For anyone placed in a survival situation, especially during inclement weather, a warm, dry shelter is the first concern. This shelter will probably be a debris hut because it is the easiest and quickest to build. But because it is so easy to build, many people feel no need to practice. Thus, when it comes time to construct a debris hut during the Advanced Standard class, many errors are made. Here are some of the mistakes which I have seen in past classes.

1) Avoid building in low spots where water might collect during a heavy rain, or next to a river or lake where heavy mist might occur.

2) Do not be afraid to walk some distance to find a good shelter site or building materials. This may sound ridiculous, but people often have a mental block about walking and will not leave a 50 yard circle around their shelter site to locate a good supply of building materials. Look around for a stand of deciduous trees which will have a large amount of leaves underneath. Do not overlook moss, fir and pine needles, grasses or the bark of a dead tree.

3) Shelters are built much too big. Many one person huts are capable of sleeping two or three people. Thinking small can save you precious time and energy.

4) Rather than make several trips to collect sticks, why not bundle then together using your belt or shirt.

5) Make a rake and use your blanket or jacket to collect leaves and other debris.

Build a shelter and spend a night in it during cold or rainy weather. This will show you whether or not you have built it correctly. Remember, it should be two and a half feet thick minimum. A little bit of practice now will save you a lot of misery later on.

From The Tracker magazine, February 1982, published by the Tracker School.
For more articles from The Tracker magazine, visit the Tracker Trail website