The Four Keys to Survival

By Scott Hobbs

Knowing what to do in an emergency survival situation can mean the difference between life and death. There are certain steps that must be taken to survive in the wilderness, regardless of the weather conditions.

The Four Basic Necessities:

1. Shelter

2. Water

3. Fire

4. Food

Shelter

Shelter is the most important thing to address when lost or trapped in the wilderness. A good shelter will protect you from the elements. It should help to prevent hypothermia in cold weather, and heat exhaustion in hot climates.

When building a shelter, one should try to make it as comfortable as possible. This will allow for a better rest, and help to keep your morale high. Nothing is worse than not sleeping due to cold or damp shelters. Trust me I have been there.

Good Shelters:

Leaning branches against a tree to form a tent like structure

Building up snow or branches around the underside of an evergreen tree

Using rock outcroppings or caves (make sure they aren’t inhabited by animals first!)

Quince Huts made from snow

Water

Although the human body can survive long periods without food, one can only live 2-4 days without water. Finding drinkable water sounds easy enough in this part of the country, but one shouldn’t always assume there will be a lake or river nearby. This is especially important to remember if you are injured and can’t travel too far.

Sources of Water

Lakes, Rivers, Ponds, Creeks

Puddles

Rain or Snow

Dew, Frost, and other condensation

One should remember that not all water is safe to drink. Even though water in a pond may look clean, it may be contaminated with bacteria, often from the feces of birds and animals. You can remedy this problem by finding a way to boil the water first. This is advisable for any water found in the wild. If you have no way to boil water, another option is to use solar purification. In this method, water is placed in a clear plastic bottle and left in the sun for a minimum of six hours. If the sun is not strong, as in spring or autumn months, the water must be left for two days. A third option is using purification tablets. These pills usually contain iodine or chlorine and kill most of the bacteria found in the water.

Fire

Being able to build a good lasting fire can be the difference between life and death, but at the very least, it can make life a lot easier and more comfortable. Here are some of the main reasons for building a good fire.

It keeps you warm

It lets you cook food

You can boil drinking water

It will keep insects and dangerous animals away

It will make you easier to be spotted by rescuers

A fire is more important in cooler and wetter climates, but is useful anywhere.

Food

The least important of the four necessities is finding food. While being hungry is not fun, the average healthy human can survive for 2-3 weeks without food. That being said, going hungry has many drawbacks, namely:

A weaker body, more susceptible to injury and disease

Confusion, hallucination, and a generally reduced mental state

Proneness to irritability, frustration, and anger

Physical exhaustion

Difficulty staying warm, even in warm weather.

So as you can see, while not vital to immediate survival, it’s probably a good idea to find food within a day or so. Finding food in the wilderness is not all that difficult, if you know what you are looking for. You can hunt and trap for animals, catch fish, find edible plants, lichens, and mosses, and any edibles you may have brought with you.

Back to Top