How to Build a Survival Shelter

By Buck Tilton
Illustrations by Colin Hayes

Being a “survivor” has captured the imagination of millions of TV watchers. But a survivor is much more than a TV fantasy. A survivor is someone prepared to live—and live as healthfully as possible—when life far from home doesn’t go exactly as planned.

Being prepared to survive in the outdoors starts with knowing what to be prepared for. You can live days without water and weeks without food. People who don’t survive in the outdoors most often die from losing their body heat, not necessarily from starvation or dehydration. You need to be able to start a fire. And perhaps most importantly, you need to be able to build a shelter to stave off wind, rain and snow, and to keep your body heat trapped where it belongs: near your body.

Here are the keys to taking shelter in the wilderness:

DRESS WISELY

Your first line of defense against the elements is the “shelter” you choose to wear. If you wear layers of synthetic material or wool, and carry a shell of windproof, waterproof material, you are ready for anything. You’ll trap your body heat instead of expending it on the outside world.

THE RIGHT SPOT

Choosing the best place to build a survival shelter is important. It should be in the driest spot you can find. Nothing sucks out body heat faster than wetness. If it isn’t too cold, build a shelter on high ground. Breezes will help keep the bugs away, and you’ll be easier to see if a search party passes nearby. If a cold wind is blowing, choose a spot sheltered by trees. But don’t build in the bottom of deep valleys or ravines where cold air settles at night.

THE COCOON

If it’s almost dark and you can hurriedly collect dry debris (leaves, pine needles, bark) from the forest floor, make a pile two or three feet high and longer than you are tall. When you burrow into the pile, you are in a natural sleeping bag that protects against heat loss.

THE FALLEN TREE

The simplest shelter is a fallen tree that has enough room under it for you to crawl in. Lean branches against the windward side of the tree (so the wind is blowing into it and not against it) to make a wall. Make the wall thick enough to keep out wind. If you can build a fire on the open side of your shelter, the heat will help keep you warm.

THE LEAN-TO

If you find a fallen tree without enough room under it, or a rock or a small overhang, you can build a simple lean-to. Start by leaning fallen limbs against the object, such as the top edge of an overhang, to create a wall. Lean the limbs at an angle to help shield rain. Cover the leaning limbs with leaves, boughs, pine needles, bark or whatever the forest offers. When you have built a thick wall, you can crawl underneath into your shelter. Remember to make your shelter no bigger than you need to fit you and anybody else with you. The bigger the space, the harder it is to keep warm.

You can also build a lean-to by placing one end of a long stick across a low limb of a tree and propping up the other end of the stick with two more sticks. Tie the ends of the sticks together with your boot laces or belt. Lean more sticks against the horizontal stick. Then pile leaves and other forest debris against the leaning sticks until you have a wall. Once again, a fire on the open side of the lean-to will add much heat to your “room.”

THE A-FRAME

If you can’t make a lean-to, you can make an A-frame shelter. You’ll need two sticks four or five feet long and one stick 10 to 12 feet long. Prop the two shorter sticks up in the shape of the letter A. Prop the longer stick up at the top of the A. Tie the three sticks together where they meet. The three sticks will be in the shape of an A-frame tent with one end collapsed against the ground. Now prop up more sticks against the longer stick, and pile forest debris against the sticks until you have an insulated shelter open at the high end.

A TARP

When you have a tarp, sheet of plastic or Space Blanket with you, and some rope or cord, tie a line between two trees. Tie it low to the ground with just enough room for you to lie beneath. Stretch the tarp over the line. Place large rocks or logs on the ends of the tarp to hold it in place with the edges close to the ground. If it’s snowing, tie the line off higher on the trees. Steeper walls will shed snow better. Now you have an emergency tent.

YOUR BED

Your shelter is not complete until you have made a bed to lie in. Dry leaves work well. Make your bed a little bigger than the space your body covers and at least eight inches thick. When you snuggle into it, you are ready for the unexpected night out.

BAD PLACES TO BUILD A SHELTER

1. Anywhere the ground is damp.

2. On mountaintops and open ridges where you are exposed to cold wind.

3. In the bottom of narrow valleys where cold collects at night.

4. Ravines or washes where water runs when it rains.

Source: https://boyslife.org/outdoors/3473/taking-shelter/

Catch n' Cook Dungeness Crab and Perch in a Sea Cave!

Coastal foraging! :)

8 Sublime Wild Camping Spots in Scotland

8 Sublime Wild Camping

 Spots in Scotland

Alexander Crow

The rules for wild camping in Scotland are quite different to those in the rest of the UK, with it being possible to camp virtually anywhere on unenclosed land. Before you go, do check your intended destination though, as there are by-laws in place for some regions, such as Loch Lomond, and elsewhere there may be other reasons not to camp, such as the area being a live-firing range! However, this warning aside, the vast majority of Scotland is full of possibilities and with so many available here’s our handy guide, choosing eight of the very best locations.

