Survive!

by Les Stroud

  The Lean-To: A Short-Term/Long-Term Hybrid

  Straddling the line between emergency short-term shelter and long-term shelter is the lean-to. This structure requires some constructive effort, making it more effort than a true emergency short-term shelter, but not really suitable as a long-term shelter because it has many drawbacks.

  The lean-to offers wind protection from only one side. This may be fine if the wind always comes at you from only one direction. But if the wind changes, the lean-to offers little, if any, protection against the elements, and you will find yourself getting slammed with wind and rain on your bed and your fire. In addition, absolutely no heat is retained in a lean-to.

  When weather isn’t an issue or scarcity of building materials makes constructing a full shelter challenging, use the lean-to. To build a lean-to, place a cross beam between two trees that are far enough apart to fit your sleeping body. The cross beam should also be high enough to allow you to sit up comfortably. If you can’t find two trees a suitable distance apart, you can make do with two Y-shaped branches or tripods. Place these far enough apart to fit your sleeping body, and drive them into the ground. Lay the cross beam between the two Y supports.

  I wouldn’t want to spend a very long time in a lean-to, though it’s okay for a night or two. If you’re going to the effort of making one, why not make another wall and build yourself a proper A-frame, which is a terrific long-term shelter.

  Line the cross beam with branches (use as many as you can), which will act as the ribbing for your roof. The steeper the ribbing, the more effectively the roof will shed rain. If you have plastic sheeting, drape the sheeting across the ribbing as a waterproofing layer. Be careful not to puncture the sheeting.

  If you don’t have a tarp, crisscross a layer of windbreak/roofing materials over the ribbing. Keep adding layers until you feel the shelter will provide the protection you need.

  To reinforce your lean-to, you can build a short wall underneath the high end of the structure. Drive two sets of stakes into the ground, far enough apart to hold the logs you will use for the wall.

  Stack logs inside these stakes. You can make the wall more airtight by filling the cracks between the logs with dirt, grass, moss, or any other suitable material you can find. Once complete, this kind of wall works well as a fire reflector, particularly if built with green logs, which don’t ignite as quickly as older logs.

  Lean-tos are not my favorite shelter in any location where wind is an issue—which is almost everywhere. In a place like the Amazon jungle, however, where the near-constant rain comes down in torrents, these shelters can be quite effective, especially if the roof hangs far enough over the front.

  Consider the lean-to as your first step toward a more secure A-frame structure. Close in the open side of a lean-to and you have an A-frame that is strong and protected on all sides.

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  STROUD’S TIP

  Lack of sleep is extremely dangerous and will lead to frustration, clouded thinking, clumsiness, depression, and despair. But sleeping during the day in the warmth of the sun reduces your chances of rescue. So ensure that you get as much sleep at night as possible by making a good shelter.

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  In the Amazon, Kinta, one of my Waorani guides, taught me to use banana leaves to rain-proof my lean-to.

  Long-Term Shelters

  Making the transition from emergency short-term shelter to long-term shelter is necessary if you realize that rescue is not coming soon. Crawling into a pile of leaves might work for a night or two, but it’s not going to keep you alive for three weeks and proves particularly uncomfortable in the rain.

  As you consider your long-term shelter, think comfort. Try to build a temporary home that will at least allow you to sit up. Being able to stand in your shelter is a luxury that few wilderness shelters can accommodate, so don’t make this your goal. The following shelters can be created in many geographic regions, depending on the natural features and materials available.

  Finding a Long-Term Shelter: The ideal long-term shelter is one that you don’t have to make at all, saving you an incredible amount of energy…and potential grief. If you’re on the move, the key is to determine, calmly, whether you should spend the night in the dry cave you just stumbled across or keep moving, in which case you’ll have to make a shelter in a few hours anyway.

  In fact, in some parts of the world—especially North America—local authorities construct survival cabins in strategic locations throughout the wilderness. These structures not only provide much-needed shelter in emergencies, they are usually stocked with a small supply of survival gear and food.

  As part of your trip planning and preparation, you should look into the availability of such shelters and note their locations on your topographical maps. I once came upon such a shelter in the northern Canadian region of Labrador, after a long day of running a dog team and with bad weather closing in. Though the relatively new, 100-square-foot (9-m2) cabin had no food or supplies, it came with a wood stove and some split wood, turning my concerns about staying dry and comfortable that night into non-issues.

  Beyond man-made structures, your next best option is finding a natural shelter that will serve your long-term needs, although these are rare in some areas. The best natural shelter is one that you don’t have to build, that is big enough, and that allows you to have a fire inside. One of the few structures that fits these criteria is a cave. In Utah, I found shelter in a small cave that had been used by Butch Cassidy and the “Wild Bunch” during their desperado days.

  Because I had consulted with local expert David Holladay before the trip, I knew that the type of rock in this cave didn’t “calve off,” so it was safe to make a fire inside.

  A rock “calf” big enough to crush you.

