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The list was developed in part by park rangers, regional park management
and campers who write testimonials, rate campgrounds and provide feedback
throughout the year. Nearly 3,000 parks were reviewed and the final 100
campgrounds were chosen based on specific family friendly criteria ranging
from educational programs and visitor centers to camping amenities and
overall beauty and scenery. You must also remember the problems that could
arise in your environment.
Avoid flash flood areas in foothills.
Avoid avalanche or rockslide areas in mountainous terrain.
Avoid sites near bodies of water that are below the high water
mark.
In some areas, the season of the year has a strong bearing on
the site
you select. Ideal sites for a shelter differ in winter and
summer. During
cold winter months you will want a site that will protect you
from the cold and wind, but will have a source of fuel and water. During
summer
months in the same area you will want a source of water, but you
will
want the site to be almost
insect free.
A shelter can protect you from the sun, insects, wind, rain,
snow, hot or cold temperatures, and enemy observation. It can
give you a feeling of well-being. It can help you maintain your
will to survive. In some areas, your need for shelter may take
precedence over your need for food and possibly even your need
for water. Assess the situation. How long do you think you will
need your lean-to? How urgently do you need to make a lean-to? Theses things
will let you know how strong to make your shelter, or how much time you need
to spend on it.
Scan the ground, find some sticks, about the size of two thumbs
width. If you can't find the right size, make due with what you
can find. If you have a pocket knife on hand, cut them off of
short trees, preferably without leaves, branches are fine. You
will need long limbs.
Look around you. Find a few large trees, if you can find a
particularly large one, that’s very good, if not, find a few
that are very close together, perhaps a foot apart. Check the
warning at the bottom of the page.
Start to lean the sticks against your tree. Make sure that you
leave space between the end of the stick and the tree for your
body to comfortably rest, make sure the sticks are going to stay
and not blow away, this is why you should use thick sticks.
Leave a little bit of space between each stick. If your sticks
are small, lap them over each other and ignore the last
sentence.
Get some leaves together and stuff them in the little spaces in
your lean-to, this will insulate you some from the cold, and cut
back on wind chill. Pile the leaves on, for a better effect ,and
if you have the time, put more sticks over the leaves.
Stuff more leaves in your sleeping space, if you want, you can
lean more sticks at one end of the enclosure to feel more snug.
Crawl in and sleep, or rest. You must be tired from making your
lean-to. it is important to know how to make a temporary shelter
for you to spend the night in. I have had to make a lean-to on many
occasions due to my interest in forest and wildlife.
Follow my
steps, and maybe next time you have to ‘burrow in’ for the
night, you will find yourself more comfortable than sleeping in
the bare wind and elements.
Pile all manner of debris - moss, leaves, pine needles, dried
fern or whatever nature makes available - on top of your
structure.
Tie off the hood of the poncho. Pull the drawstring tight, roll the hood
long ways, fold it into thirds, and tie it off with the
drawstring.
Cut the rope in half. On one long side of the poncho, tie half
of the rope to the corner grommet. Tie the other half to the
other corner grommet.
Attach a drip stick about a 10-centimeter stick to each rope
about 2.5 centimeters from the grommet. These drip sticks will
keep rainwater from running down the ropes into the lean-to.
Tying strings (about 10 centimeters long) to each grommet along
the poncho's top edge will allow the water to run to and down
the line without dripping into the shelter.
Tie the ropes about waist high on the trees uprights . Use a
round turn and two half hitches with a quick-release knot.
Spread the poncho and anchor it to the ground, putting sharpened sticks
through the grommets and into the ground.
If you plan to use the lean-to for more than one night, or you
expect rain, make a center support for the lean-to. Make this
support with a line. Attach one end of the line to the poncho
hood and the other end to an overhanging branch. Make sure there
is no slack in the line. Another method is to place a stick upright under the center of
the lean-to. This method, however, will restrict your space and
movements in the shelter.
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