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guest post

Guest Post: Building Your Shelter in Extreme Conditions

Last updated: April 19, 2022 by Canberk Koksal

Hey guys, what's up? Melanie here. Today we're here for a guest post by Angela Williams of thesurvivalcorps.com. She's going to give some tips on building your own outdoor shelter in wooded areas, the desert, at the beach and on the snow.

That can be necessary in some survival conditions (hope it won't though), or you might have just watched The Revenant and want to try building yours. Either way, hope you'll find this post helpful for you. 

Mind you that this is NOT a super helpful, full of information type of post. It's just general ideas around building your own shelter.

Back to you now, Angela.

Thanks Melanie! Hello everyone, I'm Angela. Like Melanie said, I'll give you some tips while you're building your own outdoor shelter.

So as you know, unlike other animals, humans have an inherent need for shelter and there might be some situations that you didn't pack any tent. In that case, the only option would be to build your own.

If you'd like to read more about the importance of outdoor shelters, click here.

So, how do you go about building a reliable shelter outdoor that can offer you a secure and comfortable area to sleep and rest your back? Keep reading to find out.

Table of Contents
Building an Outdoor Shelter in Wooded Areas
Step 1: Find the right location
Step 2: Lay sticks against the backbone
Step 3: Pile debris over the lean-to frame
Step 4: Dig a fire pit
Building a Shelter in the Desert
Step 1: Find a good location
Step 2: Pile up sand around the rock outcroppings
Building a Shelter at the Beach
Step 1: Dig a trench
Step 2: Make a roof
Building a Shelter on Snow
Step 1: Clear your work area
Step 2: Dig a trench in the snow
Step 3: Mark the shelter for visibility
Step 4: Build a wind wall

Building an Outdoor Shelter in Wooded Areas

If you find yourself in wooded areas, the best type of outdoor shelter to build is a lean-to shelter. Interestingly, it is one of the easiest shelters to make in the wilderness. It provides you with sufficient protection from rain, wind and hot temperatures. It also provides you with a cover against wild animals. Follow these steps to build a lean-to shelter:

Step 1: Find the right location

Lean-to typically requires some sort of “backbone” against which the shelter will rest. The backbone can be fallen trees or boulders that act as a horizontal brace to lean brush or other sticks against. In fact, any sizeable stationary object can do. Alternatively, you can use some rope and a tarp (if available) to make a lean-to between two large trees.

Step 2: Lay sticks against the backbone

The second step is to place sticks to lean against the horizontal brace. Try to use sturdy sticks as they will act as the side wall of the shelter. Ensure you create enough space between the rods and the horizontal brace and the ground to give you enough room to crawl into comfortably.

You need to keep in mind that the larger the room in the lean-to, the harder it will be to keep yourself warm. Also, remember to keep your lean-to closer to the ground. The low profile will provide you with further protection from the wind, and it will not catch attention.

Step 3: Pile debris over the lean-to frame

Using leaves, moss, and grass build a wall around your shelter. Such debris will provide you with additional insulation from the elements. Any tiny forest debris will do as long as you can pack it tightly on the wall frame of your shelter so that wind will not blow it away. For extra insulation, pile more of the forest debris on the interior and floor of the lean-to.

Step 4: Dig a fire pit

If the area in which you build your shelter is too cold, you can further provide insulation by starting a fire on the side of your lean-to. Just make sure it is a reasonable distance from the shelter to avoid any accidents. Put a ring of stones around the fire-pit to put a stop to any spreading fires.


Building a Shelter in the Desert

The problem with a desert is that you will not find foliage and vegetation that easily. Thus you will have to make do with what you have. Follow the following steps:

Step 1: Find a good location

In a desert, you will need to pay attention to your surrounding environment to find natural shelters to offer you a way out. Search for rock outcroppings or caves that tend to form natural trenches. You can use one of the trenches as a base to construct from.

Step 2: Pile up sand around the rock outcroppings

The second step in building your own outdoor shelter is to pile up sand around the rock outcroppings you initially identified. The sand piles will provide you with further insulation from the environmental elements.

If you have a canvas, a poncho or any kind of liner, use it as your roof. Secure the edges of your liner with sand or rocks but make sure you leave enough room to allow you passage into the shelter.

In case you lack any material to use as a liner, try foraging for natural supplies. Use anything at your disposal to form a roof whether leaves, sticks, brush or other things. The reputation of deserts is that they are very hot in the day and very cold at night. This shelter will insulate you from such extreme temperatures.


