Emergency Shelters

Your RV or tent or maybe even your boat may serve as an emergency shelter if your home is damaged and becomes unusable during a disaster situation.  There was a time during the Holiday Farm Fire last year that we thought the only abode we might have left was our boat in the lake about 60 miles away!   But what do you do for an emergency shelter when you're away from home?  You might find yourself in survival mode if you get stranded while hiking, horseback riding, hunting, or riding your OHVs or if your vehicle malfunctions.  Shelter is often one of your first priorities.  Shelter is seldom considered when the weather is moderate but it becomes critical as it gets hotter or colder or wetter.  And you never know when it will change!  

You can only survive about 3 hours before you die of exposure in unhealthy weather conditions.   That's a lot faster than you would die of thirst or starvation.  Unhealthy weather includes excessive  heat as well as cold and wet conditions. 

Types of emergencies.  You could find yourself in an emergency/survival situation at any time. Natural and man-made disasters can occur without warning.  You don't have to be camping or hiking in a remote location.  Disasters can occur at work and at home too.  We had to evacuate our suburban neighborhood when a service vehicle knocked the valve off a large chlorine tank and released a big chlorine gas cloud.  Earthquakes, tornadoes, fire, can flood also strike without warning.  Events some distance from your location can put you in an emergency situation.  Flash floods can occur miles from where the rain falls.   Mudslides or collapsing highway and rail bridges can interrupt delivery of food, fuel, and other necessities and may strand you where ever you are.   These days, freeways and railroads crisscross the countryside and handle countless loads of hazardous materials so unless you live in a really remote location, you could be the victim of a hazardous spill on the freeway or railroad.  Fortunately, good business practices along with rigorous safety regulations make such incidents rare, but they do happen.  Some manufacturing plans present significant risk.   Just ask the people who lived anywhere near the fertilizer plant that exploded in Texas a year or so ago!   We learned there was a similar facility only a mile or two from our house!  Localized emergencies, like if your house catches fire or is damaged by a storm or flooding from a burst dam may allow you to get help from your friends and neighbors, but any large scale or wide spread disaster such as an earthquake is likely to shut down utilities and emergency services and impact your neighbors too and you'll be totally on your own for at least 24 hours and perhaps for a couple of weeks or more.   If that happens, what are you going to do?

Don't wait until you NEED shelter to get started.  You should already have plans for what to do if you are forced to evacuate your home.  If not, start planning now.  For camping or other emergencies away from home you may need more primitive skills.   It will take some time to find or build a shelter in the wild, so don't wait until it is getting dark or starts to rain or snow before you start looking.   By then it is probably too late.  You want to have a place ready to go to when you need it.   If you wait until you need shelter, you could die of exposure before you could construct one.   Waiting until it is raining or snowing means you'll be working in bad weather with materials that are already wet or snowy.  Much better to build a dry shelter ahead of time and stay dry.  Your core temperature can drop enough in about 3 hours to make you dangerously hypothermic, so ofttimes shelter will be your first priority.   A common mistake of lost campers is to wait until too late in the day to begin working on a shelter.   Starting too late often means you won't be able to finish it before it gets dark and you can no longer see to find materials and finish construction and it will start getting colder after the sun goes down.   If you have any daylight left after you get it done you can always put that time to good use searching for food or water, but if spending your daylight hours searching and end up without shelter for the night it could be a fatal mistake.

If you find yourself in a survival situation, shelter will probably be your number one need.  You will need water and food eventually, but, depending on weather conditions, you may not live long enough to get thirsty or hungry without appropriate shelter.   Remember The Rule of Threes: 1) you can live only about 3 minutes without air, 2) 3 hours to maintain body temperature (shelter) 3) 3 days to find water, 4) 3 weeks to find food.  If an emergency forces you from your home you may be able to use your RV or tent as an emergency shelter.  If you are lost or experience a vehicle failure in the wilderness, you'll need to learn to make do with whatever is available.   Shelter in a hot desert climate will mostly mean finding or creating shade to protect you from excessive sun and heat.   In some desolate desert areas the only shade may be from what you have on you.  A dirt bike or ATV doesn't provide much shade, but its better than nothing.  Your shirt might be used to make a sunshade if there is anything to attach it to.  In cool or wet climates, you'll need to focus on keeping warm and dry. Even in the desert, staying warm at night may be a priority.  Seek or construct a shelter to protect you from the elements -- sun, wind, rain, and snow.  Being able to create some kind of shelter may mean the difference between surviving and succumbing to the effects of exposure.  Remember the "Rule of Threes" (and yes it is worth repeating): you can survive about 3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter in adverse weather conditions, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food.  Use that as a guideline to prioritize your survival activities and your efforts to help others.  You may be able to save a life by simply clearing an airway for someone who isn't breathing.  Yes, that's twice I mentioned the Rule of Threes in this paragraph.   I hope that tells you something about how important it is.

