If you have forgotten to bring a tent with you while camping or hiking, it is very helpful to be able to build shelter if necessary. Although many check the weather forecast well in advance before venturing out into nature, weather conditions have a strong tendency to change abruptly and be unpredictable. As soon as a few too many drops begin to fall, it's a great idea to start building a shelter that will keep you and your belongings dry. With this guide you will learn how to build an emergency tent or shelter using some tools provided by nature and others that you will need to have brought with you anyway.
Steps
Step 1. Find a good spot between two trees
Make sure you build the tent at an altitude that is not too high; an excessive height in fact, leads to a very cold temperature, especially in the evening and early morning.
Step 2. Make sure the soil is slightly moist
This will avoid moving dirt and dust all around while you are trying to make your tent and will make sure that the tarp adheres better to the ground, the material with which it is made in fact tends to adhere better on damp surfaces.
Step 3. Use the sturdy rope you brought with you and tie it to the two trees by making very tight knots at the ends
Make sure it goes around a few turns and is tight before tying it and trying to tie it. Try to tie the rope high enough so that you don't have to bend over when under your emergency tent.
Step 4. Check the terrain where you intend to build the tent
Be sure to remove any large pebbles, twigs, or stones before laying the bottom sheet on the ground.
Step 5. Spread a large waterproof tarp on the ground
Flatten it well and remove all creases. You can also place pebbles on the corners to keep it from moving in the slightest gust of wind.
Step 6. Hang the second tarp on the rope you tied between the two trees
Use the leftover stretches of rope to bring the two sheets together and bring them together. You can do this by taking the remaining rope and passing it through the holes in both sheets; always making sure you pull the rope tightly to make it fit. Alternatively, you can tie the excess rope to the tree to increase the stability of the tent. This will keep wind and rain as far away as possible from the area where you will need to sleep.
Advice
- You can use a rather large rock to drive the pegs into the ground when you don't have a regular hammer with you.
- Using the pegs you will need to make sure that the soil is somewhat moist enough, since it will be much easier to drive them into the ground.
- You can also use the pegs to hold the DIY tent you built in place and keep it from flying away. Be careful when using the pegs as you may inadvertently puncture the top sheet and let water enter.
- If you no longer have extra rope left to tie the tarps together, you can use large stones to hold the tent upright and prevent it from being blown away by the wind.
