Basic Survival Skills: Shelter
Learning how to create shelter is one of the most basic survival skills.
The world is a noisy place. I know I’m not the only person who feels that way. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of things. However, every once in a while, it’s not bad for us to slip away for some quiet time. You could even say it is important for us to do so. It also seems undeniable that the outdoors is a great place for finding stillness. This seems so obvious. People have been going on quiet retreats for thousands of years all over the world. In many cases, this involves going into nature. As great as the outdoors can be, anyone who spends time there should have some basic survival skills.
Don’t let the new Disney movies fool you, nature isn’t all love and harmony. The reality is that the outdoors poses some very genuine dangers. These dangers don’t have to stop us from enjoying the outdoors, but we do need some basic survival skills before we go adventuring. A few of the most basic skills are fire, shelter, water, navigation, food, and blade work. In this article, we’ll help beginners understand some basic shelter skills.
BASIC SURVIVAL SKILLS: Shelter
Shelter might very well be the most overlooked survival skill. In his book Tom Brown’s Field Guide: Wilderness Survival shelter is the second topic discussed. It comes only after discussing the importance of having a proper mindset. Why? Because you can go three weeks without food, and three days without water, but 30 minutes without proper shelter might cost you your life.
Clothing
If you want to get down to the brass tacks, clothing truly is your first form of shelter. A frontiersmen once said you had to dress in way so you could lay out on the prairie for three days and survive. Once you understand that, you’ll understand the importance of dressing properly.
Wearing proper clothing really depends on your geography. There can be no one set rule. Personally, I think it is appropriate to look at history and see what people wore and try to mimic that. Long pants and long sleeves, or shorts and flip flops? Both could be appropriate in certain situations. Think about what your biggest geographic challenges are and how you can dress to protect yourself. Are there thorns and brambles, or is it cold and wet? Geography should impact the way you dress.
Tents
If you have dressed appropriately, the next consideration you’ll want to make is to have a shelter to stay in. As you learn more about outdoor living, you might begin to construct primitive or natural shelters. At first, however, using a tent is probably the best option.
When it comes to selecting a tent, there are a few considerations to take into account.
Material
One of the first decisions you’ll need to make is what material you want your tent to be made of. Broadly speaking, there are two categories; modern and traditional.
Modern materials such as nylon or polyester, have a few big advantages. Generally speaking, they are lightweight for their size. This makes them ideal for backpackers or anyone looking to keep weight down. Tents made from modern materials also tend to be the most affordable option. Of course, this depends on a variety of factors, but you can find plenty of options for less than $100. Lastly, modern tents are generally easy to set up. People have figured out how to use fiberglass poles and light stakes to create adequate shelters that can be set up in a few minutes.
The biggest downside to modern materials is that they may not be as durable as traditional materials. Of course, this also depends on how you treat the tent. Also, although modern tents are great for summer use, many are too lightweight for colder weather. Companies do make cold-weather tents out of modern materials, but that does drive the price up.
Tents are also made out of more traditional materials like canvas. Canvas tents are basically the opposite of modern tents. They are expensive, heavy, and may take longer to set up. However, a good canvas tent is durable, rugged, and great for all types of weather. I currently still use a canvas tent that is probably older than I am. It still works great but is hard to pack and heavy to toss around. The materials choice is all about trade-offs.
Design
In addition to material differences, there are also design choices to make. Tents come in lots of different styles. Rather than try to explain each type, it might be most helpful to look at some design concepts and what they offer.
First off, dome tents are probably the most common tent design these days. Dome tents are almost always made from modern materials. As mentioned, they generally use fiberglass poles to quickly create a structure for the tent. Dome tents are great because they are easy and fast to set up. However, dome tents do not offer the most usable room. They also are not ideal for extreme winds or snowy situations.
Other tents come in more of a tipi design. Tipi tents come in both modern and traditional materials. As you might guess, they come to a point at the top. The biggest advantages of tipi tents are that they do well in high wind areas, and can also be good if you anticipate snow. On the downside, tipi tents offer a small area to live in.
