UKSN 14 Week Basic Survival Challenge - Week 6

Survival Challenge

The sixth week of the UKSN Community Challenge starts today! Learn about the UKSN and take part in weekly challenges, tasks and skills! Can you complete them all?

Don't forget to share your progress and pictures of your daily challenges on our Facebook group or in the comment section below.

This week you have 2 challenges to complete!

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Challenge 1:

Build a Primitive A-Frame Shelter

Shelter is one of the most import aspects of staying alive. If you can stay out of the elements in severe weather, you can stay alive when combined with other core survival skills.

The Challenge

You are lost in the wilderness, darkness is falling and you need to build shelter immediately due to an impending storm.

Items Required

- Knife / Saw / Axe

- String / Paracord / Shoe lace

Instructions

Although you can build this shelter using virtually no tools at all, it will make things easier if you have basic tools such as a knife or saw.

Step 1: Choose a location with good drainage and a small distance away from water.

Step 2: Find a nice long branch to form the Ridgepole. This is the central pole that runs down the shelter. This needs to be relatively strong and a few feet taller than you are.

Step 3: Find 2 strong branches that will form the entrance to your shelter. Ensure they are a couple of feet taller than your height when sat down. This means you will be able to sit up inside your shelter! With this said, If its cold and you're not bothered about sitting up - simply build your shelter lower to the ground by choosing shorter branches.

Step 4: Use a diagonal lash to secure the Ridgepole and entrance branches together using whatever rope or materials you can find. This will give your shelter its overall shape. It's a wise idea to ensure you fit within the shelter before moving onto step 5.

Step 5: Collect smaller branches (Ribs) that will fit along the length of your shelter. Place them 6" apart with taller branches near the entrance, working down to smaller branches near the rear. For strength you can lash them together or just leave them leaning against the Ridgepole.

Step 6: It's time to cover the walls of the structure making it a little more protected from the elements. Collect as many sticks, twigs, bushes and branches as you can find and cover your shelter. If you can thatch it all together, you will make it even more weather resistant.

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Challenge 2:

5 Different Fire Configurations

It's important to know a variety of ways to build a fire - not only for use in survival situation but every day camping.

The Challenge

You need to recreate 1 of the 5 different types of fire. Choose one that you haven't tried before!

Items Required

- Logs

- Tinder

- Kindling

- A method of fire lighting such as a lighter or fire steel.

Instructions

Step 1: Gather logs, kindling and tinder.

Step 2: Make a small pile of kindling.

Step 3: Create your main log structure around the kindling .

Step 4 : Place your tinder within your kindling and ignite using your prefered method.

Step 5: Once the kindling is well 'alight' add a little more. Continue to adding larger and larger pieces of kindling and logs until the fire is established.

Be Careful

- Never leave a fire unattended

- Ensure the ground is solid and cannot catch alight

- Have a method of extinguishing the fire

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Let us know how you get on using the comments section below or posting via our Facebook group. In fact, why not post on both?

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