We hope we never have to use them, but we need to know how to build them "just in case". Emergency survival shelters can be a life saver if you are ever lost in the woods, stranded, or in the case of a natural disaster. In this blog, we will share some basic information for building emergency survival shelters.
Whether your car broke down along a deserted road and you need shelter for a night, or a natural disaster took your campsite gear and you need protection from the elements until help arrives, survival shelters are a great resource to know how to build.
If you ever find yourself in a position of needing to build an emergency shelter, there are some things to consider before beginning the construction.
- What is your location?
- What is the weather like?
- How long to you see yourself needing to stay?
- What are your supplies?
- How many are in your group that need shelter?
These are important questions to ask yourself in order to determine which type of shelter will best meet your needs. It is pointless to build a weak, tiny shelter if you have bad weather and more than one person. At the same time, if it is only you, and you are not going to be staying in the same area for more than one night, you don't want to waste time and energy constructing a massive shelter. So, let's break it down and go over some of these situations.
Location:
The location of your shelter is a very important factor to consider.
If you are near a river, never build your shelter on the river bank. Flash floods can happen on river banks due to rain falling up river. They happen without warning, and your shelter could easily become a death trap. Instead, camp away from the river, if there is a ledge of land next to the river, camp above it.
If you are near a lake, it is typically safe to camp near the shore of the lake. Remember, however, that lakes have tides as well, so don't build your shelter right on the edge of the water, or you may wake up wet!
If the weather has been wet for some time, or rain is moving in, you want to be sure that you are not building your shelter in an area that might flood. Avoid sheltering in ditches and low lying areas, as these could easily flood and cause damage to your shelter, your supplies, or cause harm to yourself.
If you are in the woods, always find a shelter site that is level, and away from any dead standing trees, or trees with dead limbs. These are called widow makers due to the fact that they can fall at a moments notice and can be deadly if you are under them. Also, try to find an area that has clearing enough to make a fire safely, without causing a forest fire.
If you are in a flat land area, try to find a shelter spot with some wind protection. Trees, brush, large boulders, etc. can provide you with some much needed protection from the winds that tend to blow across flat lands.
If you are in the mountains, you not only need to watch for dead trees and limbs, you also need to make sure there are no rock ledges close by that could release loose falling rocks. These could be a disaster if they fell on your shelter in the night.
Another location factor to consider when building a shelter, is the wildlife. What types of predators and wildlife are in the area? Be aware of your surroundings and watch for animal signs. You definitely won't want to set up a shelter where you see bear droppings!
Never stay on a river bank.
Always check for dead branches.
Weather:
The weather conditions can have a huge impact on the effectiveness of your shelter.
If you are in a rainy area, you need to build a shelter that will offer you protection against the rain. Shelters like the lean-to will not protect against heavy rain and storms, However, if you have a tarp with you, then the lean-to shelter could provide a base for the tarp covering, then you would have better protection from the wind and rain. You will also want to insulate yourself from the ground water by elevating your bed. Either by piling sticks and leaves, or evergreen boughs, you will not want to be sleeping on soggy ground!
If you are in a windy area, then you want to make sure that your shelter is secured well enough that the wind will not loosen and damage your shelter. When building a shelter you would want to build your shelter with the backside facing the wind to prevent the wind from entering the shelter. and causing damage.
If it is wintertime when you are needing to build a shelter, you need to make sure there is a way to have a fire close enough to your shelter to keep you warm, yet not so close that it becomes a fire hazard. If that is not possible, then you can also warm large rocks by the fire and then place them in your shelter to generate some heat. It is important to insulate your shelter from the cold wind with leaves, evergreen boughs or moss. Regardless of what type of shelter you choose, you will want to gather either leaves, evergreen boughs or field grass to make a bed for each person. It is important to keep yourself off of the ground, as the cold can seep through the ground and into your body. This can cause your body temperature to drop and make you ill.
If it is in the heat of the summer, then you will want to make sure your shelter has ventilation. Often, in summer, the only shelter needed is from the sun. A simple sun shade shelter will provide adequate shelter from a light rain, yet allow for ventilation to avoid getting too hot.
An elevated bed using evergreen boughs.
Avoid setting up a shelter near dead trees.
Length of Stay:
If you are needing just an overnight shelter, then just a simple structure will do fine. Any simple structure can be adapted for the weather conditions by adding a tarp or layering with branches and evergreen boughs. However, if you are planning on staying more than just a few nights at the same location, then a more substantial shelter will be needed.
