How to Make a Bushcraft Survival Shelter

If you ever found yourself looking for ways to survive, you would have to look for food, water, and shelter away from threats or weather elements.

While many people can forage the bush for food and water, they may have difficulty setting up a survival shelter.

Here is a quick guideline on how to make a bushcraft shelter with readily available materials.

Step 1: Find the Right Spot

When looking for a location to set up a shelter, evaluate the area for a location that is sheltered from wind and flooding.

Besides, look for a location where you can find your way out should you be under threat.

Ideally, the location should be on a raised ground, away from the danger of falling rocks falling branches.

Step 2: Determine the Kind of Shelter to Erect

Depending on the materials you have at your disposal and the surroundings, you can create shelter that best safeguards you from threats. 

Popular shelters include debris shelter, tarp shelter, lean-to shelter, tree shelter, hammock survival shelter, and natural shelters.

Look for natural shelters such as small caves, hollowed-out rock sides, or natural rock barriers before determining which other shelter may work for you.

Natural shelters are easy to prepare and usually protected from the elements and many other threats.

Step 3:  Insulate the Ground

Sleeping on the ground will draw the heat away from you and make you cold.

Therefore, you should insulate the ground with items that will not conduct your heat.

The best way to go around this is to create a log frame and fill it with dead, dry leaves. You can then lay whatever items you had as bedding on this section.

Step 4: Start Building Your Shelter

The process of building a shelter is dependent on the kind you pick. 

For example, if you are building a lean-on shelter, you need to cut twigs and place them on the side of a cliff or tree.

Then, lean them onto the support such that they create a slanted roof. You can then use small branches and tie them onto the slanted sticks.

Keep adding new twigs until you cover the entire slated side.

On the other hand, when creating a hammock shelter, find a location to tie your hammock to a tree.

If the two trees are wide apart, you can cut some wigs to make a pole. Ensure that the pole is firmly on the ground and then tie your hammock. Choose a safe location away from steep slopes.

Step 5:  Build a Makeshift Door

You want to keep your survival shelter away from intruders such as animals, birds, and the wind.

Make a makeshift door using sticks and twigs. Start by creating a square frame equivalent to the size of the opening.

Then, tie twigs to the frame and fill the spaces with leaves until they cover a substantial part of the frame. Carry the makeshift door when you get into your house to cover the entrance.

Step 6: Prepare the Area around the Shelter

If the area around your shelter seems to be at risk of flooding, create a shallow tunnel around it to drain the water.

In addition, if you have to make a fire, please do not light it inside the shelter.

Make fire a few feet away from shelter and put the fire before going to sleep. Besides, ensure that you keep your belongings inside for safety.

Conclusion

If you wish to create a bushcraft survival shelter, here are a few steps that you should follow.

Step 1: Find the right spot to erect a shelter

Step 2: Determine the kind of shelter to erect

Step 3: Insulate the ground

Step 4: Start building your shelter using the available materials

Step 5:  Build a makeshift door to cover the entrance

Step 6: Prepare the area around the shelter

These shelter-construction steps may change depending on the type of shelter you would like to build, the location, and weather conditions.

Become creative when creating a shelter to get enough room and the best housing using materials around you.

Finally, be on the lookout for threats such as large animals, flooding, and high winds. Keep repairing your shelter as the need arises.