How to Learn Survival

[Heretic]

This is in no way a comprehensive study nor list and it is Incomplete

This is something that has been in the works and on my to do list for too long and I thought this would be a good place to post it

correct errors, add to it, throw tomatoes at me

I'm easy, here it is

Survival Basics

S -Size Up the Situation
If you are in a combat situation, find a place where you can conceal yourself from the enemy. Remember, security takes priority. Use your senses of hearing, smell, and sight to get a feel for the battlefield. What is the enemy doing? Advancing? Holding in place? Retreating? You will have to consider what is developing on the battlefield when you make your survival plan.

Size Up Your Surroundings
Determine the pattern of the area. Get a feel for what is going on around you. Every environment, whether forest, jungle, or desert, has a rhythm or pattern. This rhythm or pattern includes animal and bird noises and movements and insect sounds. It may also include enemy traffic and civilian movements.

Size Up Your Physical Condition
The pressure of the battle you were in or the trauma of being in a survival situation may have caused you to overlook wounds you received. Check your wounds and give yourself first aid. Take care to prevent further bodily harm. For instance, in any climate, drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. If you are in a cold or wet climate, put on additional clothing to prevent hypothermia.

Size Up Your Equipment
Perhaps in the heat of battle, you lost or damaged some of your equipment. Check to see what equipment you have and what condition it is in.
Now that you have sized up your situation, surroundings, physical condition, and equipment, you are ready to make your survival plan. In doing so, keep in mind your basic physical needs--water, food, and shelter.

U -Use All Your Senses, Undue Haste Makes Waste
You may make a wrong move when you react quickly without thinking or planning. That move may result in your capture or death. Don't move just for the sake of taking action. Consider all aspects of your situation (size up your situation) before you make a decision and a move. If you act in haste, you may forget or lose some of your equipment. In your haste you may also become disoriented so that you don't know which way to go. Plan your moves. Be ready to move out quickly without endangering yourself if the enemy is near you. Use all your senses to evaluate the situation. Note sounds and smells. Be sensitive to temperature changes. Be observant.

R -Remember Where You Are
Spot your location on your map and relate it to the surrounding terrain. This is a basic principle that you must always follow. If there are other persons with you, make sure they also know their location. Always know who in your group, vehicle, or aircraft has a map and compass. If that person is killed, you will have to get the map and compass from him. Pay close attention to where you are and to where you are going. Do not rely on others in the group to keep track of the route. Constantly orient yourself. Always try to determine, as a minimum, how your location relates to--

• The location of enemy units and controlled areas.
• The location of friendly units and controlled areas.
• The location of local water sources (especially important in the desert.
• Areas that will provide good cover and concealment.

This information will allow you to make intelligent decisions when you are in a survival and evasion situation.

V -Vanquish Fear and Panic
The greatest enemies in a combat survival and evasion situation are fear and panic. If uncontrolled, they can destroy your ability to make an intelligent decision. They may cause you to react to your feelings and imagination rather than to your situation. They can drain your energy and thereby cause other negative emotions. Previous survival and evasion training and self-confidence will enable you to vanquish fear and panic.

I -Improvise
In the United States, we have items available for all our needs. Many of these items are cheap to replace when damaged. Our easy come, easy go, easy-to-replace culture makes it unnecessary for us to improvise. This inexperience in improvisation can be an enemy in a survival situation. Learn to improvise. Take a tool designed for a specific purpose and see how many other uses you can make of it. Learn to use natural objects around you for different needs. An example is using a rock for a hammer. No matter how complete a survival kit you have with you, it will run out or wear out after a while. Your imagination must take over when your kit wears out.

V -Value Living
All of us were born kicking and fighting to live, but we have become used to the soft life. We have become creatures of comfort. We dislike inconveniences and discomforts. What happens when we are faced with a survival situation with its stresses, inconveniences, and discomforts? This is when the will to live- placing a high value on living-is vital. The experience and knowledge you have gained through life and your Army training will have a bearing on your will to live. Stubbornness, a refusal to give in to problems and obstacles that face you, will give you the mental and physical strength to endure.

A -Act Like the Natives
The natives and animals of a region have adapted to their environment. To get a feel of the area, watch how the people go about their daily routine. When and what do they eat? When, where, and how do they get their food? When and where do they go for water? What time do they usually go to bed and get up? These actions are important to you when you are trying to avoid capture.

