Urban Survival: Build a Pallet Shelter

It is typically easier to find a mission to sleep in than it is to build shelters. if a shelter is necessary, a tarp between two trees is simple and effective. hammocks work well and are relatively comfortable and easy to make from second hand sheets , there is an instructable on this topic. if you are really in deep you might call an ambulance most hospitals have some kind of contingency for exposure. if you are in a rural area look for a house, most country folks expect a certain number of strandings and break down emergencies.

Okies I've done the homeless bit before so here is my two cents:

Painter's drop cloth is a godsend, its alot cheaper, but not as durable as the standard blue tarp. Someone said it above but garbage bags can work, and they're really easy to find... like in the garbage. Not really sure of a free source of sticking them together though. If anyone can think of something I'd be interested to know.

If you have your sleeping bag/blanket/excess clothes/sleeping gear strapped to the outside of a bag you can wrap it up in the tarp before strapping it to your bag. That way your gear stays dry and protected, all while providing a convenient place to put your tarp.

For a structure to put your tarp on in nicer environments or with a little supporting, milk crates can be nice, and around here they are really easy to find, but pallets tend to be rare.

Keep your eyes and mind open, you'd be surprised what you'll find.

The hardest part is mental, its hard to feel safe outdoors in an urban setting, between cops and muggers its hard to get a good night sleep.

My advice if anyone ever gets in this situation is to find someone that has a house and yard and ask them if you can set up a little shelter in their backyard, even if they charge you a couple bucks its alot better than having to wedge yourself in alleys.

my credentials: *laughs* I started backpacking/camping when I was young, and as of recently I've realized the freedom of not having a solid home. I've been couch surfing for awhile, but soon I'm moving into a friends backyard with a tarp. I'm probably going to give him a couple bucks or share some food with him, just as an etiquette thing. Another friend of mine and I made a deal a while back before my own homeless adventures, to do a week with no help from anyone, and nothing that we can't scavenge, so I've been experimenting and intellectualizing different scenario's recently because of that.

The best way to take "being prepared" to heart is to go do it. You'll never truly it works till you've spent a down pouring night under it.

Add another pallet underneth each side, this would allow for a dry shelter when it rains, even for your back. Good idea, im makin a fort next to the track at my school ( in the woods ) and you gave me a GREAT idea for free building materials! thanks!

if you use readily available pvc sheeting, doubling the corners and for deluxe use grommets ( think industrially) then there is no or little cost for the water proofing. anyone diy'ed stuff like tent, backpack, from scrap pvc sheeting and tape and or glue - hot glue --- just a question..... slept behind VA in this kind of "tube tent" but better ventilation

in the case of a zombie attack it's important to add a roll or tight knit chicken wire or some similar thing for the purpose of security. Lol. add a padlock and a staple gun and it'll provide security against more common attackers.

You may want to put tarps on the openings in the front and back if you are in a colder scenario to keep warmth sapping air from coming in there. That is if you met a rich and generous guy while begging. I will keep this in mind next time I get overly paranoid...

why pallets....there are plenty of motels to pick from hehe

The pallet idea is great, I think. Most of the suddenly homeless are probably in a city, and if you look around you stand a good chance of finding pallets. At that point, depending on how many pallets you find, you might do well just to go for a hammer and some nails and over a period of days keep improving your shelter until you have an actual little house. Consider along with those blue tarps that the socalled 'painter's drop cloth' is also cheap, and I think larger. Getting up off the cold ground or pavement is easy out in the country - look for an evergreen tree with a buildup of dry needles underneath; but in the city, some of the old drunks who are found dead in alleys need not have died if they had just collected some newspapers to lie on. Look around, probably stacks of newspapers or cardboard can be found. In a pinch, a length of rope tied horizontally across a fence corner or across a narrow alley can have some drop-sheets or something just draped over and the bottom edges tied to anything heavy. If using plastic sheeting, spring-type clothespins can be worth their weight in gold. I suppose we are all hoping that the economy does not continue as it is going; but we need to be clear about the fact that huge numbers of us are one or two paychecks away from utter destitution. Being prepared in the mindset may make all the difference.

I really liked your idea and think you are being realistic about what if a person actually found themselves homeless. I know this plan of yours would evolve where you would add more to your personal plan as experience would have it. Pallets are sturdy and would cause less wind vibration than pitching the tarp just as a tent. I am sure your design would get better and better. Keep being creative my friend and explore your ideas, but hopefully things won't go that bad for you where you'll need to live outdoors. Stay Loose! :)

Instead of buying velcro straps and bungee cords you could use old bicycle inner tubes that you could get for free.

brilliant idea. i'm going to carry one of these around with me from here on out. looking forward to your next installment.

Large (39 gal. +) trash bags slit open could also be used

well i survived a september thunderstorm in Palma de Majorca under one of these when I was looking to crew on a sailing boat to the Caribbean... only I didn't have anything with me, it was just the pallet and some random boards and a couple of old sofa cushions collected on my way up the hill. I think one of those mouintain-climber's silver-foil survival bags might do a better job, though, especially if you're going to carry it around with you.

i would take that on a camping trip

That's really clever! You could even make do without the bungees or velcro with a couple feet of rope. I agree with Herbie in that in the cold of winter you'll need something more substantial to lay on.

Yeah, as far as improvised shelters go, this leaves a lot to be desired. You need to be up off the ground, for one. Even a thin foam camping pad (or a blanket over a pair of pallets) would be a massive advantage against the cold-wicking ability of the earth. For another, tarps are relatively heavy and bulky for the coverage they'd provide. If you really want something lightweight and portable, consider any of the many silicone impregnated nylon fabrics (SilNylon, as a trade name). On the upside, you're one of the few people taking "Being prepared" to heart. The people stuck out in the weather in natural disasters are seldom the people who thought about a tarp or other shelter in advance.

What next, how to make a shelter out of sofa cushions?

I have one suggestion: Why not use 3 pallets to form an equilateral triangle shape? That would provide a base which is above the ground to keep the occupant drier and cleaner. Also, I would imagine that I wouldn't be so afraid of the sides bowing out and having the whole thing fall on top of me.

I'm sorry, but this made me laugh. + for you.