Article: Any moisture on the ground will penetrate through your clothes and make you cold in the night. Feel the ground to see if it’s dry or muddy before settling on a location. A flat spot also ensures that rain won’t run down a slope into your shelter. If you can’t find any flat areas, dig trenches in the ground to divert the water away from where you want to build your shelter. While you should be a short distance away from a water source, don’t set up your camp next to a river or lake. If it rains or the river floods, you and your shelter could get damp or washed away. Avoid setting your camp in ravines or on low ground for the same reason. Don’t set up in deep valleys since cold air will settle there at night. If there are cold winds in your area, trees will help buffet them so you can stay warm. Try to find a place with thick foliage to protect yourself from the elements and to stay hidden. If you want to be found, stay close to open areas where you can attract planes flying overhead. Check for anything over your head that could cause harm to you or damage your shelter. Look for dead tree limbs, loose rocks, or mud since these could easily break and fall down on top of you.

What is a summary?
Put your shelter on a dry, flat piece of land. Stay on higher ground away from bodies of water. Find an area surrounded by trees to block the wind. Look above the area for any signs of danger.