In the past, people thought survival preparedness is only for a special group of people who needed to prepare for emergencies. But the recent pandemic changed that idea. It showed us that you are the one responsible for your family’s safety and well-being.
Supply chains broke down, some places became hard to reach, and simple problems like power outages turned into big challenges. Instead of quick fixes, people faced many difficulties for a long time.
So, it doesn’t matter if you’re worried about health problems, natural disasters like hurricanes or floods, social unrest, or any other unexpected events. Knowing what to do and having the right emergency supplies will give you peace of mind. You’ll know how to keep your family safe and strong during tough times.
The focus of this article (step 1) is the essential survival techniques to master and pass on to your family. This article, as well as the follow-up ones, will complete the simple 5-step guide to help you make an emergency preparedness plan or guide. Even if you already know a lot about this topic, you might find new tips you haven’t thought of yet. By preparing for all kinds of emergencies, you’ll be able to handle them with less stress and worry.
Essential Survival Techniques to Master and Pass on to Your Family
Many beginners in emergency preparedness focus too much on collecting supplies and forget about building skills. Having the right tools is important, but you also need to know how to use them well. Otherwise, you’ll still struggle during an emergency.
Learning basic emergency skills is important for you and your family. You might get separated from your loved ones during a crisis, or they might have to survive without you. When you teach them useful skills, you can feel more relaxed knowing they can handle challenges on their own.
Know How To Purify Water
First, learn how to clean water for consumption and water storage. Water is your most important need, but your stored supply could run out. If that happens, you should know how to make water safe to drink without gadgets like purification straws or tabs. The best way is to boil the water to kill germs.
Boil the water for a few minutes and then let it cool before drinking. Boiling takes time, so plan ahead. Another method is to make clean water from steam. You can also create a DIY water cleaner using sand, rocks, and charcoal to remove harmful stuff.
There are also many gadgets that can help you clean water quickly, both at home and in emergencies. If you go this way, learn how to use UV light units, bleach drops, purification tabs, and filtration systems to reliably get clean water.
Backyard Vegetable Gardening
You should learn how to grow and store your own food to ensure emergency food supply. Even if you buy a year’s worth of survival food, you’ll need a plan for longer events.
Growing a garden is not just walking out onto your backyard, planting seeds and waiting. You need to know your area’s climate and growing seasons. You must figure out the best time to plant different fruits and vegetables based on your local weather. For instance, know when the last frost date is so you don’t plant too early and lose your crops.
Test your soil to see if it’s good for planting. You might need to improve it by starting a compost pile. Composting isn’t just throwing kitchen waste into a pile; you have to learn how to do it right.
Check your property to see where the sunlight hits and for how long. Think about how much natural water your garden will get and if you’ll need to water it more.
Know what foods are good for survival, like leafy greens, but also grow what your family likes to eat. Buy heirloom seeds so you can save seeds from mature plants for future planting. Learn how to store these seeds correctly.
Protect your garden from diseases like mold and pests like insects and rodents. If you don’t have natural pollinators like bees, you might need to pollinate plants by hand.
Some gardeners extend their growing season by planting at different times or using shelters like greenhouses. Learn when and how to harvest your crops, as some plants will keep giving after the first harvest.
After harvesting, you must know how to store your produce. Some vegetables may need drying before storage. Learn how to can or freeze-dry your food for long-term use. If you have electricity, freezing is another option.
Keep track of your stored food. Label it with the date you picked and canned it, and what it is. This helps you use it wisely in the long run.
Foraging for Food
Growing a garden isn’t the only way to feed your family in an emergency. You should also learn how to find food in the wild, like plants and insects, that are safe to eat in your area.
Don’t think you can just go out and find food without any knowledge. Some plants look alike, but one might be poisonous while the other is safe to eat.
You can learn how to forage by using a guidebook for your area or taking a hands-on class with a local expert.
But finding plants isn’t enough. You should also know how to track and catch animals for food. Learn about the animals in your area, whether they’re small like rabbits or big like deer. Each animal needs a different hunting or trapping strategy, and you should teach these to your family.
Fishing is another skill to learn. Find out what types of fish live in your local water sources. Learn how to make a fishing line, hook a fish, clean it, and cook it.
Alternative Cooking Methods
After you learn how to grow and find food, teach yourself how to cook without electricity. This skill is useful whether you’re on the move in the wilderness or the power goes out at home. You should learn various ways to prepare food. Many people know how to grill outside, but you should also learn how to cure and smoke meat, as these methods can preserve food for longer periods, essential in survival situations.
