A shelter is pitched to suit the weather

A shelter built from spruce branches takes hours. From a tarp, a shelter goes up in minutes.

Three questions decide the shape

On unfrozen ground the fastest shelter comes from a tarp, a poncho, a lightweight cover or any large waterproof sheet. It is worth deciding the shape before the fabric comes out. Three questions are enough: how many people are sleeping under it, what the weather is doing, and whether there will be a fire for warmth.

Keep them in that order. When the shape is settled before you start pitching, the fabric goes into place first time.

The answers decide both the size and the height. One large sheet is not the obvious choice. Several small shelters are easier to pitch and easier to carry than one big one. Two small sheets also divide between more people to carry.

Wind and rain push the shelter low

The windier and wetter it is, the lower the shelter is pitched. At the same time, more corners are pegged to the ground. A low, tightly pitched shelter gives the wind less surface. Peg the corners as you pitch it, not once the wind picks up.

With a fire you do the opposite. Then the shelter is built higher, so it reflects heat onto the people under it. The shelter is turned side-on to the wind, because that keeps the smoke from packing in. Two shelters can also be pitched facing each other.

The shapes differ in cover and room

A triangle goes up fast and works with a fire. A square is just as fast and takes more sleepers. A diamond gives good cover from rain but less from wind.

An A-frame gives good cover and goes up quickly. Its corners can be left off the ground, which leaves more room inside. They can also be pulled right down, which gives better cover. So the same sheet gives either room or cover, depending on which you need more that night.

The shape is chosen on the same three questions as the shelter itself: sleepers, weather, fire.

Ponchos make a shelter

Ponchos are joined together. Two ponchos make cover for three or four sleepers, three ponchos for four to six.

One detail decides whether the cover stays dry. Close the hood and cinch it tight before pitching. An open hood lets water through at exactly the point above the sleepers. So a poncho is a dual-purpose item: the same fabric protects you on the move and at night.

Tight fabric keeps water out

The tighter the fabric is pulled, the better it sheds water. Slack fabric collects water; tight fabric leads it away. The ridge is left slightly higher than the edges, so water runs down. Tensioning is the step that decides the result.

Packs and kit go along the sides of the shelter. They double as a windbreak.

Sources

• Selviytymisen käsikirja (Survival Handbook, 2024), pp. 55, 56 and 57. A public guide of the Finnish Defence Forces.