It’s no secret that many skills and trades are a dying asset in our world, it’s my goal here to provide the survival tips you will need among all others.
General Survival Tips
Always Have A Plan –
No matter what situation you find yourself in, always, and I mean always have a plan. Plan on doing a simple hike you have done 100 times before? Plan what you will do in different situations. If someone gets hurt, have a plan. Come across a wild animal, have a plan. Most people make a plan just when going to the grocery store, always have a plan.
Tell Someone Where Your Going –
ALWAYS tell someone where you will be going as accurately as you can. Even if you are going to go to the bathroom, make sure someone knows which direction you are going.
Build A Shelter –
The first priority in any condition is having shelter. Bad elements can impair your abilities or even kill you. Build a lean-to, Teepee, or Burrow should you not have a vehicle, house, or tent.
Always Have Water –
Becoming dehydrated can be one of the most unpleasant experiences a person can have. From cramps to seizures, nothing about being dehydrated is fun. It’s also very difficult to recover from with primitive conditions, so make sure you always have water. Should you run out of water, gathering more should become a priority.
Don’t Drink To Much Water –
Dehydration is extremely bad, but so is putting a toxic amount of water in your body. While drinking lots of water is never a bad idea, keep track of your intake. In survival situations you should also be keeping track of how much leaves your body and the color of your urine. Your body will talk to you about it’s condition, make sure to listen. You have 3 days without water, don’t push it any further.
Always Have Food –
Most people can go several days without eating, but you should avoid this at all costs. Always keep as much food as you can with you. This can be difficult in a survival situation, so take advantage of every opportunity to gather food. If food resources become harsh, start limiting your consumption.
Ration Food If Your Low –
Remember that your body runs off different nutrients, each with a specific use. When rationing, spread out your nutrient consumption for optimal absorption into the body.
Know How To Light A Fire –
Lighting a fire in perfect conditions is easy. Teach your self techniques on building fires in bad conditions, it could save your life. Fire will more than likely be your only source of heat. You need this to stay warm, dry off, boil water and cook food.
Stay Warm And Dry –
Staying warm and dry will keep you alive. Should you become wet, remove your cloths and get dry as fast as possible. Losing sensation or “Stinging” of the skin is an early sign of damage. In hot conditions, keeping dry isn’t as important, but keep in mind that water evaporating from the skin will actually dry it out. Only wet your self down if you are over heating. If it’s hot, breath through your nose and not your mouth, lots of body moisture is lost while breathing through your mouth.
Understand Navigation –
The only thing worse than having to survive, is surviving while being lost. Even if you don’t know exactly where you are, you should at least have a basic understanding of your surrounding areas. You should also be able to identify North, South, East, and West without a compass; but I recommend that you carry one with you. Keep a map of the area you will be in, in case you do get lost, and understand how to read it.
Carry Tools –
Most of the time you will know what kinds of tools you will need for the activity you are doing. Should you be in a survival situation, you should try to gather tools that make sense. Rope and Knifes are probably the most important, but there are plenty of useful life saving tools you should also consider.
Urban Survival Tips
Befreind Thy Neighbor –
Surviving on your own can be very difficult. In an urban environment, it can be helpful to have trustful allies. Your neighbors will be the closest thing to this that you will have. It’s good to know your neighbors before chaos happens, and it doesn’t hurt to have a plan with them.
Avoid High Density Areas –
Take this in serious thought. Some of the most dangerous places you can find your self in, are dense population areas, or areas with stores that have a lot of resources. While these areas may have the supplies you need, there are hundreds if not thousands of other people thinking the same thing. Don’t get your self caught up in trouble.
Don’t Go To Wal-Mart –
Almost every “prepared” non-prepper person I have ever talked to has a “Genius” plan which revolves around taking over a Wal-Mart and standing their ground there. These stores do indeed have larges amounts of supplies anyone would love to keep in one place, but there are so many flaws in this plan it’s borderline insane. As mentioned above, these stores are high density areas and many will flock to them. Securing a large store is also extremely difficult, and would take a decently large, and trained group. DON’T GO TO WAL-MART!!!
Move Quick And Get Out –
You have two options when it comes to urban survival. Bug-in or Bug-out. Which one is better really depends on the circumstances, but generally speaking you want to get out of town. The faster you can do this, the better your chances of survival will be. If you are already on the move, don’t stay in once place long. Chances are others will be taking this same path, and you don’t want to get caught up with them.
