Bushcraft Survival Australia - Shelter: Cabbage tree lean-to

This how to video shows the construction of a 3-4 man lean-to shelter using dead cabbage tree palm leaves as the thatching material. The video details the various stages in construction from the resourcing of the materials to the finished shelter, including the construction of a fire reflector and a springy bough bed.
The video is presented by Gordon Dedman, founder of Bushcraft Survival Australia (BSA). Gordon has travelled extensively and completed numerous Survival and Bushcraft Courses worldwide at schools run by Ray Mears, Dave Canterbury, Lofty Wiseman and Bob Cooper.
Gordon is a former member of the Australian Army 1st Commando Regiment and is presently a survival instructor in NORFORCE, an Australian Army Reserve Regional Force Surveillance Unit (RFSU). NORFORCE conducts patrols in the remote areas of Northern Australia, working closely with Aboriginal communities.
Please follow all safety procedures when lighting fires outdoors and always adhere to the laws and guidelines set down by your State or country of origin, governing fire lighting.
For information on Bushcraft Survival Australia courses, please visit: www.BushcraftSurvivalAustralia.com.au On the Person
Morakniv Garberg (Carbon) full tang knife alnk.to/hDjqBEe
Bacho Laplander folding saw bit.ly/3b8hXI0
Fire striker (Strikefire or Light my Fire or Morakniv) on a lanyard alnk.to/gdZmL94
Leatherman Supertool alnk.to/3TUk6RC
10m hank of 550 paracord bit.ly/3nQeK5b
Small Day Pack (Fjallraven Kanken or Helikon-Tex Bushcraft Satchel - alnk.to/e70gZnA
Kleen Kanteen 20oz or 40oz stainless steel, wide mouthed, single walled bottle with nesting cup alnk.to/7WXKFps
Pathfinder or Survival Supplies Australia /Bushcraft Survival Australia special edition All Weather Emergency Blanket (in production and coming soon) bit.ly/3h6Cnov
Heavy duty extra large non pleated garbage bag (new BSA survival bag in production and coming soon)
SOL Emergency Space Blanket/Bivvi bit.ly/3vLLi2X
Ledlenser MH4 head lamp alnk.to/4Bzm1V3
Falkniven DC4 sharpening stone bit.ly/3eYkSo1
Bushcraft Survival Australia Bandanas bit.ly/3nQ8iem
Suunto MC-2G Global Compass OR Silva Ranger Compass (also worn on the person) bit.ly/3tsGRZj
Small First Aid Kit bit.ly/3f3alI7
Military wound dressing/bandage bit.ly/3bbanMK
Overboard 10-15 litre dry bag alnk.to/7qdtJ0b
Helikon-Tex Military Poncho bit.ly/3xR28iI
Fjallraven Wool Beanie alnk.to/3y4O95k
Fjallraven Keb long sleeved wool t-shirt alnk.to/fS9QOdf
Fjallraven Vida Pro Trousers alnk.to/60TpSzj
Fjallraven Singi Trekking Shirt alnk.to/6bOaRoM
Fjallraven Vidda Pro Jacket alnk.to/3y4O9aV
“Rite in the Rain” Tactical note pad alnk.to/dequ64y
Large Pack (Snugpak 45L Rocket Pack with PLC side pockets) bit.ly/3eYEb0h
Alton Goods 3x3 Ultralight Tarp bit.ly/3en0VYR or Helikon-Tex Supertarp (small or large) bit.ly/33nd8Xa
Snugpak Softie 3 Merlin or Softie 6 Kestral synthetic sleeping bag bit.ly/3tntjy9
Sea to Summit Thermolite “Reactor” sleeping bag liner bit.ly/2QRAfGR
Snugpak Special Forces Bivvi Bag or ex army bivvy bag bit.ly/3ur1hD7
Snugpak 3/4 Mini Matt or Klymit Static V (short) sleeping matt bit.ly/33kTMSo
Military nylon ground sheet
Wash kit and Helikon-Tex Shemagh (towel) bit.ly/3h9jphk
“Survival” Snake Bite First Aid Kit
Ledlenser ML4 mini lantern alnk.to/4qEB371
Powertraveller Extreme Tactical Solar Powered Charger alnk.to/6mIVQgx
Helikon-Tex Enlarged Packcell Bag (for spare clothes) bit.ly/2SmC4vx
Fjallraven Granit Lumberjack Wool Shirt alnk.to/74nXLv4 OR Swandri Ranger Wool Bush Shirt
Swazi Tahr Anorak
fishing kit (optional) bit.ly/2QTrUT0
Alton Goods Lightweight Hammock bit.ly/3xNJrwl and Bug Net bit.ly/3b5ftKB (optional)
Side Pocket 1
Pathfinder Woodsman’s Pantry
Wildo Camp-A-Box (optional) bit.ly/3nUJcuT
Food/Rations (4-6 days)
Side Pocket 2
Kleen Kanteen 40oz stainless steel, single walled, wide mouthed, water bottle bit.ly/3nSvys4 OR Pathfinder 32oz bottle, nesting cup and pot hanger bit.ly/3nQ90bw
Snowpeak Mini Solo Cookset
Zebra 14inch Camping Pot/Saucepan bit.ly/3h1It9T
Alton Goods Ultralight Titanium Grill bit.ly/3enqh8N
Military Milbank Filter OR Brown Bag
MSR 4 Litre Dromedary Bag
Sea to Summit Mini Pocket Shower bit.ly/3xSvbT7
Collapsable bowl

