Top 5 Survival Shelters with minimal tools

Here are 5 different bushcraft survival shelters including underground bushcraft dugout. Using simple hand tools like spade, axe and saw. Ranging from a Dugout Hut, Bushcraft Camp, A-Frame Shelter, Lean-To Shelter, and Tarp Hut. I built these with minimal gear and just a few hand tools.
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[@TAOutdoors]

Hey guys - I’m working on the next build which is actually harder than I thought it would be 😅 but it might be two weeks before the video (and shelter!) is ready. So in the meantime I thought you guys might like this to watch 🏕️Cheers! Mike

[@pyeitme508]

Ok 👌

[@christiandost3898]

nagut😊

[@motagrad2836]

I would love to hear you mention hours or rough half days to build various builds. I noted a number of potentially subtle things in many of these builds that a little added commentary could enhance (aka, the why's, when's, and wherefore's of each and steps you take). For instance, type of woods, trees, and available forest litter. Type of soil such as deep litter or clay. Forest litter like pine needles vs when moss is available. Why some are banned and others not. Time available to allow for construction, ways to temporarily make and improve over time, and how long they should last. Thus you could reuse the same footage a second or third time with different editing or cuts and post links in each to the other versions. Just a way you could add videos to keep them metrics up when you can't get it into the woods or while working on a larger project 😁

[@Bran317]

I can and want to do this just need a location we’re not to be found around Chicago land

[@CL-vz6ch]

This is unrealistic bud. Only because as soon as a shell scrape is completed, the platoon sergeant shouts for us to form up and move on to the next objective. 😂

[@davehumpleby3440]

If i was ever stuck out in the bush somewhere, it would be a great comfort having you and your knowledge/skills along for the ride.

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

I love these builds!

[@VanForest73]

Build 5 different shelters. Each shelter has a different beauty, thank you for inspiring everyone. Please have more ideas

[@creepygallery3303]

These nonverbal videos are so calming and meditative. Thank you.

[@davewilliams6172]

Personally I think they are crap and fast forward every one....then go find the original talky that this was cobbled together from.

[@zindi1138]

sick of sound effect vids bs

[@kyleironheart]

Give this man enough time and resources and I bet he could make his own village with a castle included

[@tasim-mn2kt]

Dude can pull up a whole civilization in just weeks

[@barnabyweston5354]

He did

[@robmarshallofficial]

Mike I love how you build things, it would be great to see you build without using a tarp as it would be great to learn how to use different materials in the wood/forest to build a shelter and not get wet.

[@loragunning5394]

Mike, with your skills at survival bushcraft skills, I think you should consider being a contestant on "Alone" (History channel reality show). I bet you could win, easily! I've thought about trying to become a candidate myself, but given my age (70), and the current condition of my aging body, I doubt I could pass the physical exam, sadly. Which isn't to say *I* don't have the adequate skills, just to say, I lack the bodily strength.

[@ericmartin7508]

Thanks for the compilation vid. Trying my own hand at this bushcraft stuff. I've been biking across country and have wondered what to do with all my free time... now I have a whole bunch of ideas from all these bushcraft videos across youtube. starting my own first shelter and incorporating everything ive been seeing into my own version. it's coming along so far. the only thing i find the hardest is actually finding a spot that people will not be around or wander in, but from my bike camping over the last decade, people are the biggest problem. They just can't stand a person being free, happy, and enjoying life while they are stuck in the rat race of city life

[@SqwarkParrotSpittingFeathers]

Your story appears to be missing some essentials. For example, one glaring omission is the funding gap. You’ll need to eat, so, what is the ultimate source of the money needed to buy food?

[@bodhileaf]

Thank you for this video. I hope I never need to rely on this information, but if the time comes, you helped me, and hopefully, many others be prepared for the worst

[@matthewwilliams3827]

Thinking in a 3d way can imagine so many variations building upon a basic design. I wanna build a cabin or something someday. Maybe I’ll start off making a miniature model cabin using tiny sticks of wood hahaha.

[@katwitanruna]

Liked. Shared. Commented. Up the algorithm!

