Survival is not about luck; it is about preparation.
The wilderness is a beautiful and unpredictable place, and, at times, it can be merciless.
A sudden downpour, an unexpected wrong turn, or an injury can turn an ordinary outdoor camping trip into the fight of your life. In these scary moments, survival depends on the skills and wisdom you carry with you.
Mastering essential survival skills will give you the confidence and resilience you need to cope with whatever life throws at you while you are exploring the great outdoors.
Below are five outdoor survival skills that could save your life:
Knot Tying
While on an outdoor adventure, rope and cord are some of the most versatile tools in a survivalist’s arsenal – but knots don’t tie themselves.
Knot tying is one of the most practical survival skills, and will help you secure shelters, build traps, and hoist gear, among other things. Knots add an element of strength and security when they are tied properly.
There are hundreds of knot variations, but you only need to know a handful of them to cover most wilderness situations. Some examples of these include reef knots, bowline knots, and clove hitches.
Signalling Methods
While most outdoor enthusiasts focus on fire, water, and shelter alone, these skills keep you alive in the moment.
Learning signalling skills can be the difference between weeks of hardship and a quick rescue if things go wrong. Being able to attract attention and communicate distress will help guide rescuers to your location.
Some effective ways to signal to your rescuers include smoke signals, short blasts on a whistle, and using a signal mirror to flash sunlight at potential responders.
First Aid
In any normal scenario, if you get injured, you go to the Emergency Room. In an outdoor survival experience, it is far more complicated.
Sprained ankles in the middle of nowhere and deep cuts from chopping firewood can quickly become life-threatening if action is not taken. This is where first aid becomes one of the most necessary survival skills.
While it doesn’t replace professional medical care, it can buy you enough time to reach safety or for help to arrive. Learn essential first aid skills like how to tie a tourniquet to stop bleeding.
Severe bleeding is one of the most immediate life-threatening conditions you can face.
Without quick action, a cut from a fall or an accident with a survival knife can lead to shock and death before rescuers arrive. In severe cases, a person can bleed out in less than five minutes.
Fire Starting
Surviving in the wilderness requires certain skills, and few are as crucial as fire starting.
A fire provides warmth in cold temperatures, deters predators, provides psychological comfort, and allows you to cook food and boil water to kill viruses, bacteria, and parasites.
The wilderness can be an unforgiving place, and mastering the art of fire starting can mean the difference between life and death.
Defensive Awareness
Defensive awareness is the proactive practice of remaining vigilant and aware of potential dangers surrounding you.
It is the combination of observation, calm decision-making, and preparation to protect you while in the outdoors.
Wildlife encounters and dangerous terrain are two of the most obvious risks, but smaller threats can be just as dangerous, such as insects carrying disease.
Start by identifying what threats are most likely in your surroundings and adapt your behavior accordingly.
In Conclusion
These five skills will help you to endure hardship, face the unknown, and find your way back to safety, not just in the backcountry but in any unexpected emergency situations.
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