Building a all-winter shelter

[LMT66]

With the approach of winter, I decided I wanted a place to hangout all day in cold weather and do a few overnights. I wanted it big enough to have a small fire inside for overnights.
I mentioned this to TheZenful1, who is a fellow forum member here, and he was up to the task. He picked a good place up on a hill with a lake across the road.

Here are some WIP pictures. With the shelter frame up, there is just the lean-to left to work on. That will have a small firepit directly in front of it.
The shelter will be tarped with some nice camo tarp.
The dome shelter is being built based on the one on page 177 in Mors "Bushcraft" book.
The lean-to is being built like the one on Page 170 in Mors Bushcraft book.(bottom drawing) It will have a sunken long fire in front of it.

Keep in mind that when we are finished with this in spring, it will be stripped of the tarps, the area will be clean of any waste. The only thing we'll be leaving is the frame of the shelter to see how it weathers over four seasons. Maybe it will make some other outdoorsman's day to stumble upon it and "wonder" why it's there.
Maybe we'll reuse it the following winter?

With practice, this could be taken down and reassembled pretty quickly if your moving around. It obviously is meant for multiple people to use. When taken down, it could all be bundled onto a sled in winter thereby reducing everyone's pack weight by deleting the individual tents. Much warmer than a tent and the comfort of a interior fire so long as it is vented correctly both in and up.

Everything done with our belt knives and a couple GB axe's and SAK's.

My tools, GB SFA, Marchand Puukko, SAK OHT.

First ones tied were live. Just bent them over and tied them together. Keep in mind that it is an oval shape. It is longer than it is wide, which is the side most pictures were taken from.

Make an X with the first ones then build upon it.

Poles are sunk 6-8" down. All rope is bio-degradable. Still have to build up the earth all around it to prevent water from flooding the inside.

Hold's my weight no problem. (#210) I hung there about 15 seconds total and nothing snapped.

A short game trail out back leads to a nice ravine.

 

[LMT66]

Hard to size it in the picture but this will fit 3 adults in sleeping bags and allow a small fire inside.

Both of us doing various tasks over the course of a few weeks.

This deadfall will be our wood for winter. I would think we'll have several cords of seasoned wood from this one dead tree but it's quite a hike to it. Most of the deadfall is around here is rotted and soft.

 

[LMT66]

The backside (camo) is folded over (ends up), with deadfall at the bottom and stuffed with leaves to weight and insulate.
Before I tarped it, I climbed the exterior of one side, crawled over the top and down the other side. This structure is very strong.

Pulled one top up over then decided to use two and join together at the top.

Two joined together. Release three knots to spread the halves a few feet at the very top to vent a fire when it's going. Kind of looks like a giant turtle shell!

Blends in well.

The rock is in the center where we'll build a long fire pit. We'll have rocks that size around the fire to radiate heat. A heat sheet tucked into the inner framework above a sleeping bag will also help keep things toasty.

I originally thought it would sleep 3-4 but It will sleep 4 with much room to spare, 5 or 6 if needed without a fire. Plenty of room for everyone pack inside either on the ground or hung from the framework. It's quite spacious inside. It's oval shaped and is roughly 13x15. My camera doesn't pick up depth very well. Most photo's are showing it width and obscure the 15' depth.

Entrance faces the west to get as much light possible late in the cold winter days. A small section of tarp will be over the doorway.

 

[LMT66]

Blends in well at a different angle. You can see the lean-to all framed up but still needs to be filled in with dead-fall. No tarps on that one. It will have a small fire pit in front of it to cook over.

TZ1 starting on the cooking pit.

On down the game trail we cleaned up.

7' tall inside and about 6' wide at eye level and roughly 12' (side to side) at ground level

 

[LMT66]

reserved for future pics.

 

[Domanfp]

that dome is quite the shelter! very impressive work.

 

[John G]

Looks good so far! I look forward to seeing your progress.

 

[pitdog]

Good stuff but man ya ugly !

 

[crackerjax]

nice look' n wigwam how you gonna cover it?

 

[JUST1MOR]

You guys should seriously consider Botox injections . . .
Nice looking framework, any raised platforms inside or just ground pad & insulation ???
Be safe.

 

[sambo.]

nice work!

look forward to reading about the sleepouts.

 

[LMT66]

Good stuff but man ya ugly !

I'm on the right.

 

[LMT66]

nice look' n wigwam how you gonna cover it?

Camo tarps from Harbour Freight Tool. There are no pine trees around to cut boughs off of and no big dead trees to raid for bark. The whole area is choked with the stuff we used to build the hut.

 

[LMT66]

You guys should seriously consider Botox injections . . .
Nice looking framework, any raised platforms inside or just ground pad & insulation ???
Be safe.

I'll probably build something to raise me up off the ground 6 inches or so and then fill it with leaf debris followed by my sleeping pad.
Depends how well we can get the fire to vent up out the top to keep the smoke going up. We may need to be right on the ground.

Advice on fire tricks welcomed. We're thinking a small long fire. The door will be open slightly to suck air in and the very top will have a circle or rectangular opening to vent.

 

[RescueRiley]

Awesome post.... You've inspired me to try something similar I think.... Great job. ..Judging by the loog on your faces though your sight location appears to be directly upon a black hole.. again awesome stuff.

 

[ratamahatta]

keep us posted that looks like it's going to great!!!!!

 

[sicily02]

That is a really cool. I look forward to seeing the rest of the pics and how it does for your winter shelter.

Great job guys,

Bryan

 

[jds1]

That's a great start. Keep those progress photos coming.

Jeff

 

[kvaughn]

You might consider digging a small [hand width and depth] ditch from outside,under the wall to the fire pit and cover it with flat stones/bark and dirt to make a tunnel/ outside air source for your fire rather than sucking cold air through the door. You can put a flat rock over the outside to control the air flow. Your fire will burn a lot hotter with a dedicated air source and you will be warmer with no cold air flow coming through the door.--KV

 

[Joezilla]

great pictures. That structure is perfect for a sweat lodge. Just throw some 4 mil all over it and a hole in the middle with hot rocks. fantatstic`