[@georgeblanchardjr]

Darn. I only liked and shared.

[@ARAW-__-]

Man, that's cool to see !

[@katwitanruna]

@@georgeblanchardjr Nonsense! Look at this lovely comment! 😜

[@direfox6095]

I had just thought of using garbage bags in the building of a shelter yesterday, and then for the first time ever I see someone doing it in a survival shelter video. I'm going to keep a box or two of bags in my van from now on, along with my other supplies and tools.

[@Mudking-w4k]

It’s videos like these that make me love TA Outdoors it’s just so relaxing and I always learn a thing or next time I go out🙂

[@joelphalippou4902]

when bushcraft becomes an art. Thank you Sir 🙏🙏🙏👍

[@fion1flatout]

I like the last one. I have ponies so always have a mile or two of baler twine available. Anything that uses string is good. Can be quite long lasting of course, but better than nails imo

[@Kathimgalil]

I really like your videos. Especially the father & son builds. Like the pallet cabin

[@ahwilson1744]

Push a stick in the ground! Are you kidding me? Rocky dirt, followed by clay, then coal! Welcome to Central Pennsylvania. And don't talk to me about those little straight trees. 😁

[@ARAW-__-]

Hey ! I use my CS shovel in the bush all the time ! But not making dugout shelters as of yet, still need permission to do so !

[@forendetta8164]

Hey tu es français ? C'est quoi sa pelle qui utilise? Merci

[@ARAW-__-]

@@forendetta8164 Yo ! Pour moi la premiere pelle qu'on voit c'est une Iunio, et la deuxieme une ancienne pelle mili europeenne. Ma préferre ca reste la cold steel, tu la verras souvent dans mes videos 🫡

[@rondacathey8829]

❤❤I miss you talking to us... I feel like I'm getting the silent treatment...lol all in all great video though loved it ❤❤

[@NicoStriker]

oh hello wow this is early anyway I really love your videos.

[@maxinedurling3425]

That 1st one brought back some memory's all you need now is a Boggers lathe set to the side and it would be a great boggers set up

[@james71ize]

You are the most Awesome Dude, I love all your content, yours and your Dad I learned so much about fishing and ruffing it , I never knew anything about trees until I watched you Guy thanks

[@poulsonarrow]

Just an observation those river stones just be careful as sometimes they have been known to explode due to heat , as I'm sure you know TAO

[@descendantofgoku5548]

Yeah I thought this was nonsense until it happened to me once. Like a damn missile

[@SonnyCrocket-p6h]

My sleep/shelter gear has several uses and it totals just 5 lbs. Remember, you can easily be so sick/injured that you can't start or maintain a fire, or make much of a shelter I use both a 1 lb buttpack and a 1.5 lb daypack. This lets me empty out the packs, stuff them with debris and use them as sleeping pads, normally up in the hammock. Ideally, if it's cold, I hang the hammock 6" off of the ground, with me in it, and then kick debris under the hammock, so as to stop air from flowing under me. Hot rocks can be under the hammock, ideally buried in dirt or even better, in a mound of wood ashes. ashes are more insulative than dirt. At least, they are until they get soaked by rain. I carry a balaclava, 3 pairs of sock liners, spare t shirt and boxer shorts, 2 pair of wool socks, gloves, shemagh. One's extremities have to be protected. I had to add a much wider, stiffer belt to the buttpack. The sleep/shelter gear is lashed to the top of the buttpack and then the daypack rides on the gear. The shorts and t shirt are my hip pads. The spare socks are my shoulder pads I hate every cubic inch and every oz of stuff that I have to lug around, so I do my best to make everything serve 2-3 purposes. and I use the most compact, lightweight stuff that makes any sense. To me, spending thounands of $ on ultralightweight gear, which has to be replaced every 1-2 seasons, is nonsense.