[@ReFLeXau]

Not many Australian Bushcraft channels, this is Awesome.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thank you , much appreciated. Wish i could get more out there faster but unfortunately getting things edited etc takes a long time.

[@joshualawton57]

Another cool channel is Primitive Technology

[@ScottysGoneWalkabout]

Nice work mate! You did an awesome job. It's good to see more Aussie bushcraft channels. I've recently started my own. It would be great if you could check it out. Cheers mate

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thank you for the positive feedback. I will check it out.

[@paulharding1621]

Nice shelter, like the combination of boughs and ferns for the bed.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

👍thanks for watching

[@lonewanderer1776]

This channel has a huge chance to succeed on youtube! please keep making videos!

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for the positive feedback. I'm relatively new to the youtube and social media game so please feel free to like and share the channel with others to help it grow. Will keep making videos as i find the time between running Bushcraft Survival Australia courses, Army and travelling.

[@NicoleApelian]

Nice shelter! I really like a well-insulated lean to with a reflecting wall. Well done and demonstrated - thanks! PS - Also good demo on the bed. Super important and often an after-thought.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for your positive feedback. A reflector fire or "wall backed fire" is a little controversial as some say that unless the reflector wall is actually burning then you don't get any benefit. Also that because it is not made of a reflective material then it absorbs the heat and doesn't reflect it. The colder the conditions then the closer your proximity to the fire needs to be. In our climate i find that if you don't have any gaps in the wall (ideally sealed with mud) then you do get a little residual head back to bounce around the shelter and it also gives a little more light. However if you didn't have a sleeping bag and it was a colder environment then you would use a parallel log fire (the length of your body) to keep you warm.

[@RiverbendlongbowsOutdoors]

That looks really good. We are a bit short on cabbage trees in Iowa. Great video 🎯

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks, yes i imagine there would not be many in your neck of the woods. There are many other palms that also work well as well as thatching with grass and rushes.

[@sonofabear]

This is the best tropical lean to I have seen!

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thank you for your nice comments. Not completely tropical though as it was built on the mid north coast of NSW.

[@LCantwell]

Thanks for a great video Gordon, was nice to see another take on a shelter using Australian materials.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for the positive feedback Leigh. Will keep them coming as i find the time. Please feel free to share them and spread the word.

[@erroleabrown4317]

Good idea with the palm leaves being woven into the weave of branch’s, I appreciate the video thank you

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

My pleasure, thanks for watching

[@ivansiladji]

Such a wealth of knowledge in this video. Appreciate your efforts on this one, Gordon.

[@lastknownlocation8760]

Loved this - fantastic Good job Got a bit itchy watching it and checked myself for ticks afterwards

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for the positive feedback and support, please feel free to share.

[@thewhiteknightoflight5480]

i love watching these vids that was awesome

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for the feedback, I'm glad. you are enjoying the content. Thanks for watching.

[@jarredpiri9166]

hi gordon..i am jarred from indonesia.. today is my first time found and see you video,also as your newest subscriber.

