A good set of survival skills has been the difference between enduring real life-threating scenarios or being helpless, adrift of luck.
In fact, preparedness has been playing a vital role for humanity from the very beginning: in 10.000 BC, during the Neolithic Era, our species would transition from a collector and hunting group to a sedentary society, focused on agriculture.
Well, 12.023 years later, a good part of the survival skills that our ancestors shared, are still fundamental for us.
The notion of conserving food for long periods, make the land fruitful and hunt are just a few.
But of course, modern society have brought upon us some other challenges that nowadays the survivalist must also evaluate when preparing.
Therefore, if you want to learn the critical survival skills which will get you and your family through crisis, this is the chance.
Ready? Stay with us.
Knowing these survival skills will increase your chances drastically during a crisis scenario
Surviving is not just about overcoming the immediate threat, but also carrying on the mental effort to do what is necessary to endure after the adrenaline is gone.
With a society more modern by the minute, survival skills have been increasingly overlooked in today’s fast-paced environment.
That has created more and more vulnerable civilians, who do not consider the daily threats they’re blindly under.
From car crashes to urban survival, the risks are a reality that follow each one of us.
That said, learn bellow some of the essential survival skills you want to have when facing a crisis.
A lot of the following were learned by the British SAS (Special Air Service) veteran named John ‘’Lofty’’ Wiseman, an expert in the survival subject.
Now let’s get to it!
#1 Protection
Firstly, you must make sure you’re protected from further damages caused by the crisis scenario you’re in.
You must adapt this principle to every likely scenario you might face.
A very common, yet overseen risk, is a car accident due to a brake failure.
In such case, you must overcome the natural panic reaction that paralyzes action and take advantage of the little time you’ll usually have to do the following, all at once:
- Take the foot off the accelerator.
- Pump the footbrake rapidly (it could still function at some level).
- Change down the gears and apply handbrake pressure with delicate bursts until the vehicle stops.
However, often it’s recommended to stay at the scene of the incident as long as it’s safe to do so.
Then proceed to ensure your protection from other elements.
This will save you energy and dramatically increase your chances of rescue.
In an extended period, it is mandatory making yourself a shelter and creating a heat source to warm and cook (bonfire).
There are several ways to do it, and you should get practicing it as early as you can through camping activities.
All things considered, protection abilities are indeed fundamental to develop in your survival skills — which is why it's the first one we're digging into.
#2 Location
Once your protection is secured, it’s time to put out emergency signals that really draw attention from the rescuers.
You must do it as soon as possible.
If the kind of crisis you’re overcoming is happening whether on a remote island or jungle: go big and go home.
You can create big signs with the wreckage remained, use mirrors to reflect the sunlight and create bonfires.
Remember the international emergency distress number is 3: for example, 3 bonfires evenly positioned, 3 flashed with the mirror, or 3 whistle’s blasts.
#3 Acquisition
Considering you carry your survival kit with you, you’ll be much ahead of most survivors in a crisis.
Nevertheless, complementing your food supply is a must, once the rescue may take a while.
Therefore, look for water and food sources right away, prioritizing the first one (once it is the most crucial element for survival).
For the food, the main ways of preserving it are drying, smoking, pickling and salting.
That involves a lot of practice, so try to understand the basics of it and apply it in real-life.
Legal hunting is a perfect way to immerse yourself in that scenario. Go with another experienced hunter as well.
#4 Navigation
As told before, it is usually the best choice to just stay where you are in crisis scenarios as long as you’re reasonably safe, once it makes rescue time minimal.
Therefore, make sure to coordinate signals such as flares or fires and only move out of the crisis location if you’re navigating towards a destination.
For example, you could consider leaving a broken car and head to a safe place you know for sure is nearby and how to safely navigate towards it with the supplies you possess.
In any case, knowing how to navigate scenarios as they present is one of the most critical survival skills.
#5 Medical
When you’re by yourself, knowing how to treat your own wounds as fast as they appear, will keep both your health and your moral from getting badly worse.
Apply the same principle to your companions.
Be aware of any signs of illness on yourself and the ones around you and treat them immediately even if that means stopping.
Besides, in a crisis scenario it is vital to have not only some of the generally most important medicines like antibiotics and painkillers.
Moreover, you want to make sure you covered any sort of individual medical needs (like prescript medicines) in your medical kit.
Bonus tip: do not underestimate the importance of both knowledge and technique in this subject.
We strongly recommend taking certified courses from authentic organs like Red Cross.
Choosing the right equipment is crucial to put these survival skills into action
To practice and develop those survival skills, make sure you’re well equipped with good quality gear, as it will be a great facilitator in life-threatening situations.
In fact, the survivalists should carry daily with themselves a prepared backpack with the core items to endure the uncertain.
Thus, if you want to know how to create your very own EDC (Every Day Carry) Backpack, do not miss our special blog post EDC backpack: must-have items!
We thank you for your company this far, survivalist.
See you in the field!
