When some of us think about survival, we may feel a little uneasy with the unknown. The truth is, there are a few Survival Basics one must know and practice to have more confidence to survive. On this Primal Survival Podcast Survival Guide, we go over the very basics of staying alive when the time comes.
Survival Basics Examined
1. Attitude/Mental Health
Surviving a wilderness or urban environment is physically tough. If you are also not mentally prepared, you may not make it out alive. The decisions we make during a tough or stressful situation can set the tone for your journey. One of the most important aspects of staying mentally in the game is to know what you are going to be up against. Do not be surprised that you are going to face a difficult situation.
Practicing and preparing for survival situations ahead of time will better prepare you physically and mentally when the time comes. Know the basics and being comfortable with each skill below will keep you ahead of the game.
2. Shelter
Shelter in a survival situation is extremely important. Not only is know how to build a survival shelter important, but your location is also important. You must separate yourself from the elements to give yourself a chance to begin with. Depending on your geographical location, you may be facing extremely hot temperatures where shade and shelter are needed to avoid the intense heat.
The same can be said for the cold weather. Most people that become lost in the woods die due to hypothermia. This can be prevented by knowing the Survival Basics!
3. Water
Water is one of the most important factors of survival. The human body can typically go 3 days without water. You may have less than 3 days if you are in an extremely hot environment where you are sweating more than normal. The way you filter this water of bacteria and other harmful particles is extremely important.
There are multiple ways for filtration, knowing all possible ways to filter the water will come in handy if you find yourself in a survival situation. Be sure to stay tuned to our podcast for a detailed episode on water filtration.
4.Fire
Some would argue that food should come before a fire on a survival basics list, here is why food is at number 5. Fire can not only help your mental game but can keep you warm. Fire can also dissuade predators from coming near your camp, and a fire is needed in most cooking situations.
Yes, you can always eat bugs that do not need to be cooked, but fire makes life so much easier when cooking meats, boiling water, and staying warm. Practicing primitive fire starting methods are important to ensure long term capabilities of starting a fire.
5. Food
The food above probably does not look like the most appetizing food you have ever seen, but it can keep you alive. Eating bugs is not our first thought when thinking food, but is a decent source of protein until a more long term food source is established.
To find a more sustainable long term food source, learning trapping and/or ways of fishing can play a vital role in your chance of survival. Primal Survival Podcast will cover trapping and hunting on a later podcast episode. Food is number 5 in Survival Basics.
6. Bushcraft Skills
Bushcraft skills can really make your life much easier when needing to survive with few supplies. Bushcraft is simply the art of living in the bush by all means necessary. This would include making animal traps, tools, weapons, shelter, and more.
Bushcraft encompasses most survival skills under one name. Bushcraft is a must mention on any Survival Basics list. We will have a full series on bushcraft coming soon!
Conclusion
All skills above are important. There is not just one survival skill that can keep you alive alone, it comes down to mastering as many Survival Basics as possible. Begin learning and practicing these things now so if the times comes to ever use them, you will be ready.
