The document discusses various types of survival shelters that can be constructed in wilderness environments using natural materials. It describes shelters such as tarps tied between trees, lean-tos made by leaning branches against each other and covering them with leaves or grass, and digging shelters into sand dunes, hills, or snow. The key requirements for effective shelters are that they protect from weather, are comfortable for resting, and are constructed from locally available materials.

1. Matt Petrie
KEPA 119
4/16/09

2.  If there is a situation where a shelter is going to be
needed then it should be one of first things to taken care
of.
 People cannot survive in harsh weather conditions for
more than a few hours where people can go for weeks
without food.
 An emergency blanket or tarp, some rope, and a knife
can be very useful.
 The shelter should not be too much bigger than the
person or too smaller either. It should be enough to keep
the warmth in and big enough to be comfortable.

3.  The shelter must protect you from the heat, cold,
rain, snow, and wind.
 It should be comfortable for resting and sleeping.
 If your lost you want to be found, which may be hard
if the shelter is made of the surroundings.
 If the need for shelter arises it is you against the
elements and the wilderness so think against the
environment you want a solid shelter.

4.  One of the easiest and
fastest to set up.
 Need a tarp, some rope
and some trees or stakes.
 Tie the rope from one
tree or post to another
one and hang the tarp
over it.
 Use rocks the hold the
corners down so you
don’t have to make holes
The above is a variation of the tarp shelter it
in the tarp. provides better cover and protection from the
wind

5. The tarp lean to is very similar to the tent because it is
made with using the same materials .Wrap the tarp around
so it is even and pull the string tight. Use rocks or stakes to
secure the back end of it.

6. The tarp tepee is another
easy and fast shelter.
It uses a rope to tie the tarp
together at the top after it is
wrapped around like a
tepee.
Then pull the rope over a
tree and tie it off use rocks
on the bottom to hold the
tarp down.
The tepee is ideal for wet or
windy environments
because it closes off.

7.  A good shelter if you have a lot of branches and
leaves available to you.
 Lean one branch against another to form a sloped
roof.
 Add branches to the sides for walls using the smaller
branches to help keep the insulation from falling in
then cover them with leaves, grass, pine needles,
anything that will help cover.
 More is better you want your shelter to be water
proof.]
 Leave a pile of insulating materials by the door so
you can pull them to you to cover your entrance.

9.  For use in wooded areas, using trees ass posts
works best.
 Use rope or vines to tie the first support beam across
the posts. Then tie 5-8 posts to the support beam to
create the frame work for the lean to.
 Add brush, grass, ect… for cover. Build from bottom
up like roof shingles to waterproof.
 A fire reflector can be added by stacking up green
logs with post and covering them with dirt on the side
with the flame

11.  In a swamp or marsh area with continually wet ground the swamp
bed is a good choice to make sure you are above the flow of the
water..
 Find 4 clustered trees or cut 4 poles and drive them to the ground
so they form a rectangle. Secure 2 poles or branches long ways
make sure that the structure can support your weight and your
equipment.
 Then tie posts across going down the structure and cover it with
bedding material so its comfortable.

12.  If you are in an area with evergreens and snow you
can build this shelter
 To build the tree pit snow shelter a shovel is needed
 Find a tree with bushy branches that provide
overhead cover . Dig out the snow around the are
until you get to the size you want to hit the ground.
 Pack the snow around the top and inside of the hole
to add support.
 Use evergreen boughs over the top for cover and on
the inside.

14.  Look for a depression in the ground or dig a hole.
 Drag branches to cover the hole then cover them
with leaves and other materials to keep dry.
 Then put a tarp or dirt to cover the leaves other
materials to keep them from blowing away.
 A nice shelter that provides cover using natural
supplies.

16.  Collect drift wood or other natural material to use a support
beams.
 Select a place that is above the high water mark. Then dig a
trench running north to south so it receives little sunlight.
 Mound soil on three sides of the trench the higher the mound
the more space inside.
 Use the support beams that span the trench on top of the
mounds to form the framework for a roof.
 Use grass and leaves for bedding.

17.  Depending on if you are in a sandy or rocky area the
method for building the shelter will be different.
 Dig a trench between two dunes or rock formations,
large enough for comfort and pile the sand on 3
sides. On the open end dig out more sand so you
have easier access . Then cover with your tarp or
material.
 If possible fold the tarp in half leaving an a gap in
between this will provide for a cooler shelter.
 Or shelter that is open from all sides can be
constructed.

19.  Find a hilltop or small ridge where it is not too hard to
dig you need to be able to dig to the other side. This
shelter could provide for a group if made large
enough.

20.  Dig away the hillside to give you enough space to
move around in. There should be a large flat area for
you to sleep in.

21.  Cover the dug out area with logs or poles. Then dig
out a fire pit. The reason this shelter uses the terrain
it does is so that it can have a chimney for the fire
there are other ways to vent as well. Careful not to
use dry or dead material because they will burn
easily.

22.  For the door make a small dug out so the fire can
draw in air without brining it across the sleeping area
then add leaves and soil to cover the poles.

23.  You want a few feet of covering to make sure the
shelter is water proof.

24.  You can add grass and other materials to the ground
for bedding and comfort. This is a side view and
gives a good example of how some shelters will
conceal you which could prevent rescue if you need
it.

25.  “Survival Shelter Building Skills.” Shelter. April 16
2009.
<http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Skills/Shelter/Shelt
er.htm>
 “Shelter Building.” April 16th 2009.
<http://www.basegear.com/shelters.html>
 FM 21-76 US Army Survival Manual
 “Types of Shelters.” April 16 2009.
http://www.wlderness-survival.net/shelters-2.php