How to create a lean-to shelter in the Deciduous Forest

Imagine you find yourself alone in the middle of nowhere... Actually, you find that you are alone in the deciduous forest. You can see, between the tree leaves, that night is approaching, and with the darkness comes many an uncertainty. The night brings out the cold, bugs, and possibly rain. You use your watch to estimate that there is about one to two hours of light left.

Then, you remember reading my Instructable, and you brave the cold night in this lean-to shelter, and you live to fight another day.

Step 1 Finding a spot to spend the night

Look for an area with either:
* two saplings that are about 6-10 feet from one another
* an area between large trees that is relatively flat. Once there, dig two holes about 12+ inches into the ground and insert two sturdy branches into the holes.

Clear the ground below the support beams until you hit dirt. This will deter bugs that live in the fallen debris from coming into the shelter and biting you.

Comments

[xPROxGOLFERx]

YOU ROCK BRO!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!

[natalisa2011]

You cool it invented!
I really enjoyed it!
Thank you!

[blingblingdog]

its a great idea but over time it could use some inprovements. one thing is depending on where you are at depends on which way the wind will blow more often. for me it comes from the north west, south west, and the west so you would want the wall like part faceing that way

[glorybe]

If it is likely to get seriously cold a sloping roof is not such a good idea as heat will be lost. There is one shelter that involves driving sticks into the earth such that walls will be thirty inches thick. The walls are any grasses, leaves or sticks that you can gather. The roof should only be a couple of inches above you when you are prone on the ground. Make the roof thick just as you did on the sides. You slide into the shelter feet first and drag a heap of leaves to plug the entrance. You want a very good plug so that heat does not escape. You could bury hot rocks if you can and stay really warm all night. It does help if you have plastic to cover the top but if it is really cold rain should not be falling. Snow is more likely.

[B2BSurvivor]

Excellent instrucable!! Remember also, if you can find a tree with a long enough lower branch, you can stake down the end of it to the ground. Then you add your side branches against it. This can save lots of time. Keep up the good work !!

[sseidel]

Awesome I like this shelter because it can have changes made to it depending on the conditions.

[Xuthal]

Pretty good shelter. This would be great for a warmer summer night.
For winter/fall weather the lower the roof the better, and adding some walls.
Also, some spruce boughs if stacked right will provide better insulation and be water proof if layered in the right direction. Also good bedding/insulation when layered properly.