"I went to university and got a bachelor of science, but didn't do anything with it," Plant said via email. "Instead I mowed lawns for a living (self-employed) while doing Primitive Technology on the side as a hobby only."

Plant said he's now doing videos full time because they supply "more money than mowing."

Plant's obsession with subsisting off of nature started at age 11 when he would make small huts by a creek behind his house using only things he could find in the wild. He honed his skills and by age 18 could kindle a fire with sticks and leaves.

"People are naturally wired to be interested in this sort of activity because in the past those who weren't probably died out or didn't pass on their genes," he said. "This hobby also keeps me fairly fit and active, which is good for health."