A Survival Tips and Techniques Blog | UrbanWoodsman.com

Product Description
Discover all the skills needed for survival in the wild. Finding Food and Water shows you where to look, what to avoid and how to stay alive in all kinds of extreme environments… More >>

Finding Food and Water

Hypothermia is a real issue when we find ourselves in a winter survival situation, also dehydration is a major implication. It is a thin line between eating snow to rehydrate yourself and becoming hypothermic from ingesting the snow

Learn how to find your way home when you are lost hiking in this free wilderness survival video. Expert: Karl Jensen Bio: Karl Jensen has been hiking for seven years in the New England area. Karl is currently interning in the adventure program at Smith College to gain more knowledge about hiking. Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso

Thermal blankets were originally developed by NASA for the countryâ??s space program in 1964. Also known as space, emergency, or mylar blankets, they were made from a relatively thin sheet of plastic with a metallic coat used for reflecting back heat. Nowadays, thermal blankets are also used for camping and other outdoor activities.

Common Features of a Thermal Blanket

Weatherproof
Sleeping outdoors may be fun and adventurous, but it also exposes you to certain dangers you normally donâ??t encounter indoors. Wind and rain, for instance, can easily make you susceptible to hypothermia and other undesirable illnesses. A thermal blanket, however, can protect you from the adverse effects of prolonged exposure to unfavorable weather conditions.

By wrapping around a thermal blanket around yourself, your body heat is reflected back to you by the blanket, and this helps you stay warm even in the strongest of storms. Thermal blankets are also made from exceptionally durable materials and as such, you wonâ??t have to worry about water or wind permeating through the blanket.

Reusable
Yes, thermal blankets can indeed be used repetitively. You wonâ??t have to bring one thermal blanket for each night you plan to spend outdoors. This is definitely great news for campers who wish to travel light.

Compact
All thermal blankets, regardless of size or type of materials used, are designed for compact packing. When youâ??re outdoors, after all, youâ??ll be able to move around more swiftly and easily if you donâ??t have so many things to lug around with you.

How to Choose the Right Thermal Blanket
Thermal blankets come in a range of sizes and with varying features. For optimal use and protection, be sure to choose the one thatâ??s most capable of meeting your needs.

Single or Double Use?
There are thermal blankets for single-person use and then there are those that two persons can use together. A two-person thermal blanket is ideal if youâ??re traveling with your child and youâ??d like to keep him or her safe with you at night.

Size
As mentioned earlier on, thermal blankets come in various sizes. Be sure to choose one that will be able to keep you warm and completely covered from head to toe if necessary. If you will use it to line your sleeping bag, make sure as well that the dimensions are adequate.

Comfortable
Last but not the least, donâ??t forget to test it out for yourself prior to making any purchase. While all thermal blankets offer the same level of safety and protection, some of them may feel more comfortable for you to use than others.

If you find yourself stranded outdoors, the key to your survival is finding three specific things: shelter, food, and water. Now, in some outdoor situations where the elements are not too severe, you can survive without shelter. But it is impossible to survive without food and water. Knowing what to do in the case of an emergency situation can go a long way towards making sure you get home in the best health possible.

A normal person can go three full days without water, and three weeks without food. So if you find yourself stranded, the first thing you need to find is water. Keep in mind that water in stagnant sources is often contaminated. In order to protect yourself, always travel with water purification options, such as halazone tablets or iodine drops. If you find moving water it is less likely to be contaminated. You can still add purification measures to the water to stay safe.

Always carry a container that you can fill with water. When you find a water source, fill your container. You will be more mobile if you have a water source you can carry with you. If you cannot find naturally occurring water, there are other ways to find water. Try collecting the dew off of plants. You can also collect rainwater. The juices of fish are a source of hydration, although not an appealing one. The thing to keep in mind, however, is that your ultimate goal is simply survival. Also, avoid doing too much physical activity if you are limited on water availability. The more exercise your body does, the more water it will need.

Finding food is less crucial, because you can live three weeks without food. There are places that you can find food in the wilderness fairly easily. If you brought emergency rations with you, save those until all of the natural sources of food have been exhausted.

What you eat will depend a lot on the amount of water available to you. Remember that it takes more water to digest protein than it does to digest carbohydrates. Also, naturally occurring carbohydrates, such as fruit, have water in them. So if you are in a limited water situation, fill up on carbohydrates, avoiding meat and other protein sources.

Make use of whatever fruits and berries you can find. If you are not familiar with the fruit you find, a good rule of thumb is to avoid any berries that are red or white. Most of the poisonous berries are either red or white in color. All grass seeds are edible. If you find a plant with an edible root, remember that there is tremendous nutritional value in eating the roots of plants.

Avoid eating wild mushrooms, unless you can clearly identify them. Most wild mushrooms are perfectly safe to eat, but there are several varieties that are poisonous, and if you do not know how to identify the safe ones it is best to stay away. Remember that insects such as grasshoppers and locusts are edible. You can eat them live or roast them. Frogs, lizards, and turtles are other sources of protein that are fairly easy to catch. While these foods might not be your first choice for Sunday brunch, remember your goal is survival!

Wilderness survival may eventually require finding food. Edible plants, fresh game and fish are necessary for a balanced, nutritional diet. Discover how to find food in the wilderness from an experienced outdoorsman in this free video about wilderness survival skills. Expert: kevin Barrett Bio: Kevin Barrett is an experienced outdoors man who has been honing his survival skills for many years. Filmmaker: Nili Nathan