Wilderness, which used to be our home for centuries, has been abandoned by man for a long time. However, there is something about the wild that calls us toward itself. While spending time in the wild is a very good practice, you don’t have to be stupid about it. With all the technology and advancements we have made, it is much easier to survive in the wild. However, a little mistake can make things very bad.
In this article, I am going to highlight eight tips that you must follow if you want to make it out alive.
Maintain Your Attitude
The very first thing that you are going to need to do if you are to survive in the wilderness is to learn how to keep your wits about. A lot of people lose their cool when they are in the wild, but you have to understand that it is no time to panic. If you want to get back safely, you need to protect yourself from harm, and you will never be able to do that if you don’t maintain a positive attitude. You need to develop a whole plan that involves your stay and make sure that you don’t forget about anything in a hurry.
Locate a Good Campsite
The next thing that greatly makes a difference when in the wild is the decision of choosing a location for your campsite. If you want to have a good night, you need to make sure that you find a place where you feel comfortable at night. A good campsite will protect you from dangers such as animals, dead branches crashing in the middle of the night, cold, and falling rocks. You should also choose a site that is close to the water and dry wood so that you don’t have any trouble in the middle of the night.
Build a Good Shelter
Now comes another important part of your stay in the wilderness, which is building a shelter. You need to understand that hypothermia is a very serious problem in the wild and a very serious killer in cold weather. You need to take a well-insulated double-layer shelter with you that is water-proof. If you can find a flat place between several rocks, it would be the best place to stay as it will protect you from harsh winds and wild animals. Make sure that you insulate the ground, too, or else it will draw heat from your body.
Learn How to Start a Campfire
Hands down, the most important aspect of wildlife is starting a campfire and blowing it out as soon as you are done. You need to practice how to start a campfire before you set foot into the wilderness and take things like kerosene oil and lots of matches with you so that it becomes easy for you to light a fire. As soon as you find a place for your camp, you should go out and look for dry wood before it gets dark. The best way to start a fire is to put a small piece of wood inside a large piece, put kerosene oil on the small piece, and put it on fire. The flames from small wood pieces will feed the large wood pieces, and you will get a campfire. Make sure to put the fire out at night, or else animals will be attracted towards it due to warmth.
Find Clean Water
When you are out in the wild, nearly everything can kill you if you are not too careful. You will find two kinds of water in the wild; water that can quench your thirst and water that can quench your thirst on top of killing you. The most reliable source of clean water in the wild are rain, snow, and dew. However, if you can’t find water from any of these sources, you should be on the lookout for a flowing stream of water. Never drink water from a pond or standing puddle as it can be full of viruses and bacteria.
Have Survival Equipment with You
Being in the wild is one thing; being in the wild without the needed equipment is another. Regardless of where I am going, I always treat the wild with a few trustable items at my side. If you want to maximize your survival, you need to buy stuff like BB guns, backpacks, a knife, and tactical slings, amongst others. You can easily find all of this stuff and more at https://gunfire.com/. A lot of times, these tools end up being the difference between life and death in case you get attacked by some wild animal or lose your way in the wild.
Know How to Navigate
When you are exposed to natural elements, you tend to get a little overwhelmed. It is a very good idea to have a compass with you when you are going into the wild so that you don’t get lost out there. If you don’t have a compass or you lose yours, you can go old school and navigate through the stars. Just find the brightest star in the sky and mark its position. You should also keep a note of all the rivers, paths, or mountains you pass so that you don’t keep tracking in circles.
Stay Warm and Dry
Last but not least, if you want to survive in the wild, you need to do yourself a favor and keep yourself warm and dry, especially during winters. When you are in the wilderness surrounded by mountains and trees, it tends to get very cold at night, even during summers. Cold is a very deceptive menace, and wet clothes mean that you have to suffer extra. While it is better to pack lightly, you should make sure that you have enough warm clothes in case a pair gets wet. Wear synthetic and wool clothing, and if you get lost out there, you can also conserve heat by insulating your clothes with dry leaves.
