Creative Survival Shelters

The hope is always that you will never face an emergency situation. However, it is best to have a game plan just incase. This can also ease anxiety about possible future events, by giving you a clear vision of how you'll respond ahead of time. It is important to have the skills and knowledge to survive, and to decide that you will do whatever it takes to survive.

Sometimes people purposefully put themselves in situations where their skills are tested. Just take the television show 'Alone' as an example. In 'Alone,' contestants are dropped off in isolated areas of the wilderness. If they can last 100 days (that's right, one-hundred days), they win the prize money. If they're forced to tap out at any point, due to illness, injury, or overwhelming feelings of being alone, they lose. Those that win the show are typically survival experts to some degree, with strong mental fortitude and courage to face the elements and the wild. 

Those who win also tend to be the ones with the best shelters. After all, a big part of surviving an emergency situation is having a safe and warm place to rest at night. So, just incase you ever are forced to face the elements, here are some creative survival structures:

The Round Lodge: Outdoor Life writes, "A round lodge can block wind, rain, cold, and sun. It is structured like a tipi, with the addition of a solid doorway. These typically have a smoke hole through the roof, and can accommodate a tiny fire for heat and light. This shelter can be thatched with grass or mats; or it can be buried with a thick coat of leaf litter."

The Quinzhee: "The quinzhee is a dome shaped snow shelter, similar in shape to an igloo, but much easier to construct. To build one, pile snow over [your] tarp and gear. Pack the snow down, estimating when it is two feet thick all the way around. Next, insert 12 inch long sticks around the dome. Use 3 or 4 dozen of these guide sticks. Burrow into the side of the quinzhee, and retrieve the tarp and gear. Excavate snow inside the mound until you reach the base of every stick. Make a fist sized ventilation hole in the roof of the quinzhee." (Outdoor Life)

Lean To: Outdoor Life writes, "It can be set up in less than an hour with a variety of materials. This basic, one-sided design will give you a haven from wind and rain that the wilderness might throw at you. Securely support a long, stout pole between two trees. Cover one side with poles, brush or branches. Then, heap leaves, grasses, palm fronds, or any other vegetation that is available on top."

Posted by Ken Richter on

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