@My Self Reliance
— · 38 videos curated
Shawn James — Canadian homesteader building a cabin and farm life.
All 38 videos
Building a Traditional Longbow in My Off-Grid Cabin
Learn traditional longbow crafting from raw timber, including wood selection, shaping, and finishing techniques for functional archery.
Which Birch Should You Use? Yellow Birch vs. Paper Birch
Identify yellow and paper birch by bark, twig scent, and peeling style; learn their distinct uses for firewood, fire-starting, and crafting.
Hand-Carving a Knife Handle and Spoon in the Wilderness
Learn to hand-carve useful wooden utensils and tool handles using basic wilderness materials and techniques.
Log Cabin Build Alone in the Wilderness - Building the Forest Kitchen | Episode 06
Build a protective pavilion structure for an outdoor kitchen using hand tools, log posts, and traditional timber-framing techniques.
From the Forest to Your Cup: Chaga Restock
How to harvest, prepare, and brew wild Canadian chaga as a shelf-stable foraged beverage for off-grid living.
Working the Sugar Shack | A Week Off Grid in the Forest
Build timber-frame structures and manage maple sugar production while living off-grid in a remote forest cabin.
Log Cabin Build Alone in the Wilderness - Installing a Wood Floor and Making a Door | Episode 05
Hand-cut and install wooden flooring, build a functional door, and dig an underground root cellar for food storage.
Cabin Build Update: Progress in the Snow | Episode 04
Install and operate a wood stove in a log cabin under construction, with practical winter building techniques in snow conditions.
I Built This Off-Grid Log Cabin Alone With Hand Tools (Complete Walkthrough)
Tour of a fully off-grid cabin: hand-tool construction, wood-heat systems, spring water, root cellar storage, and composting toilet.
The moment the roof went on — a real reaction
Watch a cabin builder's unscripted response to completing the roofing phase after months of construction work.
The Sound of Silence: A Canoe Trip That Heals
How regular nature exposure reduces stress and builds nervous-system resilience through forest bathing and outdoor ritual.
Bone marrow and bacon the off-grid way
Prepare a nutrient-dense bone marrow breakfast with bacon and eggs using off-grid cooking methods.
Building a Log Cabin Alone in the Wilderness, Episode 02
Watch log notching, roofing techniques, and first overnight in a hand-built wilderness cabin.
Off-Grid Timber Frame Sugar Shack Build | Wood Stove Cooking and Wilderness
Learn timber framing, wood stove cooking, maple syrup processing, and forest resource harvesting on an off-grid homestead.
Off-Grid Water Truth — Wells Aren't Your Only Option
Compare wells and natural water sources for off-grid properties: evaluate access, cost, and reliability for daily use.
Cutting & notching every log by hand in deep snow
Hand-notching log joints for sauna framing in winter conditions using traditional broadaxe and hand-tool techniques.
Unwind at the Hearthside Where the River Speaks Louder Than Silence
Ambient forest soundscape from an off-grid log cabin, demonstrating peaceful wilderness living and the sensory experience of self-reliant shelter.
Notching logs perfectly takes more than you think
Master saddle-notch techniques for log cabin corners using hand tools like the broadaxe.
Raising the Timber Frame Maple Sugar Shack with my Apprentice: Off-grid Cabin Build
Master mortise-and-tenon joinery and timber frame raising techniques for a functional maple sugar operation on off-grid property.
Chainsaw Technique That Prevents Catastrophic Injury
Learn essential chainsaw safety gear and tree-felling techniques to prevent severe injury while managing woodland tasks.
Off-Grid Log Cabin Exterior Reveal: The Last Finishing Touches
Complete an off-grid cabin exterior with rainwater harvesting, stone masonry, wood finishing, and functional fire pit construction.
Rendering Bear Grease and Cooking Lake Trout on a Wood Stove
Learn to render animal fat for storage and cooking and prepare fresh-caught fish using a wood-burning stove.
Outdoor Cooking Bear at my Off Grid Log Cabin
Learn to render bear fat, manage open-fire heat on stone and cast iron, and cook complete meals in a remote off-grid forest kitchen.
Solo Fishing Trip on Lake Huron: Venison on an Open Fire, Fly Fishing and Canoeing
Practical demonstration of backcountry food procurement, shelter, and fire management during a solo wilderness overnight.
Stone BBQ Grill Complete Build | Improving my Forest Kitchen on my Off Grid Homestead
Building a permanent stone BBQ grill from natural materials at an off-grid homestead kitchen.
Adding Stone Veneer to my Outdoor Kitchen
Shawn demonstrates applying river stone veneer to knee walls of an outdoor kitchen in a log cabin setting.
Rustic Stonework on the Off-Grid Cabin
Building a stone foundation veneer around a basement window and preparing charred lumber for an off-grid cabin project.
The Drawknife — One of My Favorite Tools
Learn how to use a drawknife, a traditional hand tool for shaping wood in cabin building and woodworking projects.
Off-Grid Steak Meal No Kitchen
Cooking a complete steak meal over an open fire without modern kitchen equipment—basic campfire technique for protein preparation.
A Moose Attacked Cali while I was Butchering a Bear that tried to Break into my Log Cabin
Processing a defensive bear kill at an off-grid cabin, including butchering techniques, meat preservation, and managing aggressive wildlife behavior.
Making a Wooden Fishing Net and Catching Trout
Learn to craft a functional wooden fishing net from natural materials for sustainable protein procurement in remote settings.
Building a life that doesn't need the grid #offgrid #cabinlife #logcabin
We Unplug and Reconnect at our Off Grid Log Cabin, Wood Stove Cooking & Campfire Steak
Building Small Cabins: How Long to Prepare Logs?
Bringing a Broken Axe Back to Life #wood #medievalblacksmith #woodworking
Restoring My Axe, Harvesting Logs and Woodstove Cheeseburgers: Off Grid Log Cabin Life
The Land Provides what I Need #wood #offgridliving #survival
