Being a survivalist means that you should be able to adapt to any situation. Even if you aren’t a hardcore survivalist, though, there are some skills that it’s a good idea to know and master, just in case. Here, we are going to take a closer look at those skills.
The elements can quickly become a safety issue when you’re outdoors. This situation can become especially dangerous if conditions are cold or rainy but a shelter is important in any weather condition. To retain your body heat or keep yourself dry, the first thing you should do is build a shelter to protect yourself.
There are some rules to be followed when constructing a shelter. First and foremost, the ground can be detrimental to the warmth you’re trying to retain. As such, you’ll want a “floor” of a few inches. If you don’t have a sleeping bag or pad, leaves and pine needles can be used.
The easiest way to construct the walls of a shelter is to create a lean-to. To make this, lean branches against an angled tree. It’s also useful to use extra branches, leaves, and other debris to make the walls thick enough to keep out the cold.
If you’re in a group, don’t feel like you need to make a massive shelter either. In fact, sticking close together can help retain more heat since body heat is being combined.
Another tool for warmth is a fire. However, that isn’t the only benefit of it. A fire can also be used for cooking, signaling for help, or adding a psychological sense of safety.
The best way to do this is to keep a small fire starting kit on you when you go on an outdoor adventure. When starting a fire, start with smaller kindling to get the flames going. From there, start using larger tinder until you’ve worked your fire up to handle full logs.
After heat, the next thing your body needs is water. In a survival situation, dehydration can be a massive obstacle. When possible, any water you find should be boiled before drinking. This helps to purify the water. Drinking contaminated water can be very dangerous.
A great way to find clean water when you don’t have a fire, though, is to catch rainwater or snow. One way to catch this water in the case that you don’t have a container for it is to dig a hole in the ground. Line this hole with a tarp or plastic trash bag to contain it and keep it clean.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some plants such as vines or cacti might be able to be wrung out to obtain water.
The next basic need on your list is finding food. While humans can go longer without food than they can without warmth or water, you still want to find it as soon as you can.
It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with what plants can be safely eaten. Just like contaminated water, eating the wrong plant can be far more detrimental than aid in your survival.
For instance, if you see cattails, they can be eaten in a pinch. You can also boil acorns from oak trees to remove the tannic acid and eating them. Just continue to boil them until you can boil them without the water taking on a brown hue.
It’s also a good idea to learn hunting techniques to catch animals for eating as well. A good place to start is to learn how to set simple traps and where to set them for the highest chance of success. It’s also worth learning how to fashion a way to catch fish in case you are near water. Remember, you’ll want to cook any animals you catch before eating them.
You can catch all the food you want - if it goes bad, you still don’t have food. There are a few ways to preserve food. Look for spaces to store food that is blocked from the wind. If it’s a snowy landscape, you can dig down in the snow for cooling insulation. Pests can also be a factor in food degradation, so try to keep your supply as protected as possible.
If it’s hot out, foods will be much harder to keep - especially meat - so you may want to only capture what you need at a time. You should also pay close attention to your food for any signs of rotting such as mold or pests.
Whenever you are going outdoors, it’s essential to bring at least a basic first aid kit with you. To use that kit effectively, though, you’ll need some basic first aid skills. This could include learning how to treat minor scrapes and cuts or taking a class in first aid techniques such as CPR.
Skills like mindfulness aren’t the first thing to come to mind when in a survival situation but they are absolutely crucial. Being able to take a few deep breathes or use techniques to calm yourself can be the difference between navigating a survival situation effectively or performing poorly.
Survival, above all, requires a clear head. You need to be able to address the situation from a strategical perspective which can’t be done in a panicked state.
In addition, the advice here to master these skills can also be absolutely helpful in aiding you to stay calm. If you know what to do when the time comes, you are much less likely to freak out.
Think about it this way; when something goes wrong at your job, you’re likely to handle it rather than staying immobile or panicking. Consider a survival situation the same way. You’re in an unavoidable point and all there is to do is handle it. So, use the skills that have been discussed here that you’ve mastered to do just that.