Animal life in the area can also give you clues on how to survive. Animals also require food, water, and shelter. By watching them, you can find sources of water and food.

L - Learn Basic Skills
Learn to put together a survival kit that will meet your specific needs
and probable survival situations. Learn to use your survival kit. Learn to make fire in different environments with different materials. Learn to build shelter from natural materials. Learn to find and purify water. Learn first aid and the treatment of most common survival dangers such as insect stings, snake bites, climatic injuries, etc. Concentrate on "doing" as opposed to "knowing". Many people know how to build a fire, but cannot build a fire in a rain storm with damp tinder. That is the fine line between surviving or dying.

[Heretic]

Life Saving Tools

Mirror for signaling
Aluminum Foil for aiming heat, storage
Duct Tape for er anything
Chem. light sticks
Coiled wire, rope, dental floss, fishing line etc daisy chained
Fire source, flint steel etc
Batteries for needed devices
A Radio (HAM is best) (antennae)
Space Blankets
Knife (tool steel is better than stainless steel – Busse knifes are world renown & or Scalpel (exacto) blade or razor – Hatchet or bushmaster knife
Water Proof Bag or package garbage bags - ziplocks
IF FOOD then hard candy and health bars
First Aid Kit including (epipen injector for anaphylactic shock important – min 2 realistic 4 – also good for flat liners) Sample packets of Tylenol, Benadrine, Advil, Anti-Diarrhea meds, factor packs, Sun screen, Bug repellent, Important prescribed meds
Camping Shovel Spade & Pick
Whistles for locating the lost
Faraday LED or other LED bright light
Good day/night Compass, topographical map is helpful
Edible plant cards with pictures, description etc
Small String Magnet
Magnifying glass
Multi purpose tool and box cutter tool
Tweezers
Blister protection
Dark glasses for snow or sand
Heavy duty trash bags and other size bags
Easy awl needles
Fish hooks, and line weights
Monel stainless steel wire (hold 45lbs)
24 - 28 gauge galvanized steel wire
Tube tent
One quart coffee can & a wire hanger
Parachute cord (not Para Cord)
Condoms
Bullion
Safety pins
Monofilament fishing wire
Toilet paper and if possible mini toilet seat like a camping toilet

[Heretic]

Shelter

In making any shelter such as a lean-to, 6-8 inches are the “minimum” of foliage to keep dry during an average rain

Always use a smaller fire so you can sit closer and conserve supply

Construct your shelter a fair distance away from water, to avoid insects and unwanted animal encounters, yet camp close to supply demands if possible

River noise will greatly decrease your hearing range so camp in an appropriate place


Water Use & Purification

A seasoned hiker with a heavy pack can consume 2 quarts of water an hour

Use pool Chlorine to kill germs, Albumen to thicken around particles and sink them to bottom. (2 hours to 2 days)

Iodine can become toxic if taken in quantity and shut down kidneys or liver, but can be used with caution to purify water

Don’t pop ice in mouth for water, melt it first as it take calories for the body to melt, and calories must be replaced somehow

Methods to find fresh water, collect dew in the morning with a bandana or similar, gather any ice, foil on camp location to funnel water from trees etc

The boiling of water can disinfect but not remove toxins, 5 min at a rolling boil achieves disinfectant, add 1 min of boiling for every 1000ft above sea level (found by topographical maps)

Sun distillation can be achieved with plastic laid out conically over a pit of dense plant matter and weighted in the middle over a cup, no cutting is needed, the water droplets will form on the ground side because it is cooler and condenses on the hotter plastic, a rubber hose can be placed in the cup so you don’t have to mess with it after it is made (yield is about a cup a day in a hole 6 in deep and 12x18 in size pit



Fire Making

Three things to use in fire making: starter material or tinder can be dried leaves, moss, or any dry dense flammable material, use kindling to create a sub fire to ignite the larger sticks and logs

Avoid normal matches; instead use British Life Boat matches or hurricane matches, or common matches dipped in wax to water seal them

A magnesium fire starter, gun powder out of a ammunition shell, and other hot and abrupt flash point fire starter’s fire ribbon as a paste in a tube and can get damp fires going

Start fires at least 5-10 feet from brush or overgrowth, surround fire with a containment wall rocks or dirt,

