10 Best Survival Shelters In 2020

The Go Time Gear Life tube survival shelter is a windproof, rainproof, and thermal survival shelter you can count on to keep you warm and dry in a survival situation. Thanks to its ultralight and super compact packed size, it’s very easy to stow in an emergency kit or hiking pack and convenient to take into the backcountry. On top of this, it comes complete with a handy 120-decibel whistle and 550lb paracord. All these features make it the ultimate best survival shelter. 

Material and Protection

Made of a heavy-duty 28um Mylar material, the Life Tent is one of the toughest Mylar outdoor survival shelters. The fabric is thick enough to keep out wind, rain, and snow. Additionally, the thermal interior reflects up to 90% of your body heat back to you to keep you toasty throughout the night. This makes it one of the best winter emergency shelters. For durability in rugged conditions, the material is tear and puncture-resistant.   

Weight, Packability, and Setup

The Life Tent emergency shelter packs down to 5.25 x 3.25inches and weighs a mere 8.7 ounces so it’s easy to stow in a kit or pack and bring it along on your adventures. Building an emergency shelter is easy as well. Simply run the included paracord through both ends of the tube tent and tie between two trees or any other sturdy objects close by. For stability in rough weather, you can use rocks or gear to anchor the corners. If you’re nowhere near trees, you can also use it as a sleeping bag, space blanket, or thermal bivvy.

The cleverly-named Don’t Die in The Woods wilderness shelter is dubbed the world’s toughest survival shelter and rightly so. The NASA-designed HeatFlex Mylar it’s made of is stronger and more flexible than ordinary Mylar. Even its wilderness survival shelters reviews attest that it can withstand harsh weather conditions and rocky terrain. This makes it the best shelter for survival for rough wilderness adventures.

Material and Protection 

Since the exceptionally tough Mylar the Don’t Die In The Woods is made of is waterproof and can withstand even the harshest weather conditions, it will offer you the ultimate protection from the elements. On the interior, the thermal tent walls reflect 90% of your body heat to keep you toasty warm. This makes it one of the best winter emergency shelters.

Weight, Packability, and Setup

Despite the heavy-duty material, this outdoor survival shelter only weighs 8.5 ounces and packs down into a super-compact package. To set it up, just run the provided 425-lb paracord through the tent and tie it up between two trees then use rocks or any heavy objects to secure it. Providing an 80 square feet interior space, this top-rated A-frame shelter for survival is big enough to fit two people. Alternatively, you can use it as an emergency sleeping bag, blanket, or bivy sack.

Weighing in at 4.8 ounces, the Survival Frog Tact Bivvy is an ultralight survival shelter you can carry anywhere you go. Despite this, it’s an incredibly warm and reliable shelter against the elements. Best of all, it’s one of the most affordable outdoor survival shelters. As a bonus, you will also get a 120-decibel emergency whistle and a para-tinder paracord you can use to start a fire.

Material and Protection

Made of a Heat Echo thermal reflective space blanket material, Tact Bivvy is one of the best thermal survival shelters. It reflects 90% of your body's heat to you. Used as a sleeping bag liner in a winter emergency shelter, it will make you 20 degrees warmer. The material is also waterproof and windproof so it’s an effective barrier against the rain and frigid cold.

Weight, Packability, and Setup

To go with the ultralightweight, the Survival Frog Tact Bivvy packs down so small that it’ll fit in the palm of your hand. It’ll easily fit in a compact survival kit or pack and even has a carabiner so you can clip it to your pack. When you need emergency shelter, simply unpack it and slide inside or use it as a sleeping bag liner.

The Mylar fabric the Delmera survival shelter is made of was originally designed by NASA for space exploration. It’s exceptionally tough and makes the Delmera one of the best survival shelters to take along with you when going climbing, hiking, or traversing jungles. To help get you out of a tight spot, this A-frame shelter is also equipped with an emergency whistle and a 425-lb paracord.

Material and Protection

Waterproof, windproof, and insulating, the Delmera survival shelter provides reliable protection from all the elements. Besides keeping out rain and wind, the interior reflects your body heat keeping you toasty. Used as a tent footprint or a sleeping bag liner, it even counts as one of the best winter emergency shelters. The rugged material and reinforced seams make it one of the most durable wilderness shelters. 

Weight, Packability, and Setup

Being a heavy-duty shelter designed for extreme environments, weight is a little bit on the higher side at 10 ounces. The warmth and durability it provides make worth every ounce though. When you need protection, you can set up an emergency tube tent shelter between trees or rocks.

When it comes to durability, versatility, and waterproof protection, the Aqua Quest Defender tarp bushcraft wilderness shelter is second to none. It provides superb defense against anything mother nature can dish out. You can also count on it to give you years of service even in rugged environments.

Material and Protection

The key to this Aqua Quest’s outstanding performance and durability is the 70D nylon material it’s made of. This incredibly tough fabric is then coated with a TPU layer and finished with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment. This kind of construction gives it a 20,000 mm waterproof rating and enables it to withstand even the heaviest downpours. In terms of durability, it’s one of the best outdoor survival shelters available. It’s even guaranteed for life.

