Shelter

Planning an Emergency Shelter

When planning your emergency or survival shelter, one type doesn’t always work for all disasters. 

The type of shelter you’ll need depends on a few things.  This list is by no means inclusive, and your circumstances may dictate other considerations:

The nature of the emergencies you’re likely to experience

Where you live (city, suburban, rural, weather, local ethos, type of house you live in)

Where you live in relation to the source of the likely emergencies

Is the shelter temporary or permanent?

The time and money you have available to prepare

Your personal situation (alone, family, like-minded neighbours or group; ability to relocate or are constrained by your job)

You simply cannot cover all contingencies.  Develop a detailed plan to cover the most likely events, and at least mentally work out with your family how you would deal with the others.  Then you won’t be completely lost.

Then rehearse your plan.  Do walk-throughs and, if you have the time and the support of other family members (I know; I know.  Sceptical spouses and sullen teens come to mind).

Then do things like perform a bug-out drill and/or stay in your emergency shelter for a day or two.  I was a Community Defence Adviser for many years and can speak from first-hand experience that even large companies have developed contingency plans, if only to comply with internal or insurance protocols, but they often ended up parked on a dusty shelf– and institutionally forgotten. 

Predictably, when the SHTF, nobody knew who was supposed to do what– and when.  Nobody was in charge and responsible for A, B and C.  Consequently management were only slightly better off than if they had indifferently explored contingencies over a couple of beers.

Some emergencies or disasters, while more unlikely, carry grave consequences—such as death, starvation or long term illness.  So they must be planned for, even though they are less likely to occur. 

For example, you may honestly believe the chance of lawlessness and rioting in your town is quite remote.  But those conditions bring the threat of death and severe bodily injury, so owning a firearm for self-defence is an appropriate consideration.

Choosing a Safe Room Area

The purpose of a safe room is to provide a space where you and your household can seek refuge that provides a high level of protection.

There are several areas of your home that would be a good safe room:

In your basement

Beneath a concrete slab-on-grade-foundation or garage floor

In an interior room on the first floor. Shelters built below ground level provide the greatest protection, but a shelter built in a first-floor interior room can also provide the necessary protection. Below-ground shelters must be designed to avoid accumulating water during the heavy rains that often accompany severe windstorms.

To protect your family, a safe room within your home must be built to withstand high winds and flying debris, even if the rest of the residence is severely damaged or destroyed

Here are some important criteria for the space you choose:

The shelter must be adequately anchored to resist overturning and uplift.

The walls, ceiling, and door of the shelter must withstand wind pressure and resist penetration by wind-borne objects and falling debris.

The connections between all parts of the shelter must be strong enough to resist the wind.

If sections of either interior or exterior residence walls are used as walls of the shelter, they must be separated from the structure of the residence, so that damage to the residence will not cause damage to the shelter.

Just like a shelter area in your home, this room should be stocked with supplies to last for at least 3 days this is your 72-hour kit.

If your chosen room has no windows, you'll definitely need a good, reliable source of temporary light and don’t forget some form of heating.

Create a Safe Room

Cover all doors, windows and vents with 2-4 mil. Thick plastic sheeting.

Cut the plastic sheeting several inches wider than the openings and label each sheet.

Duct tape plastic at corners first, then tape down all edges.

What about oxygen?

Now that you've built your safe room and everything is sealed up tight, what about oxygen to breathe? Well, if there is a need to tape up all windows, doors, and vents, there is probably a chemical or biological reason to do so. Therefore, you do not want outside air coming into your safe room.

Knowing that you want to keep outside air from infiltrating your room, you will need to take into consideration how many people are going to be in that room and allow 10 square feet of space per person to provide enough oxygen for each person for approximately five hours. (Five hours is just a guide.)

When you will run out of air in the room depends on how big the room is, how many people (or pets) are in it, the lung condition or capacity of the occupants, and whether someone is prone to panic or hyperventilate in a crisis situation.

While confined in your safe room, make sure to take everyone's pulse every 10-15 minutes and write it down for each person. Even though your pulses will probably be a bit higher from stress or from rushing to get into the room and tape it up, what you're watching for is a sudden spike in anyone's pulse, especially after the 5-hour mark. That would signify that you're running out of air and would need to make a decision on whether it is safe to leave the room or not.

