December's Dirt-time Project: DEBRIS HUT
In Autumn, with the falling leaves, this is an easy project to practice with. This shelter is the easiest, quickest and one of the warmest if built correctly. All you need to build it is fallen wood and a plentifull supply of insulating material. Grasses, leaves, sticks, brush, barkslabs, or moss all make good insulation. In the park we chose we used the freshly fallen cottonwood leaves which were are in abundance this time of year.
STEP 1:Pick the spot
Look for a site that has the materials needed at hand. In a survival situation you don't want to waste your energy hauling materials over long distance to your site.
Choose a spot away from natural hazards which can include flood zones, dead tree limbs that can fall, bee's nests (remember some bees nest in the ground!) or other hazardus animals.
Pay attention, also, to the local weather patterns if you can locate your shelter near a windbreak of trees or outcropping of rock, do so.
We chose a clearing surrounded on the North and West by a thick stand of cottonwood with an open southerly exposure for warmth.
STEP 2:Ridgepole and support
Choose a sturdy ridgepole that is a least as thick as your arm and long enough to cover your sleeping
and work area. Find a support to rest it on. It should be high enough to allow easy entry. A sturdy forked branch dug into the earth, a stump, or notch in a tree all work well.
As you see in the picture we used a single forked brach to rest our ridgepole on. Using a sturdy stick we dug a hole about 12" deep to set the base in.
STEP 3: Complete the frame
Fill in the sides of your hut with large branches to create a ribbing effect. Place them at a steep enough
angle to shed water but allow enough room to accomidate your body inside. Cover one side of the opening in front leaving enough room to get in easily, but the smaller the opening the better your shelter will retain heat.
Place smaller sticks crosswise over the ribs. You can weave them into the structure for a sturdier frame and it will keep the insulating material from falling in.
STEP 4: Cover outside
Gathering the insulation is the most time consuming step, you will thank yourself if you picked a spot with plenty nearby! Heap the materials upon the frame.
You can mix materials but don't use wet or poisonous plants. Keep heaping on the material until it is at least 2.5ft thick or for easy reference you should be able
to stick your arm in up to your armpit before you feel the ribbing. In colder weather add a foot or two. The steaper the dome is the better it will shed water. You can add a layer of tree bark to help keep the rain out.
After all this place large branches on top to keep the lighter materials from blowing away in a storm.
STEP 5: Interior insulation
Finish you shelter by packing the interior with ligh dry material for bedding. Aromatic plants such as mint, sage or whatever will help drive away bugs from your bed. If your shelter is large enough you may want to make a short dividing wall between the back, sleeping area, and the front, working area.
In any case you'll want to be able to "burrow" into the sleeping area for the greatest warmth. You can put together a plug for the front door by making two flat frames the size and shape of the opening then packing leaves, etc. between the two
and lashing the whole thing together. This way you can push it in place after you're inside for the night.
It took us the whole day to complete our shelter. In a survival situation you can throw one together to get you through the night or nasty weather and make improvements each day. This design is the easiest but you can arrange yours however you like as long as it has a sloped roof and plenty of insulating material. Have fun experimenting!
Share your experiences or make a suggestion for next months project.
