Primitive technology is a hobby where you make things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials. This is the strict rule. If you want a fire- use fire sticks, an axe- pick up a stone and shape it, a hut- build one from trees, mud, rocks etc. The challenge is seeing how far you can go without modern technology. If this hobby interests you then this blog might be what you are looking for.
Also It should be noted that I don’t live in the wild but just practice this as a hobby. I live in a modern house and eat modern food. I just like to see how people in ancient times built and made things. It is a good hobby that keeps you fit and doesn’t cost anything apart from time and effort.
IMPORTANT: This WordPress site, my Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2945881&u=2945881&ty=h) and my YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/c/PrimitiveTechnology) are my only online presence at this stage. I do not have a Facebook page and if you see any they are fake.
FAQ:
Q. Where is this?
A. Far North Queensland, Australia.
Q.What stops the rain from washing the mud off the hut walls?
A. The roof. You’ll notice the eves of the roof extend out from the walls- this keeps the walls dry.
Q. What dangerous animals are there?
A. Only venomous snakes and I need to watch where I step. Crocodiles don’t live where I build these huts and there are no large land predators in the bush here (that I’m aware of).
Q. How do I know what good clay is?
A. Look in creek banks and under top soil. Wet some and roll it into a coil as thick as a pencil then wrap it round a finger. If it doesn’t completely break apart then it’s suitable.
Q. How do you keep mosquitoes away?
A. Smokey fire tends to keep them away especially inside a dwelling.
primitivetechnology.wordpress.com 
I love these shows they remind us of the inventive self reliance the human being has but has lost over the years. How often do you make shows and do you have anymore projects planned?
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I try for one a month. I’ve got lots of ideas but they take time to implement. Thanks.
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You live in modern facilities, but I was wondering do you ever camp out and sleep in the huts you’ve made? If yes is it pretty frequently? and how comfortable are the beds you make?
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Yes, not often though. The heated bed is best in winter. Thanks.
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Hi man, just wondering if your worksite/constructions were impacted by Cyclone Debbie. If so, was it partially or fully destroyed or did it manage to survive?
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It’s ok. No damage here and it’s all over. Thanks.
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I got fascinated with this kind of hobby/lifestyle watching “Alone in the Wilderness” by Richard “Dick” Proenneke. It’s been really compelling to see your videos. For me It’s really get off your butt kind of motivation.
Question: How would you go about understanding resources for a different physical environment?
Did you research your environment before picking a spot?
I have the Rocky Mountains as my backyard and I’m sure it would be helpful to understand what exists organically to use.
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This is the spot I have and must use the resources here. My aproach is to look for what I’m interested in using and if it’s there I use it. I tried looking for lime stone and copper but there doesn’t seem to be any here. I’d say go out into the Rockies and look for water,stone, clay, firewood and ore and see what you can do with it. Thanks.
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Someone took your video. I appreciate your work far too much to let it slip.
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Thanks. It’s reported. Much appreciated.
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someone is using your video as theirs
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Thanks. It’s reported. Much appreciated.
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Hello! I tried to do this recently but I couldn’t get the fire inside the mound to start properly. The fire kept going out and the amount of smoke it was producing was insane. I’m not sure what went wrong – whether the mud was too wet, the holes too small (although I tried to make them roughly the same size as the ones in your video), or perhaps I packed the wood too tightly. Has yours ever not lit properly? Thoughts?
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I’ve always had it work. To get it to catch ensure all the wood is dry in the mound. Maybe leave the mound to dry for a day, it’ll still work if a bit damp though. Make a good fire in the top hole and then it should burn back down into the mound as normal. Thanks.
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(In no way is this comment meant to be racist)
Hey PT I’m from Aus as well and I was wondering, I walk barefoot sometimes but do you have any indigenous blood in you because you seem to walk around with ease out in the Bush
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I’m not indigenous to Australia and don’t know where I specifically come from in Europe. Incidentally, the ancient Greeks, who saw little need for foot ware preferred being barefooted. In contrast to this, there are Aboriginal tribes here in Australia who did make sandals for use in hot sand. Thanks.
