Purist Survival: A-frame shelter

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I went out to build a small, but comfortable, a-frame shelter to use as a base for further outdoor activities. The a-frame is a human universal, & probably the 2nd oldest structure design in history: the oldest being the lean-to, with the a-frame simply being 2 lean-tos laid against each other. It took ~7 days to build & all in all proves to be a nice starter shelter. Below is a list of full details if you want to try this out

=Timeline=
==Day 1==
I cleaned, collected & cut fallen timber to the following lengths:
Length #
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Gable poles Shoulder height (+2.5') 2
Post Waist height (+1.5') 1
Rafters Shoulder height (+1') Several
Ridge pole Body height (+3’) 1

A post serves as the back support, & has a forked end or, in this case, a sturdy branch on one side that makes a ‘V’ shape. It’s sunk down in a post hole ~1½’ deep. The gable poles are the 2 pieces that make the entry way. They’re also sunk into a post hole ~1½’. Grass was weaved for rope. 2 yds. was enough to wrap & frap the gable poles together (though thrice is recommended, I found twice plenty sturdy). The rope is also ½’’ thick: I found this to be the thinnest it can get without breaking. A stake is then hammered at the base of each gable pole. This is done because without them, the a-frame opening tends to slowly lean forward & collapse under the weight of the roof & rafters. A ridge pole lays on the gable poles & post, running the length of the shelter & serving as its backbone. On it are laid the rafters, which hold the leaves & debris that make the roof

==Day 2==
I continued laying rafters & collecting more when they ran out. Once done, I adjusted them: making sure they lay somewhat straight & didn’t lean towards one side or the other (as this puts extra stress on either the post or gable poles). I then collected leaves & debris from the ground & laid it on the East-facing roof: making a compact surface ½’ thick

==Day 3==
I then collected more leaves

==Day 4==
And more leaves

==Day 5==
And still more leaves. But, for the West roof

==Day 6==
And yet more leaves

==Day 7==
Finally, I finished up the West roof & filled in the ‘trough’ that runs the ridge pole & joins the 2 roofs

=Future Plans=
The bulk of time was spent collecting leaves & debris from the ground. When researching, most sources recommend a debris layer 1’-3’ thick, but the 5½ day effort to collect only ½’ made this difficult. When fall comes, I plan on collecting what I hope is a denser concentration of leaves & adding ~1½’ of debris for further waterproofing &, by that time, insulation. Some leaves will also be used inside for a ‘debris bed’ ½’ thick, which will serve partly for comfort, but mainly for keeping the cold ground from sapping body heat. I may also add a mud wall & doorway for insulation

=Final Thoughts=
It took longer than expected to build the shelter, but since it’s intended to be used for a good while, this wasn’t a major drawback. Though, if you find yourself in a survival situation & are motivated to build one of these, the prime factor is how many people are going to use it. Historically, you would fit as many people under 1 roof as you could. With the dimensions of this shelter, you can comfortably fit 2 people, 3-4 if you don’t mind spooning. If you find yourself in a group, this shelter’s the way for you: as you can divide up the work & set it up far faster. If alone, cut the size down as much as possible. My theoretical, 1 person shelter would have these dimensions:
Length #
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Gable poles Ear lobe height 2
Post Waist height 1
Rafters 4’ Several
Ridge pole Body height (+1’) 1

Another factor to consider is the materials you have at your disposal. If it’s Fall or there are just plenty of leaves around, a debris roof is easy & ideal. If leaves are not plentiful, bark, thatch, or evergreen boughs will be far quicker alternatives & equally effective. I went with the debris roof purely because it’s what the location had to offer