I hope you never have to make that decision but it may come down to breathing contaminated air or slowly be unable to stay awake and eventually pass out - and die. A helpful item to have to prevent breathing contaminated air is a respirator mask. These will protect you from germs (like swine flu, etc.) and particles in the air that might be left from a blast wave.

I'm sure that's not what you wanted to hear, but this situation is a good reason to have a working radio, TV, in the room with you so you will know when authorities announce that it's safe to come out (hopefully they would).

Storm Shelter

A storm shelter that is below ground may or may not be connected to the house. It is especially useful in areas where it is not safe to be above ground during a storm, such a tornado.

We have had tornados in the UK but they are very rare at the moment and many people think hurricanes will never happen here. However, a safe room may be necessary for other types of disasters.

Whether you create a safe room in your home or build a storm shelter is considered a temporary protective measure to create a barrier between your family and potentially contaminated air outside as well as protection from flying or falling objects. It is a type of bugging-in that requires preplanning.

Peter at buggrub is not only sponsored the competition on my website he is also offering a 10% discount on all his products by using the word PREPPER. So have you got the gonads, can you walk the walk, dare you, I dear you to buy some buggrub and then eat it, go on I dare you. Peter’s website is www.buggrub.com

How to Build a Survival Shelter

Sleeping outside in a primitive survival shelter with no tent and no sleeping bag?! In the rain? Are you crazy?

This idea may indeed seem crazy and a bit daunting to many of us. However, with a couple of hours, proper materials and the right mind set, constructing and sleeping in a primitive survival shelter can be a life-changing experience.

Although there are many types of group and individual primitive survival shelters, I often begin by teaching my students how to build a survival shelter called a debris hut. These structures are fairly easy to construct and can be a warm, dry place to spend the night.

First of all, location is key. Aside from the normal criteria which includes avoiding low spots, steering clear of standing dead trees, etc….proximity to materials can save a lot of time and energy. Take the time to find a spot that feels right.

For construction, the first thing you’ll need to build a survival shelter is a strong ridge pole that is at least a little taller than you are with your arm stretched above your head. You’ll also need something for one end of the ridgepole to securely rest on—a stump, boulder, fork of a tree, some kind of prop. The other end rests on the ground. At the high end, the ridgepole should be at about hip height.

Once your ridgepole is in place, you’ll need ribbing. Lean the ribs against the ridgepole fairly close together leaving a door at the high end. Once ribs are in place, crawl inside feet first checking to see that you have a little room to move, but that it is still snug and cosy.

If your survival shelter is too big, you will have trouble staying warm. Imagine you are making a sleeping bag out of natural materials!

Next, add a layer of lattice, something to act as a net to hold debris in place when it is piled on next. Brush and twiggy branches may work well the debris that you have available can help determine how small the spaces in your lattice can be.

The structure is now in place and it is time for the essential component of insulation. Of all the things you’ll learn about how to build a survival shelter, not having enough insulation on a cold night will teach you quickly what is required.

Get ready to shuffle your feet or make yourself a rake and start gathering debris! For good insulation, you’ll want material that can trap air. Obviously, dry material is optimal. Pile on your leaves, ferns, grass, or other available debris.

Keep piling, keep piling, go for TWO FEET THICK or more “all over the shelter” if you might get rained on.

Be sure to close up the door area so that you have just enough room to squeeze in without disturbing the structure. Crawl in to see how your cocoon feels. Finish up your insulation by adding some small branches that will hold the debris in case of wind, maintaining as much loft as possible.

Now that the outer layer is complete, it is time to stuff your primitive survival shelter with dry soft debris. If you only have wet leaves, use them anyway, you may get wet, but you can still be warm.

Once your shelter is full of debris, wiggle in to compress a space for your body. Add more debris as needed, and don’t forget the foot area! Fill up the spaces if you are concerned about being cold.

Before you crawl in for the night in your primitive shelter, gather a pile of leaves near the door so that you can close yourself in most of the way.

Aside from having a great story to tell your grandkids one day — or from being able to teach others how to build a survival shelter, spending a night in a survival shelter like a debris hut is an opportunity to overcome fears and gain feelings of freedom and confidence.

Pushing our mental and physical comfort edges also brings us chances to find greater comfort and appreciation in our daily lives. HAPPY BUILDING AND SWEET DREAMS!

