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.
Filter by region
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
Southern Canada
Mixed forest offers abundant materials for cold-season shelter.
Key items
- Debris hut
- Spruce-bough lean-to with long fire
- Snow trench with bough roof