How to Build an Emergency Bivouac Shelter

Most of us will never have to unintentionally spend the night in the woods. Those who choose to do so generally bring along, if not all the comforts of home, at least enough to make the outdoors comfortable. But in the unlikely event you happen to be on an excursion and find that you have to spend the night under the stars without your tent and sleeping bag, you can still rig a shelter from the elements that will serve until you hook up with your group.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A knife or hatchet
• A rock to use as a hammer

How to Build an Emergency Bivouac Shelter

1. Determine the direction of the wind. You will want to put the back of your bivouac shelter against the wind with your fire in front of it. If the breeze is too light to easily tell which way it is blowing, pick up some dust or a few blade of grass and drop them. Note the direction they drift.

2. Cut two stakes from deadfall, or saplings if no deadfall is available. These stakes will need to have a fork 3 to 4 feet up. Drive the stakes firmly into the ground approximately 4 feet apart.

3. Find a third pole long enough to stretch across the 2 upright stakes from deadfall, or cut a sapling if no deadfall is available, to use as a ridge-pole. Lay the ridge-pole in the forks at the top of the 2 upright stakes.

4. Find additional branches to lean against the ridge-pole at a 45 degree angle from the windward side of the shelter, occasionally weaving more supple branches crossway for added support.

5. Thatch your framework, beginning at the bottom. Layer evergreen branches, sod, reeds, bark, grass or twigs one above another in a shingle fashion to help make the shelter more watertight. Lay a few heavier branches over the thatch to prevent it from blowing off in the event of a strong wind.

Tips & Warnings

• If it appears that it might rain, dig a shallow trench around the back side of your bivouac shelter and down each side to allow the rain water to drain around your camp site.
• As in all camping activities, it is best to do as little damage to the natural environment at possible. Only use deadfall if at all possible, and return the area as closely as possible to its natural state when you leave.