Building a Survival Shelter

Knowing how to build a survival shelter can save your life. 

While lack of food can kill you in 3 weeks, and a lack of water kill you in three days, exposure can kill in a matter of a few hours! 

Regardless of what type of outdoor survival situation you find yourself in, you may need to build a shelter until a more permanent solution can be found.

Lean-to shelters are the easiest to build and can be constructed from almost any material. A blanket or tarp suspended on one end and weighted down on the other is considered a lean-to.

Wood supported by any upright is also a lean-to. All of these will provide some protection from wind, sun, rain, snow and all can be made with items that can be found or carried in a survival backpack.

Conical structures will also provide emergency shelter and while they are a bit more difficult to create can be made from items easily located. 

Branches, sticks, lumber and pipe are all materials that can be used to construct a conical shelter. Arrange your support material in a circular motion. Starting with two poles on each side, prop them up so that they help support each other. 

Add two more on the opposite side.

Working on a north/south and east/west grid, create a circle of supports. As you fill in the gaps on each directional side you will find that the structure becomes more stable. 

Choose one area to leave open for your entryway. You can place a few branches or sticks sideways at this area weaving them into the outer supports to reduce the height of this opening. 

You can close up this opening with a blanket, backpack or rubbish bag once you are inside.

When the basic shell has been constructed you can cover this conical structure with smaller branches, cloth such as blankets, curtains, carpet and so forth. Leaves and grass also work as a covering.

If your structure is constructed in an area where there is no danger of escaping natural gas or propane you may build a small pit fire inside. There will be a natural centre hole in conical shelters that will allow the smoke to rise and escape from inside.

A tipi structure is also an option for some. Taller supports are tied together at the top forming an inverted ice cream cone shape. Around these poles, fabric such as sheets or blankets, carpet or plastic is placed.

Again if this structure is in an area where no danger of escaping natural gas or propane is present, a small pit fire for warmth and cooking may be placed inside.

Tents and other types of pre-made shelters are useful as well. 

Many modern tents are small, lightweight and some are designed for very cold temperatures. While these modern shelters have specific types of stoves and heating equipment that must be used they can be a valuable shelter option for some.

Canvas was once the fabric of choice for many temporary outdoor structures. Unfortunately, it is heavy and is a poor choice today for the survival backpack. However, it is possible to pack one of those lightweight silver tarps in a backpack and then have it available.

Drape it over a pole lodged between two trees, so that each end touches the ground. Anchor the ends with rocks and logs and close one end with branches, twigs and leaves.

Providing shelter during an emergency is as important as water and food will be. 

Before you find yourself in an emergency situation you need to practice making a survival shelter. Having the supplies for an emergency without having the skills to use them is like not having the supplies in the first place. 

Be prepared. Practice your skills before you need them.

Choosing your Bug-OUT Location

When disaster strikes, you need a safe place for you and the ones you care about to ride it out: your bug out location. 

The basic idea is to get out of harm’s way to a prepared area with supplies and gear which can sustain you. Choosing where to locate this prepared area is an important decision that requires planning.

Before getting into your personal remote location belonging to you, it is important to note that depending on the kind of disaster and its reach, your best bet may be to drive to another county to stay with a relative. 

Your bug out location need not be an isolated piece of owned property, and if you do have family connections you can leverage, it may be your best bet.

This is one of the first things you need to consider carefully. At first thought, a bug out location would be super far isolated to ensure the best odds that whatever disaster it is will not impact you. 

While there are definitely some merits to the very remote location, there are some drawbacks to consider.

First, if your intention is to stock this location with supplies, you have to understand how difficult stocking it will be if you live extremely far away. If it’s too remote, stocking it from the nearest supermarket may also be an ordeal.

While you should have extra fuel anyway, an extra-long journey presents greater fuel risks, and at minimum forces you to carry a little more.

If your location is very far from your house, you may be very unlikely to ever want to go to it when there is no disaster. If you are spending hard-earned money on rural land, you should want to be able to take advantage of it as a quiet, natural vacation space, and so if it’s prohibitively far away, you lose that advantage.

If there is a disaster where you’re on the fence about whether or not to bug out, the pain in the butt distance might dangerously deter you from leaving.

That said, quite obviously the location has to be a decent distance away from your main home, otherwise there’s a risk that whatever disaster has convinced you to bug out will impact your bug out location as well. 

