Exploring the great outdoors is fun and exciting, but it could be challenging, too. While it is true that there are lots of gear and essential items available these days, the truth is, you cannot really take them all with you. In short, you have to be creative and resourceful in order for you to survive in the wild. One of the best tips is to always have portable camping folding chairs, trust me, you won’t regret bringing them.
You also have to learn some skills. Once you do, that is when you will realize the true essence of being a survivalist. As you get ready for your first survivalist trip, here are important tips and tricks that you should keep in mind.
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Create a Fire
When you are in the wilderness, you need fire to cook your food, keep you warm, as well as to light your surroundings. But what if your lighter or matches don’t work? Then you have to find some alternatives.
Fuel, oxygen, and spark are the main three things that you need to start a fire. For fuel, it may come in the form of dry leaves, twigs, or branches. You can easily find these in the wild. As for oxygen, it is all over the place. The only thing that you have to think about now is the “spark” or heat. If you have flint and steel, then all you have to do is to strike the flint against the steel. Another option is to create an improvised magnifying glass using the power of the sun.
Build a Shelter
One of the most important tools that you need while in the wild is a shelter. This is easy if you are carrying a tent with you. All you need is to set it up. If you don’t have a tent or a camping tarp, you can make use of wood, branches, and leaves. To be on the safe side, you should never build your shelter on damp ground. You also have to avoid building one on top of a hill nor at the bottom of a narrow valley.
Find Clean Drinking Water
Sure, you can bring bottled water. But once you run out, you need to look for other sources and make sure that they are not contaminated. Rainwater, as well as melted snow, would be fine. If you are getting water from puddles or streams, it is crucial that you boil it first. Another excellent idea is to create an improvised water filter.
Identify Edible Plants
Edible plants are abundant in the wild, but you should learn how to identify them. Take note that some plants, flowers, or fruits may seem edible, but they are actually poisonous. There is no accurate way of telling whether or not a plant can be eaten safely. But just to be sure, you should stay away from plants that you are not familiar with, especially those that are bitter in taste, have thorns or with milky sap.
Make a Torch
If your tactical flashlight gave up on you, you can make a torch out of a branch, particularly that of a Birch tree. Split it in half, stick a piece of bark in the fork, and light the split end. That would give you an instant torch that you can use to illuminate your path as well as to ward off wild animals.
Learn How to Fish
Luckily, there are various techniques that you can utilize for catching fish in a survival situation. You may opt for hand fishing, gill net, dip net, spear, hand line, hooks, striking iron, basket trap, or fish weir. Experts say that you will most likely catch more fish if you cast your bait while facing into the wind.
Look for Coconuts
Coconuts are very useful. First off, you can use the leaves to create your shelter. You can also drink coconut water so that you can hydrate your body and get some essential nutrients.
Sleep Above the Ground
Sleeping on the floor of the forest is never a good idea. If you can create a make-shift hammock, that would be a lot better than laying down on the ground. Also, if you can build it higher, you’d be safer from wild animals that may attack you, especially at night.
Use Medicinal Plants
In case you get injured or perhaps bitten by bugs in the forest, you can utilize medicinal plants to treat yourself. However, you have to familiarize yourself with plants that have excellent medicinal properties.
Know a Variety of Knots
Knowing a variety of knots will also help you in a survival situation. Two of the most useful knots that you should learn are the bowline and the double half hitch.
Going into the wilderness is not as easy as packing your things. Before you head out, make sure that you are equipped with some essential skills as well. The bottom line is, you should know how to improvise. If you’re looking for great RV parks, be sure to check out the best RV parks in and around Savannah GA.