17Mar/20

Basic Tools For Shelter Construction

Summer is just around the corner, and for many adventurers and nature lovers, this means going back to enjoying some exciting escapes outdoors, either as a day of hiking, or camping in the mountains during a weekend. But, would you dare to go deep into nature and spend several summer nights without your sleeping bag or your tent? Below we encourage you to do so, revealing some useful tools so that you can build your own emergency shelter.

As you already know, foodwater and shelter are the three basic pillars that every survivor facing a scenario of chaos should have in mind. The refuge will give you protection and shelter from the inclement weather, it will keep you dry and warm, and it will also protect you from a possible attack by those beasts that inhabit Mother Nature. So finding or providing yourself with an appropriate shelter can make the difference between living or dying in a survival situation. Therefore, no matter what the circumstances: you must always be prepared to detect or build a survival shelter for yourself and your loved ones.

It is highly likely that once you have reached this point you have already taken good note of the utensils and tools that you will need to shape any of the five suggested survival shelters. Even so, it does not hurt to formulate a small inventory that reminds us what basic utensils can not be missing in our outdoor backpack:

  • Survivalknife: this fixed blade knife will serve to cut the rope and small branches. It will also help us remove the bark of the logs and clean the trunks and sticks that we use to shape our refuge from small edges and twigs.
  • Multi-tool: it will serve to cut small twigs, leave the corners of the trunks and sticks clean of chips so that the canvas does not break, as well as to loosen the knots that we have made with the rope.
  • Survival axe: this tool will allow us to carry out large tasks of debranching and cutting wood, as well as cutting small logs with less effort than with the knife.
  • Folding shovel: ideal for cleaning the land where we are going to build the shelter, grouping the branches, leaves and snow to shape the heated shelter, equalize the ground level was to support the bases of the structure and dig to create the dugout.
  • Tent or survival poncho: you can use it as a canvas for the roof or the door of your refuge, or you can throw it on top to maintain your body temperature.
  • Survival blanket or bag: same characteristics and uses as the survival tent.
  • Ropes: essential to hold and secure the stick and branch structures of our emergency shelter. They can also be used to hang the survival tent, tying it between two trees, or to hang food and other equipment out of the reach of small animals.
  • Flanges: perfect for creating the grid of the shed, allowing to hold smaller sticks closer.
  • Work gloves: they will protect your hands from possible cuts or injuries while handling the tools and materials necessary for the construction of the shelter.
  • Lighter or fire source: it will allow you to burn the ends of the rope in order to prevent it from fraying.