I was visiting checking out this web-site and they had a link to "The 5 Basic Survival Skills". I got intrigued and decided to see if I had any of them. And, here they are:
First Basic Survival Skill -- Fire Second Basic Survival Skill -- Shelter Third Basic Survival Skill -- Signaling Fourth Basic Survival Skill -- Food and Water Fifth Basic Survival Skill -- First Aid
You - stranded in the woods. Can you survive?
Me? Um... For fire... I saw on a few shows that showed putting dried weeds in a pile and smashing rocks close enough for it to light a spark and hopefully that spawns into a bigger fire. Still, I have little faith in me actually creating a fire without the help of a lighter or match(low self-esteem? lul), so I'm going to vote NO on this one.
A real shelter... Err... I saw the television show Survivor and saw them putting up a bunch of bamboo poles and giant leafs over it. Is that enough? I can probably do that, but again, I have little faith it'll turn out worthy enough to protect me from the elements for a few days.
Signaling. The mirror I can do, if I had one. Let's just say I didn't, can I find another way? The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is to create a fire or jump up and down trying to see if anybody saw me... The latter might be considered useless.
Food and water - I know about boiling water due to television again (is there anything TV can't teach us? Haha ^_^). At least that way you can get SOME form of drinkable water. Food? If it was possible to fish I can do that. At least I *think* I can... For the leafs and berries out there on the other hand... I probably would ingest some sort of poison berry and die. I'll probably stay away from that sort of food 'cuz I have no idea on which is good for you and which ones are not.
The most I know about first aid is cleaning the wound, tying a bandage/rag around the wound - tightly - and getting help from a professional A.S.A.P. It's probably the best you can do, right?
Questions: 1) Picture yourself getting lost in the wilderness and you need to stay alive for a few days. Which survival skills do you have, and do you think you could survival the wilderness for a few days by your lonesome?
2) And, do you think survival skills are a necessity in this day and age (if you live in a civilize country).
Survival skills are needed though many people do not have them. Society can collapse at any time, war, disease, economic depression can all lead to situations where survival skills could come in handy. Though, for many of us we'd be in urban areas so shelter and possibly food would not be a real concern, at least not at first. I own and can obviously use several firearms so I can get food and defend myself, saying I have them on me at the time. I normally carry a knife and can use that well enough so that can come in handy. I could make a primitive bow and arrow with enough time, though I wouldn't want to bet my life on such a device. Fire, I recomend carrying a lighter or matches, not entirely sure how to make one from scratch though I could possibly figure it out. Shelter can normally be found or easily constructed, but all of these depend on where you are, even what kind of wilderness. Mountain forests are completely different from swamps or deserts for example. Though, I'm fairly sure I can survive in a somewhat desert living in west texas, though I've lived near swamps and more forested areas in the past and could survive there if push came to shove. Well, I can only hope I don't have to find out if I need these skills, or that I'm with someone who has them and possibly have a firearm for food, though you also need a knife and fire starting abilities to use the food you hunt. But I vote yes that people need the skills to some degree.
1. This has already happened to me, but I was in a small group. I can make a fire using flint and steel, and using friction. As for shelter, depends on what is available... Growing up 60mi from the nearest store really helped me learn this. Signaling was always the hardest for me, but using things like stones to mark a path so you don't get lost will really help. When you go out into the woods or something, always carry a cell phone and or whistle. Start learning what plants are edible in your area, you never know when this might come in handy. Water from a lake or stream is only good if you know how to safely treat it. Boiling is always easiest. As for first aid... Everyone should have a basic knowledge of this, regardless of where you live... This saves countless lives.
2. Yes, I think all these things are necessary to learn at any age. You never know when you'll find yourself in a situation where you might need to use one of these skills.
First Basic Survival Skill -- Fire Second Basic Survival Skill -- Shelter Third Basic Survival Skill -- Signaling Fourth Basic Survival Skill -- Food and Water Fifth Basic Survival Skill -- First Aid
1) Without petrol and a lighter I would stuggle, although I do know of methods (thank you Ray Mears & Tom Hanks (castaway lol)) I doubt I could put them into practice very successfully.
