Real Life Survival tips For beginners


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If I were stranded somewhere and expecting a long time before rescue (maybe never) what tips would you give for me if I had almost no knowledge of survival skills Ie: fire starting, edible plants and animals, finding or making a shelter, map reading, telling the time, and other things that would help me survive? Lets just say it is in a temperate climate like the U.S.A.

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  • 3 weeks later...
If I were stranded somewhere and expecting a long time before rescue (maybe never) what tips would you give for me if I had almost no knowledge of survival skills Ie: fire starting, edible plants and animals, finding or making a shelter, map reading, telling the time, and other things that would help me survive? Lets just say it is in a temperate climate like the U.S.A.

1. Whenever you leave on trip, failure to plan is a plan to fail. You need to let two different people know you are leaving, what route you are taking and when you plan to be back. Let them know when you get to your destination you will call them. This give search and rescue a time and location window of where to start looking.

2. When leaving on trip, you need to take some gear with you just in case. Where you all will determine what that kit will contain and how much. If I go hunting with a friend, I pack one way. If I am going out with my family, I pack another way. The basics are going to cover the necessities with the Rule of Threes. You can survive three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water and three weeks without food. For shelter I take a tarp, a body bag and a sleeping bag. For water I take a gallon of water, my canteen, canteen cup and some way to purify water (tables, drops, filter, etc). Add in a few fire logs, a simple camp pot (with mess kit), waterproof matches, some form of fire starter beyond the match (flint & steel, ferrorod, lighters, etc) and a few MREs (or their ilk). I then carry a multi tool (like a Leatherman or a Gerber) and my knife. If I am staying within the state (and my conceal carry permit holds) I carry a pistol and extra ammo. If I plan on spending a few days out in the woods I will carry some form of long gun and extra rounds. For modern tech I carry my cell phone and a fully change Anker (this is an external battery). I also have a "amped" up first aid kit in both of my cars. It is a basic first aid kit I have included sutures, trauma shears, extra bandages, a few cravats and over the counter meds (pain killers, topical creams, etc). Lastly, have a state map or its ilk in your car. It is useful for land navigation, it wont fail like a gps and you can even use it for tinder.

3. When you crash/get stuck/etc you need to determine if you plan on staying or going within the first 24 hours. Make a plan an execute.

There are a TON more tips to go over but these initial steps get you headed in the right direction.

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  • 4 months later...

I have a mining business in the continental US that very frequently takes me far out into the forests on rough and secluded roads at all times of year. I always let my wife know where I'm going and when I expect to be back.

Several year ago, I made up a plastic survival tote that I now ALWAYS keep in my truck, which contains pretty much everything but the kitchen sink....... A can of "fix a flat", motor oil, Fire Start, space blanket, down comforter, dog food for my border collie who's usually with me, water, extra batteries, extra socks, tarp, 100' nylon cord, jerky, canned food, trail mix, small medical kit, whistle, can opener, glass mirror, magnifying glass, toilet paper, collapsible shovel, small folding saw, pocket knife, hunting knife, Swiss army type knife, notebook paper, pens, lighters, handheld CB, handheld satellite GPS, sunglasses, sunscreen, duct tape, electrical tape, small tool kit, ....................... pretty much all stuff I have laying around the house and garage.

You don't have to spend a lot. You can put together a survival tote cheeply, pretty much with everything you already have, and you can pick up cheep, but usefull survival stuff at places like Walmart in the camping section.

I think anyone who lives in snow country, the desert, or the woods SHOULD ALWAYS CARRY A SURVIVAL TOTE IN THEIR VEHICLE YEAR ROUND!!

If you have to use it 1 time......It's paid for itself! :)

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Hi there.I am a hunter from an hunter and forrester family.My grandfather teached me,that all things that you need are in the forrest,and what isnt there you doesnt need.I like to spend a week or two in the summer hollidays on hunting trips and here are some tips:

1.the water from a mountainstream is safe before it pass villages or farms (ckeck for cadavers in the river 500 meters up,or boil the water/use water purrification tablets).If you are dont at a mountainstream and the water is not clean,use a simple and cheap xylem filter http://www.technologyreview.com/view/52 ... er-filter/

2.mushrooms are useless,they have practical no calories and only consume time to prepare.I only use them as a spice

3.There are only four reasons to light a fire ,first is cooking,second is drying your clothes,third to survive a cold night sitting at a fire(in emergcy situtiation,immediatli return when you pass the night),signalisation in emergency case to help the rescue party to find you.Dont start a fire without reason

4.Have a bedroll.Dont sleep near a lit fire (the most of bedrols are not fireresistant).If you want the fire in the morning for boiling some water or making coffe or tea,simply put earth on the fire,in the morning there will be some embers.If you havent a bedroll,sleep in a hay stockpile or make a fire bed http://bushcraft.cz/nutne-k-preziti/ohe ... jak-na-to/ or make a shelter (protect from wind/rain) and use conifer branches to isolate you from the earth and air (great amounts) in this shelter

5.If you can legaly hunt,take your favourite weapon.With a shotgun you can hunt everything from a squirrel to a bear (birdshot,buckshot,slugs)

6. If you plan a long trip in the nature ,the best emergency food reserve is...your own fat. 1kg of your own fat contains (with all suporting cell units) 29 000 calories.The human body is very good adapted for surviving hunger periods.

