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How to Build an Inexpensive Lean-To

There are three necessities to survival: food, water and shelter. In a survival situation, shelter is needed to keep warm and dry and provide the moral support that only shelter from the elements can provide. The lean-to is probably the easiest and most recognizable shelter. Simply put, a lean-to is any shelter with a roof that has a single slope. They can be built anywhere, anytime, with little to no tools required.

Things You'll Need

Hatchet
Horizontal support, 6 to 8 feet long
2 forked vertical supports, 6 to 8 feet long
8 beams, 6 to 8 feet long
Roofing material such as saplings and cedar boughs
Rope (or twine or vine)

Instructions

- 1
  Select a site that is on dry and level ground and provides protection from the elements. It is helpful if the site is near the construction materials.
- 2
  Gather the materials. The supports, beams and roofing materials are usually readily available in the wilderness. Chop them to usable size, no shorter than 6 feet, with the hatchet. The two vertical supports should fork at one end. Flexible saplings, cedar boughs or large leaves will do for a roof.
- 3
  Secure the vertical supports to the ground so they remain upright, with the forks at the top. Use rope or twine to provide opposing tension to the supports, or bury the bottom ends or pile rocks against them. The distance between the vertical supports should not exceed the length of the horizontal support.
- 4
  Place the horizontal support into the forked ends of the vertical support and tie them together at each end.
- 5
  Lay the beams against the horizontal support at a 45-degree angle. The degree of slope will affect exposure to the elements, heat retention and comfort; adjust it as necessary. Tie each beam to the horizontal support.
- 6
  Weave the roofing materials horizontally through the beams, keeping the weaves tight to minimize heat loss and maximize watertightness. The roof is the most time-consuming part of a lean-to, but it must be done correctly to provide protection from the elements.

Nature