Hiking and backpacking are activities that bring about feelings of wonder and freedom. These activities allow you to declutter your mind, alleviate stress, and discover inaccessible areas.
There are certain risks involved in venturing into the wilderness, but it is not common to experience emergencies in remote areas. Nevertheless, it is essential to be ready and have a basic understanding of survival skills for the wilderness.
Attitude
Your brain and your ability to control yourself are undoubtedly the most crucial survival tools. Despite being skilled survivalists, many have perished in seemingly ordinary situations, while every year, even young children without any survival skills manage to endure remarkably challenging survival scenarios.
In each situation, despite being scared, the young children remained calm and did not allow their emotions to take over. They maintained their composure, conserved energy, and simply waited for help because they were unaware of any other course of action. Ignorance, in this case, brought them a sense of bliss.
The key to differentiating between people who survive and those who do not lies in their ability to think logically during emotionally challenging situations. In my opinion, the book Deep Survival is the best I have ever read on this topic.
Despite constantly hearing advice against panicking in survival situations, it is important to acknowledge that humans naturally tend to panic in times of intense emotions. Although responding to high-stress circumstances based on emotions is generally beneficial, acting solely on emotions can prove fatal in a survival scenario.
First, you need to cease your current activity and engage in some contemplation. Once you have thought through the situation in a rational manner and determined the subsequent step, proceed with action. Rather than impulsively responding to the circumstances, formulate a reasoned strategy and implement it accordingly.
It is crucial to note that if circumstances change, it is necessary to modify your plan accordingly. Take the time to reassess the situation and be prepared to make adjustments to your initial plan.
By adopting such an attitude, one can effectively stay calm, adaptable, and employ their survival abilities to ensure survival.
Survival Shelters
Mastering the art of creating survival shelters can help individuals evade life-threatening situations that arise from exposure to the elements, such as dying from hypothermia due to extreme cold or from dehydration, hyperthermia, or heat stroke caused by excessive heat.
When constructing a survival shelter, there are several crucial factors to take into account.
- Location: build above the flood line and out of dry washes. Construct your survival shelter away from rocks that might fall off a cliff. Also, don’t build under dead tress that could come down.
- Material: Build your shelter where there is a lot of material close by. You don’t want to waste daylight and energy hauling rocks, leaves and branches over long distances.
- Protection from the elements: If it might rain, waterproof it as best you can. Make your survival shelter thick enough to keep you warm on its own if you can’t build a fire in the shelter. In the desert you’ll want a shelter that keeps you shaded in the daytime as well.
Survival Tips
BE PREPARED FOR THE AREA
Before you set out, ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the weather, terrain, wildlife, and insects that you may come across. It is more convenient to organize your belongings at home rather than being caught off guard during your journey.
LEARN TO MAKE A FIRE
It is essential for every backpacker to be aware of this important information. Having the ability to start a fire can be a lifesaver in situations requiring cooking or warmth. Despite the various fire-starting tools that exist, having a fundamental understanding of fire-starting remains a vital skill. As a precaution, consider carrying a flint or strike igniter as a secondary option.
LEARN HOW TO FIND OR MAKE A SHELTER
Having the ability to construct a quick shelter is of crucial importance in regions characterized by severe weather conditions. If you bring along a tarp or tent, dedicate time to repeatedly setting them up until it becomes instinctual. Additionally, it is advantageous to comprehend the process of creating a rudimentary lean-to shelter in the event that your main shelter is inaccessible.
LEARN HOW TO TIE VARIOUS KNOTS
The ability to tie different knots is a valuable skill to possess as it enables you to accomplish tasks such as hanging a bear bag, securing tent and tarp guy lines, or even scaling a mountainside, if necessary.
LEARN HOW TO LOCATE WATER
If there is no water source nearby, you can collect dew in the morning. Additionally, according to the laws of gravity, water is more likely to be found at the base of a hill or mountain.
KNOW WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET LOST
If you find yourself lost, the advisable course of action is to remain in one place. However, if a considerable amount of time has passed without any sign of rescue, it is necessary to take action. To increase your chances of being found, acquire knowledge on how to convey distress signals. This entails using a mirror or fire to create light, whistling, or hanging brightly colored items in areas that can be easily seen.
LEARN NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS
This point is incredibly important, especially if you are planning to go backpacking or hiking alone. Even if you don’t end up completely lost, it can be simple to veer off course if you are not skilled at reading maps.
To become familiar with reading a map, acquaint yourself with your current location and the direction you are facing. Additionally, paying attention to landmarks can assist you in recalling your position and finding your way back if necessary.
If you become disoriented, learn how to use the sun as a guide to determine your direction and estimate the amount of daylight left.
ESTIMATE DAYLIGHT WITH THE HAND TRICK
In addition to the information above, knowing the remaining amount of daylight is also beneficial. To determine this, you can use a helpful technique. Extend your four fingers horizontally towards the horizon, aligning the top of your index finger with the bottom of the sun. The finger closest to the horizon is your pinkie. Each finger corresponds to a 15-minute interval. Therefore, if your pinkie is positioned at the horizon and your index finger is directly below the sun, you have approximately one hour remaining. This method is straightforward and fairly precise.
SET UP SHELTER/SEEK WARMTH BEFORE YOU’RE WET OR COLD
Although this can be considered more of a survival tip rather than a skill, it remains crucial. If you are already cold, using an emergency blanket will not reflect heat.
LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH LARGE PREDATORS
While it is uncommon to have close encounters with bears, it is important to know the specific bear species residing in the area. Generally, black bears tend to be cautious around humans. Grizzlies, on the other hand, typically try to avoid encounters, but may demonstrate more aggression if they perceive a threat.
When in North America, it is advisable to learn about methods for defending against mountain lion and bobcat attacks. To provide a brief overview, one should raise their arms and generate noise in order to appear larger.
CARRY A BASIC FIRST-AID KIT AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT
Always remember to bring a basic first aid kit with you, as well as taking the time to educate yourself on how to treat the most common injuries by watching instructional videos. In addition, it is advantageous to learn how to create and use splints and slings for fractures and broken bones, wherein trekking poles can serve as helpful tools.
LEARN HOW TO USE YOUR GEAR
If you don’t know how to use bear spray or an emergency blanket, it will be useless to have them. Bringing the correct gear is one thing, but it is essential to learn how to utilize them effectively.
