SURVIVAL SHELTERS

Survival shelters are nothing more than a place to get out of the wind and weather. If it is a clear night, sleeping under the stars can be very comfortable if you are tucked into a warm sleeping bag .  A sleeping mat will give you both insulation from ground moisture and a bit of padding too. We suggest the larger size so you are still on it in the morning.

Most of us like the feeling of some sort of enclosure guarding our sleep and catching the reflected warmth of a camp fire. In survival cases, having a tent would be really nice, but often there is not one to be had so you must find or make alternative survival shelters. Caves, if not inhabited by another creature that is apt to fight for its domain, usually make ideal survival shelters. Other types of survival shelters could include the lee side of an uprooted tree, a rock shelf, a large log, or even a tree cave such as the one pictured. Any other natural declivity with just a modicum of enhancement will offer protection from the elements. (Note: The lee side of anything is the side away from the wind.)

With a bit of effort, using a camp axe, some strong waxed string, and a piece of plastic sheeting (which can be purchased at your local hardware) a cozy lean-to can be constructed using saplings and pine boughs or whatever is at hand.  Survival shelters should be large enough to sit in and lay at full length with a fire about the length of your body just outside the opening warming both you and the shelter from head to toe on cool, or even freezing, nights. In snow country, build it so the wind is quartering slightly from the opening. If the wind is blowing into the opening of your survival shelter, it will fill with smoke and snow will blow in. If the opening is directly away from the wind a snow drift is likely to cover the opening. Not a pleasant thing to experience when you wake up buried in your own survival shelter with your fire snuffed by the snow, however, a little snow packed on survival shelters actually improve insulation. Just make sure the opening is kept clear.

In the set up of survival shelters, there are a few things to avoid. It is not a good idea to build survival shelters in a dry river bed. Floods happen in them from storms that are many miles away. Don’t try to build them too large. If they are too large they will be difficult to heat and admit more of the inclement weather you are trying to get out of. Survival Shelters can be made from things like saplings and pine boughs, like the one pictured.

Survival shelters are a place to get out of the weather. Thought, a dash of ingenuity and a bit of effort can generate reasonably comfortable survival shelters almost anywhere.

A small tent can save you a lot of effort and does not have to be expensive to provide protection from the wind, weather, and bugs.  Small lightweight tents are easier and quicker to set up than many other types of survival shelters.