Before venturing out into the wilderness, even the most skilled among us should take some basic safety precautions. And while you may be able to spend the rest of your days living comfortably in the wild with just this post and your trusty knife, don’t skip these initial pages. They’ll increase your chances of survival. It’s been said that fortune favors the bold, but I say that fortune favors the prepared.
001 BEGIN WITH THE BASICS
Any and every excursion into the wild should begin with these steps, at the very least. Your life may very literally depend on it.
HAVE A PLAN Don’t just head off blindly into the wilderness. Plan your destination, route, proposed parking area, vehicle of choice, companions (if any), and most importantly your return date and time.
SHARE YOUR PLAN Make sure that someone knows all of the details of your plan. This way, if you don’t contact them I the appointed time they’ll know that you’i in trouble and will have the information they need to help.
GET ORIENTED Study a map of the location you will be exploring, and bring the map and compass with you. Learning the terrain and its features ahead of time makes navigation smoother (and you’re less likely to get lost).
DRESS THE PART Wear appropriate clothing and outerwear—layers, wool, and synthetics are ideal. Skip cotton in most conditions.
TAKE YOUR PHONE A charged mobib phone should always be part of your outdoor gear. Your call for help can turn a potential disaster into a mere inconvenience. And if the signal is weak, try a text message. Text often works in spots where phone calls can’t connect.
CARRY A KIT Bring a survival kit on every outing. It should include items for shelter, signaling, fire making, water procurement, first aid, navigation, spare outerwear, and food.
BRING A FRIEND Its more fun to have adventures with a friend, and with even one companion, you have someone to watch your back, render first aid, or go for help.
WATCH THE WEATHER Get the most accurate weather forecast before you head out, and stay vigilant. An unexpected change in the weather can turn a pleasant campout into a dangerous situation.
LEARN FIRST AID With even a little first-aid training you can respond to many minor and even major incidents—even if you don’t have many supplies to work with.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE You can learn a lot from watching survival videos and reading articles like this one, but there’s a big difference between spectator and participant. Gain your own personal experience, and you’ll be able to carry it for the rest of your days.
002 GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT
For the best chance of surviving an emergency in the backcountry, you have prioritize your needs. For example, exposure can kill you faster than dehydration, so you should find or build a shelter before you wander off looking for water. The four most basic priorities are shelter, water, fire, and food—in that order. And while you could sustain yourself without it, I consider signaling to be the fifth survival priority. You’ll need to know how to signal your distress if you’re expecting rescue, and especially if you’re unable to move.
003 STAY POSITIVE
While it doesn’t keep you alive in the same ways as shelter and water, an upbeat positive attitude and a generous streak of mental toughness can be literal lifesavers in some dire circumstances. The nights are usually the worst time during emergencies. It’s just you and your thoughts. When you find yourself at a low point, try to find little ways to maintain your morale and remain motivated to survive. Think of family, friends, and other loved ones, and fight to stay alive—not just for yourself, but for them as well.
004 DEAL WITH DANGER
There are some additional priorities in certain situations, especially when you’re facing danger to life or limb.
PLAY DOCTOR Severe bleeding, difficulty breathing, shock, and many other conditions can kill a person faster than exposure, so first aid then becomes more important than shelter in the short run. Without a first-aid kit, effective medical care is much more difficult—but it’s not impossible! In this post you’ll learn how to practice medicine as our ancestors once did, using what you have and making what you need. Then, follow the other survival priorities to keep your patient (or yourself) alive until you can reach definitive medical care.
DEFEND YOURSELF Rarely, self-defense may be your first priority. Without going into all the frightening scenarios, let’s just say that you might run into a person or group that means you harm. You’ll need more than we can provide within this article, but consider the weapons and training you’d need for that encounter. You may also run into an animal predator. Bear spray is a proven and trusted deterrent for most animals, and it should be carried in an easy-access holster (just like a gun) in bear country.
005 DRESS FOR THE OCCASION
Clothing is our portable protection from the extremes of the environment (it does a fine job protecting against embarrassment too). And while I’m the first person to admit that I’m the last person to give out fashion advice, I do know my fabrics. Many people get into trouble by choosing the wrong articles of clothing for their outdoor activities. Case in point: long johns. Plenty of companies produce cotton fiber long underwear, which make very comfortable pajamas at home but are actually a dangerous base layer for the outdoors. Cotton fibers hold water for a long time, and when damp clothing is right against your skin in cold weather—it makes you even colder! So if it’s cold enough to want long johns, they should never be cotton material. So what should you wear? We’re glad you asked.
006 KEEP THE COLD AT BAY
While every season is tricky in its own way, winter weather is definitely the most challenging when it comes to planning what to wear and pack. The recommendations at right are your absolute basics, but the colder your surroundings are, the more care you’ll want to take in packing. The tradeoff of a slightly bulkier pack is not so bad when compared to a case of frostbite!
AT THE FOOT OF IT ALL Wear insulated boots and thick wool (or synthetic) socks. In deep cold, buy boots one size too big to allow for two pairs of socks.
NECK AND NECK Neck gaiters and balaclavas are very nice to have, allowing you to protect against insidious chilly winds.
EYE PROTECTION Sunglasses or dark goggles protect your eyes from snow blindness in bright sun, and can also protect against icy winds.
007 BUILD YOUR SURVIVAL KIT
Even with a high degree of primitive survival and bushcraft skills, you still need to carry a survival kit. It’s hard to survive if you are ill or hurt. Injury and illness level the playing field, leaving you just as vulnerable as a novice outdoor enthusiast. Beginner or expert, here’s a basic breakdown of the gear you need to be carrying.
EMERGENCY FOOD An emergency food supply gives you energy and boosts your morale.
METAL CONTAINER Pack a metal cup, bowl, or pot to boil water and cook food.
SHELTER Carry an emergency shelter item like a Mylar space blanket or an emergency bivy. This may be the most important item in your kit.
LIGHTING A rugged, waterproof flashlight or headlamp with an LED bulb can give you over ino hours of light on one set of batteries.
FIRE STARTERS If nothing else, bring a butane lighter for your kit. But you’re better off bringing a lighter, waterproof matches, and a spark rod.
FISHING GEAR A small kit can be a lifesaver when your food runs out.
FIRST MD KIT Carry supplies to stop bleeding, treat wounds, and prevent infection.
SIGNAL EQUIPMENT The whistle signals your buddies or calls for help; the signal mirror can be seen at a great distance.
NAVIGATION Bring a compass and a map of the local area.
WATER SUPPLIES Water purification tablets (and a container) give you an alternative to boiling all water for safety.
REPAIR SUPPLIES If you can’t fix it with duct tape and 550 cord (aka paracord), then you don’t need it for survival.
KNIVES Carry a quality knife for dozens of obvious reasons, and bring a backup blade in case of loss or breakage.
