At home in the forest

Marc Freukes lives his dream of living a self-determined life in a yurt in the middle of the Odenwald in southern Hesse. You can benefit from his experience and learn in his courses all about the fascinating life outdoors.

Nothing suggests that Marc Freukes has been living in woods since 2014 as he casually exits it on this sunny summer morning—isolated from the big city, without running water and electricity and protected from the wind and weather only by his simple, handmade yurt. He looks physically fit and he’d hardly stand out in a pedestrian zone, if it weren’t for the knife he wears on his belt, forged and engraved by his own hand. “I quickly realized that life in the forest works very well for me. In fact, I think it doesn’t get any better than that,” says Marc, who is now known as the Odenwald Tipian and already a little bit famous.

The former Bundesliga golf coach is walking his short, tousle-haired dog Rala, who moved with him to the wooded area near Hammelbach in the Bergstraße district a few years ago. Having overcome a case of burnout he was looking for a way to live a self-determined life without becoming a burden on society, as he puts it today.

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If you want to meet Marc, you must first contact him by text message or email. A wide, passable forest path leads from the meeting point to a junction that is easy to miss. This leads to an overgrown narrow path. After a short, leisurely walk, you will find yourself in front of the crooked gate to his paradise, the “Paradies.” He built a yurt on a private, fenced-in recreational plot there. Nearby is a small house painted Swedish red with a pointed shingle roof.

Marc converted a discarded construction trailer and added a second, tiny storey. The little shingle house, which measures just seven square meters, offers comfortable seating covered with colourful blankets and a kitchen sideboard made of polished old wood. The shelves are filled with fragrant spices, oils and the barest minimum of wooden utensils. Practical hanging fixtures made from found objects and leftover building materials allow the space to be used to the maximum. The oven, made from two old gas cartridges, can be used to cook, heat and even bake pizza. A narrow, steep wooden staircase leads to a tiny bedroom that sleeps two people. Marc rents out the cottage to visitors or participants in his multi-day wilderness courses, which provides him with a source of income.

Behind it, somewhat concealed by trees and bushes, is the handmade yurt in which he himself lives on 18 square meters. His kitchenette is complemented by an earth refrigerator, which requires no energy and ensures a temperature of 10 to 15 degrees simply because it is sunk deep into the ground. There is a chest and a dresser. The handmade sofa serves as a cosy place for eating, reading, listening to music, writing books or organizing his courses.

In addition to his knife, Marc always carries a bunch of keys with him. In the forest? “It’s a cliché that you don’t have to lock up anything here,” a bitter realization he had to make. There is an outdoor cooking area for visitors, a wooden composter and a dry toilet. And a small outdoor gym was recently installed. He trains there six times a week according to a plan he has drawn up. “It requires a lot of discipline, but it’s great for your back and leg muscles.” His crippling back pain has been history since then.

He also designed and constructed the training equipment himself. Anything that can be used or reused becomes part of his projects. He upholstered the training bench with a sleeping mat that a visitor left here, for example. However, he invested in new weight plates and a pull system. After all, his health is essential for life in the forest. That’s why he also focuses on a balanced diet. He takes his time to prepare the first meal of the day—a warm porridge with fresh fruit, nuts and turmeric. “I use everything I find, such as wild herbs, berries or goutweed,” he explains, while the porridge simmers fragrantly in the crackling oven. However, he also has to go shopping to cover his energetic requirements and get enough protein: meat, yogurt and milk, among others.

While he eats his porridge with relish, he talks about life in the forest, his philosophy and his experiences. He uses spring water for cooking and drinking—around 30 litres a week. He cleans his hands, dishes and laundry with rainwater and makes his own washing powder from curd soap, washing soda, water and essential oils. A solar panel provides the electricity to charge his cell phone or to light the shingled cottage.

Marc describes himself as a non-dogmatic minimalist: “I own as much as I need and as little as possible.” He could still do without his small car or relinquish even a few square meters of living space. However, he likes to visit family and friends, go to Heidelberg for pizza or simply go on vacation to places where he is not in charge of everything. He even started playing golf again. And he enjoys it—unthinkable for him just a few years ago. “I don’t want to exclude some of the modern-life things. I take the best of both worlds.”

I don’t want to exclude some of the modern-life things. I take the best of both worlds

Marc Freukes

He gives talks and interviews about all of this. In his wilderness courses you can learn how to cope in the forest for several days as well as the approach behind his way of life. The participants come from all over the German-speaking world, from young children to a 97-year-old lady recently. “I really have a lot to do every day. But my work is 100 per cent self-determined.” And that is exactly what he was looking for.

https://www.wildniskurs.de/index.html