Building A Shelter
The elements can quickly become a safety issue when you’re outdoors. This situation can become especially dangerous if conditions are cold or rainy but a shelter is important in any weather condition. To retain your body heat or keep yourself dry, the first thing you should do is build a shelter to protect yourself.
There are some rules to be followed when constructing a shelter. First and foremost, the ground can be detrimental to the warmth you’re trying to retain. As such, you’ll want a “floor” of a few inches. If you don’t have a sleeping bag or pad, leaves and pine needles can be used.
The easiest way to construct the walls of a shelter is to create a lean-to. To make this, lean branches against an angled tree. It’s also useful to use extra branches, leaves, and other debris to make the walls thick enough to keep out the cold.
If you’re in a group, don’t feel like you need to make a massive shelter either. In fact, sticking close together can help retain more heat since body heat is being combined.
Starting A Fire
Another tool for warmth is a fire. However, that isn’t the only benefit of it. A fire can also be used for cooking, signaling for help, or adding a psychological sense of safety.
The best way to do this is to keep a small fire starting kit on you when you go on an outdoor adventure. When starting a fire, start with smaller kindling to get the flames going. From there, start using larger tinder until you’ve worked your fire up to handle full logs.
Purifying Water
After heat, the next thing your body needs is water. In a survival situation, dehydration can be a massive obstacle. When possible, any water you find should be boiled before drinking. This helps to purify the water. Drinking contaminated water can be very dangerous.
A great way to find clean water when you don’t have a fire, though, is to catch rainwater or snow. One way to catch this water in the case that you don’t have a container for it is to dig a hole in the ground. Line this hole with a tarp or plastic trash bag to contain it and keep it clean.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some plants such as vines or cacti might be able to be wrung out to obtain water.
Finding Food
The next basic need on your list is finding food. While humans can go longer without food than they can without warmth or water, you still want to find it as soon as you can.
It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with what plants can be safely eaten. Just like contaminated water, eating the wrong plant can be far more detrimental than aid in your survival.
For instance, if you see cattails, they can be eaten in a pinch. You can also boil acorns from oak trees to remove the tannic acid and eating them. Just continue to boil them until you can boil them without the water taking on a brown hue.
It’s also a good idea to learn hunting techniques to catch animals for eating as well. A good place to start is to learn how to set simple traps and where to set them for the highest chance of success. It’s also worth learning how to fashion a way to catch fish in case you are near water. Remember, you’ll want to cook any animals you catch before eating them.
Food Preservation
You can catch all the food you want - if it goes bad, you still don’t have food. There are a few ways to preserve food. Look for spaces to store food that is blocked from the wind. If it’s a snowy landscape, you can dig down in the snow for cooling insulation. Pests can also be a factor in food degradation, so try to keep your supply as protected as possible.
If it’s hot out, foods will be much harder to keep - especially meat - so you may want to only capture what you need at a time. You should also pay close attention to your food for any signs of rotting such as mold or pests.
First Aid
Whenever you are going outdoors, it’s essential to bring at least a basic first aid kit with you. To use that kit effectively, though, you’ll need some basic first aid skills. This could include learning how to treat minor scrapes and cuts or taking a class in first aid techniques such as CPR.
Know How To Calm Yourself
Skills like mindfulness aren’t the first thing to come to mind when in a survival situation but they are absolutely crucial. Being able to take a few deep breathes or use techniques to calm yourself can be the difference between navigating a survival situation effectively or performing poorly.
Survival, above all, requires a clear head. You need to be able to address the situation from a strategical perspective which can’t be done in a panicked state.
In addition, the advice here to master these skills can also be absolutely helpful in aiding you to stay calm. If you know what to do when the time comes, you are much less likely to freak out.
Think about it this way; when something goes wrong at your job, you’re likely to handle it rather than staying immobile or panicking. Consider a survival situation the same way. You’re in an unavoidable point and all there is to do is handle it. So, use the skills that have been discussed here that you’ve mastered to do just that.