Long-term wilderness survival skills

Eric - October 23, 2022

Skills

Could I survive long-term in the wilderness? Probably not. I’m trying to study these skills anyway. If I can develop the skills to make it even a month or two, surely those skills will also be useful for more short-term emergency situations.

I’ve bee reading Thrive, a long-term survival guide by Alone S9 participant Juan Pablo Quiñonez. (Thanks for the book giveaway, TP!) He clearly knows what he’s talking about, and is also an excellent teacher. He says in the introduction: “If one had to live in the wild for up to one year with only a single book, what would it contain?” I think he succeeded in writing that book, and I’ll be keeping it in by BOB until I’ve read it enough times to not need it anymore.

Chapters include preparation, mindset, clothing, travel, water, fire, shelter, food/foraging, edible plants, fishing, trapping, hunting, bushcraft, winter, health, electronics, and natural hazards. Topics are clearly explained and seem to work well both for learning and for reference.

What do you think about the role of long-term wilderness survival skills for emergency preparedness? Are there other books or resources that you like for learning these skills?

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With regards to survival skills, I think knowing more is usually better and practicing is as important.

I think that emergency preparedness is usually predicated on the normal functions of a standard home and the system that supports the locale stop functioning normally.

Therefore, I think as soon as you walk outside and aren’t using your own accumulated goods or other people’s, you are, in essence, in a survival situation. Like, if you get locked out of your house, you are basically in a urban survival situation; you are unable to access the water in the house, along with food, clothing and the inside of the shelter.

So for the average sane prepper, I don’t think the bush craft and long term skills are entirely necessary to have, outside of some basics like fire starting, knife sharpening and water disinfecting, cuz most of the time you’ll have a house and stores of stuff in it. The skills to live in your house without external power are heavily crossed over with regular field survival. Like how camping is just low impact survival.

But I think they would be more rounded if they knew at least the basics of field survival, like PMA, next fire, basic shelter construction, and most importantly, improvising. The lower technology you can take your skills down to, the higher your ability to workiin situations without it becomes.

Positive Mental Attitude can help you in day to day life; it will bleed over when you can cultivate it and you’ll try to at least not dwell forever on the less than ideal things.

Basic shelter stuff like knowing where to set up things would also help just going outside to like an outdoor graduation or grilling, so you don’t get smoke blown right in your face. Then throwing together a small shade or wind block out of a poncho or tarp would be convenient.

For example, when I was younger, the extended family and mine had all gone out to a local camp ground that’s some ways out of town. It was early internet and none of us had checked the weather channels, so we just planned and went. It clouded over and started sprinkling, of course, most of the family only had a few rain jackets and umbrellas, all the food was out on the picnic tables. I had been dragging a decent bag full of stuff around and was able to pull out some cord and a couple of ponchos to set up a very…slapshod cover that keep most of the rain off the food, even as the sprinkles turned into a decent downpour.

If I had practiced my knots and maybe a ridge line set up and known a bit more about pulling out the sides of the ponchos, or even had a tarp, I think I could’ve set up a nice enough cover we could’ve kept eating with no issue. Everyone was still impressed with just throwing up something very messy, but it was enough.

That’s also where knowing more helps, knowing something like a rope kit exists as a thing to organize your cordage would have helped, knowing I could’ve snapped the two ponchos together for a larger cover and other things would’ve helped. Knowing more usually helps.

So I think while not critical, I think learning deeper survival skills would at least help you be aware of things; how you would choose a place to stay or knowing how to deal with dirty water, etc. If you had to hunt locally, you would already know the patterns and paths and game out there just from observing before situation happened. Maybe foraging, you could’ve been supplementing what you eat with local wild growns, like pawpaw in Ohio, or cacti in the southwest.

Like this one documentary I watched about some immigrants hopping the Rio Grande to get to the US, they had only brought some tortillas, some bread and a gallon of water each for a 4 day walk. They had a fire going most nights and even bivouaced in a large spot of paddle cacti/nopales. They could’ve easily taken the cacti pads and using sticks and a sharp rock, shaved off or put them over the fire to burn off the spines and easily had a meals worth for the entire group. Knowing that likely would’ve helped them greatly on their journey, as their bread and tortillas had gotten wet from the crossing and molded.

Likely, indigenous people knowledge would fall into the long term skills, as that’s what they did before colonization.

So really, I think knowing would be helpful at least.

Those headings sound a lot like the SAS survival guide, which is what I’ve seen recommended a lot as a start for survival skills. I don’t think there’s going to be a terribly diverse base of knowledge between survival guides except for like, military vs non military survival. But then most civilian knowledge will be heavily flavored by military knowledge. I haven’t read Thrive, but finding knowledge that’s presented to you in a way that helps you retain it helps.

Like binging Felix Immler on YouTube

 

“But I think they would be more rounded if they knew at least the basics of field survival, like PMA, next fire, basic shelter construction, and most importantly, improvising. The lower technology you can take your skills down to, the higher your ability to work in situations without it becomes.”

