Debris huts can be built free standing, against an existing structure or in many different shapes depending on your needs. Remember, it’s the principle that is important! The main rules for building an effective debris hut are that it must be only barely larger than your body, insulate you from the ground and contain enough debris to benefit from the insulative effects of the air trapped between the leaves. For the purpose of showing the principles at work, we’ll cover a freestanding debris hut.

Create the Layout

1.Scope out your location. You will need at least 4 square yards of relatively level space, clear of sticks, logs, shrubs, trees or other obstacles available on your chosen site. The entrance to this shelter will be at the head end and would ideally face southeast to catch the late morning and afternoon sun and face away from incoming weather systems. If you must choose one of the two, face it away from the direction of the prevailing wind.

2.Outline your body. Lie down on your back with your head pointing in the direction of the entrance as discussed above, and draw a line one palm’s width away from your body on both sides of you, starting at your shoulder and moving toward your foot, all the while following your body’s outline. Once you have completed this, extend both lines at your feet so they meet in a triangle about 2 feet away from the bottom of your soles. Also, draw a line to connect the two lines at shoulder level, thereby creating a roughly triangular shape.

This outline will form the shape of the inside of the main shelter and also serve as your template for the bedding. Your head is currently placed outside the triangular shape; however, once the main body of the shelter is built, an entrance will be constructed, which will provide plenty of room for your head.

Create your Bedding

1.Choose your approach. There are two ways to approach creating your bedding or mattress. You can dig a 1-foot-deep pit and build your bedding in there, or build a 1-foot-high “mattress.” In choosing, consider the following: There is a phenomenon known as the “vapor barrier.” The vapor barrier is a layer of air right above the ground which holds a much higher level of humidity than the rest of the air. Now, in many climates, this shouldn’t matter too much, but if you are building this shelter in a humid area, building your mattress up from the ground can place you above the vapor barrier. Raising your mattress may also be worth it in very rocky ground or extremely cold conditions (cold settles in lower areas).

The main downside of using the aboveground mattress is the added complexity of trying to get into your shelter and its tendency to fall apart at times if you wriggle around too much. The main benefits are reduced labor and a generally warmer and drier experience.

2.Dig a pit. If you decide to dig the mattress into the ground, you will need to dig out a 1-foot-deep pit following the shape of the lines you drew on the ground. Use anything at hand—a sharpish, flat stone, a sharp branch or a piece of bone. You can use the excavated soil to raise the lip of the pit, thereby reducing the actual amount of digging you have to do.

3.Set down the bedding branches. Once the pit is dug, or if you are choosing not to dig a pit, carefully line the pit or outlined area lengthwise with branches from foot end to head end. These branches do not have to be perfectly straight, but should all be roughly 2 inches or so in diameter in order to evenly support the crosswise layer to come.

4.Lay branches crosswise on top of the first layer. Carefully place these sticks side by side so that they fit well together and have no bumps or twigs sticking out, as cushioned by a layer of leaves, you’ll be lying directly on top of them.

5.Add the debris. Now, add a 1-foot-thick layer of carefully selected dry debris on top of the latticework to complete your mattress. This is a good opportunity to introduce some ferns (for the nice smell) and beech leaves (to repel insects). Ensure you use only the fluffiest and driest of materials (where available) and filter it carefully to avoid twigs, thorns, seed pods and stones.

Construct the Main Body

1.Collect materials. At this point, it’s time to construct the main body of the shelter. First, you need to select a strong ridgepole, which ought to be about one and a half times the length of your body. Aim for a log that’s about the thickness of your wrist or upper arm. You also need two very sturdy, forked branches. The branches, up to and including the junction of the Y, should be about the length of your inner leg. Test them well for strength by purposely trying to break them, because these two branches will support the ridgepole and all the subsequent weight placed upon it! Remember the safe way to break branches rule on page 14 about breaking sticks. Never attempt to break branches using your knee or by stepping/jumping on them.

2.Place the ridgepole. Place the thinner end of the ridgepole right where the two lines meet at the foot end. The two forked branches are each placed in the corners where the shoulders were, the Ys interlinking in the middle in order to support the ridgepole.

3.Secure the ridgepole. When this tripod looks balanced and strong, secure the bottom end of the ridgepole with sticks hammered into the ground on either side and at the end, right where the ridgepole touches the ground, to prevent it from moving. You can add strength and stability to the main ridgepole by fitting more Y-shaped branches along its length, though usually this won’t be needed. The overall shape you have now created will be as small as you can get it, while also being of the correct pitch to allow water to drain off. The debris you’ll be adding shortly will help it to stay put.

4.Create the framework. Creating the framework that will support the debris is a simple process of placing branches vertically over the original outline of the shelter leaning up against the ridgepole. It is important to ensure these sticks do not stick out above the ridgepole, as this will allow gaps in the insulation to form, or even create a convenient path for water to trickle through. If a particular stick is too long, either place it closer to the entrance where it may fit, or jab it into the ground. You need to cover both sides entirely with these branches. How close they are together depends a bit on what type of debris you’re dealing with. If they’re very small leaves (or even evergreen needles), then the sticks will need to be tightly packed indeed!

Add Extra Insulation

Once your frame is filled up you have the opportunity to add some extra insulation to your shelter in the form of an attic, decreasing the wasted space your body must heat. This is recommended in close-to or below-freezing conditions and will not generally be required during spring, summer or autumn. If you don’t feel the need for extra insulation, skip to the next step: Create the entrance.