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).
First skill: Medicinal plants, I can recognize pretty much every plant on the eastern coast, and I know which ones are edible mostly. Second skill: Fire making, I can make good tinder, and get a fire from two sticks using friction fire method or a bow drill. Third Skill: Shelter, I can make a fairly good debris hut in about... an hour if i have a source of supplies such as a tree and grass. Fourth Skill: Hunting/Camo. Good camo is hard to find, but if you come across some mud I suggest you roll around in it. The mud keeps away flies, and also hides your scent from animals so its good for hunting. Hunting is fairly easy if you know traps and snares, which I know 3 of. Fifth Skill: Water. Water is not as easy to get in the wild as you might think. My 3 ways of getting water are: First, make a bowl using your fire. Now you have 3 options. First: Wait for it to rain Second: Find a stream Third: Find a grapevine. Grapevines are abundant in water and if you cut the vine a certain way water will continue to drip out. (This is true I've done it. Got about 3 gallons of water)
I could also use strips of cloth from my shirt to help stop bleeding and cover the wound.
Bad idea really. Why loose material treating a wound when a plant can do the same thing? Yarrow is my favorite plant. Leaves can absorb up to 500 times their mass, and their roots can numb wounds. Just don't get it confused for Water Hemlock which will kill you. It will.
Oh yeah, I forgot, another way to get water is to use a solar still, if you're in a desert. I can't believe I forgot the solar still >.< You'll need several of them to actually get enough water to use, but still, it's a simple and easy way to get water.
Bad idea really. Why loose material treating a wound when a plant can do the same thing? Yarrow is my favorite plant. Leaves can absorb up to 500 times their mass, and their roots can numb wounds. Just don't get it confused for Water Hemlock which will kill you. It will.
Why would you correct him, when you could just put that on your own thing? Yarrow looks similar to water hemlock in all except for its leaves.
maybe, depending on where i was, only done it with rocks that were given to me by a friend, never with ones i found, but i never had to either...
Second Basic Survival Skill -- Shelter
easy peasy, again depending. but in a rainforest, or tropical its simple as heavy leaves, but in the desert, id dig a hole. a big hole.
Third Basic Survival Skill -- Signaling
um, probably not, but why would you want to go home anyways, living for free off the land, sounds good to me.
Fourth Basic Survival Skill -- Food and Water
set up camp near fresh water source, because you need lots of it. if there isnt a stream or river, then dig boy, DIG!! also, if its frosty, you could melt water, given you had skill #1
Fifth Basic Survival Skill -- First Aid
not sure about this one, i could keep a wound clean and bandage it, plus turnicate, but i don't think i could perform that on myself.
I would die. My survival skills are nonexistent. At best I would be able to survive for a few days before I passed out from lack of sleep or got my self killed.
For first aid-One time I cut my leg open (gushing blood, some muscle tissue) and held it together for two weeks, no hospital. Iodine, tape, and those things that stop snoring...big scar. I've watched enough survivorman to know how to live in the middle of nowhere.
Strips of bark (thin tree bark, flexible and its possible to tie it) , wet leaves, and some twigs. A little water. Thats your first aid kit.
If I was in a large forest then shelter and fire would be easy I could climb a tree for shelter. And use fallen twigs and branches for fire. Not to mention game and wild fruit...
Then if I was stranded on a deserted island with a few palm trees then there may be problems....Visa Versa
