A planned out adventurous hiking day can turn out to be disastrous leaving you stranded and even physically hurt. While such scenarios offer a thrilling adrenaline rush in action movies with actors coming up with genius ways to navigate through, it can cause immense panic. 

To prepare for any eventualities there are must-have camping items that you should bring along. A weapon can also come in handy, you can opt to make a spear if buying a gun online or perusing through the camping rifles isn’t your thing. 

While we acknowledge that first aid skills and signaling are some of the basic skills to acquire, we’ll share other awesome survival tips and skills that you need to possess when things go haywire.

What Are The Top 5 Outdoor Survival Tips?

The thrill and bond offered through outdoor activities are hard to pass up but having a premeditated plan in case things go awry sets you off on the path of preparedness. Here are necessary survival tips to note before venturing out. 

1.Possessing The Right Attitude

If you set an easy-to-follow-through plan that informs you of the appropriate measures to take in case you find yourself in a difficult situation. It’s highly probable you’ll master the strength to calm yourself down and proceed with a positive attitude knowing very well what you need to do.

But in case you’re caught up in a situation with zero plan whatsoever, then you’ll need to calm down and assess your situation objectively by asking a few questions. What resources do I have? Among those resources which ones are able to offer the critical requirement, shelter, water, and warmth? 

Having taken into account what’s necessary, while I may not ask you to act devoid of your feelings, recognizing that they’re just that, feelings and not facts will enable you to get the courage and the determination to proceed.

2.Building A Shelter 

The shelter is vital for survival, unlike camping where you’re all psyched up and armed with your tent, in a survival situation you’ll need to build a shelter that insulates you from the cold or keep you cool in a warm temperature.

Since you’d be the source of warmth, build a shelter that limits heat loss, one that will accommodate you lying down. Use fallen trees and strong branches to build the shelter framework, add sticks on the sides, and ensure all the gaps are filled, insulate with leaves, barks, and pine needles.

In a warm climate, dig a few inches to uncover cool ground and then erect a makeshift shelter creating a shade. Cover the sides with any available fabric then rest under the shade lying on the cool soil.

3.Making A Fire

You’ll need to kindle a fire given its vast purpose aside from warmth. Prior to getting entangled in a situation, consider having waterproof matches or a lighter at your disposal at all times. You can also store your matches in waterproof containers.

To ignite a fire your car battery will do, once unplugged from the vehicle, you can either use wires or steel wool to connect the positive and negative terminal, producing sparks large enough to light tinder. The steel wool can ignite as well. For smaller batteries, opt for 9-volt batteries.

Once you create a fire, start placing small branches and leaves, gradually stacking larger woods for long-burning fuel.

4.Sourcing For Water

You don’t need to be in a dicey situation to understand water’s value in society. In a rainy situation collect and store water. In a snowy scenario, the best option is to melt it first either through a campfire or stove. This process can be accelerated by reducing the ice into tiny pieces. 

You can either hang it in direct sunlight or use your body heat in case there is no sun. Emulating the skills adapted by the Khoisan in the Kalahari to source water using plant indicators like willow, cattails, or cottonwood. Dig a hole til moisture levels and wait for it to fill up. You can as well, locate water in indentations or rock outcropping.

Alternatively, you can use a plastic bag by tying it around a leafy branch and once the leaves sweat, water will be collected. You can also dig two feet wide hole, one foot deep, place a container then cover it with a plastic sheet, water will condense and drip into the container.

Additionally, you can use a piece of cloth to soak up dew and squeeze it into a container. You can fetch over one gallon of water in an hour. 

5.Tying Knots

As an outdoor person, tying a knot is one of the skills you should possess. The Double half hitch and Bowline are particularly a must-know for every outdoor enthusiast. The latter is mostly used when attaching something to the rope through a loop.

While the double half hitch is perfect for attaching the end of the rope around an object, especially, in building a shelter. 

Takeaway

Your chances of survival depend on how diligently implement the top 5 survival tips, remember you should signal for help, in case you need assistance maneuvering through the terrain.

Author Bio

After doing her BA from ASU, Marcie Young held various jobs in different industries. She is now passionate about growing her blog where she writes about various topics related to gun safety, firearms ownership, and self-defense. She is a strong advocate of the 2nd amendment after a horrible experience she has had on the streets.

