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1 FUNDAMENTALS OF SURVIVAL

Panicking is a natural reaction in a survival situation, but you can learn to let the panic pass.

To begin thinking like a survivalist, realize that you cannot control many aspects of your situation, especially past actions, both your own and those of others. You don’t have control over the fact that you turned right instead of left, for example, or that it is hot outside, or that a lightning storm is coming. All of those factors are out of your hands. The only thing that you have 100% control over is yourself and what you are going to do in order to improve your situation. So the first thing you need to do is calm down and get your emotions under control. Doubt, fear, frustration, anger, sadness—these emotions cloud your judgment and make choosing the right way forward harder than it has to be. Get rid of them.

Also realize that no matter how fit and tough you are, your natural first response in a survival situation is going to be to panic. The key to getting past panic is to not fight that feeling. Do not try to outrun the emotion. Instead, let the panic pass.

Assess Your Situation

Once you are calm, it is time to assess the situation. I like to think about my surroundings in terms of three zones.

ZONE 1

Zone 1 is you. You need to take into account everything that you have on your person that can be used for your survival. Turn your pockets inside out and take inventory of everything you have. No matter how useless an item may appear, do not discard it. Remember that what you have on you is all that you have to survive. Zone 2

ZONE 2

Zone 2 is the immediate area within your line of sight. Are there usable resources that you can see within walking distance?

ZONE 3

Zone 3 is any area beyond Zone 2. Typically, unless you are setting up camp for an extended time and may eventually run out of resources, this zone isn’t a factor. This is where you explore to find more available resources.

Survival Rules of Three

Knowing the survival rules of three will help you focus and set priorities. The rules of three are not absolutes; however, they give you an easy way to begin thinking about survival.

1. You can survive three minutes without air.

2. You can survive three hours without shelter (maintaining your core body temperature).

3. You can survive three days without water.

4. You can survive three weeks without food.

The Survival Pyramid

Along with the survival rules of three, another concept to keep you focused is what is known as the survival pyramid. It has three sections.

1. The base, which is the largest section, is the will to survive.

2. The middle section is your knowledge and skills.

3. The top of the pyramid, which is the smallest section, is gear and supplies.

Some people may think this hierarchy is upside down. They’re tempted to focus on their gear and supplies. But the most important aspect of a bad situation is your will to survive—your ability to keep putting one foot in front of the other in order to get where you need to be. You could have all the supplies you need at your disposal, but if you don’t have the will to survive, the best gear in the world won’t help much.

Gear and supplies can be lost or perhaps were never available in the first place. Knowledge and skills cannot be lost or taken away from you. Gear and supplies are last because without the previous two levels of the pyramid, your gear is going to be ineffective.

Train for the Survivalist Mindset

What if you had to find your own food in the woods and cook it?

Someone once asked me, “How can you possibly be prepared for everything?” The answer is, you can’t. But knowing the basics of first aid, navigation, getting food and water, dressing in proper clothing, and how to set up camp will help you in almost any emergency situation.

In addition to learning about survival techniques, it helps to rehearse “What if?” scenarios in your mind. For example, let’s say you are in a restaurant and a fire breaks out. What do you do? Do you know where the exits are located? What can you use to break windows or pry open doors if you have to quickly leave the building? Another example: Imagine you are rafting down a river. You hit rapids and your raft capsizes, leaving you stranded without your gear. What is on your person that you can use? Do you know where you can find safety? Training yourself to have a “what if” mindset can prepare you for the unexpected.

Your raft capsizes: now what do you do?

Stay Prepared with Emergency Kits

It doesn’t matter what you are doing or how close you are to civilization, you should always keep a “bug-out bag” for those just-in-case situations. It is important to never underestimate the distance between you and safety. With the ease of modern transportation and communications systems, people take too much for granted. They think help will always be available. They will say, “I’m only going fifteen minutes away,” or “It’s just ten miles away.” But I know people who have been stuck in their vehicles overnight in snowstorms, just a few miles from home. Always rely on yourself as your primary means of help and others as secondary.

Here is a list of items that don’t take up a lot of room and are easily carried. I consider this the bare minimum of what you should have with you as often as possible.

• Paracord

• A map of your area

• Compass

• Knife

• Multi-tool

• Drinking container (I prefer a metal one)

• Fire starting kit (lighter, matches, ferrocerium rod, tinder, fatwood—your preference)

• Extra set of clothes (weather appropriate for the season and region)

• Signal whistle

• Tarp

• First aid kit