top shelter choice

[psy-ops]

you are in the woods and you are not sure when help will arrive if at all.

what kind of shelter do you make? and why?

Take into consideration the knife you regularly carry. so if you carry only a sak a log cabin might not work. if you have a tarp in your bob a tipi might be a good idea.

 

[Outdoors]

Tarp shelters are fine if your wandering and have to pitch in a new place everyday. If I were going to stay in one place though, I'd prefer a Tipi.

A simple tipi is relatively easy to build with just a knife, assuming you have enough material to skin it. If your tipi skin a relatively fireproof, you can have a small fire inside. The problem is that the more fireproof skins are heavier and more bulky.

We used to camp with a tipi (18' height) when I was in college. It was great shelter, and relatively portable. In winter, we dragged it on toboggans, in the summer we strapped the poles to canoes. For winter trips you really needed the ozan (liner).

So, I guess my choice depends on whether you need to cover ground slowly or quickly

Living in Seattle I suppose I should know this, but what's the semi-subteranean Salish shelter? Something like a Mandan earth lodge?

Patrick

 

[bae]

It depends.

If I were staying in one place, I'd adopt a phased approach. I'd start out with a simple expedient lean-to or tipi, then upgrade to a more comfortable, weatherproof shelter over time.

If I were wandering around, I'd stick with simple tarp shelters.

 

[Evolute]

It depends on a lot of factors.

If this was a an emergency, short-term shelter in a tmeperate forest, I'd probably make a wickiup. They're warm, and pretty simple to make.

 

[txmoonwolf]

Taking my lead from "you don't know when or even if help is coming"...
I think a better long term shelter would be a log cabin, in its most primative. Of course, Iv'e got a CS Plainsmans 'Hawk in my truck (which needs to be moved to my mini-van, got it just last week), and it goes along on the campouts, along with a bow saw, so I could probably do pretty well just with that. Now if I could only practice more on recognizing wild plants, for food, medicine, and other things, I'd be dangerous in the woods!

Matt in Texas

 

[Happy Camper]

If the weather's not hostile, I decide upon the direction and start my treck back to civilization keeping an eye out for perfect naturally formed shelters. The most comfortable night I spent in a violent storm was beneath a low rock overhang that I had easily walled in with rocks and branches.

Especially if I'm not sure if help is coming at all, I would be very motivated to keep on the move.

 

[psy-ops]

one of questions that rises from this poll and one you would have to inevitably ask yourself is.......

should I stay or should I go? The Clash(a 70-80's rock band) had it right, though I don't think they were talking about a survival shelter.

so when answering the poll you must consider, do you set up shop? or keep on the move?

are you more likely to attract help in one place or on the move?

I think being on the move puts you in jepardy with possible weather dangers and injuries. so I would set up shop!

 

[J. J. Magnum]

I have always favored the lean to as a field expedient shelter. I guess it is because I have built them since I was a kid on the farm. With the stuff in my BOB I can be comfortable in a lean to for some time, improving it daily until help arrives or I decide to walk out. I have spent nights in the woods at around 20 degrees F. in a lean to with no more than my clothes and a blanket. My plastic sheeting insulated the inside and kept me dry from the night fog. With a banked fire in front of it I was quite comfortable.