Shelter

Building a Shelter
Shelter is one of the most important things you can have, make, or find in a survival situation. Remember the Rule of Threes. It is the essential part of your Camp.

Shelter, aside from air, is one of if not the most important thing(s) to have, make, or find should the situation arise that you are in an emergency situation. It is a crucial part of a bugout bag, and will protect you from the elements or, depending on how you construct it, it will hide you from sight so you can rest a little easier. When it comes to shelters, there are a few things you could do to get in from the elements, such as:


 * Use a Tarp: Tarps are by and large an essential item for your bugout bag, emergency kit, home shelter kit, bunker, or really any other situation. Tarps can be crafted into tents, lean-tos, covers for holes, and more. Strictly speaking in a shelter sense, tarps are excellent to have. Pin them up with some paracord around two trees and voila, you have a tent.


 * Find a Cave: This is fairly self explanatory. If you are in a place like the Ozarks, there are a lot of potential cave openings to shelter in. Just don't go too deep into the cave! You could fall down a shaft, get lost, drown even, and always always be careful of the rain!


 * Create a lean-to with Wood:

Method One: Find two Y shaped sticks that are fairly large, or create an X with two sticks, that give your best attempts, are shaped like a Y. Dig them into the ground. Find another stick and lay it between the Y longways (hotdog style). Find more sticks and lean them against your new hotdog branch. Create a wall. Then, find leaves and sticks with leaves on them and lay them against the wall and sides, creating an opening at the front. Be sure to dig things into the ground for stability.

Method Two: Find some fairly large wood pieces (this would be a great time to use a Hatchet!) and lean them against a tree in a circle formation. Be sure to dig the bottoms of the wood into the dirt for stability, and cover them, if you can. Then, find some branches with leaves on them, and create some walls by leaning the leaves up against the tree, digging the stem into the dirt like you did the other logs. Be sure to layer them so that the walls are thick. Finally, take some mud if you have it, and if your layers of leaves are thick enough, and fill in your walls.

If you are in a rocky desert, consider:


 * Finding a Cave: There are a few caves in the desert, surprisingly, and if you can find one they make for good shelter.


 * Digging a Hole: I'm serious. The ground stays warm during the night with residual heat and digging a hole, if you can afford to, will help you stay warm at night. Very helpful to have a tarp to cover your hole.

Shelter in Place
If you can shelter in place, sustainably, then do that. Bugout only if you're sure you need to. Why? Because you can stockpile equipment, food, water, you can await rescue if applicable, you don't have to make a shelter because you already have one, it is likely defensible, at least moreso than a lean-to would be, and so on. There are several reasons to remain where you are if you feasibly can.

Things to consider when sheltering in place:


 * Do I have enough water to survive until help arrives/I find a new source of water?


 * Do I have enough food for the same purposes?


 * How will I recharge my electronics?


 * Do I have a way to monitor the outside world (think an emergency radio, a handheld ham radio, or so on)?


 * Am I safe in my surroundings (what kind of area do I live in/am I at risk of natural disasters/etc)?

It helps to have a list of things you have, need, and can get rid of if need be. Put this list in a well trafficked area of your house, apartment, or condo, and check it often to keep it updated. When SHTF, immediately fill up your bathtub, sinks, and buckets from your hose, if you have any buckets and/or a hose. This will stretch your water rations. As well, make sure you have some seeds, if you have a yard, in case long term survival is necessary. Some fertilizer stored away will go a long way as well.

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