03/17/2023 / By Zoey Sky
Non-preppers might take modern conveniences for granted, but experienced preppers know that it’s also important to learn and practice different survival skills so you can find food, water and shelter when SHTF. Don’t just rely on your high-tech gear and tools.
Below are some essential survival skills that modern preppers should learn and practice so they can survive if they lose their gear or bug-out bag when disaster strikes. (h/t to AskAPrepper.com)
You need a campfire to stay warm, cook and boil water when SHTF. Knowing how to start a fire, even without matches, is crucial to survival.
You can start a fire with different methods, but the best and most effective is the bow drill method.
You will need:
Steps:
Having a bug-out bag is crucial for your survival, but what if you lose your gear after a disaster?
While preparing for various scenarios, take the time to learn how to build basic shelters using materials you can find. You need shelter, even a temporary one, for protection when it is hot outdoors.
The most basic shelter is a debris hut, which you can build from sturdy sticks and leaves. A debris hut can be built within one to three hours. It will do for short-term protection.
Steps:
If you are facing a survival scenario and are running out of food and supplies, knowing how to forage for edible herbs and wild plants may save your life. Before SHTF, sign up for classes or self-study to learn how to distinguish between edible plants and their poisonous look-alikes.
You can also read up on a universal plant edibility test to learn how to identify edible plants correctly. Keep in mind that this test does not work for wild mushrooms, so avoid those when using this test.
To do the universal plant edibility test:
When disaster strikes, you might get stranded in the wilderness and lose your gear. You can’t survive more than a few days without a water source, so you need to learn how to find and purify water.
Keep these tips in mind to learn how to spot water sources:
Puddles and other water-filled depressions in the ground
You may find puddles in low-lying areas and they can be filled with rain or groundwater seeping up from the earth’s surface.
Snow and ice
If it’s cold enough, you can melt snow or scrape the top layer of ice from a lake or river for fresh drinking water. Don’t consume untreated snow or ice because this will drop your core temperature.
Dew on plants
If the timing is right, you can collect the morning dew on plants.
Rainwater
Set up a tarp to capture and funnel rainwater into a container like a bottle during the rainy season. Purify the water you harvest before drinking it.
Animal tracks
If you spot animal tracks in the wilderness, you may find water sources.
Once you find a water source, purify the water by filtering it or by boiling it. Bring the water to a rolling boil for at least one minute to eliminate bacteria and other contaminants.
Once you build a fire, set up a shelter and find some water, set a trap to catch small prey.
Setting a trap is one of the most common and effective ways to catch small prey, and making a snare is one of the simplest ways to do this.
You will need:
Steps:
Wild animals are common in rural areas and some of them may be dangerous and even deadly. Learn how to deal with wildlife to avoid accidents during a survival scenario.
Follow the tips below to learn how to deal with wild animals:
Knowing first aid is also crucial to your survival when disaster strikes. Even if you don’t get hurt, you can use your first aid skills to help a family member who gets injured or wounded after SHTF.
Knowing how to treat minor injuries and life-threatening ones can save someone’s life.
Here are some essential first-aid tips that might help:
Sprains and strains
Tear off a piece of cloth, wrap it around the injured area and tie it securely. This will provide some support to the injured arm or ankle.
Bleeding
Apply direct pressure to the wound with a clean cloth. Apply pressure until the bleeding stops.
Hold the wound above the heart level if possible.
Burns
Flush the affected area with cool water for 20 minutes. This will reduce the pain and help prevent further damage to the patient’s skin.
Fractures
Splint the affected area with tree branches and make sure the fractured limb is positioned comfortably.
Apply firm pressure on the splinted area to prevent the injured body part from moving.
Hypothermia
If you or someone else suffers from hypothermia, carefully move them to a warm and sheltered area.
Cover them with a blanket or extra clothes. Give them warm drinks and food to help their body temperature return to normal.
These essential survival skills can help you stay alive when SHTF even after you lose your gear and bug-out bag.
Watch the video below for tips on how to start a fire using a flint rod.
This video is from the Connor Lindeman channel on Brighteon.com.
Survival skills: Learn how to cook from scratch so you can feed your family when SHTF.
What are skills, rules and principles that will help you survive the wilderness alone?
Wilderness survival: What to do if you get bitten by a snake.
Sources include:
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