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NGJ Kids: May-June 2013 Build A Shelter Contest

June 14, 2013

Winner! Sharon RosaLee Tate, Age 11

First, I got sticks and vines.  Second of all,  I located 2 trees close together.  I tied a stick on the trees with vines going from one tree to the next.  Then I used 4 sticks to make a tent.  I stuck one stick under the vine tied round the tree and stuck the other end into the ground to make it stand.  I put two by the first tree (crossing at the top) and 2 halfway down the stick across the top, and I sealed the end with foil by the other tree.  Then I stretched the plastic over the stick across the top.  I poked a hole in the plastic and stuck the pole through it into the ground… some I had to tie with vines.  I put the sticks in the middle of the plastic.  Then I started with foil going over the second half of the tent in strips.  I used limbs to hold it down as a heavy weight along the bottom or it to make it stay down at the ground.

For my fire (outside of the shelter), first I put a big piece of foil down and then I put pine straw and leaves.  Then I started with very thin dry sticks.  After I got it going with a spark (matches) I kept on building up til I got to a nice enough size stick to keep it going.  I put another piece of foil standing up with a green stick to help it lean to block the wind.  And then once my fire burned down to coals, I pulled all the foil together to close it up.  I moved it to my tent (very carefully) to help add some heat in the tent.  Once inside, I closed the entry with some more of the foil.

— Sharon