From Patriot Authority Steve Bryant comes this very basic list…a more comprehensive list is upcoming…
Our lives are not without disasters and emergency situations. It is how we react to these circumstances that determine our survival. Your chances of surviving a tragedy can rise with the right survival skills. Here are the top 10 basic survival skills you need to master to survive in any situation.
- Survival Mentality
Your mentality determines your chances of survival. Nobody should overestimate their abilities or underestimate the weather and climate may have on the situation. There is a significant difference between assurance and arrogance.
- Shelter
In survival conditions, many people suffer from hypothermia, which can be prevented with proper survival skills. There are many types of shelters to be considered, including natural shelters like caves, hollow stumps, and logs. A debris hut is always the most convenient to create in almost any climate. It is necessary to learn how to avoid or mitigate the loss of heat with building shelters.
- Water
A person should drink at least a gallon of water a day. Many people lose their lives due to dehydration and/or the crippling impact of waterborne pathogens from untreated water. As part of your survival skillset, learn how to find the best sources of safe drinking water in the wilderness and the safest methods to purify/treating water.
- Food
Food is low on the list of basic survival skills, but without food, we will live for a long time compared to shelter and water. Wild plants often provide the simplest food, but insects and small wild games will satisfy our nutritional needs. Make sure that any plant you want to eat is identifiable. Some plants are hard to recognize and some nutritious plants appear dangerous.
- Fire
Fire is one of the most essential survival skills. It will help your body or shelter to warm up, dry your clothing, prepare your food, and boil water. In a survival situation, Fire may also provide psychological help. It is always safe to bring some fire-starting tools including lighter and matches for fire starting.
- Navigation
If you’re without a GPS tool or even a map and compass, learn to navigate by the sky. Look at the sun so you have a general bearing. During the day, pick a landmark nearby or in the distance once you’ve chosen your direction. At night, navigate by drawing a line between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper to find Polaris or the North Star.
- Self-Defense
One of the most essential things to do is to own a weapon and know how to use it. There will be entities who are not going to worry twice about hurting you and your family just to get your supplies. Defending yourself by clubs, knives, and hand-to-hand combat is important as well.
- First Aid
To avoid infection, keep wounds clean and bandaged and carry a first aid kit in your backpack if out in the wilderness for a long period. Take a class if you don’t know basic first aid. First aid skills are essential, but not having them is better. Unless it’s 100 percent important for survival, do not go past your personal limits. Self-care is a privilege in the wild, not a requirement.
- Awareness
The difference between life and death can mean knowing how to act in response appropriately to disasters. This can be achieved by keeping track of global and local news and being aware of any developing situations near you.
- Preparedness
When in a survival situation, there will always be something strange, and terrifying that can happen. In doing so, your mind will ultimately be prepared to consider such scenarios. It’s the perfect way to learn to train and prepare yourself to perform all kinds of exercises for various horrors.
In the coming days, I will discuss these one by one. So look out for those important emails.
Your Fellow Patriot
Steven Bryant