5 Basic Survival Skills

Being stranded out in the wilderness, far from home or civilization, can quickly place a person in mortal danger. Not everyone has the option to attend an extensive survival-training course, but a few basic skills can be invaluable when stranded. Basic needs such as keeping warm, hydrated and nourished can mean the difference between life and death.

Fire Making

• Trapped alone in the wilderness, one of the first skills you need is to be able to create a fire. A fire is vital for cooking food, boiling water, staying warm and sometimes drying clothes. To make a fire you need three basic things: tinder, fuel and a spark. Tinder can be dry moss or the papery bark from certain species of trees, such as birch. The fuel will be small twigs and larger pieces of wood. Using a lighter, flint or a fire-starter tool, a spark is set to the tinder. Once the tinder is lit, small twigs are laid on top. Once they are burning, larger wood pieces are added.

Shelter

• Finding or building a shelter is an important survival skill. This can take the form of finding a cave or perhaps an abandoned hut that is dry and offers shelter from the elements. If such a shelter is not available, tree branches and leaves can be used to create a crude shelter to deflect the worst of the weather.

Clean Water

• A consideration early on is to find a safe water source. Humans can live three weeks without food but just three days without clean water. If hiking, a person might have water-purifying tablets with them, so river water is an option. Otherwise, drinking directly from the river can be hazardous. Rainwater or morning dew is generally safe, or boiled river water can be an option if a suitable container is available.

Food

• Trying to survive takes a lot of energy, so food is vital. The skill to know what is edible and where to find food in the wild is important. Regular wilderness hikers should have a few plant identification manuals at home to study in order to recognize edible plants. Learning how to make crude animal traps, such as snares, is invaluable in the search for food.

Alerting Help

• Knowing how to attract help is invaluable when stranded. Wave a brightly colored article of clothing in a clearing if rescue aircraft are flying overhead. Camp near a clearing at night, if possible, and build a signal fire to attract attention in the dark. During the day, use a signal mirror or shiny object to reflect the sunlight. Wilderness hikers should also take signal flares along on trips.