How To Make A Super Shelter 

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awesome camp! A friend and I built a supershelter this past December and spent 2 nights in it, they work very well.

I love your doggy…he's the happiest pooch I have seen on You Tube…which means he must have a really great human he takes care of…congratulations, Dogs are a reflection of the better angels of our nature…great video, btw…keep them coming...

Suggestion: You should actually use some type of "washer" between the plastic and the nail on top of the shelter. Otherwise the plastic will rip of time. You could also use thin wood strips as a washer.

Hello Lily! I have a suggestion to improve your shelter. Use a longer pole at the bottom of the plastic (longer than width of the plastic) so you can hang it onto two forked poles to have a raincover when needed.

I wanna be in your group when the zombie apocalypse happens.

Lilly, I am an Urban Prepper and I'm totally new to camping, hiking, hunting, fishing or any type of outdoor activities, but you have totally inspired me with your videos. I am actually now excited to go into the woods this spring and summer and learn bushcrafting from one of my good friends. Thank you so much!

Lily you can pack mud in the cracks between the wood, use mud and straw and make adobe to fill cracks.

I love your shelter looks fantastic..I am from Ireland and about 20 years ago my two friends and I spent two days building a shelter such as yours. Over the years each time we went back other travellers had added to it and made it better. I went past last year and the shelter we built is still there.

Lilly, enjoy most of your videos especially the survival shelters. I truly wish I could to camping and enjoy the woods again but at 70 life slows down a bit and it would be very hard to survive in the wild. MikeC

Lily, shame on those who would criticize your efforts in your quest to be safe in a possible time of emergency. I applaud your efforts and admire your skills newe or otherwise. you inspire me to continue my quest to prepare for possible unrest in my own country. You are a great example of what each of us can do if the need arises. Please continue to upload videos. I find them most interesting. Thanks. Yours truly, a new subscriber in the USA.

I love the idea of using clear plastic.It let in light and you can take a look outside too,without lifting the curtain.Especially if its raining.Concerning heat it will build up comfortably under the elevated bed.I must say its a beautifully made shelter.Lots of work but worth it.

+Guy in the Rusty Truck : I am a female and not in any way a lesbian but I'd like to marry this gal. I don't bug out for fun. My life is one big "bug out" deep in the woods since I lost everything to a fire last Aug. I just discovered her channel and the things I am learning from her that I don't already know are valuable to me. she is the Ultimate Cool. Watching her is kind of like watching me. I have a dog who absolutely participates in everything I do out here, even watching me learn to use my new chain saw , and she loves it, and makes a great partner.

Lilly, when I was a kid we lived in a very old farm house in Missouri. The old home was heated with just one wood stove and it was a big big,old house, about a hundred and fifty years old,and winters were horrible the bedrooms would be below freezing,you could take a glass of water to bed wake up in the morning to a block of ice. So we started to put plastic on all the Windows and doors, dad would take a fairing strips and roll the plastic around it,then nail through both the wood and plastic using a double shank nail. This would keep the covering layer from ripping through the nail. Over the years we tried all sorts of stuff, like two fat washers or duck tape but they always failed. So next time try rolling it up three or four times then lay the flap down so the nail pins it between the roof of your shelter and the log this will help prevent it from ripping off in the wind. As for the walls you could cover them in those cheap rescue blankets and reflect all that heat back in to the camp thanks for sharing this with us and I also want to say merry Christmas and happy New year to you and all your guests your fan Jake Blessing of Fowling point farm

That dog is a trip.

So far, all the vids on this camp project have been really great. Cant wait to see how your first overnighter goes with Dax!

That fortress rocks! You have some skills ma'am.

Wow. You have certainly improved on your raised bed attempt from a few years ago. Impressive looking shelter. I look forward to seeing how it works out for you.

That dog really loves the dirt. Always kills it.

I have never seen such a nice collection of straight logs all of the same diameter! What a miraculous part of the world you must live in!

