Primitive Technology: Making Charcoal (3 Different Methods)

[@primitivetechnology9550]

I need more charcoal for smelting and metallurgy. These are the 3 methods I've used so far. The pit is the quickest and easiest to set up. But the mound and kiln produce better quality and larger pieces. All charcoal from these methods will work in smelting and forging but the 2 later methods make better fuel. The advantage of the kiln over the mound is that it's re-useable and takes less effort to set up per batch than the mound does (less exposed wood to cover with mud). Also, I've started sieving the charcoal so all pieces used are over about 2.5 cm/1 inch. The larger lumps work better in furnaces because there are larger gaps between them that allow air to pass more easily through the fuel bed. This especially important in natural draft furnaces for smelting.

[@luszczi]

Good progress. Charcoal is essential in order to filter the jungle moonshine. ;) On a more serious note, the scorpions in the roof were a joke, right?

[@69Buddha]

What does one large kiln's worth of charcoal get you, time wise? Enough for an hour of smelting? Two hours? One batch of iron bacteria? More? Just curious...

[@dylanzrim3635]

I wonder if there’s any coal around your area, if you bake it it becomes coke and then your smelting will get better

[@dylanzrim3635]

@@luszczi they weren’t scorpions

[@Kassadin.]

@@luszczi I think he smoked his hut so much that they would have all left already

[@Rippertear]

Thinking about it, this is probably one of the purest KZbin channels I know. You simply record yourself doing an interesting thing you love doing, edit the clips together, and upload it. No ad reads, no sponsors, no clickbait. Not even any commentary, unless you turn on the captions. Just fascinating primitive technology and the beautiful sounds of nature. 10/10, wonderful work, keep it up!

[@dc8836]

I honestly can't think of any other channel at this level that manages to avoid the things that plague all the other channels. Maybe it's because this is just a passion project and hobby for him? I swear I remember reading him saying he was some kinda white collar worker in his normal, professional life, but for the life of me can't remember where.

[@NorsePaganFrost]

Check out Erik Grankvist making his log cabin. Idk if it's as explanatory but it's very satisfying

[@qwerty-wt5dr]

No shit

[@robertlassiter907]

@@qwerty-wt5dr No beating around the bush, you just go ahead and say it! With great eloquence I might add.

[@FirstOfTheMagi]

@@NorsePaganFrost My Self Reliance has a similar style and also has a playlist of him building his cabin(s) by hand. Really cool and relaxing

[@someguardsman]

One of the last vestiges of old youtube: just a guy doing things and sharing their experience with the world. Love all your videos, hope you keep doing these for many years to come!

[@primitivetechnology9550]

Much appreciated.

[@tilad1420]

​​@Matthew Smith TikTok is the new old KZbin if you have the attention span of a goldfish

[@QPF1OO]

@MatthewSmith-rl5ox Bro tiksh$t copied Vine

[@carsonrush3352]

@@primitivetechnology9550, I have over 200 subscriptions, and this is easily in my top 10 favorite channels. Keep up the incredible work! Also, I love that you're demonstrating to people that you have to cut off the oxygen flow to maximize charcoal output. I see so many gardening youtubers trying to create "Terra Praeta" (soil mixed with charcoal), but are mostly just clear burning their plant trimming waste into ash. As a chemical engineer that loves studying baseline chemical technology, this continuously bugs me. Also, if you want to make activated charcoal, you need to steam the coal in an environment with no oxygen. If you create a pot with a raised platform high up inside it, you can pile charcoal on the platform. Then you boil the water with a weighted, slanted lid on the top of the pot to burp the pressure as you go (wet clay could make a fair seal for the material). The water vapor will mix with the air and discharge it as the pressurized vapor escapes (the pressure makes it so that no air comes back in). When the water has boiled of and escaped, you should be left with good quality activate charcoal. What chemicals and chemical technology do you want to try creating first? The ability to create alcohol, acids, and bases are good starting points. You can knock out the first two by simply fermenting some of your old yams, and then letting the alcohol turn to vinegar (an acid). Then you just need to create a distillation pot for concentrating the alcohol. You can also get ammonia base by catching urine in a pot, sealing the top (with clay as a sealant), and redirecting the fermented fumes into another pot to catch it. I don't recommend doing this one near your sleeping huts! There's a few books I recommend for ideas: "Caveman Chemistry" by Kevin Dunn, "The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch" by Lewis Dartnell, and "Dick's Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts and Processes or How They Did it in the 1870's". There's a lot of primitive chemical tech in all of those books. What kinds of ores are you seeing near your work area?

[@mka290]

​@@carsonrush3352 спасибо вам за очень информативный комментарий

[@natetallman]

This man deserves an honorary doctorate in history with the skills and methods he's researched, resurrected, and demonstrated.

[@CL-go2ji]

PREhistory.

[@n0denz]

Paleoanthropology!

[@dougerrohmer]

Isn't the "honorary" part a bit of a slap in the face? Don't they give those to irrelevant people who the campus administration wants to suck up to? How about giving him a legit doctorate, he just has to publish an article or something. On paper he made. With ink he made. On a typewriter he made. 😁

[@dhuh6760]

I believe he, actually has that already, or something like it.

[@edward9674]

Is experimental archaeology a thing you can doctorate in? I think that'd fit the bill.

[@jeremieherard2166]

Thank you once more John, for still uploading and experimenting things after all these years.

