How do you make a protective shelter on a island?

Answer 1

If I found myself on a deserted island with no manmade areas of shelter, I would first search for a suitable location to make a shelter. If there was a source of fresh water, I'd think about sheltering near there, but still close enough to the beach in case rescue came. I'd also check to be sure the fresh water would not overflow its banks during a heavy rain. I'd look for thick trees for one side of the shelter, or a boulder or cliff for one side. If temps on the island stay hot, the rock face will help keep me cooler. I'd also plan where I'd put my fire, if I'm able to start a fire.

Next, I'd start collecting items to use in my shelter and any useful items I find. In today's world, oceans are often used as garbage dumps and plastic bottles, shoes, boards, cans, etc. often wash up on beaches. I can use plastic or cans to collect rain water or cans to boil water.

I'd be collecting as much driftwood and shells I could find to make 'walls'.

If I had a knife, I'd look for living trees with leaves on them, or any fresh fallen leaves to make bedding. Other things to use might be dry seaweed or other fresh dry vegetation. I wouldn't want it so dry that it could catch fire, though.

Once I had tree limbs and vegetation gathered to my location, I'd use some leafy-braches overhead. I'd look for a "Y" in the trees I picked for shelter and try to wedge my branches from one "Y" to another tree's "Y". Once I had 2 or more branches wedged in and braced, I'd slowly and carefully lay more leafy-branches on top of that base. I'd go around the backside of the trees and fill in "holes" with leafy-branches, starting from the ground up. I'd do this on the outside and from "inside" the shelter.

Back on my side of the shelter, rather than digging an indentation to lay down, I'd pile up sand or dirt to make a "bed"; I'd make it as high as possible and pack it down with my hands and feet/shoes as I put down each layer. I'd make it wider and longer than my body to account for erosion. Once it was big enough and packed down, I'd lay leaves and soft debris on my "bed" to lay on. I'd keep out a few leafy-branches to use to cover myself if I needed to.

I'd make sure to always keep the clothes I had dry while I worked. Many places get colder at night and the body temperature can drop at night (circadium rhythm). I'd do everything possible to keep my head & scalp warm since a lot of body heat is lost from the scalp.

I'd start work on a fire long before sunset because it may take hours to make a spark. I'd make sure the location had a wind break to protect the fire. I'd make sure I always had a stockpile of things to burn.