Shelter building is one of the core, fundamental skills in Bushcraft. It provides protection from the elements, a dry place to sleep and a safe area to store your kit. When building a shelter you have to make several considerations in the design stage to be successful.

• Site your shelter close to natural resources like Water, firewood and building materials. Make sure you are atleast 40 yards from a water source, if you are too close you could lose body heat as the ground, and air will be damp.
• Check for rock overhangs, and branches that could be hazardous.
• Make sure there isn't any dead wood hanging above you that are likely to come crashing down in a storm or strong wind. Beech trees have been known to suddenly drop their branches so make sure you don't shelter beneath one.
• Check the ground for nests and other nasties such as scorpions and centipedes, also check above you for bee and hornet nests.
• Don't site your shelter on hilltops exposed to wind, move lower down and find a spot on the leeside.
• Try and choose a spot on slightly higher ground than the surrounding area so that water runs down, away from the shelter.

In the desert temperatures can reach extremes of 40 degrees so it is vital you have somewhere to rest in the shade. It's best to construct a shelter at night or dawn when it is coolest and you will expel less energy. If you have a plentiful supply of water and food in close proximity then this isn't really a problem.

Make sure that an openfronted shelter is faced away from the prevailing wind and a tarp is low to the ground if you don't have a bivvi bag to minimise drafts.

Proper rest and sleep is essential so take the time and effort to construct a shelter properly.

In the rest of the shelter section under the Skills set you will find instructions on building various shelters for different climates.