Recently I was looking around at some of the various resources available on primitive shelter building and I was really frustrated by the way that most schools, websites, instructors and books present the topic of shelter. What I observe is that most of these sources (with the notable exception of Thomas J Elpel’s Participating in Nature) give instructions for “how to build a shelter” as if there is one good way to build a shelter. These instructions often depict the shelter of choice st up or laid out on a nice flat piece of ground as if we are practicing survival skills at the state park campground. I believe that this approach is faulty because if doesn’t ask the student to think, adapt, understand and be creative.
To me shelter building is exactly the opposite. Done well, shelter building is the epitome of creativity, resourcefulness and adaptability. All you need is to understand a few basic principles. By utilizing these five concepts in creative ways you can create a shelter to meet your needs in any situation without ever being taught what it is supposed to look like.
1. Location:Locating a site for your shelter is possibly the most important choice you will make in the process. Take your time, it will save you a lot of time later on. What hazards are in the area? Is this a flood zone? If it rains will the ground absorb water or will it pool on the surface? Do I have access to food and water here? Is there something on the landscape that provides a partial shelter on to which I could build? Do I have access to enough materials? That last one is especially critical, It takes a huge amount of materials to build a decent shelter and you don’t want to have to walk a mile to get it.
2. Structure: You are going to need something to hold the rest of your shelter up off the ground. Shelters without structure are possible but they tend to disintegrate quickly and it is really inconvenient to have to burrow into a pile of leaves every night. Make sure your structure is sturdy. I have heard a few stories of injury from shelters that collapsed after becoming rain- or snow-drenched. Don’t let that be you. I like to be sure that I can safely sit on my structure before adding anything over it.
3. Insulation: You will want something to retain heat in your shelter. Anything that will trap pockets of air makes good insulation. Some examples are cattail down, leaves, fir needles, punky wood, fur, polyester fleece, feathers, grass, moss, etc. You will want more insulation than you think. A general rule of thumb for a 40 degree Fahrenheit night without an external heat source is about 2.5 feet of insulation. That is about the length of your fingertips to armpit. For colder weather you will want much more. If you can still see light through your insulation then you are barely getting started.
4. Shingling: This is what keeps the precipitation off you. Shingling could be anything from logs to bark to a tarp or sheet of plastic. I have even used skunk cabbage leaves in the past. Broad-leaved tree debris can function as both insulation and shingling but it is still nice to have that extra layer of bark if you live in a wet climate like I do.
5. Heat Source: If your insulation is going to be useful at all you are going to need heat. The simplest heat source is your own metabolism. If you can it is good to stay hydrated and eat something just before you go to bed. If you have enough insulation and if you have built your shelter small your own body heat should be sufficient to get you through the night. If you have the option it is nice to also use an external heat source. The most obvious one is fire. Radiant heat from a fire is great to have. Just don’t put the fire anywhere near your shelter made of a big, dry pile of grass and leaves. Often a better option is to use the fire to heat a water bottle or several rocks so that you can carry the heat into the shelter without risk of burning it down.
That’s it. As a final note, don’t be fooled into thinking that shelter can only be something that you construct and climb into. You can wear your shelter as well. Think about ways that you can combine your clothing with these principles to make wearable shelter. Now, get out there and experiment!
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Brilliant little tutorial here. I like the idea of walking around (or sleeping, I suppose) in a giant moss suit. And I bet the hot rocks would work marvelously. When I was up in the mountains a few weeks ago, it was sunny but incredibly windy and cold at the top. I was able to warm my hands by placing them on the sun-catching rocks.