Basic Survival Skills - How to Survive in the Woods

With the rising popularity of camping, hiking and treks into the wilderness, there is a need for people to known the basic survival skills, before heading out to go on that outdoor trip.

Although most tourist destinations that include campsites and hiking trails are clearly marked to make sure everyone stays on the right trail. Thousands of people visit these places each year and there have been instances where hikers have strayed from the marked trail and become lost (or worse) in the wilderness.

If you know basic wilderness survival skills and tips, they can play a big role in whether or not you survive in the outdoors until you are found or if you are able to find your way back.

The first thing you want to do before even leaving for your adventure is:

Let your friends and family know where you are going and when they should expect you back. This can helps your family know if you are stranded out in the middle of nowhere and need to be rescued.

Authorities can then be notified that you are missing and they will search the area where you told your family you would be. This can also help in the amount of time you spend in the open wilderness before your rescue.

Another basic wilderness survival tip is to find shelter

If you are lost, find shelter to protect you from weather and wild animals.

The temperatures can dramatically change between day light and sundown, so make sure you choose something that can keep you warm and dry.

As soon as you arrive, get familiar with the location of your campsite, so that when you venture off to find food and water you don’t become lost and can’t find your way back.

The next important tip to surviving the wilderness after you decide on a campsite, is to get a fire going.

A fire can help you keep your warm at night,
Keeps animals from approaching your campsite
A way to cook food

If you are lost, the smoke from the fire can be a signal to the rescuers, of your location

You want to make sure that your fire is constantly burning.

After you have a campsite and started a fire, your next step is to find/prepare food and water.

It is always wise to carry a backpack whenever you go on an outdoor trip and it should have basic survival gear:

If you remain lost in the woods for an extended period and you have run out of the materials in your survival backpack:

you need to find a clean source of water, such as a running stream
either hunt land animals or find a good fishing spot to catch your dinner.

Keeping yourself hydrated is very important as well as eating food to give you energy until you are rescued.

One of the most important tips is to remain calm at all times.

For many people they become angered or scared when they realize they are lost, however you need to remain calm because you need all of the knowledge and energy you have put towards surviving the outdoors, until you are either found or have found your way back.

Although all of the tips are very basic survival tips, they are very important when it comes to actually surviving in the outdoors for several days and nights.

So, make sure the next time you decide to go on an outdoor trip that you keep these simple tips in mind and use them if you happen to get lost in the wild outdoors.