Super Shelter

Many of you might have notice my Shelter Pictures or taken a Survival Course at BWI or from Mors Kochanski and/or seen or lived in the most efficient Cold Weather Forest Shelter the "Single-Person Super Shelter." I have made up an Information Sheet that lists the Material Required to build 1, 2 or 3 Person Super Shelters.

The PDF is actually an excerpt from my Upcoming Book "Canadian Wilderness Survival" and is just a small section of the notes and information about Super Shelters that is in the book, but for those of you who took courses in the past or are interested in building this truly excellent Survival Shelter yourself, having the dimensions will be really useful (measure twice, cut once) if you are making your own shelter.

Super Shelter Material Requiements

seems awful close to the fire pit. JMHO

Looks great, Bruce! I reckon it should be close to the fire to catch the most infrared radiation.

I just read your equipment list, now I'd like to know all the details to construct it and how it works. I think I saw cody lundin build something like this a long time ago, but he used a tarp I believe.

i can't work PDF's on this computer,so what do you have there?

id also like to get a better idea of exactly what the Super Shelter does and why folks like it so much. I'm not saying its bad in any way ... just have not encountered this term before.

cheers,
Pete

I have slept very comfortably in extreme cold in a Baker-style tent (one side open) and a nice fire outside. A well configured rock shelter is even better, but those may be hard to find. i would suggest that,if building s SS, plan ahead so that the early morning sun will shine into the shelter - that is when you will really appreciate the heat.

Lastly, inquiring minds want to know, when dining in your super shelter, do you use a super bowl?

Cody Lundin explains it in the first episode of Dual Survival:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvKLOMgtM1Q

Shelter is 1-Pace Away from the Fire

The Super Shelter uses the laws of physics instead of fighting them.

The Super Shelter breathes out the back due to the nylon/parachute. It means all the Sweat that build up during the day is forced out the back by the heat of the fire and fresh air come in without smoke. In the morning you are dry and have slept well. during the night you can also dry toques, gloves, and socks in the rafters. The parachute also stops 80% of direct rain and all the snow.

The plastic on the front stops all sparks and smoke, meaning a bigger fire that can burn longer and hotter. Since the plastic wraps over most of the top it is also weather proof on top/sides. The sealed plastic front is the key to the shelter.

The Mylar Blanket increases the effectiveness of the shelter by reflecting light and IR Heat back towards the occupant. This means you are slightly warmer and can read comfortably in the shelter.

Personally I have used a Single Super Shelter without a Sleeping Bag at -46c and inside it was too warm to wear my coat. I know it might sound silly, but this Shelter is "Super"

I was tempted to ask how well the SS works above timberline - obvious answer, of course, so, suppressing my snarky tendencies, let me ask,in all seriousness, how well would the SS perform with a source of heat other than a wood fire - something like a canister stove or even a super light alcohol contraption. Could the SS trap enough heat to make those sources worthwhile - even enough to get you through the wee hours of the morning (the worst time in my experience)?

I like the Baker very much, but the Whelen (a small Baker) is a wonderful shelter for one (see the following link) using a fire for heat. http://tentsmiths.com/period-tents-whelen-tents.html
I now have an MSR Fast Stash which is much like the Whelen, but with a floor and screens, making it much more useable in many places (bugs seem to be an almost universal problem). I have yet to try it in fall to winter conditions, but I love the ability to lay in my bag and watch the stars or the nature I came to enjoy. Even in the rain. I can fix my morning tea and breakfast without leaving the bag.

Another super fire tent is the Forester (at least as I know it). This is also a one man tent although your head is toward the fire. After bug season it is a superior shelter for under a pound in light Eqyption cotton. One made with Sil-Nylon would be a pleasure to carry and use. The ones I see on line today are much bigger.

I have enjoyed both to much lower than reasonable temperatures. If you can build a fire, they will keep you warm much like Bruce indicated.

Bruce, is there an opening toward the front to let air flow through? How far down on the back does the plastic reach?

The cautions I would have with the SS as I see in the picture, are the likelyhood of fire damage to the plastic and the possibility of CO poisoning if it snowed.

Respectfully,

Jerry

In the link I gave above the Whelen Is MUCH TOO Large to be the tent I described. It is even larger than their Baker. To me the Whelen is a small tent, designed like the one in the link, about 4 to 5 feet high and 7 or so feet long. Just big enough to hold a person and their gear. Their Forester is also too big for a one person tent, sort of a crooked pyramid. The ones of each I have used have been one person shelters for packing. One of their important qualities was low weight. A pound or two of light cotton. Two poles or a ridge like shown above for the Whelen or three for the Forester, an inverted V for the opening and a pole down the ridge to the ground - about 7 or 8 feet long. JF

I'm glad to see Bruce putting together a book, looking forward to that.

I've used a super shelter, with no sleeping bag, in subfreezing weather with great results. It was so warm that I could wear nothing more than a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. You do need to insulate yourself from the ground. I used pine needles.

People who haven't tried a super shelter in the field just don't understand. This is a subject where internet-only knowledge, and a lack of personal experience, hurts you. Like Bruce says (and Mors as well), one large step from the edge of the fire to the plastic is all you need.

