Ever dreamed of quitting the rat race and getting away from it all? If modern life is getting a bit too much for you to handle, you could always make like these rugged outdoors types and build your very own off-grid bolthole in a remote forest somewhere. It's not as hard as you might imagine.

Read on to see how they pulled it off and start planning your great escape right now...

Escaping to the wilds of Quebec, adventurer Billy Rioux (left) set about building a 12-foot x 16-foot hand-hewn log cabin back in 2007 using only traditional tools. The bushcraft and history enthusiast was keen to emulate the experience of Canada's intrepid 19th-century voyageurs.

Rioux, who was only 25-years-old at the time, made a beeline for the remote location, a piece of land measuring around 400 feet that had been in his family for several generations – his grandpa built a cabin there in the early 20th century, while his father constructed one in 1975.

Once there, the resourceful adventurer was super-careful to use tools and methods employed by Quebec's early frontiersmen and women – forget chainsaws and circular saws, Rioux stuck to using basic axes, hatches and saws to build his throwback cabin.

In fact, zero modern materials were used in the cabin's construction. As you can see here, Rioux even camped out in a traditional canvas tent during the build, making the whole historical experience more authentic.

Rioux opted for the old-time full-scribe saddle notch technique to construct the cabin. This involves cutting out a curved semi-circular scribe at the end of each log, which slots in neatly to the log below, forming the corner.

Likewise, Rioux plumped for a 19th century-style pitched roof complete with the sort of wooden tiles the early voyageur fur-trappers would have used, which he applied over asphalt-saturated roofing felt that was used from the latter half of the century onwards.

All in all, the build took 63 days, an impressive feat given the traditional tools and methods used. In 2012, Rioux lived in the cabin entirely off-grid for 12 months, drinking water from a nearby river, as well as trapping and hunting rabbits, grouse and other game animals. 

Since then, the inspiring adventurer has added a porch, a DIY hot tub and an additional cabin for storage. Though he has returned to civilization, living in the city of Trois-Rivières, Rioux regularly visits and kicks back at the cozy log cabin. 

Rioux has also worked with the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi on a number of fascinating historical projects, building replicas of voyageur canoes and tracing a river route to James Bay that hasn't been explored since the 1870s. As of November 2024, Billy appeared in the TV series known as Hard North in Canada and Northwoods Survival in America.

Fed up with the stresses and strains of modern life and desperate to live mortgage-free, 42-year-old Becky Perez aka Homestead Becky turned her back on suburban life in 2005. Together with her husband Victor, Becky snapped up two-and-a-half acres (1ha) of affordable land in rural North Florida to turn into a rural home with space for growing food and keeping livestock.

The couple decided to use a log cabin kit to streamline the building process and began work on their 800-square-foot, two-bedroom home, with the bulk of the work being carried out by Homestead Becky. 

North Florida is prone to hurricanes, so Homestead Becky was scrupulous about establishing a strong foundation for her log cabin, ensuring the blocks were installed below the frost line to make the structure extra-secure. Ground beams were laid to boost the strength and resilience of the cabin, and then Homestead Becky got to work on the joists and subflooring, all the time making sure they were as level as possible.

The walls came next. Following the kit instructions to the letter, Homestead Becky used the 'butt and pass' technique, which doesn't require a notch. The technique is ideal for beginners and helps cut down significantly on the build time.

Like Billy Rioux's cabin, Homestead Becky's wooden house has a pitched roof with an asphalted felt underlay, but uses timber panels rather than tiles, another option that saves on valuable build time.

In addition to the asphalted felt underlay, she added steel panels for extra insulation, as well as Icynene spray foam, to minimize energy bills and make the structure ultra-sustainable.

The log cabin was finally completed in 2007. Almost entirely self-sufficient, Homestead Becky now raises chickens for eggs, goats for milk and horses for riding and she also tends a small organic fruit and vegetable garden.

When Homestead Becky started posting videos of her lifestyle on YouTube, her channel exploded in popularity and these days the plucky homesteader has more than 500,000 subscribers. 

Liking this? Click on the Follow button above for more great stories from loveEXPLORING

She regularly shares videos about her self-sufficient lifestyle, sharing tips on everything from raising chickens and erecting fences to tiling a floor and restoring cast-iron cookware. 

