I was practicing shelter building on a smaller scale, and dubbed it "The Squirrel Shelter." Lots of critters frequent the backyard....

I started with a cardboard box that was open on both ends. Laid it on it's side and leaned sticks against it in an inverted-V fashion. Layered leaves on top of that and inside the box for added insulation, then placed another layer of sticks on the outside. It seemed nice - lots of room. I thought using the box was helpful to lean the sticks against, making the structure easier to build. The stick frame outside of that made putting leaves on top easier, as well.

After some heavy rain, wind and a bit of cold, the shelter collapsed. Luckily there were no squirrels inside! Despite the coverage of leaves, water seeped through and the cardboard box, being more of a structural support than I thought, lost it's integrity. Part of the stick frame, though, held up. So I feel the use of the box was foolhardy, and next time I'll pile rocks and logs up and lean sticks against them instead.

Laugh at my attempt if need be (it makes me laugh to picture terrified, squeaking squirrels), but since I'm still pretty green at this stuff, I'd love to hear any thoughts or suggestions.

Christina:

Watch some of the wild animal shows with beavers and how they thread the sticks and limbs to maintain the integrity of the dams they build.

Another good source is watching birds build nests. With just a beak, birds have been building solid nests for a long time.

For rain resistance, layer the leaves with intertwining twigs woven perpendicular to the branches holding the leaves starting from the bottom and then going up. The higher leaf layer should overlap the next lower leaf layer and they should be part of branches and not loose leaves for the "roof" section. Use the loose leaves for ground insulation and place them on crossed twigs and small branches for a "spring suspension" effect and to help avoid direct contact with the ground

If you are going to use a "temporary or intermediate" structure to support the initial start of your primary finished structure, use what you will find in the areas you are going to as you will not have a cardboard box always available.

Good luck!

Bountyhunter

technically those birds are using their feet too. Havent seen one use its wings yet but I wouldn't put it past those crafty little critters.

Brian:

I have heard that about Texas birds and I strongly suspect it is a result of muddled eyesight due to all the broken bottles of tequila with some of the contents being consumed by the hapless birds.

Up here in Wisconsin, Darwin's law has taken effect and our birds don't have time to get tipsy due to the rapid advance of winter weather. Some of the people hereabouts that still hand sew have gotten into the habit of keeping a partial birds nest in the yard and when they have to thread a needle, they stick the needle in the birds nest, run the thread close to the needle, and sure as shooting, some bird is going to take that loose piece of thread and thread it thru the needle. It is not a matter of superior intellect of our birds, but a compulsive, neurotic, behavior of sober birds.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

BH is right about observing and even studying the structures made by animals such a birds and beavers. Another suggestion is to study buildings built by primtive people. Preferabley people native to your location since their materials are more likely to be what is readily available to you as well. Shelter building is something to get good at not just to be able to build a good one, but to be able to build a good one fast. I say this from experience.... when the rain starts coming down you don't want to get soaked while building your shelter. When I camp alone I don't use a tent and one exercise I like to perform is to stop in the woods at a more or less random location, set down my gear, then force myself to build my shelter with only what is a certain distance from me. I have done every distance from only what is withing arm's reach to what is within 30 yards. I have also done a similar exercise where I have to build a fire with only what is within arm's reach. I like the "within arm's reach" exercise because it simulates survival with an injury such as an injured leg, not to mention that after hiking many miles it's an excuse to sit still for a long time. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Okay I digress. What you're doing is very good. I agree with you about the box being not so necessary and maybe causing more trouble than its worth if say it had been raining the day you first built the shelter as well. Sounds to me like you're on the right track. Do the neighbors look at you funny? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I know when Im camping Ive got so sick of walking in to my seemingly empty camp (because my primitive shelter is usually off in the woods near but not too near the designated camping spot) that I have started carrying a bright orange piece of plastic and some extra cordage so that I have something to put up (so it looks like a tarp shelter) at the designated spot to let people know that "hey someone is camping here". <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Christina, I am not laughing, but I am smiling <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I think you made a good first attempt and you should continue to improve your skills. We all learn as we go no matter what we are doing, you did well and next time you should be able to improve on your shelter. Ever consider a class on shelter making? There are some good ones around the country and some are really inexpensive or even free at times.

its better to laugh at it then become angry and fustrated so your already ahead of the game there.

some wilderness survival tapes or sites help demonstrate building those types of shelters so you can pick up a few extra tips there, and dont worry about being green ive been coming to this site for quite awhile and theres still a ton of things im learning each time.

I too have used cardboard in the back yard as the basis for a shelter. Bad idea. Although the cardboard used to be wood, it’s a bit too far removed from the tree to really be useful, at least in my case. You see, I thought the snow would remain cold enough against the cardboard so it wouldn’t get wet. I knew wet cardboard would lose it’s integrity, but forgot about my own body heat. Well, it just turned out to be quite a mess. A limp plastic sheet turned rigid with rope and sticks is much better than rigid cardboard turned limp by moisture. As has been said – observe the birds and animals. They like to stay warm and dry, too.

just a quick idea not sure how well it would work though, what if the cardboard box was coated with somethin to repel water like latex paint or shellac?
lets say your using that box as a shelter and you came across a can or two of paint etc while scavengering around, could it help keep the carboard dry and strong if used?

NY RAT,

It's funny, but your post reminds me of the 3-D projects we had in college. I was super-jealous of the class that got to make boats out of cardboard coated in shellac - they made some incredibly lightweight, waterproof boats that didn't sink with 3 people on board. All I got to make was a chair out of 2 sheets of corrugated cardboard WITHOUT staples, tape or glue. It was incredibly sturdy, and I could hide a beer inside it.

I'm still experimenting with the shelter ideas, though. The cardboard idea was a learning experience. I've got bamboo to play with now!

Christina;

2 weeks doesn't sound so bad to me.

I took a course last summer with Mors Kochanski (author of Northern Bushcraft, among other things) and he said that anything to do with survival is really just giving you a grace period. If you build a shelter (and do nothing to maintain it) it is going to collapse eventually, whether it's a cardboard box, an igloo, or a high-rise apartment building. The main point being, all your shelter really has to do is keep you alive long enough to build another (hopefully better) one.

I've seen homeless people using cardboard boxes for shelter, but in those cases, the cardboard is being used more for short-term roofing material and not as a structural support.