Survival Shelter Building Skills

by Winyan Staz Wakien
(Arlington, WA, USA)

When you add your material to sleep on. Put it in about 1 foot or so thick. Then get inside your shelter and lay around on your material to mash it down firmly.

Get back out and do the same thing two more times at the very least. 1 foot is not thick enough unless you are already warmly dressed and have blankets etc.

If you have no blankets etc. You will want to add even more to the outside as well as inside, and just leave enough room to burrow into the pile.

When you add your outside layers. Place them from the bottom up. Like shingles so that the rain etc will run off better.

As mentioned...don't forget to add a few small branches to hold your shingles in place so the wind doesn't blow them off. Also,be sure your support log will be strong enough for all the weight. Especially if it is going to snow.


Be a wilderness survivor, not a wilderness victim.