[@GeorgeKhalil-sv9su]

Awesome video. Should do more like this❤

[@m9ovich785]

Thanks Mike for all the re-plays of these Builds. New ones on Your land can now be left in place.. Any plans to move the Pallet Cabin ?? Mike M

[@SonnyCrocket-p6h]

I carry the Cold steel shovel without its handle. That saves half a lb, is a lot more concealable, a lot less trouble with cops. I can make a full-length shovel-handle, axe handle (with stone weight) convert it into an adze/pick/hoe, any such combo in an hour and then REALLY get some work done! As issued, the E tool is a blister-creating nightmare. I make the handle' s cross sections a tapered-oval, like that of a hatchet, to make my strikes more-accurate and to relieve stress on my hands, forearms and wrists. I carry a small visegrip and 3 different saw blades, to be held in the jaws of the visegrip, I also carry a couple of small files, a small cold chisel and a Gerber multitool. Then I can sharpen the saw teeth, shovel or knife blade, no problems. These 'extra" tools weigh no more than a sheath knife and a tomahawk or the handle of the shovel. and they enable me to do a helluva lot more work, much more quickly, easily, quietly and safely.

[@Terra_Seven]

Big Respect from Russia, man!

[@Spenjabud]

Loving your videos, one question…why don’t the fires get placed a bit closer to your structures? Obvs not close enough to burn it down, but a bit more warmth?

[@shakedownsanctuary]

Hey man, been watching your videos for years and I've always been a huge fan of the long form quiet builds like this. Great job, this has been my favorite one in while. Thanks!

[@bushcraftsoloskills]

Good job

[@bushcraftua1]

Hello 🤝. Great job. 👍 shelters

[@TheOutdoorMMA.Freak211]

Great vid 😊

[@ronaldrose7593]

Hello 👋 my outdoors friend, thank you for sharing this informative video. Stay safe out there.😊

[@pedroferreira4134]

Very labor intensive shelters.

[@desbravatube]

Top meu amigo Att: Weliton Marks - Canal Desbravatube

[@Jamie_MTB]

Hey, just wondering where you got that folding shovel at the beginning

[@SonnyCrocket-p6h]

I dont need debris or insulation down to sleeping at 30F, or 20F, if I bring 1.5 lbs worth of longjohns. With the debris, I can gain 10-20F degrees of warmth, depending upon how much debris I have/use. I use only the wiggy's net longjohns while I"m active. The military type polypro longjohns are kept in a dry bag, in case my other clothing gets soaked and are used only for sleeping (if needed) I have a discrete way to dry out wet debris and of course, I can use a fire's radiant heat and hot rocks inside of the bivy to gain another 20F degrees, if need be, for 2-3 hours. then I have to move the logs further into the flames and swap out the cool rocks for hot ones. Handling -20F, in just a bivy, hammock, and cammies is pretty damned good! All of my sleep shelter gear is wearable as clothing, none of it is affected by its getting wet.

[@sispacouet]

using small roots for rope. Nice touch. still moist and flexible😮

[@SonnyCrocket-p6h]

if all you want is concealment, you only need 1 ft of dirt over your head and between you and the air on the side of the creek bank. However, if you want protection from gamma radiation, your dirt "roof' and walls need to be 6 ft thick. If want the temps to stay above 20F and below 80F, 2 ft of dirt is all that you need. When you get more than a foot or so of dirt involved, your risk of being smothered go WAY up, so your shoring has to be much more serious in nature. If you use wood shoring, be aware that most woods rot away badly in a year or even less if the ground is wet. Be prepared to replace that shoring often (and do so discretely). Bring the logs from far away, scatter out your acquisiitons of wood. D'ont have your shelter in the center of such a noticable "gathering spot". Rub mud on the ends of all fresh cuttings of wood. Use a saw to make your shoring, not an axe, so you dont have all of the noise, danger and wood chips to pick up.. A swipe of your foot will hide sawdust in the debris-dirt. It will NOT do so for wood chips, tho.

[@kingrafa3938]

Another great video Mike!

[@Sovereignspiritualwarrior]

Definitely My Dream Tent.. I Plan On Getting Mine For Fulltime Offgrid Use In April . Thank You For The Excellent Review Breakdown..✌🏾❤️ Brother.

