Survival for Beginners
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oldsarge
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I think a great book for beginners would be Cody Lundin's, 98.6 degrees, How to keep your ass alive. This book will not tell you how to build a log cabin with a pocket knife or trap wild animals. It will however give you some of the most valuable advice what you should be concerned with as a beginner. I have many survival books on my shelf and this one is an all time favorite. I feel this book is a great first stepping stone to any other books. If you are knew to the outdoors, this book is for you.
As far as learning more about survival techniques, most books you come across will contain a lot of the same info. The biggest point in learning any techniques, is getting out there and practicing them. I'd say that you may want to sharpen your fire making skills, navigational skills, The proper way to use a knife in the field and shelter building. This may be a good start. Also, key on what type of environment you live in and focus of skills that will help you there.
As far as learning more about survival techniques, most books you come across will contain a lot of the same info. The biggest point in learning any techniques, is getting out there and practicing them. I'd say that you may want to sharpen your fire making skills, navigational skills, The proper way to use a knife in the field and shelter building. This may be a good start. Also, key on what type of environment you live in and focus of skills that will help you there.
cabinfever
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Sarge recommended one of the best books I've seen for beginners - my copy is pretty ragged now, but it also holds a spot on my bookshelf. I've made my kids read it, and a few other people. What he says about what kind of area you'll be in is smart, too. Not much sense in learning how to survive an avalanche, if you aren't going to ski country.
Newanderthal
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The practice is very important. It's like tying your shoes. Don't just review the info, but practice it until it's second nature.
Many survival skills share a lot in common with camping and general wilderness skills. So while going camping or doing wilderness stuff isn't going to prepare you for survival in your area, they will teach you a lot of the basics and get you comfortable with the concepts.
And don't underrate being comfortable doing stuff. If you can do something in your sleep, if doing it doesn't bug you, you're more likely to do it right when you need to. So playing around with things like making fires, carving wood, etc will increase your comfort level. This means that you're more likely to succeed if you should ever need to start a fire under stress, for instance. Because when you need to stay warm by starting a fire, the experience is going to be ten times worse if you're not comfortable starting a fire on easy mode.
Which is my way of saying: Go out and play in the wilderness. Safely, obviously, but play. When you settle on a guide, try out some of the stuff. Practice knots, start a camp fire, cook some stuff, make a dead fall trap, etc. You'll learn by doing a lot better than just by reading. And bring a friend with you so that you can learn together, because it's more fun with people.
And don't underrate being comfortable doing stuff. If you can do something in your sleep, if doing it doesn't bug you, you're more likely to do it right when you need to. So playing around with things like making fires, carving wood, etc will increase your comfort level. This means that you're more likely to succeed if you should ever need to start a fire under stress, for instance. Because when you need to stay warm by starting a fire, the experience is going to be ten times worse if you're not comfortable starting a fire on easy mode.
Which is my way of saying: Go out and play in the wilderness. Safely, obviously, but play. When you settle on a guide, try out some of the stuff. Practice knots, start a camp fire, cook some stuff, make a dead fall trap, etc. You'll learn by doing a lot better than just by reading. And bring a friend with you so that you can learn together, because it's more fun with people.
Pathfinder1
Well-Known Member
Michael;
Which is my way of saying: Go out and play in the wilderness. Safely, obviously, but play. When you settle on a guide, try out some of the stuff. Practice knots, start a camp fire, cook some stuff, make a dead fall trap, etc. You'll learn by doing a lot better than just by reading. And bring a friend with you so that you can learn together, because it's more fun with people'
Hi...
All good ideas. Glad you mentioned "knots", too. Knowing a variety of them can come in handy.
Everybody knows something.
Which is my way of saying: Go out and play in the wilderness. Safely, obviously, but play. When you settle on a guide, try out some of the stuff. Practice knots, start a camp fire, cook some stuff, make a dead fall trap, etc. You'll learn by doing a lot better than just by reading. And bring a friend with you so that you can learn together, because it's more fun with people'
Hi...
All good ideas. Glad you mentioned "knots", too. Knowing a variety of them can come in handy.
Everybody knows something.
ChadTower
Active Member
+1 on take some short and safe trips and get yourself experience. You can read all the books in the world and they won't compare with practice and experience.
Also +1 on 98.6 Degrees. I have a copy in my truck right now.
One more thing... you don't want to "go practice survival". Survival sucks. Survival means you made a hugely bad decision, or something truly large and unexpected happened to you, and your life is in danger. Survival is not a two day trip into the woods where you rub sticks and eat from a pouch. Plan, prepare, and make good decisions. Avoid the survival situation because you don't want to risk your life and that's what survival actually means.
Also +1 on 98.6 Degrees. I have a copy in my truck right now.
One more thing... you don't want to "go practice survival". Survival sucks. Survival means you made a hugely bad decision, or something truly large and unexpected happened to you, and your life is in danger. Survival is not a two day trip into the woods where you rub sticks and eat from a pouch. Plan, prepare, and make good decisions. Avoid the survival situation because you don't want to risk your life and that's what survival actually means.
CozInCowtown
Moderator
Just get out there and do it!!
