Getting lost in the forest is easy, even if you have been there many times. If you have no idea how to go back, and the sun has long passed over the zenith, then the surest thing is to set up camp. For the most protected and safe overnight stay in the forest, build a temporary shelter, it will make you invisible to forest dwellers, shelter you from rain and wind.

If you break such a shelter in an open area, equipping it with signal signs, then from the air it will be much easier for rescuers to notice him than a lonely standing person.

Location selection:

• When choosing a place for your shelter, try to avoid river banks, low-lying banks near water, dry river beds, and other places where your shelter is likely to flood when the water level rises due to rain. Any lowland is a place of accumulation of cold air currents, camping in such a place is a bad idea.
• In order to avoid trouble during a thunderstorm, you should also avoid high places, such as the tops of mountains and hills. On them, in addition, your shelter will be exposed to strong winds.
• Don't camp next to animal trails - you'll get in each other's way. Try not to litter around the camp, this can also create a lot of problems with the locals. Store your things in a place inaccessible to animals, for example, by hanging them on a tree. Stay away from anthills and rotten or hollow tree trunks that can fall in windy conditions.
• Try to choose a place so that you have access to both water and firewood.

The choice of shelter also depends on the nature of the terrain:

• In the tundra and taiga, choose the most dry places away from swamps, preferably on rocky or sandy elevated soil.
• In the steppe, your task is to protect yourself from the wind, so choose places behind a hillock. If mosquitoes pester and the weather is hot, then you can choose an elevated place blown by the wind.
• In deserts and mountains, day and night temperatures vary greatly, so you need to provide protection from both heat and cold.

To save time and effort, you can use the features of the area as an aid in organizing shelter, for example, the trunk of a broken tree. Just be sure to check that the tree does not fall on you completely.

Here are some visual ways to make a very simple canopy:

• Unilateral:

• Bilateral:

• Inclined- its advantage is that such a canopy retains heat better and protects from the wind, while there is no need to build a third wall:

If you have an awning available or, then you can build a more reliable shelter. To maximize the windproof and heat-preserving qualities of the shelter, you can combine plant material and an awning.

More options for installing shelter using an awning:

You managed to make a roof over your head, but on what to sleep?

In no case do not lie down on the bare ground! You risk not only freezing, but also getting serious illness due to hypothermia.

Surely in the radius of your parking lot there is dry grass or moss, cattail stalks or sedges - these soft materials will serve as both a mattress and a blanket. For maximum distance from the cold soil, thin elastic branches can be applied under the soft layer. The more of them, the softer it will sleep.

Most importantly, remember that such a shelter is a way to save your life in extreme situations, breaking off branches and cutting bushes for fun is not a noble cause!

Take care of the forest, and one day it will help you out!

Basic rules for building a snow shelter
When organizing a winter emergency bivouac, the victims forget or do not know that it is possible to escape from their main enemies - exhausting cold and piercing wind with the help of snow. Traditional methods of building shelters in a harsh winter situation are simply not suitable, because they do not provide the main thing - windproofness and heat retention. Snow, on the other hand, is an accessible, plastic material that can be easily processed. Do not build shelters at the base of snowy slopes, at places of possible rockfalls, under rotten and leaning trees.

With the help of an ordinary stearin candle, at an ambient temperature of 30-40 ° C in a shelter made of snow, the temperature rises to 0 °. Do not build shelters hastily, it is better to do it alone than to rebuild several times, while losing extra vital energy. If the snow shelter you have built is not strong enough, you can strengthen it in the following way: build a small fire or a few candles inside. Warm air will melt the walls, and they will “grab” a thin ice crust, which will strengthen the shelter well. . In this case, gaps may form in the shelter, which must be covered with snow from both sides. If the strength of the shelter cannot be increased, then you should start building again.

In a snow shelter, the more comfortable it is, the stronger the frost outside. This happens because, with the growth of frost, the air inside becomes drier, the heat from the fire is compensated by the cold outside, the border of snow melting is set as if inside the walls, which only gives strength. And vice versa, with an increase in the external temperature, the internal temperature approaches zero, the melting limit approaches the inner surface of the walls, as a result of which, it begins to drip from the ceiling, and puddles form on the floor. Remove excess warm clothing to keep it dry at all times.

