Shelters

[curlygoth]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place


So i have been too busy repacking my bug out bag and going out to buy other things that i hadn't thought of (thanks to all on the site for your insightful posts) to add to my kit, to post my full plan for C&C but my plan B if i miss meeting up with 2 fellow preppers i know, is to head to a nearby forest to hide out i have around 2 weeks food in my bug out bag, and being raised in the country i know a few things about living off the land, anywho my question is about shelter, I've got a light weight tent and two tarps in my kit which would be liveable in for a while but I'm thinking if I'm forced to be in the woods for years how would one (as i have seen several other members plan to head to woods and forests) go about building a more permanent home, i was thinking about something underground which would be harder for other people to find, have had a look on youtube but couldn't find much anyone on here got any ideas/ links?

Many thanks dom.

 

[Colt 1911]

Earth lodge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_lodge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit-house

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugout_(shelter)

here are a few, if i find some more i will send them to you.

 

[curlygoth]

cheers colt, thats the sort of thing was looking for, has led me to some gd vids on youtube, not sure if should post though?

 

[Colt 1911]

cheers colt, thats the sort of thing was looking for, has led me to some gd vids on youtube, not sure if should post though?

post um up, i would like to see them !

 

[curlygoth]

the shelter he builds isnt pretty but looks authentic

 

[Clyde]

the shelter he builds isnt pretty but looks authentic

It looks like it could work. just have to get myself to a wooded area.

 

[Colt 1911]

I think If i built something like that i would put a tarp over the roof then leafs an debri on top of that.

 

[hj1984]

Yea it def isn't conspicuous lol really needs some camo tlc, but other than that, it could work!

 

[rdnkbear]

oh yeah,, those work good around my area, plus the tarp idea is useful of collecting rainwater...

 

[Krime]

Even if you go that route, youll need a temp shelter while you do mass amount of digging and cutting through a shitload of fat roots, burning calories like a mofo. I wouldnt suggest it untill you have your food/water supply in order.
Another thing, i wouldnt build shelter so close to the water. Many people will know, and/or come to realize that people need water desperatly and will build along rivers/streams/lakes/etc. Enter the pillagers who will simply walk up river looking for someone whos **** they could steal.

Personally, my temp shelter will be a tee-pee.
You can tie 3 long branches together, use your belt if you dont have rope, or ask and i could teach ya other methods for rope/string. Then start putting other branches against it fillen the holes. Then, if you can find it, use moss to cover it all. The moss will act as an insulator. But if theres no moss, rip bark from trees and strap it to the tee-pee, itll at least keep the rain out.

 

[Colt 1911]

Even if you go that route, youll need a temp shelter while you do mass amount of digging and cutting through a shitload of fat roots, burning calories like a mofo. I wouldnt suggest it untill you have your food/water supply in order.
Another thing, i wouldnt build shelter so close to the water. Many people will know, and/or come to realize that people need water desperatly and will build along rivers/streams/lakes/etc. Enter the pillagers who will simply walk up river looking for someone whos **** they could steal.

Personally, my temp shelter will be a tee-pee.
You can tie 3 long branches together, use your belt if you dont have rope, or ask and i could teach ya other methods for rope/string. Then start putting other branches against it fillen the holes. Then, if you can find it, use moss to cover it all. The moss will act as an insulator. But if theres no moss, rip bark from trees and strap it to the tee-pee, itll at least keep the rain out.

Ya Krime, for temp i wouldn't put in the effort, but if i was going to stay few months i think I would go for something like that.

 

[curlygoth]

Well this was only intended for uber worst case world end situations lol, gots a temp shelter covered in me bug out bag,

though gd point on building close to water hadnt thought about that one cheers krime

and use your belt,!! thats a scary thought, forgetting to pack para cord and having to run around the woods pullin your trousers up constantly lol,

and moss bark thats again something i didnt no would work, thanks for the tip

 

[Krime]

Well this was only intended for uber worst case world end situations lol, gots a temp shelter covered in me bug out bag,

though gd point on building close to water hadnt thought about that one cheers krime

and use your belt,!! thats a scary thought, forgetting to pack para cord and having to run around the woods pullin your trousers up constantly lol,

and moss bark thats again something i didnt no would work, thanks for the tip

If i dont have a belt i use whats called a prison tie:
You can take just about anything, plasic bag handle, piece of cloth etc and tie your 2 front belt loops on your pants together.

Remember too, sweat pants come with string at the waist.

Ive thought about under ground bunker/shelter like this, but id go more of a tunnel like the enemy did in Vietnam.
Personally, i was thinken about builden an ol'school log cabin, but i wouldnt do any type of permanite shelter till **** settles down a bit.
If i was to build any underground shelter, id definitly build a back door escape route too. preferably one away from my actual shelter.