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Skye

Many people are drawn to Scotland by the lure of the Isle of Skye. There is no better way to explore the wild coasts, epic mountains, and hidden mysteries of the island, than by walking and camping in these places. Whether you want to risk a high camp among the towering Cuillin mountains, or stay closer to sea-level, there are a wealth of choices available, including a camp among the stunning Quiraing,or the remote Camusanary Bay.

Skye Wild Camp | © Gary Crawford/Flickr

Harris and Lewis

Although each has their own name, and their own character, the island of Lewis and Harris is actually one landmass. If you have transport, or do not mind a long walk, it is easy to find a hidden and beautiful beach or lochan (small lake) to camp beside. You will be surrounded by nature and, if the wind drops enough to hear, an absolute lack of human-related sound. Many of the best places are on the west coast, and some are miles from the nearest road.

Luskentyre Beach, Harris | © Jenni Douglas/Flickr

Loch Arkaig

This definitely classes as ‘hidden gem’ and an overnight stay will leave you wondering why so few people visit. An area of legends and history, this 19 kilometre (12 miles) long loch is supposed to have a resident kelpie (water-horse) and is also where treasure chests of gold were allegedly hidden by supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie. You are unlikely to find either of these, but you will definitely see waterfalls and wildlife in abundance.

Loch Arkaig Camp | © Ted and Jen/Flickr

Ardnish

Ardnish is a peninsula in Lochaber, on the west coast of Scotland, not too far from the famous Road to the Isles and the West Highland Railway. What sets this area apart is that, following the Highland Clearances, it is now completely uninhabited. The ruins of buildings of a different time can be found here, and there is a bothy at the former settlement of Peanmeanach. It should be noted that there is often little in the way of dead wood or driftwood here, so if you want to build a fire you will need to carry your own fuel to the peninsula. Despite the extra weight, this is worth doing, as sitting on the beach with a fire here is quite special. The nearby inlet of Loch nan Uamh is where Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived and left Scotland.

Peanmeanach Bothy, Ardnish | © col.b/Flickr

Sandwood Bay

Although this remote stretch of pinkish sand is now much better known than it used to be, it is still rare that a camper won’t have the whole bay to themselves. Situated in the far north west of Sutherland and, like Ardnish, requiring a long walk in, Sandwood Bay is beautiful and worth the effort. With an impressive system of dunes, stunning wild flowers and the impressive sea stack at the southern end of the bay, a night at Sandwood will stay in your memory long after you are home, and that’s not even mentioning the incredible Atlantic sunsets.

Sandwood Bay, Looking South | © Andrew/Flickr

Suilven

An iconic Scottish mountain, Suilven is remote and wild. A wild camp here is an experience you will never forget, but as conditions can change suddenly and without warning, it is not to be lightly undertaken. The walk to the mountain is long, whichever direction you walk from, but it is this sense of isolation and remoteness that makes it such an attraction to the wild camper. The landscape is tough and rugged, but this only adds to the beauty.

Suilven, Sutherland | © John McSporran/Flickr

The Cairngorms

The huge area of the Cairngorms offers the wild camper an impressive array of wild camping spots, from those that are relatively easily reached to mountain tops, by way of beautiful reforested glens, such as Glen Feshie. Although the area attracts many people each year, all year round, it is still easy to find yourself alone due to the scale of the place. Some estates, such as Rothiemurchus, offer a halfway point between wild camping and traditional site camping.

Wild Woods, Cairngorms | © GariochT/Flickr

Knoydart

It doesn’t really come much wilder than Knoydart. You can only get here by a ferry to the tiny settlement of Inverie, featuring Britain’s remotest pub, The Old Forge, or by a very long walk across mountains and through glens. This is a place of wild beauty, and your chances of up close and personal encounters with some iconic wildlife, including the rarest of the rare, the Scottish wildcat, are greatly increased by camping out here.

Inverie Bay, Knoydart | © Nathan Jones/Flickr

Source: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/scotland/articles/8-sublime-wild-camping-spots-in-scotland/

Wild Camping on Dartmoor

A truly Fantastic place to be :)

Reasons to go wild camping with kids

Posted on March 11, 2016 by an outdoors family

Wild camping (not camping on an official campsite or right next to the car) is a great experience, and can be the basis of a fantastic family adventure. Here are our top reasons for giving wild camping a go with your family.

Adventure – Wild camping feels significantly more adventurous when you don’t know exactly where you are going to pitch your tent, but you do know that you will be the only ones anywhere close and will have only what you’ve carried in.