[@nunyabusiness7001]

@Ek-up6ut neither

[@deargodwhy9718]

​@DontReadMyProfilePhoto_3ok

[@NotsiaLebouf-gv2yb]

BUNNIN DA CRAB PAK

[@fbiagentmiyakohoshino8223]

@DontReadMyProfilePhoto_3k i wont

[@johnnywoodstock]

I love the fact that this guy never started making none of that "boom pow" commentary, titles, or thumbnais. Just kept his videos consistent all the way. Fame hasn't made him weak, it has only strengthen him. Good work. God Bless. 👍 (Long time fan since like 2015-2017)

[@joeycarlisle9844]

I know there's a lot to be impressed by while watching these vids. But today I was just admiring how good you are at making mud. Every video, the mud is on point

[@6022]

This is one of the most evergreen statements in the world. Thousands and thousands of years ago, in whatever language they used at the time, you'd have one guy saying to another, "Look at that guy's mud. His mud is on point."

[@nekrataali]

"Naw man...that's too many seashells for mud. Who's your mud guy?" --Ogg 16,847 B.C.

[@voEovove]

Makes you realize that even something as "primitive" as mud can actually be a valuable and useful resource. From the creation of charcoal, all the way to semiconductor manufacturing. It's silica, and without it, you wouldn't be reading this right now.

[@jcolinmizia9161]

Beautiful mud, but also watching him make fire from sticks, making it look so easy.

[@OutsiderMoonie]

He keep it 100 with the mud fsfs

[@jamesadams6001]

Truly one of the last bastions of old KZbin, never change my man. Apologies i couldn't give more.

[@primitivetechnology9550]

Much appreciated, I'll keep the content coming.

[@chanakya6735]

​@@primitivetechnology9550 how do you get internet in the forest ??

[@northernresistance_]

@@chanakya6735 You don't need internet to record with a camera...

[@chanakya6735]

@@northernresistance_ i know but to upload a video we need internet , where will he get that ?

[@northernresistance_]

@@chanakya6735 At his home?? You think he lives in the wild?

[@MitchGalgz]

I watch every one of these with my kids. One of my favorite traditions.

[@primitivetechnology9550]

Thanks for this, much appreciated.

[@Thermospon]

Fly your kids to the Amazon rainforest and have the show thare experience

[@DrFoggyPants]

I like these videos, cause they give me a false sense of self confidence that I would not expire almost immediately if I was left in the wild. Also they're chill as hell

[@MrAntibeous]

lol, right!

[@MattTrevett]

I felt the same way until the centipede part!

[@Mrtheunnameable]

Australia is probably the worst place to be left in the wild.

[@nobodyspecial4702]

@@MattTrevett Any place that has centipede's that size is someplace humans were never meant to go.

[@lvlndco]

After watching this I think I'll have to try making some charcoal this spring.

[@ChaosPootato]

I absolutely love that despite proving a thousand times you can light a fire with the stick spinning technique, you still do it every time. 100% commitment, no shortcuts. Except maybe the pants but KZbin wouldn't like you to take them off I guess

[@tristanridley1601]

That's how I describe this channel to friends. "Everything you see he made in a previous video. He started off in the woods with his own bare hands and pants. And he only has the pants for our benefit, never uses thread from them to cheat or such."

[@Один75]

😂

[@FuImaDragon]

Around here we have some nasty spiders that live in wood piles so it applies to the Midwest USA

[@fimbulsummer]

Yeah, that's not what the women watching are saying, though...

[@guillaumeemualliug8220]

​@@tristanridley1601 here in France I use this lovely saying or ours, staying that he started "with his his d**k and his knife" (avec sa bite et son couteau)... And he didn't even have the knife at first 😁

[@jajay35]

I've been watching your videos for years, this is some of the most interesting and wonderfully made content I've seen thank you for all the time and effort you put into these

[@primitivetechnology9550]

Very much appreciated.

[@djustrick1446]

씹

[@arkwell04]

brother those are fake videos

[@Lassie23]

@@arkwell04 no this channel is real

[@wyldxstyle17]

​@@arkwell04 This one specific content creator is real.

[@vanderkarl3927]

"Now [the centipede] lives in the roof with the scorpions" I love these videos, and they do showhow life without all of our modern amenities would be more than bearable. However, quotes like the one above are good reminders of why I'm not personally roughing it and developing primitive technology in the woods of Australia. Thank you.

[@AngelaMerici12]

😆 🤣 🤣

[@bofa987]

dont worry, they probably vacate for a while after being smoked out. just for a while though.

[@BlueLamarFrance]

"Now it lives in the roof with the scorpions" Well that's not terrifying at all

[@Kyrinson]

Yeah... my reaction to that line was "The WHAT?!!! 0.0"

[@matthewcox7985]

​@@Kyrinson And that explains why he did that indoors - especially the big Smoke Out!

[@blastermaster5039]

​@@matthewcox7985 True. Smoke almost always drive away or kill insects.

[@DDeden]

​@@blastermaster5039 That's why chimneys often weren't used, smoke drifted through the roof thatch, keeping vermin away.

[@who_needs_a_handle]

Ah yes. Oz

[@Abelhawk]

Dude, never time lapse again! I will never get tired of seeing you make a fire. We love to see every slow, careful minute of the effort you put into these primitive technologies. It's one of the main things that draws me here every time.