That’s a really good point. I don’t expect to completely give up technology. But many emergencies involve some technologies becoming unavailable or unreliable. If you learn to live without all of them, then it’s less of a problem when you need to live without some of them.

“Those headings sound a lot like the SAS survival guide, which is what I’ve seen recommended a lot as a start for survival skills.”

Can anyone here comment on SAS as an option for learning survival skills? I’ve heard of that one but haven’t read it.

 

I really liked music when we didn’t have internet, so that was one of the things I really went into after we got connected again. I also could probably keep the phone it’s on running indefinitely pairing it with a battery pack and solar panel.

Like yes there are radios locally but it’s hard to complete with custom playlists of those weird songs you like.

If you’re still in the mood to read:

https://archive.org/details/SasSurvivalHandbook/page/n27/mode/2up

 

As stated earlier, “practicing is important”.  Looking back on several decades of outdoor activity, one of the most useful has been service in a local volunteer search and rescue unit.  I gave lots of time and resources, but looking back, I gained more than I gave’

If you can find a suitable unit, I recommend SAR highly- lots of experience in dealing with emergencies…..

 

I second this.

Being able to get training with a person that’s more experienced can help you become stress inoculated.

Plus the field time and survival training if they offer it is really nice too. I really enjoyed learning tracking while I was in the local SAR groups.

Gotta usually pay out of pocket but sometimes you get to do cool stuff.

 

SAR sounds like an amazing way to learn and to help people. Also a huge commitment/responsibility. Do you think SAR is something that can be done in moderation while also balancing work, family, and other activities?

 

Certainly, at least in my experience.  It probably varies from unit to unit. In my group, the Southern Arizona Rescue Association (SARA), we all had jobs and families.  None  of us made every operation and we were never asked for a reason.

 

I can see there being value in wilderness survival skills if you were to be lost in the woods with nothing or if all of society collapsed, but for the modern average city prepper, there seems to be many other things to focus on first. 

You mention Eric, that chapters in that book you read include water, fire, shelter, winter, and more that could apply to a city apartment prepper, but do those chapters contain info that apply to a city apartment prepper?

 

That’s a very important point, Megan. I also live in a city. And lost in the woods is far from my most likely emergency scenario. I think wilderness survival skills can be helpful in urban emergencies, and not just in a full collapse scenario.

Wilderness skills are about how to cope with the lack of urban infrastructure: shelter, heating, food, clean water, etc. In an emergency, some of these urban infrastructures become unavailable or unreliable. We can always fall back on the wilderness alternatives as a backup.

As an example, my Texas coworker lost power at the worst possible time – in the middle of a snow storm. Suddenly the usual, urban approach to staying warm wasn’t working anymore. Well, Thrive has a chapter on “winter” and almost all of it is applicable to an unheated house in a blizzard. It has recommendations for clothing, bedding, warm-up exercises, even how to stay warm while using the bathroom at night.

Sure, there are plenty of more modern options that could be considered as well. (In the scenario above, my coworker spent a lot of time in the car to use its heater.) The important part is that wilderness survival skills give you more options in a wide variety of emergency scenarios. And because they don’t depend on modern technology, they’ll still be available when the emergency involves some technology breaking down.

 

That does seem to be true that when modern conveniences and systems fail we do need to rely on more primitive ways to live and survive like your friend experienced.

 

Water

Thrive has some interesting advice on water. He starts with “to treat or not to treat” and reviews the pros and cons of treating water versus drinking straight from natural sources.

“I’ve worked for years on building resistance to questionable water by drinking untreated water whenever I’m on a hike or overnight trip. I also grew up in a country where my immune system had more opportunities to build up resistance. Nevertheless, the risk of getting seriously sick is always there, so this approach is not for most people.”

While I find his perspective interesting, I suspect that my stomach isn’t as strong as his. I personally will treat anything that didn’t come out of the tap.

He also reviews a variety of options for treating water, but quickly narrows that to just two approaches: filtering and boiling. He explains why these are his favorites and goes into sufficient depth on how to do this.

That’s something I like a lot about this book. He acknowledges that a topic is bigger, but clearly zooms in on his own recommended approach. When I’m trying to learn, too many options are overwhelming. And often only a few options deliver 80% of the value. I appreciate Juan Pablo focusing on a smaller repertoire.

Thrive also recommends a stainless steel bottle, just as TP does in the BOB gear list. Besides recommending his favorite model, a wide-mouthed, Nalgene, stainless steel bottle, he also describes some modifications that he likes to make to his bottles.

 

A variation on water containers.  I use either a Nalgene bottle or same diameter Gatorade bottle (light and cheap!), around the base of which I place a stainless steel cup (GSI or similar). Provides protection for the plastic and a container for boiling, etc.

 

Could I survive long-term in the wilderness? Probably not. I’m trying to study these skills anyway. If I can develop the skills to make it even a month or two, surely those skills will also be useful for more short-term emergency situations.

