How to Build a Wilderness Shelter

Before you ever need to improvise an emergency shelter in the wilderness, consider trying your hand, in non-crisis situations, at building several different types of wilderness-style shelters so you’ll be prepared when and if an emergency arises.Knowing how to build a wilderness shelter can literally save your life, and the lives of your companions, in an emergency. This article will guide you through the process of constructing a snug and safe wilderness shelter from tree limbs, boughs and rope or twine.

Things You'll Need

• pocket knife, small ax, rope, leather straps or twine,
• tree limbs, greens

Instructions

How to Build a Wilderness Shelter

1. The simplest type of wilderness shelter begins with two “post” trees that are between at least two, and as much as six or eight feet apart. The distance between your two "post" trees will determine how wide your wilderness shelter will be. How large your shelter should be is determined ultimately by how many persons are in your party. If you’re alone, a small, narrow, low shelter will be sufficient.

2. Next, find a small tree or sapling that’s at least as tall as the space between the two “post” trees, and chop it down. Your objective is to secure the cut tree or sapling horizontally to the post trees, about five or six feet above the ground, or even shorter if you’re comfortable in snug places.Ideally, you’ll find elbows or notches in the post trees that allow you to simply lay the chopped tree down horizontally between the posts. If not, use rope or twine to lash the horizontal tree to the posts. These two “post” trees and the horizontal sapling connecting them will form the base of your wilderness shelter, so be sure they’re secure before you begin building your lean-to.

3. Next, you’ll contrive a number of six-foot-long poles or stakes, which can be simply sturdy branches, small trees or tree limbs that have been stripped of their branches and leaves. Keep the leafy branches and limbs that you clip off in a pile, because you’ll use them later.

4. As you strip your small trees and branches to make your poles, leave little notches in place where you clip off smaller branches from the main pole. You’ll need two or three of these poles for every foot of distance between your two posts. Lean these poles or stakes, four to six inches apart, vertically at an angle, so that the end of the pole touching the ground is about six to eight feet away from the horizontal limb that links your two “post” trees. Your goal is to build a checkerboard-patterned lean-to that will serve as a safe and snug wilderness shelter. The set of poles you’ve created will be lashed together with rope, twine or leather, filled in at the end with boughs, leafy branches, evergreens and whatever other thick greens are available in your wilderness.

5. As you build your shelter, leave a few inches of overhang at the top where the angled poles meet the horizontal sapling you’ve lashed to the posts. These angled poles will be lashed at the top to the horizontal pole. They'll form the back wall and roof of your wilderness shelter.If possible, sharpen the ends that you’ll be putting into the ground so that they stay securely in place.

6. Next, you’ll need to make about a half-dozen more poles from small trees or straight limbs. You will then secure these poles horizontally, about six inches apart, to the angled, vertical posts you just secured. Now you have formed the checkerboard pattern. Lash each horizontal post as needed where it meets the poles that form the shelter's back wall.

7. Once you’ve completed your shelter’s frame, you’ll fill it in with your greens and boughs by weaving the boughs and leafy branches in and out of your checkerboard squares. Begin at the bottom, and work left to right, making your shelter as watertight as possible.

8. For your wilderness shelter’s side “walls,” use smaller sticks or poles that rise in ascending size about four to six inches apart, with the shortest pole at your lean-to base and the tallest pole next to the “post” trees on both sides of the lean-to. Fill in your side walls the same way you filled in your back wall and roof.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to keep your shelter as small and snug as possible to conserve warmth and body heat.

• For a cozier shelter, fill up the base with dried leaves and evergreen boughs to form a little cushion and to insulate your body against the cold and damp of the forest floor.

• Be sure to leave ample time to build your wilderness shelter once you decide to spend a night in the wilderness.

• Try to build on flat ground, or on a slight downward slope to avoid taking on rainwater should it rain.

• Any campfire should be built downwind of your shelter to avoid blowing smoke into your shelter, as well as reducing the risk that your shelter will catch fire from a stray spark.

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