The snow shelter is built by one person, the rest shovel the snow, break the spruce branches, since it is easier for one member of the group to dry out than for the whole group. The main rule that should be followed when building snow shelters is that the larger the interior space, the less heat. but it is much easier to heat it up. Moreover, if there are sleeping bags and warm clothes, then the shelter can be made more spacious.
Open type snow shelters

shelter type snow trench suitable for treeless mountainous area. The construction of a snow trench takes a little time and will help you save during a storm that caught you by surprise. A snow trench is dug in the snow, at least 1.5 meters deep, using skis, shovels, pieces of plywood, a bowl, a bowler hat, etc. In the absence of handy items, the pit is hollowed out with the feet. The ceiling is constructed from poles, skis, which must be covered with fabric, polyethylene, and pressed along the perimeter with stones, pieces of ice, logs or snow blocks. At the end, a layer of snow 15-20 cm thick is laid on top. As an entrance door, you can leave the end of the matter hanging freely from the roof, or each time crawling into the trench, lift the matter.

snow trench

In the taiga, a snow trench can be dug around a tree to a sufficient depth. The role of the roof will be played by the lower branches, reaching the snow. A layer of spruce branches is hidden on top of them and sprinkled with snow. It will turn out a kind of hut-cone for several people.

Trench around a tree

Shelter snow pit is built on a flat surface with a snow depth of at least 2 m. A tunnel breaks through the snow to a sufficient depth, where it expands further to the side, while the ceiling height should be at least 15-20 cm. surface through a narrow tunnel. In dry loose snow, this shelter is almost impossible to build. But of all open-type snow shelters, the snow pit is the warmest.

Shelter snow pit

Shelter snow hut is built when no deep snow can be built. To do this, you need to dig a hole in the snow to the ground. From snow bricks, they cover the shelter around the perimeter to such a height that, sitting inside, they do not touch the ceiling with their heads. From above, the shelter is covered with an awning, fabric, polyethylene and nailed with the same snow bricks, stones, logs. If the snow is sticky, then you can roll up balls of suitable size and lay them around the perimeter instead of snow bricks, filling the holes with snow. You can also build a round or triangular hut. Shelters such as the snow hut are better exposed to the wind and can withstand even uranium.

snow hut

snow chum it is built when the thickness of the snow cover is not more than 2-3 cm. First, a frame is built from poles or skis, firmly tying them at the top. After that, the frame is covered with thin snow slabs, as in the figure, covering the cracks with snow. A shelter like a snow tent can shelter no more than 2-3 people.

snow chum

All open-type shelters have several drawbacks - they do not hold the body well and the lack of free ventilation, which leads to the accumulation of carbon monoxide. Therefore, if you need to kindle a fire inside the shelter, or stoves, candles, you should constantly monitor your well-being - headache, palpitations and noise in the ears - an indicator that a dangerous amount of carbon monoxide has accumulated in the shelter.
Shelters of the closed type.

Shelter snow cave, built according to the classical scheme, is built within 1-2 hours with minimal experience, but it will warm no worse than any block structure. Such caves dig on snowy slopes with a snow depth of at least 1.5 m and a low risk of avalanches. First of all, you need to make sure that there are no groundwater, stones, ice under the snow. Next, take off your outer warm clothes, if the ambient temperature allows, so that it does not get wet. When working inside a snowdrift, if possible, place polyethylene, spruce branches, branches under you to reduce the area of ​​\u200b\u200bcontact of clothing with snow.
Start the construction itself with a small tunnel with a diameter of no more than 60 cm, which expands upwards by 70-90 ° with improvised means, while the rest of the group (if any) shovels snow from the outside, which is dumped from the tunnel. as you move deeper, you will have to climb inside the shelter completely, while cheering yourself on the fact that with every minute your work is approaching the end. Niches can be cut into the walls for backpacks and equipment. If a large cave is needed, then it is necessary to leave 1-2 columns with a diameter of 40-70 cm, depending on the quality of the snow, so that the ceiling does not collapse. The main advantage of the cave, built according to the classical scheme, is that the entrance is much lower than the floor. This allows cold air to escape and warm air to linger.

