A Survival Tips and Techniques Blog | UrbanWoodsman.com

A lot of people have misconceptions about what it takes to survive in the wilderness. Sure it helps if you are healthy and aren’t seriously disabled, but surviving outdoors is really 99% about what you know and not about how healthy you are.

There are 4 main things you need to do in order to increase your chances of survival.

Shelter

More people die of exposure to the elements of the weather than anything else. For example if you are in the Forest in Montana in the middle of winter it can get as low as 40 degrees below zero there. The first night you will need to make warm shelter for yourself. You can do this by creating a hut for yourself out of debris. This debris needs to be at least 3 feet thick. If created right, it will even become water proof and will be a total heat insulator so you can be warm, even in the dead of winter. The debris should even cover the ground as well.

Water

The next thing you’ll need is water. You’ll need to be able to drink some water within the first 24 hours, preferably within the first 6 hours. You might be able to get your water from a creek, and you can also get it from certain plants and roots. In fact, some plants are known to produce up to a gallon of water per day. The problem with water from creeks is that you might need to boil it, since there’s a chance that it could be contaminated, which brings us to the next key point of survival.

Fire

Assuming you don’t have matches, you need to be able to start a fire from scratch. You can do this by creating friction between two dry pieces of wood. Eventually you’ll get cinders and sparks, which then you’ll put on dry brush which will ignite. You can hollow out the bark of a tree and use that to boil water in, unless you brought a container for this.

Food

The jungles and forests are an abundant source of food. The key when approaching animals for food is to slow crawl. You would walk about 25% as fast as you’d walk in an office setting or on the street. Even certain bugs are known to be edible. The best thing you can do to learn more about catching food in the wild is to go to youtube and do a search on “wilderness survival”. There are a lot of great videos covering this that will get you started.

The key to surviving is to enjoy the serenity of your situation and not try to fight the wilderness, but to become one with it. Once your shelter is setup and your water supply, you should only have to work about 1-2 hours per day to survive, which is a lot less than most of us work out here. It takes time and practice to master these skills, but you can find out just about anything you need to know if you search, there are a few great wilderness mentors right on youtube. Best of luck!

Survival training provides individuals with the physical and mental elements needed to survive in particular situations. It also provides them with the information regarding what items they should include in a survival kit for that particular situation.

Survivaloutdoors.com is a website designed to enhance the awareness of survival for children and adults who enjoy outdoor activities. This site provides valuable information regarding all the types of survival kits, planning, educational tips, all to make your experiences outdoors fun. For most of us, the thought of losing a child in the wilderness if far worse than us getting lost ourselves. The site offers pointers that are valuable for outings with children of all ages.

The survival skills you need depend on the elements of the area you will be in. Desert survival training includes learning about the terrain, the environment, the need for water, heat complications, and desert hazards. Tropical survival includes knowing the weather, how to travel in the jungle, how to make food and water safe for consumption, and poisonous plants.

Cold weather survival is one of the most dangerous because of  the brutality of the elements and the chances of frostbite. Make sure you know how to dress in layers, how to build a shelter, and know the signs of changing weather patterns. The last type is sea survival. Make sure you have life jackets, know the area, and plan for unexpected storms.

Regardless of the area you plan to explore, survival skills are the key to being safe, regardless of how often such events take place. Nature is a beautiful part of our world, but the elements that come with it can be brutal and deadly if you are not properly prepared. A little bit of effort in ensuring safety can go a long way.

Many communities offer various survival skills courses for hiking, hunting, and other outings. You can contact your local chamber of commerce for details. If no programs are available in your area, you might consider encouraging the community to offer them.

Nature doesn’t care whether you’re color coordinated

Or if you’re wearing the most expensive gear.

Nature just takes care of itself.

Its your responsibility to do the same.

Nature has no hours of operation…

you don’t have to rush, hurry or beat the crowds,

and there is no competition.

The options are endless,the choice is yours

Survival is about being smart in your mountain excursion and being prepared with survival gear whether it’s a hydration system while on the slopes to prevent altitude sickness ; warm outerwear, thermal underwear and face coverage to prevent frost bite; or avalanche certification and an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel while in the backcountry.

Survival gear will protect you from the elements such as sun, snow, wind and rain and keep you from harms way.

* Footwear will support your feet and legs as they carry you through varied terrain.

* Outer wear will protect you from the elements of rain and snow and sun yet allow your body to breathe.

* Gear will do a lot of the work for you (such as sleeping bags and tents) and the accessories will support and enhance your nature excursions.

Survival gear doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. There are many outdoor manufacturer’s that design great performance gear unleashing you to nature’s possibilities without the deep pockets.

When shopping for survival gear look for:

1. Reputable reviews on selected survival gear by experts from periodicals such as Outside Magazine, Outdoor Magazine and National Geographic.

2. Your children. Nurture them with Nature and prepare them with proper survival gear to protect them from the elements.

3. Sites that offer benefits and hot tips for keeping survival to a minimum and letting the gear do the rest.

Before venturing into the high country consider preparing your body for nature’s demands with at home exercise machines that mimic the motions of hiking and cross country skiing.

Explore nature, try a new mountain sport, or be better than you were last year and let the survival gear take care of the rest. It’s all here for you. It’s only you that’s holding the possibility back.