About 12 years ago some antisocial family with 3 teenage wig nuts moved into our area. They were not here long but those teenage boys decided to ring bark and strip it off with sharp knives just for fun during the school summer holidays,and Fiddle Wood a rather small wooded area where we live lost 40% of its wonderful birch tree`s. 23 tree`s total as i do recall _____________ However moving forwards to this time, your showing how to do video`s like this is essential knowledge to pass on to others who upon remembering it they and others might indeed benefit from it. i do so enjoy all your tutorial video`s especially this one and i thank you both for them. Stay safe you guys, and greetings from the evergreen gardens that are our part of Fiddle Wood UK. BB that`s little me.
Great video, as always. You are definitely correct about the layered spruce bows not holding heat. When i tried it they had to be an arm length thick before they kept the shelter warm, and dry.
Awesome. Glad you tried it. Most people will not try it and will just keep on believing that it makes a great shelter covering. They will believe that because they see so many people doing the same thing on RUclips and TV.
Good demo, Lonnie, both of technique, and patience and care in employing the technique. That same spruce tree can provide tough roots that make great cordage to stitch those shingles to the frame.
Random Button Pusher Thank you. A person can also utilise the pitch gathered from those same spruce trees to seal the leaks, holes and joints in the bark shelter covering as well. Yes the spruce is indeed a very useful tree.
Wow! i don't know what it is, but there is just something about these videos that I really love! Everything is so real and natural. Your voice is perfect for this hahaha! Even the way the music cuts in and out at the beginning and end. Where you are looks so peaceful! keep up the good work!
Ryan Martin Thank you Ryan very much for those kind words. Glad you are enjoying the videos. My presentation style and personality is not for everyone but I'm thankful that there are some folks who do favor this style
Great video...and a nice tip about the rough side holding the slippery fish in place...could probably use a bit of tree sap or tree resin to fill in the tiny holes from the limbs for that little bit extra invade of wet weather.....thx again for the great vids...looking forward to seeing more.👍👍👍
Lonnie, you have a wonderful channel. The knowledge that you are sharing is priceless. This is the kinda things I will try and pass on to my children who love the outdoors as much as I do. I've only started watching your videos this week, but it is obvious that you are posting great educational videos. Thank you sir.
Another great video, Lonnie! I think one of the reasons people enjoy your videos so much is because there aren't many folks who know the things you know and appreciate the kind of life you live who are also willing to video and share their skills and their lives. So, thanks for doing that for the rest of us! I know I really enjoy and appreciate it! One question I've always wondered...do you have a "day job"? I would be interested in a video more about you and Connie and your lives. That may be too personal, but thought I'd put in the request! Thanks, Lonnie!
+Benjamin Crouse Thank you for the kind and encouraging words. At this time I do not have a day job. I am sort of semi retired at least for the time being.
Appreciate the shingle lesson Lonnie, that way we don't have to sacrifice the tree. The large cottonwoods down south sure supply some beautiful material just rotting off the dead trees, that would be handy too. Good ol' 6 mil plastic always does the trick for super cheap and if you double it up it can be dropped own the front of the shelter to make a "super shelter" which really traps the radiant heat from the fire (and keeps the smoke away). Thanks for another great video brother!
Canesser Thank you. Yes I agree about the inexpensive thin plastic sheeting. It weighs very little as well as takes up very little space but totally and completely waterproofs and presents an effective air barrier. If it is then covered by forest floor debris to shield it from the sun up it will last a long time as well.
Great job, a good shelter is time consuming. thanks for the great info. Spruce bark will work great , a few holes but over lapping the bark and you fine. Done this with spruce to make a bark arrow quiver. Thanks alot man
Kullcraven Bushcraft I'll bet that bark quiver looks great. Spruce pitch can be used to plug and seal the holes as well. I meant to mention that in the video but forgot.
Thank. You for your upload it is a real treat when I watch your films it relaxs me so much you are by far the most chilled out guy on you tube, you are far cheaper than any shrink love them keep up the great work many thanks again
You are right about the mount of stuff on the net about shelter building, however, your explanation and demonstrations are more informative in my opinion.
Great video Lonnie. Birch trees are one tree I wish we had here on our property as well as spruce. I fact we have no conifers whatsoever here. I wish I had gotten into bushcraft where I used to live. We didn't have birch there either, but we had pines everywhere and cypress. I make do with the trees I have here and some of the other plant materials available. Someone mentioned pine pitch to seal the holes which is a good idea I was thinking, you could use clay if you didn't have access to pine sap. Clay is found in a lot more areas than conifers and requires no real processing other than digging it up. If the clay is a good quality, rain should not wash it away. This would be sufficient for a short stay if needed. Thanks again for the informative video and thanks for sharing your time and knowledge. Stay safe.
this is similar to what we were taught only the good ole boy that instructed me had us look for downed hanging trees large diameter the more moss the better and cut your line down the top surface let gravity help you and this allows for long sheets to be acquired (larger pieces less lashing and gaps) when you are done covering light a good fire inside pay close attention to smoke coming through plug up holes to control air flow and push the moisture and bugs out. You are absolutely right though so much warmer and better camouflage barked up rather then a giant debris pile. Great video keep em coming.
carriellbee no problem lol this community is great for info everyone generally speaking will share freely and you can pick up new skills quickly I find great as well that most will respond to good comments or questions nice to know they do it cause they love it too
Chris Haines Your instructor appears to have been an experienced and knowledgeable person. Locally here though, if a tree is not live and during spring time, it can be very difficult to peel the bark off and the bark comes off in small pieces rather than large sheets.
***** we are fortunate that there is less water content in the air here in that regard less rot in the forests where i lived but almost no birch trees here they were all killed off by pests and disease I am so envious of your wood selection I would love to collect fresh chaga instead of paying 35 bucks a tin
Chris Haines yeah spending that 35 dollars a tin would hurt. I recently seen some powdered chaga being sold in a tiny packet in a gift store here in Alaska that would be equal to almost $ 200.00 a pound.
Wow Great Video and Idea !!!! EXTREMELY informative info and Much Appreciated, love your ideas EVERYTHING you do & Show us can Really help Save lives particularly our Own, Thanks to you & your Lovely wife 😇 👍👍👍
Bryan Resch Thank you Bryan for your long time support through your views and comments. I am very glad to hear that the videos have been helpful for you. Atb to you and yours
Lonnie, Again an excellent video. Thanks for teaching us a survival method of using bark for emergency shelter. I have built such shelters using forest debris & snow or tarps, as you indicate, it is much easier and quicker to use a tarp, or 2 or more. Best.
+Farmore Thank you. I would like to take a moment to give you a big hearty welcome to our channel and really glad you joined us here. Glad you are enjoying the videos.
Ceco556 You are welcome. I will be displaying many different options for shelter covering in this series and each will be quite time consuming. I will probably not completely cover the structure in any of the videos since the effort and time would be magnified by many times over what is simply needed to demonstrate the method and very little added benefit to the viewers for the time and effort spent.
Hello, I am a new subscriber. Just wanted to say thanks for all these interesting and informative videos. I'm learning a lot about the outdoors and I can't get enough of it. Thanks and take care.
Jon D First off I want to offer you a great big howdy and thanks for subscribing. Glad you are enjoying the videos and there are many many videos in the past on our channel that you will probably like and I still have a list of over 150 videos yet to do. The list grows as fast as I can do new videos as well. Life is too busy to do everything I want to do when I want to do it. lol
Haha I hear you there, I'm slowly making my way through the list of videos. I grew up in the city and never had the opportunity to take as many trips as I had liked to into the wilderness. Who knows what the future brings these skills your teaching are truly invaluable. Thanks again to you and your wife. Take care friend!