Impressive hotel, I would love to have a private place with the materials to build something like this. That said how much do you charge for a 4 day long-weekend stay in your 5 star hotel ? Have a good new year. Be safe. Ps, i am still not sure who likes the outdoors the most, you or your Puppy !

I think this is by the way one of the best semi long term survival shelter seen around. Usually people think of long term shelter just a standar shelter you could make with your poncho, but made out of sticks. They probably never really spent a lot of time in the woods, its ok if it never rains, but you will hate it once you have to get out to cook under the rain or a snow storm, or just changing your clothes in a so small area that anytime you move you get somthing wet. Think about making another roof leaning towards the fireplace it could exponentially improve the shelters liveability.

Hi, I'm impressed with your skills. May I know what you paid for the area you own? Thanks!

wow, i never thought heat would go through the sheet - smoke free as well. great idea lilly. this is going to amazing when its finished. you could rent it to other preppers as a base camp when training. well done

Indian build small shelter - keep warm. White man build large shelter - keep warm fetching wood.

After the 6ft of snow and -20F windchill weather I have had this winter this shelter might be the answer. I have always wondered if this super shelter really worked. Great video and thanks for sharing.

Dear Lord I need to fine a woman like this. I'd be very a happy man.

Well done! I like the fact that you're always improving your project. Keep up the good work!

Thats what im talkin bout! This shit is alot of work isnt it haha now for some perimeter alarms,awesome sis!

You're videos have gotten better in the last year! I love the idea of making a big, walled off shelter area. Great job incorporating the plastic front.

Trust me when I say this Lilly that tarp is not 2-3mm thick, it will definitely be under 1mm thick..

Great camp Lilly! I like how solid and well built it looks.Keep up the good work. Cheers from Sweden!

Trump would be proud, so many walls

Love the multi function nature of the super shelter down in the winter and if the rain really hammers unroll it over the back for another layer...x

Hi Lilly, I have been watching all your videos, starting with the oldest and it’s getting more current as I go. I really love these videos, they are a breath of fresh air that I really need to have in my life. So I thank you for making all of these videos. To me, they relax me and my troubles disappear as I watch. You do a very good job! P.S. I bought my hubby the orange knife with the steel fire starter that is attached to one end of the knife. He tried it out and says it’s good quality!

Most impressive - Plenty of space in which to cook or sit and enjoy the fire or work on project and a comfy, warm sleeping area. I'd wondered how you built it and am so glad to have found the videos showing the process!

I'll say one thing for sure, you aren't afraid of hard work. The shelter looks great. Very enjoyable video.

I am building one of my own here in Vermont, USA. Thanks for the video!! It gets VERY cold here in the winter, I cant wait to use mine as well. Thank you so much Lilly!

I really like the new shelter! I took a course from Mors Kochansky a very, very long time ago. One of the other advantages he discussed about this type of raised bed is that you can heat rocks in a fire and roll them under the bed for added heat as well.

Awesome shelter. We saw an expert using your heating method in below freezing winter conditions and it worked amazingly.

You’ve made a very clever shelter, l love how your pup was waiting for you to start the fire and then disappeared man he was or she was so wet from the ground I bet when he got back he didn’t run off again. Thanks for the video, it’s a really impressive build

Very rare young lady nowadays. Keep it up you're a great inspiration to many people especially women everywhere. Nature is my church and sanity. Sooooooooooo amazing for the soul.

hey Lily, nice work there. I like the thinking behind your super-shelter. You are a superb survival video maker I think. Primarily because of your very good skills and much dedication of your time. I think it helps that you are a woman and as such, feel less the need to make survival guides about how great and manly you are, but more on what's actually interesting to hear and see. Simple but stunning recordings of wood cutting! One suggestion for future super-shelter blueprints: Straighten your outer screening wall, keeping the same beginning and end points but bringing the middle section 10-20cm closer to the heat source (fire-pit). You achieve only benefits: less work, less materials, easier for concealment, and most importantly thermodynamically more efficient, because the closer the screening wall is to the fire, all the more cozy it will be in your brilliant super-shelter :-)

Survival Lily thank you so much for beong the only survival/outdoor youtube channel that actually knows what theyre talking about.I have learned so much from you, and love the videos.Keep em comin please 😄

Love what you did to conserve heat in that shelter, You put a little more work into a fine shelter and made it much more efficient. Great video. .

