Build a Fort in the Woods

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Do you have woods around your house? Are you bored by the view of the woods? Well if you read this article you're sure to see a fantastic view of the woods! It's all in the forts you build!

Steps

Using Sheets and Rope

  1. Suspend a rope. String a rope between two trees. The length of the rope will equal or exceed the length that your fort can be.
  2. Alternatively, suspend a hoop from the rope strung between the trees. Get a hula hoop or a very large embroidery hoop as well as rope. The hoop will be suspended from the center of the rope which is tied between two trees. You'll need 4 pieces of rope to attach at four points on the hoop (as illustrated), which will then meet at one point at the single rope running between the trees.
  3. Attach your sheets. Take your sheets and drape them over the rope, hula hoop, or within the embroidery hoop. Use as many as you need to make your fort as big as you want.
  4. Create your anchor points. Now your sheets will be hanging. Decide how wide you'd like your fort to be and create anchor points at the bottom to keep the walls apart. Use rocks or camping stakes to spread the fabric.
  5. Decorate and make it homey. Now that you've got your walls set up, you'll want to add doors, floor cushions or anything else to customize your fort to your needs. Enjoy!

Using Fence Sections

  1. Buy fence sections. Buy sections of fence which are high enough for walls and wide enough that each section can make a good single wall. Picket fencing with no gaps works great for this.
    • You can also build your own.
  2. Attach hinges. Use hinges to join the four or more sections together. Make sure you attach them in the appropriate directions, so that the fence sections can be folded together (picture a Japanese screen). Leave one joint unattached, so that the whole thing can be collapsed.
  3. Add a door or windows. Using a jigsaw, cut a square or rectangle in the center section of one or more wall portions (being careful not to cut the brace beams), in order to make windows or doors.
    • This is somewhat optional, since you can also just move a wall section to get in or out.
  4. Decorate! You can paint or stain the wood, as well as add other decorations like a fort flag.
  5. Move as necessary. Fold up the fort and move it into and out of the woods as necessary.

Using a Teepee

  1. Get five sections of PVC pipe. The diameter does not matter too much, but around 2" is a good width. The length will determine the height of the ceiling, minus about 8".
  2. Drill joining holes. You'll need to drill holes through the pipes in order to join them together. Drill these holes roughly 8" from the top of the pipes. The holes should go through on one side and come out directly on the other side. The holes will need to be thick enough to get a string or rope through.
  3. Get a rope. String the rope through all of the holes and tie the ends together. It should be loose enough that the pipes can be turned and form the teepee shape.
  4. Create your covering. You can make a custom-fit covering (out of waterproof fabric) by measuring the average size of each triangular section and sewing together the correct number of panels. Just be sure to leave a door opening in one of them and a large hole at the top so that it can be fit over the poles.
    • Another option would be to get two or more tarps and wrap them over the poles, attaching them together with tape or cord. Again, leave an entrance.
  5. Decorate! Decorate your fort as needed, making sure that the ground inside is great for sitting or sleeping on.

Tips

  • Get walkie-talkies to communicate if you get split up.
  • If there are branches in the way use a saw or a branch cutter to cut them down .
  • Bring a pot so you can boil water to purify it.
  • Be careful with the pocket knife or saw; use work gloves for this.

Warnings

  • Be careful; watch out for snakes and wild animals.

Things You'll Need

  • a companion or two
  • saw/pocket knife
  • bug spray
  • gloves
  • branch cutters
  • rake
  • shovel
  • sticks
  • wheelbarrow (if needed)
  • cooler
  • snacks
  • walkie-talkies
  • rope
  • lighter

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