At Home In the Wilderness

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Next, gather up leaves, grasses, ferns, pine needles, green boughs, or whatever is available. Pile the material—to a thickness of at least 2-1/2 feet-on the sides and top of the structure's frame. (A leaf but with 2-1/2-foot-thick walls will keep you warm and dry in temperatures just below 0°F. In severely cold weather, make the structure's sides at least four feet thick.) Finally, complete the outside of the but by laying more brush, sticks, and poles over your wilderness home ...to hold its covering in place and keep the walls secure even in a high wind.

The sleeping area of the but is completed by stuffing the lower end of the nest with leaves or other soft debris. Place only a light carpet of foliage on the floor of the remainder of the hut, though, so that you'll have a usable work area and a place to store dry kindling, food, and so forth.

From start to finish, it shouldn't take an adult much more than an hour to construct a good leaf but ...and while gathering the nest's materials, you can collect a supply of firewood as well. To lie down in the shelter's sleeping area, work your way feet first into the packed bedding so that your head protrudes slightly into the work area.

Because a leaf but contains plenty of air spaces, the shelter will remain warm even when it's wet. So if you find yourself caught in a rainstorm, don't be afraid to use drenched materials to build a hut. Your nest will be damp if you do so, but you'll still be warm and alive.

If you have to spend the night without a fire, stack a pile of leaves near the hut's doorway. When you turn in for the night, you can pull this foliage inward to block the entrance. Remember, though, that you'll need an opening in the door to let in some fresh air. Otherwise, you might build up an unhealthful oxygen deficit during the night. (The old pioneer malady cabin fever—which sometimes led to vomiting, headaches, and dizziness—was often caused by a lack of oxygen in the settlers' tightly sealed winter cabins.)

All things considered, I think the leaf but is the best form of survival shelter. (In fact, I often have my students sleep naked in such structures during the winter months, to convince them that the little dwellings are snore than adequate.) When you build one, try to make it a miniature Taj Mahal ...a work of art as well as a good, warm home. Careful crafting will improve your survival potential and display respect for the objects you had to use. As you may know, many native Americans pray whenever they take something from the land ...not only to show appreciation, but also to acknowledge their close connection to the earth. And I encourage my survival students to practice this same form of respect ...whether they're using a fish, herb, branch, or rock.

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