Wilderness Survival with Druid System

Chapter 344: Chapter 15: The Decision About the Shelter

As someone with a strong sense of action, Chen Wen always disliked procrastination.

Upon discovering this excellent spot to build a home, he rushed over.

On the way.

Chen Wen continually used his drone to observe the surroundings, supplemented by detailed inspection with his eyes.

Soon, he confirmed that this area was likely a place where leopards once lived.

”Look at this feces, it’s already very, very dry. A friend of mine once taught me how to judge the age of feces. When it’s warm, it has just been excreted; cold and moist, within three days; dry and normal in color, three days to a week; black and extremely dry, breaking apart easily, usually over a week old.”

”Of course, the specific time needs to be judged based on local temperature, environment, and humidity, but the general time frame shouldn’t differ too much.”

The friend Chen Wen mentioned is naturally Hua Yun.

As a hunter, Hua Yun was experienced with these things and imparted his knowledge to Chen Wen without reservation.

”These leopard feces are already in a state of crumbling upon touch, indicating they left close to a week ago or even two weeks.”

Chen Wen pushed the crumbled feces aside with a stick.

”As for why I’m so sure it’s leopard feces, it’s primarily because of the dried carcass up high.”

As the camera lens moved up.

A thoroughly dried carcass hanging from a tree came into view.

”It seems to be the carcass of some kind of antelope, eaten cleanly.”

After observing for a moment, Chen Wen said, ”In this land, the only creatures capable of dragging prey this high into a tree are leopards.”

Similarly named cheetahs do not drag prey up trees.

Their body structure and strength do not support such behavior.

”Leopards have large territories and often patrol them, so it’s possible this leopard went far away to patrol. But honestly, I’m not too afraid of leopards.”

Chen Wen said, walking into the forest.

Earlier, he had explored the entire forest using a drone, confirming there were no shelters for lions or other medium to large animals hidden within.

The area was very quiet, with only a few small birds quickly darting across the treetops, soon disappearing without a trace.

”An absolutely perfect place to build a home.”

After circling the forest, Chen Wen made this remark.

He was very satisfied with this place.

”That’s settled, I’ll build my home here! This will be my camp for the next month!”

Dropping his luggage on the ground, Chen Wen spread his arms, announcing his claim over the area.

After confirming camp location.

Chen Wen planned to take a walk around, while collecting some materials for shelter construction.

”For this shelter, I estimate many competitors won’t build on the ground. At the very least, I plan to construct a treehouse.”

Facing the camera, Chen Wen began talking about his shelter plans.

”The ground is too dangerous; there are many poisonous insects and snakes, a high density of animals, and although hippos don’t appear here, some may wander ashore to feed at night, making it very risky to stay on the ground.”

”Luckily, when surviving in the Yukon Territory, I roughly learned some methods of treehouse construction with my partner.”

”Now’s the time to test the results of those lessons.”

Regarding treehouse building, Chen Wen had learned a lot, especially after deciding to survive in Caprivi.

He specifically sought advice from Hua Yun and Liu Yu.

Liu Yu’s suggestion wasn’t the best—he advised Chen Wen to sleep directly on the tree, secured with a rope or belt, just enough not to fall off.

Based on Liu Yu’s experience, in places with abundant animals, one shouldn’t sleep too deeply at night.

Be prepared for combat at all times.

Want to sleep? A quick nap will do!

But Chen Wen didn’t agree with this approach.

So, from Hua Yun, he learned the crucial techniques for building a treehouse.

”The most critical steps in building a treehouse are twofold: first, selecting materials, picking the right trees and lumber; second, construction, my friend told me that building a treehouse is time and strength-consuming. When surviving alone, it’s best to spread the workload over three or more days, gradually completing the construction.”

”On the first day, the foundational platform needs to be built; on the second day, reinforcement on the platform; on the third day, fireproofing and waterproofing. If all goes well, roughly in three days, one can have a simple but practical treehouse, sufficient for ten days to half a month of occupation.”

”Of course, for longer-term residency, more time investment is necessary; I’m not aiming for a full month’s stay this time, so a simple treehouse suffices for my needs. The treehouse I plan to build will be simple.”

While speaking, Chen Wen arrived at a rather thick tree.

”This tree is what I intend to use for the treehouse—it’s thick, with many branches that are also sturdy, with a large diameter, making it ideal for constructing a treehouse.”

”Furthermore, it’s not one of those resin-rich trees, so there’s no worry about resin issues, and overall, it doesn’t show obvious signs of insect infestation, cracks, or decay, with roots firmly and deeply embedded, and the surrounding land is quite solid.”

After explaining why he chose this tree.

Chen Wen started selecting treehouse construction materials.

”The best wood for building a treehouse are clean, straight logs.”

Chen Wen showcased a stick he just picked up.

It was straight, and the stick had no protrusions.

”Using straight wood to build a treehouse has multiple benefits: sturdiness, ease of construction, and comfortable sleep.”

Chen Wen tucked the stick under his arm and continued his selection.

About half an hour later, with the sun leaning west, it was afternoon.

Skipping a meal is normal for survivalists.

Chen Wen was no exception.

With an empty stomach, he collected plenty of raw materials for building the treehouse.

”Looks like I can finish building the platform today.”

Chen Wen glanced at the sky and said with a smile, ”Building the platform on the first day—that speed exceeds my original expectations. Initially, I thought finding a site on the first day would be quite fortunate.”

Leveraging loopholes in the rules, the drone saved Chen Wen significant exploration time.

Allowing swift progress.

Listening to Chen Wen, Abel was also full of appreciation.

The two Hua Country contestants have very sharp minds.

Their drone exploration strategy successfully made Abel realize many loopholes in the rules he previously set.

However, Abel is not bothered, since the rules weren’t his original creation—he also adapted them.

...

”The materials needed for building a treehouse platform are as follows.”

Bringing all materials to the base of the tree, Chen Wen’s small class officially began.

”Two thicker logs to serve as main beams. Of course, if you feel two logs can’t hold your weight, add two more! Four main beams can support even a pig.”

Chen Wen said with a grin, ”Of course, I’m using hyperbole; actually, whether two or four is the same—the difference is in the workload. To be safe, I plan to use four beams this time.”

”With four main beams ready, all that’s left is securing vines—I plan to use reeds from the riverbank as substitutes. In our hometown, reed leaves are excellent materials for making ropes. Twisted up, the ropes are quite strong.”

”Of course, that craft is time-consuming. This time, I’ll just twist them simply and use quantity to compensate for quality.”