Wilderness Series Week 2 Building a shelter
- Leatha Snyder
- May 21, 2019
- 7 min read
Updated: Jun 3, 2019
Wilderness Week 2: Building a shelter
Hey all todays post is continuing on with our wilderness series, Last time we discussed some Firestarter options. This week I feel the next important thing to focus on is building a shelter. The experts apply the rule of three to survival and I feel it is worth being said here: You can live about 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, 3 hours without shelter, and 3 min without air.
This rule surprised me, I am aware that depending on the weather it is important to find shelter to get out of the cold or over powering heat, which where I live, we can be subjected to both situations. But I never knew that it was as important as only 3 hours.
In this post I will give examples of several type of shelters some are quite easy to make and can be temporary and others are more extravagant and can be used more long term. So, without further ado lets get started. A good place to start would be to discuss What is a Survival Shelter? A survival shelter is any structure (naturally occurring or man-made) that can protect you from animals, insects, and the elements. Survival shelters can range from dugout snow tunnels to A-frame wooden structures. Choosing the best place to build a survival shelter is important. It should be in the driest spot you can find. Nothing sucks out body heat faster than wetness. If it isn’t too cold, build a shelter on high ground. Breezes will help keep the bugs away, and you’ll be easier to see if a search party passes nearby. If a cold wind is blowing, choose a spot sheltered by trees. But don’t build in the bottom of deep valleys or ravines where cold air settles at night. Your first line of defense against the elements is the “shelter” you choose to wear. If you wear layers of synthetic material or wool, and carry a shell of windproof, waterproof material, you are ready for anything. You’ll trap your body heat instead of expending it on the outside world.
The first type of shelter I would like to mention is quite simple but does take a little planning to ensure you have the supplies with you. This type is called a tarp shelter. This shelter requires you to make sure that a tarp or large piece of plastic is packed in your survival kit. If you’re fortunate enough to have a tarp with you in a serious survival situation, there are a handful of different shelters that you can make:
Tarp Wing: A tarp wing provides partial coverage from the elements, especially rain.
When combined with a fire, a partial wing can provide you with the protection and warmth needed to survive in nature for a brief period. It’s best to use a tarp wing as a temporary structure while you build a larger one.
A-Frame Tarp: An A-frame shelter is triangular in shape and typically utilizes tools such as sticks, rope, and a tarp. It provides protection from sun, rain, and wind, but provides little assistance in terms of insulation or warmth. Tie a string between two trees and drape the tarp over the string. Make sure you weight the edges of the tarp with rocks or a heavy log so that the wind doesn’t blow it away.
Wedge Tarp: A wedge tarp is ideal for windy conditions and can be created with limited natural resources. By staking or tying down the corners of your tarp and propping up the center section, you can create a makeshift shelter in no time at all. Creating a wedge tarp is one of the many uses of a paracord if you have one handy in your survival gear supplies.
Tarp Burrito: If all you have is a tarp and there aren’t any tools or resources to help you build your ideal structure, a tarp burrito will do the trick. Simply roll yourself up in a “burrito” with your tarp and try to cover as much of your body as possible. Lay down leaves, moss, and soft branches underneath your tarp to enhance insulation.
This next shelter should be only used in emergency situations as it is not meant for a permanent shelter and that is the: cocoon you can hurriedly collect dry debris (leaves, pine needles, bark) from the forest floor, make a pile two or three feet high and longer than you are tall. When you burrow into the pile, you are in a natural sleeping bag that protects against heat loss.
The Fallen tree- The simplest shelter is a fallen tree that has enough room under it for you to crawl in. Lean branches against the windward side of the tree (so the wind is blowing into it and not against it) to make a wall. Make the wall thick enough to keep out wind. If you can build a fire on the open side of your shelter, the heat will help keep you warm. If you can’t make a lean-to, you can make an A-frame shelter. You’ll need two sticks four or five feet long and one stick 10 to 12 feet long. Prop the two shorter sticks up in the shape of the letter A. Prop the longer stick up at the top of the A. Tie the three sticks together where they meet. The three sticks will be in the shape of an A-frame tent with one end collapsed against the ground. Now prop up more sticks against the longer stick, and pile forest debris against the sticks until you have an insulated shelter open at the high end. Tree branches are fantastic building materials for a survival shelter. Whenever possible, avoid exerting energy to shape and cut them. Doing so may quickly exhaust you, so avoid expending too much effort until you have a reliable source of water and food.
