Importance of knowing how to build a shelter

Overtime i've built quite a few shelters and each time I learn something new, and in some way I always improve and my confidence in shelter building gets better.

Some people have never made a shelter before nor plan to do so because they feel it's pointless as adults to be building shelters. Some people say "Ah I an build one if I needed to" well that may be true, at first I thought the same. When i started to build a shelter i made lots of errors and practise fixed most of those. Sure the chances of being in a survival sitation arnt very good but you never know, spending that weekend or two working on shelters is not a bad idea. Some people thing it may be childish to be building shelters as adults, try telling that to people like Les or Bow or Ray.

If you fail to prepare you prepare to fail, why not give it a chance.

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

Right you are my friend. Smile

It's harder than it looks. Surprised

I'm going to work on this soon. Cool

Nothing childish about practicing survival no matter what it is that you are practicing.
Shelter building is really important, right up there with fire making. I must say i haven't practiced enufe on my shelter building Confused

but, i know i can make one, and have the tools to do it. But practice is the best to keep your building skills in check. Cool

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A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Last edited by Drummer Dave on Sat Nov 24, 2007 12:27 pm; edited 1 time in total

	Drummer Dave wrote:
	Nothing childish about practicing survival no matter it is that you are practicing. Shelter building is really important, right up there with fire making. I must say i haven't practiced enufe on my shelter building but, i know i can make one, and have the tools to do it. But practice is the best to keep your building skills in check.

100% agree.

The cool thing I find when building the same type of shelter over and over you tend to get wild ideas that really improve the quality of the shelter. Just little tricks here and there, whether its a better way to control water flow, or a possibitily of putting a fire inside it always helps.

This isnt only used for quality of shelter. Saftey is a key aspect in proper building and when you make your first couple of shelters they tend to suck. When I built my first lean to it was quite a disaster. It looked cool but when I was almsot done it started to fall, very slowly but eventually was on the ground. It basically fell into the fire. If i was sleeping in it I probavly wouldnt notice that it fell because it went done so slow. it went into the fire so it would ahve burned. Thats the last thing you want when you are sleeping under it.

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

That would be really bad. Shocked

I get what you're saying about how it is hard the first time. You have to practice until it becomes second nature and you can do it automatically. Smile

Good topic. Cool

I don't expect my 1st shelter is going to be great or anything like that I think It will be crappy but I will try Very Happy

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You have to start somewhere. Very Happy

Hope it goes well. Cool

making pictures of your shelter is a good idea, gives you room for people to give constructive critisism (SP?). When i first started out Adi from the old Les forum helped me out with some pointers.

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

im going to be building my first shelter next weekend Very Happy

although i have made alot of forts and stuff in the bush as a kid but i also used nails and wood lol
i plan to build a shelter with just what ever is around me in the bush to see how it goes

I agree totally, my learned to build debris shelters and thought they were awesome and that I could build one if I needed to. But then I got bored one day and decided why not, lets try. And it was a LOT harder than it looked to get a decent one. Needless to say, I would have frozen my rear off that first night. As time progressed and I am into only my 4th shelter, my technique has improved significantly. Everything from location to material location and collection to amounts put in. Hopefully with a few more I will have a good grasp on this shelter and can start working on another one, or maybe integrating a fireplace of sorts to heat more. Great topic

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We only have one Earth, take care of her and she will take care of you. ~ probably someone else

Great stuff brian.

Its the little things you dont consider, these are the factors that made my first shelters not very comfotable/useable. For example I didnt check for wind dirrection in my locations at first. If there is too much wind, its a bad location. And if you dont consider the wind and build your shelter the wrong dirrection it will be come a wind tunnel. I didnt that with my first shelter and had to build a wall infront. Also at one point my shelter was always full with smoke from the fire.

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

Yeah, if you build it facing the wind it will become a parachute. Shocked

Or the building your shelter on lower ground or on a slope without taking that into account for the way you lay, or the lack of insulation which is ok during the day in summer, but at night...lets just say not an enjoyable experience. Laughing

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We only have one Earth, take care of her and she will take care of you. ~ probably someone else

^All important things to think about. Cool

All of next week I'm going to be at my cabin. Building shelters is going to be one of my focus points of the week Smile

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Limitations are created only in the mind.
Only by ignoring them can one truly be great.

cool take pics if you want Very Happy

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Yes, please do. We would all love to see it. Very Happy