Recently we were asked, "If you had to choose the top 5-10 survival skills everyone should know, what would they be?" So here is our list of Top Ten Survival Skills.
1. Positive
Mental Attitude: You aren’t dead
yet! For a majority of the untold
volumes of self-help books sold every year, its all about cultivating a
mindset. You are unstoppable. Your goals may not happen today, but they
will happen if you keep moving forward.
Victories are compounded by more victories. Skills compound skills. Along the road you will be rewarded with more
tools for your success. It will come
together. Keep going. Keep a going.
2. Efficiency: Nature
abhors waste and your inefficiencies will be compounded by lack of calories. To combat fatigue, it is essential to stack
as many functions as possible in your movements. For example, if you know you are going to
have a fire, pick up some sticks as you are heading to the fire pit. Pass a grape vine, maybe its time to top off
on water. Dog-bane patch, gather some
cordage materials. In other words, take
advantage and hoard resources as you find them, so you don’t have to go out of
your way when if need them in the future.
3. Reading: Stories
and knowledge transferred through written word are how humanity has efficiently
compiled and preserved all of its knowledge for future generations. Just like trying to learn anything, research
and gentle direction from a trusted mentor will remove decades from the time it
would take to figure it out on your own.
4. Fire: Friction
fire particularly is a skill that must be mastered for true confidence in the
wilderness. And, it is hard! Even more so when marginal materials are the
only thing available. At the Sustainable
Homestead Institute, we require our advanced students to create fresh fires
from the landscape in under and hour because this skill is so essential. Fire quickly fills gaps in your
situation. Fire can greatly boost the
effectiveness of a less than adequate shelter.
Fire is half the equation to completely purify water for drinking. Fire cooks your food, calls for help, dries
your socks, keeps you company; the list could go on.
5. Plants: Understanding
plants is the key to understanding the resources around you. Natural medicine, seasonal nutrients, fiber,
and construction materials are available often in your own back yard, and an
intimate knowledge of plant patterns and families will help you quickly
identify how a plant can be used to help your survival situation.
6. Water: Water
is so important. It is the motor oil to
our car engine, with out it, our bodies would seize and refuse to go any further. On a hot day in the summer, it is going to be
difficult to build a proper shelter without water. Mastering water purification is essential to
being part of the landscape.
7. Shelter: Even in 55-degree
weather, hypothermia is only a good rainstorm away if you are exposed. Shelter is an essential survival skill that when
mastered, builds unshakeable confidence that you can do anything.
8. Cordage: Lashings
are an integral part of survival, and you got to have rope for lashings. Rope is a got to have for some friction fire
methods, mending clothing, fishing, taking prisoners, pretty much all the
things in a survival situation. You are
going to need some rope. Sitting by the
fire in a native village it would be the norm to see people either making
cordage or mending moccasins, both were a never-ending task.
9. Trapping
and Game Processing: While
not essential in the average survival situation (72 hours), eventually you are going to
need calories. Animal consumption is the
most efficient method to deliver nutrient dense calories year-round. Learning a few basic traps, funneling, and
the tenants of game processing will keep your group content while meeting the
calorie demands of an initial survival situation.
10. Fishing: Where
there are healthy waterways, there is usually something to eat. Knowing how to catch and clean fish will open
another door to more calories available on the landscape. This goes hand in hand with #9 survival skill
on our list.
This is our list. Thanks for checking it out. What are your top ten survival skills? Disagree?
Let us know. If you want to see
what it takes to meet your needs from the landscape first hand, our 5 day Survival
Essentials class is a great introduction to living with the land long term. Want to just dip your toes in the water,
check out our full calendar of classes at SustainableHomestead.com.
