LEAN-TO AND FIRE REFLECTOR

NOTE: None of the following shelters originated in North America; similar structures were used by every culture  of the old world. It just may have been the early Norse or Chinese explorers--long before Columbus, that first introduced them into Canada where they were commonly used by lumberjacks and other persons, working, surviving, or just living in the woods, as a temporary shelter.
 In cold weather, you may want to add to your lean-to comfort by building a fire reflector wall; or you may want to construct it as a duplex; now often referred to as a ridge pole A-frame.

• Drive four sturdy stakes into four to five foot stakes into the ground to support the wall
• Stack green logs one on top of the other between the support stakes.
• Form two rows of the stacked logs to create an inner space within the wall that you can fill with additional dirt.
• This action not only strengthens the wall but makes it more heat reflective.
• Bind the top of the support stakes so that the green logs will stay in place.
• With just a little more effort, you can have a drying rack. Cut a few poles (length depends on the distance between the lean-to's horizontal support beam and and the top of the reflector wall).
• Lay one end of the poles in the lean-to support beam and the other end on top of the reflector wall.
• Place and tie into place smaller sticks across these pole. You now have a place to dry clothes, meat or fish. 

OR

• With yet a little more effort, follow the instructions for building the lean-to roof. Built the same style fire reflectors on the other two sides of the lean-to but possibly a bit higher.Leave room enough for an entrance.Similar to the A-frame; this method will also give you  a snug little cabin.

A fire reflector may be built in conjunction with any survival shelter. You do not need to consult an architect.

In some situations,(such as inside a shelter), you may find that an underground fireplace will best meet your needs. It protects the fire, can be made double as a central heating, and serves well for cooking food.

• Dig a hole in the ground.
• On the upwind side of this hole, poke or dig a large connecting hole for ventilation (and for heating ducts if desired)
• Build your fire in the hole as illustrated.

A word of caution: While underground fireplaces have been used for thousands of years and can have many advantages; do not attempt to use one in an area where there is a lot of peat moss; or as indicated in the above illustration, underground roots. Subterranean fires have been known to smoulder away for twenty years and more. You want to survive; you do not want to kill unnecessarily, or to deface or destroy MOTHER'S environment. THAT-is not survival. 

To Build a Lean-to Shelter

By continuing one of the side walls right up to the fire reflector and supporting some roof beams on the fire reflector you can create a snug little cabin. Just be sure to leave a smoke hole (similar to a tipi) and use care that  the flames don't get too close to any combustible material.The right hand side of the image below gives some idea of what I am talking about.Just don't ever let any flame get as high as the illustration below would indicate they are. All of you weekend survivors must remember that you are not trying to start a forest fire

Although the above image is presently shown on NUMEROUS different 

sites, including Amazon, AOL, Google and Wiki, ORIGINAL OWNERSHIP  IS AT LEAST CLAIMED by the USA Army Survival Manual. As such, and if such is indeed true; having then been produced by an employee of the US Government, in the course of his or her regular duties, all such images are, in fact, 

PUBLIC DOMAIN

• You will need two trees (or upright posts; one sturdy pole about six to eight feet long (the distance between the trees or posts) and five to eight other poles about ten to twelve feet long to serve as beams or rafters; again, you don't need an architect, choose your own lengths, or use what ever is available. you will also need cord or vines for securing the horizontal support beam to the trees or posts and other poles or saplings to criss-cross the rafter beams. 
• Cover the framework with brush, leaves, or what ever light debris is available, starting at the bottom and working your way up like shingles.
• Place other soft insulating material inside the shelter for bedding and comfort.

Fallen Tree Shelter

To build this shelter, find a fallen tree. If it is winter and there is deep snow, the snow will not be deep under the tree-dig it out. If you must remove branches from the inside, use them to line the floor. Cover the out side with branches and/or any available debris and you have a debris hut. If it is winter, cover the hut again with snow but make sure to leave room for ventilation. you now have a very snug little snow hut or igloo.

©Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan.