Wilderness Survival Tools

Survival Tools

Necessary Tools for Wilderness Survival: Avoid These Mistakes

An ideal survival kit always carries certain things, but the heart of the matter is preparation. Consider what the parameters of the intended trip into the wilderness are and plan for contingencies. A day fishing trip can turn into a longer excursion if someone slips or has another kind of accident. A simple hike in the woods, if you get lost, requires much more than a single day’s rations with no shelter or gear. Know what you will need and either have it with you or know how to find it. 

One big mistake common to people caught in wilderness survival scenarios is lack of preparation. In some instances, there is simply no knowledge of what kind of wilderness survival excursion is about to take place. In other circumstances, people in their ignorance get careless or reckless. The wilderness can be unforgiving to such. There are five basic keys to survival in the wilderness. Have shelter or know how to build it. Have a means of signaling for help. Have food or know how to find it and what to eat. Have the means to build a fire, know how to build one, and know how to maintain it once built. Have the means to prepare water, know how to find it, and know how to make it safe to drink.

Shelter can mean anything from a tarp to a tent when it comes to packing gear for survival. If you do not have these with you, try making a shelter of debris and staying warm by packing dirt and leaves in around yourself. But the tent and sleeping bag option is undoubtedly safer and more comfortable. Look for a tent that is lightweight but provides excellent protection against the elements. Staying dry is staying alive. When it comes to the wilderness, the reason so many people die is due to what is called exposure. This is defined as a physical condition that is the result of being outside in severe weather without adequate protection from the conditions. 

Lack of shelter is a two-fold mistake that can cost lives in wilderness survival. The first mistake is not bringing tent and sleeping bag with you; the second part of the mistake is lacking the knowledge to build yourself a shelter from nature’s tools that surround you. Still, it is preferable to simply be prepared, with everything from a sleeping mat to go under your sleeping bag to a dirt-resistant waterproof camping blanket to go over it. Don’t forget an inflatable pillow for comfort. 

Survival Shelter Supplies

Another mistake of people who wander the wilderness is doing so without the proper tools of navigation. A map, a compass, and GPS are all important tools for knowing where you are and how to get where you want to go. Merely depending on GPS is courting disaster. Even experienced woodsmen can easily get turned around in the wrong terrain. Novices in thick trees and brush might well grow lost without all three tools of navigation. The key to navigating is to have a backup method for finding your path to safety. Understanding the sun and stars is also beneficial if preparation was not possible. But having a metal waterproof multifunctional compass is good practice. 

Carrying water and knowing how to find it are vital for staying alive in the wilderness. Without water, you will die. You can last much longer without food than you can without water. A camping mini water purifier for outdoor survival hiking water is a tool that is worth its weight in gold. It means that once you’ve found water, you can render it safe to drink. Without such a device, you will need to be able to purify water by some other means, whether with chemical tablets or by boiling it. You can also catch rain water or dew if you have the means, such as a tarp. Dehydration is deadly within a matter of days and unpurified water can cause severe vomiting or diarrhea to hasten the process. Be sure to be safe and be prepared. 

Water Filter Tools

Being unable to signal is breaking a key trait for survival in the wilderness. Outdoor stores have entire sections dedicated to such means of signaling. Most commonly, you will find signal mirrors and whistles. Fire starting devices and flashlights with strong beams are also good to think about having. Further useful are bright clothes, radios, and SPOT or ACR, emergency beacon devices. If you are caught in the wilderness without such tools, have an understanding of how to create an emergency signal using what is around you: rocks, snow, trees, or dirt. 

Fire means much in terms of wilderness survival. It can keep you and those you cherish warm in some conditions that are the worst you can think of. It can keep you safe from predators and animals that might attack out of fear. It is a blazing signal that can be seen for miles at night and whose smoke can be seen in the daylight hours. It is a purifier that can be used to boil water and keep you alive, slaked, and safe. Do not rely on just one means of making a fire when you are traveling out and about in the wilderness. Take several methods with you, and learn how to make fire with two sticks the old-fashioned way, just in case. 

Fire Tools

Also important for staying warm is to wear the right clothes. As a rule, always dress a single layer warmer than you think you should need. You can always take things off and wrap them around your waist or stuff them in your pack if you get too uncomfortable. But once you have left an article of clothing behind, there is nothing worse than being out in the wilderness wishing for the warmth that is back in your closet. Also, remember the sayings about cotton: it kills. Find and wear clothing that retains warmth even after it becomes wet. Also have some sort of shell pants and a jacket for when it rains or snows. It may be surprising that most cases of hypothermia happen when it is above freezing temperatures. Also, have good gloves to protect your hands and good hiking boots to protect your feet and ankles. You don’t want to risk being lamed in survival situations. 

Survival Cloths

It is vital to be suitably prepared before going out into the wilderness. In this case, preparation is mental as well as physical; it involves learning as much as it does packing. Know the ropes before you try to manage on your own. And carry a well-packed kit of survival gear. You never know when that hatchet or folding shovel will be the one tool you will wish you had. A good double pack can carry a lot and keep you prepared for the consequences of wilderness survival.

Here is a list of survival tools used for nessassary living.

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