Shelter covered with light, rocky earth and shiny material (6,7)
I believe the answer is:
patent leather
'shiny material' is the definition.
'shelter covered with light rocky earth' is the wordplay.
'shelter' becomes 'tent' (canvas shelter).
'covered with' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'light' becomes 'pale' (light in colour).
'rocky earth' becomes 'ather' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should believe this answer much more).
'tent' inserted inside 'pale' is 'patentle'.
'patentle'+'ather'='PATENT LEATHER'
'and' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for patent leather that I've seen before include "Varnished hide" , "Tanned animal skin made hard and glossy" , "shiny skin" , "Glossy shoe material" , "it will present a varnished surface" .)