I’ve bee reading Thrive, a long-term survival guide by Alone S9 participant Juan Pablo Quiñonez. (Thanks for the book giveaway, TP!) He clearly knows what he’s talking about, and is also an excellent teacher. He says in the introduction: “If one had to live in the wild for up to one year with only a single book, what would it contain?” I think he succeeded in writing that book, and I’ll be keeping it in by BOB until I’ve read it enough times to not need it anymore.

Chapters include preparation, mindset, clothing, travel, water, fire, shelter, food/foraging, edible plants, fishing, trapping, hunting, bushcraft, winter, health, electronics, and natural hazards. Topics are clearly explained and seem to work well both for learning and for reference.

What do you think about the role of long-term wilderness survival skills for emergency preparedness? Are there other books or resources that you like for learning these skills?

 

Fire is Life

Couldn’t resist referencing a memorable line from The Long Dark, one of my favorite games. 🙂

Fire making is one of the most critical skills for wilderness survival, and is needed for water treatment, cooking, and staying warm.

City dwellers typically use electricity for cooking and staying warm, and expect to receive clean water from city utilities. Fire is still worth considering as a last resort backup for when city electricity and/or water are compromised during an emergency.

Thrive goes over the basics of fire starting using a variety of methods. Lighters, a ferro rod, and fresno lenses are recommended for a survival kit. The use of each of these is covered, plus other options such as fire drill as a last resort. Subtopics include tinder bundles, fire starting tips, burning properties of various woods, knives and other cutting tools, cutting without tools, and felling trees.

My favorite parts about this section:
1) Confirming that an inexpensive knife like the Mora Kansbol is good enough
2) Explaining the details of how to create and light a tinder bundle
3) Covering safety issues for knives, saws, axes, and tree felling

Also neat that Juan Pablo invented his own axe style, which he introduces both in this chapter and in season 9 of Alone.

 

Whatever happened to plain old matches (in a waterproof case)?  I have lit countless fires over the decades for a variety of reasons, including a signal fire for a helicopter rescue, and matches have worked!.  I also carry a Bic and a ferro rod.  

If you are making a normal campfire, you need only your bare hands to gather and process fuel and tinder.  Leave the ax at home…..

These days I routinely carry a canister stove, lighting fires rarely – much safer and more efficient.  Runaway camp fires have burned many miles of timber……

 

“Whatever happened to plain old matches (in a waterproof case)?”

Good point. This goes back to the relevancy of “long-term” wilderness survival skills to the comparatively “short-term” situations we typically prepare for.

Matches didn’t make the short list of recommended methods because a box of 50 matches is good for starting 50 fires, but that one ferro rod can start 1000 fires. If you are actually expecting to start 1000 fires on one trip, the ferro rod is a better deal.

The book does still cover matches, including tricks like splitting matches in half to get twice as many fires. They’re just not the preferred equipment for a long-term situation.

 

Actually, you can start, actually revive, a fire begun with one match, easily at least three times or more.  Once I simply blew off the ash from the evening campfire, exposing glowing coals and quickly did my easiest breakfast ever, no matches or additional fuel….eeeee

We should define “long term” – months or years?  Illness or injury will likely bring an end.  I believe that groups living without modern medicine had average life spans under 40 years, primarily due to high infant mortality.  As an archaeologist, I have lost count of how many infant burials I have excavated over the years.

 

“We should define “long term” – months or years?”

Juan Pablo defines long-term as 1-12 months, and lists his own long-term experiences lasting 3 months, 6 months, and however long Alone season 9 lasted.

“you can start, actually revive, a fire begun with one match, easily at least three times or more.”

It’s a good point in terms of how long a box of matches will last. Let’s say you’ll be in the woods for 6 months. How many days do you expect to get out of each match? How many matches is that?

 

The best skills are developed by actually spending time in the wilderness.

That said, baby steps are just fine. Let’s say you live in a high rise in downtown Big City. First, just go outside and observe. How does the air feel? What do the clouds look like? Where does water flow and settle when it rains? How do people deal with changing weather conditions?

After that, go for picnics in the park in all kinds of weather. What tips from Thrive and other survival books are on target for your area, and what are completely useless?

Next step is a camping trip to a national forest or park. The conditions are a bit more primitive, and spending 24 or 48 hours outside can teach you a lot. Again, notice the sounds, smells, looks, and feel of the outdoors. Be aware of the air, the clouds, the ground, the plants, and the shape of the land. It’s all about getting a visceral sense for how things normally are, so your intuition can kick in when something is off.

You’ll also learn basic skills for living outside. Were you awake all night because you were cold? How are you going to fix that tonight?

Books are incredibly helpful, and I use them all the time. But you’ve got to get out and actually do what they say to know what to do if you need to make it in the wilderness.

 

Shelter and clean water are big priorities. You could practice making survival shelters so you know what works and what doesn’t.

There’s a book called the SAS Survival Manual or something like that with a lot of good advice.