There's lots of talk and discussion about what you need to do to survive in the wilderness. And a person would probably be smart to go out to some sort of survival camp for a week or something along those lines.

But people aren't going to do that. So what are the most basic survival skills that you need.

It seems like in a lot of situations where people are stranded and die, its not necessary that they build some tremendous shelter, create stores of medicinal herbs, hunt wild game, or survive even for especially long periods of time.

Say you are driving through the wilderness, and your car breaks down and you're lost and can't even follow a road out?

I'd think that the biggest 'tools' would be being able to build some kind of shelter, to stay dry and off the ground. To be able to build a fire without matches or anything else that you'd've brought in anticipation. And to be able to know where to get water from. If you'd need to actually make it out, being able to navigate with a map and a compass would be a tremendous skill.

But by far it seems like the best thing to do is to stay calm, stay resourceful, and not take any dangerous chances.

Recall that recently a man and his family were snowboud in their car. They were trapped for a while. Finally, the man, out of concern for his family, left the car, to try to find help or a way out or anything. He ended up dying. The rest of this family, in the car, survived because they were found. He took an incredible risk, and, of course, his motivations were clear. But can you imagine the psychological pressure on him leading up to that decision to leave the car? It'd take incredible stress to essentially stay put, to, perhaps in your own mind, 'be doing nothing' and not take an 'active' role in your survival.

Its immpossible to say his decision was 'wrong', because they could've all died in that car, or he might've surived long enough to find safety. But it seems like the cases where people end up surviving are instances where they've just focused on staying alive, not resucing themselves or anything like that.

Well said Nygdan. Alot of common sense and practicality. Most people
will plan for an "ideal" situation, and get surprised.
You mentioned that family that got trapped recently. I remember
following that story and hoping for the best. Right now there are three
hikers lost on Mt. Hood. Let's hope they're found.

If we anticipate things going wrong, and don't panic, we get through it.

Your dead on about attitude. Avoidance of impending disaster is usually the best preparation. The Kim family made the mistake of driving into the mountains in winter without checking road and weather conditions. I've no sympathy for those climbers and hikers currently in the news in Washington state. You should never go anywhere in the mountains in winter where you can't hike out in less than a day.

First thing I would of done if i was him? cut off the coverings to the car seats to make an improvised wind jacket - even a simple over the head bib style would of saved alot of his body suffering from direct wind chill exposure.
Second thing, I would of worn some head gear. laugh all you like, but on a winter warefare escape and survival, I yanked some pants off a sentry we knocked down, stole his trousers and went running round for the next week with a trouser leg as a head scarve. Worked wonders ( 60 % of all body heat is lost through the head alone!)

Now as for stay or go - well, thats a tough one, and no one will ever be in that situation to be the decider - no 50 / 50, no phone a friend, just you and your instincts... He was a brave man thats all i will say.

As for basic skills. Fire lighting, shelter making, some 'basic' survival skills, and the rest will come from time and experience.

Good post

If you end up in an accidental survival situation then as long as you can keep warm and dry, eat and drink then you are sorted for at least a short while until help arrives or you get yourself to safety. If you do nothing else this year, teach yourself these things and you will appreciate it one day.

If you've planned to survive in the wilderness for longer, then you should have at least some gear to make life comfier.

Heres a good video from a dutch survival guy, shows you the basics if you get lost. Addresses some of the things many people think they'd be ok with but probably would'nt, like fear.

CX.

[edit on 15/12/06 by CX]

Best survival skill-being prepared, if you know your going to be in adverse weather conditions/environment then be prepared for it. People are far to complacent and take things for granted.

Originally posted by magicmushroom
Best survival skill-being prepared, if you know your going to be in adverse weather conditions/environment then be prepared for it. People are far to complacent and take things for granted.

That IMO will be the end of our society. Complacency is the most dangerous thing for every day survival and emergency survival. The key to survival is preparedness. Preparedness is the anti-complacent..

The most basic of survival skills? The ability to stay calm.

It doesn’t matter what you know or what you have with you if you are going to panic.

Lost hunters have been found starved to death in land abounding with game, not a round missing from their weapons.

People have been found dead from dehydration in areas where the morning dew provides water on the leaves and grasses.

If knowing is half the battle, the other half is not freaking out.

I would rate building fire as the number one skill needed. Sad to say, I might have a hard time to do so without a ligher, matches, or other man-made means. I've seen it done without these tools, just never tried it....

Orienteering or Land Navigation is the number one skill in both survival and warfare, unless you know where you are there's not very much you can do to help yourself. I've got a 15 years of competitive orienteering background so atleast i'm prepared on that front.

Next is to know the conditions around you and the ability to take right stuff with you, what kind of a jackass goes driving into mountains without proper winter clothes with him.

And how on earth can you freeze to death if you have the ability to move? and how far did that poor guy go anyway? Everyone can do 20km in snow with the normal bodyfat stored in you, it's all about the will to survive.

(sorry about the rant)

seems he was found face down in water they are speculating he was thirsty bent down to get a drink and fell in. Once you wet in those temps your dead.

I think fire is the most basic in a winter/snow environment. Warmth and Water are going to be key if you're awaiting rescue. The human body can go quite long without food, but not water. Getting that water from snow/ice will require an external heat source. The Oregon family already had a tire fire going. Searching for dead limbs and around tree bases may have given them fuel to keep that fire going.

Letting people know the area you're going is absolutely key. In a non-SIT X situation anyway.

All survival skills are important.
I will rate these in order of importance in a winter scenario.

1) preserving body temperature
2) hydration
3) shelter( make sure to leave a conspicuous marker for rescuers to locate you if you cant go outside.

4) signaling for help
5) fire
6) protection from wild animals
7) orienteering yourself
8) food

one thing to keep in mind is to not stray too far from the point in which you first realized you were lost or stranded. the more you move, the harder it is for rescue teams to find you!

This is what I learned from my time in boy scouts and from reevis ranch survival camp (Bigfoot)
Open for criticism.