Depending on where you like, a good two hour drive is probably sufficient.

Who lives nearby? This is connected to the remoteness point, but is a bit separate, too. If you are too isolated, no one will be able to see your property. While this may sound like a good thing, a neighbour can actually be a fantastic asset for you to ensure that if you do ever use your place, there’s less of a chance of it having been looted.

Having a line-of-sight neighbour you’ve met and know gives you options, and keeps you from having to make your location totally invisible from view. 

If your location is extremely remote, a thief who finds it can likely take all the time they want removing your possessions.

Since burying absolutely everything at your location is time consuming, difficult to accomplish without a trace, and keeping your location from being a pleasurable retreat space, the neighbourhood option might be the better choice.

Even if the neighbour doesn’t actively watch your location, people will be less confident robbing you if they can see that they are within view of another residence, and if they rob you anyway, they might not take as much since they are more likely to consider themselves in a hurry.

During hard times, yes, other people can be a risk, but compared with an urban centre, a small community has potentially a good chance of taking care of itself and its residents. 

If you get to know them well enough, you can get into prepping with them and help then get a handle on their own self-sufficiency to be less reliant on you in a time of need.

Also, absolutely go to the location before you buy and talk to the people in the area, if there are indeed people around. Make sure their values, concerns, and priorities are in line with yours so that you know you can feel comfortable going there and know you won’t be the neighbourhood nuisance. 

This is that much more the case with direct neighbours.

Be sure to look into whatever homeowners associations or other regulatory bodies could either block or increase the costs of any development project you may have.

Are you on the grid, or off the grid? Which do you prefer? Off grid means less hassle from outside, but far more work from inside. The same goes for water availability. Choose a location based on the skills you have or are at least willing to learn in the short term.

Depending on how you intend to use the land at your bug out location, you may have different land requirements. Do you intend to have any kind of garden? How is the soil? Is it good for gardening? Is it contaminated? Is there wildlife in the area? Is there a water source nearby? 

If it’s very remote, how difficult will it be to bury the structure and your supplies? Is it at least partially south-facing? does it have shade?

These factors can be very important to you, or less so, depending on our plans. But the best options, especially the water source which would be good for any survival situation, are likely to increase costs.

Remember, a bug out location is a very personal decision. Put time into thinking about it, and scout around for land prices before committing. If it seems too good to be true, there’s a very good chance it is. Good luck!

Shelters

Now understanding how to create effective wilderness survival shelters is one of the most important outdoor skills.

From keeping you protected from the elements to providing a place to rest, wilderness shelters serve a key role in survival situations. Not only do they provide for physical needs, but also help create a sense of home in the wilderness.

Though each season and environment presents its own challenges, there are several universal principles for creating effective wilderness survival shelters, the most important aspect of making wilderness shelters is choosing a good location.

A good location is one that 1) provides easy access to ample building materials such as dead sticks, leaves, and grasses; and is 2) away from major hazards such falling branches, pooling water, and insect nests. 

You also want a location that has a large enough flat area to allow you to lie down and sleep comfortably.

Quite often a common mistake when building wilderness survival shelters is to build them too large. Not only does it take more materials, effort, and time to construct, but often ends up being cold due to the amount of space on the inside.

Effective wilderness shelters are often small on the inside - just large enough to fit your body to conserve body heat.

All shelters need to be constructed with safety in mind. Large strong branches can provide the initial framework for many types of survival shelters. Typically, branches used for frame work should be strong enough to easily support the weight of an adult. This is especially important for lean-to and debris style shelters.

Whether you are in a hot and sunny environment or a cold and wet forest, insulation and cover is important to keep you protected from the outside elements. Leaves, grasses, small sticks, ferns, and pine needles are types of debris that can be used for insulation.

Be sure to layer large amounts of debris on your shelter. Also, don’t forget to use debris to create a thick mattress on the inside of your shelter to insulate you from the cold ground, I would say it needs to be at least 18 inches deep.

Bark or soil can be added on the top and sides of your shelter to create a barrier from cold wind and rain.

In cool and cold environments the primary shelter concern is staying warm to avoid hypothermia.

With wilderness survival shelters, there are typically two choices for a heat source: your own body heat or heat from a fire. 