It is actually a good thing that there are holes around. You need to ensure that enough fresh air comes in at all times. Maybe you can close the ones at the top so heat does not escape, but definitely you need some holes at the side. Great job! I wish more girls were so willing to experience the wilderness

One thing I over looked when I posted my last comment was the fact that you are going to use the plastic sheeting to trap the heat from your fire. Plastic sheeting is flammable and I would never use it that close to an open flame. It works really good to keep out wind and rain, I use it for that at work often enough, but I wouldn't want to sleep next to it with an outdoor campfire.

Very cool! I do not think my outdoor skills are as good as yours, but I have some suggestions. I have seen some of these "heat traps" get very uncomfortably hot. You could create a vent at the bottom by hammering in some blocks to the trees and then use a longer stick at the bottom of the sheet at various heights. This would keep the top water proof, still trap the heat in, but also allow for some cool air in the bottom - and you could adjust it to your comfort level. If you want to hide this shelter you could move some of the bushes to surround your wall. Finally, you could also put in a rope ladder to get up high on one of the trees allowing you to see out farther. I wish I had my own land to practice these things!

For people who aren't as skilled as Dick Proenneke this shelter is still a great way to go. Just remember that the poles that hold the walls in place need to be strong enough to stay in place when the weight of the wall starts to get to be quite heavy. A wet pole may break off at the ground level if it starts to rot too quickly.

every man needs a lady like you, i would love to have a woman that loves the outdoors as much as i do. awsom work Lilly.

I made the same mistake you made nailing the plastic to the top of the shelter like that. Even a slight breeze will move the plastic and it will "worry" itself out from under the nails and leave holes in your plastic. My solution was to get a pole and wrap the plastic around it several times and then fasten the pole to the roof about a foot back from the lip. This allowed me to put additional weight on it during high wind events. I used 3 mil plastic and 4 inch drywall screws to fasten the pole to the roof. Nice video.

nice. i remember an episode of dual survival that Cody Lundin did something similar but he used an emergency blanket on the back wall to reflect the heat back towards him and Dave Canterbury. Love your shelter and that area, very awesome.

The content is nice, but honestly the cinematography is what I'm here for. These shots are beautiful, and the mood serene.

I'd leave some of the open spaces on the sides of the shelter. It will allow air flow so that you don't have to worry about asphyxiation. Seal up the top so you don't have rain leaking in but otherwise I think it will be fine. Great job!

Reflective mylar emergency blanket. The emergency type are the size of a folded dinner napkin and they cost a mere buck or 2 apiece. I would suggest pinning a couple up inside the shelter on the back side. If will reflect the heat from the fire, and your clear plastic will keep the heat in. We are talking an extra 15-20 degrees. Just a suggestion though. Hell of a nice shelter!

the intro shot and immediate transition shot were awesome. Also the transition shot @2:11 is great too. would love to see more vids framed this way.

That's a great shelter setup! Remember that you need some vents in the super shelter some it don't trap all the moist. Big thumbs up from Sweden.

Your super shelter is really nice, Lilly. I'll bet it will keep you so cozy in the cold weather. TFS.

i really enjoy your videos, keep them coming. And by far you have had the best sawing technique. Nobody seems to actually use a full stroke and wonder why they get so tired so quickly. Again Great Job, and Thank you

Shelters looking good Lily,a small roof over that wall would add storage & who know's in time you could bring the whole roof fully over to the walls & have yourself a chimney.Happy new year Lily n Dax & all. XXX .

There are a lot of such videos on RU-vid but yours are the best overall. This is really valuable information. I hope you write a survival book with plenty of color photos. I wish they'd give you a survival TV show, I can't imagine it wouldn't be highly completive with the others; especially if you did a world tour of different survival environments. A "Tom Hanks style" alone on a Pacific island would be the best.