7.Knife,eventually with a separate sawblade,or a saw is alpa and omega in surviving.Dont know what knife you should take with you ?reading all pros and contras on knife forums ?Skinning animals with a blade larger than 15 cm is not practical.A kitchen knife with a selfsewed leather holster cost nothing and it will do all what you need.Wetstones are good for sharpening,but a little piece of a brick or a softer type of rock will do the same job.

8.all mammals and birds muscles are consumable.I am not saying that a crowsoup is delicious,but it contains energy.The survivalist cooking school is simple ,take all stuff that you knows its edible,put it in a pot,cook and bon apetite.If you cook some meat on a fire/embers that is not so tasty,put ash on in when you cook (ash is sterile,and it tastes more salty :)

9.Train the noncomfort things,you will get hardened.Make som short trips in the forrest,collect some survival food and eat them some days at home.It can be that your stomach will not be happy the first time,its better to train it at home than in ouddors (raw plants,coocked nonspiced plants,crowsoup etc).Sleep with boots on.Skinn animals (our nose and eyes will not be happy the first time :D ).Sleep with your windows open (even in winter,and have good clothing on).You can also not eat few days (dont try if you are not completely healthy,ask your doktor if you can do that,eat multivitamins nad mineral suplement on these days).Dont go in the forrest only on clear days,try to go there even in cold or rainy days.Spend blood,you do a good think to the society and your body will be trained to endure some blood loss and regaining the blood.

This hints are usefull and tested in central Europe,i am not living permanently in a isolated rural region.Survival is my hobby and i am not a profesional.Please share your survival tips,some stories and your opinions

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  • 5 months later...

This may count as necroing the thread, but I talked to a friend of mine earlier today before uni lectures, and he gave me some tips. He's practically grown up in the woods - whenever he wasn't in school, he was outside. Cool dude by the way. Gonna list those that aren't here yet:

  • Two is one, one is none - always carry a backup.
  • Find a carry weight that is comfortable and try to keep your gear below that weight, fill the rest with water.
  • Put the big stuff in your bagpack, distribute your tools, emergency signalling devices like flares etc, weapons and first-aid kit on your body.
  • Always carry several methods to start a fire - matches, lighters, firestrikers, lenses (I once started a fire using my glasses!)
  • When you see a bear cub, Mama Bear is nearby and doesn't like you. If you see a wild boar, back off quietly. Otherwise, most wildlife is non-hostile unless provoked.
  • Even though they consume food and water, dogs are incedibly useful - our ancestors domesticated them for a reason. The bigger the dog, the better.
  • Keep yourself clean to ward off skin infections and boost your morale.
  • Try to avoid starting a fire under low-hanging branches, the woods are your home now and you don't burn down your own home, do you? (He almost started a forest fire in Sweden once, he's still sorry for that)
  • That awesome survival knife you saw on TV or on Bear Grylls website? It's not awesome.
  • Learn from the natives. He camped for around three weeks in Finland once and basically had a Sami teach him his ways, things got easy after that.
  • Know how to navigate. Be it the stars or the sun or landmarks (I personally use a combination of the sun and landmarks, people are always looking at me weird when I'm saying 'Yeah, building X is a five-minute walk south from here'), know how to find your way.
  • Keep your food in airtight containers to keep wildlife away from it - from the microscopic to the macroscopic.
  • The most dangerous animal walks on two legs.
  • It's never too early to collect firewood.
  • Keep a book on you. Reading raises morale, and when things go REALLY awry, it can be used as tinder. Personally, I always pack two - a small lexicon of plants found in Germany and a pocket bible. I'd probably not be able to bring myself to burn the bible though.
  • Wear a hat. Always.
  • You can eat bone marrow, and it's quite nutritious.
  • Learn a bit of morse code. If you're lost, a morsed SOS can be the difference between life or death.
  • There ain't no Starbucks in the woods, so you need to plan your day so that you spend your energy wisely.
  • You are way stronger than you think you are, and in times of desperation, this strength will save your life.
  • Appreciate dark humour - if you can just grin and bear it, every situation becomes just a little easier.
  • Accept that one day, death will take you - in your home, maybe or in the woods. Noone said anything about making it easy for the Reaper to get you. Fight!
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