2) Urm I used to build makeshift dens in the local woods years ago.. dont know how they would fair in bad weather or a wolf attack but they would probably keeps me dry in medium rain downpours.
3)If I could manage to make a fire I could do smoke signals (wouldnt know what is anything they were saying). Otherwise I guess yelling for help would be my main signal haha.
4) Again if I managed a fire I could cook any animals I manage to kill, I already know how to gut & skin / pluck most woodland animals. As for water I would just look for a river or try to set up leaves to catch rain-water (safer).
5) Well without a first aid kit what can you do? apart from keep pressure on large wounds with the help of a rag of clothing. I supose vines could be used to secure leaves over wounds also if you had no clothes..
----
I dont think survival skills are really needed all that much. Almost anywhere you go now you arn't far from civilisation. And also rescue teams are everywhere. Some would be handy to have. But on the most part if somebody is going far from civilisation they take provisions with them so they should have a limited supply of food & water, basic health care and something to start fires. perhaps even a tent.
Lol I go to scouts so I am learning how to map read and basic skills like that - I would probably take a box of matches, small amount of food, torch, compass, map and a knife with me. The knife could be used to prepare food and to help make the shelter if I had to cut leaves up.
Best thing to do, get a hold of dry grass and leaves, and gradually add small sticks to the flame as they burn themselves out. Don't bother with epic logs. Remember the native Indian saying ''Indian have small fire, stay warm by fireside all night. White man have big fire. Stay warm carrying sticks''.
Well your ability to use that skill would highly depend upon what you had available once stranded somewhere. In order to truly have First Aid as a survival skill, you must be able to apply First Aid through that which surrounds you.
I might be able to do this, i have a swiss army knife that has a magnifying glass and i've made smoke from that before. I also learned a ton about first aid in health this year. So i could do those things and i might be able to do the others.
I love how generic and obvious these skills are. Its all about being carefull and quick witted. Be carefull, no need for first aid. Quick witted, set traps for food.
signals, whats that gona do for you? chances are if anything bad happened where you owuld need to know that, there not gonna save you anyways.
Shelter, who wouldn't think about shelter? Like really? Like ok, yea standing out under no shelter is a great idea.
I would say I have a lot of those. Not great survival skills, but I could build shelter. I also could eventually make fire. Maybe. But shelter and first aid and signalling would be no problem. You really don't need to signal.
Food, I would probably stone small animals like a rabbit, then cook it over fire.
First Basic Survival Skill -- Fire I would use friction or the striking of rocks, whilst using as much tinder as possible. Build a small pyre, but use tons of shavings to start it off. Second Basic Survival Skill -- Shelter Weave sticks and branches together. Make shelter near water and food. Do it so animals can't get in. If in desert, make it in shade. Third Basic Survival Skill -- Signaling A bonfire would be too difficult, so what I would do is dig a message, such as SOS, into the ground. Fourth Basic Survival Skill -- Food and Water Find a stream, or if you're in the desert, create several solar stills. Food, I know most of the animals and plants in my area so I can tell which are edible. Fifth Basic Survival Skill -- First Aid If bleeding: apply pressure. If poisoned, as in snakebite: cut the afflicted area and drain out your blood to help drain the poison. Call ambulance. If something is broken: build a splint of some sort and don't use the broken thingy.
You mean a tourniquet? Yeah...my dad told me never, ever to use a tourniquet unless you know that you will be able to take it off within one hour, otherwise you may contact gangrene or necropsy and you will either die or need to have the limb amputated. I'd rather just apply pressure. Lol.
If poisoned, as in snakebite: cut the afflicted area and drain out your blood to help drain the poison. Call ambulance.
But you're stranded, how can you call in ambulance without a phone?
I don't know if I could survive very long. Maybe 3 days, 5 days top. I can make a shelter, and I think I'd be able to find water and food, but making a fire is out of the question for me . My parents never did like camping.
