(Modern Survival.org) – What part of an outdoor survival shelter should you build first?
- The walls
- The bed
- The roof
- The fire pit
Answer: The Bed. Here’s why…
Having the ability to build a shelter in the wild can mean the difference between life and death. When exposed to the elements, death can become a real possibility in as little as three hours, so having the skills to build a retreat from the weather is of vital importance. But where should you start once you have committed to constructing your survival shelter? Does it really matter?
When most people consider how one might die from exposure, they tend to think of hypothermia from cold temperatures or being caught out in a storm. Very few consider the ground itself to be a threat.
In the following video, Prepper Advantage explains why the very earth you walk on can become an enemy in a survival situation and how you can overcome it:
The ground beneath your feet is almost always colder than your average body temperature. When you lie down without a layer of insulation between you and the ground, the earth will drain the heat from your body through conduction — the loss of heat through touch. For this reason, when you construct your survival shelter, it is important to begin with the bed.
To create a bed in the wild, pile up leaves or evergreen boughs in the general shape of your body. Ideally, you will want to place branches or sticks on the ground first to put a buffer layer between the leaves and the ground. This will also help keep bugs away from you as you sleep. Surrounding the bed with larger logs will hold your leaves in place and let you know how big your shelter will have to be when you build it over your bed.
When you lie down on the bed you have constructed, you want to have at least six inches of space between yourself and the ground. This will create enough dead air to insulate you and prevent conduction from occurring.
Creating a survival bed is the first step in constructing a survival shelter. To see options on how to finish construction using a tarp, click here.
Here’s to Your Survival!
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