Building shelters

[Doc Dan]

How many of you have ever built shelters when camping instead of sleeping in a tent? When I used to camp a lot, I learned to make shelters in groves of trees, making lean to's, making igloos, making snow caves, building huts, digging caves in the ground, and all sorts of things. I miss those days.

Do any of you do this...make your own shelters?

[bearfacedkiller]

I have made many debris huts and a few snow caves.

I used to carry just a tarp for quite a few years. I would lash up a ridge pole between two trees and just sleep under that.

Like many others I have fully embraced hammock camping and it has been my main method for a few years now.

My favorite however is just sleeping under the stars of the weather allows it. :)

[Naperville]

I slept in a tent w a sleeping bag for 6+ weeks in a national forest. Kept my water, bread and peanut butter on a rope and raised it up in to a tree. It was going in to late Fall and it was rough.

I've read quite a bit about shelter building, but I have not been back to a national forest since 2002. Maybe some day....

[Doc Dan]

One easy Shelter to build used to get in a stand of evergreen trees and then several over in the middle and tie the tops together then take the branches that would be on the inside of the dome you just created and cut those off. Then get branches from other evergreen freeze and begin to weave them starting from the bottom and then overlapping them going up to the top making it tight. Pretty soon you can have it completely waterproof and windproof shelter. You sleep inside and it smells wonderful.

[TomAiello]

I've done some (intentional) shelter making when camping, but I prefer tents, and usually just use them. If it's summer, I think that sleeping outside is just as good as building a shelter, and I prefer it.

[Ankerson]

I have, used different things, tarps, made lean twos, stayed in caves etc over the years.

I don't even own a tent, I have tarps and polls.

[Naperville]

I have, used different things, tarps, made lean twos, stayed in caves etc over the years.

I don't even own a tent, I have tarps and polls.

That is how I will do it the next time, a tarp and poles, OR a tarp and 550 paracord. I'd love to get out there and experience nature again as fully as it can be enjoyed. Right now though I'm not able to do that, I don't live anywhere near a national park at the moment.

[Josh Crutchley]

How many of you have ever built shelters when camping instead of sleeping in a tent? When I used to camp a lot, I learned to make shelters in groves of trees, making lean to's, making igloos, making snow caves, building huts, digging caves in the ground, and all sorts of things. I miss those days.

Do any of you do this...make your own shelters?

I've hiked part of the Appalachian Trail when I was younger. There is shelters, like a log lean to, available every so many miles that people could use. I always used my own tent but came up on an empty one year and decided to stay the night. I honestly liked the tent better, felt more connected, like the shelter was too civilized. It probably didn't help the floor being wood and me not being prepared for it.
I did have a hand in making a few forts in the forest of WV as a kid. It was always 3 or 4 of us with hatchets and saws. We would use them for a few weeks then tear it down to rebuild it somewhere new. I really miss the mountains in WV. Where I live now in MI it's flat in every direction.

[Ankerson]

I have, used different things, tarps, made lean twos, stayed in caves etc over the years.

I don't even own a tent, I have tarps and polls.

That is how I will do it the next time, a tarp and poles, OR a tarp and 550 paracord. I'd love to get out there and experience nature again as fully as it can be enjoyed. Right now though I'm not able to do that, I don't live anywhere near a national park at the moment.

I have tarps, polls and a bunch of paracord and stakes. :D

Works good.

[Doc Dan]

I used to carry a poncho or a tarp roll about that size. It is easy to run a paracord between two trees or stakes and drape the poncho over it, tie off the bottom edges and have a nice cozy shelter.

We used to make lean-to's also. Either using a dead fall or putting up stakes, it is easy to make a tight lean-to that will keep you out of the rain. Drag a log in front for a fire reflector and you are all set. If you have a poncho you can hang it over the front.