One-Man Shelter

A one-man shelter you can easily make using a parachute requires a tree and three poles. One pole should be about 4.5 meters long and the other two about 3 meters long.

To make this shelter (Figure 5-7)--

• Secure the 4.5-meter pole to the tree at about waist height.
  
• Lay the two 3-meter poles on the ground on either side of and in the same direction as the 4.5-meter pole.
  
• Lay the folded canopy over the 4.5 meter pole so that about the same amount of material hangs on both sides.
  
• Tuck the excess material under the 3-meter poles, and spread it on the ground inside to serve as a floor.
  
• Stake down or put a spreader between the two 3-meter poles at the shelter's entrance so they will not slide inward.
  
• Use any excess material to cover the entrance.
  

The parachute cloth makes this shelter wind resistant, and the shelter is small enough that it is easily warmed. A candle, used carefully, can keep the inside temperature comfortable. This shelter is unsatisfactory, however, when snow is falling as even a light snowfall will