A simple shelter for a night in the winter woods.

A winter night spent in the woods can be a very unsettling if one is unprepared. The cold hands of winter seep into your body and your civilized mind begins to fight against the intrusion. 

I have seen many shelters erected for the purpose of winter camping and most have their disadvantages.

The Quinzee is a snow-hut which takes huge amounts of energy to build and sleeping in it is akin to sleeping in an ice box. 

Brush shelters take a lot of time to construct and scar the land for years after you have moved on.    

The shelter depicted in this video is so simple it can be erected in the dead of night in about ten minutes. A fire will take about twenty minutes to set up and light. Within thirty minutes you will be relaxing within your warm shelter watching the fire's light flickering off the trees. 

It is very important to control your energy when traversing the winter woods. If you perspire, you will create a dangerous condition which could lead to hypothermia. 

This shelter takes very little energy to create and you will not sweat erecting it. Once a fire is going, the shelter's temperature will climb to many degrees above freezing. 

With a good supply of firewood and a good sleeping pad and bag, you will be able to fall asleep to the sounds of crackling wood and the call of the owls. 

Sustainable firewood gathering.

Every year, I cut and split roughly two bush cords of wood which is used to heat my home. I always do this task during the winter months.  

A bush cord is measured as: 4 feet high, 4 feet deep and 8 feet long. Which is 128 cubic feet in volume. 

I haul the wood back to my dry-shed which houses 4 bush cords, this ensures that I have well seasoned wood to burn when the thermometer plunges.  

Winter is the best time of the year to collect firewood for many reasons. To name a few - damage to the land is minimized, (high importance in my opinion) the logs are easier to split and it is easier to drag the firewood out of the bush.   

I love working in the forest. It's a meditation of sorts. The stillness of the woods and the cold fresh air combine to create a perfect environment in which you can lose the cloak that society places on your back.  


I filmed this as a tutorial. My technique is safe but not perfect. I have had several close encounters with the dangerous end of the axe. I always work alone and therefore I would be in big trouble should I become injured. I do the best I can to stay focused on the job at hand.  

I only use wood from trees which have been toppled or broken by high winds and bug infestations. This has supplied me with wood for 30 years and has kept the forest healthy. 

With all that said, I hope you enjoy a few minutes of wood gathering in Algonquin Highlands. 

I have used the axe shown in this photo for at least 15 years. Three handles later, it is the best I have ever used.