Rick's Claustrophobia Shelter

[Normark]

Hey Guys…

Next week Rick and I are helping teach 50 some 6th grade students from two local schools a couple of different aspects of Wilderness Survival…

This is the Pilot project in S. Western Ontario for “Schools and Scouting”. Basically they are introducing kids into the outdoors and Scouting…

So I Volunteered myself and Rick Graciously agreed to give some of his time to help out..

Next week we’ll be taking several groups of 10 kids and teaching them basic Fire and Shelter building skills through the course of two 80 min lessons .

In preparation for the lessons I started a debris shelter with my Ventures while on a Scout camp on the property over the last weekend…

Rick and I went in there today and finished up my shelter and quickly made a smaller 1 man debris shelter.

Although my shelter was built well,, Rick pointed out a couple of things that I should have done differently, which made Complete sense…

You will notice that my shelter doesn’t look complete.. That’s because it isn’t…
The shelter is built basically as a cutaway model, showing different key features of the shelter.. The front was left open on purpose so the structure could be seen, and the bedding could be tried out…

This shelter could easily hold two adults, however I suggest that they be Cuddy Buddies, or at least good friends.. ( Rick and I will NOT be sleeping in this shelter together) LOL

We’ll also be showing much more expedient emergency type shelters, which we’ll be figuring out next week…

By normark1 at 2009-10-15

The Beginnings of Rick’s Debris shelter.

By normark1 at 2009-10-15

By normark1 at 2009-10-15

By normark1 at 2009-10-15

By normark1 at 2009-10-15

By normark1 at 2009-10-15

By normark1 at 2009-10-15

Rick at the entrance of his shelter.. Getting ready to crawl inside backwards.

By normark1 at 2009-10-15

A kind of poor picture of the final shelter.

Rick mentioned that we should have put more debris on,, however we were short of time…

By normark1 at 2009-10-15

Rick Crawling in…

To be continued..

Thanks for looking..

Ttyle

Eric
O/ST

 

[Bushman5]

hoo-yah! very cool, looking forward to pics of the groups shelters! Good on ya Eric!

 

[mtnfolk mike]

very cool... :thumbup: looks nice and cozy..

 

[pitdog]

Great stuff ! Ideally ya need about 3 feet of leaves(debris)which would take quite some time to gather !!!!

 

[LMT66]

Great job......... i think this will motivate me to build a lean-to wind break at my usual winter spot. Just needs some leaves to start dropping.

 

[Mistwalker]

Looking good guys, the kids should really enjoy it. I'm looking forward to making something like this for the earth club class at my daughter's school this winter. I want to wait till the weather makes it make sense to them and all the spiders, centipedes, and scorpions and stuff have gone into hibernation.

 

[Normark]

Hey Guys....

Thanks much.. Was allot of fun..
hopefully the Scout groups in this weekend don't wreck the Frigging things.. Got them roped off with flagging tape, so we'll see how that goes..

Pit..

Yaa 2-3 feet is needed for sure...
Collecting that many leaves is a Real PITA..

I'm going back in there with a rake on Sunday and will add another 12-14 "..

With the weather we're getting right now there be some Serious leaves dropping...

About 50 yards from that shelter is an entire marsh of cattails,, just need hip boots to get to them.. LOL That would make some decent insulation if you could get to it...


ttyle

Eric
O/ST

 

[Mistwalker]

About 50 yards from that shelter is an entire marsh of cattails,, just need hip boots to get to them..

ttyle

Eric
O/ST

Sounds like an opportunity to teach more than shelter building .

 

[Normark]

Hey Mist...

Sounds like an opportunity to teach more than shelter building .

Yaaa,, I'm kind of limited to Shelters and Fire and only have 80 mins per class,, however..

I'm listening ...Whatcha thinking ??

Speaking of Fire, Marshes and all of that..

They had the local provincial police Marine unit in there doing demos for the Cubbees a year or so ago and one of them decided to pop a para flare..

Well it went up, and gently floated back to earth right in the middle of the cat tails and caught the entire Frigging thing on fire...

When the fire department responded they couldn't launch their rescue boat, a hard hull inflatable because the water was too shallow and the hill too steep to back down, so they borrowed some canoes (plastic) and fought the fire from those..

ROTFLMAO

Too Funny

Kids were Killing themselves Laughing

ttyle

Eric
O/ST

 

[Mistwalker]

Hey Mist...



Yaaa,, I'm kind of limited to Shelters and Fire and only have 80 mins per class,, however..

