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Shelter Without a Tent – Your Backup Options
You’re out having a great time camping, about to get your tent set up when you realize – oops! You’ve forgotten it. Well, maybe it’s not an easy thing to forget, but it can’t hurt to know what to do for shelter if you ever find yourself without a tent out on a camping trip. After all, shelter should be your top priority, especially if you’ve already found a good source of water. Here are some tips for building a shelter without a tent.
One quick note: to prepare for a truly desperate and dangerous survival situation, you’ll want to do more research than this – and some training from a professional wouldn’t hurt.
Take a look at the resources you do have. Even if you don’t have a tent, that doesn’t mean you don’t have materials with you that can help you build a shelter. Materials such as ponchos and tarps can be effective at keeping out wind and moisture, which are two critical areas you’ll want to focus on. Fly sheets, ground sheets, and simple plastic sheets can also be effective to use in this fashion. If you brought a plastic table cloth to use, you might find that it would go great in a makeshift shelter.
Think about using natural shelters. Natural shelters can get you out of the rain, wind, and cold, but you’ll have to be careful before using one. For example, caves can work well, but you have to be sure there aren’t any predators around or who call it home as well as making sure that the cave is stable. When it comes to big caves, don’t venture too far inside.What about trees? Trees are dangerous during lightning storms, so it’s best to avoid them when it’s storming out. They can help shield you from rain, but if there’s thunder as well, you’ll want to avoid being under a tree.
Make do. Sometimes, it helps to make do until you can find a better solution, such as simply buying a tent. Cars can work as shelter, even if they won’t necessarily work as a great camping experience.
When you’re going camping, remember to bring your shelter with you. Be sure you can be dry, warm, safe, and comfortable, and you’ll enhance your camping experience.
Photo Credits: iNmO_Khem
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One Powerful Technique to Help You Catch Muskellunge
In fishing, the Muskellunge, or “Muskie,” is one of the most popular fish to try to catch. Growing as large as two to five feet in length and not always common to find, the Muskie can make a great photograph to bring back home or post on Facebook. But because they’re not too easy to find, let alone catch, catching one will require a bit of a challenge.
In order to take a Muskie out of the water, you should be armed with the right information about Muskies. You’ll also want to learn a powerful technique for getting the Muskies out of their daily routine and after your tackle. Here’s how:
The technique, relatively common among more avid fisherman, is known as the “Figure Eight.” In this technique, you use the tip of your rod to “draw” an eight into the surface of the water. This will bring your bait around in frantic movements that resembles a baitfish trying to avoid predators. In essence, you’re trying to simulate the appearance of prey at a disadvantage. For a large fish like a Muskie, this can be a very intriguing sight.
In order to successfully implement the Figure Eight, you’re going to want to make sure you do it right. It’s best done when you see a fish following your boat, usually when your tackle is not far from your rod. Once you spot this “follower fish,” you’ll want to draw the eight, but do it smoothly and quietly so that you don’t stir up too much water and scare the Muskie away. Don’t stop doing it simply because you want to give the Muskie a chance to go after it – this might actually convince the fish that the tackle isn’t what it thought it was, and you’ll see the fish lose interest.When you’re fishing for Muskie, you’ll want to incorporate a technique like this on a habitual basis – you might even use a Figure Eight when you don’t see a fish as you’re about to pull up your cast. You’d do this to make sure there isn’t a fish waiting nearby that might come up and go for the supposed prey.
Will this catch Muskie for you? Not necessarily. You’ll have to learn more about the Muskie, including where they are most populous, and try to go where they go. You’ll also want to make sure you have the right bait to attract their attention, not to mention the experience of working with a few Muskie in your career as an amateur fisherman.
Photo Credits: Crowhand
