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flashbacks from the 70's???
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Yet another contest.
- Thread starter R.A.T.
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- Mar 27, 2008
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Thought this thread had too much chatting 
Took my two young ones with to try my hand at shelter building. This would be the first in 23 odd years.
I had a basic idea of what I wanted to use as materials, that would be easily be found in South Africa. All over SA, or at least the highveld. That would be tall grass. When I came to the spot where I was going to build the shelter, my plans changed a bit, and I decided to experiment a bit.
The shelter was supposed to be a debris-lean-to.
The Stream close to the shelter.
My helpers
A new experiece.
Two approaches to test.
Started to pile the debris, but only got this far. Why? By boy got stung by a bee and he did not want to hang around any more, little guys :thumbup:
But I could not leave without some fire practice.
Took my two young ones with to try my hand at shelter building. This would be the first in 23 odd years.
I had a basic idea of what I wanted to use as materials, that would be easily be found in South Africa. All over SA, or at least the highveld. That would be tall grass. When I came to the spot where I was going to build the shelter, my plans changed a bit, and I decided to experiment a bit.
The shelter was supposed to be a debris-lean-to.
The Stream close to the shelter.
My helpers
A new experiece.
Two approaches to test.
Started to pile the debris, but only got this far. Why? By boy got stung by a bee and he did not want to hang around any more, little guys :thumbup:
But I could not leave without some fire practice.
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2008
- Messages
- 74
So what have I learned.
I would be a brease to build a woven frame lean-to and use the grass as thatching and add debris ontop of that. It was fun for the kids aswell, but for the bee sting issue.
Please comment on possible improvements.
I would be a brease to build a woven frame lean-to and use the grass as thatching and add debris ontop of that. It was fun for the kids aswell, but for the bee sting issue.
Please comment on possible improvements.
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- Joined
- Dec 18, 2008
- Messages
- 377
http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehawk_darkwaters/
my debris shelter
havent made one of these in about 10 yrs, had to give it a try and see if it would be any better than the one i made in scouts.
i didnt use any knife(dont own a RC knife yet) i did how ever use a broken hatchet head(and not that much either)
my shelter is about 8 ft long 3 or so ft wide and 3 ft tall.
piled on leaves and when i thought i had enough i pilled on more, turned out about 3 ft thick. the door was the trickest part but as i had to gather leaves farther and farther away i piled them on my shirt and wrapped it up and dumped it on that way, i was struck with the idea to use my shirt as a bag and use it for the door. i did make a rake to speed up the process i call it the bush rake! made of sticks and jute twine.
bedding was really comfortable, i pilled up extra because every place i read on making one said as soon as they crawled in it pushed the leaves out so i piled it up really thick.
i cant sleep in this one tonight gotta work tomarrow but my brother and i are going camping in a couple of weeks and we plan on making a stacked debris lean-to ill post those as well.
let me know what you think
my debris shelter
havent made one of these in about 10 yrs, had to give it a try and see if it would be any better than the one i made in scouts.
i didnt use any knife(dont own a RC knife yet) i did how ever use a broken hatchet head(and not that much either)
my shelter is about 8 ft long 3 or so ft wide and 3 ft tall.
piled on leaves and when i thought i had enough i pilled on more, turned out about 3 ft thick. the door was the trickest part but as i had to gather leaves farther and farther away i piled them on my shirt and wrapped it up and dumped it on that way, i was struck with the idea to use my shirt as a bag and use it for the door. i did make a rake to speed up the process i call it the bush rake! made of sticks and jute twine.
bedding was really comfortable, i pilled up extra because every place i read on making one said as soon as they crawled in it pushed the leaves out so i piled it up really thick.
i cant sleep in this one tonight gotta work tomarrow but my brother and i are going camping in a couple of weeks and we plan on making a stacked debris lean-to ill post those as well.
let me know what you think
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2008
- Messages
- 377
As an update...using a hatchet as I did is bad for the hand! My thumb side of my palm is sore as hell today.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2009
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- 757
Alright, went out with my very first RAT, an Izula and built a shelter. I'm very disappointed with the quality of these pictures. Camera couldn't decide weather to use flash or not. So half look like they were taken at night.
This is its virgin shot, Hadn't cut neery a few hairs prior to this. Just got it last night and headed out this morning. I was stripping off bark of a fallen tree to use for waterproofing latter. On thicker bark I needed to hit the spine lightly with a baton. Just enough to break through bark. Thiner bark I was just able to slit.
Sliped blade under and pryed the bark off.
Booya, getting better at this!
Collecting foliage from fallen trees was also much easier then I thought would be with such a small knife. Just flex the branch back and forth a few times to break up the fibres, flex down and pushcut in hard at a 50 degree angle. Snapped right off.
Collection of materials. I should note that some of these were scavenged off a prior shelter, though I did collect a fair amount to test and practice with the Izula, and feel I could have gatherd everything in about an hour.
Breaking branches down to size using the same flexing technique, with the aid of two trees.
Brawr! RAT's got bite! I had to get a running start with this one.
basic frame. Set it very low as Jeff suggested to keep in warmth.
