1.Collect materials. You need to find four more forked branches, two with a height of 1 foot and two with a height of about 2 feet, as well as two poles that reach from foot end to head end.

2.Build the attic. Prop the two longer, forked branches against the sides of the shelter at the head end and the shorter ones near the foot end and place the longer poles on the forks so they are lying up against the walls of the shelter, forming two ledges. Place shorter branches from left to right, through the debris hut frame so they rest on the two ledges. Do this all the way from the head end to the foot end.

3.Add debris. Fill the resulting attic with debris. Make sure to fill the whole space, from the foot end right up to the head end.

4.Add more debris. Another option at this point, if the night is to be particularly cold, is to fill the interior of this framework with debris as well. This means you will literally burrow into a pile of debris when you go to bed. This is certainly warm, but (in my view) rather uncomfortable and claustrophobic. However, should the need be there and survival at stake, I’d happily suffer a night covered in leaves.

Create the Entrance

Often, people delay this step until after the debris has been piled on (next step), but I have regularly observed people being too tired at that point to make a good job of it and suffer the consequences once the temperature drops. The entryway just doesn’t appear that important once there’s a comfortable-looking bed inside a framework topped by a 5-foot pile of leaves and you’re exhausted. However, if all the heat can simply escape from the poorly constructed or nonexistent doorway, then all the preceding work will have been completely worthless (apart from keeping you dry).

1.Collect tough but flexible branches. You will use these branches for the entrance. Willow, ash, hazel and holly are some examples of suitable wood. These branches should be at least 1 yard in length. You will also need some form of a sturdy peg and a rock to hammer holes into the ground for inserting the flexible branches into.

The smaller the entrance is, the warmer the hut will be. As a point of reference, for my photos on the right, the entrance is about 1-1/2 feet wide and about a foot high. The entrance consists of three or four hoops stuck into the ground.

2.Construct the hoops. Place the first hoop 12 inches away from the main frame. Insert one branch into a hole you created with the rock and peg and another one parallel to it in a hole on the other side of the main frame. Connect the branches by weaving them together. Add another hoop 12 inches away from the first one in the same manner, but slightly smaller. And one or two more after that. The last hoop should be about 1-1/2 feet wide and 1 foot tall. The hoops should then be further reinforced by weaving another number of branches through them in both directions. Repeat this two or three times, finishing with the smallest hoop.

3.Connect the hoops with smaller branches. Add long, flexible branches to connect all the hoops together as well as the frame of the debris hut to form a tunnel. Focus mainly on the roof of the tunnel as this is where the debris will fall through. Use as many as you need to create a strong latticework of interwoven twigs and branches. The objective of this latticework is to prevent debris from falling through.

Add the Insulation

1.Gather and distribute debris. This step is the easiest to describe, and the toughest to carry out. The thickness of the debris depends on the temperature you expect during the night, but the average 50° to 60°F night would require about 3 feet of debris in each direction from the framework. Do not underestimate the amount of leaves this is! Considering your framework already came to a height of 2 feet (if not more), the height of your shelter when finished ought to be a good 5 feet! I often help myself get the thickness right by laying a few large logs 3 feet to either side of the shelter, so it’s easier to judge when the required thickness has been achieved. Spread the debris evenly, creating a large “cocoon.” Smooth the debris into a smooth dome so you don’t have sudden dips or rises.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

•On a windy day, add branches over the top to help keep the leaves in place.

•Some people suggest layering the shelter with pieces of bark and the like to help divert rain from the shelter, but I have never found this necessary.

•The debris used for covering the shelter may be wet, rotten, prickly or whatever else. I have even used green leaves when I had no other choice!

•One cheat (which will lower the insulative value) is to lay a foot of leaves, then a layer of twigs, then more leaves, etc. This saves a bit of work, but will cost you in lost temperature.

Try to get your normal human fastidiousness out of your system. In order to carry the largest amounts of leaves to your shelter, you will need to hug the leaves like you would a lover. Do not work by squeezing a small pile of leaves between two palms! It’s also wise to gauge how large an area of debris you need and then start collecting leaves farther away from the shelter, working toward the shelter and removing the debris right at the shelter only when adding the last touches. This will help you continue to work when energy starts to get low.

2.Create the door. The very last step is to create some sort of a woven bag filled with leaves, or a big pile of debris which can be dragged in behind you to close the door once you’re inside. The inevitable oversupply of leaves inside the shelter can be used to plug any holes around the door plug. You really want to put a bit of effort into creating this door plug. It will never be the same thickness as the rest of the walls, so being able to close any gaps will make a big difference.

3.Enter your shelter. The shelter is most easily entered feet first while lying on your belly, but be sure to tuck in your clothes well, as the entrance tends to undress you in the process of your crawling in! You can fit your body through an entrance narrower than your shoulders by having one arm beside your body and one arm above your body, holding your shoulders more diagonal as you crawl in. Getting in and out of this shelter will take a bit of time and, if hurried, can easily damage the entrance tunnel. You do not want to forget to use the “toilet” before tucking in!

Some Tips to Consider

Before using the debris hut, some tips you might consider are heating rocks at a fire (if you have one) for adding extra heat, and smoking out your shelter to help get rid of insects. (See page 59.) It’s also worth it to use a thin T-shirt or other clothing item, if you can spare it, as a pillow, rather than putting your face directly in the debris.