A dad & his family surviving, building, camping, repairing, bushcraft.

July 27, 2023 11:58 AM

“Me and my boys, Tommy, Nate and Jacob are the Outdoor Boys. We love all things outdoors: family projects and adventures, travel, forging, camping, campfire cooking, fossil hunting, magnet fishing, metal detecting, goofing around, etc.” Selected videos: Survival Camping 9ft/3m Under Snow. Camping & Fishing on Floating Cabin Built From Scratch. Dugout Shelter Under 10ft (3m) of Snow. 1 Year in Log Cabin Survival Shelter. Can I Survive Alaskan Winter with No Sleeping Bag, No Tent & No Tarp? No Tent Winter Camping During Snow Storm. Lost in Alaska - How to NOT Freeze to Death! $25 Walmart Survival Challenge. 8 Days Winter Camping & Cooking in Basic Shelter. 13 Ways to Start a Fire (No Matches or Lighter). Winter Camping in Underground Bunker. Bulgarian Bearded Axe Restoration. Winter Camping in Alaska with a Sled Dog Team. How to build a fire in a RAIN STORM! And so much more.
posted by Fizz (15 comments total)

My wife and I discovered the Outdoor Boys about a year ago and whenever we just want something chill, wholesome, with a little bit of survivalist/camping knowledge, we throw them on. His boys are very cute and its just fun outdoor camping time. :)
posted by Fizz at 12:13 PM on July 27, 2023

Thanks for this post. These videos were awesome!
posted by gofordays at 12:46 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

this is excellent, my buddy's kids are just coming of age to start doing this sort of stuff

def. sharing with him
posted by elkevelvet at 12:56 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

Thank you for giving me something that is not (insert shit show of your choice here) so I can take a break from time to time. Great post!
posted by Bella Donna at 1:15 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

One of my favorite things is that he also plans his camp meals/cooking with passion and shows that camp food doesn't have to be limited to just hot-dogs and burgers and that you can do a lot if you just plan well and bring the right equipment.
posted by Fizz at 1:17 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

Every single one of these videos is charming and a joy to watch, but I want to bring attention to this video, which covers their year-long progress building a log cabin during the pandemic. You can sometimes hear his kids in the background while they're attending remote school. It's already fascinating and educational to watch someone demonstrate and talk through their bushcraft process, but seeing how he used it to 1) make the pandemic less awful for his kids, and 2) share his passion with his family, is very touching. Seems like a genuinely sweet person with a good heart.

And yes, he really knows how to eat well when camping. The man does not fuck around when it comes to food.
posted by nightrecordings at 1:41 PM on July 27, 2023 [5 favorites]

Now my Bulgarian bearded axe needs are on the road to completion
posted by y2karl at 3:02 PM on July 27, 2023 [3 favorites]

These are nice! Thanks Fizz!
posted by JHarris at 3:04 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

IMO one’s Bulgarian Bearded Axe is a journey not a destination. You never really complete.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 8:01 PM on July 27, 2023 [2 favorites]

This is incredibly cool and wholesome though. And this man knows how to eat.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 10:03 PM on July 27, 2023 [1 favorite]

'If you're a bit claustrophobic it can make it hard to sleep at night knowing that the roof is slowly sagging over your face'

Well I wasn't claustrophobic before. North Americans your winters fascinate and terrify me
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 11:16 PM on July 27, 2023

counterpoint to this loveliness: A CAMPING TRIP WITH YOUNG KIDS, AS IMAGINED BY ME BEFORE HAVING KIDS [CW: McSweeneys]
posted by chavenet at 2:27 AM on July 28, 2023 [10 favorites]

A second counterpoint has hit the log cabin: Family Who Died Trying to Live 'Off the Grid' Told Loved Ones About Their Plan: "Before leaving, they "watched some YouTube videos" about "how to live off the grid," a family member said."

But I can't blame them. As a kid, I spent an ungodly amount of time trying to light a fire with a couple of sticks (and never succeeding), inspired by Two Little Savages and Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival.
posted by clawsoon at 4:36 AM on July 28, 2023

i love this, it's delightful, and i just want to report that watching 3 or 4 of these videos has COMPLETELY CHANGED my youtube algo reccs which is wild. lots of "cosy winter ASMR" stuff haha ok i'm into it
posted by capnsue at 9:06 PM on July 28, 2023 [4 favorites]

Having spent a night sleeping in a snow shelter, I can tell you, it’s warmer than you think and SUPER quiet. Imagine being in a room where the walls are made out of a 3 foot thick layer of styrofoam.

It’s also a bit nerve wracking, because my last thought before drifting off was “if this thing collapses on me, and I shout for help, NO ONE WILL HEAR ME”
posted by caution live frogs at 12:07 PM on July 30, 2023 [2 favorites]