Survival Skills

Planning and preparation should keep you from having an outdoor misadventure. If something does go wrong, switch into survival mode.

Most everyone who treks into the wilderness gets turned around occasionally. How you respond in the early stages often determines if your disorientation becomes a temporary inconvenience or a traumatic ordeal. If you keep a cool head, you’ll usually get your bearings fairly quickly.

Think through recent events to see if you can retrace your path. If you decide you can’t return to your camp or car, commit yourself to spending the night where you are. If you remain in one spot, it’s very likely that you will be found in a few days.

You now have three priorities: shelter, fire, and signal.

Rules of Survival

• Give a responsible person your hunting plan.
• Don’t travel or hunt alone.
• Take enough food and water to last for several days in an emergency.
• Bring a map and compass, and always orient yourself before leaving camp.
• Wear layered clothing and take extra clothing, preferably wool and polyester, with you.
• Plan your outings so that you can return to camp before dark.
• Never leave camp without taking fire-starting equipment and a foil blanket.
• Don’t panic if you become lost.

Remember . . . when you find yourself in a survival situation, the most important tool is your brain.

Stop when you realize you've got a problem. The first thing to do is admit to yourself that you are in trouble. Think about what you need to do to survive. Observe the area; and look for shelter, fuel, etc. Plan how you are going to use your survival kit and your other available resources. Don’t wait until dark to plan! Remain calm. Think clearly. Use the tools you have available to you.