I'd start with a poncho shelter,then upgrade to a debris shelter using the poncho as a first layer over the skeleton.Add a debris vestibule large enough to work in,during bad weather! Carrying as much plastic sheeting garbag bags and poncho's as you can .

Yep, my first instinct is to go to ground as well. Back home, it is not uncommon to find a blown over fir tree stump with an associated pit hole at the base. We used to use these to build "forts" out of when I was a kid. In temperate climates, with adequate soil drainage, I don't think this would be much of a problem. I've also seen where pit camps were made in deserts along with a tarp as a means to get out of the heat. They are obviously shallow, but better than nothing.

I was thinking for a moment that the Mongolian structure was something like a wigwam. Wigwams are not hard to do.

My buddy and I put his teepee up in less than an hour. It has a 10' radius. when you tie down the center on pegs and dress the edge with a ground skirt, they are pretty darned comfortable. Of course they lend themselves to having a nice little fire inside. When the wind really came up at the camp, all those staked out nylon camp tents were getting beat to heck, but that teepee didn't budge. It was pretty darned nice, that is until some bozo decided to try and build a fire upwind from us, and filled it with smoke!!!!

He'd better let the new homeowners know about the child death-trap in his back yard.