If you're intelligent, you would've packed a proper tent. If you're misfortunate, your proper tent is missing, mangled, or useless. No matter the reason, you don't have shelter, and you're going to need it!
Although the summer nights are compelling, and it's always a treasure to sleep under the stars, having a shelter ready is your best bet to surviving a little more comfortably. Why? Well a shelter is your best bet to defend yourself against the elements. Anything with walls and a roof will help keep the rain, wind, and snow out.
If you’re stranded somewhere without any place to stay, begin your shelter construction immediately. When night falls, it’s going to be difficult (and somewhat terrifying) to have to scavenge for sticks and supplies for your shelter, and you don’t want to get lost.
There are many ways to construct a shelter! But here are some methods for when you’re out in the woods.
1) Evaluate your area and setting!
If it is windy, find a deeper spot in the earth (like a ditch) to build your shelter. Some
recommend digging a small hole (just larger than your waist) in the ground to keep you warm
and further from the wind. But if it looks like rain, stay away from deep areas. You don’t
want your place to flood!
recommend digging a small hole (just larger than your waist) in the ground to keep you warm
and further from the wind. But if it looks like rain, stay away from deep areas. You don’t
want your place to flood!
-Find a large object.
This will be a one wall, or support for your shelter, and (if you've found something large
enough) it can be a solid spot to stop anything from entering. This object can differ in your
environment. But in my kind of camping, it’s large rocks, trees, up rooted trees, and
boulders. Use whatever you feel is sturdy, and reliable enough to build your shelter on.
Most shelters rely on leaning and wedging sticks through sturdy objects and building around
them! If you haven't found a large object, find something sturdy and reasonably sized (a
stump is prefect, or a tree with a branch which you can wedge your stick through). Smaller
objects will not replace walls, but they will be the balancing items for the center stick (spine of
your shelter)
enough) it can be a solid spot to stop anything from entering. This object can differ in your
environment. But in my kind of camping, it’s large rocks, trees, up rooted trees, and
boulders. Use whatever you feel is sturdy, and reliable enough to build your shelter on.
Most shelters rely on leaning and wedging sticks through sturdy objects and building around
them! If you haven't found a large object, find something sturdy and reasonably sized (a
stump is prefect, or a tree with a branch which you can wedge your stick through). Smaller
objects will not replace walls, but they will be the balancing items for the center stick (spine of
your shelter)
-Next, begin collecting wood and sticks.
These will become the other walls for your structures if you’ve found something to lean them
against. Search for varying sizes.
-Lean your sticks against your object to build the walls.
I recommend beginning with large, thick branches or sticks. This will give your walls more
weight, and more reliable if the wind comes in and tries to knock 'em over. If possible, find a
spot to wedge your strongest stick to act as the spine of your shelter's skeleton; this will reduce
its chances of falling or breaking.
against. Search for varying sizes.
-Lean your sticks against your object to build the walls.
I recommend beginning with large, thick branches or sticks. This will give your walls more
weight, and more reliable if the wind comes in and tries to knock 'em over. If possible, find a
spot to wedge your strongest stick to act as the spine of your shelter's skeleton; this will reduce
its chances of falling or breaking.
-Find leaves, debris, and other clumping items.
This will insulate your shelter. The thicker your insulation, the better hidden you are from the
elements and animals.
Your small shelter should be looking about ready now. This concept looks easy, but it is a balancing act between sticks, and may take practice. There are many, many different ways to build a fort. Methods differ depending on what your resources are, make the plan work for you.
1)Change your skeleton
Try to find two trees relatively close together. Close enough you can either tie a rope to both
trees, or wedge a long stick in between a limb on both of them.
2) Make this line of connection as straight as possible.
This will be the spine.
3)Find sticks large enough to lean on the spine and insulate!
WARNINGS
-Keep your fire at least 6 feet away from your fort! This will avoid sparks possibly igniting your new pad.
-keep close to your shelter. You don't want to get lost (especially in the dark). This will also save your energy.
-Build your shelter on the downward side of cliff or hill. This will better protect you from the elements.
-Avoid ditches if possible, if the rain (or a flash flood) comes in you don't want to get washed out.
-Watch out for splinters! Ouch. They could easily get infected in your environment.
-Be wary of bugs. If you're on the ground, odds are they're with your. Wear bug spray (if you have it) and as much clothing as possible!
This is awesome Raven! I still feel like if I head off into the woods I'll make it a priority to bring a tent but hey maybe not now that I know all of this important info!!
ReplyDeleteHopefully I'll never need to use this advice, I'm more of a glamper. But this is good to know in case I ever find myself in a tight spot.
ReplyDeleteNeat! did you look into this for the blog or did you already know how to do this? great job Raven, very impressive.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys! I did some research for different methods as I have never really needed to build a shelter, but this method is very basic, and can be figured by common sense, so not a whole load of studying was required! thankss again guys!
ReplyDelete