The 5 Basic Survival Skills

-edited by Survival Topics admin- 

Be careful about telling people to ration water. Many people who died in the desert or under very dry conditions were found dead with water in their possession. Drink the water and let your body ration it out. Keep some to wet the mouth and nasal passages.

Signaling is good if you are under normal conditions and expect someone to help. Whistles and a pressurized can with horn attachment on the top are good. Get the horn at Wal Mart in the section that has boating supplies. Do not attrack those who plunder. Starting a fire is easy.

You need to practice starting a fire in a driving rain out of doors; and in a snow storm or after you have complete snow cover on the ground.

You left out one of the most basic skills; map reading, use of a compass and how to traverse open country. Moving across miles of open country side is not like a walk in the a park on concrete. You must have an appreciation of micro-topography; how to read the land looking ahead and pick a route that is accessable and with the least grade for climbing/walking.

The second great mistake in this list is security. Security is a survival skill. Recall what happened during the Katrina catastrophe in New Orleans. If you mastered all the above skills but let security take care of itself... you may became a victim of those who would take what you have.

Third: if you have camping equipment and think you might have to live out of doors using it.. practice... and you MUST practice doing it in the dark.

I am USAF retired; USDA SCS, retired; Peace Coprs Africa; NM Mounted Patrol commissioned police officer; educator USA and foreign private American schools; Minute Man Civil Defense Corps. 

I agree that people will buy survival kits and think that is all they need to survive. What it really takes to be a survivor is knowledge and experience.

For example, it is easy to be an armchair survivor and think you can start a fire any time you want, but when it is cold and everything is wet another thing.

It easy to think you have what it takes to survive in the wilderness but until you actually go out there and do it under adverse conditions you have no idea.

That is why hundreds of people die in wilderness areas every year, even people who thought they were prepared.

The most important survival skills are known as the Sacred Order and are (in order of importance): Shelter, Water, Fire, Food.

Shelter is always first because without shelter you will be exposed to the elements which is the easiest way to die in the bush. Remember the first rule for Survival: Conservation of Energy. Water is a close second due to the ever constant threat of dehydration. Fire is next because you need fire to purify water (some water can be collected in the form of dew for example, which does not have to be purified). Food is last because you can live sometimes for weeks without it but not without water. Violate the Sacred Order and you're scavenger bait!

i find it very interesting just to mind the simple but empowering techniques on how to survive on lifes struggleness on nature & environments.

This is one of the best survival tips web sites ever.

These are some of the best survival ideas.

I have no idea about outdoor survival, I'm a city girl. Some of the people who made the comments have some points that made me rethink the order of what this article is talking about. I'm glad that this article gives people some pointers on survival because that is very important.

i think this article teaches alot to secondary students like me

In northern Canada we priorize these skills a bit differently; what use is a fire if your in the middle of the frozen tundra. Location of both fire and shelter is critical to your survival. We often use fire as a task to to provide warmth , light and sense of security. We choose to put fire where we will begin the process of building a shelter to sustain heat and protect us from the wind and cold.

Once this accomplished signals are critical.  These tasks should be done first. Water hydration is next , food is not even a consideration; he task of finding food is not worth the rewards of the food collected or caught , most time the energy expenditure is greater than the benefits.  Body mangement is the key !!! conserve sweat not water !!! Scully.

These are some of the best survival skills, thank you for showing them to us!

I've read so much of the info on this site that I'm in danger of information overload! This really is a great site, but unfortunately there is one thing missing from my perspective:

As I live on an island with very little woodland and even less chance of wild camping, there is no way I can put any of this to any practical use without paying a fortune for the boat or plane to get off the island and another small fortune to get help for my wife to look after the tribal offspring while I go wandering around in the wild lands of North America, or anywhere else for that matter!

You guys in Canada and USA have no idea how frustrated I am - actually maybe you do by now :)

Anway, just make sure you look after your widerness. What did the North American Indian Chief say? "We do not own the land, we are borrowing it from our children" or words to that effect...

If anyone wants to treat me to a week in the wilderness, please drop a note here - hehe ;)

Cheers Ali

Survival Topics: Good post, Ali and thank you for reading Survival Topics. Yes, of course the site is slanted toward wilderness survival in northern North America since that is where I have lived all my life. Still, there are some survival skills used in this area that are applicable anywhere in the world.

And I agree: it is impossible to really own anything in this world, we are only using it for the little time we are here and then passing it on as it was passed to us.

I agree - survival techniques apply anywhere.  They may need small tweaks to apply to the situation but they still apply.