Vehicles as shelter.  If your vehicle malfunctions and you are stranded, usually your best bet is to stay with the vehicle.   Although I recall being told you would freeze to death staying in a disabled car in winter, you are more likely to freeze to death outside in the wind and snow.  The vehicle at least provides some protection and, if you are only stuck in the snow, you may be able to run the heater occasionally to take the chill off.   The glass and metal construction of most vehicles allows heat to escape pretty easily, but the being inside a vehicle will at least shelter you from wind and precipitation and most likely will help preserve body heat since it won't be escaping into the open air. It will also be easier for  rescuers to locate your vehicle than your  body stuck in a snow bank!   However, many vehicles have very little insulation and the most common single pane glass is pretty good conductor of heat, so there may be some validity to finding better shelter if you can.   Even a dirt bike or an ATV might provide some shade in the desert or a bit of a wind break during a storm. If you must abandon your vehicle, consider whether there are any components you can scavenge that may assist your survival.   I read of a young couple who got their 4x4 pickup totally stuck in the snow on a back road (they unwisely had chosen to take a little used short cut in winter).  Since there was little chance of any traffic on the remote road they chose to leave their truck and try to walk to safety. Following something they saw on an episode of Survivorman, they ripped up the seats and used the upholstery and foam padding to make mukluks to protect their feet tramping through the deep snow -- and, happily, they survived!   If you're lucky enough to have a vehicle with a working engine, fuel, and heater, you may be able to stave off the cold by running it periodically to warm things up.   If the engine or heater doesn't work or you run out of fuel, you may need to consider whether the vehicle provides enough shelter against the elements for you to remain inside.   Open a couple of windows a little bit to ensure proper ventilation and prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.  If you are stuck in the snow, try to dig out around the tailpipe so exhaust fumes can escape without being drawn into the passenger compartment.   In some winter situations you may find it easier to stay warm in a snow cave.  That may seem counter intuitive, but having a properly sized snow cave could keep you warmer than trying to heat all the empty space in a vehicle.

Simple shelters can be created from many natural materials.   However, building a shelter from natural materials isn't going to be a easy as you think it will be -- nor as hard.  One survival expert said he'd NEVER built an emergency shelter that didn't leak.  Those made with large leaves, like palm fronds, are easier to overlap to asvensure a drip-free interior as possible.  Covering a shelter with pine boughs or leafy branches will require many layers to keep out the wind and rain.  Better to have a ready-made waterproof shelter with you.  A large orange plastic bag is the top suggestion of many survival experts.  Solar and thermal blankets are lighter but not as durable.  If there is brush or trees you can usually create a lean-to type shelter to help protect you from sun, rain, wind, and snow.  You'll need a couple of uprights plus a cross member to create the main framework.  Then add rafters from the cross member to the ground on the windward side and cover them with leafy branches, pine boughs, large leaves, birch bark, or even grass and leaves, pine needles, or other debris.  Any kind of plastic tarp, trash bag or poncho to help waterproof the roof will be helpful.  A lean-to can provide shelter for several people, depending on the size.   Don't waste time and materials building a shelter larger than you need.  You don't want to be cramped, but neither do you want to lose your body heat because your shelter is too big or too open.   Another really simple and primitive shelter is a debris hut.   It is exactly what it sounds like: a hut made of debris. Even a squirrel knows how to build a debris hut.  Essentially it is just a pile of "stuff" (leaves, grass, pine needles, dry weeds) you can burrow into to keep warm.   I read of a Boy Scout separated from is troop and wearing only light clothes who survived a night in sub-freezing temperatures by building a debris hut.