Using a solar oven is another good method to know, especially in areas with abundant sunlight. Additionally, understanding the basics of foraging for edible plants and insects can provide vital nutrition when other food sources are scarce.
Familiarize yourself with making fire using primitive methods, like friction-based techniques, as it’s a crucial skill for both warmth and cooking.
Learning to purify water using natural methods, such as boiling or solar disinfection, goes hand-in-hand with alternative cooking methods and is also critical for survival. These skills not only equip you to handle emergencies but also deepen your connection with natural living and self-sufficiency.
Learn How to Create and Use Tools for Survival Preparedness
In survival situations, you might need to make your own tools. For example, you can build an oven from rocks, mud, and other materials found in nature. This not only helps in cooking food but also in purifying water and staying warm. You should also learn how to make cutting tools from stones or bones, which are essential for preparing food and building shelter. Primitive shovels can be fashioned from large sticks and stones, aiding in digging for water sources or creating latrines.
Crafting hunting gear like bows and arrows is vital for acquiring food, especially in remote areas. Additionally, understanding the art of knot-tying and making ropes from plant fibers can be lifesaving, whether for building shelters, making fishing nets, or climbing. You can even craft baskets from vines or bark to carry things, store food, or collect water.
Beyond creating tools, it’s equally important to learn how to take care of them. Even if you already have a good set of tools, proper maintenance is crucial. Regular cleaning, sharpening, and oiling prevent rust and damage, helping your tools last longer. In a survival situation, your tools are your lifeline, so understanding their care and repair is essential. This includes learning to fix broken handles, sharpen dulled blades, and even repurpose parts of damaged tools for other uses.
By mastering these skills, you become more adaptable and self-reliant, enhancing your chances of survival in challenging environments.
Long-Term Survival Shelters
For survival preparedness, learn how to build a shelter. You might think you’ll just stay at home with your supplies, but sometimes, unforeseen circumstances may require you to leave your comfort zone and venture into the wild.
In such cases, it’s crucial to know how to build various shelters from scratch. You might not always have access to modern camping gear like a tarp or tent. Therefore, mastering the use of natural materials like debris, branches, leaves, and snow is vital. Learn how to construct a lean-to using branches for a frame and foliage for cover, which can provide quick and effective protection from the elements. Understanding how to build a more substantial hut, possibly with a wooden frame and insulated with mud, leaves, or grass, can offer more long-term shelter in a fixed location. In snowy environments, a snow cave can be a lifesaver, using the insulating properties of snow to retain heat.
Additionally, consider the location and orientation of your shelter. It should be placed away from natural hazards like falling rocks or flood-prone areas but near a water source. The entrance of the shelter should ideally face away from prevailing winds and be inclined to maximize warmth and protection from the elements. It’s also important to understand how to improvise insulation and bedding using natural materials to retain body heat during cold nights.
Besides construction, it’s essential to learn about maintaining and improving your shelter over time, particularly for long-term survival scenarios. This includes regular checks for structural integrity, waterproofing, and pest control. Familiarizing yourself with these skills not only prepares you for emergencies but also deepens your connection with nature and traditional survival techniques.
Safety and Fire
Knowing how to handle fire is a critical aspect of survival preparedness and keeping your family safe in various scenarios. This includes dealing with a fire in your home, responding to a nearby wildfire, or managing an ordinary campfire while camping.
Firstly, learn how to prepare your home and property to minimize fire damage. This includes maintaining a defensible space around your home by clearing away dry vegetation, using fire-resistant materials for roofing and siding, and regularly cleaning gutters and roofs to remove flammable debris. Also, have fire extinguishers readily available and ensure that your family knows how to use them properly.
Understanding when and how to evacuate is crucial. Have an emergency plan in place that includes multiple escape routes and a designated meeting point outside the danger area. Keep an emergency kit ready with essentials like water, food, medications, and important documents. In case of a wildfire, pay attention to local alerts and evacuation orders.
If you’re trapped during a fire, knowing how to protect yourself is vital. Stay low to the ground where the air is cooler and less smoky. Cover your nose and mouth with a wet cloth to filter out smoke. If you’re in a building, close doors and seal the gaps with wet towels to prevent smoke from entering.