The greatest precedence here in Jersey is swimming, for obvious reasons. Yet annually there are people who are cut off from the tide while low water fishing (not usually locals I must admit) or go out on small boats with bad weather closing in because either they haven't understood or haven't checked. Jersey has the third fastest rising tide in the world (I believe?) so it races up on a spring tide and can cause a a few dramas with it's sheer power and speed. The emergency rescue services don't always find people overboard until, sadly, they wash up on the French coast a couple of weeks later.

On that note, for those that are going out on the sea, lake, river, any water by any means, make sure you have all the prerequisite kit and know how to use it. Just the survival kit won't keep you alive of course, so read up and practice, practice practice - capsize, man overboard, lost navigation etc etc. If you have kids with you, make it fun for them to learn while they go through the drills as it'll make it more probable that they will use the drills without second thought. I'm no expert by any means so seek advice.

All the best for now. Ali

I like this survival website I found it today. I will comment more later, but I like these basic skills for survival.

This is some of the best survival skills information I have read.  You guys rock!

Rule of Thumb Number One is tell someone where your going. This way people know where to start looking.

Survival Topics: this is excellent advice and an important supplement to the 5 basic survival skills.

Nice article on the basic survival skills.

Good information for my project. By the way good wilderness survival website!

You could make it as a project and article because this survival topic it is so expandable

Very good survival topics!

A good set of outdoor survival skills!

Michael has a point that a signal fire can be a risky idea, but the chances of you starting a forest fire are about one in a million, and the chance of rescue far outweighs the risk of starting an uncontrollable fire.

Surely this is stuff anyone would know already, it's basic common sense. Alternatively, maybe people have become so used to having everything done for them they need to have this explained.

Survival Topics - Like many things, this material may seem common sense once you have learned it.  Depending upon your life experience you may have learned basic survival skills as a matter of course while hiking, hunting, fishing or working in the outdoors.  However others may have had little exposure to wilderness survival.  The 5 basic survival skills article gives people the basic information they need for survival in a variety of situations.

I like what this site had to say about survival. If I was stranded, it would really help.

the first 5 basic survival skills are very usefull.  It is very important to understand and learn basic survival skills that can save your life when you are stuck in a disaster or in an isolated island.

very usefull survival information, I can complete my project on survival skills.

I like your list,but I would have to say that I think the number 1 importance in survival is your moral.

I am no survival expert but I would like to add that I know morale is not a skill.  Although a positive moral is key to any skills we may have.  Like building our nice warm fire that lifts our spirit in many ways.  But we must have the right attitude for a successful fire.

I do not live in New Orleans but Im just north of it.  I can tell you that although their situation was far worse than mine my wife, 8 month old daughter, and I didnt have a walk in the park.  The storm caused us more than a month with no electricity, fuel was a promblem even if you had a generator [we didnt].  Food,water,heat.  My nerves got the best of me after the first 24-hours and I was no use to my family.  A few hours later I pulled it together and for the next month I was the spirit lifter like a man should be to his family. Morale is very important.

These 5 basic survival skills are perhaps the best information available on survival subject matter. Accurate, brief and indispensible. Bravo!!

The key word here is "skill". This list is not so much about kit, tools and energy bars. It?s about skills. Kit and tools are taken for granted. If you?re hiking, camping or your car breaks down in no-man?s land, it is assumed that you are Boy Scout enough to not leave home without the basic essentials.

Can you start a fire? Can you purify water? Can you build or deploy a shelter? Can you signal for help if lost in the wilderness? Can you treat wounds and avoid nasty bites? Most importantly, can you maintain core body temperature and avoid hypothermia and hyperthermia?

These are the questions that lead to building a successful kit. My kit just gets bigger and bigger because there are so many useful tools available.

For starting a fire there are too many options to list. The firesteel available on this site are a good start. Having good tinder like triple cotton balls covered in petroleum jelly stowed in a film container will allow you to start a good fire. There are many other options that will fit neatly into a fanny pack.

Purifying water is much more difficult. You can?t boil water if you don?t have a pot, pan or metal coffee cup. My solution is an AquaStar Plus UV water purifier. It kills all the bugs that will give you diarrhea. That is one ailment you do not want in the wild. It can kill you through dehydration. Iodine, bleach or tablets will not kill all the bugs.

Couple the UV purifier with a filtration hand pump and you?re good to go. I?m not convinced that SODIS is worth the time or trouble. Not if you?re on the move.

Shelter is problematic. You may have a tent in the trunk, but not on the trail. At least nothing more than a tube tent, plastic bags or space blanket. Building shelter requires a cutting tool and something to tie the branches together. Carry a quality knife or axe with rope or 550 parachute cord.

