Pep's Oddysey
  • Home
  • Pyrography
  • Writing
  • Travel
  • Music
  • For Sale
  • Links
  • Contact

Bushcraft Shelter 2023

I started camping in 2021 and I kept going back to one location since that first time.
It was starting to feel like my actual home. Nowadays I even (half) jokingly tell people that I have a house just for my cat, spiders and scorpion, as my house is in the forest somewhere in the Netherlands.

I decided to actually build a small shelter for me to camp in. That way I would not have to carry my tent (and some other equipment) with me anymore whenever I spontaneously decide to go camping/to go home.
I already watched countless of bushcraft videos on YouTube and had a good idea on what I wanted to build.
Afbeelding
I started with digging a ditch, that way I can keep my shelter as low as possible to avoid being spotted. This proved to be hard work as the ground is littered with roots (what a surprise in the forest). I then cut down some tree branches as a ground floor.
Now it was time for some bigger trees to fall down. (Same trees I got the branches from). In total I cut down 8 trees (and had 16 trees replanted in my name) to create the whole shelter. 









After digging some more - the bigger branches need to be in the ground - it was time to place the tarp to make the shelter rainproof; it is the Netherlands after all and rainfall is pretty common here.
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
Now it was time to ensure the tarp was tied to the poles and to create some walls. 



​
I gathered some loose branches from the ground and cut some more branches off the trees I took down to create said walls.

Afbeelding
Now came the time to ensure the shelter would blend in perfectly with its surroundings.
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
The top is camouflaged by moss I took from the forest floor.
​I camouflaged the sides of the shelter with the left over branches that still contained the leaves of the trees I took down.
I know this will not hide the shelter anymore when the leaves die, I just wanted it to be camouflaged good enough for this trip.
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
I did forget about one thing, my length. The shelter has a length of 1 meter 50 while I have a length of 1 meter 87. To cram myself and my bag in this tiny shelter is a challenge, so I needed a place to put my bag while I was sleeping.
A side canopy was the answer for it.
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
After nearly a year the shelter still stands, it has withstood 2 storms and snowfall. Only the side canopy for my bag broke down, but that was to be expected as it was by far the least sturdy part of the shelter.

I still come here every few months to collect my thoughts and enjoy nature.
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
Afbeelding
Unfortunately with a visit I found my shelter in ruins. (April 2024)
I am not sure if a human or animal has destroyed it. I was already planning on taking this shelter down and to rebuilt it somewhere else in the same forest, but this was still a blow for me as I called this shelter home.
Afbeelding
Somewhere in the 2024 summer the location was found by forest rangers, they demolished the last bit.
Picture
Picture
© COPYRIGHT 2015-2024. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Pyrography
  • Writing
  • Travel
  • Music
  • For Sale
  • Links
  • Contact