How to Survive in the Wild
Think about all possible options if you find yourself in the wild without help., Build a shelter with branches (bamboo works best) and rope., Stay out of sunlight in hot environments., Consider a lean-to., Build a bog-bed., Use the lenses of a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Think about all possible options if you find yourself in the wild without help.
Be decisive about what the best survival course of action is.
For example, if you think the best survival course of action is to seek out help and civilization, don't wait for four or five days before you come to this conclusion.
Take action on the first or second day if possible, while you still have strength and endurance working for you. , Form an angular shape with it.
Use as many branches as possible for added stability and protection against the wind and weather. -
Step 2: Build a shelter with branches (bamboo works best) and rope.
If you are in a desert environment, try to build an underground shade shelter to avoid prolonged sun exposure (obviously only for hot climates) so you can travel more comfortably in cooler temperatures (avoid sweating). , For this, you need something solid like a log or large rock.
Lay long-ish branches against it thickly, and criss-cross smaller branches and shrubbery on top to provide sufficient insulation.
The smaller your shelter is, the better it will insulate you.
Shelters in low, dense shrubbery are often home to many insects. , If your environment is perpetually damp or mushy, use branches laid and crisscrossed on top of one another to create a solid and dry foundation for a lean-to or open bed pad.
Rise above ground level as much as possible. , Use dry wood and sticks to start your fire.
Fire is started using three kinds of wood: tinder, kindling, and fuel.
Tinder is any kind of flammable wood shaving; usually light and wispy.
Kindling is used for coaxing the flame into a larger form, and fuel is for fuel.
You can take two pieces of dry wood, sharpen one of them and use it to drill into the other piece.
Place any highly flammable objects you can find next to the drill bit.
The moment the flammable object catches a spark, use a rock to swiftly tip the shouldering object onto a nest of leaves/ twigs/dry bark. , Hypothermia or overheating can be deadly.
If you are in the wilderness you should cover your body with everything from leaves to blankets before nights because the temperature often reduces drastically.
Many people die each year as the result of hypothermia. , Get an ordinary block of wood and hit with a blunt rock repeatedly until the wood sharpens.
Sharpen like any other knife, but in this case, use the rock as your sharpener.
You could also take a rock and break off some of the edges and then use another rock and some water like a wet stone and sharpen.
In an ideal situation, Obsidian stone (black, translucent lava rock) would be used for its infamous sharpness. , Arrange a few sticks in somewhat half a teepee.
Use 2 more sticks to hold up the "teepee"
similar to your shelter.
Place an item of your choice you think an animal will come after.
If you're lucky, the animal will be trapped.
Use pitfall traps for larger prey.
Dig a hole in the ground about 2-3m deep and 1-2m across (depends on the prey size).
Take 2 thin branches and place them crisscrossed across the hole.
Cover it with leaves and put something the animals like to eat (raw meat, or peanut butter, or berries).
You can also put a few wooden spikes sharpened by your knife at the bottom.
Don't forget to build a ladder or you might not be able to climb out of the hole.
Always remember to cut it up into smaller pieces before moving it out of the hole.
The last thing you want to do is to injure yourself.
Set as many traps as you can.
Go after fish first if you go hunting.
When you spot one, don't make a sudden move.
The vibrations will scare them off.
Water bends light and makes objects appear further than they appear, so compensate for this and aim just in front of your target.
Practice makes perfect.
Streams are full of food for if you cannot catch fish there are usually freshwater mussels If you fail at catching fish, try to find some plants to eat; dandelions(yellow flowers or big white thing, eat the leaves), sour grass(has a yellow flower at the top and looks like grass, only in a cylinder shape, has no leaves, eat the cylinder type grass part), just never eat white berries.
It may be tempting to eat regular grass but do not. , Signs accompanying dehydration are dry tongue, burning throat, and dark-brown urine, at first instances.
Water can set the line between life and death.
Remember you can only survive for a maximum of 3 days without water.
Find a place, like a pond or similar body of water, and dig a hole right beside it, deep enough for water to fall through.
Use that, because if you take it right out of the pond, you don't know what bugs will go into your mouth.
Another easy way to collect water is to set up some plastic wrap and collect dew in the morning, for water. , Repeat the fire step, this time using live branches. , If you hear a bunch of people near you, blow your whistle and call for help.
That will get their attention and you'll likely be rescued. -
Step 3: Stay out of sunlight in hot environments.
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Step 4: Consider a lean-to.
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Step 5: Build a bog-bed.
