Survival Basics
BEST SURVIVAL BASICS – US Army Survival Approach
The best basic survival approach was created by the US army. It is not surprising, when we take into account two facts: 1. soldiers find themselves in survival situations most often, 2. US troops operate on all continents in all possible conditions. For training purposes US army produced a manual with survival rules that have two important features: they are simple – easy to be remembered by soldiers and universal - applicable to any survival situation.
According to manual, when you find yourself in a survival situation, you have to perform 2 sets of activities:
- Perform BASIC SURVIVAL ACTIONS
- Fulfil 5 BASIC SURVIVAL PHYSICAL NEEDS
BASIC SURVIVAL ACTIONS
The key to remember all survival actions is the word ”SURVIVAL”. Each letter of the word represents one action that has to be taken in order to survive. Below you can find each letter expanded into a description of the action.
S – Size Up the Situation
Size Up Your Surrounding
Slow down and relax for a second. Release your senses. Determine the pattern of the area you are in. Get a feel for it. Every environment, whether forest, jungle, or desert, has its rhythm or pattern. This rhythm includes movements and sounds made by animals, birds and insects. It may also include people movements. Use your senses of hearing, smell, and sight to get a feel of where you are. Evaluate your environment – is it safe, moderate, hostile. Should you trust people you may meet or not.
Size Up Your Physical Condition
The events that put you in the present position (accident, plane crash etc.) or the trauma of being in a survival situation may have caused you to overlook wounds you received. Check yourself for them and give yourself first aid. Take care to prevent any further harm to your body. For example, drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. If you are in a cold or wet climate, put on additional clothing to prevent hypothermia. Consider your state - do you need immediate rest, food or water. First aid is one of the primary subjects you need to concentrate on – if your health fails you, you may not cope with a survival situation. For more detail on the subject check Basic Survival Medicine
Size Up Your Equipment
Unless you are an equipped soldier or a person who was prepared for a survival situation, you probably will not have much useful survival gear. Nonetheless it is always worth checking what you have with yourself. As the art of wilderness survival is based mostly on improvisation, everything may prove useful. Look around yourself - if you came out of an accident, maybe there are some things from the car, boat or plane which you can use to build a shelter or as tools. Even if you do not come up with an idea for use of every single thing, it is worth knowing what is there. Once a need arises, you will know what to use to survive.
U – Use All Your Senses, Undue Haste Makes Waste
If you react too quickly, without thinking or planning, you may make a wrong move. That move may result in a loss of energy, in an injury or even death. In some parts of the world it may result in interaction with hostile locals. Don't move just for the sake of taking action. Consider all aspects of the situation you're in (size up your situation) before making a decision what action you will undertake. If you act in haste, you may damage or lose some of your equipment. In your haste you may also become disoriented and not know which way to go. Plan your moves. Prepare for various outcomes of your actions. Use all your senses to evaluate the situation. Note sounds and smells. Be sensitive to temperature changes. Be observant.
R – Remember Where You Are
If you have a map – spot your location on it and relate it to the surrounding terrain. If you don't have a map – try position yourself in your head as good as you can. This is a basic principle that you must always follow. If there are others with you, make sure they also know their location. In case you got separated, everyone will manage to cope on his own. Always pay close attention to where you are and to where you are heading. Do not rely on others in the group to keep track of the route. If you can, try to determine how your position relates to:
- location of civilisation
- location of any road or tracks
- location of sources of water
- areas that can provide shelter or if necessary – concealment
- other places, where you can receive help
V – Vanquish Fear and Panic
Panic is one of your greatest enemies in a survival situation. If uncontrolled, it can completely destroy your ability to make an intelligent decision. It may cause you to react to your feelings and imagination rather than to your situation. You should vanquish your fear as it will not help you. An average person with a little bit of skill and some imagination can cope with many extreme survival situations. Fear and panic never help – try to keep a cool mind and think reasonably. Try to remind yourself of this survival guide. You know you can make it!
I – Improvise
Wilderness survival is an art of improvisation. Amount of various situations you can find yourself in is so broad that no survival guide can cover them. You may have to produce or adapt tools, build shelters, make fires, aid yourself or others, having only few objects with you. You will have to use your mind and improvise. You can train for this section if you want: Take a tool designed for a specific purpose and see how many other uses you can make of it. Learn to use natural objects around you for different needs. An example is using a rock for a hammer. Even if you have a fantastic survival kit, it will run out or wear out after a while. Your imagination must take over when your kit wears out. In modern society we are used to having specialised tools for each action, but people lived many centuries in wilderness using just a handful of tools throughout their lives.
V – Value Living
This part concerns mental attitude towards survival situations. The will to live – placing a high value on living is vital in survival situations. No doubt situations you may encounter will be tough, hard and painful. You may be extremely dehydrated, hungry, sore, injured, tired and cold. You may feel that it would be easier to simply stop fighting and let go. YOU CAN NEVER DO THAT !!!. Refusal to give in to problems and obstacles that face you, will give you the mental and physical strength to endure. You have to value your life and fight for it. Find experiences from your life that make you want to live – survive. The will to give in comes because you seek relief from harsh conditions around you. Organise your surrounding and make your environment work for you and then feel relieved. You will not feel relieved if you give in – you will be DEAD and will feel nothing... ever again.
A – Act Like the Natives
The natives and animals of a region have through the centuries adapted to their environment. You can learn from them where and how to get food and water. You may have watched programmes or read books about tribes who lived in similar conditions to your survival environment. If you are on the snow, try to build a shelter from snow like the an Eskimo, if you are in the desert, hide in the sand and make a turban to protect your head from the sun. Animal life in the area can also give you clues on how to survive. Animals also require food, water, and shelter. By watching them, you can find their sources. You need to have in mind though, that many animals can eat food that is toxic to humans, you have to be therefore very careful when using this method of finding food.
L – Live by Your Wits, But for Now, Learn Basic Skills
These are the exact words of the last rule. You will have to use your wits to go through a survival situation, but at this point you should focus on learning the basics of wilderness survival provided by this guide. The more you know about survival techniques, the more self-confident you will be in a survival situation. Training significantly improves your chances of survival.
Now a recap
(Surroundings, Physical Condition, Equipment)
Undue Haste Makes Waste
BASIC SURVIVAL PHYSICAL NEEDS
In order to survive in wilderness you have to develop a survival pattern that lets you beat the enemies of survival. When developing the survival pattern you need to bear in mind your basic survival physical needs:
- food
- water
- shelter
- fire
- first aid
- signals