I will say this: I have not found the need to use parachute fabric, or other breathable fabric, as opposed to a waterproof tarp. The heat is so strong that I just open up the edges of the plastic as needed to provide some ventilation. I never had a condensation problem. The heat takes care of that. Maybe if I was running this setup below 0 degF it would matter more to use breathable fabric.

Silicone coated nylon is less flame resistant than the uncoated parachute fabric Bruce uses and the uncoated fabric lets air flow thru, which might reduce CO problems too. I really like how the front is cheap replaceable plastic, since that is the likely spot to get spark holes. Has anyone tried the window wrap for this use? It is very tough for the weight.

I am the one who first said "Baker" so let me explain. the tent we used was much smaller than anything in your link (fascinating site, BTW) - about 2' high, 6'long - just large enough for two to squeeze in and sleep (we were backpacking in northern Arizona) - micro Whelan? nano Baker?

Is it safe to say that you take an open sided structure, cover the opening with transparent plastic, crawl inside, and enjoy the trapped radiant heat? I will have to try this out....

I saw something similar to this demonstrated on one of the few episodes of Dual Survival that I saw. Cody came up with the idea and Dave was skeptical, but it worked. IIRC it was the episode on an island in Canada (Newfoundland, Nova Scotia?).

Edit: Yep, Nova Scotia. Season 1/Episode 1, SHIPWRECKED: June 11, 2010

Hi,

Here's the YouTube_Link for Mors talking about the "Super Shelter".

bacpacboy wants to try out a super shelter, so he's building it in the backyard. So far, the plastic sheeting is serving as the back wall of the lean-to wall, but we're going to hang his casualty blanket back there, and flip the plastic over the top for the super shelter. Sadly, no campfires are allowed in our neighbourhood, so we're looking for another heating method, before we take this show to the bush to try it.





No sleepover yet, but we have cooked chilie and hot chocolate out there. BPB pulled out the family BOB and camping supplies to put together a little backyard kit, "so we can get cookin!"

Hikermor,

That is what I camped in and it was called a Whelen. That was the 1 man size, slightly smaller than the 2 man I had.

bacpac..you might want to try out a Coleman lamp as a heat source in your yard,they toss out a lot of heat.
and i saw the Youtube,very clever layering of nylon,mylar and plastic sheeting and something i will add to my next kit.looks light and easy to pack and carry.

Here is a traditional way of camping in Finland. (well, used to be. Now it´s a part of history.) Two half-tents or half-tiipiis with a logfire in between. Used by forrest workers for example.

Actually, a properly sized super shelter is amazingly warm even without a fire. I set up a very small one, just barely big enough for me and a backpack, and was quite surprised at how quickly it heated up from just bodyheat. Of course you must insulate yourself from the ground.

The super shelter is so good at holding a stable bubble of air around you that the fire is actually a (considerable) bonus, yet not mandatory.

Assume there's only one SS and a log wall behind the fire; how should the SS be oriented relative to the wind? TIA

BacPacJac

If you are not allowed campfires could you use one or two small, open grills using wood or charcoal to test BacPacBots super shelter? One of the other guys here could tell you ifthis is a viable idea.

I have often put two Super Shelters together and left just enough space between for a portable wood stove. This means you need a tarp to over both, plus the space in between and proper fire proof protection for where the stove pipe goes through the tarp. But it make a nice shelter. This work especially good if you can raise the bed off the ground.

If you can use a woods stove, then you could certainly heat it with a portable heater or even hanging gas lantern like we did in the army. These devices just do not work as well a good fire or a wood stove.

Make it with the prevailing wind blowing across the fire fire or parallel to the fire. The other option is to have it blow into the back of the shelter, i.e. the wind at your back instead of blowing into the the shelter front. If is it protected from smoke, it does not mean you want extra sparks blown into the front for no gain.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Tomorrow is the last day of school before the March Break, so I suspect we're going to have a trial camp-out if the weather breaks a little. It's still bitterly cold here. Brr! (Apologies to all of you in the rest of the deep freeze. I know. We're wimps. -30 with the wind isn't as bad as -30 before the wind.

The old oil lamps and charcoal are ready to go! Great suggestions!

Since a SS works by trapping infrared heat I wouldn't expect that a flame-less BBQ is going to work very well. Most of the IR heat will be radiated straight up. Conversely, an open fire with lots of flames will radiate a lot of IR sideways. If you only have one SS, then putting some type of reflector on the other side should help quite a bit.

Also, facing the shelter toward the sun (if available) should also provide a lot of IR heat, even without a fire.

We have a lot of wind here. How well does the SS stand up to wind?

Go here....

http://get.adobe.com/reader/

and you can download the pdf. reader to your computer for free.

Byrd.i tried several times in the past few months but the program will not load.i think i screwed up when there was some sort of reader bug said to be infection computers so i took the one my Daughter had in the computer out and now i can't get it back it.
on the SS the more i read and look at the Youtubes this seems to be the best ideas in hasty shelters i have seen.just three types of plastic that cane be folded or stuffed in a small bag and put up with not much in the way of woodcraft is a real winner.
no lashings,digging,looking around a wet forest for materials.
keeping your energy reserve up and not burning the BTU's making a shelter is a plus right from the start.