Practice by camping, hunting, fishing and gardening.
Survival in a life threatening situation is Pass-Fail grade which I always found easier.
DC
Practice by camping, hunting, fishing and gardening.
Survival in a life threatening situation is Pass-Fail grade which I always found easier.
DC
IndianaHiker
Active Member
Most if it is common sense. The difficult part is to stay calm enough to keep your head out of your backside to use it.
PackAdventure
New Member
Instead if reading books, Get Outside and spend time with nature more.
More than book the nature will teach more on surviving. So just leave the book aside if its in your hand, get out!:tinysmile_fatgrin_t
More than book the nature will teach more on surviving. So just leave the book aside if its in your hand, get out!:tinysmile_fatgrin_t
EarleD
New Member
I heard on one of those survival show. "If your having fun your camping, survival sucks and isn't fun"
Loved that line
pauldude000
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Even babies have to learn to walk. Spending time with nature does not automatically impart knowledge that used to be passed down father to son, mother to daughter. For the newbie, a book is a good place to start. There are three principle things. Knowledge, wisdom, understanding and discernation.
Knowledge is what you know.
Understanding is when and where the knowledge applies.
Wisdom is why and how to apply it.
Discernation is the ability to tell true and false for all the above.
Books can be great sources of information, IF AND ONLY IF the author knew what he/she was talking about. Otherwise it is worthless. The same goes for videos, etc. Always consider the source.
For instance, there is a guy in my AOP who hosts survival courses. He claims to be an original 'ginny' (his spelling) pig for the S.E.R.E. program. Since S.E.R.E. started at the end of the Korean war at approx 1953... that makes him around eighty (18-20 at the time). The man is not even close to eighty years old. I will need a full bag of salt concerning anything he says on the subject now.
Again, be conscious of the source. Wiseman knows his stuff. Lundin knows his stuff. Heck, even Canterbury knows what he is doing, though him lying didn't help his case any. Anything these three might write would be valuable.
Spending time in the woods merely acclimates you to the wilderness surroundings. It does not in any manner teach a person survival skills or techniques.
Last edited:
ppine
Forester
Stay put, don't panic, find water, stay warm. Find someone to teach you.
Newanderthal
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Survival situation: a situation in which your life is in actual danger
First (and most important) part of survival is DON'T END UP IN THAT SITUATION!
Take precautions. When paddling, put on your PFD before you get on the water and take it off AFTER you leave the water. Don't go into choppy water, rapids, dangerous zones unless you have first planned your way through and second, planned your escape if it all goes sideways.
When hiking/backpacking, know you area. Get a map, familiarize yourself with the trails, camping areas, ranger stations, roads, fire breaks, etc BEFORE you go in. Plan where you are going, keep track of where you are, and have an escape plan.
Watch for dangers. Train yourself to look for snakes and know how to identify the venomous species in your area. Look for spiders and scorpions. Take the headphones out and listen for rushing water or thunder. People listening to ipods get swept away in flash floods because they couldn't hear the water rushing in on them from behind. Keep your eyes open for bears, cougars, wild dogs, pissed off turkeys, whatever. AVOID DANGER.
Sniff for smoke and listen for gunshots or animal calls. Don't wander into a hunting area or a controlled burn area.
The best way to survive is to never end up in a survival situation in the first place. The most powerful computer in the world is right underneath your hat. Use it.
Learn and practice some survival techniques when you can, but prevention is by far the best route. It's like driving safe and wearing a seatbelt. You should know how to get out of a skid, but it's best to avoid hydroplaning.
First (and most important) part of survival is DON'T END UP IN THAT SITUATION!
Take precautions. When paddling, put on your PFD before you get on the water and take it off AFTER you leave the water. Don't go into choppy water, rapids, dangerous zones unless you have first planned your way through and second, planned your escape if it all goes sideways.
When hiking/backpacking, know you area. Get a map, familiarize yourself with the trails, camping areas, ranger stations, roads, fire breaks, etc BEFORE you go in. Plan where you are going, keep track of where you are, and have an escape plan.
Watch for dangers. Train yourself to look for snakes and know how to identify the venomous species in your area. Look for spiders and scorpions. Take the headphones out and listen for rushing water or thunder. People listening to ipods get swept away in flash floods because they couldn't hear the water rushing in on them from behind. Keep your eyes open for bears, cougars, wild dogs, pissed off turkeys, whatever. AVOID DANGER.
Sniff for smoke and listen for gunshots or animal calls. Don't wander into a hunting area or a controlled burn area.
The best way to survive is to never end up in a survival situation in the first place. The most powerful computer in the world is right underneath your hat. Use it.
Learn and practice some survival techniques when you can, but prevention is by far the best route. It's like driving safe and wearing a seatbelt. You should know how to get out of a skid, but it's best to avoid hydroplaning.
Nature25
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A lot of it has to do with just using common sense, but there are some things that you should know how to do just incase you get into an uncommon situation. I found an e-book called "Essential Wilderness Skills For Beginners". It's pretty straight forward and has a lot of good tips in it like: finding and cooking survival food and what to do when you run out of critical water.
