FeatherSticks · Shelter
Sleeping Under a Rock Overhang: Natural Shelters, Hazards & Rules
A rock roof looks like free shelter. Check these five things first.
Quick facts
- Time
- 15–30 min to check and set up
- Difficulty
- Easy to set up, hard to judge
- Best for
- Designated sites, emergencies, dry wind shelter
- You need
- Pad, warm sleep system, head torch, small tarp
What you need
- Sleeping pad (closed-cell or insulated inflatable)
- Sleeping bag suited to the expected low
- Head torch with spare batteries
- Small tarp (about 2 × 3 m) and 10 m of cord
- Groundsheet
- Thermos with a hot drink
- Whistle and charged phone
Step by step
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1 Know the rules and the type
Check that sleeping there is allowed and choose a solid overhang, boulder or dense conifer stand. Never sleep in a cave.
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2 Inspect roof and floor
Look for cracks, loose blocks and fresh, light-coloured debris on the ground. If anything looks doubtful, move on.
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3 Check water and weather
Sleep inside the drip line on a dry floor, away from runoff and gullies. An overhang gives no protection from lightning.
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4 Insulate from the cold rock
Put a pad plus leaves or your pack between you and the ground. Rock draws heat from your body all night.
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5 Add a tarp, leave no trace
Hang a tarp at the front against wind and rain, light no fire and leave the place exactly as you found it.
Common mistakes
- Trusting an overhang without looking at the floor for fresh rockfall.
- Sleeping in the drip line, against a seeping back wall or in a gully.
- Sheltering under rock or in a shallow cave during a thunderstorm.
- Lying directly on cold rock without a pad or other insulation.
- Lighting a fire under the roof — soot, heat damage, smoke and bursting stones.
- Entering caves, especially in winter when bats hibernate.
- Sleeping in the pit of an upturned root plate.