SHELTER

In a survival situation you must find shelter or build your own to protect you from the wind, cold and wet. Learn these basic shelter principles to construct your wilderness shelter in the right place and from the proper materials.

Specific types of survival shelters will be dealt with in detail in the chapters concerning survival in different kinds of terrain. However, there are several general points with regard to shelter that you should bear in mind when you are in a survival situation, regardless of the environment you find yourself in. Of course, if you are suddenly trapped by the weather, or are injured or exhausted, almost any natural shelter will do. For example, get into a hollow in the ground and add to its height by piling up rocks around it.

BRITISH SAS TIPS:

LIST OF REQUIREMENTS FOR SHELTERS IN THE WILD

SAS soldiers are taught to build shelters that are sturdy and will fulfil a number of requirements. These requirements are:

There is a temptation if you are in a warm and dry climate to assume that you will need less shelter, even no shelter at all. However, remember that whatever the temperature during the day, at night it will get cold, and warm areas are subject to changes in the weather just as much as cold ones. In addition, a shelter can provide protection against unforeseen threats and wildlife (snakes, for example, are attracted to body warmth and have been known to crawl into sleeping bags of backpackers sleeping in the open and curling themselves around the genitals of the slumbering occupant!). Therefore, do not believe that you can do without shelter in the wild.

BRITISH SAS TIPS:

WHERE NOT TO BUILD A SHELTER

SAS soldiers often have to build shelters quickly when on operations behind enemy lines. They know they must avoid the following spots:

CHOOSING A SITE

Choosing the right site for a shelter is very important. If you select a bad site you will probably end up building another shelter in a better spot, and will thus waste valuable time and energy. DO NOT select a site in the late afternoon after a long day’s walk or march, ie at the last minute. You will be tired and in no mood to make a calculated assessment. Your decision will invariably be a bad choice and may force you into using poor materials.

WEATHER CONSIDERATIONS

The weather can play a key part in determining the location and type of shelter you build. For example, low areas in cold regions have low night temperatures and suffer from windchill. Valley floors invariably have colder temperatures than higher up – so-called ‘cold air sumps’. Therefore, in cooler areas, try to situate your shelter where it can take advantage of the sun (if it comes out!), and remember to use plenty of insulation material.

In the desert your shelter must protect you from extremes of both heat and the cold, though damp will not be a problem.

Wind In warm areas, locate shelters to take advantage of breezes, but beware of exposing a shelter to blowing sand or dust, both of which can cause injury and damage. In cold regions, choose a site that is protected from the effects of windchill and drifting snow.

Rain, sleet and snow can all be potential hazards. Do not build a shelter in a major drainage route, in a site that is prone to flash floods or mud slides, nor in an avalanche area.

INSECTS

Insects can be a problem around a camp. If you build your shelter where there is a breeze or steady wind you can reduce the number of insects that will pester you. Avoid building a shelter near standing water, as it attracts mosquitoes, bees, wasps, and hornets, and do not erect a shelter on or near an ant hill, unless you want a never-ending succession of bites and stings.

When you are building your shelter look above you. The tree you are under may contain a bees’ or hornets’ nest, which you will obviously want to avoid. In addition, watch out for dead wood in trees above you. It make be firmly in place at the moment, but in the next storm or high wind it could come crashing down on you and your shelter.

IMPORTANT

Keep your shelter dry by constructing a run-off drainage channel gouged from the earth around the shelter. Ensure the shelter itself has plenty of ventilation, especially if you intend to light a fire for cooking inside it.

TYPE OF SHELTER

This will be determined by the conditions and range of materials available. Remember, it is often a good idea to improvise a makeshift shelter to give you some form of protection from the elements until you can erect something more permanent (particularly if it is getting dark and cold).

If you can’t find any materials, make use of natural shelters, such as cliff overhangs and gradients. In open areas, sit with your back to the wind and pile your equipment behind you as a windbreak. The following are all examples of natural shelters that the survivor can use in an emergency situation:

There are, of course, an almost limitless variety of shelters you can build in the wild. Use your imagination, but do not forget the basic principles.