Wilderness shelters that rely on your own body heat as the primary heat source (such as a debris hut), need to be small on the inside and have lots of extra insulating debris (imagine your mummy sleeping bag with ten times as much insulation).

If you plan to use a fire on the inside of your shelter as a heat source, carefully plan how it will be tended all night, be sure to collect a full night’s worth of firewood before dark, and be extra careful not to burn down your shelter!

The type of shelter you choose depends on many factors including what materials are available, environmental conditions, choice of heat source, and whether it will be a personal or group shelter.

So plan what type of shelter you want to use, bring a hammock and a sheet, build a lean to against a dry stone wall or between two trees, build whatever design you like but remember our typical summer weather and make it water and windproof.

The Debris Shelter

Sleeping outside in a primitive survival shelter with no tent and no sleeping bag?! In the rain is a survival skill that we all need to learn.

This idea may indeed seem crazy and a bit daunting to many of us. However, with a couple of hours, proper materials and the right mind set, constructing and sleeping in a primitive survival shelter can be a life-changing experience. 

Although there are many types of group and individual primitive shelters. Perhaps we should start with how to build a survival shelter called a debris hut. These structures are fairly easy to construct and can be a warm, dry place to spend the night.

First of all, your location is key. Besides the normal things to look for which includes avoiding low spots, steering clear of standing dead trees, etc….proximity to materials can save a lot of time and energy. Take the time to find a spot that feels right.

For construction, the first thing you’ll need to build a survival shelter is a strong ridegepole that is at least a little taller than you are with your arm stretched above your head. You’ll also need something for one end of the ridgepole to securely rest on—a stump, boulder, fork of a tree. The other end rests on the ground. At the high end, the ridgepole should be at about hip height.

Once your ridgepole is in place, you’ll need ribbing. Lean the ribs against the ridgepole fairly close together leaving a door at the high end. Once ribs are in place, crawl inside feet first checking to see that you have a little room to move, but that it is still snug and cozy. 

If your survival shelter is too big, you will have trouble staying warm. Imagine you are making a sleeping bag out of natural materials!

Next, add a layer of lattice, something to act as a net to hold debris in place when it is piled on next. Brushy and twiggy branches may work well. The debris that you have available can help determine how small the spaces in your lattice can be.

The structure is now in place and it is time for the essential component of insulation. Of all the things you’ll learn about how to build a survival shelter, not having enough insulation on a cold night will teach you quickly what is required. 

Get ready to shuffle your feet or make yourself a rake and start gathering debris! For good insulation, you’ll want material that can trap air. 

Obviously, dry material is optimal. Pile on your leaves, ferns, grass, or other available debris.

Keep piling, keep piling, go for TWO FEET THICK or more if you might get rained on. Be sure to close up the door area so that you have just enough room to squeeze in without disturbing the structure. 

Crawl in to see how your cocoon feels. Finish up your insulation by adding some small branches that will hold the debris in case of wind, maintaining as much loft as possible.

Now that the outer layer is complete, it is time to stuff your primitive survival shelter with dry soft debris. 

If you only have wet leaves, use them anyway, you may get wet, but you can still be warm. Once your shelter is full of debris, wiggle in to compress a space for your body. 

Add more debris as needed, and don’t forget the foot area! Fill up the spaces if you are concerned about being cold. Before you crawl in for the night in your primitive shelter, gather a pile of leaves near the door so that you can close yourself in most of the way.

Imagine being able to pass on these survival skills to others, or having a night out with the kids in their own debris shelter. Spending a night in a primitive shelter is an opportunity to overcome fears and gain feelings of freedom and confidence. 

Pushing our mental and physical comfort edges also brings us chances to find greater comfort and appreciation in our daily lives.

There is a detrimental and recurring theme I have noticed in myself as well as some of my friends that study wilderness survival. I am referring to the tendency we have to rush through the learning of any particular skill and unintentionally rob ourselves of valuable learning opportunities.

I noticed this error in myself when I was thinking about m experiences building primitive shelters.
Almost every time I have slept in a debris hut, the weather conditions have been mild and
extremely forgiving. Only once in the past have I stayed in a debris hut during the winter, and I
recall it being an uncomfortable and sleepless night.