Round Lodge: Structurally, the round shelter is quite similar to a tipi. However, a round lodge has the potential for a solid doorway and slightly better insulation. One of the greatest benefits of a round lodge is that it can accommodate for a smoke hole at the top.
Exposure to the elements can have deadly consequences. Staying warm is incredibly difficult when you have little more than the clothes on your back, but regulating your body temperature is one of the most important elements of survival.
Using nearby materials for insulation: If your environment provides them, use resources like mud, leaves, tree branches, and moss to insulate your structure. You need to trap as much heat as possible while protecting yourself from the elements.
Insulating the ground: Laying directly on the ground will cause you to lose massive amounts of body heat. Insulating the surface, you plan to sleep on is essential to your survival. Consider using straight branches and pieces of wood to elevate your bed.
If you don’t have tools to create a bed, simply lay branches, grass, leaves, and other debris to hold in warm air and prevent the ground from absorbing all of your warmth.
Building a fire in the wilderness: If you use an existing cave shelter, think twice before starting a fire inside of it. This can smoke you out and the heat can cause rocks to move and collapse on you.
For man-made structures, building a fire inside is fine as long as you create an opening at the top for the smoke to leave.
Snow Shelters- Certain snowy environments, such as high elevation mountains, call for structures that are almost entirely comprised of ice and snow. If you’ve been dropped into a snowstorm, you may only have a few hours to create a structure before it’s too late.
Quinzhee: Essentially, a quinzhee is a large pile of snow that has been hallowed out for living quarters. While sleeping inside a big pile of snow might seem crazy, it’s often the best way to protect yourself from the harsh elements in a snowy environment. Pile up snow to about 7 or 8 feet tall and hollow out the inside. If possible, include straight branches in the roof of your quinzhee for added strength. Make sure your quinzhee maintains a rounded shape to prevent collapsing (especially when there is heavy snowfall).
Snow Cave: If done correctly, a snow cave is a great shelter for cold weather climates. However, if done improperly, a snow cave may put you at serious risk. Never build a snow cave from soft snow or powder. Find snow that is hard and ice-like, then dig a tunnel to a space that you can hollow out.
Igloo: Unlike a snow cave or a quinzhee, the igloo is primarily comprised of ice rather than snow. To build an igloo, you will need some sort of tool to break apart and create makeshift ice blocks. To get started, check the density of the frozen blocks of snow or ice that you plan on using. Outline your igloo with a stick so that it maintains its shape as you build upwards. Cut one layer of blocks at a time so that you can easily tapper and shape them inward as you build upwards.
Tips for Building Survival Shelter in Snowy Conditions: The most important aspect of your shelter is its ability to block out the elements and keep you warm, but making sure your cold weather shelter has proper ventilation is important, as well. CO2 poisoning is a serious threat in any enclosed shelter.
Desert Shelters- Building a shelter in the desert requires a great deal of creativity and/or supplies. Whenever desert camping or hiking, it’s best to come prepared with supplies because it can be one of the most difficult environments to survive in.
Ramada: A Ramada is a simple structure which typically consists of a roof with no walls. The Ramada’s primary purpose is to supply sun protection.
Tips for Building Survival Shelter in the Desert: Depending on the desert, you may be limited by your available resources. Look for any dry shrubbery that can be used to build any kind of primitive structure and provide shade. If you have a tarp, use the same strategies you would to build a shelter in the forest. Your shelter is not complete until you have made a bed to lie in. Dry leaves work well. Make your bed a little bigger than the space your body covers and at least eight inches thick. When you snuggle into it, you are ready for the unexpected night out.
So hopefully this has given you some ideas for some survival shelters you can build in a pinch. For the resources that I got my information from check out these websites they have tons of cool information. Come back for week 3 of this series how to find and purify water, this will also cover some storage techniques as well. Thanks so much and see you next time.
https://survivallife.com/use-rule-of-threes-survival-mode/
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