Clear That House –
At some point you will be in a position where you need more supplies, and your best bet will probably be abandoned houses. The risk you face is what’s inside that house that wants to hurt you. Hopefully you have surveyed the house and know it’s not occupied. Either way, make sure you clear the entire house. Check every room, every closet, and every cupboard.
Water Survival Tips
Find Or Make Flotation –
If you are treading water, you need to conserve your energy. You have a two options, find yourself something that floats, or make something that floats. If you have pants, you can tie the ankles together and put them around your neck. Cup your hand and push air under the water and into the waist end of the pants, making sure they are facing forward with the zipper facing down.
Travel At Night –
There are a few reasons traveling at night is a better choice, the most important is to keep warm. Working hard during the day will heat your body, burning more calories. Nights are cold on the water, use your energy more effectively. Another advantage to moving at night, is the higher probability of seeing city lights on the horizon.
Swim With The Current, Not Against It –
It might sound counter-intuitive, but swimming against the current usually never works out. In most cases your best chance of surviving a heavy current is swimming with the current until you can escape to one side of it. Then double back in the lesser currents or reach a bank.
Wilderness Survival Tips
Understand Threatening Wildlife –
One of the bigger dangers of the wilderness is the animals that live within them. It’s important to understand the dangerous animals in your region and know how to deal with them accordingly. In most cases, that last thing you want to do (But often your first instinct) is to run, causing the animal to do what it does best and start chasing you. The easiest way to combat these animals is with bear pepper spray. You should also stay in the open for better line of sight. If you have to go through the brush, do it loudly while shouting and clapping.
Mountain Survival Tips
Don’t Cliff Out –
Cliffing out is caused by a situation where hikers find them self’s in an uncomfortable situation with steep terrain. In panic, these hikers/climbers attempt to climb up (and out), getting to a point where they can no longer go up, or back down safely. At that point there are two choices, risk falling or staying on the rock face until rescue. Several deaths each year are caused from cliffing out. Don’t do it.
Climb Carefully –
When facing any climb, make sure you have the proper gear to do it safely. Falling is a serious risk and usually results in death. Make sure your gear is secure while climbing, and double check everything along the way.
Know Your Animals –
It’s important to know the kinds of animals in mountainous regions you will be in. Wild animals in mountain regions tend to be more aggressive, and usually hunt at night. Keep pepper spray handy, and avoid leaving food out at night. Try to study the sounds the animals make so you can identify them from a distance and react accordingly.
Altitude Sickness –
Ascending to high altitude quickly can lower oxygen levels in the blood stream causing dizziness and fainting. If you feel these symptoms you should rest for a short time, descending further if you have not recovered. If you feel dizzy or light headed before around bed time, it’s recommended that you descend before falling asleep.
Winter Survival Tips
Cover Your Skin –
Whether it’s snowy, or there is just a cold wind, always keep as much of your skin as covered as you can. This helps prevent frostbite but will also help keep you warm.
Check Snow –
Avalanches are a serious threat. Check how compact the snow is using a stick or ski. Push your stick in to the snow, if its consistent all the way through the snow is evenly compact. If your stick slides freely, or suddenly drops, the snow has packed in layers and is dangerous.
Carry Crampons –
While you may not directly need them, should you need them you will wish you had them. Crampons are convenient attachments that you fix to the bottom of your boots to help you traverse steep terrain. Not only can these be helpful, they can be use as a primitive defense tool against predators.
Build An Igloo/Snow Cave –
Shelter is extremely important, especially in cold climates. One advantage snow provides is its ability to insolate. Either carve blocks of snow/ice, or throw a tarp over all your gear and cover it with packed snow.
Beware The Crevasse –
deep chasms/slits in the ice can make for a very unpleasant trip downward and can be very difficult to spot. Make sure to watch out for them while hiking, and even more careful when on sloped terrain. If there is a crevasse at the bottom of a hill, don’t climb the hill. Your better off to find a way around.
Well That’s All Folks
So there you have it, my list of survival tips. Hopefully you find them useful. I have plans to continue to revisit this page and add to it. I have a feeling this list is going to continue to grow as more items come to mind, and as my research continues.
Do you have any survival tips you would add?
