The 5 Basic Survival Skills

texastonydobbs

texastonydobbs

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First Basic Survival Skill - Fire

Knowing how to build a fire is the best survival skill you can have. Fire provides warmth, light, and comfort so you get on with the business of survival. Even if you do not have adequate clothing a good fire can allow you to survive in the coldest of environments.

Fire keeps away the creatures that go bump in the night and so you can have the peace of mind and rest you need. And that is not all. Fire will cook your food and purify your water, both excellent attributes when you want to stay healthy when potential disease causing organisms are lurking about. Fire will dry your clothing and even aid in the making of tools and keeping pesky insects at bay.

But even that is not all. Fire and smoke can be used for signaling very long distances.

Always have at least two, and preferably three, ways of making a fire at you immediate disposal. With waterproof matches, a butane lighter, and a magnesium fire starter or Swedish firesteel you should be able to create a fire anytime anywhere no matter how adverse the condtions.

So the lesson here is to learn the art of fire craft. Practice and become an expert. Your ability to create a fire is perhaps the most visible mark of an experienced survivor.

Second Basic Survival Skill - Shelter

Shelter protects your body from the outside elements. This includes heat, cold, rain, snow, the sun, and wind. It also protects you from insects and other creatures that seek to do you harm.

The survival expert has several layers of shelter to think about. The first layer of shelter is the clothing you choose to wear. Your clothing is of vital importance and must be wisely chosen according to the environment you are likely to find yourself in. Be sure to dress in layers in order to maximize your ability to adapt to changing conditions.

The next layer of shelter is the one you may have to build yourself, a lean-to or debris hut perhaps. This is only limited by your inventiveness and ingenuity. If the situation requires, your shelter can be insulated with whatever is at hand for the purpose. Being prepared, you may have a space blanket or tarp with you, in which case creating a shelter should be relatively easy.

Before you are in need of making a survival shelter, be sure to practice and experiment with a variety of materials and survival scenarios on a regular basis. Should the need arise you will be glad you did.

Third Basic Survival Skill - Signaling

Signaling allows you to make contact with people who can rescue you without having to be in actual physical contact with them. There are a variety of ways to signal for help. These include using fire and smoke, flashlights, bright colored clothing and other markers, reflective mirrors, whistles, and Personal Locator Beacons. Three of anything is considered a signal for help: 3 gunshots, 3 blows on a whistle, three sticks in the shape of a triangle.

In a pinch, your ingenuity in devising a way to signal potential help could very well save your life.

Fourth Basic Survival Skill - Food and Water

Whenever you plan an excursion be sure to always bring extra food and water. Having more on hand than you think you need will give you that extra measure of safety should something happened and you have to stay out longer than anticipated.

It is important that you know how to ration your water and food as well as find more in the environment in which you find yourself. You can go without food for a number of days, but living without water for even a few days will cause your efficiency to drop dramatically.

If at all possible, boil any water you find in order to kill disease organisms that may be in even the cleanest looking water. Filtering or chemically treating water is second best.

Fifth Basic Survival Skill - First Aid

Always bring along your first aid kit and a space blanket. Most injuries you are likely to encounter in the wilderness are relatively minor scrapes, cuts, bruises, and burns. Larger injuries are going to need better facilities than that which you have at your disposal, which means you will need outside help.

Panic is your number one enemy when you are in any emergency situation, be it injured, lost, or stranded. What you need in these situations is first aid for the mind.

Think STOP:
Sit
Think
Observe
Plan
Your best defense in any emergency is your ability to think and make correct decisions. Building a fire is often the beginning first aid for the mind. Doing so will keep you busy and provide an uplift from the warmth, light and protection fire provides.

Practice Survival Skills
The expert survival skills and know-how you have accumulated through practice and experience will serve you well. When the real thing comes along, you will be prepared and adept at staying alive. Where others have perished, as a survivor you will know you can make it. And that is a good feeling to be sure.
 
well said. I think if you pack a first aid kit you should also know how to use it. practice splinting, bandaging, and know where everything is at. Dont wait for an injury before you use it.
 
Good post.

I don't like to refer to these basic skills as being first or second, etc. as serious problems in any of these could get you dead depending on conditions. As circumstances change fire/water/shelter/first aid/signals could all take top priority.

I would also seperate food from water. You will die of dehydration/heatstroke/heat exhaustion long before you starve. A day of intense heat and labor with no water will leave you seriously impaired while the same day with plenty of water and no food will leave you grumpy.

I would also include navigation as a basic skill as many survival situations arise from a lack of nav or are resolved by correcting a navigational error, finding help, hiking out etc.

Mac
 
Good stuff. If you can remember the basics when an emergency happens, you will already be well on your way to surviving.
 
Very thought provoking, thanks.