In 2021, Becky picked up her home, put it on the back of a lorry and relocated to a new, larger plot of land. She says the move made financial sense and it also made the transition to a new property easier on all of her animals, who recognized her cabin despite its new setting and instantly felt at home.

Across the pond, jaded Londoner Kris Harbour decided to leave the Big Smoke and his two mortgages behind in May 2015 and start a new life for himself in the idyllic Welsh countryside, after spotting an 18.5-acre (7.5ha) plot of land for sale on eBay.

After selling his London properties, quitting his job and acquiring the land, which is located in a picturesque forest, the former lift engineer headed there and started building a round cob wood 'hobbit house' using 90% natural, recycled and reclaimed materials.

He shares his journey with his 600,000 YouTube subscribers - including how he built his own mobile bandsaw mill, as we can see here – but let's go back to the beginning and see where it all started...

Harbour opted for recycled tyres for the base of his hobbit home and reclaimed wood for the ground beams, before harvesting local timber, which he used to construct the walls, filling in the gaps with an all-natural mortar made from clay, sand, and straw.

Keeping things as simple as possible, Harbour, who had no prior experience in construction, settled on a traditional round design with a self-supporting roof that would blend in perfectly with the bucolic surroundings.

The ex-Londoner kept costs to a bare minimum thanks to his focus on using natural, recycled and reclaimed materials. In fact, Harbour spent just $874 in total on parts for the eco-friendly build.

Kris, who has chronicled the build on his YouTube page, used earthbags to insulate the property and hefty stones to add extra strength and stability, providing a tough base for the structure. This low-cost, highly insulating and eco-friendly method of building is perfect for a real-life hobbit house in the woods.

Even the doors and windows are made from upcycled materials. Harbour used old windows gifted to him by a neighbor of his mother, not to mention an old glass fridge door he came across discarded in an alley.

The finished cabin boasts a natural turf roof and is powered by solar panels, which Harbour picked up for $94 a piece. The solar tech is bolstered by hydroelectric power units, which heat the home in winter.

After finishing his home, which he shares with his partner and their cats, Kris built a two-story workshop from earthbags covered in lime plaster. Like many of his fellow off-grid enthusiasts, he never seems to stop building and has also added a large timber-frame greenhouse, an A-frame goose house, a solar system and a shower building.

Then, in spring 2023, he began constructing this impressive large timber-framed barn. While it will be used largely for storing farm machinery, it's a beautiful building thanks to the oversized arched windows and carved timber frame.

Canadian Shawn James has become a veritable YouTube star with his channel My Self Reliance. Videos of his experience building and living in this off-grid log cabin have amassed more than 2 million subscribers.

James started building the 10-foot by 20-foot cabin on land near Ontario's Algonquin Park in June 2017. To clear the site, he felled 100 trees by hand. Other than a sawmill, the nature-lover eschewed modern power tools, relying solely on traditional methods.

Amazingly, the entire project was finished in under six months and James was able to enjoy the fruits of his labour in time for the harsh winter. But that was just the beginning of his adventure...

In March 2021, Shawn announced he was leaving his beloved cabin and building an off-grid homestead for himself, his wife and daughters in a more remote area of the Canadian wilderness. Once again, he cleared the site alone, with only his Golden Retriever Cali to keep him company. 

Shawn began by building an outhouse, a 100-foot by 100-foot forest garden and a geodesic dome greenhouse, which he fitted out with a wood stove. It was just as well he did, because Shawn and Cali were forced to spend the night in there to escape a winter storm.

Shawn excavated the three-bedroom basement and charred the timbers by hand to ensure the foundations stand the test of time – and the wild Canadian weather.

While there were times he wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle the bigger logs by himself and without power equipment, the pulley system Shawn used to winch them into place worked a treat. Although deep snow – not to mention visits from wolves, bears and moose – slowed him down over the winter, the intrepid builder had finished the walls and started framing the roof by June 2022.

By the end of the summer, the windows were in, the walls insulated and a cement and granite floor put down. In September, Shawn cooked his first meal in the cabin – a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausage and fresh potatoes. As temperatures dropped, he could work longer hours without overheating so progress was swift.

While some may brand his way of working without power tools as inefficient, Shawn explained in an Instagram video that he chooses to work that way because it’s physically demanding and mentally satisfying, and because nature provides a constant connection to something bigger than himself.

