Illustration-bark-tiling-survival-shelter You may be able to forage enough pieces of discarded tree bark to cover a substantial amount of your shelter from the woodland floor, but if not you may have to remove some from a tree. This could be either a fallen or a living tree (in areas where there are plenty!)

Choose a section of the trunk and if it is an already dead fallen tree, cut a ring through the bark around the tree to mark it, if the tree is still alive, cut only half way round so as not to kill it. Then cut a line through the bark from one ring to the other. Gently prize the bark off keeping it as whole as possible, this will be easier in the spring when the sap is rising. This is ready to shape into the size tiles you require.

Trees that provide good bark for shingling;

Tree; Birch - Betula
Found; N America, Eurasia
Tree; Chestnut - Castane sativa
Found; Southern Europe
Tree; Eucalyptus;
Found; Australasia, mediterranean Europe, woodlands, coastal scrub
Tree; Elm - Ulmus
Found; Northern hemisphere, S.E Asia
Tree; Tea Tree - Melaleuca, Paperbarks
Found; S.E Asia, Australasia.
Tree; Oak - Quercus
Found; Northern hemisphere

Leaves

Large leaves can be used for tiling roofs and walls. In tropical areas the leaves grow large, long and broad enough to provide a good coverage. There are many. These can be shingled by weaving through a lattice or by attaching the leaves by their long stems or sewing them to a framework to create waterproof coverage.

Plants that provide useful leaves for shingling

Plant; Banana; leaves (waterproof)
Found; tropical and sub tropical of western and central Africa, Central and South America, S.E Asia, Australasia, West Indies.
Plant; Giant Bamboo - Poaceae
Found; Asia
Prep. Slice in half, interlace by facing one up and the next down