Great video! If I may I would like to share something with you. I was learning about this recently from some Ojibway friends of mine. The way we were harvesting the bark was using a wooden mallet we made in the bush to basically baton our knives into the bark instead of pressing them in. It made the process much quicker and safer in my opinion.As we would penetrate the bark, we would rock our knives and it would work almost like a can operner. Then, once the cuts were made, we used a simple wooden bark spud made in the bush the shape of a spatula to slide in between the layer of bark and the actual wood to help remove it quickly, efficiently, and without straining the bark. We built a wigwam with a bark covering of ash and hickory. Thanks for the great videos brother!
morning Lonnie-Connie & Ole-Friend Buck; Another top notch How- Video my Friend Always learning somesthing new from Ya. Thanks 4 sharing with us. Happy Trails From Down The Path A Piece ATB Terry God Bless
Agree with all of the positive comments. A few other random thoughts: * Nutrients, etc. move up and down a tree via the bark (not the inside). So, if you left some of the bark intact (horizontally, remove only half), the tree _might_ survive. Although in a real survival situation, that wouldn't be a priority. * Nice technique to know, but I question its utility in a survival situation. If you're really trying to survive rough conditions, and need a quick shelter, you'd likely die before you could get enough bark to cover a shelter (very time consuming). * How long did it take you to dry that spruce shingle? Thanks for another useful video and good series idea.
onesimpleidea Like I said in a previous comment, I would rather kill one tree than to deface and scar many trees. This tree was very close to others and the thinning of it will benefit the remaining trees. In Alaska and many other northern locations, warmth is a high priority and People need to understand how to achieve that warmth. This is one way of doing that. If I was personally in a longer term (more than a couple days) survival situation, would I use this method? Yes I probably would. I don't question it's utility because I know how necessary an air barrier is to warmth. It would probably only take a couple hours to secure the bark needed. A person could easily have a shelter like this completed in less than a day and it would then provide warmth for the duration of your stay. This is why I encourage people to actually get out and practice this stuff so that they *KNOW* what it takes to survive. The spruce "shingle" dried for a couple weeks but that is immaterial to the construction of this shelter as you can take the bark green right off the tree and place on the shelter where it will be used. It does not need to dry before hand. In a real survival situation I would not use little pieces like I did in this demo. I only used enough bark to show the process. In a real survival situation, I would use large sheets that would span the full width of the shelter if possible.
great video and lesson thanks Lonnie, just a side note i guess a few people didn't realise but in the far north people who rely on fire wood use a common practise of ringing trees so they die and don't freeze in winter the same as a live one would so they can harvest when needed im sure this will be a tree for Lonnies fire place come winter to keep him and his wife alive including his wonderful Dog during the months of cold and dark
Thank you sir for the vid I have used dead bark to do that and it does work great keep up the good work God has given you a great mind for this stuff hope you and yours are well keep it up God bless Glen
Trayer Wilderness We are indeed doing well here. Hope the same for you and yours. I agree that what abilities I have has been because of the blessings of our Lord.
As a construction worker for over 35 years and roofed more then a few houses, I would like to point out that the verticle edges of the layers running up and down should be staggered. The seams where the peices overlap should be in the middle of the peice of bark below it when it's place above the last layer. Other then that, good info.
bibleprophecy1st You are correct. I thought I showed that in the video but after re-watching I see that I did not. I must have shown that in one of my prior takes on this video. I re-recorded portions of this video many times until I had a video that I was happy with. IE background noise, flubbed up words, etc......
Far North Weaver Thank you. There is definitely something about the sounds of nature that affect us mentally in many different ways. I guess it may in some ways be likened to listening to music but yet different somehow.
Yooper Digger57 I hope to do more winter survival videos this next winter. Hope there will be videos of interest for you. We are out of snow right now so "winter" videos don't seem too realistic :o) I do hope to do a video coming up soon that will be a man made shelter video suitable for cold weather though. Just need some rain around here so that I can light a fire for the video without fear of starting a forest fire..
Hi Lonny. Just wanted to say thank you for another wonderful video. I noticed that you didn't introduce yourself as you normally do. :-) Also I read on down in your other comments that you would actually make the shingles long like your back poles instead of making smaller shingles like here. But we get the jest of 'the process' when you make them smaller for illustration purpose. Nicely done again. Wish I lived nearby. We could do some fishing or hunting. That would be great. See ya on the next one. Thank you my friend. May God keep you and yours, safe, and keep you filled with His Joy.
Sir Pyro That would be enjoyable to spend some woods time with some of my cyber buddies. I forgot to intro myself in this video like you mentioned. This video was recorded in several different clips that spanned several weeks and I tend to forget what I recorded and when. May God bless you and your loved ones as well.
Lonnie, very nice work on the structure and your thorough teaching style. We are moving to the Bend, Oregon area within the next year. I intend to get out there and teach my grandson as much as my health will allow. This looks like a great one to teach him. I look forward to watching many more of your videos. Keep up the great work sharing your wealth of knowledge. I took a sub as well. What camera are you using, I am looking for one myself?
***Thanks for another great video Lonnie! Couldn't you also secure the bark shingles with a small stream or bead of pine resin along the inside seams of the bark pieces so you have a complete seal? It is just a thought cause I have never tried it. Thanks again! You're the best!!***
With birches it's often easiest to peel the bark off when the tree is fallen and has been laying for a while ;) The wood gets punky, but the bark lasts much longer and doesn't decompose.
You are right. The bark does not decompose as fast but it still does decompose. You will still get better quality bark off of living trees or recently dead trees rather than trying to harvest bark from trees that have decayed. However, harvesting bark from partially decayed trees may be a better option depending on the time of year and effort needed.
Hi Lonnie, watching your video brought to mind a question about 2 people in an emergency situation in the woods. Am wondering how they would build their overnight shelter/fire, specially in cold/extreme cold temperatures where they would want to combine sleeping quarters for heat retention. Love your videos, they make me think:) All the best.
I was in the house construction trade for many years and that was the commonly used name for the material at least in my circles. I am guessing that that was a particular manufacturers name of their product. That is like we used to call all circular saws "Skill Saws" even if they were made by "Black and Decker" or some other manufacturer rather than Skill brand. I still call facial tissues "Kleenex" even if they are made by a different manufacturer than that one. Force of habit I guess.
How do you get Internet and post your videos out there? Looks like a nice place to set tipups on the lake in the winter and watch your flags from the cabin..
Perry Haines We have two different places both of which are in South Central Alaska. We have our home which is very rural but yet on the highway system and has electricity as well as indoor plumbing etc..... We also have our cabin which is not only rural but remote as well. There we have no electricity other than a solar panel and / or a generator. There is no internet capabilities at our cabin. I can, of course, record my vidoes there but I have to save them until I get back out to our home before I can edit and upload to the web. We do set up tip ups on our lake for Northern pike. My wife and I very much enjoy the fresh caught pike at the cabin. To be able to pull the fish out of the water, gut and filet and then head into the cabin and a skillet is about as good as it gets.
Mr1SUPERdoodle The shooting and editing can be a pain if it is not something that is enjoyed. Fortunately I do enjoy them. Unfortunately "life" has got in the way of videoing right now. I hope to record a video today though and upload tomorrow. Nothing however is sure until it is done. Life is good here but has been very busy lately.
Great so far Lonnie, I've found wattle and daub a good one to use are you considering this approach in the series ? or would that be letting the cat out of the bag early, atvb Ken
+Randal Flagg You misunderstood the video. You do not need to dry the bark before using. I was explaining to the viewers why *MY* bark was straight. I also explained in the video (if I remember correctly) that you can just place the fresh collected bark right on the shelter in place and then hold down with debris so that it will not curl as it dries.
