Shelter Without a Tent – Your Backup Options

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

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.

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