Building a Shelter at the Beach

Natural supplies are readily available on most beaches including lots of sand, driftwood, some trees, and even small woods. Therefore, building a shelter is very easy.

Step 1: Dig a trench

Beach sand is loose and therefore easy to dig up. Dig a trench large enough to accommodate you and your companion if any. Build three walls around the trench using sand. Compact the sand ato the best of your ability to provide it with strength.

Step 2: Make a roof

Try to find large driftwood and lay it over the trench to serve as a roof. The beams should be able to lie comfortably and stable on the compacted sand walls. Find leaves, bushes, shrubs, and shrubbery and lay them on the pole to form a thick roof over the trench. Use additional foliage to cushion the floor of the trench to provide you with a comfortable bed.


Building a Shelter on Snow

Snowing conditions present many problems because of the freezing temperatures and at times the fierce winds. Thus a shelter is necessary. Here is how to make one:

Step 1: Clear your work area

Start the process by clearing an area that measures approximately 8 feet in diameter. Pile mixed snow on the cleared area until you achieve a height of about 6 feet. The mixing of snow from various areas and layers adds to the strength and stability of the pile due to differences in core temperatures. Wait for an hour or so to allow the snow pile to harden

Step 2: Dig a trench in the snow

Building snow shelter is challenging. Digging into a snow-covered ground can be difficult. You may need to find a tool to help you with the digging. A shovel does it well, but you may not access one. You might need to improvise.

Once you are sure the snow has hardened, dig a cave from a single side to the middle part of the pile. Just hollow the cave until there is room enough for you and your companion if any. Allow more space for comfort. Poke a few ventilation holes on the side walls of the cave to allow enough air to flow in.

Step 3: Mark the shelter for visibility

Find ways to mark the shelter for easy identification. This becomes important if it continues snowing. The additional snow can impede the shelter taking you back to the starting point. You can mark using ski poles, sticks or any other appropriate thing.

Step 4: Build a wind wall

The last step in building a snow shelter is to build a wind wall. A few feet outside the entrance of your sanctuary, make another pile of snow to form a wall. The wall will offer your shelter protection against wind and other snow from blowing in the direction of your snow shelter.


A proper shelter can offer you protection from weather and other elements. It can provide you with a comfortable place to protect yourself & rest properly.

Keeping in mind that human beings might not survive for more than 3 hours in extreme outdoor weather condition and honing shelter making skills in all kinds of environments can make a big difference in a survival situation.

Happy trails!

Filed Under: Pro Tips Tagged With: guest post

Smart Thinking: What to Do If You Get Lost Hiking

Last updated: April 19, 2022 by Canberk Koksal

Hey guys, what's up?! Hope everyone is doing great because my favorite hiking season is here (I know some of you guys are like me...), and we're hitting the trails!

John Lewis; the blogger, survivalist and outdoor enthusiast of Epic Wilderness is with us for a guest post today. He'll mention some of the most important things to remember when you get lost hiking. Don't forget to take notes AND to pray you won't ever need those notes.

Getting lost while hiking is one of the biggest fears most hikers have. To best prepare for such a situation, you must get the necessary skills, information and gears to navigate your way back to safety. In terms of necessary gears, check out my site for additional information.

Table of Contents
Basics
Time to bring out those topographical maps
Use nature to navigate
Get your GPS out and navigate back to safety
Conclusion
References

Since we are blessed with technology, we can try and learn up all how to effectively use modern technology and take advantage of them. This includes rangefinders and handheld GPS receiver. Now, there are around 30 satellites orbiting the earth, ensuring that the reading of your device is accurate. 

Throughout this post, I will first introduce some things to do when you are lost, some traditional ways to find your way back and how you can use modern gadgets. Here are some tips on what you can do when you are lost in the mountain or forest!


Basics

No matter what tools you have, if you do not have your basics right, the probability of you getting back on a trail would be low. Here are some guidelines you can follow to improve your chances of surviving.

First, you should ‘stop’, which is basically keeping your cool and staying put. Instead of complaining about the situation you are in, it’d be better to put your attention towards solving the problem at hand rather wasting energy on blaming yourself. 

Also, if you walk any further when you are lost, it would most probably make you harder to find by rescuers as compared to staying put. The only exception is that you have strong reasons to trudge further. However, it is usually the case that you will be clear on where you should go only after you stop awhile and reflect.

Next, you can start strategizing how to get back to your trail. You must take note of landmarks that are present along the way. Even if you start walking around, you need to find a way to recognize how you can get back to your initial position.