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival Apologies Lonnie my last comment was made tongue in cheek, hence the emoji, I understood the video completely, unfortunately my sense of humor is sometimes mistaken for critiscm, which was in no way the case here. I happen to think your videos are some of the best and most informative on RUclips, unlike most you live the life and if I can be half the back woodsman as you I'll be a happy man, liked and subbed btw, peace and wisdom brother. Shane
+Randal Flagg No problem. There are occasional comments like this one who are not in jest. The vast overwhelming majority of comments (95%) are positive but I usually get a negative comment every several days. Constructive criticism is one thing but I often get totally stupid negative comments from what are clearly wanna be woodsmen and I hate to say it but the comments often bother me more than I would wish. Atb
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival Thanks for replying Lonnie, haters will hate, but I know what you mean I used to get wound up by stupid comments left on my old channel. Hope you and yours have a great Xmas BTW.
thanks for the video! and thanks for all the information you so kindly share! have a stupid question: what is that soundtrack that plays for the intro and outro?
Great video and really learnt alot, definitely a great option for building a forest shelter/ bug out location shelter but you couldn't use bark in a survival situation, you wouldn't have the time to strip the bark and then try and dry it out, if you were in a survival situation you'd want something in an hour or two not spend 10/12 hours building one, still a wicked concept but would love to see something in your next video that was a bit quicker to put together ATB from across the pond
***** You apperently misunderstood me. The bark does not need to be dried out to use. I was just explaining why the bark was flat and straight was because I had dried it out. I dried it out because I wasn't able to use it right then and did not want it to curl up as it dried. In a survival situation that may last more than several days I would definitely personally consider using the bark as a roof covering. Here in Alaska shelter is extremely important and putting a little extra time into your shelter will pay off later.
I agree if it was to last several days then I too would use the bark method, we'd struggle here in rainy old England so learning what you're teaching is important to me mate, keep up the video series I can't wait to see the next one
***** Unfortunately I just can't say at this time when the next one in this series may be. Life is really speeding up around here and I'm getting frustrated trying to do what I want to do when I want to do it. Too many things to do in too little of time. lol
great technique and teaching. Honestly, I don't like the idea of killing a tree. But, in a survival situation you need to do anything to survive. I would prefer to use a tarp. Amigo, do you have the chance to watch ALONE program at History channel? The situation is that this guys are exposed to predators-- Bears, pumas and wolves... How could you build a temporary, effective and strong shelter in such environment? Do you have such experiences?
Carlos Sepulveda Thank you Carlos. Yes I am familiar with the "Alone" program. Several people I have "known" on RUclips have been on the show. I personally was asked to be on the show as well but did not choose to do so at this time. I have thought of that same question after watching the first episode of "alone" on the web. My answer is that I would build a small log structure to spend my nights in. A bear could destroy the structure since It would not have any spikes to hold each log solidly in place but it would slow the bear down and allow me time to physically protect myself by fighting back if needed. Chances are that fighting back would never be needed as actual physical bear attacks are quite rare. Each log would have the "saddle" notch to nest it solidly on the log below. Eventually it would be nice to add a fireplace to the structure for heat.
would the bark of the whole tree come off in one piece? also, can you use a dead tree at all? im not through yet with the video, in case you explain it somewhere later on.
Once a tree dies then the sap no longer flows in the tree. It is that sap flowing in the inner bark that helps that bark to "slip" and separate from the tree wood. It would be difficult to remove the entire bark in one sheet due in part to tree branches being present
+worddunlap I like that. To put that in my words, "Having shelter is good. having a fire and a hot drink turns the shelter into a home. I like that and it can be, in a way, quite true.
You can use that. I have no word patent. Sometimes I'll hike 5 miles in, have some tea, cocoa or a cup of coffee, rest a bit and hike out. I guess it's my way of dominating the wilderness or something. It provides me with a satisfied mind. Every human being should have these basic skills. It is what separates us from the animals.
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival Awesome. I wish we could carry handguns in the bush here in Canada but it is nearly impossible unless you are a trapper or bush pilot that works in remote wilderness. There are a couple of other exceptions but not many. Other than that we are stuck with only being allowed to carry shotguns or rifles (non-restricted only). I carry my 12ga when I am out in the bush but a handgun would be more convenient .
I actually usually carry my short barrel pistol grip 12 gauge as my normal every day bear gun. You are right though, it is not as convenient as a pistol but I feel more comfortable with it.
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival Having a handgun as a secondary backup would be nice but aside from the weight factor I feel that a 12ga is some good stopping power with the right ammo. I usually load 00buck,slug,00buck,slug,00buck , even tho my 12ga is 5+1 I don't carry chambered just mag tube maxed out with safety off. I have a folding stock with pistol grip on mine with an 18.5" barrel. Have you had many bear encounters out there in the Alaskan wilderness?. I have never had to shoot an animal , mostly just have black bear and cougar in the bush where I go, Haven't met a grizz yet but they are around in certain areas here in British Columbia . The black bears so far have either just ignored our presence or have taken off in the opposite direction. Been stalked a couple times by cougar which seem like a higher threat than the black bears. I am still new to your channel so have not had a chance to look thru all of your videos but was wondering if you already have a video on dealing with encounters or if you have any advice about it. I am not an expert yet when it comes to that, just barely comfortable. Thanks
I also load 5 shots in the shotgun with the safety off but no shells in the chamber. I only load slugs in mine however. I have had several encounters with both black and grizzly but they have all ended peacefully thank the Lord. I do have a couple videos on bear/human safety. The links to those videos can be found below. Something that I have done recently and am very glad I have done so was to put together my own electric bear fence. I have a Large freighter canoe being built for me and will be using it on Alaska's remote back country rivers once it is completed. My wife and I plan on doing quite a bit of camping along those rivers. The rivers are natural spawning grounds for Alaska's salmon species. Spawning salmon also brings an increase in bear activity along the rivers where we will be camping. I put together this bear fence so that we can encircle our camp with the fence and be able to sleep peacefully all night without worry about bears walking into camp. The fence isn't quite finished yet since I had to make a few changes to it once I tried it out. I will be doing a video on the fence soon once it is completed. Wilderness Bear Safety Part 1 of 2 ruclips.net/video/C2rQ6fwmuMY/видео.html Wilderness Bear Safety Part 2 of 2 ruclips.net/video/u01g-U3iPbk/видео.html
DEECEE's ADVENTURES Yes absolutely. I should have mentioned that in the video but forgot to. You probably would not need the ash except as an extender of the pitch since the shelter should not flex or move much if any.
We do not have vines here in the North but we do have Spruce roots that would work well. I think your former idea of plugging the holes with pitch glue and then lay debris over the shelter to keep the bark in place would leave the shelter more water resistant. I guess one could seal the holes after tying the bark down by using the pitch glue though to waterproof the tying holes.
what hand gun do you recommend for brown bear i have a 44 mag but I here stories of 338 and 375 not stopping them .. also what would it take for you to taking me fishing ,,would like to get a big pike!!!
Perry Haines I personally do not recommend any of the more traditional caliber handguns. A large caliber rifle or a 12 gauge shotgun with slugs is the best bet. There are some very large caliber hand guns out now that might be a suitable choice but I know very little about them. Sorry I am not a guide and do not take folks out hunting or fishing.
Cyber EMR Estrella The white and black Spruce we have here do not make very good shelter coverings as I believe I stated in the video. The spruce needles grow all around the branch and so keep the branches from stacking very tightly. the resultant cover is too porous and will not trap heat very well at all but rather lets the heat just sift right up through the loosely stacked branches to escape above.
Keith Barkwood I could use a new sheath for sure. I like this nylon one because it carries both my Gerber multi-tool as well as my swiss army Trekker knife at the same time. I could clean off the velcro "hook" side so that the velcro sticks better but if I did, then the velcro "hooks" would just fill back up again from material that it is grabbing from the insulating pile material on the inside of my vest. So I just leave the velcro "hooks" all plugged up so that it does not keep grabbing at the pile lining.
I can easily make you a nice leather one that will hold both. If you can part with them for a few days I could whip it out for you. Stop by my table at the Palmer Depot market on the 10th when we are back, if you are interested.
