Basic Survival Skills

Areas of study - see video

I Attitude

II Shelter

III Water

IV Direction

V Fire

VI Plants

VII Animals

VIII Cooking and Preserving

IX Tools and Crafts

X Cautions

 XI Nutrition

I Attitude

1. fear vs. panic - The Art of Survival (see your local library)

2. wants vs. needs

a. air

b. water

c. shelter - especially at sea

e. food - don’t eat without water

3. don't complain - do something - force yourself to have a positive attitude

4. be here and now - living for the present - now living (no would’a, should’a or could’a), deal with the reality of the situation.

5. don't hinder your curiosity - but be careful

6. stay in harmony with nature - don't fight it, you will lose

a. what is nature

b. where do I find it

c. how do I fit in it

7. Exercises in "Field Guide to Wilderness Survival" (F.G. page 20)

8. Practice, practice, practice - practice makes perfect - a scout is prepared

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II Shelter

1. location, location, location, (F.G. page 24)

a. protection

a1. Weather

a2. natural hazards

a3. poisonous plants

a4. dangerous animals

b. dry - well drained area

c. open areas

c1. southern exposure - the sun travels in the south

c2. eastern exposure - the sun rises in the east - first morning light

c3. not in dense undergrowth - damp - doesn't dry out

d. fire safety - 10' circle and also consider overhead (dead falls?) (ouch!)

e. location with an abundance of raw materials (i.e., leaves, wood, sand, soil snow, stone, use anything!

f. comfort for the body and mind - room with a view - consider the number of people with you (size and body warmth)

2. shelter size

a. cold - keep it small - so your body can heat it

b. hot - make it large and roomy, with plenty of ventilation and shade

3. conservation - don't trash up your own home and neighborhood - your animal neighbors won't like it

a. keep your area perfectly clean - holds down on insects and diseases

4. natural shelters - for emergency use - later you will build the type of shelter you need

a. consider - summer (large and airy) or winter (small and tight)

5. cold weather insulation - go watch the squirrels - (F.G. page 30)

a. internal heater, w/ rocks or hot water

6. exercises - (F.G. page 45)

7. types

a. debris hut (cold weather)

b. stacked debris wall hut (permanent and year round)

c. log hut (permanent)

d. snow shelters (usually for emergency but not necessarily)

e. tipi

f. lean-two

g. wickie-up

h. dug-outs

8. beds - to get you off the ground and into warmer air

a. "hot beds" = "two-four-eight" rule

b. rope beds - sleep "tight"

c. lofts

Chickee	Earth Hut	Igloo	Lean To
Long House	Navajo Hogan	Pit Shelter	Plank House
Pueblo	Thatch Hut	Tipi	Wattle

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III Water

1. is it safe to drink?

a. bacteria, fungi and viruses - boil 5 minutes and let it cool

b. chemical pollutants (alcohol base and oil base) - bring to a boil first, then solar still it.

c. do not drink urine, alkaline water, fish fluids (caught in salt water), or salt water. Use a solar still to de-salinize saltwater.

d. pre-clean all containers that will be used to hold or collect fresh water.

2. finding water

a. observation - watch the animals, where are they going - use common sense

b. usually "down hill", but there are mountain lakes

c. natural catches - lakes - streams - rivers - oceans - stone catches - wood catches

d. collecting dew - clean and plentiful, usually the best way to go

e. plants - be careful

e1. hardwood trees taped in the spring and summer

e2. sycamores

e3. grapevines

e4. bull thistle (survival celery)

e5. cactus (edible water) - caution

f. snow - don't eat - melt first - hypothermia

g. conserving water - drink it

h. storing water - wooden and earthen - 1 gallon size

i. dig behind sand dunes along the ocean to find fresh water.

j. solar still - use a reed for tubing

k. reverse solar still

l. dew pits

m. transpiration bag - clear plastic bag

3. exercises - (F.G. page 58)

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IV Direction

1. compass - keep in your wallet

2. watch - keep on your wrist

3. sun - keep your eye on it

4. moon

5. weather patterns

6. exercises - read "The Boy Scout Handbook" page 179

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V Fire

1. fire gives heat, light and wisdom (the original TV)

