Winter camping often involves insulated tents and crackling woodstoves, which offer warmth and comfort against the cold. However, this reliance on modern conveniences can diminish essential survival instincts, especially when a tent isn’t available.
When temperatures drop and the wind bites, the right winter shelter can mean the difference between a semi-cozy night under the stars and a survival nightmare. This guide outlines the characteristics of a good survival shelter and some simple ones to remember for the future.
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What Makes a Good Winter Shelter?
When building a survival shelter the main goal should be to create a safe, warm, and dry space. Luckily, nature provides many kinds of resources to help you accomplish those goals, albeit with some elbow grease and time. There are some key things that a survival shelter must have to be effective at keeping you alive
Insulation
Proper insulation is key to surviving freezing temperatures. Your shelter should trap as much body heat as possible while keeping the biting cold out. Natural materials like leaves, coniferous boughs, and snow can serve as excellent insulators.
Additionally, gear such as thermal blankets or sleeping pads can add even more barriers against the cold ground. When using natural materials, aim for at least 12 inches of insulating layer—nature’s thermal blanket—to create a cozy interior.
Wind Resistance
Winter winds can be relentless. Building a shelter that withstands strong gusts is another important thing to remember. Use natural windbreaks like boulders, dense clusters of trees, or hillsides as part of your campsite and position your shelter to face away from the prevailing wind. Angled walls and supports will help redirect wind up and over your shelter instead of trapping it inside.
Make Sure It’s The Correct Size
A compact shelter is better for winter. Larger spaces are harder to heat and can lead to a chilling experience. If you’re using the shelter as an emergency overnight spot then go small as a smaller interior retains the heat better. If the shelter will be semi-permanent then make it bigger so that you can use a fire to help heat it.
Best Materials for Winter Shelters
Planning ahead is always a good thing to consider. Having an emergency kit with gear-based materials will help the shelter-building process immensely. Failing that, there are also many materials outside that you can use.
Natural Materials
- Branches & Sticks: Great for creating frames or layers, especially in forested areas.
- Rock Faces: Provide strong protection against storms and can reflect heat from a fire.
- Snow: Surprisingly effective as an insulator when used to make a quinzee or snow trench shelter
Gear-Based Materials
- Tarps or Thermal Blankets: Lightweight and versatile, they’re perfect for creating quick, effective shelters.
- Ropes: Essential for securing frames or tying tarps in place.
- Sleeping Bags or Bivy Sacks: Double as emergency shelter solutions.
Survival Shelter Ideas
These shelters are easy to construct, can be made with various materials, and protect against the elements and cold.
Debris Shelter
The debris shelter is a straightforward shelter that you can build in an hour if the right materials are near you. To begin, you need two “Y” shaped sticks and one long wooden log that acts as your ridge pole. Cross the two “Y” sticks and angle your ridgepole so that it leans on the sticks.
The ridgepole should be at a 30-40 degree angle.
From there you want to lean smaller branches up against the ridgepole to form the walls of the shelter; do the same for both sides. Start gathering whatever is around you to create the roof. This can be leaves, forest duff, boughs, and even snow. You want to cover it with several inches of insulation and ensure there is no light coming through the shelter.
Lean-To Shelter
The lean-to shelter is an excellent choice for areas with strong winds and heavy snowfall, offering both sturdiness and protection. To build one, start by finding a strong wrist-thick branch that you can tie between two trees (or wedge if the trees have a split in them.
Once your framework is secure, tilt smaller branches against the beam to form a slanted wall, making sure the angled structure faces away from the prevailing wind. To insulate your shelter and keep it weatherproof, cover the slanted wall with tarps, thick layers of leaves, or even packed snow.
Quinzhee
The Quinzhee is a snow shelter similar to a snow cave, but the key difference is that it’s built entirely from scratch. To start, pile loose snow into a large mound that’s big enough to accommodate your group. You’ll know you’re done when the mound is as tall as you.
Once the mound is formed, you’ll need to allow the snow to settle and harden for about 1 to 2 hours. When the snow is compacted and stable, start digging out the interior to form a small space. To help determine how far you’ve excavated you can stick long sticks into the top and sides of the shelter to help act as indicators to stop digging.
An easy way to identify if you’ve dug too far is you’ll start to see daylight through the shelter. A word of warning, there is a chance that the quinzhee can collapse on you while digging it out. If you’re building this shelter with two people then have one outside ready to haul you out by your ankles if it does collapse. Letting the quinzhee sit for a long period will mitigate this.
Final Thoughts
Building a reliable winter campsite is an essential skill that you can practice without the need for a survival shelter. With the right shelter design, location, and materials, you can brave the cold without compromising on safety. A well-built shelter will also give you one less thought to worry about while you’re out in the wilderness.
