King of the Wilderness

Its front end is steadily placed on the top of the front wall’s log, while its back end rests on the top of the back wall, with both ends extending about thirty centimeters beyond the walls, forming eaves.

”Just putting it up there is far from enough.”

He explained to the camera: ”The fierce winds of the Labrador Coast are strong enough to flip a car, so I must use the strongest method to lock it together with the wall.”

He didn’t use complicated mortise and tenon grooves, as it was too time-consuming. Instead, he chose a more straightforward method.

He took out a dismantled rope, planning to use it to secure the logs of the roof. Since this survival would last just over 50 days, the rope would be enough, and he didn’t need to worry about corrosion issues.

He placed the first roof log tightly along the edge of the side wall.

Then, he picked up a short rope segment and began tying it at the front end of the log, which was the eaves portion.

He wound the rope over the top of the roof log and then tightly secured it around the topmost log of the front wall from below, pulling it tight.

Using a professional trucker’s knot, which tightens as force is applied, he locked the rope securely.

In an instant, the front end of this roof log was strongly ”tied” to the front beam by the powerful rope.

Next, he used the same method to securely fix the back end of the log to the rear beam.

Now, the first roof log was like a bridge, completely welded between the front and back walls.

One log, two logs, three logs…

The entire afternoon, Lin Yu’an tirelessly repeated this process: placing, adjusting, pulling tight, and binding.

Each time a new log was firmly secured, the sky above his head shrank a little, and the light inside the shelter dimmed a bit.

When the roof setup approached about a meter from the chimney, he paused his work.

”Now, I have reached the most skill-testing part of the entire shelter construction process.”

He stood on the wall, pointing at the stone chimney structure that was now flush with the wall.

”The vertical roof meets the side chimney here. I must create a brand new support structure, or the roof will break here.”

”My solution is to create a ’frame within a frame’ on the roof.”

He first laid down the roof log right next to this ’one meter safe zone’ and firmly secured it with the rope.

This log would become the new load-bearing beam, then he took two shorter but sturdy logs as crossbeams for lateral support.

He placed one end of the first crossbeam on the newly fixed roof log, and the other end on the side wall where the chimney was, reinforcing it with rope and stones.

The second crossbeam was installed in the same way.

The two crossbeams framed out the chimney’s position perfectly, creating a rectangular ’skylight.’

”With this lateral framework, I can continue laying the roof interrupted by the chimney.”

He cut some roof logs shorter, then placed these short pieces one by one between the new framework and the front and back walls.

Although their lengths were shortened, they now had solid support at both ends.

When all the short pieces were laid and secured, the wooden structure of the entire roof was finally complete.

Only at the chimney position was a square opening left, safely surrounded by wooden frames and stone walls.

Now, he began to address the issue of the chimney’s protrusion.

He climbed down from the wall, brought more fire-resistant stones, and continued extending the chimney’s overall structure upwards using a dry masonry method.

It passed through the square opening reserved for it, extending about half a meter above the roof’s surface.

Then, he climbed onto the roof and filled all the gaps between the chimney and the surrounding wooden framework with a mixture of soil and crushed stone.

This formed a thick fireproof band made entirely of non-combustible materials.

By evening, the sky had quickly darkened, the lead-grey clouds pressing low, and a biting chill of impending snowfall pervaded the air.

When the last roof log was tightly bound with rope, the wooden structure of the entire roof completely closed up.

Lin Yu’an easily jumped down from the not-so-high roof, standing at the doorway looking inside.

Inside the shelter, it was pitch dark, with only a glimmer of light filtering through the low doorway.

He needed to stoop down to enter, as if entering a cave constructed from giant stones and logs.

The air ceased flowing, and the sounds of the outside wind were isolated, leaving only a peace-inducing silence.

”Guys, even if it snows now, I’m not afraid!”

”I only have two steps left: laying the waterproof layer and insulation, and installing a door. Then the shelter will be completely finished!”

”But for now, it’s time to bid farewell to the past and officially move in!”

He didn’t linger in his new home but instead turned to the nearby A-frame temporary shelter that had accompanied him for twelve nights.

Skillfully untying the ropes, the huge waterproof tarp came down in response. He carefully folded the tarp, an important resource that was indispensable for the new home’s roof.

Next, he began moving all his belongings into the newest permanent shelter.

Lin Yu’an hadn’t forgotten that it had been overcast all day, and tomorrow might bring snow or sleet.

”Guys, I expect it to snow tomorrow, so before fully resting, I must complete the most crucial step – waterproofing.”

He didn’t hesitate for a moment. Under the light of his headlamp, he immediately began action.

He climbed onto the freshly completed roof and laid out the folded waterproof tarp.

Once the entire tarp was weighed down by a few stones and fully secured, his shelter finally had a rooftop capable of withstanding wind and rain!

”Alright, the core waterproofing layer is complete.”

He jumped down from the roof, brushing off the dust from his hands: ”The insulation can wait until tomorrow, but tonight, no matter what, I’ll have a dry place to rest.”

Having done all this, he finally had time to stand before the stone fireplace he had placed such high hopes on.

He touched the cold, rough stone surface of the fireplace and said, ”Tonight, I’ll spend my first night here.”

”And it’s also the best opportunity to test it. I need to know how well it vents smoke, and whether its heat reflection efficiency is high.”

”Though I tested it once before, the flue was shorter then, and I’m unsure of the effect now that the flue is lengthened.”

He placed some dry birch bark and small twigs into the firebox, then used a fire starter to ignite them.

The flames quickly leapt up, licking the kindling above.

Soon, the fire stabilized, beginning to burn the thicker firewood. Unlike making a fire outdoors, this time the flame was firmly constrained within the stone hearth.

A faint blue smoke rose from the flames, not spreading inside the shelter as he had feared, but instead being smoothly drawn by an invisible force into the flue above the hearth, disappearing.

Lin Yu’an walked outside the shelter, looking up at the roof. He saw a plume of white smoke rising straight and steady from the stone chimney, drifting towards the gloomy sky.

”The ventilation is perfect!” he exclaimed, clenching his fist in excitement.

Returning inside the shelter, he could clearly feel a wave of warmth consistently radiating from the fireplace’s opening.

He had intentionally designed the back wall in an arc, which proved effective as the heat was not absorbed by the wall but effectively reflected into his living space.

Although the shelter was still cold, a small area in front of the fireplace had become warm like spring. ℯ

He laid out his sleeping bag in front of the fireplace, then simply cooked a pot of mussels for dinner.

Under the warm glow and dancing flames, in this fortress he had built with his own hands, he now had a place to withstand the entire Labrador winter.

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