2. precautions - don't burn down the neighborhood

3. fuels

a. tinder

b. kindling

c. "squaw wood" - makes the best coals

d. bulk fuel wood - for overnight, use green wood

4. types of fire lays

a. tipi lay - good for light

b. lean-to lay - up against a reflector - best for heat

c. criss-cross lay ( log cabin lay) - good to dance around

d. trench lay - good for pots and pans

e. star fire lay - best use of wood

f. hunter’s fire - ("key hole" fire) - good for pots and pans

g. earthen stoves - the best for frying, boiling, and baking

5. starting fires

a. magnifying glass

b. battery spark

c. lightning

d. flint and steel

e. bow drill - Indians called them a gift from the Creator

e1. spindle - octagon - 8 - 9" long

e2. fire board - two to four inches across - 12" long

e2a. remember the two stick fire board

e3. handhold - make it large enough to fit your hand and grease it

e4. bow - two to three feet long - as long as your arm

e5. techniques - practice - practice - practice

e6. materials - spindle and fire board should be of the same material - cottonwood, willow, aspen, tamarack,

cedar, sassafras, poplar. Don't use oak, hickory, walnut or evergreens (conifers) - thumb nail test

f. hand drills, push drills, and mouth drills

g. fire "piston" - try it, it works

6. exercises - 

(F.G. page 80)

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VI Plants - see videos

There is responsibility in taking any life even plant life - be thankful - (F.G. page 81)

Important - most of your nutrition comes from plant material

1. big four - (F.G. page 83)

a. grasses - stems, leaves, roots and seeds (cook first)

b. cattails - green pollen heads, new young shoots and root nodules (flour)

c. pines - needles, pollen, anthers, seeds and inner bark

d. oaks - ALL acorns are edible (caution - tannin) - red (yellow meat) and white

2. toothbrushes - (other plant uses, F.G. page 85)

a. cattails stalk ends - remove the downy material

b. cedar- bark tinder tied to the end of a stick and dipped in water - the tannic acid will also fight tooth decay

c. toothpaste - wood ash (lye)

3. mouthwashes

a. boil the inner bark of cedar or oak (tannin) - also good for cuts and tanning hides - do not drink (diarrhea)

4. soaps - from those plants with sopanin (yucca, spirea, bouncing bet, meadow sweet and phlox - use the mouthwash solution - pine oil (Pine-Sol)

5. oils - from nuts and seeds (especially coconuts) - will also water proof clothing and equipment, fuels, sunburn ointment, lamp oil coconut oil - boil the flesh, scoop off oil

6. insect repellents - see mouthwash and soaps - mud for under water - lime juice - coconut oil - lemon grass oils wash your body as often as possible

7. toilet paper substitutes - tinder - cattail down - piece of tanned hide (wash and use again)

8. coffee - roasted seeds and chicory

9. chewing gum - sweet gum tree

10. candles - wax myrtle

11. poisons - to use and be cautious of:

12. exercises - read "Peterson's Field Guide to Wild Edible Plants" and "Edible Wild Plants" by Thomas Elias & Peter Dykeman

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VII Animals - there is responsibility in taking any life - give thanks - (F.G. page 145)

1. insects (remove the legs) - grasshoppers, crickets (also medicinal), katydids, cicadas, ants, insect eggs, insect larvae, maggots, earthworms and slugs - "bon appetite"!!!!

2. fish - if it has fins and scales, it's OK in some parts of the ocean - collect plankton at night, use a funnel shaped drag (18 inches x 6 feet)

3. frogs and other amphibians - caution

4. snakes and lizards

5. birds

6. mammals - big and small

7. finding and approaching animals

 

 

 

 

a. observation - splatter vision - focused hearing - sometimes you will need to make eyesight protection.

b. tracking - to identify, how long ago did the animal pass by, what was the gate (walking or running)

b1. cat family - nails don't show - 4 toes, front and back

b2. dog family - nails always show - 4 toes, front and back

b3. weasel family - 5 toes, front and back

b4. rodent order - 4 toes fore and 5 toes hind

b5. hoofed mammals - split hoof

b6. track patterns - see (F.G. page 163)

b6a. bounders

b6b. diagonal walkers

b6c. gallopers

b6d. pacers

c. animal highways and signs - trails, runs, pushdowns, beds, lays, rubs, nicks, scratchings, gnawings, animal droppings, etc.

