@My Self Reliance
— · 70 videos curated
Shawn James — Canadian homesteader building a cabin and farm life.
51 videos in Shelter
Building a Foundation for the Cabin | Autumn in the Wilderness
Step-by-step foundation construction for an off-grid cabin: site prep, gravel layout, framing, and vapor barrier installation.
Building a Hunting Bow in the Wilderness
Craft a functional osage orange longbow using hand tools and wilderness materials at an off-grid homestead.
Cali's first retrieve of the season
Off-grid wilderness cooking by the water: finding purpose and self-sufficiency in manual outdoor meal preparation.
Off Grid Life: A Day in the Forest | Duck Hunting with my Dog
Harvest wild waterfowl for food and observe seasonal changes while maintaining an off-grid homestead in autumn.
Finding clarity in the silence of the forest
Observe how wilderness living develops through focused, respectful work with natural materials and quiet reflection in nature.
Making Useful Things: Bow Strings, Gear Wax & Axe/Leather Review
Learn to make bow strings, treat gear with wax, and maintain axes and leather equipment for wilderness self-reliance.
My Vegetable Garden is Done for the Season | First Hunt with my Homemade Longbow
Seasonal garden closedown, foraging wild berries, and testing a homemade longbow in autumn wilderness conditions.
Crafting a traditional longbow from black ash
Hand-tool techniques for building a functional longbow from raw wood using materials on hand.
The Silence of the Bow: Traditional Skills in my Off-Grid Log Cabin
Learn longbow crafting and wood-stove cooking techniques for off-grid wilderness self-reliance.
The Art of Self-Reliance: Building My Own Shave Horse
Learn to build a functional shave horse using hand tools and traditional woodworking techniques for wilderness living.
Simple Woodworking in the Forest: Building a Custom Cabin Chair
Step-by-step guide to hand-crafting a wooden chair from forest logs, covering material preparation, frame assembly, and finishing.
Bone Marrow, Street Corn, Cornbread | Off-Grid Cooking in the Cabin | Preparing for a Bowhunt
Cast iron cooking techniques for three off-grid meals: Mexican street corn, bone marrow, and cornbread prepared over a wood stove.
Finding Peace in the Forest: A Solo Canoe and Bushcraft Adventure
Master fire-building, camp setup, and open-fire cooking skills during a solo backcountry canoe trip in the Canadian wilderness.
The Reality of My Budget: 52 Weeks of Self-Reliance
Break down the actual annual costs of off-grid cabin living with real financial statements and expense tracking.
How I Built My Cabin Doors from Scratch
Step-by-step assembly of functional wooden barn doors with hinges for off-grid cabin construction.
Making Doors for my Maple Syrup Shack | Old-Fashioned Apple Pie in an Off-Grid Kitchen
Build functional shelter doors and prepare traditional meals using off-grid techniques and open-fire cooking.
The First Steps: Clearing Ground for My New Guest Cabin
Prepare a forest site for cabin construction through site clearing, earth moving, and foundation work.
Self-Reliance Requires Strength: My Daily Mobility Practice
Learn injury-prevention techniques and mobility exercises for sustaining heavy manual labor in off-grid wilderness living.
Building a Hunting Treestand in the Boreal Forest
Construct a functional hunting treestand and prepare a food plot for big game season in northern wilderness.
Logs for My Next Log Cabin | Planting My Wildlife Food Plot
Select and process timber for log cabin construction, then establish a wildlife food plot for off-grid self-sufficiency.
Quiet Days in the Woods: Building a Maple Sugar Shack
Install windows and a porch on a maple sugar shack, then craft and test a functional ash longbow from reclaimed wood.
Why I Train for the Life I Choose
Build physical endurance for off-grid living through deliberate practice of camp tasks and energy management.
My Sister and Parents Visit my Off Grid Log Cabin
Frame, roof, and finish a sugar shack structure on an off-grid homestead while managing remote-site construction challenges.
A Day at My Off Grid Cabin
Tour of off-grid cabin living in the wilderness, featuring daily routines, natural soundscape, and self-reliant forest dwelling.
A Day in the Life of a Woodsman: Building and Cooking at my Off Grid Cabin
Learn wood-stove cooking, firewood processing, and daily routines in a self-built off-grid log cabin deep in the forest.
TimberOx Summit Log Splitter in Action
Demonstration of manual log-splitting technique and equipment selection for efficient firewood processing in off-grid settings.
Preparing for Winter: Processing Wood with the LogOX
Hands-on demonstration of manual log-splitting technique and equipment selection for efficient firewood processing in off-grid settings.
Building an Earthen Pizza Oven in the Forest
Learn to construct a functional earthen pizza oven from raw forest materials—clay, sand, and straw—for off-grid outdoor cooking.
Making Birch Tar at my Off Grid Workshop in the Woods
Learn to extract birch tar from bark using heat and fire—a primitive adhesive and waterproofing material for wilderness self-reliance.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.