Survival | How to make a teepee from a parachute

You're free-falling over the wilderness and the worst possible scenario comes true in a heartbeat - your chute doesn't open.

Falling, you try compose yourself knowing death is but a few hundred feet below. Finally, chance deals you a good hand, letting your parachute open at the last moment.

The fall isn't kind - you smash through the treetops on way of landing harshly to the ground below. Minutes tick by, leaving you to awake among the brush.

Your friends are nowhere to be found and night is rapidly approaching. What would you do? For one, think smart. You're protected by XT46 gear. But that won't stop Mother Nature from serving an ice-cold dish of reality.

Here are some survival tips to help you make shelter for the night if you're stranded in the woods.

To make a tepee:

• Lay the poles on the ground and lash them together at one end
• Stand the framework up and spread the poles to form a tripod
• For more support, place additional poles against the tripod. Five or six additional poles work best but do not lash them to the tripod
• Determine the wind direction and locate the entrance 90 degrees or more from the mean wind direction
• Lay out the parachute on the “backside” of the tripod and locate the bridle loop (nylon web loop) at the top (apex) of the canopy
• Place the bridle loop over the top of a freestanding pole. Then place the pole back up against the tripod so that the canopy’s apex is at the same height as the lashing on the three poles
• Wrap the canopy around one side of the tripod. The canopy should be of double thickness, as you are wrapping an entire parachute. You need only wrap half of the tripod, as the remainder of the canopy will encircle the tripod in the opposite direction
• Construct the entrance by wrapping the folded edges of the canopy around two freestanding poles. You can then place the poles side by side to close the tepee’s entrance
• Place all extra canopy underneath the tepee poles and inside to create a floor for the shelter
• Leave a 30- to 50-centimeter opening at the top for ventilation if you intend to have a fire inside the tepee.

Teepee creation tips by Discovery 


Find more survival tips at www.XT46.com and shop the best survival gear for any situation.


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