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The satellite system used is called COSPAS-SARSAT and is an international, humanitarian satellite sponsored by The United States, Canada, Russia, and France. The system will reduce alert time to search and rescue when a distress signal occurs.
And according to experts who analyze thousands of SAR (Search and Rescue) related incidents, the main cause for rescue is outdoorsmen taking unnecessary risks beyond their skill level and experience. And beyond the capability and reliability of the equipment they have.
The COSPAS-SARSAT system has helped save over 20,500 lives worldwide since 1982.
SARSAT (Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking). COSPAS(“Cosmicheskaya Sistyema Poiska Avariynich Sudov”), Russian translation, “Space System for Search of Vessels in Distress”. These satellites orbit the earth, every 103 minutes.

PLBs transmit on two frequencies, 406 MHz, and 121.5 MHz. The 406 MHz frequency is the emerging technology that is reducing the role of the 121.5 MHz frequency because of the high number of false alerts from the past. The use of 121.5 is limited to aiding as a ‘homing signal’ inside of the ‘406 Type’. Also manufacturers are using GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) chips to provide accurate locating to about 100 yards, greatly reducing the search area. Each Unit must be registered, free of charge, with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) who maintains the database for emergency beacons in the U.S. This allows (SAR) to know who owns the beacon and will reduce false alerts.These life saving units will work in the most remote places; Death Valley, Northwest Territories, North Pole. They will work in 125 Degrees heat to 40 degrees below 0.
Rifle Accuracy Reports recommends that all outdoors enthusiasts take and use cell phones, satellite phones, GPS devices with map capabilities, and dmr two-way radio. Together, a person would have the complete emergency communications set. The cost for one of these Life Saving Devices is in the $700 to $1200 dollar range (USD).

The scenario for activating the 406 MHz PLB would go like this:

1. The Outdoorsman is injured, and/or distressed.
2. After assessing the situation, and exhausting all means to remedy the situation on his own, He activates the PLB, connecting the signal toSARSAT/COSPAS satellite system, (LEOSAR AND/OR GEOSAR satellites).

3.-4.-5. The satellites send their signal to Ground Control Centers, Mission Control Centers, and Rescue Coordination Centers, within the hour.

6. Who then get the local SAR(Search and Rescue) to the Distressed Outdoorsman.

In the U.S. Rescues are handled by The U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, Civil Air Patrol, Air National Guard, State and Local Authorities. It must be understood that the person must exhaust all reasonable means of survival and self extraction before use of the unit. This is where shelter building, fire making, use of 2-way radio, cell or satellite phone would come into use. If there were no tools available then use would be justified. It is a violation of Federal Law to misuse the device and is subject to a $250,000 fine.

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1. Leave a written “PLAN”of your hunt/trip information with friends and family, in the event of an emergency. Provide dates, locations, (hunt units), including departure and arrival. If the “EXPECTED” happens, then someone will be looking for you and they will know where to look.
2. Clothing / durable pants / gear for the conditions you are in. Desert region:long sleeve shirt, wide brim hat, plenty water, ice, and ice chest. Winter Conditions:warm clothing (wool, fleece, thinsulate, gore-tex), gloves, blankets, etc.
3. 2 Flashlights, portable GPS (map capable), lots of extra batteries, compass, maps. Cell phone with portable outdoor charger (charge 2 go), vehicle charger. If you are on a wilderness hunt and you are 10+ miles into the woods, the possibility of getting lost or injured is significant, look into buying or renting a satellite phone/accessories (means of charging), your call will go through.
4. Every hiker and hunter should know the importance of having wire cutters in your toolbox, that will help you to cut any wire.
5. Alternatively, consider getting a compact citizens band (CB) radio. In case of accidents, medical issues, and other emergencies, the police still scan Channel 9 on the CB radio to check for emergency communications. CB radios operate even without mobile reception, so they’re an excellent option for survival communication.
6. Also, a VERY IMPORTANT piece of equipment; a PLBor “personal locator beacon”. This device will allow SEARCH AND RESCUE TO LOCATE YOU. Go to The PLB info page.
7. Fire Starter Kit:Flammable Tinder: (cotton balls soaked with real petroleum jelly stuffed in film canister), char, chaga tinder, Fire-Piston, 2 butane lighters, stick matches, 4+ qty. 5 inch candles, magnesium/flint ,‘blast-match’, road flares, small magnifying glass.
8. First Aid Kit, 2 space blankets, knives/sharpener, leatherman type multi-tool, rope, parachute cord (50 ft. each), small saw, small folding shovel, metal cup (cooking), lightweight rain poncho, large plastic tarp, 3ft. siphon tube. 3 sm. snares, 2 lg. snares, portable fishing kit.