A debris hut is pretty easy to build and can provide a surprising amount of protection from the elements.   Just gather leaves, pine needles, etc, to create a pile big enough for you to burrow into for shelter.  Even a lowly squirrel can build a debris hut.  It may not be the most appealing and comfortable option, but it could save your life in a survival situation as it did for a young Boy Scout lost overnight in sub-freezing temperatures in Utah this past winter.  He had wandered away from his troop wearing a short sleeved shirt, not expecting to be facing temperatures below freezing.  Make sure your debris is dry and free from insect infestations.   For one-night use you can just pile it up and burrow inside or lie down and cover yourself.   If you anticipate using it more than once you might want to try to build a framework of sticks or branches covered with debris so you can get in and out of it and reuse it.  When constructing any shelter, avoid making it any larger than necessary.   It will just be that much harder to keep warm.  Insulate the walls and roof as well as you can using leaves, brush, pine needles, etc.  The exception to this rule is a debris hut.  The more debris you pile around you, the more insulation there is between you and the cold.  However, building TOO big a pile of debris may just sap your strength or make you sweat, losing both energy and precious body fluids.   I'd shoot for about a foot of debris between me and the elements.  And don't forget to put something between you and the cold, cold ground.  If you need a heat source, such as a fire, in cold weather, provide adequate ventilation, including an opening in the roof of your shelter for the smoke to escape and keep your fire away from the combustible walls and ceiling!  Or keep your fire outside and use heated rocks or reflected heat to warm your shelter.  This applies especially to a debris shelter. Don't even think about bringing fire into one of these!  Even "Survivorman" managed to set one of his driftwood shelters on fire -- and it was made of rocks and large pieces of wood -- so be extra cautions using fire inside or close to any shelter.  Better to build a fire outside the door with a reflector behind it to direct heat into the shelter.   Or heat up some rocks and drag them into your shelter to provide heat without flames.  Keep the hot rocks away from fabrics or other combustible materials.

Supple branches, such as young willows and poplars, can be bent and woven like a basket to create a simple framework for a temporary shelter.  You might secure the intersection of branches by wrapping each joint with cordage (vines, reeds, long grass, rope, string, twine, wire).  With a little practice and patience you can create a shelter of almost any size and shape.  Cover the framework with leafy branches, pine boughs, etc. until it keeps out the wind and rain.  You can use the weaving same technique to create a door for an igloo or debris hut.

Don't expect your crude emergency survival shelter to be perfect.    I've heard more than one survival expert admit it is nearly impossible to create a survival shelter that is completely leak proof using natural materials.  A tarp or some plastic sheeting would go a long way toward keep you dry.  However, what you can manage with pine boughs, leaves, etc, should keep a lot of the rain off and provide at least some protection against wind.  The more protection you have against wind and precipitation, the better.

Sod shelters.  American pioneers built homes from sod on the plains where trees were scarce.  Simply chop blocks of sod from a grassy area and pile them up like bricks or concrete blocks.   Take care to ensure the stability of your structure so it doesn't collapse on you.  A sod house provides excellent insulation to keep you warm when its cold outside and cool when in hot weather.   Because of the effort and difficult of building a sod shelter you probably won't want to undertake such a task unless you expect to be there for some time or if conditions (such as high winds or constantly changing wind direction) make using a simple lean to ineffective.  You also need some substantial tools to cut sod. A shovel or an axe or adz is ideal, but probably not something you have in your pocket.  You may have to make do with sticks or a piece of shale you can push into the grass to cut out the blocks of sod.

Snow shelters.   It may seem counter intuitive, but snow actually makes a pretty good emergency shelter.  You can make a simple snow cave by burrowing into a snowdrift.  Another simple snow shelter is a snow trench.  Dig a trench big enough for your body, then cover it over with branches or boards and snow.   If you have the time, energy, and inclination, (and he snow is right) you can cut blocks of snow and build an igloo but it isn't as easy at it sounds.  An alternate way to build an igloo if there isn't enough snow to cut blocks is the roll a bunch of snowballs about the size of basketballs and pile them up.  Then pack snow between the balls to make a solid mound.  Poke some sticks about 2' long into the mound, then hollow it out until you reach the ends of the sticks.  A foot of snow provides about the same insulation R-value as the 3" fiberglass insulation in the walls of your home.  Another type of snow shelter is  a snow trench.  Dig a trench deep enough for you to lie down in, then cover it over with branches and snow and crawl in it to get out of the weather.  Just getting out of any wind will save you a lot of body heat.  The walls and ceiling of the snow trench will also contain and reflect back much of your body heat.

