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THE MUD HUT

The mud but is one of the finest survival shelters I know of—because it's suitable for year-round habitation in any climate. Wind doesn't make it shake, it's strong enough to stand up under heavy snow loads, it tends to be warm in winter and cool in summer, and it's easy to maintain.

What's more, because a fireplace can be safely built inside this shelter, it's especially well suited to riding out severe winters in relative comfort. You can design and build a mud but in just about any shape you can dream up, and make it as large or as small as you want, but my favorite is what I call the mountain man style: a lean-to with sides, a door on the high end, and a roof that slopes back and down to touch the ground at the rear of the shelter (Fig. 2).

The load-bearing members of the but are rocks and logs, but the material that holds it all together is mud. Not just any old mud, though; you want the thickest, gooiest muck you can find. You can make your own by mixing clay-bearing soil and water, but it's better, if possible, to locate your shelter near a natural deposit of muck (common along the shores of lakes and slow-running streams and in swampy areas).

In addition to logs, rocks, and mud, you'll need a good supply of dried grass to mix with the mud as a binder.

Begin construction by cutting several very sturdy poles to serve as the uprights that will support the roof and act as a framework for the sidewalls. Doing the best you can with the tools you have available, sharpen the thinner ends of the uprights and cut V notches in the butt ends. (If you can locate enough of them, forked poles—with the tines facing up—make the best upright supports.)

Now drive the sharpened ends of the uprights a foot or so into the ground; the two thickest and tallest poles should form the front corners of the lean-to, with additional uprights spaced down the sides of the structure. (The exact number of vertical supports you'll need will be determined by the size of the hut.)

A single horizontal log beam spans and rests atop the two tallest (front) uprights. Since this beam will have to support the considerable weight of the front of the roof, it should be hefty and should be lashed firmly in place to the notched (or forked) tops of the uprights.

To fabricate the roof, lay small logs or stout saplings side by side and parallel to the hut's sidewalls—their tips jammed into the ground at the back (lower) end of the lean-to, and their butts overhanging the front roof beam by at least several inches (the more the better, as this overhang will help shield the door opening from sun, rain, and snow). If you have plenty of cordage available, lash the roof poles together, as well as to the uprights at either side and to the crossbeam in front.

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