Keith Barkwood That sounds great and I would enjoy having one. Unfortunately I can't really afford to have you make me one. We live considerably quite a ways out of town. We try to save up many errands to accomplish once we do hit town and can't always choose our town day. Often our "town days" are dictated by a meeting, appointment etc..... So I don't know for sure when we would be in town again on a Monday.
True you have so many timbers up where you are, just areal pitty anyone has to die for little more than a tutorial. As I sensed it stressed you some as well, stay well cheers.
All good to know stuff Lonnie, as always enjoyed it, your dog gave me a scare there for a second, thought a bear was going to investigate your shelter.
A J Taylor lol. yeah my dog has given me an occasional scare as well. He does not always show up in expected directions and sometimes catches me by surprise.
"I would just go ahead and cut down the tree". This brings my question: where do you exactly do the bushcraft stuff? Is it your private land, you have someone's permission, is it a kind of open access land (very liberal law it would be if you could cut down random trees, so rather not) or are you soooo far away from everything that nobody cares? Is it actually legal to go, build a shelter, light a fire, cut down a tree in alaska? Sorry if this seems ridiculous from your perspective, but in my country goevernment installs thermal cameras around the forests to look for people trying to wild camp. (strictly forbidden [!!!WTF!!!]). :-(
+Jarek Watroba I am in South Central Alaska USA. I do most all of my videos within walking distance from my house. The videos take place out away from roads and nobody cares if I cut down a tree if I need one. I am free to light a campfire where ever I want one but of course I am considered responsible for maintaining the fire in such a way that it will not get out of control and start a forest fire. I don't know what you country you live in but it does not sound like a place where I would feel comfortable. I am used to having the freedom that we do have here and would feel quite repressed if I was living where I did not have those freeedoms
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival Welcome to Europe... You say there's a lot of freedom.. so, could I possibly go to the most remote location I can find in AK or Yukon, build a house totally on my own from what I can find and live there? Wouldn't it be some kind of serious law abuse and wouldn't some sad man come and tell me I should get out immediately? Considering non-national-park locations of course. Can I actually buy this land?
+Jarek Watroba Yes we do have a quite a bit of freedom here but no a person can not just stop anywhere in the bush here and put up a cabin. The state and or national government will come in eventually and burn it down if they know of the cabins existence. However you can buy remote property here in Alaska. On your own remote property you then have the freedom to do pretty much any thing you want to do with few exceptions. My wife and I own some remote property with a cabin on it that we very much enjoy spending time at. If interested we did a couple videos on our cabin and trips into the property. The "remote Alaska cabin living" playlist is below if interested ruclips.net/p/PL_fotv96Eswdx7fy6LoD9V3_IpJE2nkub
Birch bark is almost always more difficult to separate from the tree once the tree is dead. In other words it would be difficult to remove birch bark from the dead tree in sizable pieces without damaging the bark
I assume you are referring to my cameras. I use two cameras. My main camera that I use the most is a "Canon VIXIA HF R300 which is no longer made. My secondary camcorder is the Canon VIXIA HF R600. I use a bluetooth wireless microphone most of the time when recording. My mic is a "sony bluetooth wireless microphone model ecm-aw3
Shawn Fazenbaker Absolutely. Noit only the holes but the pitch could also be used to seal each bark sheet to it's neighbor as well for a solid continuous waterproof sheet
dwtlax No idea. I do know that the tree barks were used traditionally as a roofing material on cabins here in the North. It would be my guess that the birch bark will last MUCH longer than others since it is so high in oil content. If you observe birch when it dies and falls to the ground, the wood always deteriorates faster than the bark.
Sorry but I no longer discuss that subject online. If you wish to know what is caliber is recommended as sufficient protection against Large preditors such as bear, you can do an online search for "Alaska adfg bear caliber" without the quotes. ADF&G stands for "Alaska Department Of Fish And Game."
embarado smithing and woodcraft We do not have any cedar in interior South Central Alaska but I'm sure there are viewers from elsewhere who will see your comment and benefit from it.
About 12 years ago some antisocial family with 3 teenage wig nuts moved into our area. They were not here long but those teenage boys decided to ring bark and strip it off with sharp knives just for fun during the school summer holidays,and Fiddle Wood a rather small wooded area where we live lost 40% of its wonderful birch tree`s. 23 tree`s total as i do recall _____________ However moving forwards to this time, your showing how to do video`s like this is essential knowledge to pass on to others who upon remembering it they and others might indeed benefit from it. i do so enjoy all your tutorial video`s especially this one and i thank you both for them.
Stay safe you guys, and greetings from the evergreen gardens that are our part of Fiddle Wood UK. BB that`s little me.
Thanks Lonnie. The craft of removing bark from a tree is very good knowledge. Thanks
1fanger You are welcome. Thank you for the positive feedback and for watching
I really enjoyed this, and I agree these types of shelters should not be made regularly but still good knowledge to have.
Jason
Primal Outdoors Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Great video, as always. You are definitely correct about the layered spruce bows not holding heat. When i tried it they had to be an arm length thick before they kept the shelter warm, and dry.
Awesome. Glad you tried it. Most people will not try it and will just keep on believing that it makes a great shelter covering. They will believe that because they see so many people doing the same thing on RUclips and TV.
Good demo, Lonnie, both of technique, and patience and care in employing the technique. That same spruce tree can provide tough roots that make great cordage to stitch those shingles to the frame.
Random Button Pusher Thank you. A person can also utilise the pitch gathered from those same spruce trees to seal the leaks, holes and joints in the bark shelter covering as well. Yes the spruce is indeed a very useful tree.
Wow! i don't know what it is, but there is just something about these videos that I really love! Everything is so real and natural. Your voice is perfect for this hahaha! Even the way the music cuts in and out at the beginning and end. Where you are looks so peaceful! keep up the good work!
Ryan Martin Thank you Ryan very much for those kind words. Glad you are enjoying the videos. My presentation style and personality is not for everyone but I'm thankful that there are some folks who do favor this style
Great video...and a nice tip about the rough side holding the slippery fish in place...could probably use a bit of tree sap or tree resin to fill in the tiny holes from the limbs for that little bit extra invade of wet weather.....thx again for the great vids...looking forward to seeing more.👍👍👍
trevor parsons Thank you. Yes spruce pitch would seal the holes very well.
Lonnie, you have a wonderful channel. The knowledge that you are sharing is priceless. This is the kinda things I will try and pass on to my children who love the outdoors as much as I do. I've only started watching your videos this week, but it is obvious that you are posting great educational videos. Thank you sir.
+RowdyRoddy I am very glad you are enjoying the videos and not only learning from them but passing on that knowledge to the next generation as well.
love the series Lonnie. Hope you and Connie are having a nice summer.
michael todd We are having a great summer and hope you are as well. Thanks for the encouraging words on the video series.
Another great video, Lonnie! I think one of the reasons people enjoy your videos so much is because there aren't many folks who know the things you know and appreciate the kind of life you live who are also willing to video and share their skills and their lives. So, thanks for doing that for the rest of us! I know I really enjoy and appreciate it! One question I've always wondered...do you have a "day job"? I would be interested in a video more about you and Connie and your lives. That may be too personal, but thought I'd put in the request! Thanks, Lonnie!
+Benjamin Crouse Thank you for the kind and encouraging words. At this time I do not have a day job. I am sort of semi retired at least for the time being.
Very well done as usual Lonnie. Really enjoy these kinds of things.
Larry
TatDarYow Glad you enjoyed the video my friend. Thank you.
Appreciate the shingle lesson Lonnie, that way we don't have to sacrifice the tree. The large cottonwoods down south sure supply some beautiful material just rotting off the dead trees, that would be handy too. Good ol' 6 mil plastic always does the trick for super cheap and if you double it up it can be dropped own the front of the shelter to make a "super shelter" which really traps the radiant heat from the fire (and keeps the smoke away). Thanks for another great video brother!
