The extremes of a hot, arid environment can cause you as many problems as an extremely cold environment.

The following are some survival tips for building an effective shelter in the desert.

When considering building shelters in the desert, or any really hot climate for that matter, we need to think of layers and air flow.

Desert temperatures are really high, so special techniques must be used to reduce it.  Just about any great desert shelter is made from two different layers that are open between them.  The top layer will shade the bottom layer and reduce the UVs that heat the bottom layer.  There is also a gap between the two layers to allow sufficient ventilation.

The open desert shelter is built by finding materials (such as rocks, boots, or bags) to hold the first tarp or poncho layer about two feet above the ground, while the area below may or may not be dug down some.  By digging we cool temperatures more.  A second layer is added about 4-5 inches above the first using whatever material is available.  My go-to method of suspending things in the air is usually a stick, with a parachord stability line attached to keep everything upright, but that may not be possible, so we think critically and find any material that can do the job for us.

A great way to keep the extremes away is a Below Ground Desert Shelter.  This is basically a 20-30 inch deep trench dug into the ground with only one access point.  It is covered with a poncho liner or tarp and then a 10-15 in gap again befor the next layer of poncho or tarp.   You will anchor the sides of the tarp down with sand on three sides.

Desert environments are extreme; depending on when you are there, temperatures can exceed 100 degrees in the day and be around freezing in the night.

That means you must be able to construct a shelter that can handle both if you find yourself in a survival situation.

To learn more about surviving the desert, check out the Clever Survivalist.

Featured Image via Clever Survivalist