Long term winter survival shelter design and construction demonstrated by Primitive Skills staff, students, and apprentices of the Maine Primitive Skills School. Check out all our vids and how-to articles at www.primitivesk...
I'm a roofer by trade. There are several types you can use and could find for free in any dumpster of a roofing company. I'm sure they'd be happy for you to lighten their dumping loads. If you ever have any questions, hit me up. Shelter is my specialty.
We have tipis. They mold in the spring, cencentrate the mosquitos in the summer and sren't made for Maine winters where ice, snow, rain, and sun (often in the same day) are too harsh for the canvas w/o constant maintenance. These shelters last for over a hundred years with variations found around the globe in similiar climates and use a third the fire wood, staying above freezing year round without a fire once complete.
The base is solid and could be dry in spring thaw's; but the structure has been laden down with all these other non structural thumb size to pinky size pieces of wood meant to fill in the space. Thought it seems great I am eager to see the posts this channel posts on it's winter suitability assuming of course you get heavy taiga snowfalls.
We have a four foot base of snow atop three feet of decayed organic material in this, the fourth winter. The current residents have notices a small wet spot about the size of a fist on the north wall, so we will be pulling the organic material out to repair the vapor barrier this spring.
Is this inspired by any civilization in particular? It looks like a native American design, but the front reminds me of a Viking lodge. Looks awesome regardless...
Respect for the landscape and materials harvested and the modern context in which we are operating means no large birch trees, plenty of discarded roofing rubber and our modern awareness and skills level (not nearly as refined as our ancestors) expressed in the way you see it. Please share your techniques so we might better honor the ancestors with forwarding these skills to the next generation.
The lodge is coming along nicely! I'm working on a similar project my self and I have got more than a few ideas from watching your videos. Thanks for the inspiration, and keep up the good work!