Weight, Packability, and Setup  

The best thing about the Aqua Quest winter emergency shelter is that it comes in four sizes, allowing you to choose the ideal size for your needs. Weights range from 2.4 to 7.2 pounds so these are camping survival shelters. 19+ webbing tie loops give you unlimited setup versatility. There is no limitation to how you can configure it to provide the protection you need.

Sharp Survival insulating tube tent is one of the most affordable outdoor survival shelters. Despite this, its quality is up to par with more expensive options. Its affordable price and lightweight design make it perfect for camping and hiking trips as well as emergency preparedness kits.

Material and Protection

Made of a water and windproof Mylar, the Sharp Survival sack will protect from the cold, wind, and rain. The thermal tent walls will also reflect your body heat. Overall, this wilderness shelter tent will keep you dry and warm in all but extreme situations.  

Weight, Packability, and Setup

The Survival Shack is a compact and lightweight wilderness shelter you can take with you on all of your outdoor adventures or stow in an emergency preparedness kit or zombie survival kit. It weighs 5.6 ounces and packs down to 8.9 by 6.2 inches. Setup is simple - simply run the rope through both ends and the rope ends to sturdy objects.

Coming from a highly rated brand known for dependable outdoor survival gear, the Grizzly Gear wilderness shelter is one of the best shelters for survival in terms of dependability. It’s made of the state of the art Mylar fabric NASA designed for space exploration so you can be sure that you will get the best level of protection in an emergency. The top-notch fabric and design also make it suitable for secondary uses such as signaling, emergency sleeping bag, water collector, sunshade, and so on.

Material and Protection

Waterproof and windproof, the Grizzly Gear wilderness shelter tent offers a flawless level of protection against water, snow, extreme cold, and wind. As a winter emergency shelter, it will reflect and retain 90% of your body heat to keep you warm throughout the night and keep hypothermia at bay.

Weight, Packability, and Setup

Lightweight (5.6 ounces) and palm-sized when packed, the Grizzly Gear easily fits in a car glove box, hiking pack, bugout bag, or survival kit. Should you need shelter in an emergency, simply run the provided rope through the inside of the tent and tie it to two trees or poles. The Grizzly Gear wilderness shelter tent can accommodate two adults in its 8’x3’ interior space.

Three wonderful things set the SE tube tent wilderness shelter apart from other survival shelters on the market: a thick material, a closed back end, and the inclusion of 4 carbon steel tent pegs. Due to this, it will keep you sheltered from the elements better than the typical outdoor survival shelters and is a top-rated shelter for survival.

Material and Protection 

Made of thick non-woven material, the SE survival shelter is an excellent shield against the rain, snow, and cold. On the inside, the aluminum-coated interior directs the heat you emit back to you ensuring you stay warm. Since only one end is open, this survival shelter offers better cold and wind protection than other shelters with both ends open.  

Weight, Packability, and Setup 

Because of the thicker material and included stakes, the package is heavier and larger than typical survival shelters. This one-person shelter weighs in at 1.6 pounds and packs down to 12 x 13 inches. To build a wilderness shelter tent, simply run the rope it comes with between two trees and secures the survival tent with the included stakes.

The value you get with the TEBRION wilderness shelter will impress you. For a very reasonable price, you get a weatherproof survival shelter big enough for two, two extra-large emergency blankets and an e-book with tips on how to make the most of your survival shelter kit. Thanks to this, it’s one of the best shelters for survival to get on a limited budget. 

Material and Protection 

Made of the Mylar designed by NASA, this is a top-notch emergency shelter set. The exterior blocks rain, wind, and cold while the interior reflects 90% of your body heat. Sheltered in this insulating tube tent and wrapped with the provided Mylar blanket, you can rest assured you will be toasty warm.

Weight, Packability, and Setup

Due to how lightweight and compact the package is, this wilderness shelter is convenient to bring with you on your outdoor adventures. It’s also a fantastic emergency shelter to stow in a glove compartment, go-bag, bug-out bag, or survival kit. In addition to tying it between two trees as a tube tent, you can use it as a liner for your sleeping bag.

The best thing about Coughlan’s tube tent survival shelter is that it’s fire retardant. Made of 2.5-mil polyethylene, it’s the best shelter for survival if you’re looking for a waterproof and fire-retardant wilderness shelter to stow in an emergency preparedness kit or bug out bag or bring along when camping.   

Material and Protection  

Since the polyethylene material the Coghlan’s tube tent is made of is waterproof and windproof, it provides reliable protection from all harsh weather elements. Besides setting it up as a tube tent, you can use it as a groundsheet or rain cover. 

Weight, Packability, and Setup 

This lightweight wilderness shelter packs up small and is lightweight enough to carry along when going camping. It weighs 5.6 ounces and only requires a few minutes to set up. When setting up, this tube tent shelter is big enough to accommodate two people.