Introduction: Build a Simple Shelter
Alright, your stuck in the woods with no shelter, no compass, no cell phone, all you have is the clothes on your back, a c.amp saw, and your knife. It's almost 5:00 in the afternoon, nobody is going to find you before morning, and it's getting dark fast It's the middle of February and it gets pretty dang cold where you are. This instructable will tell you how to build an easy-to-build shelter out of pine trees. It is fairly simple, as shown below.
Step 1: Find the Trees
The best trees are medium sized, so that you can carry them by yourself, and has as many branches as possible. You need atleast 3, but I personally would go for 5. They all need to be pine, except for one, which can be another, harder tree.(This will go in the middle of the other 2 or 4 trees) You need one tree to set all of your other trees on. I recommend a forked tree, but as you can see, I didn't use one.
Step 2: Prepare the Trees
Now that you have your trees, you need to prepare them. The way that I do it, is to cut all the limbs off. I guess hypothetically you could just leave them all on the tree, but this way is much more efficient. Once you have cut all the limbs off, save them. You will need them to cover your shelter.
Step 3: Prepare the Base
Now that you have prepared your trees, you need to set up the framework, or base, to your shelter. First, you need to set the one you have chosen to be the middle, in the middle of the tree, or in the fork, if you chose a forked tree. Then set the others on top of it, crossing them over the middle tree. You need to have either 1 or 2 on each side, if you used 3 or 5. If you left any stray branches, tuck them under one of the other trees. You have just built the base to your shelter.
Step 4: The "Roof"
Now that you have the base, you need a "roof". This is fairly simple to do. You need to put branches across from one tree to another. You should have enough to make a thick layer. This should provide some insulation from the cold.
Step 5: What Next?
Congrads buddy, you just built a shelter with pine trees in the middle of the woods. I suggest next that you build a fire near your shelter. Not in it, unless your shelter is HUGE, or its a really small fire. Or, you could build a little pallet from leftover pine branches, if you have any, and just go to sleep. What you do after this is no concern of mine. Think about it this way, I just saved your life.
And yes, I added a side when you weren't looking, because i'm a ninja.
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31 Comments
6 years ago
Hi. If you want to be prepared for this situation just google for 'ShepherdSurvives' . I know you'll find good solutions for your idea.
9 years ago
Lol wow looks like everything I was going to touch on was said. Yeah definitely not much of a shelter.
11 years ago on Introduction
Now, the next step would be to cover it with those dead leaves. The point of a debris shelter is to have multiple layers of material to ensure both water run-off and thermal insulation.
13 years ago on Step 5
Well, before you make anything else, you should actually finish the shelter. If you can see sunlight through the cieling of your shelter, and it rains (or snows, since it's February in this scenario), you're screwed. royally.
Reply 12 years ago on Step 5
actually, if you know much about snow, you know how it usually goes. it will fill in the small holes, and then make the bigger ones small enough to fill them too, and pretty soon you have to worry about ventilation. LOL
Reply 12 years ago on Step 5
with that little support, snow that would cover those holes would make the ceiling collapse.. just sayin'
Reply 12 years ago on Step 5
I don't know, it'd be interesting to try. maybe wet show would collapse it... maybe powder show wouldn't.
13 years ago on Introduction
what if you live in hawaii with NO pine trees
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
then it's unlikely that you will get stuck in a forest with pine trees. Great survival tactic for Hawaii, go down hill. You'll probably find a beach and if you find a beach you find a tourist and then probably a hotel.
Beside, and not to pick to fine a point here, but Hawaii has conifers. They're of a more ancient type than the kind you're used to but they are there and you can build a shelter with them.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
make something with coconut shells
13 years ago on Introduction
Honestly, this would suck to sleep an hour in, let alone a night. For a suitable, not necessarily warm but it will last you, shelter to be built you need a few things. 1. You want a small shelter, a little larger than yourself on the inside. 2. You want to pile on layers of debris. LAYERS! 2-3 feet of it at Least. 3. Put layers of debris on the ground of the shelter to sleep on. You lose a ton of body heat through the ground. 4.Be smart, dress warm and follow the procedures to staying and you might survive a night.
13 years ago on Introduction
That roof is not going to keep out rain or cold. Also how do you have instructables so you can build this if you are lost?
13 years ago on Introduction
yea good 'ible.
15 years ago on Introduction
i made one of these we call it the "bunker" cause we always say were going to play paint ball with it............... but the demensions are 20' by 10' by 5' high
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
dont think thatll hold up to paintballs
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
You'd be surprised.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
wat ever man.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
We used big sticks for cover not the pine things.
14 years ago on Introduction
if you had to you could just dig a hole inside and build a fire in that. if it's raining or cold a fire outside wouldn't do you any good.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
it would set the roof on fire. if u could even call it a roof. i gess u could be carfull but still