Survival and self-reliance can happen suddenly and take many different forms - in the city and in the wilderness. Through natural disaster and calamities or through terrorist attacks or other man-made causes. Possibilities of some scenarios are more remote than others which visit us more frequently.
Do not abdicate the responsibility of your safety to others.
Not to anyone. Not the Government, not the School, not the Resident's Welfare Association, not the Armed Forces. It is up to you to take care of yourself to make the job of rescue services easier. In a major disaster scenario, resources are stretched and the people who man these resources also have families to take care of. Often, this manpower vanishes when it is required the most. In minor emergency scenarios, when a loved one is having a heart attack, you HAVE to step up since there is limited time to reach a doctor or medical facility.
There are a range of topics that you can learn to make your life a lot easier and a lot less stressful when you are out in wilderness and things go off plan. Just remember, what you carry in your head is a lot lighter than what you carry in your backpack.
Moreover, these skills not only help you in an extreme situation, a survival situation, but they make you a happier camper too.
It all resides six inches between your ears. The right attitude and no gear beats the wrong attitude and the best gear in the world, hands down, every time.
You can die quite quickly if you cannot control the environment around you. It is imperative to make shelter to protect yourself from the elements.
Fire is a friend in the wilderness. Boiling, cooking, illumination, safety, etc. Learn to light fires without matches. It is primal and brilliant.
Water is life and without it you can die of dehydration in a couple of days. Learn how to disinfect contaminated water to make it good to drink.
Food is of relative low priority, but it is nice to have some food in the belly for psychological reasons. mangle, tangle, strangle or dangle game for food.
It can be frustrating to see rescuers and yet being unable to attract their attention. Learn some signalling methods to effect rescue.
The art and science of navigation will enable you to effect self-rescue. Learn to read the terrain and find your own way to safety.
A small cut can turn nasty very quickly in the wilderness. Learn how to manage minor injuries to prevent it from getting worse.
Knots are interesting to learn and they can be very useful out in the wilderness. Learn some basic knots to make camping easier and a lot more fun.
If you can improvise, you have to carry a lot less stuff. Learn how to improvise weapons and tools from things you can scavenge from Nature.