[@Toksyuryel]

I assume he did it to cut down on the run time of this video, it's one of the longest videos on this channel. But I too was disappointed!

[@paulsd9255]

Bruh I much prefer time lapses over time skips.

[@pbnetto]

I think he timelapsed it to show how much time is needed to start a fire. If he timeskipped it, we wouldn't have much sense of time demmanded to do it

[@QuadRicersMechanic]

What a legend. Easily one of the highest quality creators on KZbin.

[@NotsiaLebouf-gv2yb]

BUNNIN DA CRAB PAK

[@openwrtguru247]

Yes, he is. I think he's the pioneer when KZbin or social network is not popular like nowadays.

[@dentroy7926]

What are some other KZbin channels of this level of quality

[@n0denz]

John's a window back into the old days of KZbin, pre-2011. People would upload simple tutorials, nature hikes, their own yards from inside their houses. There were no partnerships, monetization, ads, subs, notification bell, late nite hosts' channels, or spam from India. People uploaded because it was fun to contribute things to the internet.

[@minerharry]

Seeing the difference in the height of the charcoal pile from 11:45 to 14:50 fills me with joy… because I know it means you’ve been using lots of charcoal for fun things!! 😊 excited to see what this kiln lets you do

[@brankenmason8463]

the first pile only have one layer of bricks, then in the end it had 2 layers of brickwall

[@FlorentPlacide]

At first I thought the same but, as Branken Mason did, I soon noticed he had upped the brick edge. After the second batch and the subsequent pouring I even had thought that he needed to do raise the wall.

[@scottyplug]

Never gets old. Not a single one. Love it.

[@kevinstobbs9134]

"Now it lives in the roof with the scorpions". My man just wrote the world's shortest horror story!

[@kennydonachy]

Ha

[@everythingsalright1121]

First of all your name amuses me Second of all, while i knew creatures probably lived in the hut or the roof...its not something i constantly worry about when watching his videos, nor was i expecting scorpions...mildly horrifying to think theres tons of venomous creatures above his head at all times that could fall down

[@kevinstobbs9134]

@@everythingsalright1121 genuinely think you might be the first person to ever realise the name is a joke!

[@syconsenti5904]

@@everythingsalright1121 A scorpion once made a guest appearance in his sandals video as a footwear connoisseur! So not just overhead lol.

[@icedragonair]

I was like "im sorry, with the what?" The guy has beautiful comedic timing

[@MirunaNero]

words cannot express just how much I love this channel and your work. there are so many channels out there, big ones with entire teams of people and high budgets, production quality, etc. I appreciate those things but... it is pretty funny that, for all the money, production quality, editing, and script writing that goes into those channels, there's still people like you. Literally just one dude out in the wilderness with a pair of boxers and a camera. No voice over, no ads, no sponsors, no music, no extreme editing... just doing something you love and showing it off. there's something special about that

[@yojeffschott]

I have never been sucked into knowledge like I have with this silent man. Will I be making my own charcoal? No. But, I am certainly interested in the process and all that he shares with his videos. Thank you!

[@OfficiallySnek]

What's interesting about charcoal is that it's wood that hasn’t been completely burned. The more volatile parts of the wood have been burned off, but what’s left behind is almost pure carbon. Carbon burns in air at a very high temperature, this is why it was used for smelting things instead of regular wood

[@skybike89]

I would like to subscribe to charcoal facts

[@rpbajb]

What temperature? Will it melt iron?

[@tommyscollection]

That was really char-cool !!! 😎

[@rnp497]

i knew it burnt hotter, I didn't know why until now. Thank you

[@teebob21]

@@skybike89 Charcoal was used historically as a source of carbon black by grinding it up. In this form charcoal was important to early chemists and was a constituent of formulas for mixtures such as Black Powder. Due to its high surface area charcoal can be used as a filter, and as a catalyst or as an adsorbent.

[@probablyaparent]

You've got my nephew building a small hut on my sister and brother-in-law's property now, makes me happy to see you inspiring a younger generation.

[@TheMCzorro]

"Mom?" "Yes, what is it, sweetie?" "Do we have any good clay sources around the house?" And then the next thing you know, he's playing with a Spiderman figurine he personally fired in a mud kiln along with some bricks, barrel tiles and a cereal bowl lol

[@Thewilderness10]

Who else loves seeing wild animals? My channel could be all you need. Thanks beforehand!

[@Tyranis326]

"Now it lives in the roof with the scorpions." What a lovely, wholesome and also frightening sentence!

[@Tunality]

Never have I been more grateful to live where the scorpions and centipedes stay relatively small. I love that this channel is about more than survival skills. I love the varied glimpses into how our thousands of years worth of ancestors must have lived, you know, just day-to-day. The effort, time, innovation and plain hard work that went into everyday living before the modern world is amazing. Thank you for researching and sharing these skills and knowledge.

[@SoupyMittens]

If I saw that thing I'd burn the forest to the ground and then bomb it

[@benjaminjones858]

Until yesterday, I didn't know you were posting again. I've binged every video since you've been gone. It's been better and more relaxing than ever.

[@The_Racr1]

subscribe and you won't miss anymore

[@ubantuchallas8436]

Thank you so much for the amazing content you have been providing us with for all these years. By far my favourite channel! I wish you all the best and sincerely hope to see your work for many years to come!

