Can you imagine being stranded in the wilderness or on a remote island? You’re going to need somewhere to lay your hat and feel like home. Our comprehensive guide on ‘how to build a shelter’ will give you some tips to help erect a sanctuary amidst nature’s toughest conditions.
Table of contents
Table of contents
The Necessity of Survival Shelters
Survival shelters are one of the cornerstones of any wilderness survival situation. These shelters serve as a barrier against elements like wind, rain, cold, and even insects. Building a survival shelter, especially a short-term one using natural materials, is not just an exercise in wilderness survival, it’s an adventure – reconnecting you with nature and infusing an element of fun.
Choosing the Perfect Spot for Your Shelter
A good shelter is built on the foundation of an ideal location, suitable materials, and solid construction. The right shelter location should offer natural protection from the elements, access to food and water, and visibility against potential threats.
- High Ground: Opt for an elevated area to avoid potential flooding from rain or tide.
- Sun and Wind: Depending on the environment, set your shelter to harness the sun’s warmth and buffer against the wind.
- Proximity to Resources: Position your shelter near a water source and firewood supply to allow you to survive as efficiently as possible.
- No overhead dead wood: Overhead dead wood is called widow makers for a reason.
Deciding On a Type of Shelter: Assess Your Needs
Before you plunge into building shelters, take some time to evaluate your needs:
- Are you looking for a short-term or long-term shelter?
- Is warmth, camouflage, or protection from predators your priority?
- What natural materials are available to you?
Answering these questions will guide your choice of survival shelters, whether a basic lean-to, a robust a-frame shelter, or an insulating debris shelter.
Materials: Utilizing What Nature Offers
When building shelters in the wilderness, natural resources become your best allies. Sticks, leaves, tree branches, and especially fallen trees, are invaluable. Fallen trees can serve as a sturdy base for primitive shelters like the lean-to and debris shelters. However let’s work smarter, not harder, if you can find a rocky overhang or cave then so long as it’s not full of bear skat or looks like it floods, you’ve already made it, you have a shelter.
Building a Lean-To Shelter: Quick and Effective
In a race against time, a lean-to shelter is your best bet. With just two trees, a ridge pole, some tree branches, and other forest debris, you can set up a small survival shelter offering protection against wind and rain.
To build a survival shelter using a lean-to design:
- Locate Two Trees: Find two trees roughly 7 feet apart and tie a long stick (your ridge pole) between them at waist height.
- Set up the Frame: Lean smaller sticks (your guide sticks) at a 45-degree angle along the length of the ridge pole.
- Add Insulation: Cover the entire outside with forest debris like pine needles, leaf litter, and other debris. Pile up the leaves until it’s about a foot thick.
There you have it – a lean-to shelter. Although small, it’s a warm refuge against the harsh elements.
Building an A-Frame Shelter: Insulation is Key
An A-frame shelter is a notch above the lean-to shelter. It might be time-consuming to build, but it guarantees warmth, a crucial factor in trapping your body heat during colder weather.
To build this survival shelter:
- Set the Ridge Pole: Locate a fallen tree or a tree stump and prop one end of a long stick against it, with the other end on the ground.
- Build the Frame: Create an A-frame using sticks along the ridge pole to form a triangle-like structure when viewed from the end. Ensure it’s spacious enough to accommodate you.
- Insulation: Pile up leaves,moss, pine needles, and other forest debris onto the frame. Proper insulation is vital for warmth and survival.
- Enter and Seal: Crawl in feet-first and block the entrance with additional debris.
This survival shelter is your warm cocoon against the cold. if you do not have a sleeping bag you can stuff it with leaves and crawl it. It utilizes your body heat to keep you warm throughout the night.
Building a Tarp Shelter: When You’ve Got Some Kit
A tarp shelter or tarp tent is perfect if you have a large tarp or rain poncho in your survival kit. The lightweight material and flexibility of the tarp allow for diverse shelter configurations, ranging from a simple lean-to to a more protective a-frame design.
With a long stick, some guide sticks, and your survival knife, you can create a shelter offering protection against rain and trapping body heat.
To build this survival shelter:
- Secure the Corners: Secure the corners of the tarp to the ground using sticks or rocks, ensuring it’s taut.
- Support the Center: Prop a stick in the center to give the tarp a peak, allowing the rain to fall off instead of pooling in the center.
- Insulate the Ground: Lay pine boughs or other insulating materials on the ground under the tarp to separate you from the cold ground.
A tarp shelter can be lifesaving in a survival situation, especially when it’s raining or you need to set up a shelter quickly.
Building a Fallen Tree Shelter: Embracing Nature’s Offering
Fallen tree shelters capitalize on what nature readily offers. Once set up, they offer a cozy refuge.
To build a fallen tree shelter:
- Find a Fallen Tree: This step is self-explanatory.
- Clear and Level: Clear the area under the tree and level the ground as much as possible.
- Build a Wall: On the open side, erect a wall using branches, sticks, and other debris.