  The danger you’ll face in a cave is making a fire inside it. As you can imagine, the rocks that form caves are not used to heat, so a fire may lead to a fracture and cause a piece of rock to break off from the cave roof.

  If you’re lucky enough to find a large cave, don’t get lost while exploring it. Mark the walls or the floor, or even tie a piece of cord to the cave mouth. Bear in mind that caves sometimes have occupants already or may attract other animals seeking shelter while you’re there. If you do make a fire, build it near the cave mouth to prevent other animals from entering (then again, some of those animals seeking shelter could be a source of food!).

  Complete natural and man-made shelters are rare. Don’t expend energy going out of your way to search for one; just consider yourself extremely fortunate if you find one.

  When discussing natural winter shelters, many survival manuals mention “tree wells,” snowless rings found at the base of coniferous trees and surrounded by walls of snow, which (they say) require no additional construction (not true; they always do). I have spent many winter nights snowshoeing around the forests of North America, and I rarely find one of these magical, ready-to-sleep-in, tree-well snow shelters. They are predominant, however, in the mountains of the North American West Coast, but finding one takes a lot of searching and wastes your time and energy. You’ll likely have to make a tree-pit shelter, which I discuss later in this chapter.

  If you can’t find a cave, the next best natural shelter is an overhang.

  Making Your Own Long-Term Shelters: The thing to remember about these shelters is that they can be built in many geographic regions, depending on the natural features and materials you have on hand. Your ability to construct a viable long-term shelter, as with so many survival tasks, depends on your adaptability and ingenuity.

  The A-Frame: Unlike the lean-to, the A-frame is a long-term shelter that, if properly constructed and maintained, can serve you well for an extended period. A-frames can be made to be strong, to adequately (if not completely) repel the rain, and, when well enough insulated, to keep heat in and wind out. One of the best things about the A-frame is that you can continually improve it by adding more roofing, insulation, and waterproofing materi
als every time you return to your camp.

  To make an A-frame (one-person version), first clear the area (and create a fire pit, if necessary) and make your bed. Then, find a fallen tree that will act as a ridge pole (around 12 feet [3.6 m] long) as well as a standing tree with a thick, sturdy branch about 4 feet (1.2 m) off the ground. Rest one end of the ridge pole against the inner edge of the branch, where it meets the trunk of the tree. If you can’t find a tree to lean the ridge pole against, use a boulder, two forked branches, a root bed, or any other similar structure. Now line the pole on either side with a series of branches that will serve as ribbing; these should extend away from the ridge pole at approximately 45 degrees and be spaced a few inches apart. The steeper the ribbing, the more effectively the roof will shed rain.

  Try to keep the top end of the ribbing poles no more than an inch or two (2.5 to 5 cm) higher than the ridge pole they are resting against, or you will not be able to cap the peak with shingles. If the ribbing poles are thin or you feel the need, crisscross another layer of insulating/roofing material over these branches. Then cover the roof with anything and everything that may provide insulation. Get down on your hands and knees like an animal and even scrape up debris from the forest floor to use for insulation.

  Don’t forget to pile some insulating material at the entrance to your A-frame, which you can pull toward you once you are inside. (Did you remember to build the door lower than the shelter itself, or at least at the low end of the shelter?) You can construct a door by lashing together some sticks and small branches in a grid pattern. A door will provide more insulation if you make two stick grids this way, place a layer of insulation between them, and then lash them together.

  Doug Getgood, who spent a winter sleeping in an A-frame, had this to add: “The problem I had when I spent my winter in the debris hut was that I leaned the ridge pole against a tree. When the rains fell, the water would run down the tree, then channel down the ridge pole and drip all over me. I would have much preferred to use two forked sticks, thus eliminating the problem. When I did use the tree, I extended the ridge pole about 6 feet (1.8 m) past the tree. This gave me a working and changing area in the front, and a smaller sleeping area in the back.”

  The Bent-Pole Frame Shelter: The bent-pole frame shelter is a fantastic solution if you are in an area with a lot of 6-foot (1.8-m) shrubs or underbrush with trunks approximately the thickness of a pool cue. Collect at least 20 of these “poles,” then strip them of their branches and leaves.

  1. After you’ve collected at least 20 poles, strip them of their branches and leaves. Jab the branches into the ground while making the general shape of the shelter.

  2. Tie off the branches at the top to hold them in place.

  3. Then, using whatever materials you have on hand, layer your insulation and windproof materials over top.

  The Hanging Shelter: Hanging shelters—hammocks or platform beds—are useful in two ways. First, they get you off the ground, thereby keeping you warm. Second, they put some distance between you and any creepy crawlies, such as scorpions, snakes, spiders, and other biting or stinging critters.

  A platform bed, such as this one I built in the Amazon, is a good alternative to a hammock.