[@primitivetechnology9550]

Thanks for the support and the encouragement. I'll keep it up, much appreciated.

[@chaunceylock]

I learned how to make charcoal from one of your older videos and I've used it for my Biolite stove ever since! It's so legit to just throw in a ziplock and go for a camp. It burns hotter and longer just like you said! And I did a little tiny batch in my backyard

[@dpeter6396]

And it's very light weight!

[@Humongous_Pig_Benis]

Biolite stove? That thing that has a *battery* attached to a *hot burning* stove? How is such a fire hazard device even allowed to be sold? Mankind creates an idiot proof system, and then mankind creates a new kind of idiot...

[@oskar7222]

I love how he warns us to be careful of venomous insects as if we are following along at home in our homemade brick shelters 😂

[@thealkymyst]

You aren't?

[@oskar7222]

@thealkymyst I'm still at the bed shed stage unfortunately

[@TheOnyxFlame]

In Australia nonetheless

[@abhimaanmayadam5713]

Tbf he is Australia. They've got more things that can kill them.

[@Wishbone1977]

@@abhimaanmayadam5713 Yeah, while I'd love to try my hand at some of the things he does... Not in Australia. Nope, nuh-uh, I ain't doing that 😀

[@andreseriliano1761]

I discovered this channel because of a KZbin channel that debunked content creators faking their "primitive contents". He mentioned this channel and used it as a basis of what a legitimate primitive tech really looks like. Hats off to this guy!

[@Smugginz]

Me and my wife have been watching your incredible movies for years. Multiple states, jobs, kids, houses etc.. we just found out your videos have closed captions and youve been talking to us for years. We are both in our mid 30s and literally threw insults and curses like children. Thank you 1000x times for your posts. Even if theyve been more silent than intended :)

[@ericlestick7325]

Closed captions? NO WAY! .......Oh my goodness. It's true.

[@infernaldisdain8051]

I guess you just got a lot of rewatch value.

[@Smugginz]

@@infernaldisdain8051 It's been a treat to be honest.

[@dh8203]

Wow, I also had no idea! The videos are done so well I never thought anything was missing.

[@jason3898]

To me it's more fun to watch them without the first time. If I'm curious about what's going on, I'll turn them on after.

[@SAWhowhatnow]

Yes, the fire and furnace experiments are my favorites! I'd also love to see another shelter project soon.

[@Reckless1985]

yeah seeing that centipede made me think: "welp, time to move!" I don't think the smoke fumigated that hut enough.

[@DMXIII]

​@Don't Read My Profile Photo Don't worry, I won't Bot :)

[@bellwethertrucking3650]

Idk. He doesn't really need a new shelter and it doesn't get much better than his video of the fired brick hut with concrete mortar and terracotta roof. His goal is to get into primitive metallurgy.

[@YounesLayachi]

anything made of clay and bricks are my favourites too

[@SAWhowhatnow]

@@YounesLayachi he makes me very badly want to dig for clay in my yard and make my own stick-fueled kiln!

[@ryobrown-mcclain805]

If I had to choose one channel to watch on KZbin forever, it would be this channel. This winter I've experimented with with making charcoal in my woodstove(edibleacers style) for biochar in the garden, something so satisfying about it. Thank you for this wonderful content!

[@erikolafsen1645]

Using the pit method, learned from this channel some time back, I made a really substantial amount of charcoal from lots of bushes and scrub I had to cut down. The fact that it was "poor quality" (ie: small pieces) was actually a good thing, as I wanted to use it to mix into the soil in a raised bed to improve the soil-quality. I used a metal fire-pit bought from a DIY store. My main lesson learned is: Make sure you put it out properly, one of the batches re-lit itself and I lost perhaps half of it before I discovered it.

[@lamprou]

I use a large cast iron dutch oven for my garden biochar. I fill it with wood chips, put the lid on and place it in fire pit. Enjoy an evening fire and beer and company. The next morning I pull it out, water it down and its ready. Its pretty amazing how much it shrinks but it makes nice small bits of char, ready for the gardens. Though I normally add it to the compost pile.

[@brunetyannick1174]

Activated charcoal (to provide habitat for soil microorganisms) =/= regular charcoal, you'd better just shred your organic matter and use it as mulch, mix with some green to get around 30 C/N if you want it to break down quickly, and you're good to go ! Unless it's full thorny bushes, then I guess it's fair enough to burn it if it's too tricky to handle

[@erikolafsen1407]

@@brunetyannick1174 Hawthorn. Evil stuff. When cutting it down, one branch hit me on the head, and one of the spikes (can't really call them "thorns") got stuck in my skull. Burning it all felt like justice being done.

[@oniplus4545]

it's still weird to me to this day thinking how something so simple like making charcoals always takes me off from tiring days of work, you sir, have this magic in your contents that made my days

[@user-px1hr6bt4l]

Almost a decade creating content of the highest quality on KZbin. A guy doing his thing, no useless commentary to make the video longer, does in a comprehensive and practical way to actually teach what he does and honestly sparked a whole trend of people trying to build things in the woods with "primitive methods" but nobody got close to how good or real this is

[@coreylemon]

The mud mound method is the one that I learned about in school. Its neat to see it actually be put to use in real life!

[@allworknoplay5515]

I really love how he researches everything that he shows us to make sure he is staying true to the way things used to be done.

