Why build a shelter? Ask yourself the right questions before you start!

A shelter will protect you from bad weather: rain, cold, snow, etc. It will be different depending on the time you will have to spend there, the conditions for which you will have to survive (flight, area without sufficient food, waiting for help), the location (mountainous region, forest, desert …), tools and materials at your disposition.

Tent or shelter ?

Are you a real outdoors person and do you want to fully enjoy the nature around you? Then a shelter is the best choice for you when you need it.

However, the choice for a tent is not bad ! A tent is useful if, for example, you have no trees nearby to attach your shelter to, or if you prefer a safe,enclosed sleeping place.

Even in times of crisis it can happen that your own home is no longer safe place to stay and so you have to look for another place to stay. In an emergency, you can fall back on so-called survival tents. These offer advantages such as:

• Small pack size
• Easy to carry and set up
• Easy to stow away again
• a thermal protective cover

Refuge is your new God – As well as protecting you from the elements – rain, snow, dropping temperatures, high winds – and providing a place to store your equipment and supplies –  shelter should be your top priority for winter survival.

Your job is to calm down and stay alive, and you can’t do it homeless. The winter months are unforgiving, so build a shelter that can withstand Mother Nature’s worst.

In a wilderness setting, you can create a quick and sturdy shelter using what nature has provided. Look for tall trees, rocks, fallen branches, and natural land formations that you can use to your advantage.

Tree and bush shelters

The choice of location is very important

It should not be too far from a water source, but above all it should be on well-drained and high ground to prevent the shelter from being flooded. A flat site of about 4 m ² and without too much root, to sleep well.

The ideal is to find a discreet place, already a little sheltered from the wind and the rain, for example under one or more trees, under an overhanging rock … and if possible surrounded by a lot of debris likely to be used for the construction of shelter (dead branches, dead trees, dead leaves, etc.).

Using trees and shrubs for shelter shouldn’t be your winter survival plan. It’s just not durable, comfortable, or suitable for long term survival. Also, you can’t start a fire under them, and you will need a fire at some point if you want to do that. However, when there is not enough time to build a proper shelter, it will do because it can keep you alive.

1. Spruce trees are well suited to human shelters because they provide a sturdy and almost impenetrable forest cover. They usually have a thick bed of needles under them to lay the foundation for a comfortable bed. Additionally, the trunks of many types of mature trees can be large enough to provide a natural windbreak.
2. If there is no spruce in your area, you can use any tree with good canopy and a thick trunk. Avoid trees that lean heavily to one side or have roots sticking out of the ground. Heavy snow could bring this giant down at any time.
3. If the branches are too low for you to chop them down, trim them or cut off a little to make it a suitable area for your climb.
4. In a pinch, you can slide under a thick branch or at the bottom of evergreen bushes. Watch out for the animals hidden in these places, however. Some will not be so willing to abandon their homes when you arrive.

To maximize the heat inside this type of shelter, try doing it on the smaller side and pile up debris on all sides of the shelter. Debris can act as insulation and prevent your body heat from escaping to make you live at night.

Tarps

This is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with polyurethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene.

Tarp is short for tarpaulin , which means something like tarpaulin or tarpaulin. The verb to tarp means to cover .

A tarp belongs to a special edge area of the tent category. In contrast to a tent, a tarp is not closed. The tarp is an airy canopy and protects against rain and direct sunlight.

There are many, many types of tarp …..

To set up a tarp, you will need a number of items in addition to the tarp itself :

• Trekking poles, branches, professional poles or several tripods .
• Paracord, cord or the like for tensioning. (NB: Paracord is less static and has to be re-tensioned repeatedly in rain or damp weather).
• Herrings (you have the option to carve some yourself)
• Possibly carabiners.

Location for your Tarp

When choosing a location, first make sure that you feel comfortable with your final choice. It is also important that the lying surface is as flat as possible and free of sharp objects .

Then look upwards ! If you see rotten, dead branches or the like above you, take them down so as to prevent ‘surprises’ later, especially at nightfall.

Also, be careful not to set up camp near game roads and deer pass. Otherwise you won’t have a quiet night.

Ideally, it’s wise to experiment with your tarp yourself. This is how you can discover which types you prefer and how to assemble it quickly.