Survival

Greetings Folks,

I was having a conversation with an elder earlier this week, discussing how spoiled and codependent my generation is in regards to materialism. The question of whether modern-day society could survive without all of the gadgets, electricity, accessible food and water then came about, and I simply replied, “no.” We’re too conditioned to be unappreciative and lazy at this point, and the only way that would change is by force. Which eventually led me to start inquiring about basic survival skills in the wild.

According to Primal Survivor, there are 4 essential things you will need to survive in the wilderness: Water, Shelter, Food, and Warmth.

Water
- You can only go 3 days without water before dying.
- If you can’t find a stream or creek to drink out of, collect dew; take your shirt off and press it in the ground, then wring it in your mouth or water bottle; follow an ant trail to the nearest tree, because there’s a cache of water in a groove in the tree; travel parallel to a mountainside, since mountains usually have streams going down them; dig for water at dried-up streams and areas with lots of lush foliage.
Shelter
- You’ll need shelter to protect you from animals and elements throughout the wilderness.
- Have your shelter made before it gets dark.
Food
- Wild animals, edible plants, insects and bugs typically are the norm.
- Catching a wild animal is extremely hard (including fishing), so edible plants will suffice. Just make sure they are edible if not, you could end up with diarrhea.
Warmth
- The most likely cause of death in the wilderness is hypothermia.
- Temperatures can drop very quickly in the woods, and survival shelters can help you stay warm.
- Making a fire or burying yourself in the dirt during nightfall are great solutions as well.

Nature Mentoring also advised that having a basic survival kit ready when traveling or hiking is imperative. This includes a parachute chord for making a fire-kit, a strong sharp knife, fishing line, contact whistle, wool mittens and scarf, and a water bottle. I’m not sure how efficient over-the-counter medicine would be, especially considering the food and water sources, but adding whatever you may need for emergencies can only help.

I want to leave you all with a two-part documentary series from survival expert Tom McElroy. McElroy has taught survival and primitive skills for more than 15,000 students worldwide for more than 20 years, and that includes children, hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, and elite military groups. If you’d like to discuss any of his points made, feel free to comment below.