Shelter Roofing

[comanighttrain]

Hi guys, first post :-)

Was making a shelter today, was going to leave it up for the local kids to mess about with.

I was using my basha as a roof but naturally took it home with me - whats the best thing to use to clad the roof? I would use heather usually - im pretty sure they used it for houses up here at one point. None was nearby though...hardly any evergreens either...

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1398.snc4/165071_10150345027020058_560950057_16146197_805910 1_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs046.snc6/167686_10150345026435058_560950057_16146175_74409_ n.jpg

It was thick with snow...but the temp went up so not ideal now...all wet.

[Mouldsy]

By the look of your photo mate there is a lot of leaf litter lying about, put some more cross beams on your shelter and then start throwing the leaf litter on top of that.

[phil41181]

yeah m8 just make it in to a debris shelter,

[Martin]

I would suggest any broad leafed branches would be great, rhodadendron is plentiful around here, even at this time of year. Failing that, or in the absence of any spruce boughs, a leaf litter roof is great.

I guess it's worth mentioning the 'leave no trace' principle, which dictates that you should remove all evidence of your activity after you have moved on. :)

Martin

[comanighttrain]

Cheers I thought about roddy too but the roddy is absent on that hill. Might leaf it later if I get time.

The no trace thing I observe but the kids usually have a den there anyway .. local idiots trashed it. Thing had been standing since I was a kid before they wrecked it...

Will post if I get back

[MikeWilkinson]

Leaf litter all the way. Its what I use. Just make sure it is from armpit to finger tip deep or it won't do the job in our wet weather.

[nature nut]

Just litter the roof with any sized bows and branches and then on top place either debris or more layers of bows or small logs. As long as you have a great enough incline the logs will work surprisingly well! A ray mears technique!

[Marvell]

I think the roof should be steeper (as NN says) and use broad leaf bows (as Martin says) or bracken, pine or anything else that will make the water flow whilst it's penetrating.

[JonnyP]

Steeper roof = faster water dispersal and less water penetrating through the roof.. The more thatch, the better too..

[Marvell]

Steeper roof = faster water dispersal and less water penetrating through the roof.. The more thatch, the better too..

And the better laid, the better run off. I've had guys on courses put it on all higgledy piggledy and it's not done nearly as well as people who put less on better.

PS I note that gals tend to get it right first time :)

[Adam Savage]

shouldn't really leave a shelter up when you leave, it can be a danger to animals as well as small children, especially as they have a habit of climbing on things, they could slip off or through and either break bones or skewer themselves on a branch.