I Did This Before It Got Cold

On a chilly winter day I was dragged outside to build a shelter. I started by hunting down some sticks and finding a stump or some sort of structure to use as a main wall. I wandered around the yard looking for sticks that were at about shoulder height for me. I was also looking for sticks that either still had foliage on them or that had a lot of branches and created something of a net. I took pictures of my progress, here's the main frame of the shelter:

After I had established a frame for my shelter I added a tarp to the top of it. I then added leaves to the top of the tarp to weigh the tarp down. I also used the leaves to create more of a wall and trap any heat in the shelter as well. This one is a picture of me and Magic hanging out in my shelter:

If I had the patience and cooperation for it, then I would've moved the tarp so that it covered the fort a little better, and protected the main entrance from weather. I would've used the stump as a wall and the tarp would've been able to fit the entrance. Click here to view the rest of my pictures of the process.

Gimme Shelter!

by Lorenzo DeSimone 


The original location in my backyard to be used for shelter building. This was from some recently cut down trees that were rolled together.

I used the trees and existing stump as two walls, with the stump adding support for the "roof". Next I laid an addition of sticks and leaves and evergreen branches on top that were found around the yard.





Addition of an 8 x 8 plastic tarp with leaves on top. After some experimentation I decided that a layer of sticks first would work as a small frame, then putting the tarp on top would "seal" things down. On top of the tarp I could put leaves for further insulation.

Finished! Nice and roomy :^)

















If I were to restart, I would make a crosshatch of the sticks and branches to have a sturdier frame. I would also create/insulate a better base with mud and tree bark. Overall I believe that this shelter was functional, but would need to be worked on over a longer period of time to be used for longer.


Extra dog pic