Canesser Thank you. Yes I agree about the inexpensive thin plastic sheeting. It weighs very little as well as takes up very little space but totally and completely waterproofs and presents an effective air barrier. If it is then covered by forest floor debris to shield it from the sun up it will last a long time as well.
Good point about shielding the plastic from the UV rays.
Lonnie, you are a top notch Instructor. I always like watching your training videos.
Great job, a good shelter is time consuming. thanks for the great info. Spruce bark will work great , a few holes but over lapping the bark and you fine. Done this with spruce to make a bark arrow quiver. Thanks alot man
Why thank you , lol
Kullcraven Bushcraft I'll bet that bark quiver looks great. Spruce pitch can be used to plug and seal the holes as well. I meant to mention that in the video but forgot.
Thank. You for your upload it is a real treat when I watch your films it relaxs me so much you are by far the most chilled out guy on you tube, you are far cheaper than any shrink love them keep up the great work many thanks again
Simon Smith Thank you for the positive comments. My style is not for everyone but I am glad that you enjoy it.
You are right about the mount of stuff on the net about shelter building, however, your explanation and demonstrations are more informative in my opinion.
Great video Lonnie. Birch trees are one tree I wish we had here on our property as well as spruce. I fact we have no conifers whatsoever here. I wish I had gotten into bushcraft where I used to live. We didn't have birch there either, but we had pines everywhere and cypress. I make do with the trees I have here and some of the other plant materials available. Someone mentioned pine pitch to seal the holes which is a good idea I was thinking, you could use clay if you didn't have access to pine sap. Clay is found in a lot more areas than conifers and requires no real processing other than digging it up. If the clay is a good quality, rain should not wash it away. This would be sufficient for a short stay if needed. Thanks again for the informative video and thanks for sharing your time and knowledge. Stay safe.
this is similar to what we were taught only the good ole boy that instructed me had us look for downed hanging trees large diameter the more moss the better and cut your line down the top surface let gravity help you and this allows for long sheets to be acquired (larger pieces less lashing and gaps) when you are done covering light a good fire inside pay close attention to smoke coming through plug up holes to control air flow and push the moisture and bugs out. You are absolutely right though so much warmer and better camouflage barked up rather then a giant debris pile. Great video keep em coming.
I think that this just might be the single most informative YT comment EVER. Thank you.
carriellbee no problem lol this community is great for info everyone generally speaking will share freely and you can pick up new skills quickly I find great as well that most will respond to good comments or questions nice to know they do it cause they love it too
Chris Haines Your instructor appears to have been an experienced and knowledgeable person. Locally here though, if a tree is not live and during spring time, it can be very difficult to peel the bark off and the bark comes off in small pieces rather than large sheets.
***** we are fortunate that there is less water content in the air here in that regard less rot in the forests where i lived but almost no birch trees here they were all killed off by pests and disease I am so envious of your wood selection I would love to collect fresh chaga instead of paying 35 bucks a tin
Chris Haines yeah spending that 35 dollars a tin would hurt. I recently seen some powdered chaga being sold in a tiny packet in a gift store here in Alaska that would be equal to almost $ 200.00 a pound.
Wow Great Video and Idea !!!! EXTREMELY informative info and Much Appreciated, love your ideas EVERYTHING you do & Show us can Really help Save lives particularly our Own, Thanks to you & your Lovely wife 😇 👍👍👍
sherry a Thank you for the positive feedback and support of watching the videos. My wife and I thank you also.
✌😁
Lonnie, excellent content man. I love the changes you have made to your video intros and exits. Looking really good. Thank you.
onebadboy2 Thank you for that positive feedback. i have received a lot of positive comments about the intro.
Thanks Lonnie , you were one of the first bushcrafters on youtube I subscribed to. You are incredibly helpful with your videos.
Peace my friend
Bryan Resch Thank you Bryan for your long time support through your views and comments. I am very glad to hear that the videos have been helpful for you. Atb to you and yours
Great info! Thanks for sharing Lonnie.
imasurvivornthriver You are welcome and thank you.
Lonnie, Again an excellent video. Thanks for teaching us a survival method of using bark for emergency shelter. I have built such shelters using forest debris & snow or tarps, as you indicate, it is much easier and quicker to use a tarp, or 2 or more. Best.
Tom M I agree. The tarps not only work very well but in most cases are better than the wild alternatives.
lonnie thanks again your great patient and very informative
Kickass videos and lessons. I subbed instantly when saw the cordless frictionfire video. Great job.
+Farmore Thank you. I would like to take a moment to give you a big hearty welcome to our channel and really glad you joined us here. Glad you are enjoying the videos.
***** Thanks a bunch :)
Thanks for the great information. Will you be showing the finished shelter?
Ceco556 You are welcome. I will be displaying many different options for shelter covering in this series and each will be quite time consuming. I will probably not completely cover the structure in any of the videos since the effort and time would be magnified by many times over what is simply needed to demonstrate the method and very little added benefit to the viewers for the time and effort spent.
Very nice video sir thank s for ur time .
Hello, I am a new subscriber. Just wanted to say thanks for all these interesting and informative videos. I'm learning a lot about the outdoors and I can't get enough of it. Thanks and take care.
Jon D First off I want to offer you a great big howdy and thanks for subscribing. Glad you are enjoying the videos and there are many many videos in the past on our channel that you will probably like and I still have a list of over 150 videos yet to do. The list grows as fast as I can do new videos as well. Life is too busy to do everything I want to do when I want to do it. lol
Haha I hear you there, I'm slowly making my way through the list of videos. I grew up in the city and never had the opportunity to take as many trips as I had liked to into the wilderness. Who knows what the future brings these skills your teaching are truly invaluable. Thanks again to you and your wife. Take care friend!
This is very much appreciated... we love this thanks for sharing.... east Kentucky
Great video! If I may I would like to share something with you. I was learning about this recently from some Ojibway friends of mine. The way we were harvesting the bark was using a wooden mallet we made in the bush to basically baton our knives into the bark instead of pressing them in. It made the process much quicker and safer in my opinion.As we would penetrate the bark, we would rock our knives and it would work almost like a can operner. Then, once the cuts were made, we used a simple wooden bark spud made in the bush the shape of a spatula to slide in between the layer of bark and the actual wood to help remove it quickly, efficiently, and without straining the bark. We built a wigwam with a bark covering of ash and hickory. Thanks for the great videos brother!
1911gi45 Thank you. using the wood "mallet" would be useful for sure.
My pleasure brother! Love your vids! Keep up the great work! God bless!
morning Lonnie-Connie & Ole-Friend Buck; Another top notch How- Video my Friend
Always learning somesthing new from Ya. Thanks 4 sharing with us.
Happy Trails From Down The Path A Piece ATB Terry
God Bless
T.W. Milburn Good to hear from ya my friend. Thanks for watching. Atb to you and yours
Thanks for another great and informative video. I always look forward to them
dalton vickers You are welcome. You have been with us for quite a while now and we appreciate your frequent positive feedback. Thanks for watching.
Agree with all of the positive comments. A few other random thoughts:
* Nutrients, etc. move up and down a tree via the bark (not the inside). So, if you left some of the bark intact (horizontally, remove only half), the tree _might_ survive. Although in a real survival situation, that wouldn't be a priority.
* Nice technique to know, but I question its utility in a survival situation. If you're really trying to survive rough conditions, and need a quick shelter, you'd likely die before you could get enough bark to cover a shelter (very time consuming).
* How long did it take you to dry that spruce shingle?
