Sleep Well...

So, you've been out hunting ghouls all day, but by an unfortunate twist of fate the light is fading and you are still 10 miles away from the nearest friendly settlement. What do you do? Well, this is one of the most important things you will need to know if you

Two comfy-looking beds

plan on living for any significant period of time.

Inside or Outside, Sir?

The first thing you will need to work out is how long you have left before night will fall. If you stand any chance of reaching a building, friendly or not, by sunset then you must quicken your step and head directly for it. If you will not reach the relative safety of a building because of the distance, or some kind of injuries, then I am afraid that you shall have to brave a long, terrifying, deadly night out in the wastes. But fear not, fellow wastelander! For wherever you spend the night, if you follow these suggestions you might just make it through in one piece.

Safety, eh? Guess again

If you do manage to reach a building by night fall you are by no means in the clear. If there are several possible locations to choose from you should remember:

• Smaller buildings such as abandoned cafes, Dot's Diners, etc, will have fewer access points, so you'll be able to stop anything from getting in much easier. However, if you are rudely awoken during the night, running away is going to be much more difficult. In general, small buildings are best for anyone in a group of three or less able bodied persons.

• Large buildings with multiple floors such as Hospitals and Abandoned Schools, will be very difficult to secure unless you are in a large group of people. There will be more access points, so critters are more likely to get in, but you are also presented with many escape opportunities should the situation become too dangerous. Large buildings should not be considered for sleeping in unless you are in a group of four or more able bodied persons.

Clearing and Securing a Building

• Step 1 - Check the outside of the building for any obvious access points (doors, low windows, and other openings in the structure). Make a note of, or remember, the rough location of these access points as they will need to be secured if you decide to enter.

• Step 2 - Assess the structural integrity of the building. There's no point in being safe from the monsters out there if you're going to be crushed under three tonnes of rubble when you sneeze. So check for any large cracks in the walls, and for any protruding parts that look to be essential to the structure. If it looks dangerous, move onto the next building.

• Step 3 - Enter, sweep, and clear. Enter the building through any of the previously established access points. Then clear each room as a group using silenced weapons if possible. Do not use explosives of any kind, else you risk starting a fire, or bringing the entire building down on top of you. Ensure that at least one member of your group keeps an eye on the rear, whilst one person carefully opens the doors, and everyone else covers the doors, windows, holes in walls, and any other areas that a threat could come from. Retreat if the threats are too high, as you will not be able to sleep in the same place as swarms of deadly critters.

• Step 4 - Get set up. Once you find a dry, easily defendable room, place any large objects that you can find (bookcases, filing cabinets, desks etc.) against all but one of the access points. This will prevent small creatures from entering, and you'll notice if a large creature tries to break in. Make sure that there are always two people on watch throughout the night, and sleep with your weapon clean, loaded, and close.

• Step 5 - Get up at first light, and leave quietly through the building, and not through the access point that you left for retreats. It is not unheard of for deathclaws and other deadly creatures to lie in wait outside, so your movements need to be unpredictable

Roughing it

If you find yourself too far from any buildings, then you are left with no choice but to sleep outside. Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean just laying down on the floor exactly where you are; there are a few possible locations that you should look out for. :

• Caves - Taking a short nap near the outside of a cave can be a practical solution.

• Dead trees - If there's a large fallen tree and you're on your own, it could be worth using it as a bed.

• Vehicles - Many vehicles such as lorries, vans, and trailers have ample space for anywhere from three to ten people to sleep at once.
• Make-shift shelter - An option used by professional survivalists is to take some sheets of scrap metal, place it in between two cars and voila. If you have many people you should conider stopping earlier to create larger, more permenant versions of this.

• Sewers - The sewers are generally populated with a host of despicable creatures, but if you can find a sewer grate that leads to a blocked area, then you will be protected from creatures and the weather. Also, if you are careful, it should be possible to collapse areas of tunnel by placing any small explosives of structural pillars and crossbeams, but this is not recommended due to the many possible risks.
• Tepees - They are some of the most effective and efficent shelters around. Take a couple beam-like materials and lean them together. Cover with tarp, old clothes or animal skin. Within a few hours you will have one of these awesome shelters.

• Pre-war energy units - In your travels you have, no doubt, come accross these small, fenced off areas containing several energy units. The fence will keep creatures out, but, of course, you will still be at the mercy of the weather and raiders.

• Ditches These will provide you with some protection from the wind, but they are only to be used as a last resort.

Assessing Safety

Everywhere is dangerous, but to minimise potential risks, and to maximise your chances of survival there are several things that you can do:

• Check for radiation - If you have a working geiger counter, you should make sure that you aren't about to sleep in a heavily irradiated area.

• Where will the water go? - If it looks like rain, or there is a river nearby, make sure that your chosen sleeping area isn't going to fill up.

• Nest, hive: It's all bad news - Observe any potential location for an hour or so, if there are a large number of creatures moving in and out then find a new place. This one's taken.

• Are there any rats? - Rats are the universal food for the entire irradiadiated hell hole in which we live. If there are no rats, something has probably killed and eaten them, and will probably do the same to you.

• Structural integrity - As previously mentioned, if it looks like it's about to fall down: it probably is.

• Was it locked? - If you had to pick a lock to get in, and there are no other access points then you are probably safe. However, you do not want to have a quick escape foiled by the presence of a locked door, so plan ahead.

Other Useful Tips

• Go to sleep! - There's no point in keeping everyone in your group awake. You may protect yourself from imaginary deathclaws, only to be killed by a molerat the next day because you are too tired to lift your gun.

• Don't oversleep though! - If you sleep for too long you may miss out on a few precious hours of travel in (relative) safety. So ensure that whoever is on watch wakes everyone up at first light, or sleep near a window so that the sunlight wakes you up.