Shelter close to water

[?] Subscribe To This Site

Shelter close to water

by Josh
(US)

Any shelter should be close to water, insects or not. If you are even within hiking distance, you're going to have insects. Im sure of this because I'm an avid hunter and fisherman.

Comments for
Shelter close to water

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Rating

Another reason to camp a bit away
by: Winyan Staz

A very good reason to camp at least a bit away from your water source is that bears and other preditors such as the cougars, use the streams as a highway and they travel up and down the sides looking for other animals that have come to drink.
So do two-legged varmets as well.
Give them some room and keep yourself safer..camp away from the water but close enough you can hike down for some water.

Rating

Shelter Away From Water Source
by: Anonymous

The reasons given for sheltering away from the water sources are all sound. It is also good camp discipline to bring your water to camp for cooking and sanitation. You don't want to dump dirty water too near to a water source to avoid excess contamination. Also consider cooking and storing cookwear, food, and smellables far away from your sleep shelter, to avoid predation while you are dreaming.

Rating

away from water
by: Shaykh Idris

It is not just insects that get at one who camped close to water; apart from animals that come to drink, there may be such creatures as Alligators & crocodiles, both of them partial to campers, especially such as have caught a few fish and have them set nearby. Another matter is that good old flash flood, the one where it rains fifty miles upstream, but takes out everything downstream. Surely, tote your water to your camp from the stream or lagoon, but don't sleep within seeing distance of it. Unless you are on a boat!

Rating

reply to anonymous
by: Josh

That is very true. Although you said you live in Washington...I can see where you are coming from. I am in NC near the coast and everywhere there is water. But yes the mosquitoes here are also inescapable. Thank you for commenting!

Rating

Still...
by: Anonymous

In the northern Washington forests where I live, regardless of water, the mosquitoes are inescapable in the summer without repellent, a fire, or a sealed shelter, so I agree with you on the bug idea, but that is not the only flaw with sheltering near water. First of all, if the ground is wetter than usual, it can put a giant damper on retaining warmth. Also, unless it's only a small stream or pool, water can also bring with it cooler air temperatures. If you have ever stuck your head into a creek culvert, you will know that there is always a cold wind coming out the other end. Cold air is not desirable for a shelter.
You are right when it comes to the bugs, but unless you are willing to put tons of effort into bedding, I disagree with your theory of "always camp next to water."

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Survival shelter tips

Shelter close to water

Comments for Shelter close to water

Comments for
Shelter close to water