When viewed by someone from the outside, survival basics can seem very overwhelming. The ‘prepping shows’ many see on television, often show sophisticated networks of people, equipment, and knowledge.
This leads to a lot of confusion that for some, may be the tipping point between becoming a prepper and remaining a wannabe.
What viewers often miss standing on the outside, is that prepping and survival is not learned in a day. It is a journey that begins with a single step.
The knowledge acquired by people through several avenues, taking days, weeks, months, and even years. No one can expect to know everything from the start.
Sometimes, learning something as sophisticated as survival is an accumulation of many different steps, each just as important as the next, all coming together to form an umbrella of knowledge.
The following 3 steps are part of that journey, 3 distinct avenues of things every prepper should know, understand, and build on.
The thing with prepping is that the journey never really ends. As they gain more and more knowledge, there’s always more waiting in the background. New ideas constantly evolve, as do the tools and equipment many preppers use in their plans.
It is up to each individual prepper to keep on top of the new information and continue to better themselves, so that when the disasters finally do strike, they know they’ll be at the top of their game.
What are Survival Basics?
For me, there are 2 sides to survival, each very different from the other. Decide early which you are, because one will ensure your survival, while the other will keep you trying to survive. They are definitely not the same and once you understand the difference, you’ll be well on the way to true prepping.
The first kind of survival is where a person waits for a disaster or emergency situation to happen and then looks for ways to stay alive. It might be trekking cross country, living off the land and relying on the chances of finding the gear you need along the way.
The second way is to plan for the disaster ahead of time. It is taking the time to determine escape routes, build food caches, gather tools and supplies, and continue building on strong foundations.
That essentially is what a prepper does. Because survival isn’t just about fighting for your life through the countryside. It is also negotiating the challenges of urban landscapes and the people who reside in them.
Tips to Survival
Tip #1: Keep Growing
There is no such thing as a finished prepping plan. When it comes to survival, even basic survival, too many variables exist to ever fully prepare for them all.
Start with one scenario and then build on it. The response needed for a nuclear attack compared to an earthquake are quite different. So is the response for an approaching tsunami compared to an airborne contagion.
Each scenario requires different tools, plans, and knowledge. This is where continued learning will help you gain more information to use for each. Just look at something as complex as the “survival 3’s.
- Survive 3 minutes without air
- Survive 3 hours without shelter
- Survive 3 days without water
- Survive 3 weeks without food
Will you plan to ensure you survive each of the survival 3’s? That’s what a plan entails.
Tip #2: Prepare Yourself
One of the biggest killers during an emergency situation isn’t a lack of understanding of survival basics, water, food, medical supplies, or even injuries. It’s panic. Panic alone is responsible for causing the most destructive damage, because when people panic, they make silly mistakes.
Those mistakes normally lead to injuries, lack of water, lack of food, attacks on the weak and vulnerable and so many more things.
By preparing yourself not only physically, but also mentally, you’ll be ready to tackle any emergency when it comes. The number of training soldiers go through to prepare themselves for dangerous situations is split between the physical and the emotional demands.
It’s how soldiers always appear calm in situations most people would run from. And that’s what you can work on. Working on your physical fitness is a great start, but including some mental training will also go a long way to preparing your survival skills.
Tip #3: Survival Packs
Notice how I didn’t write a single pack? That’s because you’ll want to prepare more when considering survival basics.
The first is your bug out bag, the one holding most of the emergency water, emergency food rations, medical supplies, and survival tools in a bag. The bag must be lightweight and rugged enough for you to carry the cross country.
The second bag needs to be a lighter bag, maybe one to carry in the trunk of your car. It should still hold at least 3 days’ worth of emergency rations, so that if a disaster strikes while you’re out and about, you’ll still be able to survive that minimum of 72 hours.
