Survival | Water

Emergency survival or wilderness survival, water should be part of any emergency survival kit. In emergency survival, there are what I call basic elements (things you can’t survive comfortably without) shelter, fire, water, food. Most survivalists agree although priorities might differ. Water is number one on many survival lists and should be part of your emergency supplies. Most bottled water can be safely stored for a year, check the expiration date. I don’t recommend keeping your bottled water for a year, because no matter what the expiration date, there is a chance of bacterial contamination. You are much better off keeping a supply rotated by using it. What I do is keep a two week supply of water using the oldest water first throughout the week and replace what I use weekly with a freshwater supply. I always have an emergency survival water supply. Emergency preparedness is the key to survival, whether it’s a disaster survival situation or outdoor survival recreation. Make sure your emergency supplies and your emergency survival plan includes water. A gallon a day is recommended in most circumstances, but there are times when more is needed. There are also times when using less is necessary, rationing to fit your circumstances like stranded in the desert, adrift in the ocean or other bodies of saltwater. When rationing water its better to drink in the coolest part of the day or at night, taking small sips. If you have to drink in the heat of the day also take small sips, a mouth full at a time. Drinking large amounts when you are dehydrated can make you sick. One of the first signs of dehydration is a headache, followed by feeling hot, muscle spasms, another sign is very dark urine. Drinking small sips at intervals that are comfortable will allow your body to absorb the water.   Thanks for reading the Emergency Survival - Wilderness Survival Blog. Please leave a comment on this post about Water.

Survival | Fire

Emergency Survival - Wilderness Survival | Fire

Fire is an essential element of survival in an emergency survival, wilderness survival, or urban survival situation. In modern times electricity can be considered fire, in the sense that we use electricity for the same things fire has been used for in the past. Boiling water cooking and heat, are many times taken for granted in modern times. Turn on the stove to cook or turn on the heater to warm the house. In an emergency survival situation when the electricity goes off you will need to make fire. A home emergency survival kit should have matches, lighter, and I suggest something like lighter fluid, not charcoal lighter but a small can of cigarette lighter fluid. Make a waterproof fire kit for yourself that contains anything that might be useful to start your survival fire. A fire is essential to survival, but take care, fire is also the most dangerous element of survival in an emergency survival situation. All fire gives off toxic fumes and care must be taken that toxic fumes are not inhaled. Outdoors the problem is minimal, but inside where toxic fumes can't escape they will become deadly. Thanks for reading the Emergency Survival - Wilderness Survival blog. Please leave a comment for this post Survival | Fire. Share your knowledge and experiences it could save a life.

Survival | Shelter

Here is an example of an emergency survival shelter made with 3 sheets of plywood and hinges.

In an Emergency Survival or Wilderness Survival situation, Shelter is at the top of my list of priorities for these reasons: Hypothermia (exposure to the weather) is the number one killer in a survival situation.  If you are lost, when you find or build suitable shelter, you are home (although it's temporary, shelter is important for a survival mindset). Lost or in an emergency survival situation, your shelter is a base. A place as safe as possible to wait for rescue, a place to plan and implement your emergency survival, wilderness survival, or urban survival techniques. Using your shelter as a base you can explore and gather anything useful to improve your situation. Until you are sure of your surroundings keep your shelter in eyesight, and you won't be lost.  In a cold environment anything that will keep you warm you can consider shelter Extra layers of clothes, blankets, pillows, cardboard, leaves even an old mattress can insulate you from the cold. Emergency survival, wilderness survival, or urban survival is all the same. Shelter (no matter what your situation) is the starting place to ensure your survival. Fire is your next priority, followed by water and food. If you need to be rescued, do what you can to make your shelter visible. Use bright colored objects to leave messages and clues for rescuers. If you are in a situation that you must move or find your own way do it in steps, not in a hurry. Know your directions, face the rising sun and you are facing East, to your left will be north, to your right will be South, behind you will be West. When you are ready to travel know how you will travel in one direction and not in circles. Lining up two or more visual reference points will show you a straight line to travel. Remember, your shelter is your home base until you find a better one, keep improving your situation. Remember this, it is the reason for the repetition in this post, Emergency Survival, Wilderness Survival, and Urban Survival all require survival preparedness. A good idea is to have extra clothes, tarp, tent, and rope as part of your survival gear. As I've said many times Emergency survival gear, wilderness survival gear, urban survival gear, and your camping gear are all the same. Thanks for reading the Emergency Survival - Wilderness Survival Blog. Please leave a comment on the Survival | Shelter post, thanks.