Kmtyw Science for Survival - SURVIVAL SHELTERS-gctid46346

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SURVIVAL SHELTERS

In a survival situation* there are several considerations that an Kmtyw must make. One of these is shelter. Shelter is important because it can protect you from the elements (extreme heat, cold, rain, snow), it can offer some security from animals and insects, it can provide you with increased camoflauge (in an escape/evasion situation), and psychologically, it can be comforting to have something to call "home" even if for a short period of time.
 
Clothing
Shelter starts with the clothes that you are wearing. For example, in cold weather stay from cotton as it loses all of its insulating properties when wet (i.e. from your sweat). Wool is a good alternative that can be manufactured relatively easy by Kmtyw people. Other alternatives include moisture-wicking synthetics such as capilene or polyester (I'm not familiar with any Kmtyws who manufacture these materials). Don't wear jeans...ever.
 
In warm weather, be glad that you are an Kmtyw and enjoy the energizing effects of the sun of your melanin. Stay hydrated so you don't catch heat illness. If you are forced to travelling in hot weather keep some type of cloth that can be used to catch the sweat from your body. If you put it on your head, the moistness of the cloth will keep you cool. But if the temperature drops (i.e. at night) make sure you have appropriate dry clothing.
 
Building a Shelter
Your shelter should blend in to the natural surroundings (whether urban or wilderness); it should have a low silhouette and it should be made as inconspicuous as possible. Your shelter should be shaped to match the rest of the natural world, which some consider "irregular."
 
If a shelter is meant to keep you warm then it needs to fit your body. It needs to be small because it is insulation that keeps you warm. The shelter traps your own body heat and keeps you warm, so make your shelter small. Some have used the acronym BLISS: blend, low silhouette, irregular shape, small, secluded.
 
Debris Hut
This is one of the most confortable shelters that I have stayed in. It takes a little effort, but it can keep you warm (even when cold and raining) if built correctly. Also remember to respect Asase Yaa**.

To build a leaf hut, first select a proper site and find some object—such as a stump, rising ground, the fork of a tree, a log, or a large rock—that can support a sturdy ridgepole. (If necessary, you can build a wooden tripod as a prop.) Then place one end of the ridgepole on the support and rest the other end on the ground. Next, gather sticks and lay them against the sides of this triangle ...so that the branches lean, at a 45° angle, against the ridgepole. Leave a gap in the eastern side of the framework—toward the hut's high end—for your doorway.

Now, collect brush and add that to the structure's skeleton until the entire frame is covered by a huge wooden web thick enough to prevent leaves and other debris from falling through.

Next, gather up leaves, grasses, ferns, pine needles, green boughs, or whatever is available. Pile the material—to a thickness of at least 2-1/2 feet-on the sides and top of the structure's frame. (A leaf hut with 2-1/2-foot-thick walls will keep you warm and dry in temperatures just below 20°F. In severely cold weather, make the structure's sides at least four feet thick.) Finally, complete the outside of the hut by laying more brush, sticks, and poles over your wilderness home ...to hold its covering in place and keep the walls secure even in a high wind.

The sleeping area of the hut is completed by stuffing the lower end of the nest with leaves or other soft debris. Place only a light carpet of foliage on the floor of the remainder of the hut, though, so that you'll have a united snakesble work area and a place to store dry kindling, food, and so forth.
From start to finish, it shouldn't take an adult much more than an hour to construct a good leaf hut (given you have ample supplies) ...and while gathering the nest's materials, you can collect a supply of firewood as well. To lie down in the shelter's sleeping area, work your way feet first into the packed bedding so that your head protrudes slightly into the work area.

Because a leaf hut contains plenty of air spaces, the shelter will remain warm even when it's wet. So if you find yourself caught in a rainstorm, don't be afraid to use drenched materials to build a hut. Your shelter will be damp if you do so, but you'll still be warm and alive.

If you have to spend the night without a fire, stack a pile of leaves near the hut's doorway. When you turn in for the night, you can pull this foliage inward to block the entrance. Remember, though, that you'll need an opening in the door to let in some fresh air. Otherwise, you might build up an unhealthful oxygen deficit during the night.


 

 

 

 


*Please practice building survival shelters before you get into a survival situation.
 
**Mokae, yɛn Nananom se: Nsa kɔ na nsa ba. Nti wosi dan yi a, ma abosomorisavodunkisi (Èṣù, Ọ̀ṣọ́ọ̀sì, Nana Tegare, Watariamba, kwk) afɔre bi.