When escaping through fire or smoke, stay calm and move swiftly towards the nearest exit. If your clothes catch fire, remember to stop, drop, and roll to extinguish the flames. In a wildfire scenario, find a clear area without vegetation, lie low to the ground, and cover your body with soil or a wet blanket to protect against heat.
Additionally, learn how to safely start and extinguish campfires. Always build campfires away from overhanging branches, dry grass, and leaves. Keep water or a shovel nearby to douse the fire when you’re done. Make sure the fire is completely out and the embers are cold before leaving the site.
By understanding these various aspects of fire safety and preparedness, you can significantly reduce the risk to yourself and your family in emergency situations. This knowledge is not only essential for survival preparedness but also for ensuring everyday safety in your living environment.
Importance of Self-Defense
In the context of survival preparedness, it’s essential that everyone in your family, regardless of age, learns self-defense. Threats in a survival situation can arise from various sources, including hostile individuals or dangerous animals. While immediate thoughts might turn to using pepper spray or a stun gun, it’s important to consider a broader range of defense strategies.
Begin by making your property more secure as a preventive measure. This can involve installing sturdy locks, security systems, and motion-sensor lighting. A well-secured home can act as the first line of defense against potential threats.
In terms of personal defense, start with non-lethal options like pepper spray or personal alarms, which can be effective in deterring attackers without causing permanent harm. However, it’s also crucial to be prepared for scenarios where lethal force may be necessary. If you choose to include lethal tools like firearms or knives in your defense plan, comprehensive training is essential. Understand the legal implications of using such tools and ensure that every family member who is capable is trained in their safe and responsible use. For example, using a knife for self-defense requires close-quarters combat skills, while a gun requires training in handling, aiming, and shooting, as well as understanding gun safety protocols.
Beyond weapons, consider learning martial arts or self-defense techniques. These skills can be invaluable if you find yourself unarmed and in a dangerous situation. Martial arts not only provide physical defense techniques but also improve mental resilience, situational awareness, and can be a form of physical fitness. These skills are particularly beneficial for family members who may not be able to handle weapons or be perceived as easy targets.
In addition to physical defense methods, it’s important to develop psychological resilience and the ability to assess and de-escalate potentially dangerous situations. Teach your family about awareness of their surroundings, trust in their instincts about unsafe situations, and strategies for avoiding or escaping potential threats.
Incorporating a comprehensive approach to self-defense into your survival preparedness plan ensures that you and your family are equipped to handle various types of threats, enhancing your overall safety and resilience in challenging situations.
The Importance of First Aid
In the realm of survival preparedness, the importance of first aid cannot be overstated. It is crucial that every member of your family, regardless of age, learns first-aid and becomes proficient in using the contents of a first-aid kit. While basic skills like cleaning and bandaging a small scrape are essential, it is equally important to know more advanced techniques.
This includes knowing how to treat a sprained ankle or a broken leg, which might involve immobilizing the injured area to prevent further injury. You should also be familiar with the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) for treating sprains and strains. In more severe cases, like compound fractures, understanding how to minimize bleeding and safely create a splint can be life-saving.
Learning how to handle serious medical situations is also vital. This includes treating extreme burns, which may require special care to prevent infection and manage pain. In cases of severe trauma, such as lost limbs, it’s important to know how to control bleeding through direct pressure and the use of tourniquets. For life-threatening emergencies like cardiac arrest, CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) is a critical skill. Additionally, it’s important to know how to recognize and treat symptoms of shock, which can be a common reaction to trauma.
Furthermore, consider learning skills for managing conditions specific to your family members, such as allergies, asthma, or diabetes. Knowing how to administer an EpiPen, for instance, or recognizing the signs of a diabetic emergency can be crucial.
It’s also beneficial to have knowledge of natural remedies and alternative first aid techniques, especially in situations where traditional medical supplies might not be available. This can include using herbs for wound care or knowing how to make splints from natural materials.
Remember, in a survival situation, medical help might not be readily available. Therefore, teaching these skills to all family members is important, as you might be the one needing first aid. Regularly practicing these skills and keeping your first-aid knowledge up to date ensures that your family is prepared to handle medical emergencies effectively.
Learn Navigation Skills
In the realm of survival preparedness, mastering navigation skills is vital. While electronic gadgets like GPS are useful, they can fail or run out of power. Therefore, learning how to read a map and use a compass is fundamental. These skills allow you to find your way even when technology is not an option.
