Structures
Shelters
Match the shelter to the climate, energy budget, and materials on hand — from a leaf debris nest in the Southeast to a snow trench above the Arctic Circle.
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General practice
- Site selection beats construction — check drainage, widowmakers, wind exposure, and animal sign.
- Insulation UNDER the body matters more than a fancy roof.
- Small shelters heat with body warmth; large shelters do not.
- Never cut live saplings when downed wood will do.
Regional focus
Pacific Northwest
Continuous rain — the roof is everything.
Key items
- Cedar-bark shingle A-frame
- Steep tarp pitch with drip lines
- Elevated bough bed on downed logs