[@bodhileaf]

One thing I gathered from this, is the value of ANY waterproof implement(fancy tarp, or whateva...)for roofing

[@rlgroshans]

I love your builds. I wish I have a plot of wooded land where I could try my hand at all of this.

[@riddimchef1]

Your skills are off the meter bro 🙌🙌

[@RickTOutdoorAdventure1969]

Love these builds Mike 🙂👍. Mint film Atb Rick n Billydog

[@crmsoldier6568]

Try the British army IPK tarp for a trench cover

[@aidant6469]

Out here in the foothills of Alberta the ground is filled with rocks... its hard to get in tent pegs.. you need a pick axe and goggles to dig a hole.

[@ahwilson1744]

I was going to make the same comment being in the hills of PA

[@aidant6469]

@@ahwilson1744 yeah... I might be a little jealous 😉

[@SonnyCrocket-p6h]

You do a lot more work than need-be. Instead, find a HIGH creek bank, very low chance of flood reaching that high, or just use an eroded gully. Half the work is then already done for you. Just dig back into the bank, turn sideways, tunnel parallel to the bank for half of the length of the shelter you need. Move down the bank, dig into the bank the same distance, height and size of tunnel turn towards the other tunnel. that you started. Shore up the over burden, make a couple of doors, conealed with dirt/clay packed on the outside of the door. Pack the entrances with dry vegetatie debris (if it's cold) and have debris around you in the sleeping chamber (if it's cold) A white sheet around you helps you locate bugs and get rid of them. It's best to HEAVILY smoke debris that you'll bring into the shelter, unless you've got the two sets of Amazon full body bugnet suits to wear, that is. $30 and 1/4 each, so why AINT you got them? Having TWO layers of such netting around you is pretty good protection from bites by spiders, ticks, etc. Make the tunnels 2x2 ft, but the sleeping-chamber 8x3x3, so you can sit up, turnaround, . Have a 4 ft deep/tall area, 2x2 ft, so you can squat or kneel to eliminate wastes into a basket that's half full of dirt. Cover the wastes with more dirt, vs the stink. When you HAVE to go out for some other reason, empty the "chamber pot" into the latriine-trench and add more fresh dirt, preferaly loose, dry dirt.

[@chrisjust2855]

Brilliant. Why do you char the posts at the end?

[@JSMCalder]

The man has been busy 👌🏻 You seemed to be in a rush throughout the video hahaha Cracking builds mate

[@ericstoever9577]

This seems to be the year of the dugout!

[@stewartjas68]

Bro, where did you get that shovel? The camping shovels i search for are all short. That long handle one looks great to use, easier on the back.

[@stephanygates6491]

I thought it was sped up, but that was mostly real time, wasn't it? Working that fast to beat the rain. Excellent! Ah, I see, mostly sped up to cover so many shelters.

[@luxtempestas]

No, it's speed up, look at the wind moving the leaves.

[@Nverinder716]

I noticed it too, it's very slightly time lapsed. A little jarring actually, not used to seeing that in Mike's vids

[@earlgrey691]

'The Master' woodsman.

[@thesextantthesunandtheholy4274]

Only recently stumbled upon your channel. Quality videography and woodcraft. Qualified woodcraft leader myself but picking up lots of tips and tricks from watching your content.

[@Ihoprails]

And those are the straightest branches ive ever seen in my life

[@Ihoprails]

My shelters are always gnarled lookin

[@davycrockettgoesnorth]

❤Team bushcraft can survive 💪🧠 with so many ideas you make it look to easy 😂👍

[@johnmoore5174]

Great video.

[@CL-vz6ch]

These are built better than Persimmon homes.

[@Tosadar_Outdoors]

You're literally master of arts 👌🔥🤘🍻💯

[@NatursEdgeSurvival]

Very good 👍🏻

[@NettersNetwork]

what were the cone shaped things for? you just made two of them and put them together.

[@jamesla1015]

Great video Nick, be great to see a few videos of the shelter you built thats dug into the ground

[@kingrafa3938]

Who's Nick?

