2.Secure the poles. Using a large rock, hammer the poles into the ground along one of the lines. Each pole should be spaced about a foot apart and hammered deep enough to be sturdy. Usually a depth of about 1/2 foot to 1 foot is more than deep enough. Once you complete the row of stakes on one line, repeat the procedure on the other line so you end up with two parallel rows of poles hammered into the ground. If your wall has two ends (like the one in the pictures on the right), place another stake at each end, closing off the wall. Of course, the deeper and sturdier your poles are hammered into the ground, the stronger your wall. However, due to the weaving that will take place, if a few of the poles don’t quite hammer in so deep, your wall should still be sturdy enough.

3.Weave the walls. Use the flexible material to weave between the poles. Especially when your row of poles is wobbly, you’ll want to ensure that the weave exerts equal pressure both ways. Other than that, the weave only has to be tight enough to contain the debris we’re going to throw into the empty space later, but of course, if you have plenty of materials, you can weave your wall as tightly as you wish. If you do manage a tight weave, you could even consider plastering the weave with a clay/sand/grass mixture for a smooth, debris-proof finish! Do not forget to weave around the ends, so as to prevent debris from falling out there.

Finish the Wall

1.Fill the wall with debris. Once your weave is complete, gather as much debris as you can find, and fill the wall up, tightly packing all available space with debris. I find that using smaller armfuls, and using a stick to “stir” the leaves down after placing them in the wall works best to achieve a tightly packed mass of debris without disturbing the weaving too much.

2.Finish the wall off. Gently compress the leaves and top off the wall with sticks.

Shaping the Wall into a Shelter

You can easily use the stacked debris wall combined with the lean-to principles above to create a basic shelter. Simply build one long back wall and two side walls.

1.Add side walls. Use the “Create the Framework” steps on page 34 to create two shorter walls at either end of, and perpendicular to the long wall, forming a rectangular space enclosed on three sides. Allow these side walls to become higher toward the front and include two forked branches at the very front, which will support a ridgepole.

2.Build the roof frame. Place the sturdy ridgepole into place over the forked branches. Then, lean sturdy branches over the ridgepole, extending from the top of your back wall. As your wall will sag a little over time, ensure that the branches stick out a good foot or so over the ridgepole. Try to build your structure in such a way that the roof has a pitch close to 30 degrees to allow water to run off easily.

3.Add debris. Once the framework for the roof is complete, place a solid 1 to 1-1/2 feet of debris on top. Ensure that the debris is thickest at the front and gently slopes down toward the back. On windy days, you can add branches to help hold the debris down.

Whenever I was staying in the woods as a youth with access to a sleeping bag and mat, I would stay in such a shelter, as it was handy, comfortable with a fire, and I could wake up with the sun rising in front of me. I have good memories of using this shelter, including one where a bird decided to cohabit with me for a few days, staying over in the roof each night.

ROUND DEBRIS WALL SHELTER

After having built such a stacked debris wall, especially with the suggested modifications, it is only a small step forward to use the principles to build a larger, all-enclosing and much more permanent residence.

The debris wall shelter, if maintained properly, can last for many years, as some of my course participants can attest to. It is truly a joy to stay in, even if it does cost some elbow grease to build. The instructions below only demonstrate one way to build it. There are many modifications of shape and size that you can make to the design to meet your individual needs.

You will need the same materials as listed on page 34 for the stacked debris wall, though in bigger quantities. You will also need some cord, string or natural alternative, such as a long vine, to complete the measurements.

Draw Your Floor Plan

First, you will need to decide on the size of your shelter. The shelter described here will feature a fireplace and will have enough room to sleep three to four people. To calculate the internal diameter, add up the number of feet you need in a cross section. The central fireplace needs 4 feet. Then, on either side of the fireplace, you need a further 6 feet to the outside wall, giving you an internal diameter of 16 feet. As the walls will be 1 foot thick, the external diameter will be 18 feet. Obviously, you have complete freedom to decide yourself what size you’d like your shelter to be instead of using the measurements here, and there’s also plenty of room for inaccuracies.

1.Create your drawing tool. In the center, where the fireplace will be, hammer a peg into the ground. Tie a 9-foot piece of string to it (half the shelter’s outer diameter), with another peg attached at the loose end.

2.Drawing your outer wall. Being careful not to damage the setup, pull the string taut, and draw a circle by dragging the loose peg through the ground, keeping the string taut while marking. Doing this correctly should give you a perfect circle, 18 feet in diameter, which marks where the outer wall will stand.

3.Drawing your inner wall. Now, shorten your string by 1 foot, and draw a second circle on the ground. This second circle will form your inner wall. At this point, decide where your entrance is to be, and mark it on the ground. The entrance should be between 2 and 3 feet wide and can face any direction you like, though most people prefer it to be south to southwest-facing to capture most of the sun.

Build the Walls

1.Hammer poles into the ground. Once these circles are drawn and you’re happy with the location of your doorway, you can proceed with hammering poles into the ground, exactly as you did for the stacked debris wall on page 34. Make them nice and solid and about 1 foot apart from each other. Don’t forget to leave the opening for the doorway. The height of the sticks will determine the maximum height of the wall and, subsequently, the lowest point in your roof. I like to have the walls about 5 feet above the ground, as this will provide plenty of clearance later to build bedding and still rest comfortably with my back against the wall and the roof clearing my head while seated. You also need to allow for some downward compression of the debris by the roof. When finished, you should have two circular rows of stakes terminating at each end of the doorway. Finish off the framework by hammering in two forked branches at each side of the doorway with the forks facing the entrance, closing off the hollow walls and providing a resting point for the future lintel over the door.