How can you find or build shelter in the wilderness?
If you're stranded in the wilderness, you probably need to find or build a shelter to protect you from the elements. This page offers resources to help you learn how to find and build a safe and effective shelter.
Here are some resources for learning how to make a shelter out of a tarp, emergency blanket, or brush or other materials you may find in the wilderness.
Building a survival shelter
If you're stranded in the wilderness, it's usually necessary
to find or build shelter. Most people cannot survive more than a few hours in
rough weather, so you need a place where you can rest and sleep while being
protected from the elements.
Shelter site 
If possible, choose a place:
For more information, including on unsuitable shelter sites, click here.
Building a Debris Hut
These videos give a detailed demonstration of building a debris hut from the Maine Primitive Skills School.
Forest and tree photos by Brenda Morris
Animated tree from Free animations
Brush shelter photo from Reed, M. (2011). Build an Outdoor Survival Shelter. Retrieved July 20, 2011, from Get Out! website: http://www.getoutzine.com/node/460
Brush shelter introduction based on: Falk, E. C. (2011). Building a survival shelter. Retrieved July 20, 2011, from Wilderness-Survival-Skills.com website: http://www.wilderness-survival-skills.com/survivalshelter.html
Sometimes being able to identify types of trees can help you in building a shelter or making your own tools. Here are two websites that will help you identify trees that grow in Wisconsin. Each site includes a tree identification guide and a list of links to species.
This video discusses how to safely find shelter or find a spot to build a shelter. For more videos in this series, click here.
Additional terms you may use when researching wilderness shelters include:
Brenda Morris