Building Survival Shelters

Stay alive in three of the most hostile environments.

- Reuben Bolieu

“ Hiker Lost in the Wild”—an all too common news headline. 

We might all have had that feeling at one time or another of a sudden loss of orientation. It doesn’t take much before the feeling of panic strikes.

More than wild animals and the bogeyman, there is nothing more dangerous than the unknowns in our environment. Most people who perish in the wilderness do so from exposure. Weather can quickly change, and what starts out as a clear, sunny day can easily end up a long, cold, snowy night.

Here are a few simple—but useful—tips to help maximize your chances of enduring an unexpected night in the wild inside easily constructed shelters.

These survival shelters can be constructed using common tools you might be carrying with you during a hunt, fishing expedition, hike or while out shooting for the day. These tools are usually small fixed-blades and multi-tools.

WOODLAND SHELTERS 

A debris hut is a shelter that is easy to make but requires some work and a generous amount of time. Most of the construction can be done with your hands and a decent pair of gloves for protection against splinters, thorns and creepy-crawlies.

One tool that is very small and lightweight is a Swiss Army Knife, which is often considered standard gear for many outdoorsmen. Many models are equipped with a great wood saw perfect for cutting tree boughs for the construction of a debris hut.

Longleaf pine trees (loblolly, slash, Eastern white and Virginia pine) grow in the southern area of the United States and are quite useful in constructing a debris shelter.