Thanks for another useful video and good series idea.
onesimpleidea Like I said in a previous comment, I would rather kill one tree than to deface and scar many trees. This tree was very close to others and the thinning of it will benefit the remaining trees. In Alaska and many other northern locations, warmth is a high priority and People need to understand how to achieve that warmth. This is one way of doing that. If I was personally in a longer term (more than a couple days) survival situation, would I use this method? Yes I probably would. I don't question it's utility because I know how necessary an air barrier is to warmth. It would probably only take a couple hours to secure the bark needed. A person could easily have a shelter like this completed in less than a day and it would then provide warmth for the duration of your stay. This is why I encourage people to actually get out and practice this stuff so that they *KNOW* what it takes to survive. The spruce "shingle" dried for a couple weeks but that is immaterial to the construction of this shelter as you can take the bark green right off the tree and place on the shelter where it will be used. It does not need to dry before hand. In a real survival situation I would not use little pieces like I did in this demo. I only used enough bark to show the process. In a real survival situation, I would use large sheets that would span the full width of the shelter if possible.
Great video! very informative, I am loving your channel.
great video and lesson thanks Lonnie, just a side note i guess a few people didn't realise but in the far north people who rely on fire wood use a common practise of ringing trees so they die and don't freeze in winter the same as a live one would so they can harvest when needed im sure this will be a tree for Lonnies fire place come winter to keep him and his wife alive including his wonderful Dog during the months of cold and dark
Bushcraft Adventures France You are correct. This is a common practice here in the North.
Thank you sir for the vid I have used dead bark to do that and it does work great keep up the good work God has given you a great mind for this stuff hope you and yours are well keep it up God bless Glen
Trayer Wilderness We are indeed doing well here. Hope the same for you and yours. I agree that what abilities I have has been because of the blessings of our Lord.
As a construction worker for over 35 years and roofed more then a few houses, I would like to point out that the verticle edges of the layers running up and down should be staggered. The seams where the peices overlap should be in the middle of the peice of bark below it when it's place above the last layer. Other then that, good info.
bibleprophecy1st You are correct. I thought I showed that in the video but after re-watching I see that I did not. I must have shown that in one of my prior takes on this video. I re-recorded portions of this video many times until I had a video that I was happy with. IE background noise, flubbed up words, etc......
Great Video! Handy for when your stuck with nothin'.
Sure miss the sound of the Aspens in Alaska. I love the Wind!
Far North Weaver Thank you. There is definitely something about the sounds of nature that affect us mentally in many different ways. I guess it may in some ways be likened to listening to music but yet different somehow.
Thank you for another informative video. mww
Michigan WoodlandWarrior You are welcome. Thanks for watching
Love the vid again Lonnie Keep them coming Take Care and my best to you and Connie
Jim Koz Thank you Jim for the positive feedback. Atb to you and yours as well.
I learned a lot Lonnie and thank you for your great video and time to teach us I love your videos
Yooper Digger57 Awesome. I'm glad that the video was useful for you.
I live in upper Michigan what about cold weather shelter
Yooper Digger57 I hope to do more winter survival videos this next winter. Hope there will be videos of interest for you. We are out of snow right now so "winter" videos don't seem too realistic :o) I do hope to do a video coming up soon that will be a man made shelter video suitable for cold weather though. Just need some rain around here so that I can light a fire for the video without fear of starting a forest fire..
yes that would be good were out of snow too lol
Hi Lonny. Just wanted to say thank you for another wonderful video. I noticed that you didn't introduce yourself as you normally do. :-)
Also I read on down in your other comments that you would actually make the shingles long like your back poles instead of making smaller shingles like here. But we get the jest of 'the process' when you make them smaller for illustration purpose. Nicely done again. Wish I lived nearby. We could do some fishing or hunting. That would be great. See ya on the next one. Thank you my friend. May God keep you and yours, safe, and keep you filled with His Joy.
Sir Pyro That would be enjoyable to spend some woods time with some of my cyber buddies. I forgot to intro myself in this video like you mentioned. This video was recorded in several different clips that spanned several weeks and I tend to forget what I recorded and when. May God bless you and your loved ones as well.
***** Thank you, Brother. That was very kind.
Lonnie, very nice work on the structure and your thorough teaching style. We are moving to the Bend, Oregon area within the next year. I intend to get out there and teach my grandson as much as my health will allow. This looks like a great one to teach him. I look forward to watching many more of your videos. Keep up the great work sharing your wealth of knowledge. I took a sub as well. What camera are you using, I am looking for one myself?
***Thanks for another great video Lonnie! Couldn't you also secure the bark shingles with a small stream or bead of pine resin along the inside seams of the bark pieces so you have a complete seal? It is just a thought cause I have never tried it. Thanks again! You're the best!!***
B Charron You are welcome and thank you. Yes that would work excellent but would take quite a bit of resin / pitch.
***** Thanks!
Thanks for Sharing Lonnie!!
Larry Lyday You are welcome Larry
With birches it's often easiest to peel the bark off when the tree is fallen and has been laying for a while ;) The wood gets punky, but the bark lasts much longer and doesn't decompose.
You are right. The bark does not decompose as fast but it still does decompose. You will still get better quality bark off of living trees or recently dead trees rather than trying to harvest bark from trees that have decayed. However, harvesting bark from partially decayed trees may be a better option depending on the time of year and effort needed.
Hi Lonnie, watching your video brought to mind a question about 2 people in an emergency situation in the woods. Am wondering how they would build their overnight shelter/fire, specially in cold/extreme cold temperatures where they would want to combine sleeping quarters for heat retention. Love your videos, they make me think:) All the best.
+Tall Cedars A larger leanto or bakers tent type shelter can be quite warm fro two people with a fire out front not far away.
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival Thanks Lonnie for your quick reply. Will check out bakers tent type shelter online. All the best!
Thanks for sharing Lonnie.
Rick Ballard You are welcome.
Great Video, Lonnie. Learned allot.
Galen Long Thank you. I'm glad the video was useful.
Love it Lonnie good stuff my friend. So what you carrying for a sidearm?? make and model ??
DEECEE's ADVENTURES Thank you. 44 mag
Great video as you always do.
Watching your videos makes me want to go camping!
+Ruby Smokee Then I must be doing something right. :o)
VISQUEEN !!! Havent heard that in 15 years. My friend from California used to call it that. I'm from Western New York. We call it Poly.
I was in the house construction trade for many years and that was the commonly used name for the material at least in my circles. I am guessing that that was a particular manufacturers name of their product. That is like we used to call all circular saws "Skill Saws" even if they were made by "Black and Decker" or some other manufacturer rather than Skill brand. I still call facial tissues "Kleenex" even if they are made by a different manufacturer than that one. Force of habit I guess.
Great demo Lonnie!
TomsBackwoods Thank you.
Would you happen to know anything about making some crude survival tools? Might make for a good video.
Jon D I do know several. I will put your request on my "to-do" as well as my "requested" videos lists
Thanks Lonnie!
Big Shingles!
Thanks,
Clark
every time i see your dog i think it's a bear ..got me again :)
Tasting of the tree is sweet as store bought candy, much better for consumption.
/Good idea nice video. Thank you
rv lucky You are welcome. Thank you.
Good work( I’m amazed not a lot more peps dint learn this in wilderness survival in BoyScouts).If they even teach it anymore)
How do you get Internet and post your videos out there? Looks like a nice place to set tipups on the lake in the winter and watch your flags from the cabin..
Perry Haines We have two different places both of which are in South Central Alaska. We have our home which is very rural but yet on the highway system and has electricity as well as indoor plumbing etc..... We also have our cabin which is not only rural but remote as well. There we have no electricity other than a solar panel and / or a generator. There is no internet capabilities at our cabin. I can, of course, record my vidoes there but I have to save them until I get back out to our home before I can edit and upload to the web. We do set up tip ups on our lake for Northern pike. My wife and I very much enjoy the fresh caught pike at the cabin. To be able to pull the fish out of the water, gut and filet and then head into the cabin and a skillet is about as good as it gets.
as for the holes in the bark, i suppose you could seal them with grass or something before laying them up on the shelter?