7. Water Treatment:survival drinking straw, portable water filter, SteriPEN water purifier, Kataydyn “Vario” Water Filter, water purifying pills, gallon ziplock bags (waterproofing), toilet paper, soapy wet-naps (dozen).
8. 3’X 3’ Blaze Orange signal cloth, signal mirror, orange smoke canister, road flares, whistle, sunglasses, writing materials, pen/pencils, mini notebook on survival tips( use of snares, traps, food gathering, water procurement, shelter building, etc).
9. Money:$20-$50 stored into your car kit or back-pack. If you were stranded or have to walk out of the bush and you need something to eat and drink, you have the means to buy.
10. Food: Not only your day lunch, but what you pack in case you’re out overnight, or several nights; granola bars, candy bars, jerky, bouillon cubes, etc.
11. Water:pack in more than enough water; carry more than enough water during day trips, know where water sources are in your hunting area, mark them in your GPS.
12. Remember,in a hunting situation, you will have your hunting clothes on, your weapon with you. Keep all of your gear with you, don’t start shedding and throwing away gear in an emergency situation. Your hunting backpack will weigh 15-25 pounds. GET IN SHAPE AND EXERCISE BEFORE YOU HUNT.
13. COMMON SENSE:If it looks like a storm – don’t go. If it looks too dangerous – stay back. If it’s getting dark – go back to camp. By KNOWING YOUR LIMITATIONS and AVOIDING POTENTIAL HAZARDS,you increase your odds of your outing being just that, a good day out.
14. Hazard suit: If you work at or reside near a nuclear or chemical plant, or if you’re a trained rescuer, you might need this as mishaps involving biohazards are not impossible. When it comes to preparation, it’s crucial to invest in a durable hazard suit because a single unexpected puncture to an entry-level suit could compromise health and safety. You’ll never know when you need a hazard suit, so it’s best to keep one handy.

Survival And Disaster Preparedness Is A Must 

Whether you’re creating a survival list for a camping trip, your home, or even your commercial establishment, careful planning is crucial. Aside from the survival items listed above, there are many other things you need to prepare to ensure safety and survival when disasters like fire, vehicle crash, natural calamities, and even acts of terrorism occur. You also need to hone your survival skills whenever possible.

Apart from skills, you need knowledge of your environment. Whether indoor or outdoor, you must know every inch of the location like you have a map printed in your head. Unfamiliarity can make survival so much more difficult. 

During disasters, the first order of business is to keep yourself safe. Only then will you be able to help those around you who need help, if any, with the help of your life-saving items.

These survival kit items will fit into a back-pack for hunting or small carry-on type suit case for the car. When traveling far, throw the survival kit into the car, buy groceries, store in an ice-chest, with a couple of cases of water. When you get to destination, and back home; bring in the water and groceries for home use, nothing goes to waste. Better yet, Keep a survival kit in your car permanently. Just rotate (and use) out the food and water.

YOU COULD SURVIVE THE ELEMENTS, IF YOU HAD TO, WITH THIS SURVIVAL KIT UNTIL HELP ARRIVED.

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Think of the acronym, ‘PLAN ‘ (Provide Locations/Life-sustaining essentials And Necessary (Itinerary/contact info) for EVERY outing, or distant trip. Always carry a survival kit. A supply of food, water and tools will allow you to survive for a PRE-determined amount of time.

If you find yourself having to spend the night, stay calm, assess the situation. Get started on a shelter (lean-to, snow cave, debris hut), and a small controllable fire, have much wood around if available. Build your shelter early, 4 to 5 hours before the sun sets. This is important in a winter emergency setting.