Understanding how to navigate by natural landmarks is equally important. During the day, the position of the sun can help you determine direction. At night, familiarizing yourself with star patterns, particularly the North Star in the Northern Hemisphere, can guide you. Additionally, the flow of rivers or streams often leads to populated areas or water sources, so understanding their course can be a crucial navigational aid.
Teaching your loved ones how to signal for help is also an essential component of navigation skills. In an emergency, being able to effectively signal rescuers can make the difference between being found quickly or not. Simple gadgets like whistles or mirrors can be effective in catching someone’s attention from a distance. The sound of a whistle carries further than the human voice, and a mirror can reflect sunlight to create a visible signal.
Moreover, it’s important to learn natural signaling methods. Creating visible signals on the ground, like spelling out SOS or HELP with rocks or tree limbs, can be spotted from the air or by distant rescuers. Familiarity with Morse code can turn simple tools like a flashlight or a mirror into powerful communication devices.
Additionally, understanding how to use your cell phone in emergency situations is crucial. Even when you can’t make a call, many phones have features that allow you to share your location with emergency services or family members. In areas with no cell service, text messages might still go through, or you can leave your phone turned on so it can be triangulated by rescue services.
Lastly, learn environmental cues for navigation. For example, moss often grows on the north side of trees in the Northern Hemisphere, and certain animal behaviors or plant growth can indicate the direction of water sources. These skills not only enhance your ability to navigate in the wilderness but also deepen your connection with the natural world, a key aspect of survival preparedness.
Prepare Yourself for Weather Changes
Firstly, learn the basics of predicting these events. While weather forecasts are helpful, they may not always be available in a survival situation. Develop an understanding of natural signs that indicate changing weather patterns. For example, a sudden drop in temperature, changes in wind direction, or even animal behavior can signal an upcoming storm.
For each type of weather event, understand the specific safety measures to take. In a tornado, seek shelter in a basement or an interior room without windows. During hurricanes, know when to evacuate, especially if you live in a low-lying area prone to flooding. In the case of snowstorms, ensure you have adequate insulation and heating sources to maintain warmth. For floods, elevate critical utilities and belongings and use sandbags to redirect water flow.
It’s also important to have an emergency kit tailored to different weather scenarios. This kit should include essential supplies like water, non-perishable food, first-aid items, and tools. For weather-specific items, consider adding waterproof clothing and boots for floods, thermal blankets and extra warm clothing for snowstorms, and additional water and cooling cloths for extreme heat.
Learn when to evacuate and when it’s safer to stay and protect your home. Evacuation routes should be planned in advance, and everyone in the household should be familiar with them. In some situations, such as when facing a hurricane, boarding up windows and securing outdoor items can prevent additional damage.
Furthermore, understanding how to maintain communication during these events is vital. Have a battery-powered or hand-crank radio to receive updates if the power goes out. Keep your cell phones charged and have backup power sources, like solar chargers or extra batteries.
In addition to these preparations, it’s beneficial to know basic home repair skills. After a weather event, being able to address minor damages quickly can prevent them from becoming major issues.
By preparing for various weather events and understanding the specific actions to take, you significantly increase your and your family’s chances of staying safe during extreme conditions. This knowledge is a key component of comprehensive survival preparedness.
Communicating Well is a Basic Survival Skill Important to Know
Effective communication is a cornerstone of survival preparedness. It’s essential to stay informed about your immediate environment as well as broader global events. This includes learning how to critically evaluate information from various media sources, which can be crucial in distinguishing reliable information from misinformation, especially during emergencies.
Start by practicing communication skills with your family. In a survival situation, clear and concise communication can prevent misunderstandings and ensure everyone is on the same page. If you plan to use gadgets like ham radios, familiarize yourself with their operation before an emergency arises. Ham radios can be invaluable for communication over long distances, especially when traditional communication networks are down.
Plan for scenarios where conventional communication methods, like cell phones, might be inoperable. This might involve setting up meeting points and times in case family members get separated, or using alternative communication devices such as satellite phones, two-way radios, or even simple signal methods like flares or smoke signals.
Knowing how to reach authorities or rescue teams is also critical. This might involve understanding the use of emergency frequencies on radios, knowing the location of the nearest emergency shelter, or using signaling devices to attract the attention of rescuers. In remote areas, consider carrying a personal locator beacon (PLB) or a satellite messenger, which can send distress signals to rescue services.
In addition to technological methods, it’s important to develop non-verbal communication skills. This can include learning basic sign language or developing a set of hand signals specific to your family for situations where verbal communication isn’t possible.