One feature that will increase the living size of any tent design is having a sidewall. Sidewalls are just vertical walls that come up from the tent floor. A 24” sidewall can greatly increase the living space in a tent. However, because sidewalls require more poles, they are heavier and take longer to set up.
Finally, wall tents are another option. Wall tents are usually the biggest and most luxurious tent design. As you might guess, they are characterized by walls extending up from the ground. These walls come up four or five feet, making them a different design than basic sidewalls. Of course, the great advantage of a wall tent is that they offer a lot of room to move around. On the downside, they use the most expensive, take the longest to set up, and are the heaviest. However, if you plan on staying in one place for an extended period of time, they are hard to beat.
Selecting a Site
When you are ready to pitch your tent, it’s important to select an appropriate site. Again, an appropriate site might mean different things in different areas. Basically, examine an area and see what the potential hazards could be. The list of potential dangers is probably endless, but here are a few things to consider:
Is there a potential for a flash flood? If so, avoid dry creek beds and head for higher ground.
Are there dead trees around that could fall on the tent? If so, choose a location with more living trees.
Is there a danger of lightning in a particular place? Lightning is indiscriminate. However, if you can find lower locations and areas in timber you increase your odds of safely riding out a storm.
Another consideration is temperature. Do you want a site that is colder or warmer? Remember, cold air settles. So, if you’re looking to stay cool, find a low spot. If the opposite is true, head for higher ground.
All of these hazards can be mitigated, but perhaps eliminated, by selecting different site locations.
You’ll also need to select sites that follow all local and federal regulations. This might mean camping a certain distance away from trails and water sources. This is 100 feet in some areas, but that can change in others.
If you have horses or other pack animals, you'll also have to consider their grazing opportunity. Your pack animals are the ones doing the work when you move camp. Ensuring they get enough forage to fill their bellies is another one of your top considerations.
Site Preparation and Setup
Once you have selected your camping site, the next thing to do is make sure it is prepared before you actually set up your tent. When preparing your site, remove rocks, limbs, and other objects from the area. Of course, you don’t want to spend the night with a rock in your back. In some areas, this is unavoidable, so do the best you can. It might also be worth your time removing objects that will be bothersome. This could mean pulling weeds or tromping down an area is worth the effort.
Once a site is selected and prepared, the next consideration is how to set it up. Campsite setup doesn’t have any one right answer. However, there are some general guidelines to follow. One of the biggest considerations is to keep your kitchen and food away from your tents. Really, any items that have an odor (toothpaste, deodorant) should be separate from your cooking area. This is most important in bear country but not a bad habit in any case. If you are going to have an open fire, it’s also a good idea to create a fire ring. Use rocks from the surrounding area, but avoid using rocks from creeks or streams. Waterlogged rocks can explode as the moisture inside expands. Finally, set up the camping area so it is functional. Keep your gear organized instead of scattering things here and yonder. If you have animals, keep them far enough away from camp that they can’t get tangled up in your gear. However, they need to be close enough so you can keep an eye on them.
Tent Set Up
Here is where things get specific to your tent. Make sure you actually know how to set your tent up and have the tools and gear to get the job done. It’s a great idea to do this at home before you leave. Although tent setup is unique for each tent, here are some general guidelines:
-Set the tent stakes first. They should snug the tent but not draw it overly tight.
-Use your guy ropes. Guy ropes are attached to the side and extend out from the tent. They help to pull the exterior tight. It helps to tie some fluorescent tape on these to avoid tripping on them the rest of your camping trip.
It’s important to have a tent that you know how to set up and that keeps you comfortable. Having adequate shelter is definitely one of the most important things when spending time in the outdoors. It starts with dressing appropriately for your geography. It also includes understanding what type of tent you need and how to set it up. If you can do that, you can help protect yourself from the elements. Although the outdoors are a great place to enjoy, it is important to know how to shield yourself from the conditions as well. Shelter starts with dressing appropriately, and then moves to selecting a suitable shelter, and knowing how and where to set it up. If you can do those basic things, you are on the right track to understanding the basic survival skill of shelter.