Keeping a clear head and thinking carefully are major factors for employing the others.
 
where in there would you put navigation or orintering??? I would think even more so with the last few threads that were posted on here that with proper navigation we might solve the survival problem before it starts.. As with signaling I would consider it last. Yes i know depands on what happens. Diffrent skills are more or less important. I just thought that its easier to learn how to signal then make a fire..

Sasha
 
GEEZ... Just simple basic stuff..but OK.....
Daytime Navigation Using the Sun

Shadow Stick West During the night we have ways of using the stars as a compass to find direction in the darkness. But what about finding direction in the daytime, when we have no compass and the sky is so bright the stars are not visible?

It just so happens that the stars ARE out during the daytime. Or rather, just one star is visible in daylight. The sun. That large yellow orb shining brightly in the sky illuminating the earth is in reality just another star. And if you know how you can use the sun as a compass to find North, South, East, and West.

Your Shadow is a Compass

One way to use the sun to find direction is through the use of shadows.

That shadow following you around for your entire life is carrying a useful secret. Your shadow always knows where it is in relation to you and the sun, and it never fails to point in the right direction if only we know how to use it. Let’s utilize this great direction finding ability of shadows to our advantage.

The Shadow Stick Compass Method

Shadow Stick EastAlthough your body casts an excellent shadow when the sun is shining, you probably do not want to stand in one position without moving for ten or twenty minutes. An inanimate object such as a straight stick will work just as well.

The shadow stick method of direction finding requires:

The bright sun – if it is too cloudy you will not be able to observe a shadow.
A straight stick about .5 meters (1.5 feet) or longer.
Two pebbles or other means of marking a point on the ground.
On a sunny day plant a straight stick in the ground as vertically as possible. As shown in the first photo you need to select an area where the shadow cast by the stick is easily visible on the ground. A sandy area makes a perfect backdrop but most anywhere free of vegetation or other objects can be used.


Finding East-WestMark the end of the shadow with a small rock or stick. Now come the waiting part.

After ten or fifteen minutes or longer, revisit your shadow stick. You will find that the sticks shadow has moved from its earlier position. Mark the end of the new shadow with another pebble or stick.

Draw a straight line between the two markers you have placed. This is your East–West line.

As you can see from the magnetic compass I have placed along the line made by the shadow stick method, the line points very closely to the true East-West direction. The first mark you made is on the west end of the line and the second mark on the shadow is on the east end.

To find the North–South directions, draw a line perpendicular to your East–West line. Looking East, North will be on the left side of the line you drew and South will be on the right side.

Why The Shadow Stick Compass Method Works
As you know, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. As an object bathed in sunlight casts its shadow, the shadow moves in exactly the opposite direction to the movement of the sun. Therefore, the shadow is moving eastward as the sun moves westward. Therefore, you can track the movement of a shadow on the ground and use this directional information for navigation!

Although not nearly as accurate as a magnetic compass, this method of finding your bearings can be used when you are confused or even lost in the wilderness.

Analog Time Compass Method
Using an analog watch is the most well known method of using a watch to determine direction. This has spread throughout the internet causing many people to think it is the only way to find the directions of the compass using time and the sun. However, all such a watch does is save you the effort of drawing an imaginary clock face.

Depending upon which hemisphere you are in, finding north requires a slightly different method. Be forewarned that many internet articles on this subject are written for the northern hemisphere and do not take into consideration the proper method for the southern latitudes.

To make a compass using an analog watch in either hemisphere of the world:

Northern Hemisphere

Keep the watch face horizontal.
Point the hour hand toward the sun.
Draw a line from the center of the watch midway between the hour hand and 12 o’clock noon.
North will be the direction furthest away from the sun.
Southern Hemisphere

Keep the watch face horizontal.
Point the 12 0’clock noon position on the watch toward the sun.
Draw a line from the center of the watch midway between the hour hand and 12 o’clock noon.
North will be the direction closest to the sun.
Determining Direction Using Time Example
In the picture above, I found north and south using time in the Northern Hemisphere. The directions are slightly different if you are in the southern hemisphere but the basics are the same.

First I pointed the hour hand at the sun. Since it is 4:30 in the afternoon, half the time that has passed since 12 0'clock noon is 2 hour and 15 minutes. Drawing a line between the center of the watch and 2:15 makes the North - South line.

Why do you need to divide the angle in two in order to find the direction of north? Because the earth rotates around the sun once every 24 hours but the face on a clock only displays 12 hours, you must bisect the angle. If you could have a watch that shows the full 24-hour span on its face this would not be necessary but it would be a very unusual one indeed!

Your compass is a measuring tool that can be adapted to a variety of needs. As shown here, it can be used to measure more than just direction.

You can use your magnetic compass to determine the width of a stream or small body of water without having to get wet. This quick and easy method of determining distance using a compass may just come in handy. In any case, it is always a good trick you can use to amaze your fellow survivors.

Here is how it is done.

