to sit up comfortably. If you can’t find two trees a suitable distance apart,
you can make do with two Yshaped branches or tripods. Place these far
enough apart to fit your sleeping body, and drive them into the ground.
Lay the cross beam between the two Y supports.
Line the cross beam with branches (use as many as you can), which
will act as the ribbing for your roof. The steeper the ribbing, the more
effectively the roof will shed rain. If you have plastic sheeting, drape the
sheeting across the ribbing as a waterproofing layer. Be careful not to
puncture the sheeting.
If you don’t have a tarp, crisscross a layer of windbreak/roofing
materials over the ribbing. Keep adding layers until you feel the shelter
will provide the protection you need.
To reinforce your leanto, you can build a short wall underneath the
high end of the structure. Drive two sets of stakes into the ground, far
enough apart to hold the logs you will use for the wall.
Stack logs inside these stakes. You can make the wall more airtight
by filling the cracks between the logs with dirt, grass, moss, or any other
suitable material you can find. Once complete, this kind of wall works well
as a fire reflector, particularly if built with green logs, which don’t ignite as
quickly as older logs.
Leantos are not my favorite shelter in any location where wind is an
issue—which is almost everywhere. In a place like the Amazon jungle, how
ever, where the nearconstant rain comes down in torrents, these shelters can
be quite effective, especially if the roof hangs far enough over the front.
Consider the leanto as your first step toward a more secure Aframe
structure. Close in the open side of a leanto and you have an Aframe that
is strong and protected on all sides.
stroud’s Tip
Lack of sleep is extremely dangerous and will lead to
frustration, clouded thinking, clumsiness, depression, and
despair. But sleeping during the day in the warmth of the
sun reduces your chances of rescue. So ensure that you get as
much sleep at night as possible by making a good shelter. Shelter (^) | 157