by Chris Shamati

Created on: September 28, 2009   Last Updated: September 30, 2009

We've all seen them on TV before, Les Stroud and Bear Grylls roughing the wild and making insane shelters. Ever wanted to try to make one of their emergency shelters but never knew the exact process to go about making one?

Not is only is knowing how to make a survival shelter cool, but it is also important as it could one day save your very life. First off, here are some tools that you will need and if you are backpacking or hiking, should have in your pack as part of the 10 Essentials. Tools: Shovel, Tarp, Cord (Parachute cord works the best). The shovel is situational and is mainly used in the construction of snow shelters; the cord is mainly used in forested areas or other places where you can string it up between trees or stationary objects.

Snow shelters are both warm and insulating when built properly, something that you will know how to do by the time the article is finished. Now for the structures, their primary uses and their construction.

A-Frame snow shelter: This is a typical structure used in the snow that can be created almost anywhere. It features a trench in the ground much like a slot trench shelter yet it uses blocks stacked together (in an inverted V) to form the ceiling. To begin building this dig a trench as close to the length of your body as possible, the less space there is the less dead air there will be (Dead air makes it harder to keep the shelter warm). Next dig the trench to be as wide as you are, if you move about during the night make the width a little bit longer so you won't dislodge snow onto yourself as you sleep. After this is complete use your shovel to create blocks from firmly packed and icy snow. These blocks will lean against one another and create an "A" appearance (not really but I didn't name it). There you have it, a successfully completed snow shelter, now get your body into it and hunker down for the night.

T- Snow shelter: The T-snow shelter requires a bank of snow to be done correctly. It is always advisable to position your exit in the leeward side of the bank (the side without wind). First off you want to dig into the side of the bank until you get about 1-2 feet in. From here make a 90 degree turn and continue to hollow out till about half of your height, turn around hollow out the other side of your entrance, making it so that this side and the side just completed can fit your body. Once this is completed feel free to widen up the chamber, you may as well be comfortable. If you are spending the night you

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