SEAL Survival Guide (56 page)

3. FIND SHELTER

Whether you have decided to stay put and wait for rescue or you need to be on the move, you must have shelter, which will save you from the heat of the day and the cold of the night. A cave or other natural formation is best because it will require none of your energy to utilize it. If you are not so lucky, then you have to make a shelter. Two shelter options follow below.

With both of these shelters, be alert for snakes and scorpions, which are also interested in getting out of the heat of the day. Additionally, if you decide to remove your boots or clothes, or crawl into a sleeping bag, make sure you first shake out the sleeping bag before you get into it, and shake out your boots or clothes before you get back into them. Your situation is difficult enough without adding a sting or bite to the mix.

Open Shelter

1. First, ensure the site you have chosen for your shelter is not near an insect nest or in an area of heavy defecation from desert animals, especially rodents.

2. Dig a trench approximately eighteen inches deep that is long and wide enough to lie in.

3. Cover the trench with some type of material, like a poncho or sheet. Try to raise this covering approximately two feet above the surface of the ground and secure it at each corner. This will offer decreased temperature in the shelter by providing shade while allowing air to circulate through the open sides.

4. If you have enough material, place a second layer approximately twelve inches above the first covering. By having a second layer, you will create airspace between the two layers and further decrease the temperature within your shelter and offer moderate protection from colder night temperatures.

Underground Shelter

1. Again, ensure the site of your shelter is insect- and rodent-free.

2. Dig a trench approximately twenty-four inches deep that is long and wide enough to lie in.

3. Place your covering material across the top of the trench at ground level, and secure it with rocks and sand on three sides so the edges are completely covered. One of the narrower sides should be open; this is where you will get in and out.

4. If you have enough material, place a second layer approximately twelve inches above the first layer. Build up a pile or make a sand wall to achieve the second level of elevation and cover the same three sides with piled sand. The air trapped in this space will provide additional insulation from the heat and likewise minimize colder temperatures at night.

Walking Out

If you believe help is not on the way, and it’s up to you to get out of the desert on your own, then you need to know a few things about movement and navigation in the desert.

• Selecting your route is important. Obviously, your goal is to head toward someone or something that will get you out of this situation. It may be as simple as moving in a direction you know is populated. You could follow a streambed or trail that will ultimately get you out, as most will lead, eventually, to larger bodies of water in addition to giving you sustenance.

• Move at night and attempt to include in your route areas that can offer shelter and possibly provide water along the way.

• A compass would be an excellent tool in this situation, but if you aren’t lucky enough to have one, pick a distinctive terrain feature or landmark in the distance and walk toward it. Stars can also be a great way to maintain a bearing at night, so that you don’t end up walking in circles.

• Don’t overestimate the distance you think you can travel. There is a very fine line that you are straddling between trying to get to safety and overexertion. Remember—
long haul
. You will eventually reach civilization or help if you follow these rules of desert survival.

LOST IN THE FROZEN MOUNTAINS

Unlike the barren desert, which has difficulty sustaining even its own vegetation, mountains readily offer everything you need to survive for months, if necessary—even during the most severe winter storms. You just need knowledge of this type of terrain, SEAL survival tools, and the will to live. As with all perilous scenarios, implementing priorities in sequential order is the key to surviving a cold-weather environment. Here, the cold is the X you must get off. You must retain your core body temperature. In this ice-and-snow-covered landscape, you can at least be thankful that you are surrounded by an abundance of water, an essential for survival, so that’s one factor you have in your favor. However, exposure and hypothermia here can kill you faster than will thirst in the desert.

How you got lost and how you’ll get out are issues you will deal with later. But if you suddenly get caught in a blizzard or snowstorm, you don’t need to take much time doing a threat assessment—because the threat is coming down right before your eyes in the form of a lot of white stuff. Don’t panic, but get immediately into action.

Survival Priorities

1. Shelter

2. Fire

3. Clothing

4. Water

5. Food

6. Moving and navigation

1. FIND SHELTER

Your first priority is to get out of the cold, especially if your clothing is wet. In this environment, you have several shelter options, which I list below, providing techniques from the most basic and expedient to more advanced shelters, which could accommodate longer-term use if necessary. In each case, the first thing to do in any shelter is to
prepare the floor;
you must create a layer of insulation between you and the snowy ground. This will immediately forestall losing more body heat. Use materials abundant in the terrain, such as pine boughs, to create a padding barrier.

Natural hollows

For immediate cover, seek natural hollows, sometimes referred to as tree wells, which are ready-made shelters found at the base of snow-covered pine trees. These will offer only limited protection from the elements, but it could be just enough for you to warm up while you decide on your next step. Be careful when entering and exiting not to dislodge the snow from the overhanging branches.

Lean-to

This is a fairly simple shelter to construct. Use a series of strong branches that can serve as poles and place them diagonally and as close together as possible, which will create a space below for shelter. Try to use an existing rock formation or several trees as the vertical wall to lean the branches against. Once you have created the diagonal section, you can cover it with additional branches for greater protection below. After this slanted “roof” is fashioned, snow can be used to cover the branches for increased insulation.

Quinze (pronounced “kwinzee”)

This shelter is built by piling up snow into a dome shape, then hollowing out the inside.

1. If you have backpacks or other equipment, place these together and start piling snow around and on top of them. This will reduce the amount of snow you need to dig out later. Continue piling on snow until you have a good-sized mound that covers your gear and then some, then pack it down.