8 Basic Outdoor Survival Skills Everyone Should Learn

In today’s day and age, we depend too much on technology to survive and that is the main reason why, learning some basic survival skills are no longer part of our priority checklist.

Today, we have cell phones that can navigate our roads from point A to Point B. If we are lost and we don’t know where we are or where to go, the GPS app installed in our cell phones can also easily pinpoint our exact location. And if we are hungry or thirsty, we can also have our favorite food and beverages delivered right at our doorsteps by just a simple phone call or text to our local food delivery services.

But what happens if you are in an emergency situation and you don’t have your cell phone with you, or it doesn’t have signal coverage, or worse, it breaks? And don’t say it can’t happen.

Because it can…

…and all too frequently.

So, unless you want to be stuck in a bind waiting and wondering if someone will come to your rescue, you should at least know some basic survival skills if you are ever stuck out in an emergency somewhere.

Below is a list of 8 basic outdoor survival skills everyone should learn.

1. Know How to Find and Filter Water

It’s always a challenge to find clean and drinkable water most especially if you are in the woods. But even if that’s the case, there are still several sources of water that you can consider, like rivers, ponds, streams and even morning dew.  After you have collected your water, all you need now is to purify it. And there are also different ways to do this. You can boil it, you can use the sun to filter the water and you can also use a water filtering straw in case you brought one. Remember that  you can survive without food for at least 3 weeks, but without water, your body will give out in just 3 days.

2. Know How to Build a Fire

Fire provides a lot of important things in any survival situation. It gives you light when the sun goes down as well as provides protection as it tends to ward off wild animals hunting in the darkness. Fire also provides heat and most importantly, it serves as your source of energy for cooking food and boiling water.With fire, you can survive the cold, fight off predators, and cook yourself a meal. There are several tools that you can use to start a fire. Waterproof matches, lighters, flint and steel method, electric spark from batteries and gun powder from a bullet are just some to name a few.

3. Know How to Hunt, Fish, & Forage

The knowledge and ability to track down and hunt animals for food or recognize edible plants in the wild or around your immediate location is invaluable. Fishing is also a necessary self-sufficiency skill to have because there are nutrients and essential vitamins that can only be taken from fish. Start honing your hunting, fishing, and foraging skills now.You should also know how to prepare and cook the food you caught or found. You may know how to cook from a gas range or stove but do you know how to cook properly from a fire pit? Learn how to butcher and skin, because when stuck in an emergency situation, you will have to do everything yourself.

4. Know Your First Aid Basics

Anybody can get hurt during a disaster and emergency personnel may not be able to get to your location quickly. Having a skill in first aid and CPR is very important during an emergency situation. Learn the basics about first aid; you can check if there are fire departments and hospitals in your area who are giving free classes about CPR and first aid.

First aid kits will greatly simplify the healing of injuries. You don’t want to make things complicated with dangling skin, infections, and gushing blood. First aid kits include gauze, bandages, alcohol cleaning wipes, gloves, and other supplies that will help you heal.

5. Know How to Read a Map and Compass

In a survival situation, it is not wise to rely solely on GPS technology. You must also know how to read a map and use a compass to help you navigate your way back to safety. The best benefit of a compass and a map is that, both will continue to work even if other technologies doesn’t.

6. Know How to Tie A Knot

Knowing how to tie a knot is a very handy skill set and incredibly helpful in a survival situation. It can help secure hunting traps, fishing lines, bandages, survival shelters and many more.

7. Know How to Make Your Own Rope

Ropes can be used for repairs, fishing, snares, first aid, and also for securing different things. There are many ways to create a rope. You can make rope from tree barks,form the hem of your pants, from dogbane, from milkweed plants and also from tall grasses. A little imagination and determination is all you need to make your own rope.

8. Know How to Build An Emergency Shelter

In a survival situation, knowing how to build a shelter is very important. It can protect you from extreme elements as well as from dangerous animals that go out hunting at night. You can use sticks and leaves to create a temporary shelter, or you can dig a hole and cover it with a few branches.

Final Word

So there you have it: The 8 Basic survival skills everyone should know. All of these survival skills can be learned by attending survival skills seminars and trainings in your area.

Always remember that survival is equal parts practice, preparation and most importantly, common sense.

If you have anything you want to add or share, let us know in the comments section bellow.

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