[@stevemulholland1532]

I like this video and have subscribed. Thanks

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for watching

[@TheWildsourdough]

Very nice job...that's a big shelter. I am in the process of building my Bushcraft shelter now (just started this morning) and I really like the eave overhang. Am going to add that to mine ! Did leave a lot of space under my bed for leaf stuffing as I am in New Hampshire and it gets pretty cold at 1400' elevation in the winter. Mine is much smaller- 8'x7'. Thanks for the good idea's and Best to You !

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for the feedback. The smaller the shelter the less area you have to heat. The eave works well and gives you an extra couple of feet of protection against the rain and sun. Definitely a little more stuffing under your bed to prevent that heat loss through conduction to the cold ground. A long fire much closer to you (2-3 feet away) will also keep you much warmer.

[@TheWildsourdough]

AMEN- and thanks, Liked and Subbed !

[@TrailguidePictures]

Great job! It was really good to watch this. I lived in Australia for six years and now up in Canada. Building my own bushcraft shelter at the moment and incredible to see the different in landscape. Of course, having lived there, I know the heat can be just as much a challenge as the cold is here. I can't wait until I can get back down to Australia again.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Yes the heat can be just as much a challenges as the cold in different ways(especially up in Darwin NT) as you can only take so much off. Building a lean-to shelter in north America is also fun. I've built a couple in Alaska and can't wait to get back to that neck of the woods.

[@maidofmilo]

This is awesome!👍 Have really enjoyed seeing some Aussie bushcraft for a change, great work. More please 😀

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for you nice feedback. Will keep them coming as i find time….unfortunately getting video's edited etc takes time. Please feel free to share these video's on social media and spread the word.

[@ivankurniawan3704]

very informative, glad that you uploaded new videos.... i hope you can upload more videos like this

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks again Ivan, its been hard finding the time to get the editing done which takes loads of time. A couple more on their way….once again waiting for the guy to edit them.

[@davebrown7321]

great video man & I can definitely recommend Scotty's gone walkabout's as another great channel on bushcraft!

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for watching and your support. Scotty has some nice stuff and his videos are very relaxing to watch. We finally caught up with each other at the recent Morakniv Adventure in Sydney.

[@marvinywong]

Learnt so much. Thank you.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thank you for the positive feedback

[@PeterNordBushcraft]

It's awesome to have an eve for reflecting rain. I see so many shelters built "too skinny" Great job and it looks good too! It looks like an Adirondack shelter. That's where I live in the foothills of the Adirondacks, NY USA.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for the feedback. The eve does make a difference, especially when there is a lot of rain. It was a fun shelter to build.

[@PAULNAT]

Good work as always Gordon. It turned out pretty good.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks again for your support Paul.…much appreciated.

[@aaronhiggins1774]

👌👌👌😁 looks amazing! You make it look so easy to construct. Well done!

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Shelter building is actually quite easy, it's just a matter of following certain principals and being methodical, neat and accurate. Thanks for watching.

[@LostWhits]

Glad he mentioned bluegums dropping limbs. I heard a camper died this week from falling limbs.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

I didn't hear about that but large gums do tend to do that from time to time. Thanks for watching.

[@joshualawton57]

If you don't follow Gordon's tips Then you're a Dedman

[@robertking6488]

Nice to see some aussie bushcrafters skills in action thumbs up and a sub thank you

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks so much for your positive feedback and comments...much appreciated.

[@jackthemuss2493]

Nice work mate, I hope this video gets the views it deserves

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for the great feedback. Please feel free to share it around and spread the word.

[@lisamacdouall9768]

Awesome. Thank-you

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for the positive feedback Lisa.

[@alexharris8565]

Looks great, can't imagine doing that in England. Not like that anyway

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

It depends on what thatching material you have? If you have any stalked thatching material available it would work. Debris and bough shelters are shelters I have build in England before on courses and they work well. All depends on the resources. Thanks for watching.

[@sovereignaussie8627]

Brilliant mate

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Cheers

[@morteincan6634]

Nice work mate.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thank you, much appreciated.

[@simondelaney5694]

That shelter is cool

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Glad you liked it. It was fun to build as well. Thanks for your support.

[@dimebonics8542]

Just subbed recently and wasnt sure if you were still uploading, this was a great surprise. and something i will definitely try to replicate in the future, great setup looks very rewarding.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for the nice feedback. I'm overseas at the moment so its been difficult getting videos edited etc. More on their way.

[@SurvivalAussie]

Nice shelter mate. :-)

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks Kev, it was a fun project.