The snow cave, built according to a non-classical scheme, is built with the difference that the entrance tunnel is on the same level with the floor. The entrance should be closed with snow blocks, backpacks, and covered with cloth. The bed should be located with a certain elevation above the floor, for example, in a niche in the wall. if a fire is to be built, a smoke hole must be made in the ceiling.

snow cave

snow hole It is built in exceptional cases when it is not possible to build other types of shelters for one reason or another. in a hole it is not as warm and comfortable as in a cave, but warmer than in open shelters, because. not blown by the wind. The diameter of the snow hole, designed for one person, must be at least 50 cm. This will allow the person to be completely in an air cushion. The bottom is lined with yapnik, branches. During a blizzard, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that if a hole is dug deep into a snowdrift, and not parallel, then the entrance can be heavily covered, and it may not always be possible to knock out such a hole.

snow hole
Block type shelters

Block-type shelters are usually built in treeless areas, where strong snow crust is formed from winds and frosts. Such a crust slightly squeezes if you stand on it. The most famous block shelter is the Eskimo igloo. igloo allows a person to protect himself from any bad weather. The Eskimos have been building igloos for many years. It is known that one Eskimo can build an igloo for 4-5 people in less than an hour. For a beginner, this time increases several times. You need to start by cutting snow blocks. For these purposes, a long knife, shovel or saw is suitable. Snow blocks are cut out in a pit with dimensions of 1x1 m and a depth of 50-60 cm.

The first blocks go to lay the foundation and have dimensions of approximately 100x50x30 cm. The diameter of the needle is outlined, based on the calculation for one person, at least 2.4 m, for two - 2.7 m, for three - 3 m. The first row of blocks is cut diagonally along the entire length to the lowest edge, thus the very beginning of the spiral, after which the subsequent rows are laid, the first rows being laid with an internal slope of 25-30 °, and the last of 40-45 °. Thus, the blocks are stacked with a constant slope and close at the top, forming a dome. The dome opening is closed with several blocks laid on the last row.

The main secret of building an Eskimo igloo is that blocks in the same row should not touch the lower corners, thanks to which the blocks do not fall inward and high reliability of construction is achieved. The vertical joints of adjoining rows must not coincide. Otherwise, a large crack will form, cutting the shelter to the floor. Snow blocks are best laid with the strong side inward. Large gaps are covered with pieces of snow, small ones are smeared with snow. An entrance tunnel breaks under the built igloo on the leeward side, which should be below the floor of the shelter itself. It is permissible to do at floor level, then it must be closed with a snow block. For heating, a candle or a small fire is enough, which will melt the walls and cracks of the shelter, and make it more durable. At the same time, a chimney hole is made in the ceiling.

There is also a simplified construction method, when the igloo is built in a non-spiral pattern. The first row is not trimmed, the last block in the row is made of non-standard sizes with a height of 30-40 cm more than the others. The first block of the second row is placed to this block, and the next one to it, and so on, with the last block bursting and preventing it from collapsing inward. The blocks are stacked with the same slope as in the spiral pattern, plus each row is slightly shifted inwards.

If for one reason or another it is not possible to cut a sufficient number of snow blocks, then you can build needle over hole. To do this, they dig a hole with a diameter of 1-1.5 m and a depth of at least 1.5 m. And along the perimeter a dome of snow blocks is built in any way described above. To make this shelter not so cramped, the walls of the pit can be expanded in the form of a truncated cone - the lower part expands more, the part under the blocks is smaller. To achieve maximum rigidity, the angle of inclination of the walls of the pit should, as it were, continue with the angle of inclination of the snow blocks.

How to build a shelter in the forest

As we all know, people who find themselves in extreme situations, being cut off from civilization, can live for a long time in the wilderness if they can find a source of water in time and build a shelter in the forest with their own hands. In addition to protection from atmospheric precipitation, the temporary shelter is also a visible landmark from the air. A building in the woods, especially one marked with a bright object, will be a visible sign for rescuers, which will speed up the search (Figure 1).