Be creative.   If you find yourself in a survival situation, look for any resources that will help you create appropriate shelter.  A cave, a hollow tree, a fallen log, or an overhanging ledge can provide ready made or partially ready made shelters.  A thicket or stand of trees may provide ready-made uprights for building a lean-to or other shelter.   If you anticipate you may need to survive for some time, the sturdier and more permanent your shelter, the better off you'll be.  If you are stranded due to an accident or mechanical failure of a vehicle, the vehicle itself or parts of it, might be used to create or improve a shelter.  An intact, enclosed vehicle can provide shelter from sun, wind, rain, and snow. Be aware that most vehicles have limited insulation and will loose heat quickly in cold, windy conditions, but still not as quickly as your body will if directly exposed.   In winter you may improve your level of protection using snow to insulate the exterior of the vehicle. In cold weather you might need additional insulation to keep your body warm.  Gather pine boughs, leaves, grass the same as you would for a debris hut and use it like you would a blanket to keep warm.  You might remove parts of a wrecked vehicle to help create a lean-to or tear apart upholstery to get materials for bedding or clothing or insulation or for waterproofing the roof of your shelter.  Use whatever is at hand: driftwood on a beach, fallen limbs and branches in a forest, scrub brush in the desert, palm fronds in tropical climates, trash bags and other debris along roadways.  Even snow can be used to create an emergency shelter.   People live in igloos in arctic climates, but they require considerable effort and skill to build.  A simple snow cave can be made by burrowing into the face of a drift to hollow out enough space for your body. A foot of snow provides about the same amount of insulation against outside air temperatures as the fiberglass insulation in your walls at home. That is significant when outside temperatures drop below zero F.   It may seem counter-intuitive for something as cold as snow to keep you warm, but it works, by trapping air around you and reducing the loss of heat from your body.   If you can, use leaves, pine needles, etc. as a buffer between you and where you sit or lie on the snow.

Using your R, boat, or tent as an emergency shelter.   It case of a local catastrophic event like an earthquake, fire, or some other disaster that interrupts normal utilities and emergency services or damages your residence, your RV. boat, or tent can serve as a temporary emergency shelter.   Staying in or RV, boat, or tent on your property may reduce the chance of vandals stealing things from your damaged house or causing additional damage.  You will also enjoy more privacy and probably be more comfortable than you would be in a community shelter set up in some school gym. In order to take advantage of your RV boat, or tent as an emergency shelter you need to make some advance preparations. First off, you'll need to make sure your RV or boat is parked safely, where it won't be rendered useless by falling trees or having your house fall on it.  If you're a tent camper, keep your tent and all your camping gear in ready to use condition and store it where it can be quickly and easily accessed in an emergency.  If it is buried deep inside the debris of collapsed garage or basement it isn't going to do you much good.  You might even consider keeping it in a separate metal shed in your back yard if your other options would risk having it inaccessible after a disaster.  Keep your RV ready to roll -- holding tanks empty, motor fuel and propane full and, climate permitting, fresh water tanks full.   Both RV and tent campers should keep your first aid kit and other emergency tools and supplies (and training and certifications) up to date and easily accessible.  Keep at least a 3 day supply of basic non-perishable foods and water on board your RV or safely stored in plastic tubs with your camping gear. Your RV will provide sanitation facilities for a time, but for tent camping, you will need alternate means of handling human wastes -- a porta-potty or some other kind of portable toilet. Even a plastic bucket will do in a true emergency. Emergency preparedness suppliers have toilet seats that fit on a 5-gallon plastic bucket for added convenience. Porta-pottys will have to be dumped periodically. Waste deposited in plastic bags in buckets or folding toilets needs to be carefully stored for disposal when things get back to normal.   Avoid burying human wastes in your yard, especially if there is any chance it will contaminate ground water.   Accumulated human waste is considered a bio-hazard and creates serious health risks if not handled properly, treated correctly, and disposed of safely.  For added convenience and safety, get some "Wag Bags".  These are bags containing chemicals to handle human waste.  It helps control odor as well as turning it into a gel to reduce the chance of spillage.

Be prepared is more than just the Boy Scout motto.  It is essential advice for surviving any emergency, on the trail, in camp, or at home.   Preparation has two primary components: resources and training.  Resources include up to date first aid kits, emergency tools and supplies, and provisions (medical supplies, food, fuel, and water).  However, having all the resources in the world won't do you much good if you don't know how to use them.   Practice your survival skills.  Start your camp fire using flint and steel or a bow drill instead of matches.  Practice making various styles of temporary shelters appropriate to your usual camping environment.  Use your RV and/or your camping equipment frequently.  Not only is it fun, it will help you be prepared if you need it in an emergency.  Having had first aid and CPR certification 10 years ago is a start, but you need to keep your training and certifications up to date.   Even without the advances in techniques and equipment that are typically introduced over time, you will eventually forget much of what you learned unless you are using it constantly or refreshing your training frequently.

Be smart enough to "get in out of the rain".