preparedness

10 Natural Survival Shelters To Look For In The Wild

Nature Can Be Brutal. It Can Also Be Generous. You Just Have to Recognize the Gift When Nature Presents It.

Most of us have the basic knowledge to build a lean-to in the woods. The design is simple, the materials are available, and the concept is obvious. And it can take an hour or two to build from scratch.

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In any survival situation, time is often the only luxury. How you use that time determines survival success. That’s why you have to make the best of the time you have because every place in the world has to confront one inevitability: It gets dark outside.

Approaching nightfall is a bad time to be scrambling around to locate or gather the things you need to survive in the wilderness. The same goes for a sudden storm front, high winds, or snowfall that turns into a whiteout.

In any wilderness survival situation, a fire is always a priority. So is water. You can do without food for a couple of days. But shelter is high on the list of priorities and often takes the most time to construct. Natural shelters are everywhere if you recognize them, and many can make short work of any shelter construction.

We’re going to explore 10 types of natural shelters. We’ll also consider ways to quickly adapt nature’s materials to make the addition of a poncho or emergency blanket an instant shelter. Time is of the essence when the cold of night or worse approaches. These quick shelters will give you the time you need to get that fire started and get through the night.

With any luck, you’ll be carrying or wearing a poncho and maybe carrying a mylar blanket in your pocket. In fact, carrying just three items will give you the ability to make any shelter fast if you let nature do most of the work.

Knife
50 feet of cordage
Emergency mylar blanket

We’ll provide estimated times for completion for all of these natural shelters. The shorter times assume the use of an emergency blanket or poncho as part of the construction. Longer times are estimates for construction with found materials.

1. From Two Trees to a Lean-To

It’s not hard to find two trees growing next to each other. If the ground is level and not in a low spot to collect water, an emergency blanket and some cordage can make short work of an effective lean-to to protect you in a sudden downpour, winds or snow. This assumes you’ve carried an emergency blanket with you, but given its pocket size, why not?

Estimated time to complete: 5 minutes

2. Cavity of An Uprooted Tree

There are times when we don’t have things like an emergency blanket to make it all easy. That’s when a natural shelter can make all the difference. It’s going to require a bit of housekeeping and a little digging, but the cavity of an uprooted tree can make short work of a windbreak and protection from the elements to some degree.

The heat from a fire facing the cavity will be captured by the natural cavity. The branches of the tree itself are a good source of firewood as well.

Estimated time to complete: 5 to 15 minutes

3. A Lean-To Head Start

Trees that have broken over without breaking from the stump can give you the top structure that will make short work of a lean-to. Sticks and branches can be leaned against the horizontal trunk, or once again you can use your poncho or an emergency blanket to finish the job. Leaves, bark, and grasses can help to further protect you from the wind, rain, and snow. But be careful out there.

Nature isn’t always fair. This branch shows a gap where it has broken from the tree. It’s not worth the risk. Keep looking.

Estimated time to complete: 5 to 30 minutes

4. Very Large Deadfalls

The trunk of a large deadfall tree can provide you quick and instant protection from rain or snow. Make sure the branches supporting the trunk are sturdy. If for any chance the trunk were to fall on you, it would be bad.

Like other horizontal structures in nature, you can stack branches against the trunk to further enclose your shelter and other materials like bark or grasses to provide a windbreak and shingles against the rain and snow. Here again, you could just duck under the tree to dodge a downpour or sudden snow squall.

Estimated time to complete: 0 to 20 minutes

5. Naturally Obvious

Sometimes nature surprises us with a natural form that simply says, “Here I am.” A tree bent to the ground with a natural arch is made-to-order for either a lean-to or A-Frame. The surrounding trees offer branches for support and the generous leaf litter can serve as natural shingles on your roof. Throwing a poncho or emergency blanket over the top makes everything easy.

Estimated time to complete: 5 to 30 minutes

6. Nature’s A-Frame

An A-Frame design is the best for heavy precipitation whether it be rain, snow, or sleet. A deadfall supported by its branches can make short work of this design. You’ll need to carefully clear some of the branches that might fill the space you need to huddle or sleep, but the branches supporting the tree from the ground are instant parts of the structure.

Adding more branches on both sides will complete the skeleton of the A-Frame and the addition of leaves, bark, and grasses can further protect you. Obviously, you can also spread an emergency blanket or poncho over the top to complete the deal.

Estimated time to completion: 5 to 40 minutes

7. Nature’s Do-It-Yourself Kit

Think of it as IKEA in the wild. All the materials you need to quickly get started on a shelter with the supporting beam structure at the top and the branches to get things started. With any luck, you can roll a log or two along the sides to create a windbreak at ground level. In this location, tall grasses would serve the purpose of thatching for the roof.