[@jacksg1809]

Mike 😂

[@susanbell2771]

Nice one

[@lynn437]

I feel like these builds are déjà vu. Two years ago you did a video on the hut shelter. The other builds are also very familiar.

[@CL-vz6ch]

Don't watch it then.

[@Ihoprails]

That was a lot of work

[@snookhammer]

I know burning the ends helps with the wood rotting but by how much?

[@TAOutdoors]

Literally years. Takes more time to do but they last far longer than not doing it.

[@Windys21]

I really enjoyed watching this Mike.

[@Ihoprails]

Always know the weather forecast before making a dug out.

[@kingrafa3938]

Do you really think he didn't know that? 😂

[@GHDEFIANT]

Some very soft ground where you are. All roots, rocks, and clay where I am.

[@luisdacosta1541]

15:24 very beautiful and strong knife 😮

[@PORCUPINEOUTDOORS1980]

I wish we had moss in our region

[@andykjohnsonjohnson7622]

Nice video Mike 👌. Thow I would not call them Survival shelters, more like long term camps. A Survival shelter is for 2 or 3 nights, if you are starred & need to hunker down until help arrives.

[@MY_OUTDOORS.]

Epic content

[@FreedomTooBe]

Which brands of knife are best for long-term camping?

[@PabloP169]

How long did it take you to make each of the builds?

[@offyarocka]

Bushcraft and the Art of Zen right here 🙏🙏🙏

[@grahammctygue724]

Great post blessings to family 🎆🎆😁

[@freddyoutdoors]

Really enjoyed watching all the builds ace stuff

[@superblahblah666]

I'm curios what do you do with these shelters after your shoot, sorry if already covered maybe someone can point me to where you go over it.

[@alaskankare]

soooo working on glamping airbnb? ❤

[@davidkelly414]

Rain will run down and fill a hole in the ground . Cheers

[@dylanmckinniss]

Where do you find places where you can build things like this?

[@ethanwhiting2377]

11:05 what was you blowing into

[@descendantofgoku5548]

The fire, aiming oxygen at the bottom to help it burn

[@AntSurviveTheNight]

For me that second build was ace Mike. I would love to replicate it one day. All of them took time and dedication dude. Loved seeing them all in one vid. Cheers pal

[@LSLBuildShelter]

Helo nice video 🎉🎉

[@SonnyCrocket-p6h]

I just carry a couple of $30 each, 1/2 lb each 'cut leaf" type of camo nets from amazon. I can drape them over my hammock (set 6" off of the ground) and be pretty well hidden. i can wrap the nets around me, between the bugnet suits, (worn as long johns) and they add about 10F degrees of protection vs the cold and wind. I use an XL size Trifecta bivy, made of reflective tyvek, with 3 of the heavy duty 55 gallon drum liners, and a hammock made out of a 10x50 ft gillnet, made of monofilament 2" mesh, with wire-pulling tape, as the tree straps. That hammock can feed me, if need-be. It can become a 100x5 ft seine, or 200 x2.5 ft of baited net-weir. The shelters shown here take a lot of time and calories andyou have to come BACK to them. My shelter lets me keep moving and can be set up in a few minutes, wherever I happen to be when I need to stop to rest, harvest food, etc.

[@pakumar7921]

Did u move from one camp to another

[@nicolejhondelacruz9339]

wish we have that abundance of timber. look at all the possibilities. nicely done

[@mj04f]

heya can I just ask what tarp youre using in the first clip?

[@pyeitme508]

Wow useful 😀

[@hanssmidt12]

awesome shelters

[@Chubbyman-m4t]

My man loves his shovel ❤

[@luisdacosta1541]

23:34 that knife! What is a knife like that called?

[@J6be]

11:06 Hello👋can you show us how to blow in a fire without burning your face or using a metall tube.❤

[@bricegiraud7623]

Why removing the bark from these big trunks?

[@McDoodkin]

30:00 Стандартный русский пейзаж. Спасибо, Миша!

[@mintsharpii258]

and what are you going to do if it rains? wouldnt this flood?