Task · part of 5. Shelter: four parts of preparation and then a night outdoors
5(e). Improvise a shelter and SPEND A NIGHT IN IT
Required Often forgotten
Built with techniques that have little negative impact on the environment, and slept in. This needs a campout, a site where it is permitted, a forecast and adult supervision, and it is one lettered part.
Notes and warnings
Warning. THIS IS THE WHOLE BADGE IN ONE LETTERED PART. You improvise a natural shelter and you SPEND A NIGHT IN IT. That means a campout with dates already fixed, a site where building a natural shelter is permitted (many are not) weather you can safely sleep out in, adult supervision and your unit's approval. Everything else on this badge can be done indoors or in an afternoon. Fix the night first and work backwards; do not arrive at requirement 5 expecting to finish it that week.
Where this step comes from
- Wilderness Survival Merit Badge Requirements (Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-12-31), Requirement 5(e) · Requires the shelter to be improvised with low-impact techniques and a night to be spent in it.