Like your wall, seen other shelter's made. But no one ever added a wall. Supplies more advantages than just a wind break. Very nice.

You should use magnets to hold the end of the plastic closed. Quick and easy to open and close. Magnet on the inside and steel washer on the plastic and a steel washer screwed to the tree. Using a screw will allow you to remove it when you stop using the camp.

Awesome video and shelter, I am going to build one based on this, but I am going to use mud & leaves mix on top of each log so I don't get gaps. Cosy and warm!

Lilly, the bug out camp is really coming along. Great work! I can't get the walls around my lean to to look as nice as yours. Have to wait for the end of our Canadian winter before I can give it another try!!

I would say that you want some air gaps at each end of the shelter. This will allow some ventilation which will keep it from building up moisture inside and making you damp. You can always add more leaves to the shelter to help with the insulation .

i really enjoy your videos. you don't have many female youtubers post videos of there outdoor adventures. the best part is watching your dog go nuts on the floor. I love it. thanks again. keep them coming.

Fantastic shelter, so far. Can't wait to see more improvements. Always things to add.

That is a great job you did in building your super shelter and I am so impressed with how professional it all looks and you must love it so much. I know some hunting clubs here is not put together that good and the guys could learn so much from you.

Great job. The place is looking really cozy and inviting. Pretty soon you'll be making furniture and hanging pictures on the walls. May I suggest that you get some kind of an hanging oil lantern for your over nighter? You might also want to build a more permanent fireplace with bricks where you can lay an iron grill. Impressive thanks for sharing.

Awesome Lily the camp is really coming along. I have to say as far as I'm concerned you have the best channel on youtube. Thank you so much for taking the time to make and share these videos. Be safe and be lucky. Wol.

Love it! I reckon I'd be happy living in that shelter long term. I tried building a smaller shelter with Plastic sheet, but it wasn't thick enough and got ripped up by the winds. The plastic on yours looks like a good thick sheet.

Your videos have become my favorites I like your choice of equiptment and how you construct things!

Great video Lilly. I look forward to seeing how your "Super Shelter" turns out. You have incorporated some clever features. Thanks Lilly.

I have enjoyed watching your progression. You continue to inspire and teach while enjoying your life. Thanks for the journey

Very impressive. How to have fun, learn skills and work out all at the same time. Also the dog has a great day. That's what I call multitasking!!! Great vid

Just came across your channel by accident, I am impressed. There are not so many ladies hooked on bushcraft, but you certainly know what you are about. It's great fun isn't it? Have subscribed and am looking forward to exploring your other vids. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Loving the new shelter. Nice to see it`s progress looks nice and comfy.. Keep up the good work

Looks like your little home away from home is coming along great!! Well done and it's really looks good!!

Sweetheart, I don't think there is anyone else in the world that can say "Super Shelter" as cute as you do. Great bug out camp! I love your videos.

Legitimately wish your videos were longer. Very enjoyable. No fluff which is a good thing.

Great work. Your work is an inspiration on how to improve your situation and figure out how to be comfortable living outdoors. I love your videos!

Lots of work! Nicely done. Eager to see how it works for you on your first over-nighter.

Great video Lilly. The camp is looking very good. You have put a lot of time and work into it and it shows. You should be very proud. I have watched most of your videos and many of the skills and techniques you use we also use here in canada. These skills are something that all people who spend time in the outdoors share, no matter what part of the world they live in, and I think that's pretty cool All the best, cant wait to see your next project

Sim City "Lilly" in progress. Very nice Lilly. Keep building, it sharpens your skills and keeps you in good physical shape.

Just a thought to help with your walls is an old world solution known as wattle and daub. I would use the plastic short term but being a petro base product that will break down and is extremely flammable, you may consider a different material or design change. With your wall up you almost have a log cabin or a double lean to. It is a pretty awesome bug out hideaway.