[@MTwoodsrunner]

Fantastic as always Gordon!...and i always learn something useful from your videos. Great to see you again...best of wishes in 2018...David

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks David, I'm overseas at the moment so its beed difficult getting editing etc done. Will keep them coming as i find time. Please feel free to share them and spread the word. Gordon

[@sergiosantanna2690]

Good man

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks Segio. Please feel free to share.

[@jacobducat]

Mate youre awesome. I was wondering if you used the trees that the shelter is built around ? Did you secure to them ?

[@timwestthwarchitects213]

Nice one Gordo. Westy

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks for watching Westy…..glad you liked it.

[@MrBrentles]

Cool.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

👍

[@oferbechor1579]

THANK YOU

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Your very welcome

[@dgriffen1]

only question is are there other alternatives to cabbage palm leaves? I have seen a few of these types of videos and they are all extremely well done. Maybe offer some alternatives for differing climate zones? Again, well done and thankyou for the video!

[@bruno-orante]

Good on ya mate! Well done. Bloody good shelter you made. We should also talk about specific conditions of Aussie bushcraft.. one big one, would be snakes and insects control... I prefer my bed much higher because of snakes but insects is a big problem I think... What do you reckon?

[@annadenaro9919]

I notice you don’t run any courses in Queensland, have you ever thought about doing one in North Queensland? Love your videos. :)

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

There are a couple of good schools already in Queensland but not in the North as far as i am aware. However we also offer private customised courses tailored to your needs so if you have a group of people we are more than happy to come up and run a course for you in your area. See our website for more details www.bushcraftsurvivalaustralia.com.au

[@fishmut]

First time I seen your video and I love it. Thank you for sharing you knowledge with us on getting a shelter done, have to say it was well made to 👍 only other thing is food ...what can you find to provide some sort of a meal ?

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

I’m glad you liked it. It came out pretty good in the end. You can eat the heart of the cabbage tree palm as with most palms although it kills the tree. There are wild parsnips and Matt rush all around that area as well as native grapes (out of season then). Thanks for watching

[@double531]

Cool shelter bro'.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks…much appreciated. Please feel free to share.

[@Noeyedeerphoto]

All well and good, but how do you keep the spiders out. That's the most important thing. Spiders are scary!

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Spiders are really nothing to worry about. Knowledge dispels fear. The more you know about what spider is what and what their habits are, the less you have to fear. Certain spiders occupy certain areas. The two dangerous spiders in Australia, are the funnel web which is only found in specific areas and only wanders in the extreme wet when their burrows get flooded or in mating season when the males wander, and the red back which never leaves its web and is found more in urban environments. Huntsman and wolf spiders are harmless and not worth worrying about. Fire dispels most things. I've camped out in natural shelters many many times and never had an issue. The only time you may have an issue in a natural shelter would be if it's an old shelter that has been up for a while and spiders have had the chance to move in. A Smokey fire and movement usually gets rid of them.. Thanks for the question.

[@Thechist781]

I know it is too much to ask but how you protect yourself from those nasty bugs on the ground, those that can.be hiding in your construction materials and mosquitoes ?

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Once again, that's blanket fear talking from lack of education and exposure and of course the media over dramatising things. It's really not that bad at all. You just need to take precautions and be sensible...that's all. You don't decide not to cross the road because you could get hit by a car, you look and wait until its safe. It's the same principle. Learn about the creatures, their habits etc and you will know what to do.

[@wolfpackbushcraftaustralia]

Nice

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thank you

[@thedarksidemaster5530]

Hay mate the part of Australia I live you can’t find any of these supply’s I mean I live in the bush but there are no palm trees anywhere could you make a vid without palm leaves and vines because theses plants don’t grow where I live in the bush.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

I make my videos using the resources around me at the time and it changes depending on where I am. You have to improvise with what you have around you and follow the general guidelines of watershed; 45 degrees, build across from the bottom up, overlap by one third, if thatching make sure each layer is thick enough...etc. test by pouring a 20 litre jerry can of water on it! Thanks for watching.

[@simplysailingbarnabas4943]

Great demonstration Gordon. Can you tell me if bracken makes a good thatching material for the roof?

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Bracken is more of a fall back thatching in my opinion. I find it is a little coarse and holds a lot of moisture if used as a bed. However if it is the only stuff about then that's what you have to use. It takes an awful lot of Bracken to make a shelter and it is quite time consuming to collect. You also have to be careful that you don't cut your hands when pulling the stems from the ground and they can give you deep paper cuts. Thanks for watching.