However, in order for your temporary shelter to be reliable, you need to choose the right parking spot. It should be as safe as possible, especially if you plan to stay in one place for a long time. Do not place your shelter on shallows and river banks, in narrow gorges, steep ravines with unstable earth, dry riverbeds, especially if it is damp rainy weather.

Figure 1. A brightly colored shelter will make it easier for rescuers to find a lost hiker

Also, you should not settle in open places, ridges of hills and mountains, on tops, where there is a high risk of falling into a thunderstorm.

Do not place your parking lot next to animal trails, animals can react aggressively to a person who has invaded their territory. The smell of food can attract wild animals to you, so keep the camp clean and store food securely.

Also pay attention to the presence of forest anthills nearby, they can bring a lot of inconvenience during your stay (Figure 2).

Do not try to build a shelter in the forest with your own hands next to rotten, dry or hollow trees, during bad weather they are very likely to fall on you!

Figure 2. Pay special attention to the location of your shelter

Another important requirement for the place of construction of the shelter is the presence of a source of water in the immediate vicinity, and a sufficient amount of fuel for a fire.

How to build a shelter in the forest from improvised materials

If you decide to build a shelter in the forest with your own hands, decide for what needs it will be used (overnight stay, storage of things, food, protection from precipitation, cold, heat). Also, the type of building is affected by the amount of materials and tools available, the duration of your stay and the number of people in need of shelter.

To simplify the work on the construction of a temporary home, you can use natural natural shelters.

They require only minor adjustments, which will help you save effort, time and materials. Natural shelters include fallen tree trunks, shallow caves (Figure 3) or depressions in the ground, rock ledges or drifts in winter.
Figure 3. If you find a small cave nearby, it is quite possible to use it as a shelter

Having found a natural shelter, make it more convenient and reliable. For example, a fallen tree can be used as the basis for a hut, single or gable. Depending on the situation. It is necessary to make sure that the tree trunk is securely fastened and will not fall on you during the night, and then, with the help of branches and additional poles, build walls or a canopy that protects from rain and wind.

Shelter walls can be built by attaching a “frame” of sticks to the main pole (lay out the frame in the form of a lattice). After installing this frame, start filling each sector with spruce branches and brushwood, working from the bottom up. This way of laying out will prevent rain from flowing into your shelter.

In winter, the walls of the shelter should be covered with snow - this will give additional thermal insulation properties.

In winter, you can hide in the forest under the lower branches of large coniferous trees, densely covered with snow. They form a small cave between the ground and the tree trunk, where it is quite possible to wait out the bad weather.

Sometimes need or danger forces people to spend the night on a tree (Figure 4). This is not the best way out, but when there is no other way out, try to protect yourself as much as possible from falling and hypothermia (use a stretched awning or polyethylene, ropes).

Figure 4. If you had to spend the night on a tree, take care not to fall in your sleep

If there are no natural shelters nearby, then you will have to rely only on your own strength. It will be very difficult to build and equip a camp alone, especially in the cold season. In winter conditions, the most important thing is to stock up on enough firewood for the night, and build at least a minimal shelter before dark.

In order to build a hut, it is necessary to install a horizontally strong pole between two trees, or on two horns. It will become the basis for the frame of the future structure. Further, thinner poles are laid on the base at an angle, and long branches are tied to them, parallel to the ground. Such a lattice structure is gradually filled with small thin brushwood, deadwood, grass or reeds, laid from the bottom up. Make one or two walls, place a hearth near the exit.

Do not make the shelter too high, just enough for you to fit in it while sitting and lying down. Thus, you will save energy, and it will be much easier to heat the place of lodging for the night.

During frosts, in no case fall asleep without a fire, you risk freezing to death.

It is also not recommended to go to bed on bare snow. Fold yourself a bed of pine and spruce branches, brushwood, reeds, polyethylene. A tightly knitted high bed will not allow dampness from the ground to rise to your clothes.

Figure 5. A hut or canopy is one of the easiest shelters to build.

In the summer, in the forest, it will be easiest to build a canopy or a simple hut as a shelter with your own hands (Figure 5). Before building, prepare all the necessary materials in sufficient quantities: branches, poles, spruce branches, ropes. If you do not have an ax or knife with you, try to find sharp stones - this will make it easier to process materials for construction.