Over the following months, Shawn crafted the interior of his rustic home, building cabinets, a bookcase wall, floating shelves and tables. Fast forward to winter 2023 and Shawn and his family celebrated a cozy Christmas in their new self-sufficient homestead.

He frequently posts videos of his off-grid adventures to YouTube – recent projects have included a root cellar, an outdoor kitchen, a workshop and a truly charming stone chicken coop.

In 2018, Erik Grankvist was a 17-year-old living in Stockholm, Sweden. Feeling lost, he happened to watch the documentary Alone in the Wilderness by American naturalist Richard Proenneke and it sparked in him a desire to pack a rucksack and head off into the wild. One year later, he did just that – with just a GroPro camera and the dream of building a cabin. While he had no prior experience, he did have an "obsession to learn."

Using only a traditional felling axe and a handsaw, Erik set about felling spruce trees, limbing, measuring and bucking them to prep them for building his cabin.

Erik notched each log by hand, allowing them to lock together where they intersect. As he layered them, Grankvist stuffed the gaps with moss, a traditional Scandinavian technique for insulating cabin walls. In December 2019, as winter drew in, Erik built a temporary frame to cover the partially built cabin and returned to the project the following spring. In the meantime, he felled the rest of the trees he would need to finish the build.

The Swede talks very little in his videos, preferring the viewer to share the peaceful sounds of the forest and the rhythmic tapping of his tools.

The following year, Erik finished building the walls and added a roof with lumber harvested from the forest and sawed by a distant neighbor. He then preserved the wood using Shou-sugi-ban Yakisugi, an old traditional Japanese technique that involves charring the wood on an open fire. He then coated the wood in tar, turpentine and linseed oil.

Erik finished the roof using reclaimed tiles made from local clay and birch bark, which he finds a "fascinating material" – it's easily peeled from the tree in summer without harming it and makes an effective waterproof roofing layer, lasting a century or more.

In 2022, at the age of 21, Erik finished the majority of the build – including a medieval-style front door and a root cellar. The following spring, he worked on the interior of his woodland home, crafting wooden furniture by hand – including a wooden table he made without using nails or screws.

Many of Erik's videos feature his family dog Alice and, later, his hunting dog Barr, which means 'spruce needle' in Swedish.

It wasn't until the summer of 2023 that Erik finally built a heating system for his cabin, using a cement surround, a cast-iron range and a stone chimney – we can't believe he went for so long without heat! 

These days Erik shares videos of cozy evenings at the cabin cooking up a storm. As of 2024, Erik has 1.6 million YouTube subscribers – he even has his own range of handmade Nordic oak chopping boards, coat racks and shelves. 

German YouTubers Gerrit & Andy's Naturensöhne channel has gathered almost 550,000 subscribers since it kicked off in November 2015. Right from the start they focused on bushcraft techniques, which included building outdoor shelters. In November 2022, they set about building a natural log cabin. They used a log house kit from Holzbau Rustikal, which allowed them to weave traditional craftsmanship with modern tools, and charted their progress over 19 videos.

The timber arrived cut, numbered and even pre-notched, along with all the tools and materials Gerrit and Andy needed to start on their forest build right away.

The pair used sheep's wool between the wall timbers for insulation and each one was lowered into place by an electric winch. By mid-December, Gerrit and Andy had already completed the walls and put the roof trusses in place. There's certainly something to be said for the speedy kit home route!

On Christmas Eve, the survivalist duo shared a video of them working in the snow, getting almost all of the roof boards in place.

January saw the arrival of heavy snow and Andy and Gerrit struggled to make the roof weatherproof. Thankfully, the bad weather cleared and by March the pair were able to get the permanent waterproof membrane on, insulate and finish the roof and make a start on the windows.  

Once the outer shell was complete, the pair took a break and returned to the project towards the end of 2023. They built a wooden toilet block outside and a hot tub and largely completed the indoor build, including installing this stove and a surprisingly chic kitchen (which cost less than €700). That's around $728.

Fans have requested Gerrit and Andy add a greenhouse, raised beds, a fire pit, an outdoor shower, a pizza oven and even a cold pool!

In October 2024, the duo shared a video as they added finishing touches to their cabin, including a porch and interior accents like rugs, picture frames and curtains. A month later they even built a wooden sauna among the trees.

Considering this sturdy log home has all the comforts of a brick-and-mortar house, we can’t believe how quickly Gerrit and Andy built their woodland cabin.