You could stuff something in them and then cover over with warmed and melted spruce pitch glue
ANOTHER ENJOYABLE EPISODE BROTHER, ........ HOPE ALL IS WELL, FIGURED I'D SEE ANOTHER VIDEO BY NOW, SHOOTING AND EDITING HAS TO BE A PAIN I IMAGINE
Mr1SUPERdoodle The shooting and editing can be a pain if it is not something that is enjoyed. Fortunately I do enjoy them. Unfortunately "life" has got in the way of videoing right now. I hope to record a video today though and upload tomorrow. Nothing however is sure until it is done. Life is good here but has been very busy lately.
Great so far Lonnie, I've found wattle and daub a good one to use are you considering this approach in the series ? or would that be letting the cat out of the bag early, atvb Ken
rasputin0452 Not being from your location, I had to look up "wattle and daub" to see what it is. Yes I do have something similar planned.
by the time you've collected enough bark, dried and straightened it out you've died of exposure 😂😂 on a serious note great job.
+Randal Flagg You misunderstood the video. You do not need to dry the bark before using. I was explaining to the viewers why *MY* bark was straight. I also explained in the video (if I remember correctly) that you can just place the fresh collected bark right on the shelter in place and then hold down with debris so that it will not curl as it dries.
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival Apologies Lonnie my last comment was made tongue in cheek, hence the emoji, I understood the video completely, unfortunately my sense of humor is sometimes mistaken for critiscm, which was in no way the case here. I happen to think your videos are some of the best and most informative on RUclips, unlike most you live the life and if I can be half the back woodsman as you I'll be a happy man, liked and subbed btw, peace and wisdom brother. Shane
+Randal Flagg No problem. There are occasional comments like this one who are not in jest. The vast overwhelming majority of comments (95%) are positive but I usually get a negative comment every several days. Constructive criticism is one thing but I often get totally stupid negative comments from what are clearly wanna be woodsmen and I hate to say it but the comments often bother me more than I would wish. Atb
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival Thanks for replying Lonnie, haters will hate, but I know what you mean I used to get wound up by stupid comments left on my old channel. Hope you and yours have a great Xmas BTW.
+Randal Flagg Thank you. May you and your loved ones also have a blessed Christmas
awesome video.
Kenneth Davenport Thank you.
thats genius lol you keep surprising me with your vids
coydog outdoors Thank you my friend for the positive feedback. I have learned from your videos as well. We all learn from each other.
thanks for the video! and thanks for all the information you so kindly share!
have a stupid question: what is that soundtrack that plays for the intro and outro?
You are welcome and thank you. The music used in the intro and outro is "Tucson" found in the youtube audio library.
Thank you very much indeed! And keep up the great work!
Great video and really learnt alot, definitely a great option for building a forest shelter/ bug out location shelter but you couldn't use bark in a survival situation, you wouldn't have the time to strip the bark and then try and dry it out, if you were in a survival situation you'd want something in an hour or two not spend 10/12 hours building one, still a wicked concept but would love to see something in your next video that was a bit quicker to put together ATB from across the pond
***** You apperently misunderstood me. The bark does not need to be dried out to use. I was just explaining why the bark was flat and straight was because I had dried it out. I dried it out because I wasn't able to use it right then and did not want it to curl up as it dried. In a survival situation that may last more than several days I would definitely personally consider using the bark as a roof covering. Here in Alaska shelter is extremely important and putting a little extra time into your shelter will pay off later.
I agree if it was to last several days then I too would use the bark method, we'd struggle here in rainy old England so learning what you're teaching is important to me mate, keep up the video series I can't wait to see the next one
***** Unfortunately I just can't say at this time when the next one in this series may be. Life is really speeding up around here and I'm getting frustrated trying to do what I want to do when I want to do it. Too many things to do in too little of time. lol
haha I understand that pal, just had 2 weeks off work and haven't done half of what I wanted to
Thanks Lonnie, you break things down enough that this dummy understands.
great technique and teaching. Honestly, I don't like the idea of killing a tree. But, in a survival situation you need to do anything to survive. I would prefer to use a tarp. Amigo, do you have the chance to watch ALONE program at History channel? The situation is that this guys are exposed to predators-- Bears, pumas and wolves... How could you build a temporary, effective and strong shelter in such environment? Do you have such experiences?
Carlos Sepulveda Thank you Carlos. Yes I am familiar with the "Alone" program. Several people I have "known" on RUclips have been on the show. I personally was asked to be on the show as well but did not choose to do so at this time. I have thought of that same question after watching the first episode of "alone" on the web. My answer is that I would build a small log structure to spend my nights in. A bear could destroy the structure since It would not have any spikes to hold each log solidly in place but it would slow the bear down and allow me time to physically protect myself by fighting back if needed. Chances are that fighting back would never be needed as actual physical bear attacks are quite rare. Each log would have the "saddle" notch to nest it solidly on the log below. Eventually it would be nice to add a fireplace to the structure for heat.
Thanks for your input and advice
would the bark of the whole tree come off in one piece? also, can you use a dead tree at all? im not through yet with the video, in case you explain it somewhere later on.
Once a tree dies then the sap no longer flows in the tree. It is that sap flowing in the inner bark that helps that bark to "slip" and separate from the tree wood. It would be difficult to remove the entire bark in one sheet due in part to tree branches being present
Appreciate your woods wisdom
LOL just mentioned the debris. Having some shelter calms people down, having a fire and a hot drink is home.
+worddunlap I like that. To put that in my words, "Having shelter is good. having a fire and a hot drink turns the shelter into a home. I like that and it can be, in a way, quite true.
You can use that. I have no word patent. Sometimes I'll hike 5 miles in, have some tea, cocoa or a cup of coffee, rest a bit and hike out. I guess it's my way of dominating the wilderness or something. It provides me with a satisfied mind. Every human being should have these basic skills. It is what separates us from the animals.
Hi from NH. !!!
Another awesome video :) . I am curious what revolver you are carrying, it looks pretty from what I can tell haha
44 mag
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival Awesome. I wish we could carry handguns in the bush here in Canada but it is nearly impossible unless you are a trapper or bush pilot that works in remote wilderness. There are a couple of other exceptions but not many. Other than that we are stuck with only being allowed to carry shotguns or rifles (non-restricted only). I carry my 12ga when I am out in the bush but a handgun would be more convenient .
I actually usually carry my short barrel pistol grip 12 gauge as my normal every day bear gun. You are right though, it is not as convenient as a pistol but I feel more comfortable with it.
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival Having a handgun as a secondary backup would be nice but aside from the weight factor I feel that a 12ga is some good stopping power with the right ammo. I usually load 00buck,slug,00buck,slug,00buck , even tho my 12ga is 5+1 I don't carry chambered just mag tube maxed out with safety off. I have a folding stock with pistol grip on mine with an 18.5" barrel. Have you had many bear encounters out there in the Alaskan wilderness?. I have never had to shoot an animal , mostly just have black bear and cougar in the bush where I go, Haven't met a grizz yet but they are around in certain areas here in British Columbia . The black bears so far have either just ignored our presence or have taken off in the opposite direction. Been stalked a couple times by cougar which seem like a higher threat than the black bears. I am still new to your channel so have not had a chance to look thru all of your videos but was wondering if you already have a video on dealing with encounters or if you have any advice about it. I am not an expert yet when it comes to that, just barely comfortable. Thanks
I also load 5 shots in the shotgun with the safety off but no shells in the chamber. I only load slugs in mine however. I have had several encounters with both black and grizzly but they have all ended peacefully thank the Lord. I do have a couple videos on bear/human safety. The links to those videos can be found below. Something that I have done recently and am very glad I have done so was to put together my own electric bear fence. I have a Large freighter canoe being built for me and will be using it on Alaska's remote back country rivers once it is completed. My wife and I plan on doing quite a bit of camping along those rivers. The rivers are natural spawning grounds for Alaska's salmon species. Spawning salmon also brings an increase in bear activity along the rivers where we will be camping. I put together this bear fence so that we can encircle our camp with the fence and be able to sleep peacefully all night without worry about bears walking into camp. The fence isn't quite finished yet since I had to make a few changes to it once I tried it out. I will be doing a video on the fence soon once it is completed.
