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How to Make a Miniature Survival Shelter

Practice your survival skills by making a weatherproof miniature survival shelter. While a life-size survival shelter may take several hours to turn branches, sticks, dirt and leaves into a formidable, protective enclosure, you can make a miniature shelter within a couple of hours. It's important to note that there are several variations of survival shelters; which is most appropriate for you depends on environment, resources, weather and time. Knowing how to set up more than one type of survival shelter will set you up for success on your next outdoor adventure.

Things You'll Need

Knife
Saw
Rope
Sticks
Leaves

Instructions

- 1
  Look at the layout of the land; make notes of loose boulders, dead trees, hanging branches and drainage areas where water might flow or collect during heavy storms. Stay away from these hazards when selecting a shelter site. Also stay away from creek beds that might flood during a flash flood or heavy rainfall.
- 2
  Look for a downed tree that has some space between the ground and the trunk of the tree. The amount of space and thickness of the tree will depend on the scale of the survival shelter you desire to make. Remember that the larger your miniature survival shelter is, the more you will be able to mimic real-life conditions when it's actually time to build one in the wild. Search around the tree for signs of animal habitat, such as bee's or snake holes in the ground, clawing by bears or gnawing by beavers. Avoid trees that have signs of animal habitation.
- 3
  Mark the borders of your shelter and break off branches along the trunk of the tree that are in the way of building your shelter. Lay larger branches at an angle from the ground to the tree, creating a space big enough to crawl into underneath the branches and next to the tree. Lay branches vertically, reaching from the ground to the tree, then place smaller branches horizontally reaching across the structure. If you have rope, tie the horizontal cross beams to the vertical branches.
- 4
  Spread duff, dirt and leaves across the holes and seams, filling in all open spaces. Use mud if you have a water source available or if the ground is moist. Look inside the survival shelter for any beams of light or other indications that patches need to be made on your shelter's roof. If you have grasses or coniferous species available, make a thatch roof to further waterproof your shelter.
- 5
  Add a moss bed to the inside of your shelter on top of a layer of pines, hemlocks or other dead leaves. Collect as much insulation from natural materials as you can in order to prevent heat loss between you and the ground.
- 6
  Test your shelter's survivability by turning on your garden hose or sprinkler system if you are close enough to your house.

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