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Outdoor Shelter |
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By Rudy Nielsen |
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Camping in the great outdoors is one
of my favorite things to do. I
don’t always take a tent. There
have been times when I have
accidentally been caught in the bush
for the evening with just my
survival vest. So how do you make an
outdoor shelter if you do not have a
tent? |
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The first answer is to look for a
natural shelter, such as a cave or
overhanging ledge. Try to keep
away from
low ground such as ravines, narrow
valleys, or creek beds. Low areas
collect the heavy cold air at night
and are therefore colder than the
surrounding high ground. Thick,
brushy, low ground also harbors more
insects.
Keep in mind,
though, that these shelters may
already be occupied by its normal
inhabitants…such as bears! If you
are lucky enough to find an
unoccupied cave, light a fire at the
mouth of the cave to keep animals
away. Look
for loose rocks, dead vegetation, or
other natural growth that could fall
on your shelter. |
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Out in the wilderness, you may not have a tent,
or you may be unexpectedly caught in the woods
overnight. With a rope, you can make a lean-to,
or the frame for an emergency tent. You can tie
the rope between two sturdy trees, and lean your
tarp, some pieces of wood, or even your coat or
other pieces of clothing to give you shelter for
the evening. A lean-to made with poles or fallen
trees and a covering of plastic, boughs, thick
grasses or bark is effective to shelter you from
wind, rain and snow.
The Basic Lean-To
Start by looking for branches that are ground
length or fallen branches, making sure that they
are sturdy enough to keep from falling on you.
You will need two
trees (or upright poles) about 2 meters apart;
one pole about 2 meters long and 2.5 centimeters
in diameter; five to eight poles about 3 meters
long and 2.5 centimeters in diameter for beams;
cord or vines for securing the horizontal
support to the trees; and other poles, saplings,
or vines to crisscross the beams. |
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Once you have these poles:
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Tie the 2-meter pole to the two trees at waist to chest height.
This is the horizontal support. If a
standing tree is not available,
construct a biped using Y-shaped sticks.
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Place one end of the beams (3-meter poles) on one side of the
horizontal support. As with all lean-to
type shelters, be sure to place the
lean-to's backside into the wind.
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Crisscross saplings or vines on the beams.
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Cover the framework with brush, leaves, pine needles, or grass,
starting at the bottom and work your way
up as if you were creating shingles.
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Setting up a lean-to |
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A "Debris Hut"
Another type of outdoor shelter is known as a
"debris hut".
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Make a tripod with two short stakes and a long ridgepole or by
placing one end of a long ridgepole on top
of a sturdy base.
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Secure the ridgepole (pole running the length of the shelter) using
the tripod method or by anchoring it to a
tree at about waist height.
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Prop large sticks along both sides of the ridgepole to create a
wedge-shaped ribbing effect. Ensure the
ribbing is wide enough to accommodate your
body and steep enough to shed moisture.
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Place finer sticks and brush crosswise on the ribbing. These form a
latticework that will keep the insulating
material (grass, pine needles, leaves) from
falling through the ribbing into the
sleeping area.
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Add light, dry, if possible, soft debris over the ribbing until the
insulating material is at least 1 meter
thick--the thicker the better.
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Place a 30-centimeter layer of insulating material inside the
shelter.
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At the entrance, pile insulating material that you can drag to you
once inside the shelter to close the
entrance or build a door.
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As a final step in constructing this shelter, add shingling
material or branches on top of the debris
layer to prevent the insulating material
from blowing away in a storm.
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Another type of outdoor shelter |
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Other Types of Shelter in the Woods
Another means of creating a shelter is
finding a fallen tree, and creating a
shelter around that. If they are facing
the right way, the spreading roots and
compacted earth at the base of a fallen
tree can form a useful storm barrier,
especially if you fill in the sides
around the roots. A fallen trunk
alone can provide a good windbreak.
Scoop out a small hollow on the leeward
side and construct a lean-to of boughs.
A natural hollow in the ground can also provide some protection,
although you want to be careful in the
valleys or in wet areas- you could wind
up under water!
Lay a few light logs across the hollow
and then a larger bow across them, this
will give pitch to short branches laid
across the top to keep out rain. Finish
with turf or twigs and leaves |
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Coastal Shelters
Near a rocky coastal area, you can use the rocks
to build a rock shelter. Stack them in several
layers in the shape of a U, covering the roof
with driftwood and a tarp or even seaweed for
protection.
Beach Shelter
On the beach, there is a fairly easy way to make
a shelter protecting you from the elements.
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Find and collect
driftwood or other natural material to use
as support beams and as a digging tool.
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Select a site that is
above the high water mark.
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Scrape or dig out a
trench running north to south so that it
receives the least amount of sunlight. Make
the trench long and wide enough for you to
lie down comfortably.
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Mound soil on three
sides of the trench. The higher the mound,
the more space inside the shelter.
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Lay support beams
(driftwood or other natural material) that
span the trench on top of the mound to form
the framework for a roof.
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Enlarge the shelter's
entrance by digging out more sand in front
of it.
Use natural materials such as grass or leaves to
form a bed inside the shelter. |
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For More Information
http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/survival/basic.htm
http://www.solareagle.com/PREP/SHELTER.HTM
http://www.geocities.com/aaawildernesssurvival/shelter.html |
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