Camera and scope lenses as well as fire kit lenses can be used to start a fire, the polished bottom of a coke can will also use the convex magnifier effect, and ignite tinder

Camp fires come in various shapes: the teepee, the pyramid,

Make use of fire shields or walls to aim heat in a desired direction

Matches are a false sense of hope, if you stay dry, under shelter, and out of the wind then they are less likely to be needed, if not then they will be less likely work anyway, adding to the psychological factor at night etc

[Heretic]

Foraging, Trapping, and Survival Eating

Healthy Granola Bars or other sealed type bars

Glycogen (sugars) which is used primarily by the brain needs replenishment and can be found in hard candy at the smallest degree

Many wilderness foraging doesn’t even replace the calories burned in obtaining foraged food

Foraging for smaller animals, insects, or larvae, it is a boon when you come across areas that have been previously searched by other large game, because if they were spending time looking in the area, it is likely that you will find something for yourself as well

Foil in a fire = oven, covered fire with a deep back recess = oven and can be made with rocks, the top rock can also be used, if hot enough, as a heating element

White eyeballs on a smaller cooking fish = fish done

Best food gathering equipment consist of firearms, archery, and fishing gear, or a makeshift spear using a stick and knife

Try to use foliage and foraged plants as a supplement only, and make meat your staple

When spear fishing, try to have barbs o0r more than one sharp end to increase chance of aim and always try to pin the fish to the bottom of the stream

A 4 deadfall trap consist of three sticks with notches and groove to make a 4 like looking trap with a dead fall object like a big rock to strike and or capture your prey

To make a proper noose, wrap wire around a small gauge stick several times, and anti wrap once, twist end wires together, and break the stick leaving a healthy lasso loop

Marmots are the staple of north western trapping

Common noose snares need to have the path toward them made so they must go through the trap area and become snared by the noose which is attached to a tree o fixed object

Trap only near animal routes or trails, and try to let the animal come to you, as even the most seasoned hunter will rarely come across prey that didn’t hear or smell you coming

Staying downwind of a target area is important, always use cover like trees or brush, aim for an animal in the head, unless you’re a good shot, then directly past the first shoulder for the heart

Animals usually visit watering places at dawn or dusk, smells such as cigarette smoke, or aftershave, and even underarm deodorant (basically use nothing smelly)

The two main styles of traps: holding traps, which restrain the animal and has no moving parts, such as the noose or snare traps, and machine traps; and machine traps have moving parts like crushing traps, lifting traps, pit traps etc

All traps use two mechanism, the power like dropping something, a counter weight etc; and then you have the trigger mechanism, these vary from trap to trap, but all utilize power and trigger. Even the snare uses the power of the animal to maintain its grip

There are three basic engines that make up machine traps:
Spring Pole – a fairly solid but pliable branch can be fastened to a tree and the work comes from the springing back of the branch dangling the prey, Spring poles can also be a built in branch

The counter balance trap uses a rock or weight for work also dangling your prey
Both type of spring traps are fastened to an anchor using three loops of rope in the cord used for setting the trap. One loop on the spring wire, and two on the anchor wire, use a small stick as a trigger and connect the two ropes by wrapping the 2 main loops around stick, and then like the deadfall trap the last loops secures the stick and when disturmed, it triggers the trap

Use the cold river or springs as a fridge for your meats

Use fire coals for cooking and not the direct flame

Rotisserie is great for big game but impracticable for small game, pan frying and then boiling in a stew or fricassee with herbs or other flora, bullion can be use to enhance flavor

Caution Tips for Trapping:
-Be cautious setting them up as they can hut you as well
-Don’t set up traps near people traffic, or close to camp, and mark your trap area with marker tape so it can be found easily
-Never leave any material behind once a trap is cleared
-Never leave a trap unsprung and move on to a different area
-Check your traps frequently so the catch is still fresh and safe to eat
-Be careful of live wild game, even in you trap as they can injure you and even kill you
-Traps are indiscriminate and you may catch something you don’t want to be around, approach traps with caution
-Some wild game can be ill and thus eating it can make you ill, know your game and be able to spot various ailments by inspection, take no chances, cook meat thoroughly
- Hunting is not a very effective way of getting food, as romantic as it seems, trapping is the best option especially when alone and unable to use multiple hunter techniques, traps hunt 24 hours a day while you rest, sleep, or other necessary activities
- Roughly 25% of your traps will yield something if placed right, so the more traps set, and the better yield
- Fashion your trap in camp and not in the target area to decrease human detection
- Place traps in high animal traffic areas or near dens and use the terrain to you advantage by using your trap to focus the animals trail
- Marmot snare traps should be about 5 fingers in diameter and 2 fingers off the ground surface

try to use every bit of the animal carcass, if you kill it “need it”