 

[curlygoth]

ok again u have put me to shame Krime, with the substitute belt , i did think about the log cabin idea but figured an underground home, would be safer when desperate peeps come stumbling into my hidey area, a nice above ground cabin is visable for a gd distance, where as something underground is easyer to hide. (anyone else wanna jump in here feel free) and i agree would defo dig an escape tunnel from any underground home i might build, though as i said twice this idea was only for long term hiding

 

[Colt 1911]

ok again u have put me to shame Krime, with the substitute belt , i did think about the log cabin idea but figured an underground home, would be safer when desperate peeps come stumbling into my hidey area, a nice above ground cabin is visable for a gd distance, where as something underground is easyer to hide. (anyone else wanna jump in here feel free) and i agree would defo dig an escape tunnel from any underground home i might build, though as i said twice this idea was only for long term hiding

I am in !! underground or part of, is what i would go with. easy to hide or i should say less visible and out of the wind. I would go high ground butted on a cliff with a rappelled escape route . This is just if an only if, things got so bad i had to bug out of my house.

 

[Krime]

One might also want to check their locations too.
Underground may not be a good idea in earthquake country.

 

[curlygoth]

I am in !! underground or part of, is what i would go with. easy to hide or i should say less visible and out of the wind. I would go high ground butted on a cliff with a rappelled escape route . This is just if an only if things got so bad i had to bug out of my house.

cheers colt, lucky in the uk we dont have to worry about earthquakes so this idea for a long term shelter was what was lookin for

 

[Colt 1911]

cheers colt, lucky in the uk we dont have to worry about earthquakes so this idea for a long term shelter was what was lookin for

Yes sir, filed it away, It's a keeper ! thanks mate

 

[Hades]

I this shelter is interesting, yet I find myself wondering if like he said, the height is 4-5 feet, and the winter gets to 30 below, he will work himself to death, just keeping wood on the fire. I mean he cant really add much at a time can he. if the ceiling is all wood, and then what we dont see in that video, is the smaller branches ("chinking") the gaps, then leaves, then the dirt. I find it amusing that from the inside, all you see 4 feet from the ground would all be kiniling, burn a fire overnight, and that area would be bone dry, a larger piese of wood that has been burning better on one side fall over( i would hope, we have all seen this happen in real life before) and we all know the sparks go up. I will pass on the half earth in the way that he shows it being done. alot of work, just to have it burn down on me while I am sleeping. 4-5 feet is not enough room to have a fire under.

 

[Krime]

I this shelter is interesting, yet I find myself wondering if like he said, the height is 4-5 feet, and the winter gets to 30 below, he will work himself to death, just keeping wood on the fire. I mean he cant really add much at a time can he. if the ceiling is all wood, and then what we dont see in that video, is the smaller branches ("chinking") the gaps, then leaves, then the dirt. I find it amusing that from the inside, all you see 4 feet from the ground would all be kiniling, burn a fire overnight, and that area would be bone dry, a larger piese of wood that has been burning better on one side fall over( i would hope, we have all seen this happen in real life before) and we all know the sparks go up. I will pass on the half earth in the way that he shows it being done. alot of work, just to have it burn down on me while I am sleeping. 4-5 feet is not enough room to have a fire under.

HA!
I was coming here to say the same thing!

 

[Hades]

HA!
I was coming here to say the same thing!

sometimes, great minds think alike

 

[Krime]

sometimes, great minds think alike

Lmao, ya but so do we HA!

 

[Colt 1911]

Oh god i've heard it all. that shelter was just a rough idea, it wasn't a set of blue prints.

 

[Hades]

Oh god i've heard it all. that shelter was just a rough idea, it wasn't a set of blue prints.

well Though I agree with you on the concept, ANYONE who doesnt already know how to build a shelter, is more knowledge challenged
now for having watched that clip, because they will believed that they know what they are doing. Dont wory about that billybob, that video said 4 or 5 feet, so 4'2 is fine, stop diggin and get me that other log. If someone dont know how to build a shelter, then there is a high likelyhood, that they wont understand the dangers of fire inside that shelter as well.

The concept of digging in is a good one, the logs, and all great, but the video that that guy watched, before he went out and started filming himself must have been tainted by someone else, and yet it keeps getting passed on. My only intention was to bring the fire issue to light, so people would either dig it in deeper, or use more logs in the pig-pen pattern to get the height of ceiling up higher. even with 6" logs every 4 gives you a foot of head room.

 

[Colt 1911]

well Though I agree with you on the concept, ANYONE who doesnt already know how to build a shelter, is more knowledge challenged
now for having watched that clip, because they will believed that they know what they are doing. Dont wory about that billybob, that video said 4 or 5 feet, so 4'2 is fine, stop diggin and get me that other log. If someone dont know how to build a shelter, then there is a high likelyhood, that they wont understand the dangers of fire inside that shelter as well.