The true mistake I made was not building a poor shelter, but rather that I didn't get back out there to fix it, and do the process over again until
it was perfect. Essentially I quit at the very moment when the best learning was about to take
place. Realizing this, I decided to recreate the learning experience and share the process with you.
I did not sleep in it all night but I did not sleep in it all night but I did spend about fours in it.

Below you will find pictures and descriptions of my most recent debris hut.
This debris hut was far more comfortable than my last, but still left some improvements to be desired.

Step 1: ShelterLocation
Find an area with plenty of leaves and sticks that is also free from natural hazards like flooding and especially "widow maker"limbs or trees that could fall in a storm.

Step 2: Clear the Ground
Rake back the forest debris to clear a spot for your shelter. Later on you will be filling this area back in with leaves, but for now this will help vacate insects and other creepy crawlies. It also helps to begin drying out the dirt of your shelter floor.
Step 3: Elevate the ridge pole
Create a small stack of logs, building them on top of each other like a pyramid. The ridge pole will end up resting on top of this stack. The purpose is to create room for your feet inside the shelter.




Step 4: Cover withDirt
You can now cover the mound of sticks with dirt. This keeps them held together firmly, and it will create a more weather-tight seal as the shelter begins to take shape.
 
Step 5: Lashing the A-Frame
You can now lash two poles together to form an A-Frame that will end up supporting the ridge
pole of your debris hut. I used simple jute twine, although cordage is NOT necessary.
Alternatively, you can create an A-Frame by propping a pole against a tree or using a Y shaped
branch.

Step 6: Assemble th Ridge Pole
Now simply lay one end of the ridge pole on top of the A-Frame and set the other end on top of the elevation mound. This is the foundational framework for your shelter.


Step 7: Assemble the Ribbing
Here the shelter really begins to take shape. Lay a seriesof small cross pieces (about wrist thick), between the ground and the centre ridge pole. Essentially youare creating a tent-like structure.

Step 8: Seal it up
Now crawl in the shelter and pack the dirt in around the vertical crosspieces. This will help
tremendously to block the wind that would normally creep in underneath your shelter.

Step 9: Add Debris...Lots of Debris
While this may seem like the finishing touches of the shelter, the actual work is just now
beginning. Ideally, the debris should be about two feet thick on every side of the shelter. As a
good friend of mine said, "You can have enough debris,but never too much." Many people half-ass this step in shelter building and pay for it in the formof a cold and uncomfortable night. The
bottom line: keep collecting debris until you think you have enough... then you know you are at
the half way point.
 
Step 10: Build aTunnel
As the shelter walls continue to grow, you will want to begin building the framework of the
entrance to your shelter. A small tunnel is perfect, and will allow you to pull in debris behind you
to seal up the opening. The tunnel should be at least three feet long: this will give you plenty of
space to pack full of leaves as you bed in for the night.
 
Step 11: More Debris!
Keep collecting leaves until you can no longer walk and it hurts to bend over. Even in this picture, the shelter is not even close to having enough debris.
Step 12: Semi Finished
I continued adding leaves for about another hour after this picture was taken, and that was as
much work as I could finish that day. I started at 8:00am and stopped around 6:00pm. The result
was that the shelter worked "good enough", but not surprisingly it needed more work.
The cold temperature is a tremendous teacher: it would not allow me to ignore the short
comings of my skills as I had been used to doing in the past. If you create a shelter similar to this one, I encourage you to pick a cold or rainy night to sleepin it. After all the shelter is intended to keep you safe from such weather, and in a survival situation you won't have the luxury of choosing favourable conditions.
One fatal mistake I made was getting out to take a leak in the middle of the night. Opening the shelter caused all the trapped heat to escape. When I go tback inside, it was like starting from scratch, it took several hours for it to return to a comfortable level. In a more dire situation it would have been best to just let-r-rip inside the shelter.
Another critical oversigh, there was way too much free space on the inside. The more free space there is, the more your body will have to heat it up. Next time I will pack the shelter with a lot more debris,especially on the ground. I recommend a minimum of 18” ground cover to reduce ground chill.

The tunnel entrance to the debris hut also proved to be a point of weakness. After my call of
nature I was tired, cold, and groggy. I rushed the process of sealing the entrance, and for the rest of the night one small opening became the source of a continuous cold draft.
All in all, the shelter did its job and kept me reasonably comfortable through freezing
temperatures. I gained a tremendous appreciation for the amount of work it takes to properly
construct a debris hut.