Whenever you’re planning on going outdoors for an extended period of time, it’s always good to have a practiced survival skill or two up your sleeve — you never know when you’re going to need it.
There are a lot of different survival products on the market, but most of them are for convenience. The truth is, with some ingenuity and clever thinking, you can sustain yourself using little more than what nature provides.
All you need to survive in some harsh conditions is some basic survival knowledge — which we’re about to lay down.
Starting a fire
To some, this might sound pretty difficult. But, in many cases, starting a fire in cold conditions is almost as easy as rubbing two sticks together. Sound too simple? Check out this video:
Making a signal fire
In a bad scenario, your a** might get lost deep in the woods or marooned on a deserted island. If you want to get help, smoke signals can be seen from freakin’ miles away. It’s an excellent way to call for help in a desperate situation.
Tying a few good knots
Most people can tie their own shoes, but we’re talking about more complicated knots. When push comes to shove, you’re going to wish you learned how to tie some hardy knots — especially for building stuff.
Knowing how to construct a bowline knot properly is invaluable when you’re out in the boonies and want to tie some shelter together.
You can make rope from thin and bendable branches.
Building some shelter
You don’t need to construct a suite from the Four Seasons, you just need a little overhead coverage and something to block cold winds.
To learn how to build shelter, check out the important video below. The key thing is not expending too much of your energy. It might just save your life.
Making a homemade compass
There are various ways to make a field compass, depending on which materials you can gather. Hopefully, you have, at least, a radio containing a pin, a battery, and some wiring. Using these simple tools, you can construct a lifesaving, primitive GPS.
Treating injuries
Getting hurt in the wilderness happens. Since there probably isn’t an emergency room nearby, you’re going to have to use what Mother Nature provides to treat the wounds.
Here are a few handy hints:
Finding food
As humans, we have to eat in order to live. Unfortunately, the great outdoors doesn’t have a 24-hour Starbucks or McDonald’s. So, you should understand what it takes to build fishing and hunting traps to capture local wildlife.