Nik Rijavec's early builds were mostly dirt jumps to enjoy on his BMX bike. Then, in 2015, he shared a video on his YouTube channel building a log cabin in one month and for just €500 ($525). Rapper Xzibit even visited the cabin to film it for the MTV show Cribs. 

The experience gave Nik a taste for bigger builds because in November 2018 he announced that he was going to follow his heart and build an off-grid log cabin in the woods. He began by harvesting the timber and created a simple winch system so he could lift the logs onto the back of his tractor by himself. 

That December, Nik hand-peeled around 80 logs with a draw knife before hauling his timber to this clearing. The wood will take years to fully dry out, but Nik explained that it doesn't pose a problem for a traditional build as long as you take into account a certain amount of shrinkage and settling. Thanks to a mild winter, Nik was able to finish the foundations without the concrete freezing.

He then set up this ingenious lift system, which he had to build twice as the first time he built it too high. Once it was in place, Rijavec started constructing the floor joists and cabin walls in March 2019.

After overcoming the fear and doubt that can creep in on such a demanding build, not to mention challenges like snowstorms and tool malfunctions, Nik completed the walls in November 2019 and by the end of January 2020, the first roof triangle went up. By mid-February, Nik had managed to get a second roof truss up, which took longer than he'd expected but by not rushing he avoided injuring himself. While he acknowledges that doing the build "DIY style" takes longer, the satisfaction of seeing everything come together is worth it.

Nik roped in his girlfriend to help him weatherproof the roof with a membrane and timber boards.

2020 proved a productive year and by February 2021, Nik had completed the roof, installed wind and water barriers, completed the windows and doors and created a small garden for growing tea herbs.

Rijavec then started work inside the cabin, fashioning this built-in kitchen by himself – although he had help from his young stepchildren building a set of honeycomb shelves.

Throughout the home, Nik has celebrated wood in all its forms. As well as using hand-prepared timber for the structure, he has also repurposed a huge tree stump as a table and used curved branches to decorate the loft staircase as well as this beautiful porch and balcony. Not content with mastering carpentry, Nik also turned his hand to masonry and built stone steps up to the cabin.

As of November 2024, Nik is still working on his beautiful woodland home, completing the bedroom walls and door frames, as well as getting down to the detail work and finishing touches needed to make this dream build a dream home.

Known only as The Builder on her hit YouTube channel (which has almost 300,000 subscribers and counting), this woman creates unbelievably tiny homes, cabins and shelters alone and in record time. 

To create this petit log cabin, she cleared the site by hand, dug out the area with a hoe and felled some small trees from the surrounding forest with just a hand saw.

The Builder then stripped the wood using a small machete and cut it into logs of roughly equal length. Then she set about building the walls of her tiny cabin, fixing the logs into layers using a mixture of soil and water.

The next step saw the self-sufficient builder head back into the forest to search for bamboo and vines, which she fashioned into an arched entryway. Then she continued building the walls, leaving a gap for a small window and adding a chimney. 

Finally, she set about making the roof from a timber frame tied together with vines, which she covered with a waterproof membrane secured with a staple gun. 

Then, by candlelight, she cooked a meal of wild mushrooms on the fire before climbing into her sleeping bag and getting some very well-deserved shut-eye after an arduous day.

However, that's not the only ingenious jungle cabin The Builder has created. In fact, she has built several seriously impressive structures – including this one made from bamboo and moss.

The 'mini villa' was dug from the earth using a hoe and spade, after which timber posts were added for support and the structure was finished with bamboo logs and a living moss roof. Inside, The Builder constructed a sleeping bunk, a firepit for cooking and a niche to hold a candle. 

Of all her many amazing builds, this jaw-dropping creation is a literal take on a log cabin – and comes with its very own tree-stump-shaped swimming pool. Of course, all is not quite as it seems. 

The Builder fashioned the giant artificial log from a timber frame encircled with bamboo strips. She then coated the whole structure by hand with a water and (presumably clay) soil mixture, which – when dry – she scored with a trowel to give it a wood-like texture. She then painted over it with a stain made from coffee grounds. She used the same techniques to add this pool in the following episode. Part architect, part survivalist, it's easy to see why The Builder's off-grid cabins attract construction fans around the world!

Liked this? Click on the Follow button above for more great stories from loveEXPLORING