Survival Shelters – Size, Style and Construction of a Debris Hut

Now that you know how to find an adequate site for your shelter we will go over the basics of size, style and construction.

When it comes to size of a shelter you should be aware of one of the basic laws of thermodynamics, although it sounds daunting it is really pretty basic. The Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics states that if two objects are in contact they will give and receive warmth/energy until they are balanced.

So if you weigh 160lbs and are 98.6 degrees, and you lay on the ground (billions of tons of mass) that is at 50 degrees, the ground will absorb your heat until balance is met. In other words you will slowly get colder, period.

In understanding the Zeroth Law we come to understand that basic principles of shelter construction are based on two ideas, small and insulated. If you have a small shelter that is well insulated your body will have an easier time heating it. If you have a large well insulated shelter your body has to give off more heat to heat the greater dead space. It is not always possible to build a fire so we have to think of our bodies as our primary heat source.

When considering style you should emulate the creatures that live in the wild. Think of their dens or shelters. What works for them? You should be thinking of burrows and dens that are almost cocoon like.

The most easily constructed shelter is a debris hut. These shelters are useful just about anywhere in the world provided you have materials and take little to no real skill.

To build a basic debris shelter, you can construct a basic frame out of a ridgepole running either from a support like an old stump or a low limb in a tree, really anything to hold one end of the ridge pole up. The other end simply lies on the ground. Make sure the ridge beam is fairly thick say 3″-6″ inches in diameter and long enough to cover your body when sleeping and try to keep the entry way facing east and no more than 3′ off of the ground. Once this ridge beam is set firmly, you can start setting supports running vertically against the ridge beam. When finished it should resemble a ribcage.

From here you simply fill the gaps with more and more “ribs” that should be placed diagonally so as to form a pseudo lattice pattern. Once this step is complete start piling any loose debris on top. Use grasses, branches, moss, leaves, bark, boughs really just about anything you can find. Ideally you want at least 2′ of debris on top of your shelter. This will keep precipitation out and heat in! Take your time and do this right, your life may depend on it! For really cold weather keep on piling the more insulation the better. During this process you want to also keep in mind to have sloping walls to aid in shedding rain or snow.

Once the debris shelter is constructed to your liking start filling the inside with leaves and grasses to make a bed. Fill it high then get in and roll around. Once you have broken down this initial layer repeat the process. Try and get as much bedding as you can to insulate you from the ground. During this process make sure you pile extra material with in arms reach of your shelter should you need to seal a door or add insulation on top of you.

The reason you crush down the leaves is twofold, one it allows a more uniform bed that retains its padding, and two because the dead air space between the leaves is actually what keeps you warm. You see this technique works the same way as a down jacket. You are heating the air between the filler material not necessarily the material it self, that air retains its warmth longer having more material to aid in heat retention and block heat dissipation. That is why a higher fill jacket has a greater ability to keep you warm. More air pockets more heat retained for longer!!

Some people recommend that you leave room at the head of your shelter to keep other things dry, as well as an area to “work” should you get stuck in a storm.

Always over build your shelter and build it to last. There is nothing worse than spending hours constructing a shelter that cannot support the debris.

There are endless variations to the Debris Hut theme, don’t restrict your self to this example, remember the principles of sound construction and go with it!!