The concept of digging in is a good one, the logs, and all great, but the video that that guy watched, before he went out and started filming himself must have been tainted by someone else, and yet it keeps getting passed on. My only intention was to bring the fire issue to light, so people would either dig it in deeper, or use more logs in the pig-pen pattern to get the height of ceiling up higher. even with 6" logs every 4 gives you a foot of head room.

Ya I agree with you on that Hades. the height is a issue with a fire.

 

[curlygoth]

I this shelter is interesting, yet I find myself wondering if like he said, the height is 4-5 feet, and the winter gets to 30 below, he will work himself to death, just keeping wood on the fire. I mean he cant really add much at a time can he. if the ceiling is all wood, and then what we dont see in that video, is the smaller branches ("chinking") the gaps, then leaves, then the dirt. I find it amusing that from the inside, all you see 4 feet from the ground would all be kiniling, burn a fire overnight, and that area would be bone dry, a larger piese of wood that has been burning better on one side fall over( i would hope, we have all seen this happen in real life before) and we all know the sparks go up. I will pass on the half earth in the way that he shows it being done. alot of work, just to have it burn down on me while I am sleeping. 4-5 feet is not enough room to have a fire under.

the height wasnt something a had thought about in relation to the fire so to be safe dig it what 6/7 feet deep?
i started this thread for just this reason as had no real idea how to build a decent shelter, glad this convo is developing

 

[Krime]

What i would do, is leave somewhat of a roof part open. Not only do you have to worry about catchen your **** on fite, but you have to worry about smoke inhalation as well.
With fire, you can always dig a somewhat fire place into a side bank and line it with river rock, that way, the fire wont burn you down, you wont die of smoke inhalation, and youll still keep warm.
Watch your fites though, smoke can be seen for miles, giving away your location.

 

[Hades]

the height wasnt something a had thought about in relation to the fire so to be safe dig it what 6/7 feet deep?
i started this thread for just this reason as had no real idea how to build a decent shelter, glad this convo is developing

like we have been talking about the height is the only issue, the idea is sound, just the details.
this type of shelter is very labor intensive, but is the best one for the area he was talking about. 6 feet of snow, 30 below zero.
but like many things, area specific, would it be the right 1 for you.
I dont have as much time as it will take now, but if its shelters you want to know about, we can gladly help you out.

I hate to change the subject, but I feel i need to for a moment. Before we begin with shelters we first need to establish that there are many kinds of shelters, made with many different materials, the situation will dictate what what kind you need to make dependent on many factors including where you are, what materials you have, how many in group, season, how long you plan to be there, among others. A shelter is an immediate need, its placement can even be above that of water. in a food, water, shelter cluster. One must start at the begginning of every emergency, what that emergency is specifically is partially irrelevent to survival. if it is a car wreck on a long and abandoned road, to a emergency bug out from any area for any reason, the fact remains that you are now in the middle of an emergency, you must NOW pull yourself together and survive.

S size up any situation WTF happened, ok, ok, pull myself together, survival is an instinct, use it.
U use your sences undue haste makes waste, STOP, what do you hear, what do you see, and smell
R remember where you are, where are you in relation to civilization, where were you going, where are people, go to them, or away, where is water, etc.
V vanquish fear and panic IT WILL NOT HELP IN SURVIVAL
I improvise, everything can be used for more than it 1st apears
V value living this is the motivation to try and save it.
A act like the natives, they survived for centuries on very little
L live by your wits, knowledge keeps people alive, learn basic skills, and then improve on them as much as possible.

Your 1st shelter needs to take little time and little effort, if you are not where you are staying, it will be left now wont it.
so before we start on more perminant dug ins like the one in the video, we should start with these. I think we should discuss the ones that require absolutly nothing man made, this will be worse case senerio, anything manmade you can repurpose and use after this would be a plus, but not nessisary.
I need to go to work soon, so I will just leave it at this for now, now that the tempo of this thread has been established, I am sure that many will be able to help with thier thoughts on crude, immediate, temp shelter styles, and we can discuss all of them, before we move on to intermediate shelters.
By the time we are done here, everyone will have the basic concept of what a shelter structurally is, and could improvise if the need arose.
When I get on tonight I will add some of the styles that we have used, but i need to get to work very soon. I fully expect to find many posts on this thread before I get back.

 

[Krime]

Ill start i guess.

If im not to where i could make a tee-pee, ill use my mylar blankets.
I know the subject has turned to non man maxe, but thats why we prep.
Atm i only have 4, bit i plan to get a crapload more.
Ill use one to eother make a pup tent, or even a half pup, where its propped to one side, then use one of my other ones as a blanket.
Ive got more but ill let others have a turn too lmao.

 

[Colt 1911]

This is my shelter !