The Hanging Shelter: Hanging shelters—hammocks or platform beds—
are useful in two ways. First, they get you off the ground, thereby
keeping you warm. Second, they put some distance between you and
any creepy crawlies, such as scorpions, snakes, spiders, and other biting
or stinging critters.
A platform bed, such as this one I built in the Amazon, is a good alternative to a
hammock.
The WikiUp (or Tipi): A close relative of the tipi so ingeniously used by
many North American native groups, the wikiup comprises three center
poles that are tied or fitted together at the top to form the basis of a tripod
frame. For additional support, place more poles against the tripod. Cover
these poles with any material you can find in the surrounding area. By
comparison, a tipi uses the same rough frame, but its walls are covered
with whatever manmade materials you have available, whether a tarp,
plastic sheeting, parachute materials, or even canvas.
The beauty of both these shelters is that they are very strong, shed
the rain well due to their steep wall pitch, let you sit up (sometimes even
stand up!), and allow you to have a fire inside because the smoke exits the
shelter through the top. Building an air trench to provide oxygen to the
fire helps to force the smoke out.
(^164) | Survive!