Ideally, you never need the contents of this article. The best way to survive an unplanned night in the wilderness is to avoid getting yourself in that situation in the first place. That said, it’s always smart to have a plan for a worst-case scenario.
So, let’s say it’s winter and you get lost or hurt while skiing or snowshoeing in the backcountry. Maybe a storm you didn’t see coming blows in or darkness descends, and you have no way of safely making it out. If it’s an emergency, your best move might be to stay put. If you’re lost, moving blindly can be dangerous.
“Most people who travel in a survival situation end up dead. Think long and hard before you attempt hiking out or self-rescue. Stop, sit down, breathe, and assess your situation,” says Jessie Krebs, a Colorado-based survival instructor, former U.S. Air Force survival specialist, and a contestant on season nine of Alone—where she survived 46 days on the Labrador coast. Krebs is the founder and owner of O.W.L.S. Skills, a women’s survival school. “This is part of the mental and emotional aspects of survival. Most of us think we need to get somewhere else to be saved. People will keep pushing when they should just shelter in place.”
Stormy weather, darkness, injury, or being lost are all good reasons to hunker down, and you should do so in some kind of shelter. Here’s how to build a makeshift one, with tips from Krebs.