[@sydneydarts5911]

legend

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Cheers.

[@newforce5699]

Great video gordon! Much appreciated. Do you have any courses coming up? Thanks.

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Thanks again for watching. You can see all the courses for the year on out website under the course calendar. Regards Gordon

[@321654987510]

Nice work it seems you're not to far from me I live close to port macquarie

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

I'm actually overseas at the moment but run bushcraft survival courses in the Nambucca area. Check out our website www.bushcraftsurvivalaustralia.com.au The rest of the year i'm up in Darwin as a survival instructor in NORFORCE (army).

[@tigerou812]

Nice one. Hope it wasn't too hot where/when you were doing this :) Was that the Martindale Golok that you were using? Take care. Craig

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

I built this in November. Im actually overseas at the moment. The machete i'm using is an Australian Army machete which i have had for years. I spend a lot of time up in the NT with NORFORCE (army) survival instructing and the machete is my tool of choice for that environment.

[@sergiosantanna2690]

Good tanks

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Your welcome. Glad you are enjoying them.

[@littlepuppy101]

What if spiders and scorpions or other creepy crawlies get into the bed?

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

It’s never really been an issue, I make sure I clear the area first and a small fire will often keep things at bay. Most spiders are harmless and it’s only a couple of dangerous ones that you have to worry about but that depends on where you are. Ticks and leeches are more of a worry. If there are loads about...usually in wet well forested areas, I use a hammock even though I’m not fond of sleeping in hammocks. Thanks for watching and your support.

[@reflectingtrees6173]

Did that fly get you too?

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

👍

[@Present_Being]

How can you keep snakes away from your camp and not fall on you when you sleep?

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Snakes want nothing to do with us so will keep away once they realise you are there....especially if you have a fire! All snakes can climb but it’s only the harmless tree snakes and Pythons that regularly spend time in trees and they don’t just drop on you! That is a myth! The poisonous elapids are ground snakes not tree dwellers but will keep their distance from you once they know you are there.

[@val770chrysler9]

Wheres the wall paper Gordo ?

[@REVY01]

I whould like to know were in the mid north coast this was filmed I just recently moved from Wingham it's a little town next to Taree

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

Near the town of Nambucca Heads on private property. Thanks for watching and your support.

[@Black_Kakari]

How do you deal with uninvited guests in the wild. Mozzies, spiders, snakes.. Particularly snakes, say you leave your camp for 2 hours, that's long enough for a brown snake to snuggle into your bed for shelter and warmth

[@charliebrownau]

Can you build a shelter like this anywhere in Australia or just NT?

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

This shelter was build on the mid north coast of NSW. You can build this shelter anywhere (with the exception of National Parks) as long as you have the resources and you are not denuding the bush in anyway. In northern NT you would use dead Sandpalm fronds (Livistona humilis) which are very common and plentiful. Thanks for watching.

[@deadeyenic6833]

what else could i use instead of using the cabbage palm because in the area where i live (Victoria, Yarra valley) there isn't much or any of that palm, but we do have alot of fern so could i use that or would i need to find something better

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

You have to use whatever materials are available. Bracken fern works well but you need to apply it thickly so as to achieve good watershed. You also need lots of it! I've also thatched shelters with grass. It requires a different technique and more time but the principles are the same. see our Instagram page, there was a post a while back using kangaroo grass as the thatching material for a shelter.

[@NicoleApelian]

In your area (BC) - sword ferns, hemlock and cedar (which is great for shingling!) work great. I've even used salal and spruce - spruce is especially good for your mattress with cedar over the top of it.

[@jasperr-d758]

I think I found my new internet dad

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

👍 thanks for watching

[@bluejeanxxx]

I wouldn't sleep on the ground in Australian bush I would not do that

[@BushcraftSurvivalAustralia]

There are places where you can do it and places where it is not wise to do so…particularly the jungle. A lot of Australia's dangerous "nasties" that are portrayed overseas are greatly over exaggerated. All our nasties are spread over a wide area and not in the concentrations that they make overseas people believe they are in. Some snakes and spiders are dangerous, others not. The more you know about the different species the better you are to take precautions and also to worry less. To me, leeches and ticks are more of a problem.