[@hamjudo]

He always uses primitive materials, but he has made videos showing experiments with technology with no ancient precedent. The most recent example was filtering water through plant stems. Also watch the video where he makes a centripetal blower out of clay. Make sure the captions are turned on. He wrote about the lack of precedent. A historically accurate technology would be leather bellows. That involves hunting or farming large animals and tanning their skin. That is not going to happen.

[@funkymunky7935]

@@hamjudo I like to see a Cassowary hunt

[@ruicarlos3804]

É muito difícil ver todos os vídeos deste canal e aguentar o desejo de simplesmente deixar tudo pra trás e ir viver na floresta kkkkkk Mas ainda estou aguentando firme.

[@MotivatingPhilms]

I've been watching your videos for 7 years, it has been amazing watching your journey and it always makes me happy to see a new video of yours!

[@Jack-The-Gamer-]

"Now it lives in the roof with the scorpions." Me: 😱

[@Scriptease1]

Don't worry in the second part he smoked them out

[@bertrandmesnard4816]

He lives in Australia. Scorpions are like pets there

[@everythingsalright1121]

@@bertrandmesnard4816 yeah but you dont want one to fall down on his head while he's recording

[@betteroywoth2445]

​@@bertrandmesnard4816 that would explain the centiped and the scorpion

[@dougalexander7204]

Awesome. I make lump charcoal for my forge and use the fines for bio-char inoculated with urine and chicken manure. My retort is a 55 gallon barrel with a flue and an inner half barrel filled with dry horse manure and hardwood. Once the wood gas starts to come out, it roars. John, thank you for teaching primitive technology and I bought your book.

[@Sonata675]

I think he is gonna need a bigger hut with storage space for all his future projects. This is such a great channel, it’s very relaxing. I had no idea that watching charcoal get made would be so exciting.

[@NiyaKouya]

If he ever runs out of space, he'll probably look up some interesting way to build one that wasn't covered yet, build it and make a new video about it ;) So in a way, I hope he runs out of space at some point in the future ^^

[@Fanny-Fanny]

My day is always instantly improved when I see a post of a new video from you! Better than that, the rest of my life is improved by the knowledge in it. Thanks!

[@TippyHippy]

I put my hamster in a sock and slammed it against the furniture

[@dylanjames3303]

Your channel provides a constant source of information and inspiration for anyone out there wanting to try these things for themselves. You've inspired me. Thank you, John.

[@holymartyr0]

One of the last youtube channels that has "long" videos, and I watch 100% start to finish EVERY time. Awesome content!

[@MatthijsdeWit111]

Your attention span has gone to shit then, if you think 15 minutes is a long video 🤔

[@jacewhite8540]

still plenty that make long videos at least in my feed, but i also carefully cultivate my algorithm

[@ScienceDiscoverer]

@@jacewhite8540 One false move, and you are bombarded with over 9000 30 second videos for goldfishes ._.

[@Preinstallable]

@@ScienceDiscovererI hate youtube shorts

[@squidwardo7074]

10-20 minutes isn't really long. I frequently watch 1-2 hour long videos/podcasts. tbf tho those are on 1.5x speed and i watch everything at 1.25 if its not just talking

[@U53RN07F0UND]

I watched way too many of your videos before I learned that you explain your methods and procedures as you go in the captions. I had to go back and re-watch all of them. Solid job on those btw. They answer the vast majority of my questions.

[@KingsBard]

"Now it lives in the roof with the scorpions" that sentence alone makes my back crawl

[@ILCorvo001]

I always love to see a new video from you. The channel is a favorite for a variety of reasons, but their serene nature, the care given and the passion in what you're doing are a big part of it.

[@Cammac8]

If you thought his videos were good - wait until you watch them with CC turned on!

[@Arkios64]

@@Cammac8 That's just the correct way of watching them: After watching it and building your own opinions and reasons for why he does things as he does, watch it again with CC.

[@markfryer9880]

Great comment J.L. Summed up everything about John's videos that we have come to love. All done by hand in Far North Queensland, Australia. And no stupid plunge pools!

[@ILCorvo001]

@@Cammac8 Oh I know. When I first started watching a few years ago, I had no idea there were any CC (since there was no dialogue). But honestly, yeah, as Arkios said, I usually watch them once without CC, and then again with it to get the full experience.

[@ILCorvo001]

@@markfryer9880 Aye, the commitment to using only handmade tools for everything is a big part of why I love the channel. There's something almost, for lack of a better word, "magical", to watching someone, for all intents and purposes, show what it was/is like to live as a Native or Aboriginal - not just in Australia, but anywhere Native populations still, or once, existed. It's just, wholesome, I guess. It makes me happy in a specific way that few other things do.

[@SerPurple51]

It would be interesting to see you make your own water filter using a charcoal method. Love your videos! I sometimes go back and watch your older ones whenever I'm feeling down or want to relax. The irony of me getting electrocuted earlier and you uploading a video today is something else lol

[@randomsandwichian]

That would truly be the next step in off grid living, how to have consistent clean water. Might even help in places where clean water is hard to source.

[@SerPurple51]

​@@randomsandwichian​absolutely! He did a video in the past where he did this siphoning water purification method, but the canes he used got clogged and eventually needed replacing. But I bet it would be a lot quicker and less resources using a charcoal method. Maybe even build something like the water powered monjolo he did a while back and make it somewhat automated. He's pretty clever, so I'm sure he could come up with an idea!

