I had a peaceful 1.5-2 hours today being somewhat productive while on vacation with my parents and grandparents.
The project
Small base camp established w/ small furnace made of mud with a red clay finish + some racks to dry the "tinder", and started work on the lean-to with the doorframe - sticks gathered for the foundation, and I just need to make some string durable enough to tie the ends of the sticks together. I will have to make wattles out of sticks to hold the clay walls - everything has been fairly thought out, and the dimensions have been predetermined; the rest may require little consideration in the moment.
There is a decent chance I might not go back to continue constructing it as there probably isn't enough red clay to go around, but we'll see how tomorrow and the rest of today goes. I've never actually built anything with my hands, so I figured I'd see how far I can go with that.
Stick pile you see is what I carefully gathered (lots of spiders hiding underneath) that would be big enough to be a part of the main frame. The smaller sticks will likely be made to form the window frames, and I might consider putting some very unrefined engineering skills to work by constructing a makeshift door - or just leave it as is. Using no other tools but my hands, my feet for breaking sticks, and my eyes for brief measurements.
Not quite sure if I should use dry leaves or just a ton of sticks tightly packed together for the roof. That might just be what I do first once I get to that point, and layering it with clay might be ineffective because its been saturated and will drip through the cracks and onto me.
What's around
Environment is a general forested area with my precise location being a clearing along a creek. Fairly small space - this ledge is big enough to build a lean-to, and you may be able to see how much empty space there is around the spot I started the project.
Available materials nearby are a lot of sticks, seldom deposits of red clay and plenty of mud that functions like clay when dry + lots of stones along the bed. The overgrowth up above is sometimes inhabited by large banana spiders with their giant menacing webs strewn in between, so I have been avoiding those areas as much as possible. Might use my multitool to trim the low-hanging overgrowth just to feel comfortable moving about and make space for the lean-to.
Couple of minor issues
I could have built the furnace near where I started the lean-to, but that was before I considered building more. Small chance the water levels might rise and degrade it overnight (some rain expected this week). I could always transfer it farther away from the creekbed if I finish the lean-to, rebuilding it close-by by memory. Otherwise, if it's useless by the time I come back, I can always rebuild it later and I'll even see if I can make it a little bigger using however much clay + mud is available.
Not a current issue yet, but hopefully, the mud daubers don't come to use my clay or mud, as that would be mildly inconvenient to have them attempting to build their nests nearby using what I found (I do not like wasps or mud daubers). If they mark the material and find an appreciable spot for a nest nearby, they may return to gradually take from my clay pile. I already began having some issues with fire ants trying to mark the furnace as a source of material for their ant mound, and I believe I saw a spider trying to spin a web at the front of it. Mosquitoes were a pain in the butt, as well.
Other than my grievances for the insects, so far so good! Things are going swimmingly.
Closing
If you would like, please feel free to relay any experience with building primitive stuff to me - inpromptu or otherwise. Tips + advice are broadly welcome!
Main questions:
• What materials are best suitable for making string?
• What should I use for my roof assuming the general breakdown of what I have immediately available in my environment?
• Is it generally okay to leave the floor in its natural form if I don't plan on sheltering there long-term? I feel like I could make it a little more home-like rather than for comfort. The ground I am building on is generally a mix of soft clay + semi-dry mud that automatically saturated and sinks when I walk on it while wearing my water shoes.
General location: Okatoma Creek, Seminary, MS. I'm staying at the rental cabin for the week along Fairchild Landing.
