# Bug Out Shelter.....



## sbasacco (Sep 10, 2012)

Hello Everyone,

It has been awhile since I have posted, but I have been actively reading everyone's awesome ideas and advice. But now I have come up with a question of my own. 

I was going through my bug out box, I found that it was easier to carry in my car. It is a small rubbermaid container. I have many tents at my disposal if SHTF. I have the following....

1-8 man tent-very large, heavy, not easy to carry if have to bugout

1-6 man tent, never been out of package, fairly light, most likely to come with me if SHTF

1-2 man tent, is really small...will most likely bring that along as well

Here is my quandry.....I live in Canada and the weather goes from extremes.....we can be 90 degrees Farenheit during the summer with unbearable humidity and really really cold in the winter. Due to the extreme weather, I am worried about my shelter situation. I am trying to get a small tent trailer or trailer, but for now, this is what I have.

Should I?

Just save for the trailer and hope for the best? or keep the tents for portability and build off of them, say a pallet building if possible....


I would love to hear some ideas.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

You should be able to find an inflatable tent which is good for sub zero temps. Failing that get a slightly smaller tent than your six man and use one inside the other. You will be better off on a closed cell mat for sleeping whether the weather is cold or hot. They are not heavy but they are bulky. get some long stainless or aluminum spikes to anchor the tents in the snow.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

Get a Mr buddy heater. Good sleeping bag and therm-a-rest mattress.

In freezing weather always have plenty of hand/feet warmers they really work, some as long as 10 hours.

All preppers should have a Mr Buddy or some type of catalytic heater. As long as you have gas and the heater isn't broken you and your family aren't going to freeze to death.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

If society collapses and you are in eminent peril find a warm looking, cozy cabin with a happy, well fed couple in some secluded valley and kill them.........What?


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

I keep a cabin tent burried for storage at a secondary Bug Out Location. Otherwise I'm not a tent person and have shelter at hand at my BOL. Now if I have to hoof it on foot/bike/horseback to my BOL because vehicle use is not practical I have a 2 person tent for the way - the worst I have to fear is the Donner Pass in CA/NV - which is bad but as noted here a heater and some serious sleeping bags I know we'd be safer than Mr. Donner on that run. If you are certain a vehicle is going to be possible then I'd save up for a trailer.


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

Maybe you can buy or make an inner liner for your 6 man tent, which would help some. If you're going to be carrying your 2 man tent too, it might be possible to pitch that inside of your 6 man tent. I'm not totally sure this would work, but if you keep the wind off your inner tent, body heat would probably keep it warm enough. Eh, might be worth trying (ideally before your life depends on it)


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## roy (May 25, 2013)

You didn't say how many folks the tent was for. 

Since you are in Canada you might want to consider a 4 season tent. These are generally much heavier because they are designed to take a snow load. Don't buy a cheap tent. Eureka makes some decent 4 season tents. Look at expedition tents, not family camping tents. Check out ebay and Campmor.


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## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

Hi I'm also more or less in Canada here are some words.

1. get a bivy and a sleeping bag, the sleeping bag should be rated to 5 degrees lower than the temperature you plan on being in example if you are going to be in -5 weather get one rated to -10. The bivy may add a degree or two. YOu can also stuff the bivy with leaves or grass.

If you can't build a shelter example double lean-to etc.. then a tent may be ok but building a shelter out of branches logs and rocks will probably help. You can also stuff grass and leaves above your lean to and in your lean to as insulation. If you are just out camping or hiking and don't have time to build a shelter you will want a heater. Alchohol of high proof or methanol etc.. can be useful you don't want smoke where you are. More or less though getting a good mummy sleeping bag is imperative for cold temperatures. The smaller the space and the more insulation and heat reflection the warmer you will be. If there is snow cover out.. build a shelter in the snow with escape hatch and air holes. If you have the time build an igloo or snow house which an ad hock one can be build fairly quickly. but make sure you have air. In most circumstances you won't need a tent but you will need a bivy and good sleeping bag. I like the US ECWS sleeping bag others are comparative. I also have a very simple poncho tarp that can act as a rain cover, as well as a marpat that can act as a secondary cover or ground cover. I like to sleep on old logs. Personally as soon as the temperature goes below zero I like to stay out of the cold anything below a few degrees below zero requires a good sleep system.

tents generally only act as a wind and rain break which your bivy also does you should be easily able to build a wind break out of logs. It is very easy to build a shelter if you have time and no tools are required, you don't need space remember the less space the more heat space should only be for insulation. Also you can throw in an emergency space blanket too.

If you have an etool or shovel in your kit you can also build a mount and a trench, the mound is to raise you above the water mark, logs can work for this too, and the trench is to give you wind protection, put the tarp or logs, perhaps filled over with mud or clay or leaves or mix of the above for rain protection you want to seal the space with some type of barrier, leaves can absorb a small rain but during long rain you are going to want a non permiable material that you can hang at an angle that you can direct runoff away from you. If you are hiking take the lightest thing that will fullfill your purpose make sure your tent or tarp or poncho will cover you and a little more likely you will either use your backpack as a door or a pillow or both.


1. If warm bivy can be used.
2. If cool the bag can be used take clothes off as required you can still use bivy opened as a tarp rain cover or use it anyway but unzip part of bag and bivy
3. if cold bivy and bag can be used
4. if really cold you better have a shelter with insultation
5. if extremely cold you better have a heater.


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## Tundra Dweller (May 18, 2013)

csi-tech said:


> If society collapses and you are in eminent peril find a warm looking, cozy cabin with a happy, well fed couple in some secluded valley and kill them.........What?


In Alberta you would be shot before you reach the door if SHTF....


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## vandelescrow (Nov 17, 2012)

Will said:


> Hi I'm also more or less in Canada here are some words.
> 
> 1. get a bivy and a sleeping bag, the sleeping bag should be rated to 5 degrees lower than the temperature you plan on being in example if you are going to be in -5 weather get one rated to -10. The bivy may add a degree or two. YOu can also stuff the bivy with leaves or grass.
> 
> ...


This was the best advice I saw in this post. Learn how to build your own shelter. While in the service we were told do not sleep in the vehicles. The wind will get under them and act as an ice box. The trailer your thinking about, if you don't have propane for the furnace, it will be the same way. Trailers usually have a 20 pound propane bottle, 2 at most, that will not last long, then your SOL.


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## Verteidiger (Nov 16, 2012)

Pickup truck (4x4) with fiberglass camper shell. 

Quality sleeping bag and air mattresses.

Small propane heater with extra cylinders.

Park near natural wind barriers. 

It works, but you will have to contend with the cold.


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## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

> While in the service we were told do not sleep in the vehicles. The wind will get under them and act as an ice box. The trailer your thinking about, if you don't have propane for the furnace, it will be the same way. Trailers usually have a 20 pound propane bottle, 2 at most, that will not last long, then your SOL.


This is where I was going to go...

If you go the trailer route...build it dont buy it! Where your at you would need to have a lot more insulation than what typical RV's currently come with. Minimize windows as they are big time heat loss problems. For the windows you do have use double or tripple pane windows and make a cover to cover them with. You might even consider a bus and turning it into a RV. I have seen some very nice ones done this way that even had a Pot Belly Stove in them to burn fire wood! You can get these buses in several different sizes to meet your needs. They have some pretty decent ground clearence too despite not being 4 wheel drive allowing you to get down some pretty tough roads. Just some food for thought from someone whos a full time RVer.


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## roy (May 25, 2013)

Bigfoot and Artic Fox RVs are designed with cold weather in mind.


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