Survival Schools teach that a shelter is the means of sustaining one’s core body temperature. It is your primary means of protection against the elements. Our bodies, in general, regulates its temperature through various mechanism to maintain a temperature of 98.6 Fahrenheit (37 Celsius). Body temperatures as low as 95 Fahrenheit (35 Celsius) or as high as 99.5 (37.5 Celsius) impact our cognitive functions and over time can eventually lead to death. Higher temperature variances have an even more immediate impact.
In the rules of 3, it is taught you only have approximately three hours to correct a body temperature that has fallen in to or below the temperatures above. In extreme conditions, you may have even less time. Because of this, it is important that you understand the things you can do to affect your body temperature and get it back to a normal temperature. Because Trail Blazer Survival School teaches survival in a deciduous forest we are going to concentrate on protecting yourself from losing body heat and going into hypothermia. Therefore, shelter consists of the ways you protect yourself from radiation, convection, and conduction of your heat away from your body.
When going out on a wilderness adventure we need to be cognizant of the weather during your time outside. Factor such as rain and temperature will determine your shelter requirements. Over the next three weeks, we will write a post that touches on the different facets of shelter craft.
Join the conversation, and share with us your ideas and experience about how you protect yourself from the elements.