There are a lot of niche channels on YouTube, but few are as big as the primitive technology world. Primitive technology YouTubers film themselves building everything from campfires to houses from scratch, without using any modern technology. It all started with one person – John Plant from Queensland, Australia.
Back in 2005, John uploaded his first video to his channel, Primitive Technology. The video shows him building a hut with a tiled roof and a fireplace completely from scratch. John doesn’t explain anything in the video, and in fact, he doesn’t speak at all – but something about that display of invention and determination resonated with millions of viewers, and he became a YouTube star overnight.
John’s interest in building things goes back to his childhood – he was 11 when he created his first hut in the woods behind his house. He didn’t lose interest in his hobby even as a grownup, and it was after graduating from college and getting a job that he decided to start his channel and document his process. Today, with only about fifty videos, he’s one of the biggest creators on the platform, with over 10 million subscribers, and an entirely new genre he can take credit for.
