You might not know it yet, but there are some easy tricks to sheltering yourself in an emergency. Wilderness lovers and people in many traditional societies use these simple survival techniques. You can, too!

Your Bank Account

Whether you are in the outback or in an urban environment, you need to understand your body’s “bank account” and how to save your body’s resources for important withdrawals.

In an emergency, you should keep your body’s account of heat, stamina, and water safe. If you don’t conserve them, you might not have them to withdraw when needed to make better shelter, get food, or do other essential actions.

Quick Shelter

What I call “quick shelter” is a deceptively simple idea: if you want to reduce loss in your body’s bank account, do simple things to quickly stop losses of water and energy.

Whatever it takes, become very protective of the body temperature, stamina, nutrition and water you have in your body when you don’t need to work. I’ve seen many people deplete their resources by exerting themselves or staying out exposed to the elements for no good reason. Save it for when you build, travel, get food, etc.

In cool climates, put on head and hand gear, pile leaves on yourself, sit against a rock that reflects warm sunlight. Zip up your coat and sit on the leeward side of a tree to protect against cold and wind. Wipe snow or water from your clothes.

In hot areas, lying in shade, avoiding activity, and enjoying a cool breeze does wonders. Deserts can be broiling hot in the day but turn cold at night. When heat starts to drop, gather any easy insulation, from plants to clothing, in case it’s needed at night.

Strong wind can deplete your stores in any environment, too, so try to stay protected.

These simple steps that take no technical skills can conserve energy and might be enough to help get you through until help arrives or you’ve figured out how to make better shelter.

Only Slightly More Work

If no natural windbreak is available, you can make one by simply piling up anything. This can work for snow as well, especially if you find ways to stay dry like putting boughs or a tarp on the area where you’ll be lying.

You can build your fire near a large rock that will act as a windbreak and give you a lot more warmth by reflecting heat.

Another quick and clever solution is to sleep just downhill from a log that you know is secured (so it won’t roll over you) or long, low rock. You can build your fire and enjoy the heat reflecting back off it, and the downslope breeze can carry smoke away from you.

Check out areas under evergreens in snowy areas. Sometimes, you can find a protected space under there.

Rock overhangs and cave entrances can be fantastic shelters if located well. The effort-to-shelter ratio is great. Just make sure nobody else is living there, and don’t go climbing into mines or other potentially dangerous places.

Also remember that night seems to fall quickly in equatorial and jungle areas, so don’t count on a lingering evening in which to finish up things. Gather wood and get important work done before darkness surrounds you suddenly.