Oh dear, what ever shall we do - build a fire or a shelter first? Decision, decisions....

I all depends on the specific situation, especially the weather conditions. Sometimes shelter is easy and on occasion impossibly difficult. The same is true with fires.

The easiest shelter to acquire is that provided by a rock shelter or overhanging ledge. Not only is it quick and easy - just move in - but the easiest and best nights I have spent outdoors have been camping in rock shelters. Dry and comfortable and they provide ideal conditions for a fire. A good rock shelter can surpass the best tent for comfort and protection.

On the other hand you can spend a lot of time digging a now cave, erecting an elaborate rush lean to when a fire and a tarp would provide all you need.

I have been a 'slave to my campfire" many time and I always got plenty of sleep, or at least rest. The precious calories devoted to gathering firewood also warmed me up. Even on my worst nights, when I truly did not get much rest due to cold and storms, I have always been surprised at how much better I performed the next morning.

Ideally, a fire and the shelter should work together to warm those involved. The drawback to a fire without a reflective shield is that one side of your precious bod will be nice and toasty, perhaps overheated, while the side away from the fire is extremely cold. Even if someone may have been killed tring to maintain their fire, which i seriously doubt, many times more have been killed by their inability to start and/or maintain their fire.