What Are Basic Wilderness Survival Skills I Should Learn?
With no technology and other gifts of civilization to depend on, it’s best to pick up a few basic wilderness survival skills before pushing through with your outdoor trip.
Finding Sources of Water
In the summer, natural sources of water such as rivers, streams, and springs are easy to find. In most cases, you’ll just have to be more extra observant of what you’re hearing and try to follow the sound of rushing water.
Water from stagnant areas may still be potable but it’s best to filter them first with a water purification pump or boil them for at least three minute. You can also treat it by using halazone tablets or iodine. In any case, you can also collect water from fish juices, rain, and dew of plants.
If you’re traveling in the winter, keep in mind that eating snow will not satiate your thirst but make you more dehydrated instead. It’s better to wait for ice or hard snow to melt to have drinking water.
Finding Sources of Food
The first thing you should learn is how to distinguish which animals and plants are edible.
With animals, the basic rule is that all fur-bearing animals are considered safe to eat. For plants, you can play it safe by sticking to grass seeds. Also, keep in mind that more nutrition may be obtained from eating roots than greens.
Snakes, birds, lizards, and frogs are also safe to eat but it’s best to cut off their tails and remove their skin and entrails first prior to cooking them.
For poisonous plants, it’s best to avoid white or red berries and mushrooms since it’s hard to distinguish which particular species are poisonous or not. Those that look like cucumber, melons, and beans must also be avoided. In any case, avoid eating any plant that you cannot be one hundred percent certain of as non-toxic.
If you wish to hunt for food, you’ll need to know how to properly create and set up traps and snares. You’ll also need to learn how to obtain essential clues from animal tracks, which will help you determine the direction it’s heading and possible location of its feeding grounds.
Try to stick with small animals for your first try. Do not attempt to hunt wild boars and other potentially dangerous animals if you don’t have sufficient experience and expertise as this could lead to grave injury on your part. Avoid direct confrontation with your quarry as much as possible.
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