, please!
This takes me back to the first time I watched Primitive Technologies build a hut. Seeing these simple structures being pulled together out of the most basic materials with barely any tools at all is always amazing, and you shouldn't have felt like there was nothing here in the least little bit. This was a calming and wonderful ... god, 7 minutes? I thought it was twice as long and soothing to boot!
there is just something wonderful about building a shelter in the woods with your hands.
I hope there's a part 2 for that shelter. That's way too much work not to close in those walls. Awesome Video/project!
Wow! What an achievement to learn how to do this! Y’all are awesome! Thank you for posting this!
I enjoy your videos and the calming effect they provide. I also enjoy your projects, their instructions and seeing how things are done.
When time to move on the structure was left to fall down and go back to the Earth so recycling before that was a thing.
I appreciate these videos and documentaries about life in the old days. It will keep the youth knowledgeable in survival when disaster strikes. It should be learned and practiced now while we have electricity and internet. I'm learning as much as I can now to use later.
I used to live in the frontier.
Kentucky.
Very good fried chicken over there.
Just remember, Don't trust your soul to no backwoods Southern Lawyer.
O'course that were Georgia. Or is it Jaw-jah?
John, often we forget that early trappers, and others would have built shelters like this as temporary shelter while making more permanent ones or simply as a place to use while working a trapline. We forget that the trappers often had a trap line that was several miles long. A good trapper would try to inspect every trap regularly so they did not lose any animals to a scavenger, either animal or human.
It is so satisfying to watch them take that big sleeve of bark off those birch logs.
5:28 - "Really?"
5:50 - "Apparently so..."
On a more serious note, absolutely fantastic video...so much to admire here.
Bark peeling ASMR 🤗
This was pretty neat. If I were camping, I would build one of these shelters rather than use a tent. Keep up the awesome work Townsends.
Five year fan right here. Been watching since I was 19. I just love the old fashioned ways of doing things. 😀👍
I am planning on building something like this behind my 17th century house to store firewood. Thanks so much for posting!
Hey Jon, you said no nails! There was a bucket of nails!
I would love to see gathering and using thorns as I’ve heard they did.
If you look closely, you can see those are, in fact, thorns! It's difficult to tell, but you can see the interior of them as he hammers them down. I'm not sure what kind they are, as they're very thick - and they may be a wooden equivalent - but they're not actually iron nails.
Chel Keller Jon said they are black locust thorns.
I've always loved history. Especially how people lived and survived. Thank you for bringing it back to real life. You do an amazing job. I've always wanted to do some sort of reenactment. My choices would be the 18th century such as yourself or may be late 19th century early 20th century. The Victorian era.
Wow! Amazing job! And so great to see Josh!
Wonderfully earnest and informative content as always, thank you.
I'll bet you guys are making this look easy from all that practice and experience building your cabin. Love your channel and the knowledge you all bring
In the Adirondacks, these types of structures are called "lean-to's" and they're frequently found at wilderness camping spots. More modern techniques, but still made of logs. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean-to
Woah! Those are some wicked thorns! We don’t have any wood that strips like that here in Kansas. Such a great channel to watch!
I love how the bark was peeled off and used as a roof.
"No nails survival shelter"
*Proceeds to use thorns as nails*
Cozzi I’m pretty sure they meant metal nails
"as nails." So.... no nails?
@@profanegaming2829 I took this to mean "no fasteners other than rope"
I so enjoy the craftsmanship. This is a skill that should not be lost.
I want to take a moment and thank you for bringing good clean knowledge to TH-cam. I feel confident every time one of your videos post I can watch this with my kids and know they will learn something, and there isn't anything I need to sensor. Thank you.
P.s. from my kids, they want to see more kids in the videos.. like them
Also being from new England this has given us a great respect of the life around us before we were here
Jon, your videos are always so interesting! You help me calm down and mellow out, the vibe is so inviting, i will definitely have to visit your store as soon as this pandemic is through
Those thorns are huge! I've spent some time in the woods, but I can't remember ever seeing any that big anywhere. Any ideas what plant they're from?
Black Locust
It looks like Blackthorn, but that doesn't grow in the US if I recall...
Edit: I stand corrected. Thanks Jon!
Mature Honeysuckle would probably also work, if you can still find one.
Elsewhere, Mesquite thorns would work.
I've heard in Jerusalemthere are some that are four inches in length that they used even when they crucified Jesus. I don't remember what bush or whatever they were from only that they were pretty long
This makes complete sense and leaves room for improvement when the snow comes.
Thank you so much for all you do. I’ve enjoyed hours and hours watching your videos, what a lovely man you are. God bless
this is such an amazing video.
Of course I heard many times that people built shelters but I never spared a thought about how exactly they built them from scratch.
Black locust thorns as nails..... so smart!
New Subscriber here. Loving the content.
@Cindy Klenk Such a wonderful warm welcome. Thank you so much. And believe me the baked onion is first on my list to try :-)
Got nutmeg?😁
@@SandraNelson063 Always have nutmeg and will have even more on Friday at the tavern :-)
I love it. These guys go out and learn by doing, just after reading descriptions.
Do you allow visitors. I would love to see this place
These videos teach basic survival skills. These were the kinds of things people did on a regular basis before modernization. My great aunt said, Oh yes. The good old days. You mean before air conditioning and grocery stores? She was really clever at hiding sarcasm.
Amazing build! The bark as roof is just perfect🤩 Thank you
I'm the 9th generation to live in Northeast Tennessee, the great frontier west of the Appalachian Mountains. Some of my first ancestors lived in hollow logs etc, when they first got here in 1769. You remember the old saying that said,,,,when the English came here they first built a church. When the Germans came here they built a barn. When the Scotts from Ireland came here they built a stile house, to make whisky!😷
Wow! I really like this shelter, great use of the thorns for nails.