Estimated time to complete: 20 to 30 minutes

8. Pine Forest

Pines are evergreens and their year-round needles mean that the ground under a pine will typically be the last to show snow. They also present a bed of pine needles that prevent weed trees and other brush from growing, leaving a soft mat of natural insulation. The boughs of the tree can also serve to blanket and cushion the ground.

A low hanging branch can be used to support an emergency blanket as a lean-to, or branches can be stacked on both sides of the branch to make a shelter. In the short-term, just sitting under a pine during a snowstorm can keep you relatively protected.

Estimated time to completion: 0 to 30 minutes

9. Hollow Trunks

You don’t see this every day, but nature is full of surprises. An adult could actually sit in this hollow. The obvious concerns are animals and insects. Animals probably wouldn’t be an issue. Many animals are prey and prefer dens that offer better protection and proximity from predators.

Insects deserve a good look, but this open trunk showed no immediate presence of insects. It’s a perfect place to quickly find cover during heavy rain or winds and a fire in front would radiate into the cavity. No assembly required.

Estimated time to completion: 0 minutes

10. It’s Not Just About Trees

Very large boulders, cliffs, caves, and rock overhangs all present shelter opportunities both immediate or constructed with less time and effort. As always, check out any natural shelter like a cave for potential dangers ranging from animal occupancy to collapse. If it gets you through the night and you still don’t get out of the woods, you’ll have more time the next day to both find a new shelter before nightfall stops your progress again.

How Native Tribes Predicted Nightfall

Even if we have a watch in the woods, we don’t always know when that big yellow ball in the sky is going to hit the horizon. But native people knew how to predict it to the minute using only their hands. It’s an important skill to know because the surprise of twilight will severely restrict your time to prepare even the simplest survival site.

And as for those natural shelters, they’ll always be there to help, assuming you can find one in time.

Predicting Time Until Sunset

The concept is simple. You hold your flattened palm at arm’s length from your face towards the sun before it approaches the horizon. For every finger you can put between the bottom of the sun’s disc and the horizon, count fifteen minutes. If you can count 4 fingers, you have one hour to sunset.

You can use your other hand to measure up to 2 ½ hours with all ten fingers before the sun starts to set. After sunset, there are 15 minutes of good twilight and 15 minutes of dim twilight. How much time you need is up to you, but at least you have a sense of the time to darkness and the need for shelter.

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preparedness

4 No Cook Meals For Surviving The Pandemic And Food Supply Shortages

When it comes to your food supply, you just can’t risk not having enough. These no cook meals will be a great addition to your food supply planning. Check out the recipes below!

No Cook Meals to Help You Through the Pandemic

As of the writing of this article, there are 20 meat processing plants that have been shut down due to COVID-19 infections. We have been worrying about these types of effects on our food supply for months now, and this is the first real sign of how infections can affect the food supply.

When you walk into a supermarket, you might not see all the choices you had in the past. An empty meat case is a humbling thing for your eyes to fall upon. It’s the shocking realization that the seemingly infinite supply of chickens, pigs, and cows that are butchered for us has begun to run dry!

To deal with this issue, we are going to present four no cook meals that will help you create dinners at home that will feed your family without worrying so much about what’s available, or unavailable, in the meat case.

1. Smashed White Bean, Avocado and Salted Pork Sandwiches

Smashed White Bean, Avocado and Salted Pork Sandwiches | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

As preppers we get beans. There are a bunch of ways to use beans and this a great example of how you can pack a sandwich with great nutrition and protein.

Serving: Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

Can of White Beans
Olive Oil
1 Avocado
8 Slices of Whole Grain Bread
8 Slices of Salted Pork (Prosciutto, Ham, Virginia Ham)

Instructions:

Begin by draining your beans in a colander then smashing them up in a bowl add a few glugs of olive oil, salt, pepper. This little mix is delicious. If you add some minced rosemary, you can even turn this into a delicious dip.
Pit your avocado and cut it in half and then quarters lengthwise. Leave the skin on.
Lay the bread out on a clean work surface for assembling the sandwiches.
Spread your mashed bean mix onto one side of the bread.
Peel your avocados and slice 1 quarter for each sandwich. Spread slices over the bean spread.
Add a few slices of your pork to over the top of the avocado.
You can finish this sandwich with some lettuces, fresh sprouts, or just eat it as is.

2. Delicious Crab Salad

Canned crab is a protein option that will likely be around through much of this meat crisis. It does have to be kept in refrigeration, but it’s delicious and this chipotle mayo salad is great in the spring and summer.