[@eduardoalvara2]

¡Gracias! I never miss any of your videos and every single one always catch me in a way that make me forget all troubles and just feel inner peace. Also learn how us humans worked with this literal Primitive Technology is fascinating. Very very appreciated, a hug!

[@primitivetechnology9550]

Thanks for your support, glad you like the videos, I'll keep them coming. Thanks.

[@jdrules747]

“Now it lives in the roof with the scorpions” is one of the scariest sentences I’ve ever read

[@BandoSouth]

To be honest, it reminds me of how incremental human progress was before history, the work this channel has done so far to develop a fuel that provides a high temperature for melting. They weren't stupid, they just did the best they could, and that's what inspires me.

[@78djinn]

Thanks for always making such great content and teaching us!

[@primitivetechnology9550]

Glad you like it, Much appreciated!

[@bahozcraft]

So good to see you back and making videos. You make what is for the rest of us, very difficult - and you make it look easy. I love your calm tone, your skill in bushcraft, and the overall kick-ass way you tame the elements. Thanks for the upload sir. In a world of many YT wannabes, you are the real thing! 11/10.

[@paulferry7791]

He's just a little too chatty for my tastes... 😏

[@thedbcooperforum]

You guys still falling for these videos lol

[@Will-fs7oz]

@@thedbcooperforum what does that even mean

[@thedbcooperforum]

@@Will-fs7oz many believe one or two guys do all the work..takes months sometimes with lots of help..ever notice they never have any roots or rocks lol..only the gullible believe..

[@johncarloexconde5488]

​@@thedbcooperforum i have seen those channels that claim to build grand structures with just sticks and mud but this channel right here im sure is legit. The other channels have been exposed by a journalist (?) (or photographer im not sure) but they started to do those things because they want to copy THIS CHANNEL. this gentleman does this because its his hobby and the place that he does this videos is his land as far as i know.

[@WexMajor82]

It's always a good day when Primitive Technology posts a video!

[@raymondraptorclaw2901]

First off, I’m returning all of a sudden and I’m so SO happy to see how much you’ve been uploading lately! Secondly, I’m a blacksmith, and I been trying to figure out charcoal ever since 2020, when I saw your video utilizing the mound.

[@troycongdon]

Charcoal is wood “burned” in an environment without oxygen. If you have lots of wood and free time and want to make your own for blacksmithing, FILL (packed as tight as you can) a metal 55 gallon drum with wood, put the lid on it, and have a bonfire under and around it.

[@Kelnx]

@@troycongdon "Cooked" is probably a better word there. You're cooking wood to get the junk you don't want out of it so the leftover carbon burns at a much higher temperature than wood.

[@jordan9604]

@@troycongdon You can actually use the gasses from cooking wood to make a very primitive motor if you could find enough iron and have the capabalities to machine it a little. Much the same as a forklift uses propane for it's engine.

[@raymondraptorclaw2901]

@@troycongdon ah yes… I been trying to get ahold of some kind of metal container that I can basically make a reusable mound or kiln out of. So far, I’ve seen people use paint cans, too. I was even about to dry baking some sticks in an Altoids tin kinda like a Dutch oven to make drawing charcoal. Thx for the tip. It’s important that the wood does not combust, think of what would happen if you burned wood with just pure heat and there wasn’t enough oxygen in the air for it to set on fire. That’s basically what we’re aiming for.

[@ScienceDiscoverer]

@@raymondraptorclaw2901 What I realised thanks to this channel is that charcoal is actually the same as coke coal, just less dense. Raw wood = raw coal. Charcoal = coke.

[@gapho5198]

It's great to see techniques and technologies that are scalable like this!

[@Anmeteor9663]

Playing about with water, mud, sticks and fire whilst making a useful product. It doesn't get more fun than that. Thanks John.

[@Bigmbrennan]

This dude is king, hands down the best, the only legit one, its so far from being a contest that it isnt even funny. His content is pure gold.

[@LandoHitman]

I can't even fathom how long this all has been taking place. I love this channel

[@Raveseeker]

Interesting to see a revisit to some of your old videos-I remember the first time you did these three. A refresher never goes amiss.

[@OutsiderMoonie]

Every time I see you pop up on my home page I get excited as hell. I turn it on and everything else goes on airplane mode. I do get worried that you'll run out of things to do but as always you make just watching the process so much fun! I just want to watch you build and create with just the things around you. Amazing KZbinr and my favorite channel by far! Love you John!

[@OutsiderMoonie]

I bet it got hot as hell in that hut! rofl

[@LordHonkInc]

I am most likely never going to need the information I've learned in this video, but god damn if it isn't just incredibly fun to learn it. This channel really is one of the peak examples of what makes KZbin a remarkable platform.

[@piotrmroczkowski2324]

The second method was (and in a way still is) used in Poland for centuries. But the mounds are said to be huge, staying closed (fired) for days. Also, but this has to do with the wood itself I suppose, at the bottom there was allways a jar (or rather lots of them) collecting tar and pitch. Great video, I admire your dedication. Keep it up, and greetings from Poland.

[@grzegorzolek9219]

Niestety, wypał w Bieszczadach dobiegł końca, retorty stoją zimne. Chiński węgiel tańszy.

[@D.Cooper420]

Dude, you have no idea how therapeutic your videos have been for me, and I'm sure many others

[@DrBright5558]

There is a centipede in your roof

[@BreakingBarriers2DIY]

I love the style with how these are put together. Such great content so well done.

