55-gal Barrel, Clay, Cans - what can you build?

[qwee]

Okay, I have been watching the TV show, Alone, on History channel https://play.history.com/shows/alone/season-8/episode-1. The survivalists have to build shelters and fire burners to help survive as long as possible. The winnings are $500k (one guy got a $million).

Several contestants have found metal barrels (they can use things they find). They never use the barrel to make a wood burner. One guy used his barrel to build a lame boat. There are always lots of stones of various sizes. And let's say you find 20 old rusty cans (I've seen cans found) that you can use for a chimney (if you choose). And you have snare wire.

And usually there is clay/mud. Let's say you have a barrel, clay/mud, cans, and stones, could you figure out how to build a small masonry heater out of these ingredients? or maybe a wood stove? maybe a rocket mass heater? This is survival so codes aren't important. Maybe just a fireplace? Several contestants have used wood poles for chimneys and the results are always the same - as soon as the poles dry out they catch on fire. And sometimes burn their shelters down. You also have a multi-tool to cut/saw into the barrel (probably very slowly).

The more efficient your heater is the less energy you waste cutting and gathering firewood. They drop the survivalists off in the fall (before freezing) usually in the sub artic somewhere, so things are going to get below freezing. What are you going to try to build? is your wood burner going to be inside your survival structure or on an outer wall?

 

[qwee]

This would be my first attempt. I'm going to try and build a small masonry heater (of course) using clay, rocks, the barrel, and cans. I'm going to situate this thing inside the structure but on an end. I'm going to cut the barrel into 2 chunks - the lower part will be 60% of the barrel the upper 40% of barrel.

I'm going to build an ~18" platform out of mud and rocks. This platform will be a little wider than the barrel. Now, I place this 60% chunk of barrel on this platform. I place sand and pebbles in the bottom - say 4 inches deep. Now I try to find big flat stones to go over the gravel. I cut a curved door in this lower barrel piece attaching it with snare wire. I mix up a clay-grass mixture.

I lay rocks vertically on the inside of the barrel, up the wall. I think I'll use some metal snare wire to go around a few rocks. I poke some holes in the barrel for the snare wire to go through. Now, I'll find some big flat rocks and top off this 60% barrel section. I'll leave a 3 inch gap for the hot gasses to pass through.

 

[qwee]

Now, I'll cut tabs in both sections of the barrel and slide the 2 pieces together. How am I going to work inside this second barrel piece. Hmm.... I guess I need to cut the top of the barrel off, too. Ok, I cut 5" below the top and remove this lid. I do what I did on the lower section of the barrel to this top barrel section - vertical rocks and mortar with snare wire through the sides of barrel. I top it with big flat stones such that there is a 3" opening on the opposite side as the lower section opening. This will lengthen the gas flow path.

Now, I place 5" of vertical stone around the edges and place the lid on with tabs. Well, before I place the lid on, I cut a hole (opposite side of second section hole) for the chimney. I cut tabs in one can such that some tabs are below the opening and some are above the opening. I get this first can into place. I attach the other cans to this first one by cutting tabs. I use snare wire to help connect cans together. I poke little holes in the cans and run snare wire through the holes (mini rebar, I'm going to cover these cans with a clay mix).

Now I mix up an outer mortar mix consisting of clay/mud, dry grass, and sand/pebbles. I coat the entire (except door) outside of the barrel and chimney. If I can't get it to adhere I might need to use branches as rebar. The little pieces of snare wire act like mini rebar, too, holding everything together. I could loop some snare wire around stone on the outside. The clay/mud mixture will probably crack but won't burn. The metal might warp a bit - oh well this is survival.

How do I see it working. You open the door and light the fire. Leave the door open for an air supply. The hot gases rise and go into the second barrel section. Next, these hot gases go out the opposite side of this second section and into the third section. Finally the gases travel to the opposite side and go out the chimney. I guess before bedtime, you could burn a big fire, and once it burned out, place something over the chimney (to hold the heat in).

Probably easier to build a wood stove.

 

[qwee]

Wait, I've got to figure out a way to cook with this thing. Hmmm....