Surviving The Extremes 110*F to -30*F; 80 mph winds to a stiff, dead atmosphere; torrential down pour to nothing but the blistering heat of the sun. Mother Nature has extremes and shows no mercy toward our helpless species. The boys in William Golding's, Lord of the Flies, face these extremes and are forced to do anything to survive. As human beings, our natural instict is to survive. This country was first occupied by the Native Americans who had to adapt to vast amout of different climates and weather patterns. In order to do so, they "developed different types of dwellings" that would allow them to live comfortably and still safe. Different tribes occupying different parts of the continent recognized the need for protection from the elements as well as from predators and developed a shelter that would "fit their lifestyle and their climate". By recognizing there needs for survival, the Native Americans were able to surive with the land they occupied ("Native American Houses"). Before building a wilderness shelter, it is important to know the difference between your wants and your needs. No matter what environment you find yourself in, your number one need will always be the same: "protection from its extremes". It is of vital importance that you preserve your time and energy when building a shelter. If time is wasted on things you can go without, you are losing valuable "rest, recuperate, and recover" time. It is necesarry to pay attention to the environment and your surroundings in a survival situation (Akkermans et. al. 28). In a scenario in which one is required to build themselves a temporary home, you must be very consious of the things around you. One of the most important aspects to a shelter is location. A perfectly built shelter in a poorly chosen location is not a good shelter and could result in your death. A good location is one that provides you with "building materials such as dead sticks, leaves, and grasses" and is also away from "major hazards such as falling branches, pooling water and insect nest". Also be sure that you are "near a water supply", but not so close that there is a possibility for your shelter to be flooded (Knight; The U.S. Armed Forces Survival Manual 98). In the wilderness you have nothing to work with but the things Mother Nature provides you. One key skill that could possibly save your life is the ability to "improvise". It is important to know why type of shelter to build and with what materials to use depending on the environment you are in.
