Posted on March 10 2016, by Nick Taggart
A few years back I went climbing in the 'Gunks, in upstate New York. My climbing partner brought the rope and hardware, I was responsible for food and tent. After a long hard day that left us exhausted (and a little roughed up), we set up camp. To my dismay, I couldn't find the tent poles. In fact, they were sitting on my apartment floor, 300 miles away.
Luckily, my climbing partner was not only good humoured, he knew how to quickly build a lean-to. After 30 minutes, he had put together a strong shelter, that didn't even require we drape the tent fly over it.
The theory is simple, you need a stout cross beam or ridge pole. Tie it between two trees, or place each end in the crotch of strong branches. On that, you place dead fall at a 45 degree angle. Cover with boughs of fir or pine, et voila.
This video is a great tutorial. Take two minutes. It's one of the more valuable survival skills you can possess.
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