Debris shelter

What you need

• Deadfall
• Boughs, leaves, moss and forest litter
• Nothing bought

How

1. Pick the site first. Out of the wind, off the low ground, nothing dead hanging over it.
2. Set one strong ridge pole from a stump or a fork down to the ground, long enough that you fit under it with a foot to spare.
3. Lean sticks along both sides, close together like ribs, to make a tight shape.
4. Pile boughs, leaves, moss and litter over the ribs, an arm deep. Thicker than looks sensible is about right.
5. Stuff the inside with dry leaves and boughs until you have to squeeze in. That layer under you is what keeps you alive.
6. Keep it small. Your body has to heat the inside of it, so spare room is wasted heat.

Watch for

Notes

Build it before dark, not after. It is two hours of work and everybody underestimates it the first time.