- Insulate: Add insulation on the ground and the wall using leaf litter, pine needles, and other forest debris.
This survival shelter leverages what’s around you to ensure survival. It’s sturdy and offers solid protection against elements.
Desert Island Shelter: Building a Tropical Paradise
Building a survival shelter often focus’s on shade from the sun. Palm fronds and bamboo can be invaluable for constructing a robust, weather-resistant shelter.
To build a desert island shelter:
- Find Materials: Bamboo, palm fronds, and vines are common on many tropical islands and can serve as primary materials for your shelter.
- Make a Frame: Use long bamboo sticks to create a basic frame. If bamboo isn’t available, long, sturdy branches can serve as an alternative.
- Add a Roof: Palm fronds make excellent roofing materials due to their broad, flexible leaves. They can be woven together to create a waterproof barrier.
- Insulate the Ground: Even tropical environments can get chilly at night. Use leaves or other available materials to create a bed that separates you from the ground.
Bough Beds: A Cozy Addition
Bough beds are a useful addition to other shelters. Leaves, grasses, and evergreen boughs are commonly used to make these beds. Cedar and pine boughs are common, but sprice bows and moss provide the softest bed. Build the bed frame with two logs side by side, approximately three feet apart, and longer than your height. Fill the gap between logs with branches, and dead leaves or plants for insulation. In winter conditions, keep your boughs close for warmth.
Keeping Warm: The Cherry on Top
Once your shelter is up, a fire can keep you warm, cook your food, and even signal for help. Always remember fire safety. Keep your fire at a safe distance from the shelter and keep it small to avoid wildfires. If possible, build a fire inside a small hole or ring of rocks for containment. You will need a chimney to allow the smoke to escape. A small secondary hole low down next to the fire can also really help with feeding the fire oxygen.
Heating a Survival Shelter Without an Indoor Fire
You can heat your survival shelter even without an indoor fire. Build a fire just outside your shelter’s entrance and use a barrier of rocks to reflect heat into the shelter. Alternatively, heat rocks in your fire and bring them into your shelter to radiate warmth throughout the night.
Maintaining Your Survival Shelter
Maintaining your survival shelter is just as crucial as building it. Here’s a more detailed look:
Checking the Structure Regularly: Regular inspection of the structure of your shelter is critical. Over time, the materials you used to build your shelter can weaken due to weather conditions or natural decay. Regularly check for any weaknesses and reinforce them as needed. Ensure the roof is still waterproof and capable of withstanding wind and precipitation.
Managing Insulation: Over time, the insulating materials inside your shelter may compress or decay. To keep your shelter comfortable and warm, regularly fluff up the insulating materials to maintain their loft (which helps trap warm air), and replace any that have become damp or decayed.
Taking Care of the Entrance: Depending on your shelter type, the entrance could be a potential weak point, particularly in adverse weather conditions. Make sure to maintain a barrier or cover that can be adjusted for ventilation, but also effectively sealed against wind or rain when needed.
Handling Pests: Being in the wilderness means potentially sharing your space with insects, rodents, and other creatures. Regularly check your shelter for signs of pest infestation. If possible, store food away from your sleeping area and elevate your sleeping surface to prevent attracting unwanted guests.
Fire Maintenance: If you have a fire near or in your shelter, manage it properly. A small, well-contained fire is usually enough to provide heat. Be careful not to let the fire become too big, to reduce the risk of the fire spreading to the shelter. If you’re using heated rocks for warmth, ensure they don’t directly contact flammable materials.
Leave No Trace: Remember, a part of outdoor survival and respect for the wilderness is the principle of “Leave No Trace.” Once you no longer need your shelter, or if you’re moving to a different location, dismantle your shelter and spread the materials out in a natural-looking way to return the site to its previous condition as much as possible.
Survival Shelter Dangers and Precautions
Shelter building and usage in the wilderness are not without risks. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Check for signs of animal habitation before starting your shelter.
- Reinforce your shelter and check its stability frequently.
- Be cautious with fires inside shelters. Ensure there’s a smoke hole and that your fire is safe and controlled.
- Monitor for signs of hypothermia and take steps to stay warm and dry.
Survival Shelter Wrap Up
Whether you’re stuck in a survival situation or just exploring the wilderness for fun, knowing how to build a survival shelter from natural materials like sticks, leaves, and whatever you can find, is a great skill to have. It keeps you warm, protects you from the elements, and brings a sense of safety in an otherwise uncertain situation. Remember, the goal is not just to build a survival shelter, but to thrive and enjoy the experience.
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FAQs
What is the easiest shelter to build?
The lean-to shelter is one of the simplest and quickest shelters to build, requiring minimal materials and time.
How do you make a waterproof shelter in the wild?
Layering woven palms, branches, leaves, and other debris effectively can make your shelter waterproof. A tarp or rain poncho can also come in handy.
Can you build your own shelter?
Yes, lean-to shelters are a great starting point. They’re cost-effective and require basic materials like branches for a frame, and additional elements for insulation.
