The Most Important Survival Skills Every Outdoors Enthusiast Must Know.
Spending time in the outdoors is a great way to find your true self. It is interesting to think about the fact that in order to get in touch with the most primal aspect of being human, you must leave behind the things that have become part of our daily living comforts, and venture out into the wild. However, is it important to understand that things work differently when we are playing by Mother Nature’s rules and that is why it takes more than a hopeful heart and some planning to make it work out in the woods.
Having the gear, knowing the area and checking the weather are just some of the basic items to check off on your list, but these are not the things that will keep you alive out there necessarily. It is very important to understand some basic survival skills. Knowing things like starting a fire without a lighter and fishing without your fishing rods are great places to start, but they are not enough. That is why today in Sudir Raju’s Blog, we want to talk to you about some of the most important survival skills that will keep you alive, healthy and enjoying your time in the outdoors.
Starting a fire
This is one of the most important survival skills you must learn. A fire is a necessary aspect of survival because it provides warmth, light and a means to boil water and even sterilize tools if necessary. One of the biggest problems with starting a fire is that people usually wait until it is an emergency to try to do it for the first time and that is just not the way to go. Practice while you are at home, in your backyard and try with different methods to see which works best and how long it can take you. Having flint and steel available is very important because no matter how wet they get they still work. Also learn how to start a fire by using a magnifying glass, polished steel and also with a bow and spindle. The trick to starting a fire is prior practice so you can be ready when it counts.
Purifying water
Everybody knows that humans can only survive a couple of days without water and that is why it is so important to be able to clean this valuable resource. Boiling water is one of the best ways to purify water and make it suitable for drinking, but it is important to filter it as much as possible first. Using an empty water bottle, a piece of cloth and some natural materials like rocks and sand can do the trick. Cut the bottom of the bottle and turn it upside down, cover the mouth with the cloth and introduce through the open bottom of the bottle (now at the top) sand first and then the rocks putting the smallest ones on the bottom and the biggest on top. Filter the water through and then proceed to boil it.
Navigation
A map is useless unless you know how to read it, so it important for you to know what contour lines are and how to properly read them. Also get familiar with terrain features and learn how to interpret such things so you can quickly orient yourself within the map. Knowing where North is can also come in handy. One of the easiest ways to do this is by placing a stick upright into the dirt and marking the point where the tip of its shadow is cast on the ground. Then you wait fifteen minutes for the shadow to move and mark the new spot on the ground. The line between mark one and mark two is a line that goes WEST to EAST. If you stand with your left foot on the west and your right foot on the east, then you will have north right ahead of you.
Shelter
Another important survival skill is to find suitable shelter. Sometimes you may not be able to move, perhaps you have an injured party member or you have become so lost that you need to stop and rest for the night and thus you need to either find or build a shelter. The purpose of a shelter is to keep you safe from the elements. Sometimes you can find a cave, an uprooted tree or even some foliage that can protect you and just need minor improvements so it can be suitable. Building a shelter takes a little more time, so just gather materials around you and keep it simple, remember that it doesn’t need to even have the shape of a house as most people think. Having a slanted top in order to drain the rain is just fine. Use leaves on top to serve as rain repellent and you will be dry. Staying away from the harsh sun is just as important if you do not have sunblock lotion with you.
