Shelter at home and outdoors: a practical guide

Safe room, protection from cold. A guide based on official advice. The same text is in the free SurvivalZone app and works without internet.

Open in the app (works offline)

A safe room at home

Choose a room with no or few windows, ideally on the lowest floor: bathroom, corridor, basement.
Keep water, food, a torch, a battery radio, a first aid kit, blankets and a charged power bank there.
If the air may be contaminated, close windows, switch off ventilation and seal gaps with tape and towels.

Shelter outdoors

What matters most: protection from wind and rain, and insulation from the ground. The ground drains heat fastest, so lie on leafy branches, a sleeping mat or your backpack.
The smaller the shelter, the warmer it is. A simple tarp or emergency blanket strung between trees is enough for a night.
Choose a sheltered spot, but not a hollow where water and cold air collect.
Look up: never camp under dead or broken branches.

Finding a public shelter

The official "Gdzie się ukryć" map by the Polish State Fire Service shows temporary shelters: basements, underpasses, garages.
Historic bunkers on the app map come from OpenStreetMap. Their condition is unknown: do not enter without checking.

Watch out

Never light a fire inside a closed shelter, tent or under a tarp.
Do not go into flooded basements or underground spaces.

Keep it on your phone

SurvivalZone is a free app for every emergency, with no account and no app store. It works without internet and shows the nearest shelters and help points, local radio, a 72-hour plan and a mountain trip planner.

Open the SurvivalZone app

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Sources

Official sources are checked automatically every day. Last check: 2026-10-18.

General guidance only; it does not replace the emergency services. If a life is in danger, call 112.