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Backpacker Magazine – November 2012
Survival Lab: Gimme Shelter
Losing daylight and don't have a tent? Don't panic: We tested three shelter-making techniques that will help you survive the night. Plus: Three bomber bivies.
Scout a Safe Spot
Save energy and stay more comfortable.
>> Look for existing shelters first. Hollow logs, tree wells, and rock crevices may provide quick protection for a fraction of the calories you’d spend cobbling together a shelter. Best bet: Look for depressions at the bases of healthy evergreens; overhanging boughs shed precipitation.
>> Avoid natural cold sinks. Construct your shelter above low features like ravines and valley bottoms where cold air settles. Also stay away from wind-exposed areas. Need a fire to stay warm? Build in level, well-drained spots near wide rock faces, which will bounce heat back at you. Avoid overhanging cliffs—heat can loosen rocks.
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READERS COMMENTS
So you are unexpectedly spending the night outdoors. The ability to know your way and know where you are is something we all need in any survival situation not just while hiking. Learn to stay found by using a compass and paying attention to your surroundings. A compass doesn't need a signal or batteries and works in all types of weather but you need to know how to use it and "Felix the Sugar Glider Be Safe Hike Smart" (Amazon) makes learning how to use a compass easy. Felix! explains how to orient yourself using a compass, a compass and a map, a map and no compass, no compass and no map. Anyone wanting to feel more confident about orienting ourselves outdoors might enjoy learning from this book. To refresh our skills, we read thru this book before every hike - it's only about 34 pages and illustrated. Felix! teaches the reader how to know where you are, what to pack for a day-hike, trail ethics, what to do if you get lost or scared, how to get rescued, and survival packing (for the car and for the trail). Look for it on Amazon, "Felix the Sugar Glider Be Safe Hike Smart."
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