Spot Wind Channels and Exposed Terrain
The shape of the land funnels wind exactly the way it funnels water.
Saddles, gaps between hills, narrow valley mouths, and open ridgelines or shoulders.
Gaps and draws accelerate wind, and exposed shoulders give you a view at the cost of your warmth.
Avoid siting directly in or facing a gap, saddle, or exposed shoulder, even when the ground looks ideal.
One-sided tree crowns and branches trailing in a single direction record the prevailing wind direction with no waiting required.
Choosing a site for its view. Open, wind-scoured ground with thin leaf litter is a long-term wind record, not a coincidence.
Site on the Leeward Side
A leeward position blocks direct wind without trapping still, damp air.
The downwind side of a rise, dense stand of timber, or a solid, non-hazardous deadfall.
Blocking direct wind keeps you warmer without fully sealing off airflow.
Set your shelter's back and lowest wall toward the prevailing wind direction shown by the trees.
Compare how exposed the site feels to a spot fifteen to twenty feet further behind the terrain feature.
Judging wind only by conditions on arrival.
Account for Wind That Changes After Dark
Evening calm is unreliable — terrain-driven wind often starts after you've already built.
Terrain that funnels cold air as well as wind — valley mouths, saddles, and open slopes.
Downslope (katabatic) wind and temperature-driven airflow often begin well after sunset.
Choose your site based on terrain shape, not the wind you feel at setup.
If nearby trees show consistent flagging in one direction, that direction is your design wind regardless of the current hour.
Reversing a good terrain-based decision because the evening happens to feel still.
No clear leeward spot available? Prioritize blocking the terrain-indicated prevailing wind over blocking the wind you currently feel.
Setting up in a gap or saddle for the view or the flat ground. Both features are almost always more exposed than they first appear.
Trust the trees over the moment. Evening calm is a liar.