SURVIVAL

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
  Benjamin Franklin
 

Survival says it all. Trying to survive, so you can live another day. Getting in a situation where you need to survive, can happen every day of the year 24 hours a day, day or night. Expected and unexpected.

At the moment "survival" is getting more and more "fashioned". It's cool and nice to have as much "survival tools" as you can carry. Dress up like you're ready to rumble in the South-American jungle or the Scandinavian mountains. I can tell you: it's not. This is just a false feeling of beeing "prepared". This approach can even get you killed in a real situation!

I do not want to tell you that you don't need equipment. But it's not equipment only. It's all about: Training, (the right) mindset, and equipment. It's a combination of these 3 parts. It's like fire: if you remove one (fuel, oxygen, heat) of the components the fire will die.

Below I've stated the basic items I think I could need/use in a survival situation. I'm not telling that this is the one and only list you need. It's just my view on survival. Also the seasons dictate a change in a survival list. During winter I have to make sure I'm able too keep my self warm and dry. (good jacket/gloves etc) But during summer I might not need gloves and a thick warm jacket.

Survival=    50% attitude (mindset)
                    25% equipment
                    25% skills (training)

When things go bad Think Think Think! Follow the STOP "sign"

S Stop. Realize that the situation has happened and cannot be reversed. You're in a survival situation now!
T Think. Your brain/common sense is your #1 tool! Don't panic!!!
O Observe. Observe your surroundings. Assess the situation.
P Plan. Find out what your priorities are at the moment and the moment to come. Make a plan and follow it.

Priorities in a survival situation the way I see them (in any order):

•  Water

•  Food

•  Shelter

•  Fire

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Equipment
As stated above you can't survive without good equipment. Make sure you have allways a few basic items with you: a (small) knife, lighter, watch. And get proficient how to use them!!

Things you could use or consider to take with you: (this does not mean you have to take the complete list with you!)

(list will be updated un a regular base)
 

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Training
If you don't train with your equipment you will never know if your setup will work. You can not learn these things from books only! So get away from your computer and start training! Get in good health and make sure you have a good physical condition. Set up a training schedule and get in shape, use your gear. Or just attend a few survival courses and bring your own stuff with you and learn from others.
Try to make a fire with 3 different techniques.
Try to find or make SAFE drinking water in 3-5 different ways.
Try to make a shelter from all kinds of material (trees, plastic bags etc)
Learn how a compass works.
Work with your knife(s).
Etc.

Just work with your gear/equipment.

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Mindset
If you've been training and you've got yourself the best equipment you can affort, but you start breaking down at the first drawback, you probably are NOT going to make it. All I want to say is keep training with your equipment and prepare yourself for the worst, so you can be confident and get the right mindset for your survival situation. Try to think in possibilities and not in problems.

With all the gear in the world and all the training you've done, you still could not make it if you don't have the right and positive mindset. Be a winner and not a quitter.

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Survival Kits
Here you'll be able to view several survival kits. Put together by different people/organisations. So learn from them and make one yourself!

Standard kit (Pocket-Size):

Multiple day survival kit:

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How to setup a fire

The use of a poncho

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How to setup a fire

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Did you know that:

Without water you will probably last about 2 1/2 days at 47C If you see a possibility to spend time resting in the shade, though you could last as long as almost 12 days if the temperature stays around 20C.

You cannot drink sea water because it contains too much salt. You will die from it if you drink it when you're in desperate need of water!! (your body needs fresh water to get rid of the salt, seawater will only make it worse)

Your body is made of almost 75% water?

You can loose already 2% of your bodyweight before you get thirsty?

Under normal conditions you should drink at least 2 litres of water.

Fire is one of the most important requirements for survival. It gives warmth (to fight hypothermia), makes you able to cook water for safe drinking water. Give a safe and comforting feeling during survival situations. Can be used for signalling.

Your mind is the most important survival tool?!! Never forget that your brain and your ability to remain calm and not start to panic are your most important survival tools?!

Taking shelter is often a critical element in protecting yourself. Protect yourself from the sun/heat in the desert. Protect yourself from the snow/cold during winter.

You can loose 30-70% of your body heat trough your head/neck area?

You can make ORS (Oral Rehydration Salts) yourself by using: one (1) liter (clean/safe)water 1 teaspoon of salt and 10 teaspoons of suger. Mix untill all is dissolved. You can use this fluid if you're severly dehydrated. Or becoming dehydrated.

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Downloads
Right mouse click to download the file.

Can you survive? This file comes from the Michigan Militia website and is placed here with their permission.

Survival.zip This file is found on the "net". Gives a very good (detailed) view on survival in general.

Land to air signalling Great picture with the most important signals

US army Survival manual (3Mb) THE survival manual.

 

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Signalling

Just some simple morse code words that might be usefull:

h =. . . . e =. l =. _ . . p =. _ _ .	s =. . . o =_ _ _ s =. . .	n =_ . e =. e =. d =_ . .	w =. _ _ e =. l =. _ . . l =. _ . .
d =_ . . o =_ _ _ c =_ . _ . t =_ o =_ _ _ r =. _ .	f =. . _ . o =_ _ _ o =_ _ _ d =_ . .	a =. _ l =. _ . . l =. _ . .

Some other surface to air signals:

Make these signals from tree logs or other material. Make sure they make contrast with the ground they are laying on. So no green tree logs on grass. Make them big enough so you can read them from miles away. (from the air)

You can use a fire to signal too. Use wet or green leaves to put them on a fire. After a few seconds thick smoke is coming of the fire. Use enough grean leaves etc to get enough smoke for a few minutes/hours.