I miss when the majority of people weren't afraid of hard work.
Watching that video was so satisfying..and quite don't know why..but thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you for all you do Mr. Townsend and friends 💜
98% if people will perish, they only know how to text on their iPhone’s.
And some of us have trouble doing that!😁
The ones that perish, will perish of their own accord.
I love this. You could put bark on the out side or the walls if you didn’t have any clay soil for the gaps. Then it would be fairly wind proof too
Minecwaft
I really enjoy seeing you out of the kitchen John! I LOVED the sessions with the guy from coalcracker bushcraft, Dave. And I ALSO REALLY enjoyed your cabin building VIDEOS! I absolutely love and USE the recipes, but seeing you do primitive/frontier skills stuff just really makes me feel the itch to click "play" no matter what!
Very neat stuff! It would be cool to see more about indigenous farming villages and the ways that the people who lived on the land before European colonists built homes and prepared food. Thanks for the videos, and more nutmeg!
By far the best out-in-the-wilderness video you guys have had yet! I'd love to see a series on this shelter. Keep em coming boys!
Some kids never grow out of making forts in the woods. It looks terribly fun!
In context, you would have built a lean -to, and done some hunting/fishing, so when that Survival Shelter is being built, you have a food source to cook over that fire, and rest those weary bodies.
Great video, I can feel the dirt under my nails.
This video just brought me joy.
I am also glad to see how to use black locust thorns.
It is amazing how often people do not realize that shelters like this quite literally dotted the landscape along any travel routes. The one exception being the more informal “war paths” that deliberately ran along the mountain tops and away from major water / agricultural sources to avoid other human settlements. Used only by warriors cold camping and sleeping in the open or under natural shelter so as to leave as little sign as possible.
At least within my area of the Appalachian mountains in Pennsylvania. Indians would have many small huts at convenient stopping places along their routes. Use and repair them when needed. Sweep them out to avoid snakes and rodents. Leave no trace Ethics have developed only because of our ability to create petroleum products of light enough weight for everyone to bring their own. If we truly want to camp in harmony with nature it would not be leave no trace of petroleum products from 1000s of miles away. Rather it would be live with what each ecosystem provides. “Primitive” style shelter made of natural on location products left clean and tidy without modern trash is no blight. Rather a part of the landscape and history as it has been for 10,000+ years.
Within the eastern Woodlands they didn’t carry shelters with them nor spend two hours every night building a new one. Especially since the most common bark coverings were only available to build with in the spring. The trade routes were extensive. Pre-horse everything was hand carried. With items like flint, wampum, tobacco and food being traded, North, South, East and West through the mid Atlantic states. History has documented the most durable of western cultures offerings. Such as early settlements like New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and steel tools. However when you research the travel routes and modern roads you find that many of them are built on the Indian paths. Where they deviate it is a interstate going an extra 25 miles to enable cars and trucks to cross mountain’s in overdrive instead of by the shortest quickest route.
Look at Europe outside of a major metropolitan such as London or the Roman roads. The rural by ways were no different then what was common to “unsettled” North America in the 15 and 1600s. Except for the width being sized by horse rather than human traffic. Even the Roman roads had their counterparts within the Incan and Aztec cultures of South America.
It’s amazing the stuff you can do with what resources you have around you and a good axe. Garand Thumb said that you can rebuild society with a carpenter’s axe, and I’d have to agree after seeing this video.
Ya, but you have to look good doing it...
Honestly, I think this is one of your best videos ever.
Looks like basswood, good choice, nice and straight, easy to cut and peel the bark. It didnt need to last forever.
I am very impressed with this. Nice build. Your channel keeps getting better and better. Hope you had a great Easter. Cheers!
This was so fun to watch. I've been working on a lean-to in a similar style of using no modern construction items like manufactured rope or nails. Some trees in our woods have similar thorns as the ones you used as makeshift "nails." I'll have to try that!
Peeling those trunks looks so satisfying
If you have an axe, know how to weave and know how to make lashing, your creative possibilities are endless. Mud daub caulking, straw and clay bricks...such fun, and so practical.
I love these videos.
Thank you for keeping quarantine informative and interesting
I would imagine this type of shelter was more of a permanent structure set up for light weight travelers. Reason I would think this is because of how labor intensive it is for a ""just passing through"' type survival shelter when oil cloth or canvas tarps with a simple hoop style frame to throw it over would be more for traveling mans quick shelter.. But I could see these being set up along a established trail for travelers to stop for a night or 2. Maybe rest, replenish meat supplies, or maybe even heal from and injury. But very nice and sturdy. That shelter isnt going anywhere any time soon. Great job.
I swear I always learn something new with these videos. Like today I learned you could just...De-sleeve bark from a Log. Just like that. Neato.
These are extremely useful videos in a time of quarantine. Thank you.
I used to build semi long term shelters as a young boy and on into my 20's and all together had about 13 total. Most of them where furnished with a buried metal barrel to hold gear such as candle lanterns, matches, bit of can food from mom's pantry 😁, wool blankets ,metal water bucket, pots and old GI mess kits for a plate and fry pan, fork an spoon. Really wasn't a whole lot but enough that I was dry and warm. These places had a pole bed about the size of a twin bed. Sure feels good to think back I had real adventures none of this virtual reality kids have today.
Good stuff! Would be a great project to do with my kids while they are out of school. Keep the videos coming!
My brain immediately focused in on the darn Phoebe singing in the background