Remember that the need to build a shelter in the forest with your own hands most often does not imply a large-scale and durable structure (although such cases do happen). Often, this is the erection of shelter in extreme conditions in order to survive. Usually, in moments of unforeseen situations, a person does not have the necessary tools, enough time for preparation and strength. Therefore, you have to use any materials at hand and show ingenuity for the speedy construction of shelters in the forest with your own hands. Therefore, we will look at different types of shelters and how to build them.

Do-it-yourself shelter in the forest: types of shelters

Temporary shelters built in the forest with your own hands can be divided into several types, regarding their purpose and method of construction.

Figure 6. Shelter open (left) and closed (right) type

Shelters are open and closed (Figure 6). Closed structures are protected from animals and precipitation. These include all types of closed huts (wigwam, gable hut), dugouts, huts, snow needles. They are more reliable and safer than open ones, but it takes tools, time and the help of partners to build them.

The open type of shelters includes canopies, shed huts, hammocks and deck chairs. Their construction takes much less time, and does not require tools, however, they are best used only in the warm season.

Also, temporary shelters can be divided into "group" and "individual", depending on the number of people located in them.

The purpose of self-built forest buildings can also be different, depending on climatic conditions: protection from cold, precipitation, sunlight, wind.

Depending on the period of operation, shelters can be divided into: one-day (one overnight stay or a short shelter from the weather), temporary (Figure 7), and long-term (seasonal).

Figure 7. Temporary (left) and long-term (right) shelter

Depending on the materials at hand used in DIY construction, buildings can be divided into snow, earth, frame (using fabric or branches), in some cases even stone and wood, they are built with materials and special preparation.

The main types of street huts and the stages of their manufacture

Huts can be divided among themselves into three types: single-sided, double-sided and tented (Figure 8). Shelter in a recess can also be attributed to shelters of the tent type.

A shed hut consists of a so-called "frame" and one wall. It is a small hinged structure, located at an angle to the ground, and protecting from wind, precipitation and shielding heat from a fire. It can be built both near a fallen tree, and by installing a pole - the base on two horns.

Figure 8. Shed, gable hut and wigwam (tented)

A gable shelter involves adding one wall to a shed hut. Due to this, the protective and thermal insulation properties of such a structure are increased.

A tent-type hut resembles an Indian wigwam in its appearance. The advantage of this structure is the ability to place a small hearth inside, provided that the hut is high enough and spacious. To place a fire, it is also necessary to leave a hole for the exit of smoke at the top of the "tent".

Even in the cold, do not forget about fire safety in your shelter. The fire inside must be constantly supervised (so it is better if you do not spend the night alone). Do not let the flame flare up too much, it should be even and low. Do not use firewood from coniferous trees for kindling - they scatter sparks strongly, which can jeopardize the safety of your building and your life.

Shelter in a recess is a shallow hole in the snow or in the ground, designed to fit your dimensions, and covered from above with a canopy of branches and spruce branches. If you want to build a shelter in the forest with your own hands during the cold season, you can't do without a shovel. Frozen soil is hard to dig, and it takes too much precious strength. It is better to find a natural depression in the ground. However, in wet weather it is better not to risk it, otherwise you can get very cold, sleeping in this way, and there is still a danger that you will be flooded with rain.

A few important reminders:

If you need to build a shelter in the forest with your own hands, the presence of a plastic film, waterproof fabric or raincoat (tarpaulin) can play a big role. Thanks to them, you will spend much less time on arranging an overnight stay, and you will be more protected from various atmospheric phenomena.

Do not forget that we left many recommendations for people who are in an extreme situation. Creating a temporary forest dwelling for them suggests a way to save and sustain life. If you are just a hiker making a forest hike, do not break or cut down trees and shrubs unless absolutely necessary.

In order not to be smeared by the comments, I am posting a review on the publication of Norda, and my experience in building winter shelters in the topic. First, on the shelter of polyethylene: why not? True, polyethylene causes some rejection in me because of the camouflage characteristics, and it’s uncomfortable in the aquarium. But this is all subjective. In addition, using, for example, polyethylene foam, we get protection from "teletubbies" (l / a with thermal imagers).

