A Shelter for Several Days
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What you will learn
- 1Choose a shelter site for a stay of several days
- 2Improve a shelter with a raised bed, a steep roof and a windbreak
- 3Explain how a drainage ditch and a well-placed door keep a shelter dry
- 4Check and repair a shelter every day
Mini Lesson
In Grade 4 you built a debris shelter, and in Grade 5 you pitched a tarp. Those work well for one night. On a stay of several days, small problems grow: a drip, a draft or a damp bed gets worse each night. So you improve the shelter step by step with your grown-up. A good long-stay shelter keeps you dry, warm and rested.
🌿 The Wild Way (make it last)
- PICK THE SITE WITH CARE: use your Grade 4 "Set Up a Safe Camp" rules - raised ground, no dead branches above, and well back from water.
- A RAISED, THICK BED: build the bed up off the ground with a layer of logs or poles, then a deep layer of dry leaves or grass on top.
- A STEEP, WATERPROOF ROOF: steep sides let rain run off fast. Add more thatch or tighten the tarp until no light shows through.
- A WINDBREAK WALL: stack logs, branches or packed debris on the side the wind comes from.
- A DOOR AWAY FROM THE WIND: face the opening away from the wind, so cold air and rain don’t blow straight in.
- A DRAINAGE DITCH: where it is allowed, scrape a shallow channel on the uphill side so rainwater flows around the shelter. Fill it in when you leave.
Living in it day after day
- A FIRE REFLECTOR: only where the adult runs a safe fire, a low wall of logs or rocks behind the fire bounces heat toward you. The fire stays well away from the shelter.
- KEEP GEAR DRY: keep your pack and clothes inside, off the ground, and covered at night.
- AIR IT OUT: on dry days, shake out the bedding and let fresh air in.
- CHECK AND REPAIR DAILY: each morning, look for sagging, gaps, drips or washed-out spots and fix them before dark.
Build and improve the shelter with your grown-up. Only the adult runs any fire, and the fire is always well away from the shelter, which can burn fast. Never cut live trees, and only dig a ditch where it is allowed - check with your grown-up. If a branch above looks dead or the ground floods, tell the adult and move.
Words to know
raised bed
A bed built up off the ground with logs or poles and a thick layer of dry leaves or grass.
e.g. The raised bed kept the cold ground from stealing my heat.
thatch
Layers of grass, leaves or branches laid on a roof to keep the rain out.
e.g. We added more thatch where the roof dripped.
windbreak
A wall that blocks the wind.
e.g. We stacked logs as a windbreak on the windy side.
drainage ditch
A shallow channel that leads rainwater around a shelter.
e.g. The drainage ditch kept the water from running under our bed.
fire reflector
A low wall of logs or rocks behind a fire that bounces heat toward you.
e.g. My grown-up built a fire reflector well away from the shelter.
repair
To fix something that is damaged or worn.
e.g. Each morning we checked and repaired the roof.
🧠 Survivor’s Trick: on the first night, lie in your shelter with your eyes closed and notice where you feel a draft or a cold spot. In the morning, fix exactly those spots first. Your body is the best test for a shelter.
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