It's important to realize that no two situations will be the same. Your mental state will change, especially if you've been in a tough situation in the past. You've 'learned' how to deal with the situation at hand.

What are the "basics" of survival? Well, that's a multi-layered answer to a seemingly, very simple question. People tend to think in terms of "it'll never happen to me". Well, most survivors of survival situations thought the same thing! Most survived out of pure dumb luck.

So, the basics of survival... first and foremost is protection. Protection from the elements, wildlife and/or other people.

If your objective is to be found, then rescue is your next consideration. How will others find you? Do you know the codes for aircraft? Making a big "X" on the ground means 'unable to proceed - require medical assistance'. A letter "V" means 'require assistance'. Learning these basic codes to signal aircraft overhead can (and has) saved countless lives.

Water. Water is something that many people tend to focus on and with good cause. It takes only 3 days to die of dehydration, much sooner in hot arid locations, such as a desert. Something of note, when it comes to water. Many people tend to use the terms disinfect and purify interchangeably. This is very inaccurate! You cannot "purify" water unless you have a reverse osmosis machine in your back pocket! Yes, I know.. "what about those purification tablets?" Again, you're not "purifying" the water, you are disinfecting it with chemicals. Chemicals!! Not pure! Ok, so now that you understand there is a difference, what does it matter? Purified water is just that, PURE. Crystal clear with no pathogens or dirt! Water that has been disinfected can sometimes look like chocolate milk, depending on where your water source came from, but is potable. (Don't drink water that is known to be septic!)

Your last consideration should be food. You can survive for up to 3 weeks (give or take) without consuming any food. Your physical activity within that time frame will dictate how many calories you should be consuming, but if you don't have the knowledge to forage for wild edibles or hunt with weapons you construct from your surroundings, you will not be able to fill your belly with good animal fats and proteins. Even if you're able to obtain foods from animal sources, you have to be careful with how much of it you consume. For instance, if your diet for a week straight is nothing but rabbit (easily caught), then you will become sick with protein poison. Rabbit has no fat!! You NEED fat!!

These considerations should be remembered in this order. Don't be concerned with food and water right away. Protection is your first priority if you're in a long term survival situation.

1. Protection

2. Rescue

3. Water

4. Food

Ok, off my soap box about that.

I hope that you learned a little something with me here today. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Have you ever had a situation where you wished you had learned a particular skill? Have you ever been thrown into a survival situation? Car broke down 20 miles out of town at 2 A.M. and had no phone and forgot your wallet???!

Share your stories that relate to this particular topic in the comments below. Thank you.

See you on the trail.