Now about other types of winter shelters. I’ll make a reservation right away - all options for the forest (taiga, mountain-taiga zone). Everything is tougher in the tundra. If it is impossible to make a fire (for reasons of camouflage) and the temperature is up to -15 - -20, a one-sided canopy for a group or a snow trench for a loner will do.

The snow is raked to the ground, compacted on the sides, on the bottom - spruce branches, a rug, a sleeping bag. Upstairs - a raincoat-tent, sprinkle the edges with snow, you can also insulate it from above with snow. Inside is a candle. On the one hand - a snow wall from blowing, head to the entrance. Construction time - 20 min. For security, the same trenches, only with the ability to view their sector, and not in a sleeping bag, of course.

If campfires are allowed, there are many options. In the absence of an ax / saw, we make shelter on trees bent by an arc.

Poles are closely superimposed on the support (dead wood, deadwood - everything that can be broken and collected by hand), covered with snow from above.

You can cover the entrance with a raincoat. Construction time, depending on the size - 2-4 hours.

For long stays of the group, a "chumik" is suitable - a frame shelter covered with spruce branches, raincoat tents with a fire inside. Trees arranged in a quadrangle, poles for a frame, spruce branches (a lot!) Are required. Construction time - from 4 hours.

"Chumik" for 6-8 people

At temperatures below -20 it is better to be puzzled by closed-type snow shelters. In others, the risk of frostbite is high. In general, there are many known snow shelters, probably the most famous is the igloo, or snow hut. In the conditions of the middle lane, it is very difficult to do due to the lack of snow of suitable density. We managed to either press the snow, and then cut out the blocks, or cut the already pressed one (a couple of times we dismantled 200 meters of ski tracks). There are subtleties in the construction, for example, blocks are placed in an ascending spiral. The cracks on the outside are covered with snow.

In general, hemorrhoids, and the needle belongs to block shelters (i.e., the insulation is worse than that of closed ones). A “snow hive” is much easier to build.

It is built regardless of the depth and density of snow. Capacity - 2-3 people. Construction time - 2-3 hours. First, we pile a pile of snow on the chosen place, periodically compacting it, for example, with the help of a raincoat. The dimensions for the "troika" - the diameter along the bottom - 4 m, the height of the pile - 1.5 m. We expand the blind end of the tunnel, making a vaulted room inside.

Nuances: digging and starting the expansion of the tunnel is the most unpleasant. The snow is pouring, you have to rake it first with your hands from under you. Clothing should be changeable, preferably a waterproof top. Rummages lying on the rug. The most unpleasant thing is to break through the arch through, it is not closed back. Therefore, to control the entire dome, thin branches are stuck to a depth of 20-30 cm (arch thickness). How I got to the branch from the inside - good in this place. There must be a dome inside, otherwise it will collapse. The inner surface is smoothed, otherwise there will be drops.

Inside spruce branches, rugs, sleeping bags. Heating with candles. Definitely a vent hole! If it snows heavily, periodically clean the ventilation. There are a lot of eels in snow holes! Close the entrance from the inside with a RD-shkoy. The colder it is outside, the more comfortable it is inside. At temperatures above -10 it does not make sense, it thaws through ventilation and in thin places.

The same shelter can be built without piling up snow, if you find a snowdrift of suitable depth, for example, in a pressurized ravine.

When building a shelter, do not forget: it is better to spend 4 hours building and an hour to rest in comfort than to make something in an hour and 4 hours to regret that you were born at all.

I continue to review the construction and use of winter shelters. Conditions: snow cover 20 cm, fine-grained loose snow, air temperature -8 with a decrease at night to -12, the construction of shelters such as "snow hive" for three people with the periodic diversion of one to guard. Tool - small shovels and raincoats.

The snow is pulled onto a selected flat area with the help of raincoats until a snow pile 1.5 m high and 2.5 m in diameter is formed.