Wilderness Bear Safety Part 1 of 2
ruclips.net/video/C2rQ6fwmuMY/видео.html
Wilderness Bear Safety Part 2 of 2
ruclips.net/video/u01g-U3iPbk/видео.html
and you can cover the branch holes with some pine pitch mixed with ash.
DEECEE's ADVENTURES Yes absolutely. I should have mentioned that in the video but forgot to. You probably would not need the ash except as an extender of the pitch since the shelter should not flex or move much if any.
DEECEE's ADVENTURES I was wondering about finding vines and tying it on through the branch holes
We do not have vines here in the North but we do have Spruce roots that would work well. I think your former idea of plugging the holes with pitch glue and then lay debris over the shelter to keep the bark in place would leave the shelter more water resistant. I guess one could seal the holes after tying the bark down by using the pitch glue though to waterproof the tying holes.
yeah that sounds right. how you been man?
I have been great. My wife and I just got back from 2.5 weeks out at our remote cabin and it was a really great time. Hope you are doing well as well.
what hand gun do you recommend for brown bear i have a 44 mag but I here stories of 338 and 375 not stopping them .. also what would it take for you to taking me fishing ,,would like to get a big pike!!!
Perry Haines I personally do not recommend any of the more traditional caliber handguns. A large caliber rifle or a 12 gauge shotgun with slugs is the best bet. There are some very large caliber hand guns out now that might be a suitable choice but I know very little about them. Sorry I am not a guide and do not take folks out hunting or fishing.
OK thanks for the reply keep up the good work god bless
Hahaha that white tree looked like popler to me ;)
Spruce bows also make good roofing and shelter. :)
Cyber EMR Estrella The white and black Spruce we have here do not make very good shelter coverings as I believe I stated in the video. The spruce needles grow all around the branch and so keep the branches from stacking very tightly. the resultant cover is too porous and will not trap heat very well at all but rather lets the heat just sift right up through the loosely stacked branches to escape above.
Lonnie, it looks like you need a nice new leather sheath for that multi-tool.
Keith Barkwood I could use a new sheath for sure. I like this nylon one because it carries both my Gerber multi-tool as well as my swiss army Trekker knife at the same time. I could clean off the velcro "hook" side so that the velcro sticks better but if I did, then the velcro "hooks" would just fill back up again from material that it is grabbing from the insulating pile material on the inside of my vest. So I just leave the velcro "hooks" all plugged up so that it does not keep grabbing at the pile lining.
I can easily make you a nice leather one that will hold both. If you can part with them for a few days I could whip it out for you. Stop by my table at the Palmer Depot market on the 10th when we are back, if you are interested.
Keith Barkwood That sounds great and I would enjoy having one. Unfortunately I can't really afford to have you make me one. We live considerably quite a ways out of town. We try to save up many errands to accomplish once we do hit town and can't always choose our town day. Often our "town days" are dictated by a meeting, appointment etc..... So I don't know for sure when we would be in town again on a Monday.
great video
Paul Phillips Thank you.
True you have so many timbers up where you are, just areal pitty anyone has to die for little more than a tutorial. As I sensed it stressed you some as well, stay well cheers.
All good to know stuff Lonnie, as always enjoyed it, your dog gave me a scare there for a second, thought a bear was going to investigate your shelter.
A J Taylor lol. yeah my dog has given me an occasional scare as well. He does not always show up in expected directions and sometimes catches me by surprise.
A J Taylor y
Excellent thank you
gbbushcraft You are welcome and thank you
***** looking forward to the next one already
I gotta hand it to ya. You have patience.
"I would just go ahead and cut down the tree". This brings my question: where do you exactly do the bushcraft stuff? Is it your private land, you have someone's permission, is it a kind of open access land (very liberal law it would be if you could cut down random trees, so rather not) or are you soooo far away from everything that nobody cares? Is it actually legal to go, build a shelter, light a fire, cut down a tree in alaska? Sorry if this seems ridiculous from your perspective, but in my country goevernment installs thermal cameras around the forests to look for people trying to wild camp. (strictly forbidden [!!!WTF!!!]). :-(
+Jarek Watroba I am in South Central Alaska USA. I do most all of my videos within walking distance from my house. The videos take place out away from roads and nobody cares if I cut down a tree if I need one. I am free to light a campfire where ever I want one but of course I am considered responsible for maintaining the fire in such a way that it will not get out of control and start a forest fire. I don't know what you country you live in but it does not sound like a place where I would feel comfortable. I am used to having the freedom that we do have here and would feel quite repressed if I was living where I did not have those freeedoms
+Far North Bushcraft And Survival Welcome to Europe... You say there's a lot of freedom.. so, could I possibly go to the most remote location I can find in AK or Yukon, build a house totally on my own from what I can find and live there? Wouldn't it be some kind of serious law abuse and wouldn't some sad man come and tell me I should get out immediately? Considering non-national-park locations of course. Can I actually buy this land?
+Jarek Watroba Yes we do have a quite a bit of freedom here but no a person can not just stop anywhere in the bush here and put up a cabin. The state and or national government will come in eventually and burn it down if they know of the cabins existence. However you can buy remote property here in Alaska. On your own remote property you then have the freedom to do pretty much any thing you want to do with few exceptions. My wife and I own some remote property with a cabin on it that we very much enjoy spending time at. If interested we did a couple videos on our cabin and trips into the property. The "remote Alaska cabin living" playlist is below if interested
ruclips.net/p/PL_fotv96Eswdx7fy6LoD9V3_IpJE2nkub
I understand why You killed the tree...butt i dont like it.... Would that work with dead birch bark?
Keep up the video's 👍😁 .
Birch bark is almost always more difficult to separate from the tree once the tree is dead. In other words it would be difficult to remove birch bark from the dead tree in sizable pieces without damaging the bark
how would you feel if that tree peeled your skin back? Your a mean person. JK great video, love your channel.
he did say in a survival situation of which anyone would do to stay alive.
What do you use to make your videos?
I assume you are referring to my cameras. I use two cameras. My main camera that I use the most is a "Canon VIXIA HF R300 which is no longer made. My secondary camcorder is the Canon VIXIA HF R600. I use a bluetooth wireless microphone most of the time when recording. My mic is a "sony bluetooth wireless microphone model ecm-aw3
Maybe using some pitch as glue could be handy or to fill holes
Shawn Fazenbaker Absolutely. Noit only the holes but the pitch could also be used to seal each bark sheet to it's neighbor as well for a solid continuous waterproof sheet
How old are you if you don't mind????
Sorry. I do not give out personal info on the web.
how long with the bark shingles last?
dwtlax No idea. I do know that the tree barks were used traditionally as a roofing material on cabins here in the North. It would be my guess that the birch bark will last MUCH longer than others since it is so high in oil content. If you observe birch when it dies and falls to the ground, the wood always deteriorates faster than the bark.
good info lonnie
Linkless Tennessee Thank you my friend
You're not a tree hugger, you're a tree licker!!!
I did that to a wild cherry tree and the bark grew back after 2 years.
What gun you pack in Alaska
Sorry but I no longer discuss that subject online. If you wish to know what is caliber is recommended as sufficient protection against Large preditors such as bear, you can do an online search for "Alaska adfg bear caliber" without the quotes. ADF&G stands for "Alaska Department Of Fish And Game."
don't know if ya got but white cedar works good to and easier to take off to
embarado smithing and woodcraft We do not have any cedar in interior South Central Alaska but I'm sure there are viewers from elsewhere who will see your comment and benefit from it.
Is that a .44?
Yes
*****
sweet enough for them bears!
Nice but just in educational and emergency purpose.
+Kath Barrow Thank you. Yes I agree.