[Heretic]

Wildlife

Big animals – Bears, Lions, Deer (Deer are the mammal 2nd most responsible for deaths in the US)

Avoid unknown animals, snakes, spiders, stingers, venom carriers, if bit treat as if poisonous, slow down absorption rate so body can handle slow additions of venom

Avoid frightening large wildlife, back away, and make noise to let animals know you’re approaching (from safe distance)

Be more wary around older or injured animals as they are most likely very hungry, and will take more risks

Martial points on larger animals are eyes, they will give up real quick for future survivability

If spotted by large wildlife, gather everyone together in a more intimating number as most large animals tend to get intimidated instead of thinking they have a target isolated or away from “the pack” (little ones in the middle or back), try to look “bigger” using loose clothing or coats to increase the optical size of yourself and others, this breaks the frame of vision up, hiding the neck or other “targets” on the body (neck, legs etc) A space blanket is perfect for this and they also make noise

Bears have “fight flight” reaction meaning they will chase you if you run, by instinct alone. If you have to evac then do it SLOW down hill as bears cant move fast downhill without possible loss of balance because butt is higher than head making running down hill difficult. Most bears can run near 40 MPH so evac by running isn’t a safe reaction

If bear becomes interested in you, talk to it, no sudden movements, as bear approaches, talk louder and become more defiant of his approach just as in nature among animals, if you stay quiet; you are inviting the bear for closer inspection

If attacked by a large animal, go limp or play dead FACE DOWN as larger animals are not interested in dead animals

Children are the largest target of wild animals, passing by the elderly just to get to the children, but keep them with you and on the ground, never pick up a child to protect it as your movements match those of the wild animals, having your child crawl up to you is better

Lean and use animal language and vocalizations

Crouching lions are bad news, a random passing is OK, and they talk physically like cats, if they see you, do not look away as they will think they still have a chance because you didn’t see them

[Heretic]

Weather Elements & Navigation

The 5 heat loss mechanisms are:
Conduction – heat moves from hotter to colder, like your body being submerged in water
Convection – heat loss due to air movement across body (wind chill)
Radiation – heat lost to the space around you
Respiration – heat loss due to breathing
Perspiration – heat loss due to wetness (the sweating system attacking you)

The cold shock lasts between 1 and 3 min, the cold is the number one killer for wilderness survival, and space blankets are ideal for unkind weather, in emergencies you can use dry foliage to keep warmth in (think scarecrow)

Using space blankets (get visible color) to avoid exposure…use fetal position to reduce surface area

The use of layering is extremely important and is accomplished using the ECWCS or the extended cold weather clothing system: The entire ECWCS ensemble (1st generation) consists of polypropylene (1) undershirt and (2) drawers, polyester fiberpile (3) shirt and (4) bib, (5) nylon/cotton trousers, Gore-Tex (6) parka and (7) trousers, liners for the (8) parka and (9) trousers, (10) white (snow camouflage) parka/trousers cover, (11) gloves, (12) glove inserts, (13) mittens, (14) mitten inserts, (15) mitten shells, (16) white mitten shells (snow camouflage), (17) cap, (18) balaclava, (19) nylon socks, boots—both (20) cold weather and (21) extreme cold weather—and (22) M-1950 trouser suspenders. The system is to be used in an insulated, triple-layering fashion, with the polypropylene undergarments as Layer 1, the polyester shirt/bib, liners and cotton/nylon trousers as Layer 2, and the Gortex-Tex outer garments as Layer 3.