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Hey! Someone is using your video without mentioning you. https://youtu.be/IYPkdes9d6k
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Thanks. It’s gone. Much appreciated.
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Someone stole your video at https://www.facebook.com/Turk.Komedii/videos/1911402235804048/
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Thanks. It’s reported. Much appreciated.
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How do you afford just buying land to use?
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The money I made from the videos now goes into buying land to make more videos. It took a while to save but I think it’s a good investment. Thanks.
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I live in in outside of the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, and your videos inspired me to try some of these challenges. We don’t really have good moldable clay in my area. Is there another type of moldable substance that I should look for while undergoing these challenges?
Also, thanks for giving me a reason to not stop watching YouTube. I can say that I have never seen a channel before that has gotten so many views and the only comments I see are compliments and genuine questions.
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You could try pine pitch if you have it or carve pots directley from stone. If the clay is bad it might be refined by disolving the dirt in water and then pouring the muddy water off into another container. When it settles it will be a finer grade of clay but this may still give no of good clay (I’ve tried with bad soil before and the pottery gave mixed results, though processing makes it slightly better). Glad you like the videos, thanks.
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Where and how did you learn this awesome primitive technology. Very inspiring. Thanks for sharing!
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Research plus lots of trial and error. I look up anything that interests me online and can usually find information. Thanks.
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Have you ever done any research into permaculture? (The late progenitor of the idea, Bill Mollison, was from Australia, as is his immediate student base) If so, what techniques or particular topics interest you?
If not, may I interest you in a conversation among peers? Nothing political, just several very experienced people like yourself speaking candidly about their experiences and frames of mind. If this is something that interests you, I’d love to set something up via Skype or Google hangouts or some such conferencing platform.
If this doesn’t interest you, I understand, and will continue to loyally watch your channel. It’s inspiring and truly makes me happy.
Excellent videos. Well executed and perfectly edited. Watching you build and listening to the noises of the forest as you work is, for me, a weekly meditation.
Thanks!
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Yes permaculture is good. But in this area probably the best people to learn about substance gardening is from the Papua New Guineans. They traditionally clear an area and plant a variety of root crops, sweet potato, cassava, yam, tarro. The highlanders traditionally consumed sweetpotato as over 90% of their diet in both weight and calories. Thanks.
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Thanks for the videos you shared. The tile of your tiled roof hut. They look brittle. Do they break easily? Or are they like a plate? Will they handle a meal if you made a plate with it?
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In 2.5 years 3 broke out of a couple of hundred. You could eat off them. I think I ate of a tile in the sweet potato video. Thanks.
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Hey is YouTube your full time job? It seems like building and creating all of that would take up much of your time.
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Yes it’s my full time job now, I used to mow lawns for a living. Thanks.
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Hi, have you ever tried the “fire plough” method for lighting a fire? What do you think about it?
Your videos are very interesting and well made, i’ve seen all of them, keep working and uploading!
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Yes. I can get smoke but can’t get fire. My opinion is that with practice it is achievable but I’d rather the hand drill as it concentrates the heat in one spot as opposed to a long trough. I have successfully used the fire roll method which is a similar action but haven’t done it with natural materials (i.e. cotton buds instead of tinder). Thanks.
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Where are you from? You shooting your videos in USA? I like to watch your videos 🙂
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FNQ, Australia, Glad you like them. Thanks.
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Hi John, I was wondering what camera do you use to film your videos? I was thinking of getting a camera to make my own personal videos and I considered yours good quality
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Nikon D3200. Thanks.
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I was just shown your videos by someone at my makerspace after I happened to mention a rocket mass heater. I’ve suddenly (unsurprisingly, to me) caught an interest in this sort of thing, but I have an issue: I live on a half acre between two highways, I don’t know that there’s much I can use. What’re my options?