Standing at the edge of the water, sight an object directly across from you on the far bank. Take a compass reading on this object and mark the spot where you are standing.
Walk along the stream until the compass reading to the same object across the stream changes by 45-degrees and mark this spot also.
Now measure the distance between the two marks you set. This will be equal to the distance between the first mark and the object you sighted across the stream.
For example:

Say you are standing next to a stream and directly across from you on the opposite bank is a large tree. Take out your compass and sight the tree. Let’s pretend the compass reads 300-degrees (Azimuth type compass) or S30W (Quadrant type compass). Mark this spot and then walk either downstream or upstream until the compass sighting on the same tree reads 45-degrees in either direction from your first reading (either 255-degrees or 345-degrees on an azimuth type compass, S15E or N15W on a quadrant type compass). Mark this position also. The width of the stream is equal to the distance between your two marks on the ground. If you have practiced pacing (and every survivor should) you can count the number of paces between the two marks and calculate the width of the stream.

You can click on the thumbnail picture above for a larger image showing just how the compass method of determining distance works.

The best survivalists are skilled in using whatever materials at hand in novel ways that give him an edge over his environment. "Thinking out of the box" is a trademark of the true survivor.
 
Stay calm when you realise that you are in deep doo-doo , deal with what you can , and let slide what you cannot deal with .

IMHO is one of the most important skills that can be had ...

with a calm head , it makes firemaking , water getting , shelter building , food finding etc all a lot easier .. and its a lot easier on your body and brain .

This is only my opinion tho ...
 
texastonydobbs said:
Northern Hemisphere

Keep the watch face horizontal.
Point the hour hand toward the sun.
Draw a line from the center of the watch midway between the hour hand and 12 o’clock noon.
North will be the direction furthest away from the sun.

Southern Hemisphere

Keep the watch face horizontal.
Point the 12 0’clock noon position on the watch toward the sun.
Draw a line from the center of the watch midway between the hour hand and 12 o’clock noon.
North will be the direction closest to the sun.
Click to expand...

A couple of things.

If it's Daylight Savings Time you need to use the 1 o'clock marker instead of the 12 o'clock one.

The 'draw a line' part seems a little complex to me. To simplify that a bit, in the Northern Hemisphere once you point the hour hand at the sun halfway between the hour hand and 12 (or 1) is south. IIRC in the Southern Hemisphere halfway between the hour hand and 12 (or 1) is north.
 
Tony,

I just copied this into http://klippe.funditor.org and added some links and whatnot from that page. I've also posted your "traits of a survivor". The skills and techniques you listed above will be moved over as well. This is an excellent contribution, thank you very much. If anyone else would like to help out, please do!!

Thoughts on Survival
Traits of a Survivor

Hopefully, I did not mis-infer: your name is Tony Dobbs, right?

Regards,

CanDo
 
texastonydobbs said:
After ten or fifteen minutes or longer, revisit your shadow stick. You will find that the sticks shadow has moved from its earlier position. Mark the end of the new shadow with another pebble or stick.

Draw a straight line between the two markers you have placed. This is your East–West line.
Click to expand...
Have you actually done this one? (EDIT: I mean, depended on it, as opposed to trained on it.)

The reason I ask is that this doesn't always work!

I'm aware of the photo that was used to emphasize this method. The compass in the photo winds up aligned fairly close to East and West. I wonder at what time of day this was done. My hunch is late morning or early afternoon. And in Summer.

Try this method in the early morning, around noon, and toward the very late afternoon: you should find that your East-West line, compared to a compass, varies between the three!

The common mistake with this method is that there's an assumption that the sun moves in a straight line through the sky, and therefore the shadows it casts move in straight lines. Actually, the sun moves in an arc through the sky. As a result, instead of the shadow ends moving in a straight line like this | the shadow ends will move in an arc like this ) This is why sundials are round, not square.

Take your measurement too early in the day, and your East-West line points closer to Northwest. Late in the afternoon, it will point closer to Northeast, particularly in Winter. In the Southern hemisphere, it's reversed to morning = southwest, afternoon = southeast, with the most obvious effects occuring in Summer.

The shadow stick method works correctly if a few hours of time pass, and you sketch a circle around your stick whose radius is equal to the length of your first measured shadow. When the shadow touches the circle again, hours later, then the line will be true East and West.

As you can imagine, walking Northwest when you want to walk West is a massive margin of error.

In an emergency, you won't have hours. So here's what you do.

1. Use the shadow stick method that Texas Tony Dobbs describes, and give yourself a full fifteen minutes.

2. Get your bearing and walk, understanding that it might be incorrect.

3. About two hours later, repeat. Your measurement will be more refined.

4. Continue walking.

5. About two hours later, repeat.

Each time you repeat this method, your East-West line gets a little closer to accurate. You may initially start off walking up to 40 degrees off course, but after each measurement, you get closer and closer to your intended destination.

And that's better than not knowing at all!
 
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