For shorter stays you will not want to spend too much energy building a shelter when it will not be used long term. For just overnight, even a tree with some hollow areas around the roots would work to curl up in for the night. A simple lean-to is often adequate provided severe weather is not coming in. You could even create an A-frame covering using a tarp and some sticks to shelter for the night.
For longer stays, you will want to have a sturdier structure, not only to last longer, but to keep weather out, and heat in. You will even want to make a place for your fire to stay protected from the weather if you plan on staying for more than just a few nights. Nothing is more discouraging than your fire getting flooded by a rain storm.
Shoelaces can be used to fasten parts of the shelter.
A tarpaulin is extremely versatile in shelter building.
Supplies:
Perhaps one of the biggest factors for which type of shelter you choose to build, would be the supplies available.
If you are prepared enough to have rope and a tarp with you, then the possibilities of your shelter are very good! If you are stranded with just the clothes on your back, don't worry, there are plenty of shelters you can build, using what is around you!
You can use fallen branches as a base for the structure of your shelter. Using trees that are close together for a base will give your shelter some stability. Branches with leaves, or evergreen boughs can be layered on your shelter from bottom to top to provide some water shedding if it rains.
Look on yourself for needed supplies! Shoelaces can be used to fasten sticks together for a shelter, as well has hoodie strings and drawstrings from waistbands. You can even strip some thinner barks from trees to tie as fasteners.
Group Size:
If you are the only one needing shelter, then you don't have to worry too much about the size, as long as you and your supplies can fit, then it should work. However, if there are more people, say your spouse and children, then you will want to build a shelter large enough for everyone to fit inside. If your group is made up of different families, or persons not related, then, you have an option of sharing a larger shelter, or building more smaller shelters. This choice could be determined by what supplies you have on hand to build a shelter with.
A shelter for one person doesn't have to be very big.
Basic Varieties of Shelters:
In the slide show above are a variety of shelters that can be used, depending on your location, weather and supplies available.
#1 is a basic lean-to. If the weather conditions are dry, this makes a great shelter to protect from heavy dew. It isn't advisable to use if there is rain or storms since the protection is minimal. This type of shelter is recommended to use only for a night or two. By building this shelter to face the fire, it can help keep you warm in slightly cold temperatures. If the conditions are windy, build the shelter with the back facing the wind, this will protect you from the wind, as well as your shelter from being blown apart by the wind.
#2 is an A frame shelter constructed with limbs and branches. This type of shelter will provide better protection in adverse weather. This type of shelter can be used more long term if needed, and can house multiple people depending on the size built. Fallen branches can be used to fashion a door for this shelter if needed.
#3 is a good temporary shelter if there is a need for shade, or some light rain coverage. It is not advised to use this type in situations where there are high winds. This will not insulate from the cold and is not recommended for a long term shelter, however, it is perfect in hot summer weather.
#4 is a hammock shelter. This can be brought with you, or constructed with a tarp. It does get you off of the ground, however it does not protect against cold weather very well. It is easy to carry and transport this shelter with you, so you do not have to re-build a new shelter every night as you travel.
#5 & #6 are debris shelters. This type of shelter is great for more than one person, and is built using the debris from the forest floor. Sticks, limbs, and branches are woven and stacked together. It can provide protection from weather if it is built correctly. It also has the potential to be able to hold heat from a nearby fire if needed. This type of shelter is great if you know it will be needed for more than one or two nights.
#7 is a tepee built with a canvas tarp. This type of shelter will provide adequate protection against wind and rain, The extra flap can be closed to help retain body heat within the shelter. This type of shelter is great for either one person or multiple people and can be used as a long or short term shelter. If strong storms are expected, this shelter can be reinforced with fallen branches or evergreen boughs. By weaving the branches or boughs around the structure, it will strengthen it to be able to withstand worse weather conditions than just by itself.
#8 is a tepee built with long poles of wood. This type of shelter will provide protection against the weather, especially if you have a tarp to wrap around it, or some branches to cover it to help shed water from rain. If built large enough, it can even support having a small fire inside the structure. This is a great shelter for multiple people, as it will typically take more than one person to be able to construct it anyway. If this shelter is needed in the summer weather, then it will provide protection from the sun, while still allowing air flow for ventilation. A door can easily be made with branches, blankets or smaller poles fastened together.
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