3 minutes without air
3 hours without shelter
3 days without water
3 weeks without food
I think it's obvious by the way I've presented these articles that I place water above shelter. That said, it's still pretty damn important. When I think of this topic, I think of tarps, tents, debris huts, R-Pods, isolated cabins in the woods, but I realized something else when I considered why it was "3 hours" category.
You don't necessarily need shelter so soon if you have a decent jacket or clothing...
Shelter is not just a place to sleep. Shelter means protection from the elements; jackets, rain ponchos, maybe even sunblock, as well as a place to call home (even if only for the night). So don't overlook these things, having a proper outer-layer makes a huge difference when considering what kind of shelter you need.
In this same category of shelter comes sleeping bags. These can be really damn expensive, but for the most part, you get what you pay for. Consider temperature ratings and weight. My best advice is to assess the extremes of your region, look on amazon, read reviews and ratings, then wait for the end of summer and hit the sales!! Camping gear almost always goes on sale in late August through early October. **TIP: If you get a down sleeping bag, remember that these are super warm but nearly impossible to dry once they get wet.**
Water and fire don't require much of a game plan. You mostly need to assess your options and make a choice. To decide shelter, you have a lot more to weigh.
If the worst you worry about is extreme weather and the loss of electricity, then perhaps a few rolls of duct tape, some mylar blankets, and a kerosene heater will do you just fine.
Maybe a roadside emergency... stay with your car. Stay with your car. Stay with your car... unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. Pack mylar blankets and duct tape and use them to insulate your vehicle. Perhaps throw in a few of those chemical hand warmers and a wool blanket.
If you're considering bugging out, you have a lot more to take into consideration. How are you going to have to travel? By foot? By car? Bicycle? ATV? Horse? How far? What are the possible weather conditions? What are your physical limitations? What are your responsibilities, ie. children, elderly parents, pets?
If you live in an incredibly mild, dry area you might not even need to worry about a tent. If you're like me and live in a wet place where in the summer there can be a 40 to 50 degree temperature change between night and day during the summer, then you need to seriously think about this shit.
There are a lot of options. Yesterday, I saw a post on Pinterest "101 shelters to make with a tarp". You can google or look on YouTube, find a few. Try them out. There are all variety of tarps at various price ranges. Consider your needs and your budget. Or you can buy tents. Or a travel trailer or a camper. A real advanced prepper might have a get-away cabin way off the beaten path. (We all dream of this.) You should also have the knowledge of 2 or 3 primitive shelters up your sleeve. Once again, consider your environment when you do this. If you live in the desert, a debris hut might not be your thing. If you're at a loss as to what would be most successful method in your area, study how the Native Americans in your region did it.
This is how we have it covered. Each vehicle has a large tarp, mylar blankets, 550 paracord, duct tape, carabiner clips... and a tent. Each BOB has an 8x10ft tarp, duct tape, 550, carabiners, mylar blankets, rain ponchos (with grommets) which can also be used as a tarp, and we also have a 3rd light-weight tent.
Between the three of us, we also have a wire saw thing (or 3), a foldable saw, a hatchet, and an axe, not to mention our various fixed blade knives or machetes. These can be used to make lean-tos, huts, or teepees, etc.
My parents just bought an R-pod, and I'm super fricken jealous. As soon as we have a house and a garage, we will have a trailer, loaded and ready to go at all times!!!
Prepping for shelter can totally be budgeted. Start by learning primitive shelters. Watch videos, learn techniques, go out and try it. Buy a few tarps. Practice making shelters with those. Research tents and what type might be best for you. At the very least, get one of these. What's $20 if it buys you time to figure out your long term goals? 3 is the goal, not the rush-out-and-do-right-now! In truth, a big heavy duty garbage bag or a roll of that clear plastic can be used to make shelter. I've seen a shelter made out of duct tape, or sandbags, or plastic bottles. The possibilities are endless and it doesn't have to cost you a fortune.
