Tips To Build Your Own Survival Shelters

January 6, 2014
Survival Shelters

Survival shelters can protect someone from the sun, wind, insects, rain, and enemy inversion, giving them a feeling of well-being. In some situations, the need for a person takes precedence over his or her need for water or even food. This is because; prolonged exposure to extreme weather conditions causes excessive fatigue and exhaustion. A Survival shelter should be large enough to protect the survivor, yet small enough to keep the body’s heat constant, more so in cold climates.

Survival Shelters

Tips To Build Your Own Survival Shelters

If a person is in a situation that needs a survival shelter, there are several steps to follow to ensure that he or she is safe and protected for a considerable duration of time. There are also materials that best serve this purpose, elements of the climate to keep an eye on and some things to avoid. Even before embarking on building survival shelter, is to look for existing structures that can serve as temporary shelter. If located in the right area, such a structure can be an optimal situation. The following are more tips;

· Make sure that there are no predatory animals in the area.

· Surveying the area well before building survival shelter is very important. Since it is paramount to remain warm and dry, hence it is necessary to check for the levels of the ground. Always build survival shelters on high ground.

· There should be minimal, if any, amounts of complications above head. For instance, rocks that are likely to become loose, and other large potential debris pose potential risks for the survivor in middle of their sleep.

· Taking note of the type of bugs and insects in the vicinity is also important. The person should then build a bed that will keep him or her away from the same.

· After deciding on the shelter, the person should lit survival fire. However, care must be taken not to place the fire too close to the shelter especially if the shelter is made from wood and leaves.

Survival Shelters

Keys to taking shelter in the wilderness

1. Dress wisely

Choosing what to wear wisely is important because when a person wears thick layers of wool and carry a shell of windproof, waterproof material, the person will be ready for virtually anything. The layers of cloths will trap the heat inside instead of losing to the outside world.

2. The cocoon

If it is almost dark, the person should hurriedly collect dry debris available, make a huge pile approximately two or three feet high and burrow into the same and the person will be protected from heat loss

3. The lean-to

If there is any small overhang, building small lean-tos can provide Survival Shelters. Lean fallen limbs against the top edge of an overhang, to create a wall. Lean them at an angle to shield the rains. Cover the limbs with leaves or any other dry material available and finally crawl underneath into the shelter.

Survival Shelters

Bad places to build Survival Shelters

· Damp areas of the region

· Mountain tops and open valleys since they lead to expose exposure to cold wind

· The bottom of deep narrow valley-cold collects here at night

· Ravines where water flows when rain falls


Severe climatic conditions can kill within a short time if a person does not have some type of survival shelters to defend them. Hence, in most survival emergencies, survival shelters are top priority.