-
Step 6: Use the lenses of a magnifying glass or even your glasses to start a fire.
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Step 7: Keep your body temperature as normal as possible.
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Step 8: Carve a knife or spear for hunting.
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Step 9: Set a trap if you can't go out to hunt.
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Step 10: Find water in the first days.
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Step 11: Create a smoke signal.
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Step 12: Make noise to attract attention.
Detailed Guide
Be decisive about what the best survival course of action is.
For example, if you think the best survival course of action is to seek out help and civilization, don't wait for four or five days before you come to this conclusion.
Take action on the first or second day if possible, while you still have strength and endurance working for you. , Form an angular shape with it.
Use as many branches as possible for added stability and protection against the wind and weather.
If you are in a desert environment, try to build an underground shade shelter to avoid prolonged sun exposure (obviously only for hot climates) so you can travel more comfortably in cooler temperatures (avoid sweating). , For this, you need something solid like a log or large rock.
Lay long-ish branches against it thickly, and criss-cross smaller branches and shrubbery on top to provide sufficient insulation.
The smaller your shelter is, the better it will insulate you.
Shelters in low, dense shrubbery are often home to many insects. , If your environment is perpetually damp or mushy, use branches laid and crisscrossed on top of one another to create a solid and dry foundation for a lean-to or open bed pad.
Rise above ground level as much as possible. , Use dry wood and sticks to start your fire.
Fire is started using three kinds of wood: tinder, kindling, and fuel.
Tinder is any kind of flammable wood shaving; usually light and wispy.
Kindling is used for coaxing the flame into a larger form, and fuel is for fuel.
You can take two pieces of dry wood, sharpen one of them and use it to drill into the other piece.
Place any highly flammable objects you can find next to the drill bit.
The moment the flammable object catches a spark, use a rock to swiftly tip the shouldering object onto a nest of leaves/ twigs/dry bark. , Hypothermia or overheating can be deadly.
If you are in the wilderness you should cover your body with everything from leaves to blankets before nights because the temperature often reduces drastically.
Many people die each year as the result of hypothermia. , Get an ordinary block of wood and hit with a blunt rock repeatedly until the wood sharpens.
Sharpen like any other knife, but in this case, use the rock as your sharpener.
You could also take a rock and break off some of the edges and then use another rock and some water like a wet stone and sharpen.
In an ideal situation, Obsidian stone (black, translucent lava rock) would be used for its infamous sharpness. , Arrange a few sticks in somewhat half a teepee.
Use 2 more sticks to hold up the "teepee"
similar to your shelter.
Place an item of your choice you think an animal will come after.
If you're lucky, the animal will be trapped.
Use pitfall traps for larger prey.
Dig a hole in the ground about 2-3m deep and 1-2m across (depends on the prey size).
Take 2 thin branches and place them crisscrossed across the hole.
Cover it with leaves and put something the animals like to eat (raw meat, or peanut butter, or berries).
You can also put a few wooden spikes sharpened by your knife at the bottom.
Don't forget to build a ladder or you might not be able to climb out of the hole.
Always remember to cut it up into smaller pieces before moving it out of the hole.
The last thing you want to do is to injure yourself.
Set as many traps as you can.
Go after fish first if you go hunting.
When you spot one, don't make a sudden move.
The vibrations will scare them off.
Water bends light and makes objects appear further than they appear, so compensate for this and aim just in front of your target.
Practice makes perfect.
Streams are full of food for if you cannot catch fish there are usually freshwater mussels If you fail at catching fish, try to find some plants to eat; dandelions(yellow flowers or big white thing, eat the leaves), sour grass(has a yellow flower at the top and looks like grass, only in a cylinder shape, has no leaves, eat the cylinder type grass part), just never eat white berries.
It may be tempting to eat regular grass but do not. , Signs accompanying dehydration are dry tongue, burning throat, and dark-brown urine, at first instances.
Water can set the line between life and death.
Remember you can only survive for a maximum of 3 days without water.
Find a place, like a pond or similar body of water, and dig a hole right beside it, deep enough for water to fall through.
Use that, because if you take it right out of the pond, you don't know what bugs will go into your mouth.
Another easy way to collect water is to set up some plastic wrap and collect dew in the morning, for water. , Repeat the fire step, this time using live branches. , If you hear a bunch of people near you, blow your whistle and call for help.
That will get their attention and you'll likely be rescued.
About the Author
Marilyn Howard
Writer and educator with a focus on practical hobbies knowledge.
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