For traveling, use the plainsman stride, in which all the weight is on either one leg or the other, to speed up increase you stride, avoid dodging objects and plan ahead to miss difficult terrain. Using the plainsman stride can rest the body every stride, and it look like how John Wayne used, placing one foot directly in front of the other

When traveling unknown territory, mark your direction somehow, best way its with florescent colored ribbon or tape every 100 meters, and occasionally look back to see your way back from the proper perspective to note landmarks, lighting differences etc

Metals and even jewelry can affect the correctness of a compass

A stick and two stones can be used to detect north, place the stones at the end of the shadow over a 1-2 hour interval, and then a line drawn between the two stones is east west oriented

One stick placed in the ground and pointed directly at the sun, once a shadow is produced later that day, the new shadow marks east/west, not as accurate as the two stone method

Night time navigation is of course more difficult, but the north star (Polaris) is in direct alignment with the two stars making up the bottom of the big dipper constellation. Use the big dipper to find Polaris can you found true north (close but not exact). You can also use a stick method to align up two separate sticks separated by a few feet, and the tops of these sticks lined up with Polaris giving you a ground plotted northern line

This northern line is called celestial north, and can be used in comparison with daytime observations to determine various navigational goals, such as using the celestial north combined with the solar north determined before, and the ground angle should be the antithesis of the cord angle method described below

Using the same stick during the day, and a notch you carved into the lining stick to find your Latitude, at sea level the lines should create a 45 degree angle, otherwise a non 45 degree angle gives us latitude, a combination of the shadow stick method with the celestial north method can give you a more definitive result

A watch can also be used to determine direction using local time. Take a small stick and place it directly over the “hour minute hand” junction and rotate you watch until the stick shadow falls across the hour hand. Once done…halfway between hour hand shadow and 12 o clock is true north – for digital watches, simply draw a circular watch face on paper or in the dirt, and use the same steps

[Heretic]

Medical

The rule of Three is - 3 min without breathing, 3 hours exposure without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food

Nip any possible medical problems in the bud and prevention is key

Mold skin and or foam is good for preventing blisters from rupturing

Treat sprains as breaks, check bandages every 15 min at most

Wear good hiking or army boots with dry socks


Do’s and Don’ts


Survival is war, anything goes and is done for survival and not amusement

Know your knots

Cotton is bad, Its is better than nakedness when wet and cold, Use Polyester or a blend, non natural ingredients in clothing

Wear non natural colors such as florescent yellow, orange, or pink. Flower petal colors can attract pollinating insects.

Signaling with a mirror without a hole, put to your face to the side of the dominant eye, and aim light between the outstretched fingers to aim, signal towards civilized areas (telephone poles, city lights, towers, etc – use threes as the international signal for help)

Use wire or something similar to tie to Chem. Lights and twirl them in wide circles to increase visibility, from above or horizontally

Make two kits, one extremely small, one large for urban emergencies

Pack NO FOOD in survival kits to avoid predators that smell your food, survival tend to ignore food issues because you can live 4 weeks without it, so it is really impracticable to include food in kit for emergency, long term survival is a different matter

Baking soda tooth paste or one that has no sweeteners avoid predator encounter as well

Your mind is your savior as well as your worst enemy, keep yourself busy even if it is wrong (can be corrected) and do not dwell on fear based issues or “analysis paralysis” can result, stay busy and mentally occupied

Never bank on one option for survival, always have one or two contingency plans, cover all your bases

Don’t expect to sleep at night, night is the toughest time in your survival, surviving the night is your goal, finding comfort is slim odds, multiples can sleep in shifts, most mental mind ***** happen at night, attitude is everything here, morning usually brings an emotional surge of optimist, sleeping during the day is warmer, safer etc

Shirt (or similar) = ace bandage

Use predetermined family secrets or code words to find children with or to pass onto SAR personnel

Fast moving cold water is ideal for drinking, if caught in river avoid things you can go under as you travel downstream

For magnetic protection use cotton cloth, wrapped with foil in several layers to protect batteries, compass, radio or any electrical equipment from magnetic damage

Use the buddy system

Bury Feces in a make shift latrine


Disasters

2 weeks is the average time for ground fallout before it is safe to go outside etc

ground fallout appears as sand which is very dangerous, do not kick it up into the air and breath it, to clear an area of radioactive material, remove the sand



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This post has been moderated because inappropriate language has been used.
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[Heretic]

Protection and Munitions

Aside from a good hunting rifle, Bow and arrow, crossbow, and other hunting related arms, munitions may very well be needed to deter or protect survival items and food storages. If someone or any mob attempts to take anything that you need to survive, then it is considered attempted murder and must be dealt with as if they are assaulting your person, and that of your family and those you protect. Each member of your survival party should have each of the following.