Disapointingly, this is the best picture I have of it at the insulated stage. I had shaped it better latter, and filled it out more but the pictures were crap. I did leave it rather puffy to keep a nice barrier of air though.
Onto water proofing!
I dub thee, the Bark Dome structure!
To be continued
This is its virgin shot, Hadn't cut neery a few hairs prior to this. Just got it last night and headed out this morning. I was stripping off bark of a fallen tree to use for waterproofing latter. On thicker bark I needed to hit the spine lightly with a baton. Just enough to break through bark. Thiner bark I was just able to slit.
Sliped blade under and pryed the bark off.
Booya, getting better at this!
Collecting foliage from fallen trees was also much easier then I thought would be with such a small knife. Just flex the branch back and forth a few times to break up the fibres, flex down and pushcut in hard at a 50 degree angle. Snapped right off.
Collection of materials. I should note that some of these were scavenged off a prior shelter, though I did collect a fair amount to test and practice with the Izula, and feel I could have gatherd everything in about an hour.
Breaking branches down to size using the same flexing technique, with the aid of two trees.
Brawr! RAT's got bite! I had to get a running start with this one.
basic frame. Set it very low as Jeff suggested to keep in warmth.
Disapointingly, this is the best picture I have of it at the insulated stage. I had shaped it better latter, and filled it out more but the pictures were crap. I did leave it rather puffy to keep a nice barrier of air though.
Onto water proofing!
I dub thee, the Bark Dome structure!
To be continued
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As noted before, it's very tight, but warm. I stayed in for about 10 minutes just to see how warm it would get.
This is the entrance. I built myself into it, then broke out, rebuilt it and took a picture of roughly how it was. Could also be opened up and replaced with a fire. I built id under 2 nearby trees so theres a good natural canopy around. and heat would reflect off a cluster of trees if there was a fire.
Overall very impressed with the capabilitys of this little knife. Wondering why I didn't get one sooner. Are all RAT's this amazing? The handle does get a little sore after awhile, though maybe a full wrap is better than stripped paracord. In any event, its not something to complain about if you're lost and need to be building a shelter.
I plan to build anouther snow shelter when there is snow. This shelter was built in one of the harsher costal area's so It should be interesting to see how it holds up through the winter. I'll check in on it and take pictures in a month.
Ps: Knife is still shaving sharp, and is 1095, wtf?!
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- Dec 18, 2008
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Great job Munky!
Update on mine!
Returned 3 days later and other than wind taking a few leaves it stood up and stayed dry on the inside after 8inches of rain. If I was staying in it I'd add some more leaves inside and out, along with some lighter small stff to keep the leaves on in the night
Update on mine!
Returned 3 days later and other than wind taking a few leaves it stood up and stayed dry on the inside after 8inches of rain. If I was staying in it I'd add some more leaves inside and out, along with some lighter small stff to keep the leaves on in the night
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2008
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- 9,491
Great Debri hut Munky.
I escaped for a couple of hours today. I decided to do a lean to with raised bed. I was only at it for 2 and a half hours, so It is not complete. However with what I carry in my daypack(MPI space blanket & Poncho), I could have made it water proof and stayed insulated for a night. However, I want to make a debri shelter and a body length fire pit so I will be back at it when I have more time....
I escaped for a couple of hours today. I decided to do a lean to with raised bed. I was only at it for 2 and a half hours, so It is not complete. However with what I carry in my daypack(MPI space blanket & Poncho), I could have made it water proof and stayed insulated for a night. However, I want to make a debri shelter and a body length fire pit so I will be back at it when I have more time....
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2009
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- 381
Learn
this is gonna be fun. Betsy, tomorrow's hike is taking a new direction.
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- Oct 4, 2009
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nice one monkey
Thanks guys. It's interesting to see all the different shelters designs from different environments. I'm jealous of africa_slinger's flexible thin branches and long grass. Ever make a thatched dome?
I'm trying to find an out of the way place with leaves so I can try the nest like debris shelter. Unfortunately we only have deciduous trees in inhabited places. dog walking parks and the like.
Guess If i have to try that hard to find a spot it can't be a very useful local skill.
Cant wait for snow to cement the Idea that we all live in igloos.
I'm trying to find an out of the way place with leaves so I can try the nest like debris shelter. Unfortunately we only have deciduous trees in inhabited places. dog walking parks and the like.
Guess If i have to try that hard to find a spot it can't be a very useful local skill.
Cant wait for snow to cement the Idea that we all live in igloos.
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- Oct 4, 2009
- Messages
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munkey, if you are in the part of cali it looks like, then the organic duff around those coastal cedars make excellent insulation, and cedar bark and planks can be used for waterproofing. Look to the Makah and Kwakayutl indians for design ideas. they reached and extremely high level of complexity in their longhouses, with construction methods that can easily be replicated in a survival situation.
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- Oct 3, 2009
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I've never tried this before but I will give it a shot this weekend (probably). Should be interesting trying to build one out of nothing but sagebrush and grass.