Be prepared to burn tires on your vehicle if necessary, let air out, and start with the spare. Take a tire off car as needed. Use a small amount of gasoline and a match, light paper or larger material, or battery / jumper cables (sparks). A tire will burn for 12+ hours putting out heat and black smoke (signal). Or you can use this survival tip.

SURVIVAL TIP: Get and Keep a good Quality Electric Blanket that runs off the lighter outlet in your car. Also burning a candle inside the car is a great way to stay warm, and the flame is easy to monitor and control!

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We know the conventional approaches to create fire (even more options at FireplaceLab.com). Somewhat lighter liquid, a handful of tinder, some stone, a couple matches, a lighter, a couple sheets of daily paper – these a-run of the mill strategies will work if you’re fortunes enough to have these things around when need a fire. But what is you don’t have them? You will need to apply unconventional way to create that fire

We wrote an extensive guide to prepper tips and survival tips but in this article, the primary focus will be to educate you on some interesting fire-starting techniques that may come in handy when in a crunchy spot needing of fire or the warmth that fire brings.

The following is the Top 3 Unconventional Ways to Create Fire:

1. Lens

A magnifying lens can be utilized as a part of request to center and focus the warmth of the sun’s beams to one point. With a solid lens, you can begin a fire right away. Utilizing a lens to begin a fire is simple and something a great many people are proficient about.

All things considered, who hasn’t seen this on TV or in the motion pictures? Indeed, even children think about this incomparable technique. To begin your fire, you should simply to get some kind of lens (eyeglasses, a disassembled binocular lens, or a camera lens), point it toward the sun, burn dry leaves or anything naturally flammable and make beyond any doubt the bar hits your tinder. Including a touch of water, the lens will intensify the shaft.

2. Hand Drill Method

Utilization of a drill to create fire requires making both a drill and a base where the fire will begin. The least difficult drill ends up being an exceptionally dry and solid stick that can be turned keeping in mind the end goal to create contact. If the base is made out of dry tree husk, rehashed pivot will bring about adequate grinding to begin a fire. In any case, both the drill and the base should be to a great degree dry for this technique to work

The drill strategies for making fire create a coal, which can then be blown into a fire, by utilizing rubbing between two bits of wood. A hearth board is set on the ground, or best ground protection mats to buy, and a shaft is then pivoted forward and backward onto the hearth board. The rubbing created between the two bits of wood produces dust, which will warm up enough to frame an ash or coal. This coal can then be moved into a heap of tinder and blown into a fire.

At the point when utilizing the hand drill technique, the shaft utilized is generally a dry wood or vegetation, (for example, a mullein or cattail stalk) that has a delicate and concise focus. As the name infers, the axles is turned with the force of the hands. The bow drill strategy uses a bow (much like a sort used to shoot bolts) to turn the axle. This permits significantly more speed and energy to be put into turning the shaft and it has less risk of rankling your hands. These drill techniques are extremely dependable once you have the ability, in any case they can take some an opportunity to plan.

Keeping in mind the end goal to construct a fire utilizing a hand drill, you should begin with a delicate base of wood (with a score in it) and a drill, which is a straight slim bit of wood that fits into the indent. Snappy turn and descending weight of the drill creates a sufficiently hot coal in the base of the wood to begin a fire. This strategy takes rehearse, but once legitimately learned, it is a viable technique for making fire.

3. Stone and Steel

This is an attempted and-genuine, primitive technique for beginning an incomparable fire. Striking a stone against steel creates a sparkle that will get your fire going.

For this technique, you’ll require the stone, the steel, and a scorch material (any 100% cotton fabric that has been transformed into charcoal). To begin making fire, hold the material and the stone between your thumb and pointer. With the steel in your other hand, strike the rock a few times until flashes get on the roast material which will make it sparkle.

When it folds, the fabric into the tinder home and blow tenderly on the coal until the fire emits. If you would prefer not to convey a rock and steel set in your pack, you can purchase a survival knife with a fire starter – two feathered creatures, one stone. In spite of the fact that it won’t not be guaranteed as the best survival knife in the business sector, you’ll never need to stress over matches, lighters, or fire furrows with regards to making a fire in nature.

