How to Build an Outdoor Shelter
Getting lost in the woods can be one of the most frightening experiences a person can have. The danger from exposure, cold, rain and wind can be severe, and shelter is imperative if you have to spend the night. Knowing how to make a survival shelter in the wilderness can literally save your life.
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Instructions
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Begin building your survival shelter at least two hours before sundown, as it will probably take this long to build. Find a fallen tree or other long pole about twice your height. Lean one end of the pole on a stump, boulder, forked tree or other relatively tall object to get the end about 3 feet off the ground.
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Lay long sticks vertically from the ground to the pole, all along its length, on a 45-degree angle. These sticks will create an A-frame along the pole, sloping from the ground up to the forked tree or other pole holder. Place all the sticks close together, filling in the spaces with smaller sticks when needed.
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Cover this stick frame with any insulating material that you can find. Use dried leaves, dry grass, dead branches, trash bags you may find laying around, dry ferns or any other debris that may be at hand. Pile on this material until it is about three feet thick along the entire length of the shelter. Cover the shelter with a final layer of branches or pine boughs to hold down your insulating material.
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Line the floor of your shelter with about one foot of insulating materials. Try to pick softer materials, such as dried grass, for a more comfortable night. Pile a large amount of insulating material at the entrance of your shelter. Wiggle into the shelter, feet first, and pull the pile of insulating material in after you to help block the entrance from wind and cold. The longer you remain in your shelter, the more your body heat will warm it, so do all of your personal business before entering the shelter and don't leave it until morning unless rescue arrives.
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Tips & Warnings
Even though you are in the wilderness, you may find much human trash to use. Plastic bags and newspapers are good additions to your shelter.