  The Wiki-Up (or Tipi): A close relative of the tipi so ingeniously used by many North American native groups, the wiki-up comprises three center poles that are tied or fitted together at the top to form the basis of a tripod frame. For additional support, place more poles against the tripod. Cover these poles with any material you can find in the surrounding area. By comparison, a tipi uses the same rough frame, but its walls are covered with whatever man-made materials you have available, whether a tarp, plastic sheeting, parachute materials, or even canvas.

  The beauty of both these shelters is that they are very strong, shed the rain well due to their steep wall pitch, let you sit up (sometimes even stand up!), and allow you to have a fire inside because the smoke exits the shelter through the top. Building an air trench to provide oxygen to the fire helps to force the smoke out.

  Tarp Shelters: If you have a survival kit, you should have at least two garbage bags, and maybe even a solar, or “space,” blanket. Items such as these (or a tarp if you’re lucky enough to have one) are invaluable in making shelters because they can be used almost on their own as a tent, provided you also have some kind of rope or cord.

  When using a plastic sheet as your only roof material, however, remember that rainwater and other precipitation may collect in pockets. This can cause leaks and even bring your entire shelter down on you!

  Any time you incorporate a plastic sheet into the construction of a shelter, be careful not to puncture, rip, or otherwise damage the sheet. Not only will the sheet no longer be waterproof, it will continue to tear once the process has started.

  In the desert and other arid environments, a plastic sheet can be used in conjunction with rocky outcroppings or sand mounds to provide much-needed protection from the sun.

  Anywhere there are trees, you can stretch your rope between two, then drape the plastic sheeting over them to make a rudimentary A-frame. Use rocks or other heavy objects to hold down the edges of the plastic. Similarly, you can use your plastic sheeting to make a lean-to.

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  STROUD’S TIP

  I advise against digging shelters unless you have no other option. Not only is digging labor-intensive, but (other than in snow) there are very few places you can dig effectively without running into some kind of natural obstacle such as roots or rocks. Even desert sand is extremely hard to dig into.

  If, on the other hand, you are lucky enough to find a hole or depression in the ground, by all means use it as the basis of your shelter (assuming it’s not in an area that collects water). After clearing out any debris you may find inside, build a roof by adding branches and other deadwood. Cover the roof frame with plastic sheeting (if you have it), leaves, and earth.

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  I used a solar blanket as part of my shelter’s roof during a rainy week in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada. I dug into the sandy ground to create shelter. It was the warmest shelter I’ve ever made.

  Region-Specific Shelter Considerations

  THE TYPE OF SHELTER YOU MAKE is going to be largely—if not entirely—dependent on the region in which you find yourself. Your location will determine what materials you have to use, the type of shelter you require, how much protection you need from the elements and animals, and whether you need a fire inside.

  I had enough parachute material during my week in Africa to make this hammock and another shelter.

  Arid Regions, Deserts, and Canyons

  These are environments where you should have the benefit of rock overhangs and caves, usually lots of them. Early American bandits and gunslingers used the cave systems of the West as their hideaways for decades.

  Staying out of the rain is not of particular concern in the desert, so shelter becomes less important in that respect. Where shelter plays a vital role, however, is in keeping you out of the sun and the wind. Rocky outcroppings and overhangs afford at least some protection from the elements. Caves offer still more protection. Study local topography and try to identify features that might house a cave.

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  STROUD’S TIP

  Sleeping in a shelter during a weekend survival course with a group of well-fed friends often doesn’t give a fair indication of just how miserable it can be to sleep in a true survival shelter, when all you really want to do is go home. Sleeping in a survival shelter is always uncomfortable, usually barely warm enough, often claustrophobic, and always smoky (if you’ve got a fire going). But don’t be discouraged. All the shelter has to do is keep you warm and dry, and allow you to get some sleep.

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  If you need to build a shelter in the desert, plastic sheeting such as garbage bags, solar blankets, and tarps are vital. You can construct a sun-break by suspending plastic sheeting from a rocky overhang or stretching it betwee
n mounds of sand.

  No matter what type of shelter you end up using in the desert, your bed should be up off the ground and away from poisonous critters, such as scorpions and spiders, which are attracted to your body’s warmth. Also keep footwear off the ground while you sleep, and in the morning before you put them back on, hold them upside down and bang them together to check for scorpions. Scorpions get more people by invading their shoes than any other way.

  Boreal and Other Temperate Forests

  If you have to make a shelter in a survival situation, this is the place to do it. The abundance of trees not only gives you ample fuel for making fire, it also provides lots of natural materials.

  The best suppliers of shelter-building materials in the forest are coniferous trees such as spruces and pines, and rotting birch trees. The boughs of the evergreen trees are terrific wall and roof materials and are particularly good at repelling rain if angled with the butt end of the broken branch toward the sky (they’re not quite so good at repelling the wind, however), and can double as insulation/bedding materials.

  Large sheets of old bark can provide you with ample roofing material. Bark is often filled with small holes, but these can usually be covered by laying the bark in shingles.