Emergency Shelters: What Do You Prefer?

Brian Jones

Brian Jones

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Obviously, this question is highly dependent on terrain/climate, length of time in the woods, and other factors, such as how much gear you do or don't have.

What kind of emergency shelters do you prefer if you have to build mostly, or all, from natural materials?

I've found debris huts are good for survival in forested areas when you don't have much or any equipment (including not having a tent or a knife) -- but any of us who've built and slept in them knows they are not really anything comfortable, but at least they're life-giving. In cold climates (winter), you should have at least 3-4 feet of debris piled up. Warmer climates should have at least 2 feet of insulation, so it still keeps rain out in case it occurs. Pieces of moss or birch bark on top will help to act like shingles/roofing.

I've experiemnted with using my sleeping bag as the final layer between me and the scratchy branches and leaves. It's much more comfortable...but you can also catch and tear your bag if the surrounding debris is not soft enough. What other things would you use?

Cobb walls as a base is a good solution for longer-term stays -- shields you from cold lateral wind a lot more.

Grass huts are cool, but don't seem to protect against wind, and take longer to build (collecting and drying the grasses, etc.) -- so you have to be able to bundle yourself up inside them and have a good fire going. A debris wall around the outside might help...

Thoughts?

Brian.
 
Hi Brian,

great question. I am going to let the forum answer it but just wanted to add a few issues to consider when answering this question:

1. What environment are you in? Arctic, Desert, Temerate, Ice, or Jungle?

2. Since a natural shelter is simply an improvised home...you must use the rules of improvising to determine what type to make (these are covered in my book, Wilderness Survival (Stackpole Books, 1998) and can be viewed at ANEW's web site listed below).

a. ID your need. A shelter.
b. Inventory your available materials (manmade and natural).
c. Look at all available options.
d. Pick one option based on the proper use of: your materials, time, and energy.
e. Construct it but make sure it is: safe and durable.

Thus a debri hut may be appropriate in one place but not another...etc., etc.

So how about some options on the optimal shelter for each environment based on the resources each provides and the best use of your time and materials.


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Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?


 
Brian,

I've been playing around with building a A-frame/debris hut earlier in the Fall, mostly to use/test my khuks. With a blanket and a 6" bed of leaves, it was fairly comfortable. When you say 2'-4' of debris and it was "life giving" but not comfortable, what temperatures were you in, was there an improvised door, did/would you use a candle (inside a can) in the hut?

sing

AKTI #A000356
 
Sing,

4' minimum of pure debris for below freezing environments, with moss or bark on top, provided you don't have a blanket handy. The debris takes on a dome shape over the A-frame: domes are best for rain repulsion.

What was your blanket made of? Two layers of thick wool blankets over a wig-wam dome structure will keep you dry and warm year round provided they are wrapped tightly. In fact, I know a woman who lives year-round in exactly that! It is permanent and cozy-feeling. (I think I'll move in with her
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)

No candle in my hut, improvised door made from a plie of debris scooped around a stump (as main support).

When I say "not comfortable," I mean that a true debris hut should be thought not as a shelter as much as a very, very thick element-proof sleeping bag -- you nuzzle in amongst the grass and leaves and twigs -- and feel itchy and scratchy! LOL!

It's not luxury, but I can live with it just fine -- most don't really like it.

Hope this helps!

Brian.
 
Brian,

Thanks for the clarifications. I gonna go out an play some more when I get a chance.

BTW, I am not sure if I should thank you... or curse you for getting me started on my khukuri addiction...

sing

AKTI #A000356
 
Greg's question about location is a key one.

One of the problems I've had with debris huts is the amount of work (energy) entailed in creating the hut. It is time and energy intensive unless you are in ideal circumstances. Under survival conditions, energy is at a premium. It needs to be safeguarded.

I'm a big fan of rock shelters. Been sleeping in them for years. Rock piles tend to collect the debris as well as offer a microclimate for that cold night.

On option can be found in this months Maxim magazine (December,1999) where I show how to make a firebed. These things have been keeping folks warm for thousands of years and when built in rock overhangs make for about the nicest nights sleep imaginable.

Ron

------------------
Learn Life Extension at:

http://www.survival.com ]
 
Sing,

You're welcome, heh heh -- I am a bona fide HI Khukuri-pusher whenever possible!
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It is an addiction you will love forever! I just gave away my 15" Ang Khola to a friend who lives a homestead lifestyle (sans electricity) in the boonies of upstate NY. The Khukuri told me it wanted to stay...<grin> My friend did the Ghurka-like thing and christened it by beheading his rooster (no off-color jokes please -- I'm talking about the bird, people! <g>), which we had for dinner that night (along with pasta I brought.). If you ever see "Pasta with Rooster" on a restaurant menu, chances are it's our recipe...
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Ron and Greg,

I agree with you on debris huts -- I should have been more specific on it. Thanks for making sure I clarified on it.

I live in the Northeast, and most of the wooded areas here consist of leafy hardwoods like Oak and Maple, and leafy softer woods like Birch. Pines are scattered around, too, but there is an abundance of dead hardwood leaves on the ground in the Autumn and Winter. In this area, it actually does make for some of the most-available material for shelter-building. Sing lives in the Northeast, too, so he should have plenty of stuff to play with!

We have hard bedrock in the area, but there ain't no way to pull it up for use without dynamite...
wink.gif


Thanks again!

Brian.
 
Out here in the Everglades we build these things the natives used to, called "chickees" or something like that, but I don't know about the spelling or how accurate the term is.

Anyway, basicaly it's a platform built several yards above the ground to get away from the worst of the mosquitos, with a sloping roof and bunks built well off the floor.

You can spend varying degrees of effort building them, and make them of varying materials.

Generaly I prefer a Army surplus wool blanket slung way the hell up in a tree like a hammock. You kinda roll the blanket up first so when you get in it wraps around you. Keeps the bugs out and also helps keep you from falling out.

We use Spanish moss for bedding. To make it more comfortable we smoke it. Drives the chiggers and such out.
 
I guess if you smoked enough Spanish moss just about anything would be more comfortable!
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Likewise, smoking Spanish moss can help get rid of chiggers? Boy, the things you learn here!
smile.gif


(Sorry, couldn`t resist.)


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At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives… (Joshua 5:2)
 
I always pack an 8x10 piece of visqueen for emergency shelter in my day pack.It's light compact and makes a hell of a fast shelter,which keeps out the frequent showers that can arise in alaska. Don't forget about 50 ft. of parachute cord . Spruce baughs and tundra makes a good make shift bed....
 
A compact aluminized space blanket in the daypack, always (sometimes a similar mylar alumnized survival suit). Mors Kochanski's book Northern Bush Craft has some excellent emergency shelter suggestions; also the SAS Survival Guide. Lately, though, my wife prefers something more comfortable, such as several floors of luxury hotel (apologies to Patrick McManus for stealing that line).
 
When I was younger and dumber I went on a dayhike that lasted three days with some friends. We had maybe two essentials between us. We made a "blanket" out of pine boughs that took off alot of the night chill. Bugs don't taste to bad when you are hungry and they fall in your bullion soup.
 
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