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If the soil there forms mud when wet that holds it’s shape when dry you can build a furnace. You don’t need good clay, just ordinary mud. You should have that unless you’re on sand or bedrock. Thanks.
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Hello, I was wondering, what, if any, laws govern what you can and can’t do out there in the woods? You chop down many trees and start many fires. I’m curious as to the legal perspective on this. You say you buy the land to film your videos? I’m a huge fan of your videos and look forward to seeing more.
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As long as you don’t clear fell large areas on your land they don’t mind. If you live in an area with a fire ban you can’t light fires (not likely in this place though due to the heavy rainfall). Thanks.
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You previously mentioned using a Nikon.
Do you only film as much as you can on a single charge, and then recharge at home and return, or do you have to tote out a bunch of spare batteries?
Or do you bring a generator to charge your camera equipment?
Basically, how do you manage your electricity needs for filming?
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I have a house on the property so I charge it there, it’s quite convenient. The battery for this camera would probably last a few hours of filming but it would be best to take a few if your heading off for a few days. Thanks.
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I don’t know if you know this already, but there is another way of making charcoal. I stumbled upon it when I did researches after watching your charcoal video. If my understanding is right, it is a very old method.
Here is the link:
http://www.ithaka-journal.net/kon-tiki-die-demokratisierung-der-pflanzenkohleproduktion
The pdf on the site is in english. The direct link to the pdf:
Click to access e012014_schmidt_kon-tiki_2014.pdf
Please keep up your work! I think you are helping to make the world a better place by encouraging people to see the treasures of nature!
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That’s good for making biochar but I wan’t metallurgical grade charcoal. Am currently working on a better charcoal retort for multiple use, will include in future videos if successful. Thanks.
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What is your opinion on the future of industrial society?
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Possibly the next revolution will involve self replicating machines. Example: a robotic frenel lens that focusses sunlight to melt sand and flux to make glass for more frenel lenses and machine parts. Left in a desert of sand it could be like a self replicating solar factory. An engineer could come up with a better idea than this though, it’s a thought experiment rather than a serious suggestion. Thanks.
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Thanks!!!!! You changed my perspectives about living in the wild particularly on tools and gears. Your videos are perfect no useless chatter and fuzzy explanations. Very inspiring after a maddening week working in an office. If you find the subject interesting can you please make some more videos on growing food and foraging. Thank you again for your inspiring videos.
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I started a sweet potato patch this week. Also considering fishing and possibly bow hunting. I’ll keep an eye out for edibles, so far I’ve seen gooseberry and atherton oak nuts. Was hoping to see moreton bay chestnuts at the new property but only found a few trees. Thanks.
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I always wondered when you are mixing the clay in say a mud pit, do you ever worry about the mud and clay mixing? Does that compromise the clay? Or do you just take the top portion and leave the layer that has come in contact with the mud?
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It’s not to bad, the majority of the mix will remain clay and after a while the pit becomes coated in clay protecting future batches (also makes the pit water proof so it holds water days after rain). Thanks.
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I love your videos. I noticed in one of your videos you mentioned having a stone hut. You said its in ruins now but I’m curious. How long did it take to you to find all of that stone and assemble the hut. Did you use any limestone mortar? how big was the hut? Thank you for your awesome videos!
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Over a year to collect stone. No mortar (dry stone technique). 2.5 m x 2.5 m floor plan, 75 cm thick wall, 1.5 m high wall. The total height with the dome would have been 3 m high. Based on the Trulli houses built in Italy. Thanks.
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The express seems to have rehosted your video, unsure if it’s with permission. https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/967289/neolithic-population-drop-brutal-warfare-y-chromosome-scientists-research
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Thanks, I’m looking into it. Much appreciated.
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Hi John, can you tell us, what time period do your projects fall under? Stone age, Bronze Age? How far into the past are we talking about here? Thanks.
