Learning survival skills

[citygal]

What is a good source, either a book or website, to learn how to survive in the wilderness? As a complete novice, I was thinking that if something should happen to my husband while we're camping, I wouldn't have a clue what to do.

 

[oldsarge]

Start checking into YouTube videos for a start. Look for stuff like fire starting, navigating, whatever else you can think of. Do a thread search of these forums and you will find several threads covering most topics of survival. There are so many knowledgeable people on this site with years of experience. You'll have more to read then you might have expected.

Survival skills vary with your activities. Basic first aid and map and compass work may be good to start with if you are only planning a simple local day hike. If you were on a long backpacking trip out in the middle of nowhere, there's much more you may want to study. Long term survival is hard work. For starters, one book I recommend is written by Cody Lundin, "98.6º The art of keeping your ass alive".

 

[Grandpa]

As Sarge pointed out, there are many important things to learn. So my advice, as a stopgap while you learn, is cheat and get a personal locater like SPOT. In any emergency, push the 911 button and let them find you. That and a good wilderness first aid course will get you started and give you time to begin learning everything else.

 

[Hikenhunter]

Tried and true is the Boy scout handbook and the boy scout fieldbook. Both of these books cover a variety of information. The info you get from them is very basic but since you seem to be a newbie you will get info from these two books, not only about survival but also about camping, hiking,first aid, etc... The books are written so that boys 11yrs. old can understand them and learn from them, and they contain a wealth of information that anyone can put to use.

 

[CozInCowtown]

Try ***Outdoor Base Camp Website***, lots of good information over there!!

 

[Barney]

I started by watching YouTube videos of people doing and talking about this stuff. That led me to exploring the options myself. Before you know it you'll be familiar wit lots of things and have a number of skills to rely on.

 

[ppine]

The best way is to go on some long trips in really wild country with people that do it for a living, like a major horse pack trip or a week long raft trip.

 

[IndianaHiker]

Normally don't like books on survival but as someone pointed at 98.6 Degrees the art of Keeping your ass Alive is a good one. Uses humor and keeps things basic. Like the way he keeps repeating attitude is the biggest things. "Party On" you will get the quote if you read the book. A great deal of what you need to do in situation and more importantly how to avoid situations is common sense. Biggest things is paying attention to what is happening around you. The second is that it is rarely on thing that leads to a survival situation. Typically it is a combination of bad decision when out that lead to trouble. Often time the problem is if you are not paying attention one bad decision leads to many others. If lost or pretty much anything else remember to STOPA.

S- Stop Moving and just sit and collect your wits. Get breathing rate down and relax. The brain doesn't work in panic mode.

T- Take assesment of where you are, what you have, what you need.

O- Observe look at your surroundings and see if you can safely backtrack,if you are going to be stuck look for a subtle place to hunker down for the night, and look for things you can use, water, materials for shelter and warmth, and possible fire.

P-Plan your next move. Figure out how to use what is available of staying. If walking out form your plan on how to get back.

A- Start taking the action that you have decided on. No plan is good if you don't act on it.

 

[Greatoutdoors]

There is lots of great information here on the site, youtube videos are great, and there are many survival based tv shows as well. If you are looking for a book I would recommend the SAS Survival Handbook.

 

[citygal]

Try ***Outdoor Base Camp Website***, lots of good information over there!!

Oh, wow! I didn't even realize there was a website. Thanks!

I also never thought of checking YouTube but that's a great idea. I'm going to be going to both the website and YouTube this afternoon and do some research.

 

[Cappy]

Oh, wow! I didn't even realize there was a website

Read more: http://www.outdoorbasecamp.com/forum/f81/learning-survival-skills-8758/#ixzz1ugFBEANp
I aint gonna say it, nope, no sir, not me.

 

[CozInCowtown]

Oh, wow! I didn't even realize there was a website. Thanks!

I also never thought of checking YouTube but that's a great idea. I'm going to be going to both the website and YouTube this afternoon and do some research.

Yeah, Jason does a great job keeping new material up there!!

 

[eyebp]

Normally don't like books on survival but as someone pointed at 98.6 Degrees the art of Keeping your ass Alive is a good one. Uses humor and keeps things basic. Like the way he keeps repeating attitude is the biggest things. "Party On" you will get the quote if you read the book. A great deal of what you need to do in situation and more importantly how to avoid situations is common sense. Biggest things is paying attention to what is happening around you. The second is that it is rarely on thing that leads to a survival situation. Typically it is a combination of bad decision when out that lead to trouble. Often time the problem is if you are not paying attention one bad decision leads to many others. If lost or pretty much anything else remember to STOPA.

S- Stop Moving and just sit and collect your wits. Get breathing rate down and relax. The brain doesn't work in panic mode.

T- Take assesment of where you are, what you have, what you need.

O- Observe look at your surroundings and see if you can safely backtrack,if you are going to be stuck look for a subtle place to hunker down for the night, and look for things you can use, water, materials for shelter and warmth, and possible fire.

P-Plan your next move. Figure out how to use what is available of staying. If walking out form your plan on how to get back.

A- Start taking the action that you have decided on. No plan is good if you don't act on it.

Excellent book.

 

[oldsarge]

Here's a few other book that may interest you.

Wilderness Survival for Dummies by John Haslett & Cameron M. Smith

Complete Idiots guide to backpacking and hiking by Jason Stevenson

Be Expert With Map and Compass, The complete orienteering handbook by Bjorn Kjellstrom.

Build the perfect survival kit by John D. McCann.

Camping and Woodcraft by Horace Lephart

You will soon notice that not one book will give you all the answers you are asking for. Most of the books mentioned on this thread are great reading. So far you are well on your way to becoming the explorer you always wanted to be!

 

[riza201saly]

thank you for the information it is great.. and it really help me ..thank you again

 

[SARSpecialist]

Howdy.. May I suggest that you pick three Survival Skills, Shelter, Fire, First Aid, go to a local park and practice making a fire in a BBQ pit, buiding a tarp shelter and take a basic First aid course. Once you get comfortable with these skills then pick three more such as land navigation, rope skills ect, and continue until you have a great mental tool box of skills.

Survival is not the problem... convincing yourself you can survive is a game winner.

Books and Youtube are a great start.. but to get actual experiance you need hands on practice.

 

[ChadTower]

The best way is to go on some long trips in really wild country with people that do it for a living, like a major horse pack trip or a week long raft trip.

For most people that's just not viable.

Practice individual skills in your yard. Build tinder bundles. Light fires. Set up a tent and take it down and set it up again. Sleep outside in a hammock and learn how to manage your clothing. Fill bottles with safe water to try out various purification techniques and then drink the water. Set some snares and then test them with a stick. Any of this stuff can be practiced in your own yard on your own time and all of it is far easier in the yard than it is out in the bush when you're depending on it.

 

[Lamebeaver]

Of course, the best way to survive is to avoid getting into survival situations..........

 

[SARSpecialist]

Of course, the best way to survive is to avoid getting into survival situations..........

Prevention is the best policy :tinysmile_fatgrin_t

 

[ChadTower]

She could do both, y'know...