A Survival Tips and Techniques Blog | UrbanWoodsman.com

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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

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A classic adventure book in the spirit of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Heart of Darkness. Four travelers meet in Bolivia and set off into the heart of the Amazon rainforest, but what begins as a dream adventure quickly deteriorates into a dangerous nightmare, and after weeks of wandering in the dense undergrowth, the four backpackers split up into two groups. But when a terrible rafting accident separates him from his partner, Yossi is… More >>

Lost in the Jungle: A Harrowing True Story of Adventure and Survival

Being lost in the wilderness can be a personâ??s worst fear. However, there are several things you can do to try to prevent it from happening to you. If you do find yourself lost in the wilderness, you can increase your chances of making it back to civilization without anything life threatening by following basic survival skills.

If you find you are lost, size up the area around you. Use your common sense to mark your barrings. Listen to the sounds out there to try to determine the type of surroundings you are in. Remember, you are in someone elseâ??s backyard now. If the animals in the area begin to sound strange, it is an indicator that an enemy is in the area.

Take the time to evaluate your physical condition. Tend to any wounds you may have encountered. Find out what equipment and supplies you have, and what your options are regarding their use. It is important to remain calm, as well as to prevent panic in anyone with you. Such panic only increases the chances of someone getting hurt. Never separate once you are lost. There is power in being together. You can offer each other your skills, support, and security. Make a pact to be strong physically and mentally as well as maintain a positive attitude about your survival.

Always be prepared for the possibility of being lost in the wilderness. Carry essential items including food, water, clothing, and tools for making shelter. Carrying a flare may also serve in helping you be safely found.

Under such stress, people tend to get upset with the situation and each other. If you often go into the wilderness with a group, practice how you will handle such situations. Assign specific jobs such as making shelter and finding water to each member. Such practice drills will help everyone remain calm should you need to put the survival skills to use out there.

Learn how to not get lost when 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

If you are planning on a life in the woods hiding out from civilization, then survival in the wilderness is something that requires a lot of training. But survival for those lost backpacking or hunting or in a plane crash is something else. Here is a look at the basics of getting out alive.

To begin with, food is not a big priority when you are lost and awaiting rescue. In fact, it is very rare that anyone dies from starvation when lost in the wilderness. There are too many other ways to die long before hunger gets you, and in any case most rescues happen long before the passing of the month or so that you could live without food.

If you have any injuries or immediate threats (like aggressive bears) you have to deal with those. As soon as the immediate threats are gone, shelter will normally be your top priority. If you have never build a wilderness survival shelter, you might want to try it sometime for practice. Just remember that your goal is to keep out wind and rain, as well as to provide a space small enough for your body to heat if you are facing cold nights.

The most common survival shelter is the basic lean-to. A pole or stick is attached horizontally between two trees, and then others are laid against it, sloping down to the ground. More sticks are piled against this “roof” and then it is covered with evergreen boughs, leaves or tree bark, starting from the bottom so the last layer of roofing acts like shingles to shed the rain.

In an emergency you can also just pile up dry leaves or grass and crawl into the center of the pile. This provides a quick and warm shelter. It can even keep you dry if the rain or snow is light. The “dead air” space that is created is what insulates you and keeps you warm. Keep this in mind. You might also use dry vegetation as a mattress and blanket inside any other type of shelter.

Water is the next important survival priority. Streams and lakes are the obvious sources, but in dry areas you might have to work a little harder at locating water. Look for low shaded spots where it may have pooled during the last rain, and not yet evaporated. You might also be able to collect dew in the mornings by running a piece of cloth through the wet grass and wringing the moisture out into a container or directly into your mouth.

If you do not have a means to purify water, and more than a day has gone by without a drink, use whatever you find unless it is clearly poisoned (indications include a lack of any plant life around the water). Generally you are more likely to die from dehydration than from contaminated water. In fact, many organisms, like giardia, can take a week or more before you have symptoms, and hopefully you will be rescued by then.

Finally, you need to be able to help the searchers find you. A fire is a good idea for this. have green leafy branches or something else that will create a lot of smoke ready in case you hear a plane or helicopter coming. If you can’t make a fire, find an open place and lay out whatever you have that is colorful and/or large, so it can be spotted from the air. If you have a whistle, blow it in sets of three occasionally.

At least in emergencies, survival in the wilderness is not about how to build a cabin or make bread from cattail roots. It’s usually about protecting your core body temperature and keeping hydrated while you wait for help to arrive. Food can help, and is a comfort, but it is last on this list of priorities.