Primitive Wilderness Living and Survival Skills

All avid outdoorsmen know that Mother Nature is unpredictable, so it makes sense to be prepared for anything. When you're planning an extensive wilderness experience, some basic skills can be the difference between enjoying nature to its fullest and setting yourself up for disaster.

Fire

• Be prepared to build a fire. Fires can be used to cook and cure food, boil and sanitize water, provide heat and light, signal for help, keep predatory animals at bay and even provide a sense of comfort and well-being. According to Nature Skills, a wilderness resource, anyone venturing into the outdoors should have at least two ways to start a fire: carry one on your at all times and store the the other in your gear.

Shelter

• Dress the part and set up shelter. Gregory J. Davenport, author of "Wilderness Survival," says clothing is the first line of shelter. Wear clothing that is geared toward the terrain and weather conditions you'll be facing.
  For the next line of shelter, use tents, lean-to's, trenches, caves or other natural enclosures. If you don't have gear with you, reinforce your shelter with what's around you: dry leaves or pine needles can provide insulation and bedding. Snow can even be used to reinforce your shelter.

Signaling

• Establish a way to call for help. Maintain three fires in a triangular pattern or use large rocks to write "HELP" against the landscape. Fires should be large enough to be seen from the sky at night and give off lots of smoke during the day. Brightly colored clothing can be scattered into an SOS pattern.