Signaling for help is the number one effort when lost in the wilderness, assuming family or friends know your general whereabouts. Whistles, sirens, flashlights, signal panels, signal fires, signal mirrors, you get the point. If you are so lost that you require rescue, you need to have signaling tools. Three fires may be all you have to signal for help. The best advice is to tell people you trust where, when and why you are marching into the wilderness. If nobody knows you?re gone, who is going to call SAR?

I can see why first aid is last on the list. While it?s important to avoid infection on the trail, you will most likely die of exposure or dehydration way before you die of infection. Bug repellent, Bactine, itch cream, sun screen, bandages, tunicate, Crazy Glue and a standard first aid pouch should be enough. Maybe add a Sawyer Extractor for snake bite.

I like the statement a previous poster made on morale. If you carry the tools necessary for a simple day hike, your morale will be greatly boosted because you have the tools to survive. No tools, equals low morale. Even with minimal tools, a positive attitude can help you put one foot in front of the other to find civilization.

Regarding security, I tend to agree with another previous poster. I don?t live in bear or cougar country, but I wouldn?t leave home without at least a 9 mm pistol. A rabid full grown male raccoon is like a wolverine. I?ve chased off raccoons in Illinois and Michigan that had to weigh at least 25 pounds, probably more.

But a gun won?t start a fire, build a shelter or purify water.

If you want to brush up on survial techniques buy the book: How to stay alive in the woods by Bradford Angier.

Skill and the right mind set are the two most important items on the list.  All of the those neat survival tools and survival kits are useless with out the above.

Rule of 3: 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, three weeks without food. Do not allow your movements to endanger any of these.  Don't jump into waterfalls like Bear G. prepare your kit to be place specific. Filter through the tips and select ideas logically. I will not give my resume but have done a lot of trekking throughout the Americas including climbing in the Andes snow fields. I wouldn't take an ice axe to the desert. Survivorman is the closest to the real deal thusfar.  I njoy Bear Grylls but it's entertainment mixed with tips. Wouldn't copy it when alone--nor would he.

I like the article. The author has offered some very good advice. Every situation will require it's own survival need. Common sense can go a long way if panic dosen't over-take you. If you know you're going on a hike, you should first let a few people know where you're going, if you're alone and when you should be back. There are some very good survival books available. A few of my favorites are SAS Survival Handbook by John Wiseman, How to Stay Alive in the Woods by Bradford Angier and The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts-how to find, identify, and cook them by Katie Letcher Lyle. There are many other helpful survival books out there that are worth their weight in gold. On a final thought, If you're hiking the wilderness, a small first aid kit should be included in the contents of your back-pack.

Except for the EMT : most folks can remember to prioritize by the:"Rule of 3's"You can survive:

• 3 minutes with out oxygen
• 3 hours exposed to extreme environments
• 3 days without water
• 3weeks without food

Being raised in the Everglades back in the 70's my father taught me also the "5 DAILY NEEDS" that will help keep you alive and the order that they should be applied.

1. FAITH = belief in willpower = pray to live
2. CLOTHING = protection from elements
3. SHELTER = protection from animals/enviroment
4. HEAT = fire = cooking = warmth
5. WATER & FOOD = nutrients/vitamins/minerals

You should learn these survival needs and practice them every chance you get.

The article is well done but let's not forget the importance of one's state of mind when surviving. It is critical that you stay calm and focused in a survival situation. Do your best not to lose your cool in any survival situation

I think some people responding are going overboard! Simple is better when talking about survival. Any information like this is helpful for many people. I would put shelter first, then water. Of course, any injuries should be addressed first with basic first aid but person answering below must be an ER doctor, nurse or extreme mountain or outdoorsman. Many people aren't going to be able to even understand what he/she is talking about and that is crucial! Next, we have to know the environmental conditions and appropriate clothing if available. If you have any means of communication, then be creative and utilize it; from a cell phone to sticks or flash light signals. Fire is always important but really without a lighter most people are not able to start one with two sticks or flint so hunker down in a good shelter and wait for someone to find you. Some of the best survival skills happen well before you leave for any trip including preparedness and letting someone know where you are going etc...

Not every off the shelf survival kit has everything you need. Everyone has different needs. I think it would be a good idea to buy a survival kit and personalize it.

Remember you have to carry it, keep it lite.

I have also noticed with knifes that you get what you pay for. I baught a knife that cost me $100 bucks. My friends gave me crap about it. Said I was stupid. One of my friends got a $15 dollar folding knife at wallmart. He just about lost a few fingers. Lucky for him the cheap knife didn't hold an edge very long. Iv had my knife for about a year. I use it just about every day. I have only sharpend it once.