Your other alternative is to simply download the file and then upload it to Google Docs. You can then use Google Docs integrated .pdf viewer to see the file online.

There are also online viewers like http://www.viewdocsonline.com/. However, there may be privacy concerns with using such services, so be careful.

Quite Well, we normal hold the edges down with snow, logs and on bigger 2 or 3 person shelter I use an extra two saplings to hold down the plastic.

Is it possible to to fit the required components into a cargo pocket?

I think it would could be broken down into two pockets; 1) Plastic Roll, Twine, & Mylar Blanket, 2) Parachute or Nylon. I have carried inside a pot and in a very small daypack.

Any chance you could post a step by step construction of it with photos and text for those of us who have trouble learning, like me?

bacpacboy has been bugging me to camp out in our mini super shelter since day one and he's on March Break this week so he's been out there playing every day. When my day off from work rolled around, and I asked him what he wanted to do, he said "Can we go camping in the backyard?" Sure! The weatherman predicted that at least 15cm of snow and temperatures as low as -30C with sustained high winds would roll in overnight, so this bacpacmama put the kibosh on sleeping outside, but we would make a day of it, and move one step closer to that goal.

Here's a little youtube video showing our progress:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj48psn4gxE

I wanted this to be more than just a little fun in the backyard. The idea behind this shelter has been that bacpacboy has the lead on building it, and we're using (mostly) just what he carries in his hug-a-tree day hike kit. In other words: no tools were injured during this bug-out. (He does carry a SAK in his kit, and we used it to cut our paracord and lashings. He's also fascinated with axes and hatchets right now, so we're using a hatchet to strip greenery off pine and cedar branches.) Otherwise, I'm trying to mostly only use/do what he can manage on his own - just like he'd have to if he ever has to really use that survival kit of his.

The original lean-to we built a week ago was just a simple tripod, with a juniper bush ridge beam lashed to our spruce tree, some pine and juniper bows, all covered with a plastic sheet. It held up ok, but had the plastic got some holes in it and it wasn't going make it through an impending winter storm. We've scavenged what we could from the neighbourhood, which is still recovering from December's ice storm, so we're now moving out further to find shelter building materials. Because we were in the middle of a temporary thaw that day, the big question for bacpacboy this time around, was whether to take the sled or the wagon. He chose to leave them both at home, which resulted in lots of mileage on his boots but very few new branches to work with.


Prototype backyard lean-to from a week ago

It was a gorgeous day - the first in what felt like forever that we didn't need to bundle up to go outside. Puddles were forming all over the backyard, but we were set up on the driest patch, so we repositioned a little bit to try and block a little more of the wind. Then we adjusted all the beams, retied all the lashings and reinforced the foot holds with a little ice and snow. Then we hung a thermal casualty blanket as the back wall, and covered the whole thing with the plastic sheet.

Key Gear: Paracord (and various pieces of rope), thermal casualty blanket, clear plastic painter's drop sheet, ax, SAK Camper







The Bough Bed
We started making a bough bed, and covered it with a black garbage bag, a thick fleece blanket and a wool blanket. Not good enough for sleeping, but nice for a day camp.

Key Gear: black garbage bag moisture barrier, fleece blanket padding, wool blanket/poncho for warmth

I like the fact that you make him use what he carries. This is good training and prevents disappointments in areal life situation. Kudos. He seems to have done a fine job on his super shelter.

Cody used a version of this in Dual Survival. After Dave figured out how it works he is now teaches it on some of his courses/videos. The plastic sheet allows the radient heat in and then traps it like a greenhouse.

That's the key. The plastic allows heat in then holds it around you like a bubble, instead of that warm air dissipating away. Adding the space blanket has an additional effect but in my experience it's not necessary for the shelter to work well. Of course I have only used a supershelter down to the mid 20's. If you used it in significantly colder weather I suppose the space blanket's contribution would become increasingly important.

Thanks Deathwind. He's an adventure-seeking kid who he loves the outdoors. I figure, if his natural inclination is to be a wild child, we should probably teach him to do it safely - and what to do when things go South - as soon as possible. My Dad always said that practice makes perfect (actually, he said "perfect practice makes perfect" but that's an entirely different parenting conversation. LOL!) so when bacpacboy wanted to make a fort in the backyard, and keeps asking to try Cody's super shelter, what better opportunity for a little Hug-a-Tree practice. The key, for us, to teaching how to developing his skills and to use his survival gear is to keep it fun and who doesn't like fort building?!

As for his super shelter, we've had a lot of wind the last couple of weeks, and his frame is holding up just fine, but his plastic sheet is toast. Of course, that doesn't stop him. He wanted to eat dinner out there last night - in the pouring rain.

Looks like a great chance to teach some lashings, DS's troop is working with lashings right now, looks like you and bacpacboy are sure having a lot of fun