[@cracktact7676]

I’ve been on KZbin since I was like 10 (Jesus that’s almost 9 years ago now) and this is the only channel I’ve always clicked on the notifications for no matter what the title and no matter what I’m doing at the moment. Thank you for being by far the most entertaining and consistent channel on this platform. Your videos are endlessly entertaining and infinitely rewatchable. I wish you many subscribers, and I hope that you never stop uploading. Thank you for starting and continuing this channel.

[@youribosque9832]

there's an inherent intemporality to his work, and there's obvious will and dedication to it. best ingredients make best cuisine.

[@jackflash6377]

Lived in Senegal, Africa back in 1969. Used to watch them make charcoal just down the street. They used the "cover it with mud" technique only on a massive scale. Fascinating stuff to a 10 year old boy.

[@DinoPwn]

I wanna see more structures being built, but i'll take what I can get. These are some of the most relaxing/intriguing videos on YT

[@lucasotis9525]

I love that this video you took a moment to point out the wild life in and around the cabin. The processes and experiments are always cool, but that felt special

[@lucasotis9525]

I’ve been watching for so many years, it never occurred to me that I haven’t commented before. Your videos are a nice, peaceful escape. Thank you.

[@wokenup9759]

Всем уважающим этот канал, как и самому автору этого канала, здравствуйте! Хотел поделиться мнением о книге, которую купил вчера - "Примитивные технологии". Давно хотел приобрести нечто подобное, т.к. такое пособие может пригодиться и будет полезно. Я с самого начала создания этого канала наблюдаю за всем, что показывает его автор и диву даюсь тому, какой он гениальный человек. Моё искреннее уважение, Вам Джон Плант! Теперь по поводу книги. Скажу о минусах: Книга иллюстрирована. Но иллюстраций мало и от них (для непосвященных о канале в ютюбе) толку нет. Есть конечно и те, где и так всё понятно. Но таких мало. В большинстве случаях по 3 иллюстрации, одна из которых находится в центре сгиба книги и, в итоге не видно деталей, которые приведены в пример к описанию действий. Опять же, это Я понимаю всё, поскольку чуть ли не наизусть уже всё пересмотрел на канале. Но для новичков, это будет неудобно. Выбор черно-белого варианта иллюстраций, полагаю, был из за маленького бюджета для создания книги, т.к. цвета слишком серые и неразборчивые для понимая того, что на них происходит. Касательно самих инструкций. Мало деталей. Иногда нет понимания того, какие манипуляции нужно производить с теми или иными приспособлениями. Может, как раз, если бы иллюстраций было больше, то и понимание было бы. По моему мнению, около трехсот страниц, учитывая в размерах совсем небольшой формат издания - это очень мало. Такое пособие могло бы быть на 2000 страниц со всеми деталями и иллюстрациями. Ну или в несколько изданий выпустить. Ведь это очень ценный материал. И дело не в цене. Я в Казахстане купил книгу за 2450 тенге и это дешево! Я бы её и за 20000 тенге купил бы, ведь главное - содержание. Приношу свои извинения за такую критику. Я ни в коем случае не хочу кого-то унизить или оскорбить. Пишу только то, что действительно думаю верным написать и ознакомить тех, кто возможно собирается купить книгу. И надеюсь, если это будет возможно, Автор сможет переиздать книгу, отталкиваясь от мнения его подписчика(ов). И я буду в числе первых, кто купит её еще раз! Конечно, если я единственный, кто так считает, то буду рад и тому, кто меня поправит, т.к. и я могу ошибаться, за что также прошу на меня не держать зла. Всем мира и здоровья!

[@meta_ai]

Love every single video you post. Please continue posting longer videos. They are much enjoyable. Thanks

[@grandvivant]

5:50 - Watched from the start of it all but I think this might be the first mention of the friends you've made along the way! I would have leapt into the neighboring woodpile myself

[@-esox-3714]

The second method -in larger scale - still is used by some traditional charcoal makers here in Germany. Nice video once again.

[@FJB_GFY2024]

Absolutely love this channel. I stop what I'm doing when a new video comes out 💯💯💯

[@raulareias9722]

My old time favourite KZbin channel! I'm so glad you're still making videos.

[@brettbever7074]

"Now it lives in the roof with the scorpions" is just a terrifying phrase

[@anubispup4760]

I have learned more from your videos in the past 7ish years than I ever thought I would need, much less use. As always, fantastic.

[@HeggyC]

Thanks for yet another great video. I don't know about others, but I love to use your videos to de-stress after a long day. Don't get me wrong, I love the primitive tech theme (I even bought your book, although it's still unread) but the peaceful nature of your videos unequivocally make my life better. Thank you.

[@vish_footballedits]

Nah at the last line bro just threw a word that goes past my dictionary unequivocally

[@kalebbaugh5510]

Ong

[@Crazy_Diamond_75]

There is something so meditative about these videos. I've seen so many now, but I can never get enough.

[@Aquilarden]

I'd love to see more food-related content (can't live my imaginary primitive life on charcoal, after all), but I know that probably takes more time. Always lovely to see more Prim Tech in any case.

