Survival Shelter Design

Shelter can sometimes be found beneath the ground-touching branches of evergreens, especially when the ground is covered by snow.

The survival shelter does not have to look sophisticated to keep you safe and warm. The first thing you need to do is find a hole in the ground area. If you cannot find a hole, you need to dig a gully that will fit your body and gear. After you have this done, you are ready to cover the top with branches.

The branches of your survival shelter do not have to be even or the same thickness. Take the branches and use something to tie them together, if you have no twine or rope, you can use vines that grow rampant in the forest. You will need a good hunting knife to cut the vines loose. Keep in mind, this is not a typical underground survival shelter design you would use for disaster shelters.

For this type of survival shelter to protect you, you need to tie the branches securely and place the flat top over the hole you have dug. You will be protected from the elements with this survival shelter design. Using natural materials works better than carrying along tents, which do not hold up in some high winds. If you have time, you might want to place logs on each side of the hole to strengthen the walls.

Note: In areas that have large pines that tend to fall over from the base, tearing the roots out, a natural shelter can often be found under the roots.

Another survival shelter design would be the above ground-angled top (lean to shelter) covering the hole that you have dug. This allows for more movement and is suitable for people afraid of small cramped spaces. This material can consist of branches or your rain poncho if you have one in your survival kit. This type of survival shelter design allows you to cook if it is raining as well.

If you find a fallen tree, another survival shelter design would be to make sure the tree is secure to the ground and dig a hole under the middle of the part of the tree. This makes an excellent ground cover. You can then use the lean-to shelter for sitting and eating as well as sleeping.

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