As Nick, our bushcraft survival instructor, brought us away from the ranch and into the wilderness he gave us a lot of useful information on what plants we could survive on in a pinch. On reaching our destination he talked about the importance of finding the right location to set up camp.
The easy way to remember is that there are 5 W’s of setting up a successful shelter. They are; water, wood, wind, wildlife and the widow maker.
Having access to water is very important, we need it to drink, wash and make food. It is also important to bear in mind that rivers can flood so do not to set up too close if there may be heavy rain.
Access to wood is another useful commodity when setting up shelter. Live green wood can be used to build your shelter and dead standing wood can be used for firewood.
We need to consider wind when setting up, how far away is tree cover? Five metres is good but up to twenty metres will also work. The trees and brush can protect us from the wind.
Being aware of the wildlife in the area is another important consideration. Avoid setting up shelter in the middle of a track or trail as animals will also use the easiest through way and they may not be all that friendly. Look out for nests and again consider distance from water source, wildlife will also use this.
Finally, the widow maker could be one of the most important W. Look above your shelter and make sure there are no dead trees or branches. If one were to break and fall from a height it could kill you.
The 5 W’s are a great way to recall what you need to know when setting up a shelter. I feel confident after learning these that I could pick a good location for a shelter if I was in this situation. The bushcraft survival was a great experience with our very knowledgeable and fun instructor Nick. Hopefully, I will get the chance to do another during my stay at Chilcotin Holidays