[@everythingsalright1121]

I wonder what else he can scrounge or grow there

[@ScienceDiscoverer]

I don't like when animals are hunted just for show, not actual survival. Like, he has normal food at home, why he needs to hurt critters? Just to "entertain" viewers? I think its not right. There was one video hid did on shrimps, I didn't like it. Agriculture is fine, tho. He has a couple of agriculture vids.

[@ScienceDiscoverer]

@@everythingsalright1121 He also did video on growing some kind of jungle potatoes.

[@Aquilarden]

@@ScienceDiscoverer I didn't say anything about hunting. He's shown some about raising crops as well as processing them, so more of that would be cool. Aside from that, food preservation and storage would be interesting to see.

[@MartinLeong25]

​@@ScienceDiscoverer he also did it to eat

[@GrapeDrank001]

I haven’t seen your videos in a while. I’m glad you’re still around after all the fakes kind of blew the whole scene up and made it look unrealistic and unachievable.

[@_baert]

I appreciate the time lapse of you making fire. The past few videos that you've included it in full I just skipped past because I've seen it so much it was an unnecessary 50-70 seconds.

[@stevodevo9416]

0:44 "Time lapse of making fire" No, I know that you've been practicing that hand fire-starting method for at least 8 years now; that is your actual, normal time speed.

[@UshiromiyaSebastian]

I absolutely love to see how you improve and refine your own methods. thanks for explaining every single detail :3

[@Dragonshadowbob]

You should take a look at Catalan vault building and Nubian vault building. They're methods for constructing brick domes/vaults without the use of scaffolding or support by building each course of the dome at a roughly 60-70 degree angle so that each course, in part, rests on the previous one. The Nubian vault technique in particular lays the brick courses in a specific way so that they form a catenary arch, allowing the roof to support itself atop the walls of the structure without needing things like buttresses. It's done by building a semi-circular arch, and then adding roughly a finger's width to the radius for each brick course past about 70 degrees up from the horizontal. There's not a lot about catalan vault building on the internet, but there's a whole dossier about nubian vault building, but it's a little tricky to track down an english translation from the original french.

[@primitivetechnology9550]

Thanks. I've been looking into Nubian vaults already. They're interesting due to the lack of form work needed during construction. I also like how you can add layers as more bricks come to hand so that the vault grows forward. Much appreciated.

[@joelpace2039]

I've been craving a new PT video this week. What a treat!

[@AngelofKaos]

"Now it lives in the roof with the scorpions" is both acceptance of our place in nature at its finest, and a gentle reminder that all of John's videos are filmed in Australia, where this is absolutely normal.

[@omgawesomeomg]

Also the reason I'm never doing any of this, ever

[@martijn9568]

To be fair, scorpions live in a lot more places than Australia.😅

[@francesquinn-escott744]

Absolutely normal for us in Australia's Top End to encounter crocks (salties or freshies) too, along with goanna, Sting Ray, jellyfish, spiders and let's not forget about th killer cassowary 😊😊 Come to the Territory, and die um, happy 💀

[@FasterThanChris]

I love your videos so much. They're so calming and interesting. It reminds me of when I was little and would spend hours outside in the dirt making different kinds of mud bowls and things to let them dry and experimenting with different methods. I would spend hours doing that and your videos reminds of me of those simpler times.

[@jaythecappy]

It's so interesting to me how many of these behaviors mirror the way children play in nature. It makes me wonder if it's some sort of human instinct, like how birds will make nests without being taught. Like some deep part of us knows that digging in the mud is the very first step to make new things

[@hifty7779]

More Time lapse-es please! they help a lot to convey the time it takes to do these videos

[@fias0m]

It would be really cool to see you showcase methods of art as well - doesn't need to be anything elaborate, maybe just some lines and marks on some pottery. But it would be cool to see the creation of art materials such as colours and maybe other tools, and how they can be used and applied. Everytime I see you make and use charcoal, and how it always colours everything black it makes me think of this.

[@Salmakatory]

Very interesting comment. I like it. It goes to show how artists would naturally be developed. Someone making pottery as a means to an end, someone creative carving their personality on it, someone buying it because it's a means to an end and it looks cool. Defines a lot of how thing are produced, put on shelves, and sold. Our existence in inevitable.

[@DTankTopM]

Your work is amazing brother. So much we can learn from the old methods.

[@bearpatrick9112]

I absolutely love your content! Thank you for being a big part of helping people discover its good to enjoy the outdoors!

[@gastonmarian7261]

"Now [the venomous centipede] lives in the roof with the scorpions" me reminding myself that my fantasies of giving up life to live in a mountain forest in harmony with nature is just a fantasy.

[@argonaut_jay]

I know this isn't an ASMR channel but i can't help but find watching and listening to this so soothing and relaxing. I am constantly falling asleep 😅

[@sheabrown]

It's cool to think that if you were able to do this full time, you'd probably have windows, doors, soaps, plants, all sorts of stuff truly make this place livable

[@ElBach1y]

imagine two people working together like that. now a whole community. that's what being human was like for a loooong time

[@Matt-rw9py]

This is what I needed to see right now. Peaceful, natural life away from this modern mess. Thanks!

[@Gna-rn7zx]

... and then that centipede shows up

[@Matt-rw9py]

@@Gna-rn7zx yummy

[@alexbooguy2911]

every video from you it`s like a holiday. thank you for the inventing a "silent" style for youtube.

[@thegalaxy2262]

Thank you John for providing such nice content, do you plan on making new hand tools to make certain projects go by with more efficiency?