I'm listening ...Whatcha thinking ??


Eric
O/ST

Well, cattail shoots are edible, the fluff from the seedpods can be used as a flash tinder and crushed into a flour type substance than can be used as a thickener for soups and stews....so with the cattails, some fish or game, and maybe some wild onions and wild carrots if they grow in that area could make an interesting and edible soup. Seems like you can also use the fluff somehow to make bread, and I've read some things about the stalks, but all that escapes me at the moment...it's 1:30 am, I'm tired and my four year old is still wide open and she seems to think I'm a tree at the moment.

 

[Normark]

Hey Mist..

//Well, cattail shoots are edible,//

Well First of all,, the water is so polluted there I wouldn't eat a pizza that floated by on a Raft.. LOL So eating anything out of that water isn't an option..


// the fluff from the seedpods can be used as a flash tinder//

Yes,, we'll be doing that for sure...


// and crushed into a flour type substance than can be used as a thickener for soups and stews....so with the cattails, some fish or game, and maybe some wild onions and wild carrots if they grow in that area could make an interesting and edible soup.//

For sure,, that's all good stuff to do, however keep in mind we only have 80 mins per session... So Realistically with the F-ing About that's surely going to take place (6th graders) lets say 40 mins.... LMAO

// and I've read some things about the stalks,//

Yaa there's several different parts that can be eaten,, the roots can be cooked and are full of starch...

// but all that escapes me at the moment...it's 1:30 am, I'm tired and my four year old is still wide open and she seems to think I'm a tree at the moment.//

LOL I know what that is like...

Thanks

Eric
O/ST

 

[Rick Marchand]

With more debris on top and stuffed into the door... that's a damn good shelter.

The floor was awsome. We laid down bark, then about 10 inches (packed) of debris, then another layer of bark. After everything got packed down we had about 6-8 inches of SOLID, immovable insulation underneath!!

One of the most common mistakes I see is folks leaving the front either wide open or poorly insulated. All of your bodyheat will travel up and out the top of your hut if you don't plug the peak of the ridgepole. I make a "box" entry and tie it into the hut. it should be 1 1/2- 2ft deep, shoulder width.... basically enough to wiggle through backwards. (take into consideration the height of your ground insulation)

Pile leaves close by and inside the shelter. After you get in you can pack the cavity with leaves and maybe a daypack if you have one. It's tight (I happen to be a severe Claustrophobic as Eric will confirm) but I have spent a few cold nights in a properly done debris hut without a problem. The thought of freezing to death will help you endure many uncomfortable scenarios.

Rick

 

[Rick Marchand]

here.... I made a drawing..... lol....

 

[Joezilla]

Oh man, I love watching the kids build debris huts. Almost 99% of the time, they seem to base it on the smallest kid in the class, and ultimately they want me to get in it. I end half way in it looking like a turd. Glorious pics! What is that dangling piece of leather?

 

[Rick Marchand]

....What is that dangling piece of leather?

Thats my Bushbelt, Joe. Infinate adjustment.... multi-use....

I can use it to hang my pack, tote firewood or bridle a moose!

I'd like to tell ya it was my idea, but ancient European civilizations made it public just before I did. Early bird gets the worm and all...

 

[Mistwalker]

Fine looking shelter! Later you can show them a proper snow shelter...oh yeah, you already did that didn't you. There are a few things in this world that can help get past claustrophobia.

I love the belt design!

Your knife rides a bit higher than I thought it did.

 

[Rick Marchand]

...Your knife rides a bit higher than I thought it did.

I wear it in a cross draw fashion, Mist. For the most part, it sits on a 45Deg angle just infront of my left hip. I have really grown to appreciate this carry method for in the woods.

The Bushbelt is not worn to hold my pants up. Its a utility belt that can be thrown over my outer layer. I also have the option of sliding my belt items around without having to deal with beltloops. I can even wear it baldric style thanks to the extra length.:thumbup:

 

[Gossman Knives]

Eric, Rick, great job fellas. Debris shelters are fun to build.
Scott

 

[kgd]

here.... I made a drawing..... lol....

Thats just great...p.s. did your wife designed the top pic and make you all skinny???

 

[sicily02]

Awesome pics you 2. That will be very cool for kids to see and learn from.

Rick the way you have you bush gear and belt really is a neat idea. I am going to look into make up a leather belt like that for carrying my bigger knife in the bladric carry. I have been using a military sling as my baldric carry strap.

how wide is your leather belt in the pics that you posted?

Bryan