First on the list is the Heckler & Koch HK91. This is a heavy assault rifle which fires the 7.62 NATO cartridge, a standard United States military caliber. Many survivalists regard the HK91 as absolutely the best defensive firearm available. This rifle will fire time after time for hours or days on end without jamming. It is so reliable that deliberate attempts to jam it usually fail. It is also extremely rugged and amazingly accurate. Mel Tappan (the survivalist gun guru) has reported 100-yard three-shot groups as small as 3/8 inch with this rifle. This figure represents a center-to-center variation in point of impact only slightly larger than the diameter of the bullet. (Most combat rifles are doing well to make two-inch groups at 100 yards.) In skilled hands the HK91 has an effective range of 1,000 yards, about half a mile. The 7.62 NATO cartridge is powerful enough to penetrate trees, car bodies, and brick walls with enough energy left over to do lethal damage to an attacker on the far side. The rifle can be purchased with a convenient collapsible stock, if desired, and costs between 400 and 550 dollars, depending on the exact model and the
dealer.

The second rifle on the list is the Armalite AR-180, a light assault rifle which fires the standard United States military 5.56mm round. Compared to the HK.91, the AR-180 is smaller, lighter, less powerful, and less accurate. Its effective range is 450 yards, but there is some question about the man-stopping qualities of the bullet beyond 150 yards. If you are shooting the AR- 180, the guy on the far side of the tree will be relatively safe. On the other hand, this assault rifle is easy for an inexperienced person to shoot because of its light weight and almost total lack of recoil. It is also less expensive than the HK91, selling for 270 to 350 dollars in most gun stores. The AR-180 comes with an integral
folding stock.

The third recommended weapon is the Colt Government Model Mark IV .45 caliber automatic pistol, or one of its Colt variants. This model has been in service with the United States Army for seventy years and is the favored pistol of most combat-shooting hobbyists. The reader should understand that pistols in general are under-powered, unreliable, inaccurate, and difficult to shoot.

[Heretic]

This is all the product of a small bit of research. I am no gun enthusiast and there will probably be many people who know more than I on it. Most of it came from me taking notes as I read books are watched videos, while the rest is cut and paste from public domain.

Note that these techniques are not meant to be viable for more than about two weeks out in the wild. While you can use these techniques at all times, a more organized person will last longer by having a permanent shelter, adequate medical care, agriculture, animal husbandry etc.

Hope this helps folks or at least inspires someone to do better.

peace

[Hekkup]

The basic and the most important survival tool is an axe.

When you go to forest, you'll survive with that alone. It means fire and shelter. With an axe you can make other tools, like sticks, spears and bows. You can use it as a weapon, too.

[Heretic]

Originally Posted by Hekkup

The basic and the most important survival tool is an axe.

When you go to forest, you'll survive with that alone. It means fire and shelter. With an axe you can make other tools, like sticks, spears and bows. You can use it as a weapon, too.

good eye

thanks for this, I cant believe I missed it!

[Ethel]

Originally Posted by Heretic

good eye

thanks for this, I cant believe I missed it!

This sounds like it is from the book, "SAS Survival Handbook", by John Wiseman

[Heretic]

Originally Posted by Ethel

This sounds like it is from the book, "SAS Survival Handbook", by John Wiseman

could be, the first post on the survival as an acronym was defiantly copy and pasted, I dont recall from where, I have alot of the military survival manuals. I couldn't find an SAS book in my collection, but I do have several SAS videos. Perhaps I did have one at one time. It was defiantly copied from some manual though because I know I didn't write/paraphrase that part and it does look military.

I remember copy and pasting some things because I am lazy and I will copy and paste whenever I can (LOL) . This is just random quotes I collected here and there while researching survivalism showing no type of writing cohesion. This was never meant to be shared in a public forum, so it is no doubt rife with plagiarism, as it was originally intended to be a notepad of important bits of information for myself when a need arose.

[2infinityandbeyond]

Theres quite a large collection of survival text files here

I found a lot of usefull stuff there. I used to think some of the people who wrote the texts were a bit paranoid but nope, they were bang on the mark.