Survival Basics – Part 1

"We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome" - Isabel Allende

This is part1 of a multi part series on basic survival. It is not intended to be the "one stop shop" for everything survival, rather an introduction to it for those who have not yet spent any time away from home under austere circumstances. The regular wilderness warrior will not glean much they don't already know and will no doubt have much to add as we lightly scrape the surface of what is a topic of considerable proportion. There are numerous ways to achieve the same objectives, these are "a way" not necessarily "the way".

The human body is capable of remarkable feats when paired with an equally resilient mind. The movie "The Revenant" was inspired by the true story of Hugh Glass, a frontiersman, trapper and explorer in the early 19^th century. Glass was attacked and badly injured by a grizzly bear. He had multiple lacerations, heavy bleeding and a fractured leg. After a week the last of his party left his semi-unconscious body for dead taking all the remaining supplies. Grass regained consciousness and successfully dragged himself to a nearby river surviving on water, roots and berries. He set his own broken leg and allowed the maggots to eat his dead flesh thus preventing the onset of gangrene. He feasted on the rotting flesh of abandoned kills while dragging himself along the route to Fort Kiowa. As he regained his strength, he became able to stand and eventually arrived at the Cheyenne river where he constructed a raft and floated downstream to his destination.

Glass's epic journey totaling six weeks and covering two hundred and fifty-miles is an inspirational tale of determination, endurance, resilience and self-preservation against all odds.

While we hope that nobody is unfortunate enough to get mauled by a bear, there are many "more likely" scenarios that any one of us may find ourselves in, in our rugged Wyoming surroundings e.g. getting stuck in a snowstorm, getting bucked off our horse on a trail ride or simply getting lost in the woods. Some basic survival skills and equipment will greatly minimize the severity of the situation.

Of all the skills available to a person, the number one "skill" that will give you the best chance of survival is attitude. A positive mind can will the body to perform extraordinary feats. A commitment to live, a refusal to quit greatly increases the chances of survival. You must dominate fear, cast out your doubts and overcome the elements.

Applying the well-known and widely promulgated rule of 3s to a survival situation, we can assess and determine our survival priorities:

1. We can survive 3 minutes without air
2. We can survive 3 hours without regulated body temperature
3. We can survive 3 days without water
4. We can survive 3 weeks without food

For the purpose of this we will assume we are in a survival only situation and not an escape and evasion situation in which we would be applying survival techniques in a tactical manner to outsmart a pursuing enemy intent on our demise.

There are a variety of methods, options or suggestions discussed below. They are examples only and are not all encompassing.

Shelter

Referring back to our rule of 3s we can see that as long as we are breathing (and do not require first aid) our next priority should be shelter. Protection from the elements is vital component of survival and shelter building an essential skill. Maintaining a steady body temperature not only assists in sustaining function but frees your mind to better address your situation. Many people get into trouble due to direct exposure to the elements. It is as important to prevent or minimize heat loss in a temperate climate as it is to prevent or minimize fluid loss in a desert climate.

There are numerous types of shelters which can be created from readily available materials in addition to those which you may be fortunate enough to have with you. The type of shelter you choose to erect will be based on your environmental conditions and the availability of construction materials. Where possible, when looking for a suitable site to construct your shelter, you will ideally be looking for flat ground that is away from any hazards (rotten trees, avalanche slopes, insect nests, flood plains, water run off etc.), close to an abundance of needed construction materials, close to water and food sources, as insulated from the elements as possible (wind, rain, ground (thermal loss)), be as small as is necessary making it easier to heat and at or near a potential communication site (if you have a working radio with you).

There are numerous types of shelters including natural ones like caves, hollow logs and overhangs in addition to the many built ones such as the lean-to, the debris hut and the snow cave.

Shelters made of locally sourced materials (wood, leaves, bark, snow etc.) will take more time to create than ones from manufactured materials (tarp, 550 cord etc.) but can serve equally well if constructed properly.

Water

Next on our rule of 3's is water. The first thing we need to do is find a reliable water source and then we need to make it safe to drink. Staying hydrated is important but so is ensuring that we're not contracting any diseases from the water. The best sources for clean drinking water are springs, head water streams (the highest end of a watershed), and rainwater collection (conditions permitting). Ideally, water that is moving is better than water that is static but either works if that's all that's available. Some water sources will be seasonal and only "run" when there's rain leaving nothing but puddles when there isn't. These are also viable water sources but will likely require additional filtration to remove potential parasites. Be aware of any animals in the area that may be urinating and defecating in the water and of any run off into the water source from known habitation or industry further upstream.