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I’ve made tiny iron prills in at least two videos. But the iron age was defined by using tools made of iron which I’ve not yet done. So it’s still stone age. Thanks.
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ur video is really amazing, especially when you make a fire stick. I want to try make it but i don’t know the type of wood should i use, can you give me more information about it, hope you give me an example wood so i can search on google. thank you mega much
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I use Abroma molis which is similar to hibiscus, both make good fire sticks. I’ve also used fiddle wood, African tulip and lantana. I might have also used fig tree timber at some stage. Any low density wood with a soft pith core will work well. Best to research in your local area to see what was traditionally used. Thanks.
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Hey John, first of all I really enjoy your videos ive been watching since the beginning. I was wondering about your type of content, your videos show ideas that were developed during the Neolithic revolution (Agriculture,Pottery,Long term Shelters). Would there be more room on your channel for more Weapon or tool crafting? Or The harvesting of wild game? (I understand the current situation with youtube being very strict on those types of videos) or maybe fishing? I and many people in the bushcraft and survival community would greatly enjoy these types of videos, and to no offense to you at all but these videos about shelter making, Pottery, furnaces, etc. Are getting slightly repetitive.
~Tim
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I’ll have to try for feral animals like pigs or legal native animals like fish. In this country you can be fined $10 000 for killing a bush turkey as well as receiving jail time. So we have to be careful what we hunt. Having said that, I’d really like to do hunting and then leather work resulting from that. Thanks.
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Amazing! Looking forward to it, keep doing what your doing! It inspires me to do my own!
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Hi. Started watching your channel today, seen most of your videos. I am really inspired, and as a student, I have lot of free time this summer, and huge forests, (important: not my property) next to my house. Can I build a hutt there on a little piece of land there not breaking trees (there are plenty of broken ones), and just make a little camp for myself there, or it’s illegal. I live in Canada. Thanks in advance 🙂
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You have to check with the local laws. If in doubt ask a farmer if you can use some of his land or lease some land from someone. Thanks.
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Hi, my 5 years old kid loves to watch your videos but he has a question for you. After cut all the trees and plants that you used for your constructions, you plant more in order to replace it? I would love to tell him that your work don’t cause a negative impact to the enviroment. Greetings from Gran Canaria.
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The main tree I cut is northern olive. It grows back from the tree stump and eventually produces tall poles after 7 year (see video of regrowth here: https://youtu.be/q9AoGc-OTCk?t=25). For fire wood I exclusively use fallen timber from Eucalyptus trees or standing dead wood. Despite being dead, this timber produces excellent charcoal for furnaces and firewood for kilns. Thanks.
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I have two questions:
1. What subjects did you enjoy in school/what did you think you’d do as a job?
2. If you were transported to the Stone Age, do you think you’d be able to survive (minus getting sick from Stone Age diseases)?
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1. Art and science. 2. It depends where and when in the stone age. A tropical climate with plenty of food is easier than a cold climate. thanks.
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Wich kind of Art?
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Visual (drawing etc.) Thanks.
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I have to thank YOU!
Still that too. So you are artistically gifted too. This make you still one more sympathetic than you already are to me anyway. Are you still drawing now?
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Do you think, you gonna make iron weapon, like an axe or machete and etc. ?
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In the meantime, someone has unexpectedly run into your face in the bush? So where you did not expect at all. Or if you meet no human soul in the province in the forest? …except you, of course.
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Please, I beg you, say, are you alright? Whatever you have in mind with this project, that’s fine. I just want to know if you’re alright.
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Been a while eh? What about copper instead of iron? What would you say is the most important clue to building a clay furnace that doesn’t crack (right away) and fall apart?
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Say, I think you might think about inviting Cody from Cody’s Lab (utube channel) down for a summer build session. I think you two would hit it off and the product – two videos, one silent, one talkie, would both be smashes.
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