Debris Hut Survival Shelter

In a survival situation…time is one thing that is never on your side. When the sun is dropping fast in the western sky and the temperatures are falling even faster, your ability to get a shelter up fast could be the difference between life and death.

When every second counts, exactly how confident are you that you can get a shelter up fast?

A debris hut could just get you through the night. Tick tock… time is running out.

Check out this quick step by step guide below to discover exactly what you need to build a debris hut from scratch:

Gather the Debris Hut Natural Materials

You need to be creative when making a shelter out of debris, but before you could use your creativity, you first need to gather the natural materials. Look around your surrounding, and gather debris materials like a tree branch, vines, leaves, and twigs. Pay special attention to anything you can bend or stretch.

Build the Debris Hut Framework

Start by using the thickest and strongest branch you find, and make sure it's at least a bit longer than your total height. Have two other branches cross together forming a triangular shape. It should be strong enough to handle the weight of the longer branch. Make sure this piece is in good condition as it will hold the weight of the rest of the materials used in constructing your shelter. Place one end of the longer branch on top of the crossed branch. The pyramid looking poles will be the frame of your debris hut.

Build Debris Hut Ribbing

On this step, you'll be using the smaller branches you gathered to form the ribbing. Prop the shorter branches along the long one from base to the tallest point. This will enclose the frame of your debris hut.

Debris Hut Insulation and Covering

This is where you'll be using the debris you collected from your surroundings. Cover the hut with dried-up leaves, twigs, sticks, or even with a moss carpet if you find one. You can use literally anything you can pick up to cover the hut. This will insulate the debris hut to keep you warm at night. It also acts as camouflage from predators.

Anchor and Weight

After covering the debris hut with loose leaves, moss and other materials, it's time to finish your shelter by adding more support. Use heavier objects like branches and small rocks as a final layer over the debris hut. This will prevent the smaller elements covering from blowing away in the heavy wind.

Knowing the fundamentals of building survival shelters is necessary or it could cause the collapse of the structure. When choosing the materials, you have to be careful not to pick something that will easily break, especially when it comes to the framework of the shelter. if done correctly, survival shelters can keep you warm, dry, and safe from the elements in the wilderness.

Watch this video to discover even more about survival shelters:

Do you have some tips in building survival shelters? Share them in the comments section below!

If you're planning to stay in the wilderness for a long while, check out this article to learn how to build a super shelter!

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