d. stalking - (F.G. page 168) - do not freeze - flow with the surroundings - only rocks don't move

d1. stalking

d2. camouflage and cover, use material from the local surroundings

d3. ambush, best from above

d4. attracting them to you

d4a. lures - things that stink, baits (nuts, fruits, seeds, etc.), planted fields

d4b. calls and rattles, work well on turkey and deer

e. trapping - (F.G. page 175) -location, construction, camouflage and baiting

e1. deadfalls - to kill or trap in

e2. penned and baited area traps - caution removing animal

e3. snares - to hold or kill

e4. bottle traps - small and large animals (tiger traps) - to hold alive

e5. squirrel pole snares - to kill

f. fishing - (F.G. page 203)

f1. bare hands - yeah right!

f2. baskets

f3. spears - keep the pointed tip in the water, to aim your shot.

f4. hook and line (trout line)

f5. traps - in streams (off to the side in the slower moving water), also where the tide goes in and out

g. hunting tools - (F.G. page 211)

g1. stones

g2. throwing sticks - don’t laugh - fire hardened wood, good for digging

g3. bow and arrow

g4. spears - hunting and fishing

g5. dart throwers

g6. slings

g7. bolas, put the weights in a hide pouch before tying to line

8. skinning and cleaning

a. technique depends on the animal

a1. birds

a2. mammals

a3. fish

a4. snakes

b. tanning

b1. hair off

b1a. skin animal, remove the meat, fat, and the epidermis - takes 5 to 20 minutes

b1b. soak for 2 to 4 days, then remove the hair and epidermis, over a fleshing board don’t use chlorinated water - it will kill the bacteria that loosens the hair

b1c. wash, stretch, dry, buff, smoke

b2. hair on - b1a & b1c

9. utilizing the WHOLE animal

a. head, skull (bowls) and brains for tanning

b. organs

c. bones

d. sinew

e. antlers

f. hooves

g. skin and hide

 10. exercises - (F.G. page 240)

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VIII Cooking and Preserving - (F.G. page 233)

1. cooking - (F.G. page 233)

a. spit

b. rock frying

c. rock ovens

d. brick oven

e. pit ovens

f. rock boiling

g. eating utensils - plates, knives, forks and spoons

2. preserving - (F.G. page 237)

a. drying

b. jerky

c. pemmican

3. storage

a. stomach pouches, intestines

b. storage pits

c. earthen containers

4. exercises - (F.G. page 240)

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IX Tools and Crafts

1. cordage, knots, and lashings

2. stone tools

3. bone tools

4. fire hardening wooden tools

5. coal - burned wooden containers

6. weaving

7. rawhide

8. brain tanning and smoking

10. glues and oils

11. exercises - (F.G. page 264)

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X Cautions and Suggestions - (F.G. page 265)

1. hypothermia

2. clothing materials

3. finding your way

4. illness and injury

5. conservation / economy

6. survival belt pack

a. knife

b. waterproof matches

c. candle

d. 50' of strong cordage

e. 50' monofilament fishing line

f. solar still

f1. 5' by 5' clear thin plastic

f2. 6' of plastic tubing

f3. collapsible plastic cup

7. survival attitude

8. personal hygiene and health - cleanliness is next to Godliness

9. poisonous plants and animals

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XI. Nutrition - you can starve to death with food available

1. balanced diet

a. proteins - meat, fish, beans and grains together

b. carbohydrates - grains, seeds

c. enzymes - amino and fatty acids - plant and animal

d. vitamins - mostly plants - vitamin "C"

c. minerals - mostly plants

2. related information

a. 90% of all birth defects are nutrition related

b. 60 - 70% of all illnesses are nutrition related

c. there are 90 known vitamins and minerals (nutrients)

d. the average American consumes about 148# of sugar a year - that’s about a half a pound a day

e. according to the Journal of American Medical Association, on the average, doctors have a shorter life span than most Americans. The cause is lack of nutritional information and poor diets.

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