It’s also vital to educate your family on basic cybersecurity practices, as digital communication can be susceptible to interference or eavesdropping. Simple practices like using strong passwords, being cautious about sharing personal information online, and understanding how to use encrypted communication apps can protect your family’s privacy.
Moreover, build a network within your community. Establishing a communication network with neighbors and local authorities can provide critical support and information sharing in times of crisis.
By developing a comprehensive communication strategy that includes both technological and non-technological methods, as well as fostering strong community ties, you greatly enhance your family’s ability to stay informed, connected, and safe in various survival situations.
Importance of Sanitation and Hygiene
In the context of survival preparedness, maintaining good hygiene and sanitation is not just a matter of comfort but a crucial aspect of health and safety. Poor hygiene practices can lead to infections and diseases, which become significantly harder to treat in survival situations, especially if access to medicines like antibiotics is limited.
Learning how to make soap and laundry detergent is a good starting point. You can create soap from basic ingredients like ash and animal fat or plant oils, a useful skill when commercial products are unavailable. Homemade laundry detergent can be made from similar ingredients, ensuring that you can maintain clean clothing, which is essential for preventing skin infections and diseases.
Beyond personal cleanliness, it’s important to understand the principles of safe waste disposal. Improper disposal of human waste can contaminate water sources and spread disease. Learn how to construct a simple latrine or composting toilet, and understand the importance of keeping it a safe distance from living and eating areas, as well as from water sources.
Water purification is another key aspect of sanitation. Boiling water is a reliable method, but you can also use purification tablets, filters, or learn to construct a simple sand and charcoal filter. Safe drinking water is essential to prevent waterborne diseases, which can be life-threatening without proper medical care.
Insect control is also a part of maintaining hygiene and preventing disease. Learn how to make natural insect repellents from plants like citronella or eucalyptus, and understand the importance of protective clothing and mosquito nets in areas prone to insect-borne diseases.
It’s also beneficial to know basic first aid for treating minor wounds and skin irritations, as these can become infected in unhygienic conditions. Keeping wounds clean and properly dressed is a simple yet effective way to prevent complications.
Furthermore, consider the cleanliness of your living environment. Regular cleaning and airing out of living spaces can prevent the accumulation of harmful bacteria and viruses. Understand the importance of keeping food preparation areas clean to prevent foodborne illnesses.
By mastering these skills and incorporating them into your daily routine, you ensure that even in challenging survival scenarios, you can maintain a level of hygiene and sanitation that will protect your health and increase your chances of survival.
Why Rope is Important for Survival
Understanding the various uses of rope and mastering how to tie different knots is a valuable and versatile survival skill. Ropes are essential tools in a wide range of survival situations. You may need ropes for practical tasks like building shelters, setting up traps for hunting, or creating snares for small game. Ropes are also crucial for rescue operations, whether it involves pulling someone to safety or creating a harness for more complex rescue scenarios.
Different knots serve different purposes and learning a variety of them can be highly beneficial. For instance, a bowline knot is renowned for its strength and reliability, making it ideal for constructing shelters and creating harnesses where weight-bearing capacity is crucial. The figure-eight knot is another versatile option, known for its ease of tying and untying, making it suitable for securing gear to your bug-out bag or to a raft.
In addition to these, there are several other knots and hitches worth learning. The square knot is useful for joining two rope ends securely, while the taut-line hitch is adjustable, making it perfect for securing tarps or tents. The clove hitch is ideal for starting and finishing lashings – an essential skill when building structures or rafts.
Moreover, ropes can be used for climbing or descending steep slopes or cliffs, which is where knowing how to tie secure anchor points and belay knots becomes vital. In cold environments, ropes can assist in building snow shelters or sledges for transporting goods or injured persons.
It’s also important to understand the different types of rope and their specific uses. For example, static ropes are preferable for situations where you don’t want the rope to stretch, such as when building a shelter, while dynamic ropes are better suited for climbing due to their elasticity.
Learning how to properly care for and store rope is also a part of this skill. Keeping ropes dry and free from fraying extends their usability. Additionally, practicing making improvised ropes from materials like vines, plant fibers, or strips of cloth can be a lifesaver when traditional ropes aren’t available.
By mastering these skills and understanding the diverse applications of ropes in survival situations, you enhance your ability to adapt and overcome challenges in the wilderness or during emergencies.
Dive into Step 2 our 5 – step guide to a beginner’s guide to survival preparedness.