Ingredients:

1 Can of Crab Meat
1 Bunch of Asparagus
Chipotle Mayo
1 Bunch of Green Onions
1 Bunch of Cilantro

Instructions:

Drain your crab in a colander and set it in the sink.
Slice your asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Throw them into a bowl.
Thinly slice your onions and your cilantro and throw that into the bowl, as well.
Gently toss in the crab meat.
Squirt on enough Chipotle mayo to coat everything and toss gently not to break up the crab meat.
Chill in the fridge and serve.

3. Simple Greek Salad

Simple Greek Salad | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

The combination of simple summer ingredients makes for an incredible quick salad that you could add other proteins, too, if you wanted. These could be canned meats.

Ingredients:

2 Large Tomatoes
1 Cucumber
1 Red Onion
¼ Cup of Feta Cheese
A Few Sprigs of Fresh Mint
½ Cup of Kalamata Olives
Balsamic Dressing

Instructions:

I like to cut the tomatoes in large chunks and have them kind of be the main course in this salad. Peel and slice your cucumber in half. Remove the seeds and either dice or slice in half-moons.
Peel and slice your red onion in half. Julienne your, or thinly slice, your half onion.
Add all these ingredients to a bowl. Finely slice your mint.
Add your olives, crumbled feta, and mint to the bowl and add enough dressing to coat everything.
Stir it up and allow this to chill for at least an hour for the flavors to really blend.

4. Mediterranean Tuna Lettuce Wraps

Mediterranean Tuna Lettuce Wraps | No Cook Meals for Surviving the Pandemic and Food Supply Shortages

Using some similar ingredients and adding a protein like tuna, you can create some delicious lettuce wraps. The key to a good lettuce wrap is to have most of the items around the same size. So, consider that when you are preparing this dish.

Ingredients:

Iceberg or Butter Lettuce
Canned Artichokes
Canned roasted Red peppers
Fresh Cucumber
Feta Cheese
Minced Olives ¼ Cup
2 Cans of Tuna
Green Onions
Basil

Instructions:

Start by peeling all the full leaves from your lettuce. Set them on a plate either cover them with a wet paper towel or put them back into the fridge.
Dice the peppers, artichokes, and cucumbers into cubes. Go no larger than ½ an inch.
Thinly slice your green onions and basil and add them to a bowl with your diced vegetables. Add your loves to this bowl and mix them thoroughly.
Crumble your feta cheese over the mixture.
Drain your tuna thoroughly and then add that to the bowl, as well.
Gently toss this mixture. Try not to break up the tuna and the cheese too much but incorporate it thoroughly.
If you want, you can add some olive oil to the mix or a few glugs of balsamic vinegar. It’s also delicious just how it is.
Scoop a few tablespoons into a lettuce leaf, wrap it up and eat up!

These no cook meals should help lessen the stress you feel when thinking of what to feed your family. If you don’t have the specific ingredients, use your creativity, and use what you have. You might discover a new recipe while you’re at it!

What’s your favorite no cook meal recipe? Please share it with us in the comments section!

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This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Here

preparedness

Billionaire Whistle Blower: Wuhan Coronavirus Death Toll Is Over 50,000

Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000.

A Chinese billionaire and whistleblower who lives in U.S. exile says Wuhan crematoriums have burned 50,000 coronavirus victims. | Credit: Chinatopix via AP

The official coronavirus death toll in China is a little over 800. But an exiled Chinese businessman says crematoriums are leaking the real figure.
A billionaire whistleblower alleges Wuhan has crematoriums working 24/7. He claims they’ve cremated some 50,000 coronavirus victims.
Guo Wengui is a Chinese billionaire living in exile in the United States.

The official coronavirus death toll is some 800 people in China. The current official death toll worldwide, outside of China, is 774. But a Chinese billionaire with a history of blowing the whistle on his former government says the real figure is much higher.

Exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui recently revealed leaks from Wuhan crematoriums. He claims based on the number of bodies their furnaces are burning, the death toll could be as high as 50,000. Wengui made the bombshell allegations in an interview with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

Whistleblower: 1.5 Million Coronavirus Cases In China, 50,000 Coronavirus Deaths In Wuhan

He also claims to have inside information that there are 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases in China. Wengui is emphatic that these are not merely quarantined or “under observation” but confirmed cases of coronavirus infection:

China has struggled to contain the coronavirus. But it has also struggled to contain public outcry against censorship and tight control of information. Dr. Li Wenliang, who sounded the alarm about the disease, succumbed to an infection and died this week. The Chinese government arrested him for blowing the whistle.

Then officials tried to suppress news of his death. Afterwards, millions of Chinese citizens saw the hashtag #IWantFreedomOfSpeech on Mandarin language social media. But the Chinese government censored that too.

Are Wengui’s Crematorium Claims Credible?

Watch VICE’s 2017 profile on Guo Wengui. At the time, he published bombshell documents alleging corruption in the Chinese government. He got the attention of the media and reportedly the U.S. State Department.

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