Space – They don’t call it the great outdoors for nothing! You’ll have a large area to yourselves – it could be an entire hill, mountain, valley or beach with no-one else for miles around. It’s exhilarating knowing this.

Peace & Quiet – You can have total silence except from the wind and wildlife. Or conversely there is no one else nearby, so you and your kids can go wild with no worries about waking up or annoying neighbours.

No distractions – It’s just you and your favourite people, with a tent, sleeping bags and a few little luxuries. Getting away from phones, tablets and other technology is much easier to do when wild camping.

Choose somewhere unique –  The world quite literally is your oyster (within reason anyway). You can pick a really inspiring view, river, hillside or whatever else catches your fancy. Imagining that you are the first to camp exactly in that spot is a great feeling.

Challenges you as a family – Inevitably it is a bit harder work than campsite camping. You have to walk in, plan a bit more, pack enough food, find a good spot and all have fun, all the while staying safe, but it is a great family challenge you can rise to together.

New experiences – Waking on a hilltop to see the sunrise, watching the stars come out somewhere truly dark, listening to sounds from the wind and wildlife to waking up in the snow are all great new experiences, and will stay in your minds for a long time.

Wildlife – Because you can camp in more remote places with fewer people around it is often easier to spot wildlife, from badgers and foxes to birds and insects and bugs, as well as hearing the animals such a deers during the rut.

Poop with a view – This might be a marmite one, but you have to poop in the outdoors at least once!  Just make sure you take a trowel to dig a hole first and bury it after.

Cook outdoors/fire – Cooking your food together on a lightweight cooker is a great family experience, as is having a fire if it is safe, allowed and no trace is left. We have some tips on how to do that here.

So there you have it; a list of our favorite reasons to give wild camping a go with your family this year. We hope you might give it a go if you haven’t already – it really is a great family adventure. Do you wildcamp? What’s your favourite bit about it?

Source: https://anoutdoorsfamily.com/top-10-reasons-to-go-wildcamping-with-kids/

Best Way To Make Coffee While Backpacking

It would be all wrong to go wild camping and not have a coffee along the way!!

RAIN TARP DESIGN

Stay dry camping.

This is the best rain tarp design I have found in my years of camping.

Step 1: Tarp Design

The main concept of this tarp design is to have a tight support rope under the tarp between opposite corners. The tarp needs to be attached to the center support rope but it should not be pulling on the tarp when the center support rope is pulled tight. This is done by tying a 1 foot loops in the rope where the tarp corners will be. The loops are tied through the corner grommets and adjusted for tension. The center support rope should be tied tight at 10 - 12 feet above the ground to give you plenty of head room. The other two hanging corners can then be tied with ropes and pulled out. The corner ropes should be lower than the center rope and tied with little tension.

Step 2: Advantages

- Minimum setup requires only 3 ropes and a tarp
- Drains water at only 2 points
- Does not collect pools of water
- Keeps the tarp high
- Area can be free of poles and trip hazards if trees are available
- Uses commonly available rectangular plastic tarps
- Works with large tarps

Step 3: Poles

2 More Images

I have no trees. I have only one tree. Poles!!!!!!!

The same design works with poles.

Good poles can be made from 3/4" EMT Conduit. Five foot long poles fit in my van but require some joining hardware. The joining hardware consists of two 5/8" bolts welded together at the head. An additional 5/8" bolt and 3/8" bolt welded together at the head is used for the top of the pole. The 3/8" bolt is small enough to fit though the tarp grommets. A little duct tape can be used to make the 5/8" bolt a snug fit inside the 3/4" EMT pole.

Step 4: Tips

Bigger is not always better. Constraints from trees and other objects may require a smaller tarp. Bring a couple tarps to give you some choices in these situations.

When supporting a big tarp use a larger center rope to support the tarp.

I sometimes leave the ropes attached to the tarp. This saves me from having to adjust the center rope tension under the tarp next setup. If it's a pole setup it will be the same every time. If its a tree setup it might work.

When using poles, tie all of the ropes first and leave some slack, then put the poles up and adjust the ropes.

A rectangular tarp will orient itself differently depending on which two corners you choose to use on the center rope. Lay the tarp on the ground in the two positions so you can see what the optimum position will be before setting it up (Plan)

Step 5: Hanging the Center Rope

To get the center rope 10 - 12 feet in the tree I usually throw a stick with a rope attached over a branch then tie the rope around the trunk at 4 feet above the ground. When I don't have branches I lasso the rope around the tree and use the handle of my paddle to inch it up. It's helpful to have a second person to keep a little tension on the rope so it doesn't slide back down while moving it up the tree. A paddle with a T handle can be used as a hook to pull the lasso when the rope needs to come down.

Stay Dry!

Source: http://www.instructables.com/id/Rain-Tarp-Design/