In areas where water is abundant (including via melting snow) collection is much easier. In areas where it's a scarcity there are a number of methods available for locating it. No one method may provide you with your daily survival requirement and you will likely have to combine methods under these more testing conditions. Look for plant life. Plants must have water to grow. Digging down a short distance near to plant life may turn up water not seen at the surface. It's possible to collect water by tying a small plastic bag (if you have one) over the plants leaves and placing a small pebble in the bag as a collection point. It won't be much but better than nothing. Look for north facing canyons that are shaded and may hold water in rock pools. It's possible to find hydration in the fruit of some cacti e.g. prickly pear which is a staple in Central American diets. Another way is to watch the wildlife. Insects, birds and larger animals all need water and can be observed in flight or via tracks heading to potential water sources. Digging down into the bottom of a dry river bed may provide water just under the surface. Building a solar still is another method of collection. The yield, in isolation, may be insufficient but when coupled with other methods can contribute to a successful water collection strategy.

Water should always be purified prior to consumption to ensure that we don't contract anything from it. As an example, diarrhea was the 2^nd leading cause of death in children under 5 years old in 2013 and killed 1.26 million people.

Purification is possible by the use of tablets that are dropped into the water and through filtering the water at source via a pump. If neither of those are available to you then boiling for 1 – 3 minutes has, for a long time, been a widely accepted and successful method of water purification. It's also possible to construct your own highly effective filter from naturally occurring materials (bark, gravel, charcoal, sand, grass).

The region in which you find yourself surviving, and the time of year, may help determine how much time and effort you have to assign to water collection and purification. However easy or hard mother nature makes it, it's a vital necessity.

Food

Back to our rule of 3's and onto food. We can last three weeks without food although I'm sure none of us would want to wait that long before our next trip to the drive through! Fortunately, our environment is often filled with items meeting our nutritional needs. If we have the relevant tools available, we can hunt animals to meet those needs. If not, we may want to consider various trapping techniques. If hunting and trapping are not available to us, due to lack of appropriate tools or we find ourselves constantly on the move, we will be limited to foraging for plants and insects. It's important to familiarize yourself with your environment and be able to identify a small library of edible plants at each stage of their growth cycle, and know how to harvest and prepare them. Some of the more well-known plants are cattails (roots, shoots and pollen heads can be eaten), conifers (the inner bark is full of calories and can be eaten from most cone-bearing trees (with the exception of yew)) and oaks (acorns are full of protein, fats and calories and can be eaten after leaching out the tannic acid).

Eating insects today is very normal in many cultures throughout Africa and Asia and although considered gross by modern western standards used to be practiced globally. Most insects are edible but it might be wise to avoid ones that sting, are brightly colored, hairy or those that are known to carry disease (ticks, mosquitoes, flies etc). There are over 1400 types of edible bugs in N America. The following could be on your menu – crickets, grasshoppers, honey bees, ants, termites, beetles, caterpillars, snails and slugs. After opening the snails and slugs lengthways to remove the entrails (just like shrimp) they can be boiled or roasted along with the other varieties. Crickets and grasshoppers will need their wings and legs removing to avoid choking and can be ground into a flour if desired.

While we are able to survive without food for extended periods, the less we eat, the more fatigued we become, the less our desire to perform necessary tasks like gather food and water. It becomes a vicious cycle that doesn't end well so do not wait until you are at death's door before trying a few roasted grasshoppers. They are nowhere near as bad as some restaurant food I've tasted.

While all our survival requirements can be met with zero equipment at all, life becomes so much easier if we have a few items of practical equipment at our disposal. These items should be with us each and every time we are away from home. Think how much more pleasant and "survivable" a night or two in the wilderness would be if you had a sharp knife, some string, an emergency blanket, a compass, a lighter and some food. We will look at these in more detail in future parts of the series.

"Survival can be summed up in three words - never give up. That's the heart of it really. Just keep trying" - Bear Grylls

Suggested reading (all available at Amazon)

Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival

SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere

Primitive skills and crafts