Survival Tips

[T4RAWR]

Summer is rolling around and some of us are gearing up to head outdoors.


I've made this thread so that members can share survival tips and learn from others on how to keep their ass alive while outdoors this season.


Here's a few that i've picked up over the years that have come in handy:



Navigating with a watch:

if you're wearing an analog watch (if digital you'll have to imagine where the hands are) you can find your direction using your watch and the position of the sun.

with the watch held parallel to the ground, point the hour hand at the sun. between the hour hand and 12 will be your south bearing.




Essential tools for survival:

It's always a good idea to carry atleast a few items if you plan on venturing outdoors. At the minimum you should carry:

• swiss army knife
• small first aid kit
• way to make fire
• large heavy duty garbage bags
• a signal mirror
• water
• some food
• a metal cup

the swiss army knife will come in handy if you need to cut some wood or packaging, and for building a make shift shelter if you have to overnight it.

the first aid kit is a no brainer.

a way to make fire will help cook your food, sterilize water, signal for rescue or provide heat in the night (it gets cold in the mountains even in summer).

heavy duty garbage bags can be used for shelter, collect rain water or as a sleeping bag. you could also cut it down to make field expedient tools such as collection bags for harvesting or even twist lengths into make shift cordage.

a signal mirror is a good idea to not only signal for rescue but to also check areas on your body for ticks and injuries which arent normally easy to see.

water is of course a good idea to bring with you on a hike or outdoor trip.

food will provide energy necessary to stay alive and perform duties for surviving.

lastly a metal cup. i always carry a metal cup with folding handles in my pack. why? you can cook food you catch, sterilize drinking water by boiling and also make tea from pine needles which will give you some vitamin C and maybe lift your spirits. in a pinch the bottom of the metal cup could be use as a reflector to signal for help.


Wild edibles you should know:

some common wild edibles that can help keep you alive if you're stranded for more than 72 hours are the following.

• dandelions
• pine needles
• various berries such as blackberry, salmon berry, salal berry, etc

these are all relatively easy to spot and each have their own uses. a disclaimer with the pine needle tea is that you shouldnt drink it if you're pregnant as some of the chemicals in the tea can cause miscarriage.



that's all for now folks. i'll add more as i think of them.

[Matties]

Heres a few to add to the list...

* If you can't swim well or are injured making swimming difficult but you need to cross a large body of water, you can use your pants as a flotation device. Remove your pants, fill them with air, then tie off the legs. Raise the pants over your head in the water and it will act like an improvised floatation device.

* If your caught in a snow fall where you cant find cover for the night, if you have a heavy blanket or tarp you can stay warm by pulling the tarp/blanket over you and letting the snow fall insulate you. This will only work though if its really cold and there is a dry snowfall. Wet snow will just soak you and end up becoming an icecube....

* Read this a while back and though it ingenious. If your needing food and are by a fish bearing body of water you can try using a tab from your beer/pop can as a hook. Here's a pic I found...

[sdubfid]

having a rope and knowing how to use it

tie things together, make a ladder/harness, climbing stuff, crossing stuff, catching stuff, fixing stuff, fight boredom