Take your time. Scope out your options and work your way up.
Til next time...il next time...
3 hours without shelter
3 days without water
3 weeks without food
I think it's obvious by the way I've presented these articles that I place water above shelter. That said, it's still pretty damn important. When I think of this topic, I think of tarps, tents, debris huts, R-Pods, isolated cabins in the woods, but I realized something else when I considered why it was "3 hours" category.
You don't necessarily need shelter so soon if you have a decent jacket or clothing...
*facepalm*
Shelter is not just a place to sleep. Shelter means protection from the elements; jackets, rain ponchos, maybe even sunblock, as well as a place to call home (even if only for the night). So don't overlook these things, having a proper outer-layer makes a huge difference when considering what kind of shelter you need.
In this same category of shelter comes sleeping bags. These can be really damn expensive, but for the most part, you get what you pay for. Consider temperature ratings and weight. My best advice is to assess the extremes of your region, look on amazon, read reviews and ratings, then wait for the end of summer and hit the sales!! Camping gear almost always goes on sale in late August through early October. **TIP: If you get a down sleeping bag, remember that these are super warm but nearly impossible to dry once they get wet.**
Water and fire don't require much of a game plan. You mostly need to assess your options and make a choice. To decide shelter, you have a lot more to weigh.
If the worst you worry about is extreme weather and the loss of electricity, then perhaps a few rolls of duct tape, some mylar blankets, and a kerosene heater will do you just fine.
Maybe a roadside emergency... stay with your car. Stay with your car. Stay with your car... unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. Pack mylar blankets and duct tape and use them to insulate your vehicle. Perhaps throw in a few of those chemical hand warmers and a wool blanket.
If you're considering bugging out, you have a lot more to take into consideration. How are you going to have to travel? By foot? By car? Bicycle? ATV? Horse? How far? What are the possible weather conditions? What are your physical limitations? What are your responsibilities, ie. children, elderly parents, pets?
If you live in an incredibly mild, dry area you might not even need to worry about a tent. If you're like me and live in a wet place where in the summer there can be a 40 to 50 degree temperature change between night and day during the summer, then you need to seriously think about this shit.
There are a lot of options. Yesterday, I saw a post on Pinterest "101 shelters to make with a tarp". You can google or look on YouTube, find a few. Try them out. There are all variety of tarps at various price ranges. Consider your needs and your budget. Or you can buy tents. Or a travel trailer or a camper. A real advanced prepper might have a get-away cabin way off the beaten path. (We all dream of this.) You should also have the knowledge of 2 or 3 primitive shelters up your sleeve. Once again, consider your environment when you do this. If you live in the desert, a debris hut might not be your thing. If you're at a loss as to what would be most successful method in your area, study how the Native Americans in your region did it.
2 is one, and 1 is none.
3!
This doesn't mean 3 tents. Or 3 tarps. 3 options. Three ways you can make shelter, right now. By what's on your back or in your immediate surroundings.
Between the three of us, we also have a wire saw thing (or 3), a foldable saw, a hatchet, and an axe, not to mention our various fixed blade knives or machetes. These can be used to make lean-tos, huts, or teepees, etc.
My parents just bought an R-pod, and I'm super fricken jealous. As soon as we have a house and a garage, we will have a trailer, loaded and ready to go at all times!!!
Prepping for shelter can totally be budgeted. Start by learning primitive shelters. Watch videos, learn techniques, go out and try it. Buy a few tarps. Practice making shelters with those. Research tents and what type might be best for you. At the very least, get one of these. What's $20 if it buys you time to figure out your long term goals? 3 is the goal, not the rush-out-and-do-right-now! In truth, a big heavy duty garbage bag or a roll of that clear plastic can be used to make shelter. I've seen a shelter made out of duct tape, or sandbags, or plastic bottles. The possibilities are endless and it doesn't have to cost you a fortune.
Take your time. Scope out your options and work your way up.
Til next time...il next time...
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