Conclusion

Before you make the fire however, you’ll have to do some campfire planning. We recommend having a tactical backpack on hand with as many essential survival gear that you can bring along with you on your outdoor expedition. Just as important, understand that location is everything. We recommend that you locate a decent area for a campfire. This is a site where your near firewood and a water source. It ought to likewise be shielded from the wind. In conclusion, the ground ought to be dry and level. Once you’ve picked the site, you ought to create your fire pit – 4 to 6 crawls profound with a 3-foot span. Place rocks around the pit to contain the fire. For firewood, you’ll have to assemble three sorts: tinder, fuel, and fuel. Tinder can be anything that is completely dry and can burst into flames effortlessly, for example, fallen leaves, winged creature plumes, and dried greenery. Encouraging, small twigs and sticks around 2-8 inches long, ought to likewise be dry. Fuel, which gets your fire hot, can be logs and large branches around 8-24 inches long. Once you have your fire pit and firewood, you’re prepared to make that stride and begin making fire.

Ideally, you’ll never need to end up expecting to utilize any of these techniques. But if you happen to fall directly into a survival circumstance, you’ll at any rate have three choices that will keep you warm, bolstered, and alive while you battle your way back to human advancement.

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The bag

The actual container that you choose to house your bug out bag is as important as the items within it. This is because it need to be sturdy and waterproof enough to withstand outdoor conditions, and comfortable enough to sit on your back for three days of walking without slowing you down.

Luckily, we have reviewed some the best bags for this purpose on the market in a separate post, so check it out for some help in making your decision.

Water

A person can survive 3 weeks without food but only 3 days without water. That means emergency drinking water rations are an essential part of any bug out kit.

It is also a good idea to include a survival straw. An item that filters water straight from the source, meaning you can drink from rivers and streams without worry of becoming ill.

Rations

Even though Food isn’t as important as water, if you are in a hunting, or survival situation, having enough energy to keep you moving is still necessary. For this some folks choose to pack their kit with American Army rations packs. Although, you do need to watch the expiry date on these and replace them regularly. Another option is to go for basic food rations such as dry biscuits, or cereal bars that will last a long time but are calorie dense.  

Light source

Whether you are out in the woods or the worst has happened, and there is no longer any electricity flowing, having a source of light can be incredibly helpful.

A torch or headlamp is a useful addition. Use windup ones if possible, so you don’t have to worry about batteries. Glow sticks can also be helpful in an outdoor situation as they can be hung to provide light when you are making camp or used to help your party stay together by attaching them to people’s clothing.

A torch is a bug out bag essential.

First aid and hygiene

Obviously, if you are miles and miles away from civilisation, or the hospitals are not operating for some reason having basic first aid could be life-saving.

Include in this kit dressings, plasters, iodine, scissors, ibuprofen and paracetamol. Basically, you want items that can help you seal a wound and get the person moving again so you can get them treatment as fast as possible.

It’s also useful to include some basic hygiene products in this part of the kit such as wet wipes, hand sanitizer, and chewing gum. This is because these things that can help raise your morale, and can come in handy if you want to enter back into civilization at any point.

Hunting

Some folks don’t bother with items for hunting and catching food in their bug out bags, but others feel that it is an essential part of the kit. It will, of course, help you survive for longer if you are left without food, and feed a larger group if you have to.

A hunting knife can be a useful addition to a bug out bag.

Items that can be useful for this include a hunting knife, materials for a rabbit snare, as well as a gun kitted out with optics to improve your aim. Obviously, these items are often the most expensive things to go into your survival bag, something that is another reason many people leave them out. However, believe it or not, you can actually get coupons and deals on DontPayFull, and other sites like them that will give you a discount on this sort of kit. Something that means you can focus on whether you truly need the item instead of worry about the how much it will set you back.

Shelter

Don’t forget that having shelter from the elements can literally mean the difference between life and death in some cases. That is why it is essential to include a waterproof and a fold-down emergency tent to keep you warm and dry at night.

Although, those looking for a more sophisticated option should also consider a tent hammock. This is a cocoon-like item that can be strung between two trees and will keep you safe off the ground as well as warm and dry, wherever you have to bed down for the night.

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