Protection from the elements is the first and MOST essential of the “currencies of life.” 

In cases of extreme heat or cold, you can die from exposure in a matter of a couple hours, if you don’t have the proper protection from the elements.

So what is “protection from the elements?”

A lot of people will include “shelter” on their list of survival basics. I use the phrase “protection from the elements” because to me it seems like a more appropriate label for the threat we’re trying to describe-the elements. The elements can be heat or cold, and can be delivered with side orders of humidity, aridity, or wind.

Apart from helping me to remember that the “elements” really are the threat, and that they come in many shapes and sizes, I like the phrase “protection from the elements”, because it includes more than just shelter.

Protection from the elements includes: clothing, shelter and fire.

Clothing

Having and wearing the right clothing may not be as exciting as building a tipi or ice cave, but it has INFINITELY more to do with whether you live or die.

Scout’s honor.

The clothing you wear, is your first line of defense. Proper clothing yields sooner and longer lasting results than your shelter will, because it’s on you. It doesn’t matter if you have a shady spot on a 112 degree day, if you’re wearing a wool sweater, you’re headed for heat exhaustion. Same thing goes for wearing a bikini inside of an ice cave.

Gaining a good understanding of how clothing can maximize your thermoregulation, is your first line of defense against the elements.

Shelter

The second thing you can do to protect yourself from the elements, is to have appropriate shelter–both from the heat and cold. This means incorporating any natural AND man-made resources that you have at your disposal.

When you’re a couple hours away from dying of hypothermia, you can’t be thumbing your nose at sheltering in a car because it’s not “bushcraft.”

Same thing goes for trying to pitch a tent in the middle of a freezing rainstorm when there’s a cave or downed tree 20 feet away.

Fire

Fire could fall into a handful of different categories–water because it helps you purify, food because it helps you cook, but I feel like it’s a main course in the “protection from the elements” meal, and perhaps more like a side dish in the others.

Fire can create the heat that your body needs to survive, even in a subzero climate.

Check out the following prepisodes for topics related to protection from the elements:

	Daily Prep Episode 293: Advice for Building Off The Grid On the coattails of yesterday’s prepisode about the Off The Grid Build website, I thought I’d let you in on a recent convo I had (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 292: Off The Grid Build In my mind, the “summit” of prepping lies in having a secure off the grid build. It just feels peaceful. Even though you are still (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 285: Modular Bug Out Shelter for $1595 A couple weeks ago, I got an interesting comment on a post I wrote in 2011 entitled “Is This the Best Bug Out Shelter?”. It (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 281: Where to Buy Shipping Containers for Your Retreat Like a handful of you guys out there, I have a minor obsession with ISBU shipping container housing.  It stems out of a handful of (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 280: Indoor Propane Heater for $89 Last winter, a giant windstorm hit Utah. For several days, some people were without power, and accordingly without heat. Families bundled up in extra clothing and (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 271: Should You Have a “Safe Room” While reading the book “Prepper’s Home Defense” I’ve been going over the section on “safe rooms.” A safe room is basically a room within your (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 242: SOL Escape Bivy Hey Guys, After a long hiatus, I have another gear review for you–this time on the SOL Escape Bivy. I’ve had this bivy for a (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 235: Hurricane Sandy-Last Minute Preps and Resources Hurricane Sandy is starting to hit the East Coast, and from the looks of it, it’s going to be a nasty one. Here’s a few (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 102: 4 Websites To Help You Shelter In Cold Weather Best of Web Monday, and on the coattails of my excursion to the Salt Lake mountains with Ben, today I’m sharing a few good resources (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 101: Zombie Squad Winter Mock Bug Out Field Trip Friday! Remember the mock bug out in the fall that I did? Well, I just did another one in the snow. My good buddy (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 94: Review of My Car Survival Kit Gear Review Wednesday, and today I thought I’d give you guys a look at my car survival kit.  With Christmas and New Years just around (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 76: Review of Candle In A Can Gear review Wednesday, and today I’m checking out the “Candle In A Can.” What do you think?
	Daily Prep Episode 72: Review of The Hi Tec Altitude Ultra WPi Gear Review Wednesday! Today we’re checking out some of what makes the Hi Tec Altitude Ultra WPi a great boot. Having weathered a couple “mock (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 47: 2 Crucial Duties of Your Cold Weather Base Layer The tights Prepisode. Since I did my 72 hour urban bug out earlier this year, I’ve received a handful of comments and emails from Cody (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 44: When Is It Better To Bug Out Than Bug In? You tell me. In most scenarios, there are indisputable advantages to sheltering in place, or “bugging in.” But today, I want to know what situations (More)…
	Daily Prep Episode 28: How To Build a Bug Out Shelter for $12,000 Looking to build a bug out or fall back shelter? What about a permanent home that can save you some money? ISBU shipping container houses (More)…
	Is This The Best Bug Out Shelter? Due to their low cost and durability, ISBU shipping containers make a great survival bug out shelter.