Shelter
Shelter is extremely important when living in the wild. In extreme weather, exposure can kill. When looking for a place to build a shelter, follow these guidelines:
Possible shelters include:
- Do not build your camp in the path of a possible rockfall
- Avoid wet ground
- Build your camp in the shelter of the trees, but away from any dead trees that might fall
- Build your camp close to a water source, but away from danger of flooding and signs of animal use and far enough away so that the sound of water does not cover the sound of potential danger (like animals)
- Build your shelter facing away from the wind
- Collect water upstream of your campsite; wash clothes and dishes downstream of your campsite
- Dig your latrine downwind and downstream of your campsite
Possible shelters include:
- Lean-tos: an easy-to-construct shelter, consisting of a platform of interwoven sticks and leaves supported on one end with sticks driven into the ground; can be improved by adding a waterproof roof and walls
- Log cabins: if you are planning on staying in one place for a very long time, you can build a log cabin by stacking up logs in a rectangular shape and sealing cracks with mud and moss
- Natural hollows: be careful the entire structure is completely immovable; if you must dig into the ground, be careful not to disturb the foundations
- Caves: explore the cave completely before using it; build the fire at the back of the cave so smoke does not blow back inside