Tactical Trail Hiking
Wilderness Survival and Safety
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Find Shelter
Review the Following:
Shelter, a Ten Essentials Category
Ten Essentials- Shelter
If you’re properly prepared, you have basic shelter needs with you as a Ten Essentials requirement.
Tactical Notes- Shelter
A discussion of shelter site selection and shelter deployment.
Shelter = Survival
It’s imperative you find shelter, and find it fast. Not only does shelter provide you with a base of operations, it also helps keep you safe from hazardous exposure to the elements.
Shelter Needs Vary
Shelter in a survival situation is relative to the extent of your emergency.
Shelter needs vary based on:
- Current or anticipated weather conditions.
- Time of day or night.
- Seasonal factors.
- A victim’s physical condition.
Current or Anticipated Weather Conditions
What’s the weather overhead doing? Will it change in the near future? Consider the worst-case scenario and plan accordingly.
Time of Day or Night
Often a warm day in the mountains can be near-freezing cold at night. A no-brainer, you say. Well, think about it.
Seasonal Factors
Sitting in the hot sun’s great on a recreational beach, but when enduring a forced stay in the mountains (unless precautions are taken) it promotes dehydration, sunburn, and medical emergencies such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Winter-like conditions can occur at any time in the mountains. What’s the current temperature? Is it cold, overcast, and raining? Is the temperature expected to drop? Is it raining with threat of snow, starting to snow, or is snow expected overnight? Is the wind blowing such that wind-chill is a major factor?
A Victim’s Physical Condition
Injury places an added burden on shelter selection. Common tasks such as shelter deployment, getting water, firewood gathering, and the like are difficult (maybe impossible) due to physical limitations imposed by the injury.
Warmth and water will be your mantra. Consider that mobility decreases with each passing day.
Next > Get Warm