"Wait, I remember this trunk!"

Only when you are clear, observant and have a good plan, your rate of success of making it out alive would be much higher! 


Time to bring out those topographical maps

Sometimes, going back to the most basic ways of navigating can save your life! It is not practical to solely rely on your GPS to navigate since we cannot know what will happen, especially when you are hiking outdoors. If you understand how to read a map and navigate effectively with it, you have an edge as compared to hikers who do not possess this skill.

Map reading requires you to be able to visualize a 3-Dimensional picture of the area in your mind. Only when you can do such visualizations and you have a good sense of direction (by using a compass for example), only then you can navigate with a map efficiently.

However, bear in mind that most topographical maps are outdated and what you see on your map may be a bit different from what you see in real life. Nevertheless, it is one of the most basic ways of navigating which every hiker should master!

Knowing your orientation would be tricky as well and most people usually require a compass to be capable of telling their orientation. The only thing to be cautious of is that the ‘magnetic’ north of the compass may be affected if you are near another magnetic field, rather than working with the magnetic pole. You can also buy a compass which has clinometer which allows you to measure the angle of a slope or luminescent markings which helps you read the compass at night.


Use nature to navigate

Didn’t bring anything to help you navigate? Don't worry because you still have an option. Navigating using nature would also mean navigating using your surroundings.

If you resort to this option, those basic rules would apply. Primarily, if you are on a trail, try to stay on the trail. However, if you are unable to find any other way, follow a stream or a drainage downhill because they usually lead to a road.

In the daytime, you can utilize the sun to navigate. As for night time, you can learn to rely on the stars and constellations for navigation. You can rely on the Polar Star, one of the brightest stars in the sky to find the true north. To find this Polar Star, you can first search for the Big Dipper. The two stars that form the right-side Big Dipper’s cup, when it’s lined up, would directly point to the Polar Star.

Celestial navigation is easier with a sextant.

You can also consider doing a makeshift compass. Basically, you will need a large leaf, a compass needle and a magnet to build this. The first step is to rub your magnet against the needle for nearly 30 times to ensure that it is magnetized. Later, put the needle on the leaf which is placed on top of a pool of water. Give it some time until the needle repositions itself to point from North to South.


Get your GPS out and navigate back to safety

There are two main parts I want to discuss about navigating using a handheld GPS receiver: (1) I'll talk about how ‘scouting’ can help you reduce your probability of getting lost (and increase the probability of getting back on track when you are lost) and; (2) I'll talk about how navigational aids can be your lifesaver. 

Concerning ‘scouting’, it is a practice where you observe the surroundings of the route you are hiking before actually doing it. First, you need to use a computer and utilize internet resources such as Google Maps to explore your route. Mark those places which interests you and the route which you must take.

After marking down those locations, transfer those waypoints into your handheld unit. These waypoints are a convenient for you to navigate especially when you are hiking on foot. If you abide by this practice, the probability of you getting lost while hiking is lower.

Concerning ‘navigational aids’, they are an equipment which you can equip with your handheld GPS receiver or you can use it in isolation. Since GPS receivers are only made with radio signal receivers and a logic chip, it would not be capable of sending out your location. This is where the navigational aid would come into the picture to help send out your location.

There are two common transmitters which are used, namely the Personal Locator Beacons and the Satellite Messengers. Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) are only used in severe emergency situations. When your PLB is activated, it sends out an emergency signal which is picked up by the Worldwide Satellite System, which sends the message to the appropriate Rescue Control Center which has the task of dispatching a Search and Rescue Team to assist you.

As for Satellite Messengers, they allow you to communicate short text messages and your location to your family or friends. Casual hikers should bring along a Satellite messenger or equip it with your GPS. Satellite messengers rely on 2 commercial satellites rather than the military network utilized by the PLB. 


Conclusion

Exploring different options you have while you are lost would be your best bet for survival. It would be wise to learn up survival skills too, such as being able to make a survival shelter or survival fire when you need one. When you are hiking up, the temperature will decrease which makes your body warmth a really important factor for survival.

If you have any thoughts you want to share, feel free to comment below!

Turn your phone sideways for a much better table display!


References

  1. Topographic Maps. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topographic_map
  2. Celestial Navigation. Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_navigation

Filed Under: Pro Tips Tagged With: guest post, hiking, how to, tips

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Hey, what's up? Canberk here. I try to approach outdoor gear from a scientific point of view. Here's more about me.

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