***Pop Quiz***

For whatever reason imagine you find yourself trapped outside, unable to get to a vehicle or building.  It is raining, and the temps are falling. Lets say between 35 and 40 degrees F will be the low temp.  

What do you need to survive the night?

Where will you find it?

Remember it is raining, any firewood around is wet.

A lot depends on the area in which I am trapped. Forest? Grassland? Sea side?

Of course the first thing you need is shelter and protection from prevailing winds, but location would dictate what kind of shelter you would need to seek.

Shelter first. Find some way to get our of the wind and rain. Then start processing wood down to get to the dry heart wood. Build a fire. Then start drying out your clothes. Clothes are always your first form of shelter.

How long has it been raining? Remember, you can get dry wood and bark off of trees if it hasn't been raining long. Plus, if you can find a river birch, there's oils in the bark that make it easy to catch on fire. Red cedar bark is also good for starting a fire as are old bird nests. Sassafras is also good for starting a fire.

You don't need a big shelter, just something that's big enough for you to crawl into and get warm in. One thing that you can make is a debris hut. They're easy to build, and don't need a fire. Your body heat is what keeps it warm. If you have a tarp, that makes it even easier.

A big pine tree can provide both shelter and fuel ... if you are someplace that pine trees grow. If you are trapped in the Flint Hills of Kansas you might be hard pressed to find a tree... much less a pine tree or a birch.

LOL, great replies, Chad had what I was hoping to hear.

I know a lot of people say to provide shelter first. I'll admit to having mixed feelings about that. There's something about a fire that says comfort and hope. Not only that, if it's getting cold out, you may need to warm yourself by the fire while building a shelter to keep from getting hypothermia.

dizzy wrote:I know a lot of people say to provide shelter first.  I'll admit to having mixed feelings about that.  There's something about a fire that says comfort and hope.  Not only that, if it's getting cold out, you may need to warm yourself by the fire while building a shelter to keep from getting hypothermia.  

You need some kind of shelter first. It may be just getting behind a rock or big tree that blocks the wind, but you need something to keep the wind and rain off while you build your fire.

At temps above freezing, I agree with Chad...But if I'm wet, the wind is blowing, and the temps are below freezing, I'm building the biggest hottest fire I can, first