Shelter Mods

[hermitman]

I have been thinking of shelter mods latley and was wondering if anyone here dose them. :confused:

Really the only one that has been coming back to me a lot is a debri shelter with a dakota fire hole on the inside or right next to the door.

[tsitenha]

There's always the lean-to? I am taking that mods = model?

Lean-to, with a fire and reflector wall on the opposite side or 2 lean-tos facing each other.

Or a tarp shelter (similar)

[hermitman]

Mods=Modifications sorry for the confusion

[Stairman]

There's always the lean-to? I am taking that mods = model?

Lean-to, with a fire and reflector wall on the opposite side or 2 lean-tos facing each other.

Or a tarp shelter (similar)

I am fond of the debris hut in cold weather when I cant feed a fire all night.Baby squirels[sp?]are born without hair and remain warm buried in the leaves its stuffed with.As far as a lean-to goes,instead of a reflector for the fire,I just build another lean-to down the other side.By tying two ridge poles across two fairly wide trees you baically have a pup tent style with a fire built in the middle.you can dig a trench down the middle if its raining and have two sides to pick from for your bed,and gear /firewood storage on the other side.

[hermitman]

[QUOTE=Stairman;88968]I am fond of the debris hut in cold weather when I cant feed a fire all night.QUOTE]

What do you think about the idea of having a fire in a debris hut using a dakota fire hole ?

[tacmedic]

I guess I don't see the point in having a fire inside your debris hut. Aside from the fact that they are extremely (EXTREMELY) flammable. The whole point of a debris hut is that it is small enough for your body heat to warm it, thus eliminating the need for a fire. Plus, the fire holes are very hard to keep going. They don't draw air very well and can be quite smoky, and as enclosed as a debris hut is you run the risk of suffocating from the smoke, or the fire burning up all of your air.

[hermitman]

That is a good point I was thinking more about winter and if you could have it to cook with so you wouldn't have to leave your shelter. How do they not draw air very well there is two places for air circulation.

[doug1980]

I did a little research on the dakota fire holes, because well I never heard of them. Any way it says to dig the second hole facing the wind direction. If it is inside the selter no wind, I'm sure it will still draw air, and one could always dig the second hole to go under the wall and to the outside. But don't take my advise I'm still a newbie, so I have no first-hand knowledge of this setup.

[crashdive123]

For a debris hut, Tacmedic was exactly right. To be effective in cold weather there is not going to be much room inside to move around. The dakota pit could put you in a worse situation than you were already in. Fire hazard and asphyxiation would probably top the list. Other types of shelter can accomodate a fire inside or at the edge rather well.

[Stairman]

My debris hut is stuffed to the rafters inside with leaves.After I squeeze in I pull more leaves in I have piled at the entrance to fill any airspace and a trash bag full of leaves fills the small entrance.There is no where for fire to vent or be placed.Insulation,the natural kind,keeps you warm.People have froze to death because they didnt know this skill.If I want fire inside Ill build a double sided lean-to.

[hermitman]

Just thowing ideas out there. Something I recently heard of and that I havent tried yet is a firebed has anyone tired it I would like to know if it worked well.

[crashdive123]

Hermitman - here's a thread where some have tried it. http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=4516&highlight=firebed

[backtobasics]

I am fond of the debris hut in cold weather when I cant feed a fire all night.Baby squirels[sp?]are born without hair and remain warm buried in the leaves its stuffed with.As far as a lean-to goes,instead of a reflector for the fire,I just build another lean-to down the other side.By tying two ridge poles across two fairly wide trees you baically have a pup tent style with a fire built in the middle.you can dig a trench down the middle if its raining and have two sides to pick from for your bed,and gear /firewood storage on the other side.

I'll have to try this type of lean=to. Sounds like a great shelter.