How to build a lean-to shelter in case of an emergency – or for fun

A nearly completed lean-to shelter.

Use branches, bark
to keep rain, wind off you

If forced to stay a night in the wilds – or as just a fun activity to do while hiking with teenagers – knowing how to build a lean-to shelter can be a life-saver.

As to staying a night in the wilds, you may need to shelter to keep rain and wind off you as well as to provide a sense of security. As to hiking with teenagers, learning how to build a lean-to can provide a number of great learning opportunities that gives them a sense of accomplishment.

Roof beam
The first step is to make a roof beam. Find a log that is about three feet longer than the body length of the tallest person in the hiking party. Remove any branches from the log.

Prop one end of this log between a tree’s trunk and one of its low-lying branches, preferably one that is about four feet off the ground. The other end of the log goes between another tree trunk and its low-lying branch. Be sure to select a spot that is flat and high with no water flowing below the placed log’s two ends. Also, check the wind’s direction; you don’t want the log ends to be facing into the wind but instead want the log’s width to.

If you have rope, lash the two ends of the logs to their respective tree trunks so that the roof beam is more stable.

Rafters
Next, collect several dozen small tree branches, about an inch or so in diameter and five feet high. Strip these branches of any smaller limbs or leaves. Separate the stripped branches so that the thinner of them are in one pile and the thicker ones are in another.

Lean the thicker of these tree branches at a 60 degree angle against each side of the roof beam. Alternate them so a branch is on one side of the beam, the next branch is on the opposite side, the third branch is on the same side as the first one, the fourth branch is on the same side as the second, and so on. Keep the branches about an inch apart. These are your rafters.

Insulation
Weave the smaller branches horizontally through the rafters on each side of the roof beam. Start at the bottom and work your way up to the top. Alternately, birch bark can be used. Insulation can be added by piling leaves, bark, or pine cones against the weaving on the rafters.

Flooring can be added by placing pine boughs or mats of moss on the ground. If you have a tarp, use that either as flooring or as flaps for the lean-to’s open ends.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

Garbage bags prove beneficial as extra item in backpack

Pack a small roll of garbage bags for
your day hike. Illustration courtesy of
King County, Washington.

One of the most useful items to bring on a long day hiking trip is a roll of garbage bags. No, we’re not talking about picking up litter along the trail (Though they can be used for that purpose, and it’s much appreciated, by the way!) but as a useful item in case you get lost and are forced to spend the night in the wilds.

Garbage bags can be cut up and used as makeshift tent walls or tarp to keep you dry or to keep the wind off you. The ends of long sticks can be used as tent poles inserted into tiny holes cut into the garbage bags; you probably have a small scissors in your first-aid kit or multi-purpose tool to cut the holes. The bags also can keep you off the wet, cold ground by acting as flooring in your shelter.

They also can provide a modicum of comfort. Partially fill the garbage bags with leaves and tie off the ends to create a mattress or pillow. You’ll probably need two or three bags to make a large enough mattress for an adult. Filling the mattress with leaves also can give children something constructive to do, helping take their minds of worrying about being lost.

Heavy duty garbage bags work best; the low-cost ones tend to be made of thin plastic that’ll easily rip in a heavy wind or driving rain. Bring a whole roll with you, as you’ll need several bags to construct tents, mattresses and pillows.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

How to make a leg splint during a hiking accident

Make a leg splint the same way that you would make one for a broken
finger. Photo courtesy of van Hilten / Photoree.

Should a leg be injured during a hike, you may need to immobilize it with a splint, especially if a bone has been broken or fractured or a muscle sprained. Immobilizing the leg can help prevent further injury as well as reduce pain, which is vital if the injured party is a child.

A splint is the leg’s equivalent of a sling for an arm. This is where having a small tarp, gauze pads, and full bandage roll in your backpack can prove helpful.

Before placing a leg in a splint, make sure all bleeding has stopped. That typically can be done by applying direct pressure if a gauze pad over any cuts.

If a broken bone, next determine if circulation has been cut off beneath the break. Pale skin below the break suggests there is limited circulation. If this is the case, you will have to set the bone. We’ll save how to do that for another entry and presume the circulation is fine.

Gently slide your tarp (Stronger material, such as cardboard, works better, but we’re improvising, based on what materials you might carry during a hike.) beneath the injured leg. Place gauze pads between the leg and the tarp.

Fold the tarp about the leg, ensuring it is tight enough to prevent the leg from moving (otherwise the bone may shift) yet not so tight that circulation is cut off. Secure the tarp by use the roll of bandages, which can be tied to hold the splint in place.

Seek medical attention immediately.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.