Lilly, I must say that you would have been an outstanding scoutmaster for my Boy Scout troop when I was in scouting. I enjoy your videos, most of all archery. I have Long bows, recurve bows and a compound bow. Keep up the great videos Lilly🎯

You did a great job with your shelter and the firewall set up. The open areas within the shelter is a good thing. Like you said it should be warm, but as you know the problem with a super shelter is the condensation that builds up in one. So with the gaps, it will allow more air flow so might not have the condensation problem as much, so great job and love to see how it works. Nice to have a semi permanent shelter. I just did a few shelters on my channel as well, there alot of work but fun. Happy 2015.

Idea here, if there is a heavy rain or is very cold and you don't want to get wet or out from under the covers, but the fire is going out, sacrifice a warm dry arm to fuel the fire with a stack of wood close to you, but also, take some sort of long metal tube, run it through a hole or under the flap and into the fire so you can blow through it and give the fire oxygen to keep it really hot. I do civil war reenacting and it's sort of like primitive camping so a couple of things I learned: stay as close as possible to the fire, if I started to breathe smoke I would pull my hat over my face, rocks make good blanket warmers by setting them next to the fire then sticking them at your feet, always have a log pile within arms reach when sleeping.

I love watching your videos. They give me such good ideas and have taught me many things I didn't know. I always look forward to your new videos and hope to see many more to come.

Nice in low wind conditions. In the Sierra Nevada's, the 50-60 mph gusts would blow that shelter down flat. Guess it depends on where you put the shelter up.

I do not want to sound like a know it all, so I will tell you my experience first. I was an industrial insulator for 25 years. During that time I had to build containment areas for removing asbestos. That meant I would have to design and build containment rooms around the asbestos areas before removing it so people outside that area would not breath the dust. Most of the time we used scaffolding to build the frame and then attached 2"X 4" lumber to it with wire, then we used plastic sheeting to seal the entire structure air tight. To attach the plastic sheeting to the framing made from scaffolding and 2"X4" lumber we would stretch the sheeting acccross the 2x4's and sandwich the plastic between the 2X4's and 1/2"X 2" slats of wood and then drive nales through the slats that then went through the plastic and into the 2X4's. That way it was the slats that was holding the plastic all the way accross instead of just nales that pull through very easily. To just use nales the way you are using them, even the slightest wind will pull them through and there goes the plastic sheeting. If you do it the way I am explaing the plastic can last weeks to months especially if you combined duct tape in the highest tension and abrasion areas. You could split some wood about 1" or 2 to 3 CM's thick and nale in sections a few feet long buting the ends and your shelter will be much more secure. Trust me I know what I am talking about.

That wall can serve a variety of purposes and it wouldn't be hard to put a roof over the entire structure. It would be good to have a thermometer inside your shelter to see how warm it is.

That is a ton of work. Good job on your Super Shelter. Looks great.

If it is real cold i would recommend attaching one of the silver space blankets to the roof on the inside of the shelter

i am jealous of you!You leave in the nature and you are doing what you love .That's motivating me leaving the life in big city

You have done an awesome job! I have watched several of your videos and I have liked them all. Keep them coming!

Like everyone else has said - you could use some modification up at the top where you nailed the sheet - if you got another nice strait piece of wood - or several - and placed them on top of the sheet and nailed through, effectively sandwiching the sheet between two pieces of wood, you will spread the stress along the entire length of plastic instead of placing it all on the points where the nails have made holes. It will last longer without tearing. Even better if you rolled it around the stick before nailing it, but I think you'd need a new piece of plastic because you already cut the length. Cool shelter though, love the walls.

You're doing a great job. Carry on! You might consider heating some larger stones by the fire and then setting them under the bed to add warmth in any cold spots and for general heat as well. Just a thought. Peace out!

You could take this even further and build a almost round house type structure. Put a roof extending out wards and then leave a whole for the smoke to leave. You could even build out to the wall and join it up but leave the wall the same height making it like windows. Great work all together. Keep making more videos. :)