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Beach Shade Shelter
This shelter protects you from the sun, wind, rain, and heat. It is
easy to make using natural materials.
To make this shelter (Figure 5-13)--
- Find and collect driftwood or other natural material to use as
support beams and as a digging tool.
- Select a site that is above the high water mark.
- Scrape or dig out a trench running north to south so that it
receives the least amount of sunlight. Make the trench long and wide
enough for you to lie down comfortably.
- Mound soil on three sides of the trench. The higher the mound, the
more space inside the shelter.
- Lay support beams (driftwood or other natural material) that span
the trench on top of the mound to form the framework for a roof.
- Enlarge the shelter's entrance by digging out more sand in front
of it.
- Use natural materials such as grass or leaves to form a bed inside
the shelter.
Desert Shelters
In an arid environment, consider the time, effort, and material
needed to make a shelter. If you have material such as a poncho, canvas,
or a parachute, use it along with such terrain features as rock
outcropping, mounds of sand, or a depression between dunes or rocks to
make your shelter.
Using rock outcroppings--
- Anchor one end of your poncho (canvas, parachute, or other
material) on the edge of the outcrop using rocks or other weights.
- Extend and anchor the other end of the poncho so it provides the
best possible shade.
In a sandy area--
- Build a mound of sand or use the side of a sand dune for one side
of the shelter.
- Anchor one end of the material on top of the mound using sand or
other weights.
- Extend and anchor the other end of the material so it provides the
best possible shade.
Note: If you have enough material, fold it in half and form a
30-centimeter to 45-centimeter airspace between the two halves. This
airspace will reduce the temperature under the shelter.
A belowground shelter (Figure 5-14) can reduce
the midday heat as much as 16 to 22 degrees C (30 to 40 degrees F).
Building it, however, requires more time and effort than for other
shelters. Since your physical effort will make you sweat more and
increase dehydration, construct it before the heat of the day.
To make this shelter--
- Find a low spot or depression between dunes or rocks. If
necessary, dig a trench 45 to 60 centimeters deep and long and wide
enough for you to lie in comfortably.
- Pile the sand you take from the trench to form a mound around
three sides.
- On the open end of the trench, dig out more sand so you can get in
and out of your shelter easily.
- Cover the trench with your material.
- Secure the material in place using sand, rocks, or other weights.
If you have extra material, you can further decrease the midday
temperature in the trench by securing the material 30 to 45 centimeters
above the other cover. This layering of the material will reduce the
inside temperature 11 to 22 degrees C (20 to 40 degrees F).
Another type of belowground shade shelter is of similar construction,
except all sides are open to air currents and circulation. For maximum
protection, you need a minimum of two layers of parachute material (Figure
5-15). White is the best color to reflect heat; the innermost layer
should be of darker material.
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