SRL THE SELF-RELIANCE LIBRARY
SHELTER
STEP 7 OF 7 · SRL-SHL-007
1-PAGE FIELD SHEET
How to Weatherproof Your Shelter Before Dark
Purpose — Run the final weatherproofing and re-check pass before committing to the shelter for the night.
FIELD CHECKLIST
- Drainage trench cut on the uphill side, tested with poured water
- Roof shingled bottom-up with overlapping rows, not laid flat
- Wind direction re-checked against your leeward siting
- Overhead hazard scan re-run in the day's last light
- Ground bed and door plug confirmed ready before full dark
RED FLAGS — STOP AND RECHECK
- Water pooling at the shelter footprint during the trench test
- Wind direction noticeably different from when you chose your leeward wall
DECISION RULE
Anything changed since you sited the shelter — wind, drainage, hazard? Adjust it now, while you can still see.
- Trenching only one side instead of the direction water actually runs
- Building the roof top-down, leaving seams that funnel water inside
SAFETY NOTE
BEFORE YOU ACT ON THIS SHEETComplete this pass while there's still enough light to fix a problem — don't discover a bad trench or roof seam after dark.
EMERGENCY REMINDERIf weather turns before you finish this pass, prioritize the roof and drainage over comfort details — a shelter that's dry beats one that's finished.