After preparing the heap, a tunnel is dug downwind. Beacon sticks are installed over the entire area of ​​the dome to a depth of 15-20 cm. snow is falling from all sides. The blind end of the tunnel breaks through to the center, after which it expands in all directions. Those left outside shovel the snow pushed out.

It is necessary to ensure that the inside of the ceiling has a vaulted shape, a flat one will collapse. Upon reaching the ends of the lighthouse sticks, the removal of snow in this area stops, the ceiling is gently smoothed out. As the space increases - caution and accuracy, if the vault is broken - all over again, the holes are not closed.

At the entrance, the snow is cleared to the ground, inside the floor must be raised. There is a small ventilation hole in the dome. At the end of the clearing of the internal space, a fire is kindled in the hive for 5 minutes, after which the thawed walls freeze, increasing the strength of the dome.

Inside - spruce branches, rugs, sleeping bags. The entrance from the inside is closed by the taxiway. The temperature inside rises with candles.

At a temperature of -11 outside, the temperature inside the hives was raised to +7. The colder it is outside, the higher you can raise the temperature inside without fear of thawing the roof.

Construction time by UNPREPARED people - 3 hours. The construction time is reduced with a greater depth of snow and the presence of snow (avalanche) shovels. For comparison: under the same conditions in a two-layer tent lined with snow - +3, In a closed shed canopy - -3. In the shelter with a fire ("chumik") the temperature was raised to +12. The temperature was measured at bed level.

Sometimes a person, once in the forest, can get lost. If this happens in the warm season, the chances of finding a way out (without much damage to health) are quite high. But if this happens in winter, the situation becomes more complicated. This article will help you figure out how to build a shelter for the night in the winter.

Winter days are quite short, and it begins to get dark by 17:00. If, with the approach of twilight, you have already realized that you won’t be able to get to your home, then you need to carefully prepare for an overnight stay in the forest.

Housing made of snow

The first option for overnight stay is a snow hut.

To build such a shelter, you must first find a good place. The most optimal terrain options:

• one or a group of fallen trees;
• roots uprooted from the ground;
• hillside (it is desirable to find the south side).

The shelter will be under the cover of these trees or roots.

To start building a hut, you need to prepare the foundation - dig a hole or make a small depression in the ground. Next, you should make a frame from branches (coniferous ones are best), and if you have a piece of plastic wrap, oilcloth or fabric with you, cover the frame with it. After that, you can pour a layer of snow on top.

Build an improvised "mattress" by laying spruce branches on the bottom of your shelter. If you don’t find any, you can use dry grass or hay.

At night, the entrance to the snow hut must be covered with branches.

Despite the fact that such a dwelling is made of snow, it will be much warmer in it than in a wooden hut.

Hut of branches

A wooden hut, like the previous housing option, can be built without any tools. Of course, if you have an ax or a knife with you, they will not be superfluous. But we consider the topic of survival and miss this option.

It should be noted that there are places undesirable for lodging for the night, these are: lowlands, gorges, foothills - in such places floods, rockfalls and avalanches are possible. You should not be placed on hills: the shelter will be vulnerable to the wind.

It is better to build a shelter on a flat surface, surrounded by trees: they will protect from the wind.

You should start by looking for the wreckage. For the base of the hut, a small broken trunk is best suited, which can be placed at an angle on a reliable support. To do this, it is advisable to find a low branching of trees or stick a log in the form of a slingshot into the ground. At this stage, it is also worth taking care of the flooring. Dry moss, leaves or branches are suitable for flooring.

So, on such a simple basis, it is already possible to build future "walls" of the hut. It is very good to cover the shelter with spruce branches. But if there are none, the usual ones will do. First you need to lay out large logs, small twigs on top, cover it all with moss and dry grass.

See the video below for more details.

How to heat a house

It is better to build a fire inside a hut. At the same time, it is important to ensure that there is no fire, and the fire is at a distance from the "mattress" and "walls". Do not be afraid of smoke. At first there will be a solid curtain, but then the smoke will begin to evaporate into the loopholes between the branches.

Even a small fire can raise the temperature in the shelter by 10°C.

Earlier, The Epoch Times talked about how, in any conditions, and if you have it with you (it’s not very difficult to make it yourself), then you can even make tea.