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We all live in a world that is driven by innovative technology that automates our households, makes work easier and provides endless streams of entertainment. While these things do, in fact, make life easier in general, when an emergency occurs or a disaster strikes, most of us just aren’t prepared. As a whole, we have grown complacent and aren’t prepared to survive during natural disasters.
Many individuals like to unplug from all of their electronics and escape to the wilderness for a hike or camping adventure. But the truth is that many of us rely on technology even while out in the woods and forget that there are critical tools and survival skills that are necessary in case of an emergency. Surviving in the wilderness is about more than just a couple of handy-dandy camping tools and first aid supplies—although those are important, too.
Let’s dive into our ultimate guide to wilderness survival.
Wilderness Survival Guide
The most prepared individuals are the ones who can survive catastrophes—no matter where they are. It is even more important to have the right tools and knowledge when disconnected from society. You will miss having resources like a fire department and local rescue, clean drinking water, or heat to keep warm.
Always pack an emergency bag with all the survival tools you need for the wilderness, and be sure to keep it somewhere in your house where everyone knows where it is. Or, you can keep those items in a go-bag in your car. The most prepared survivalists stockpile tools and supplies in multiple places because you never know when you will need them.
Essential Skills
In order to survive in the wilderness, you’ll need to have a few skills in your tool kit. These essential skills are the basic requirements of a safe and comfortable night in the wild.
How To Build A Shelter
Learning how to build a temporary shelter is extremely critical to your survival.
A lean-to is arguably the easiest shelter to build. It consists of leaning materials like branches and sticks against a pre-existing natural formation or structure, such as a tree, large boulder, or another edifice. Though it doesn’t protect you on all sides, it is a sufficient shelter to throw up in a hurry.
You can also build a round lodge—otherwise known as a teepee, wikiup, or a wigwam. This structure is built similarly to a lean-to shelter with a large number of branches and sticks leaning together, but this design creates a bigger shelter with a little more protection. Round shelters do tend to take longer to create, but they can protect your gear, food, and you from the elements or other wild predators.
How To Find Food And Water
Food and water are critical concerns when surviving in the wilderness. The average adult can go up to three weeks without food, but the rule of thumb is that we can only live three days without water. As such, finding water should be your first priority after building a shelter. Ideally, you’re looking for two or three cups of water per day to keep your body functioning properly.
Running water like waterfalls, rivers, or streams make for great sources. However, be wary of stagnant bodies of water like lakes or ponds because they are likely to carry diseases that will make you incredibly sick. When in doubt, purify the water. We love Stealth Angel Survival’s Potable Aqua Drinking Water Germicidal Tablets. All it takes is two tablets and 35 minutes, and voila—your questionable water is now clean and safe to drink.
Finding food may be trickier than finding water. It’s a good practice to try to forage or find local food sources before digging into your emergency rations. As a general rule, you’ll be looking for food in the form of plants or wildlife. However, keep in mind that many plants are poisonous, so it’s imperative that you’re confident in your choice of plants before cooking up a leafy green stew. Here are a few guidelines that may save your life:
- Avoid white or red berries.
- Boiling removes some poisons—but not all.
- Keep an eye on what the animals eat. Chances are that you can eat the same things.
- Always avoid mushrooms. Many mushrooms are edible, but your identification needs to be precise to avoid eating poisonous varieties that could possibly kill you.
How To Start A Fire
Learning how to get a fire started is one of the top survival skills you can learn— and you probably think that you can just use matches. But what happens if your only pack of matches gets wet, falls out of your pack, or you just forget to bring them?
A fire starter is an incredibly important tool for surviving in the wilderness. Temperatures don’t have to be below freezing for you to succumb to hypothermia. If you are in a cold wind, rain, or air, hypothermia is a threat, and if you can’t start a fire in these weather conditions, you risk dying.
Having a fire also allows you to purify water, signal for help, cook food, cauterize wounds, and even ward off wild predators.
It’s alright to carry matches in your survival kit – just make sure you have a backup method for starting a fire, like the Stealth Angel Arc Lighter. All it takes is a push of a button for this lighter to unleash a fiercely powerful dual-arc beam that ferociously ignites anything it touches—perfect for surviving in the wilderness.
Gear Checklist
Prior to heading out into the wild, use this checklist to ensure you have everything that you’ll need. Not only will you be much more comfortable, but you can be especially confident in knowing you have all the essentials to ensure your safety should the worst actually happen.
A Tent Or Tarp
Tents come in all sizes and shapes today. Look for a reliable and lightweight tent that will be easy to carry with you. You can even make do with a tarp in a pinch.
A Tactical Knife
Tactical knives come in a wide variety of shapes and styles. There are tactical fixed blade knives and folded blade knives that each tackle different tasks. We love the Chaos Ready Knife Safety 6-In-1 Multi-Tool from Stealth Angel Survival. Not only does this multi-tool come with a durable serrated blade, but it also comes with other essential tools such as a bottle opener, fire starter, and LED light.
Sleeping Bag
Staying warm even in moderate weather is important, so be sure to pack a lightweight, warm sleeping bag. It needs to be warm and comfortable yet easy to carry.
Flashlight
A dependable flashlight is a must, even if you are only planning a day hike. If you happen to take shelter during a storm in a dark cave, you’ll wish you had one— and you certainly need one at night. Get yourself a powerful flashlight or a trusty headlamp. Trust us—you’ll be glad you did!
A Final Word
If you plan to be in the wilderness often, you should definitely learn these survival skills and carry these tools in your emergency survival kit. Even if you don’t plan to hike or camp, often you can still—and should—stockpile emergency supplies and make sure you have the right tools at home. You never know when a natural disaster or storm will cut you off from community resources.
Not sure where to get emergency supplies? Check out Stealth Angel Survival. Whether you need a first aid kit, tactical gear, or survival tools for your emergency preparedness kit, Stealth Angel Survival has you covered.
Sources:
https://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/disaster-management/about-disasters/what-is-a-disaster/
