Shelter Building with Jerry & Sheila

3.7.09

Since returning home from Japan, I started volunteering at a local nature preserve and environmental education center called Reinstein Woods. Reinstein is actually a state funded park maintained by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). However, due to recent state budget cuts, they wouldn't be able to survive with the Friends of Reinstein Woods, a separate entity that helps to fund a majority of the current programs offered by the center.

My friend Jerry, who also works as an intern at Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, has been a volunteer at Reinstein for almost five years. It was his brilliant idea to hold a survival skills/shelter building class. When he asked me if I wouldn't mind helping out, I gladly obliged.

We decided to start with a short quiz on the "10 essentials" that you should always include in your survival pack. They are: map of the area, loud whistle, compass, flashlight with extra batteries, extra food, extra cloths and rain gear, sunglasses and sunscreen, candle and a fire starter, and finally, a first aid kit. This list is open to interpretation but basically echos the five basic needs a person must physically stop in their tracks, consider their surroundings, and plan a way to make it through their survival situation.

Next, we went over the five basic needs, in order of most important to least important.

(1) Attitude - The attitude you take and the decisions you make based on this attitude may mean the difference between life and death.  Remember to S.T.O.P or Stop where you are, Take inventory of your materials, Orient yourself to your surroundings, and Plan a survival strategy.

(2) Shelter - This is important because it provides protection from the weather, helps maintain your body heat, and reduces your tendency to panic (or walk around).  You should always try to remain where you are if you happen to get lost.  This makes it easier for search teams to find you.

(3) Warmth - Remember the Rule of 3's:  You can survive for about 3 hours in the cold, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food.  There are many ways to make a fire but the most important part is to keep it going.  Collecting wood, especially in below zero temperatures can be a very challenging task.  You need to save as much energy as possible.  You can build a fire using a tee-pee or log cabin design.  Some examples of natural fire building materials include:  dead leaves, paper-birch bark as well as pine branches, cones, and needles.

(4) Water - Be careful to make sure that your water source is clean and free of discoloration, oil slicks on the surface, or any other particles.  It is easy to get very sick from water that has been contaminated with parasites.  It maybe helpful to look for animal tracks leading to the water.  If you find them, this may indicate a safe drinking source.  The best thing you can do is treat the water yourself using treatment tablets or filters.  You can also boil the water for 20 minutes.  When you are rescued be sure to let the authorities know you may have potentially ingested contaminated water.

(5) Food - Surprisingly enough, food is the least important of your worries should you enter into a survival situation.  It's generally safe to eat any 6-legged insects, furry animals, or fish.  If you do catch an animal, be sure to cook it thoroughly before you eat it.

Jerry and I also explained how to go about making a solar still.  The idea behind it is very simple, not to mention, very interesting.  Basically, you dig a whole in the ground and place a potable container in the middle of the whole with a tube to let extra air in and out.  Next you cover the whole with a clear plastic sheet that you have weighted down using the extra dirt you removed from the whole.  You place a weight (i.e. stone) in the center of the plastic above the potable container.  As the sun beats down on your solar still, the ground will heat up and cause condensed water to collect on the inner plastic surface.  This water will then drip down into your container and is safe to drink, assuming your container is clean.  Those who typically rely on a solar still will built multiple stills and use them more than once.

A drawing of a solar still for water catchment.

Welcome to my half completed debris hut shelter. It needs to be built up around the sides and top. To do this I would place more branches along the sides and cover those with leaves, mud, and other debris.

There is just enough room inside for someone to curl up on their side next to that big cherry tree on the left.

Testing out our shelters. I was a perfect day to evaluate your shelter's ability to withstand rain and cold.

A couple in the group built this debris hut.

Testing it out.

If you are interested in learning more about survival skills, I would recommend any of Tom Brown's books.  Jerry and I used Tom Brown's Guide to Wilderness Survival for this class but I have heard that his other books are just as great.  Tom Brown also established a tracking school located in New Jersey.  Those interested in joining, should visit the school's website.

Shout Outs: On a totally unrelated note, I would like to encourage you to watch the promotional videos for a show that a few of my friends have created. The show is called Rememberin' You.