Before venturing into the wilderness, it is advisable to learn survival skills in your backyard. This ensures a safe and convenient way to equip yourself. Below are eight fundamental skills to acquire and proficiently handle, thereby ensuring readiness for any survival scenario.
Navigation
There are multiple reasons why having proficient map and compass skills is important. It is not wise to depend solely on your phone’s map. It can be a surprise for city dwellers to discover that there are areas without cellular network coverage when they go outside urban areas. After accepting this unexpected fact, there is also the concern of batteries draining rapidly in cold weather and phones ceasing to function when they become damp.
Map and compass skills tend to decline over time. Even if you acquired knowledge in land navigation during your Boy Scouts days or military service, it is likely that you could benefit from a review. Discovering that your orienteering abilities are out of date during a moment of getting lost, feeling disoriented, and growing anxious as night approaches in a remote location is not ideal.
Creating Potable Water
The ability to find clean drinking water is possibly the most crucial skill required in a survival scenario. Regrettably, not all natural water sources are sanitary and may contain parasites, viruses, and bacteria. You can generate drinkable water in the wilderness using uncomplicated methods that you can conveniently try out at home.
To purify water in the wild, the simplest method is to boil it, although this may result in sediment or other particles that can impact the taste. To address this, one option is to filter the water using a t-shirt, or alternatively, construct a filtration system by combining charcoal from a fire, sand, and small river rocks inside an upside-down PET bottle.
If you are unable to locate a source of water, one option is to construct a solar still to extract water from the ground. To build a solar still, start by digging a hole that measures roughly two feet in diameter and one foot in depth. Afterward, position a container at the bottom of the hole and use a tarp or plastic sheet to cover the hole. To secure the edges, apply a layer of dirt or sand. Lastly, place a small rock in the middle of the cover and wait for moisture to condense on the underside of the cover and drip into the container.
Foraging for Food
The availability of edible wild plants in your backyard farm or in your neighborhood is surprising. In a survival scenario, plants play a crucial role by providing a low-impact source of energy and essential nutrients.
Identifying edible plants can be challenging due to the resemblance of many toxic species to non-toxic ones. However, several easily recognizable plants that are abundant throughout the country are not only nutrient-rich but also delightful to eat. These include stinging nettle, dandelion, lamb’s quarters, and miner’s lettuce.
If you lack experience in foraging for food, it is advisable to steer clear of fungi and mushrooms since numerous species can be highly poisonous. Additionally, you can enhance your ability to identify plants by referring to a local botanical guidebook while exploring your backyard.
Fire Making
If you have ever asked if someone has a fire starter or used gas or lighter fluid to start a fire, this article is relevant to you. Knowing how to start a fire in any situation is an essential life-saving skill that all wilderness enthusiasts should possess. Additionally, being able to skillfully create and control a fire can evoke a profound sense of primitive pride and joy. What’s interesting is that even experienced outdoor enthusiasts often lack proficiency in fire-making and management skills nowadays. However, thanks to the information and idea sharing opportunities available online today, there is a group of individuals who consider primitive fire-making as a hobby and an art form. They have managed to develop impressive expertise in generating fire.
Knife Skills
A knife is a highly versatile tool that you can carry, capable of performing various tasks. It can assist in handling fire starting material in wet conditions, preparing meals, cleaning fish and game, and more. Having knowledge of how to use a knife effectively in the wilderness not only simplifies your life but also has the potential to protect your life. In emergency situations, possessing the appropriate skills enables you to use a knife to create essential tools and construct shelter.
While in the comfort of your own home or backyard, there are several things you can do to enhance your knife skills.
Knot Tying
Having a good collection of knots and rope skills is extremely valuable! It allows you to efficiently set up a comfortable and dry camp, and your fellow campers will be impressed, almost like watching a magic performance! No more dealing with water pooling in loose tarps or struggling with tangled lines when attempting to hang bear bags.
If you choose to spend your time learning knots, you could potentially devote an entire lifetime to this task and derive immense pleasure from it. By acquiring the aforementioned knots as well as the other fundamental knots taught in Boy Scouts, you will possess a solid foundation of knot knowledge to rely on during your upcoming outdoor endeavors.
Making A Weapon
If you happen to be in the wilderness without any weapon, your protection against predators seeking an effortless meal is extremely limited. An underrated tool that can be swiftly created using common materials found at home is a slingshot. To make one, you only require a stick with a forked end, rubber tubing, and leather or canvas for the padding.
After constructing your slingshot, arrange a few targets in your yard and proceed to practice aiming and shooting. It is important to wear eye protection and make sure that nobody crosses your line of sight while releasing your ammunition.
Building A Shelter
If you find yourself lost in the wilderness, one of the initial tasks to complete is the search for shelter. However, locating a secure place to protect oneself from the weather can be challenging. Employ your childhood skills of fort-building and practice constructing a temporary shelter in your backyard.
Depending on the terrain, environment, and season, you have various choices for shelters that can be constructed. Begin with a simple lean-to or tarp-tent, and progressively enhance your abilities until you are confident in joining long branches to create a teepee. If you reside in an area with substantial winter snowfall, you can utilize the cold climate to gain experience in excavating a snow cave shelter.
Basic First Aid
In the wilderness, emergency services may have trouble reaching you if you become ill or injured, so knowing and being capable of providing first aid can be crucial in potentially saving your own life or the life of a loved one.
To ensure survival in various situations, such as emergencies, it is advisable to team up with a friend, partner, or family member and rehearse applying first aid techniques. These techniques encompass essential CPR steps, managing bleeding, attending to burns, stabilizing injured limbs, as well as identifying calming plants for insect bites and abrasions.
Fishing and Trapping
In order to obtain valuable sources of protein with minimal effort, it is crucial to possess the skills of setting snares for small game and survival fishing. These skills need to be practiced with a diverse set of snares and fishing techniques to be ready for any circumstance, as they may differ depending on the intended target.
To prevent injuring local wildlife or pets in the neighborhood, ensure that snares set in your backyard are disassembled once you have finished practicing.
Paddle Strokes
When faced with challenging conditions such as wind and waves or approaching rapids, numerous individuals encounter difficulties in mastering paddle strokes. These situations often lead to a narrowed focus, causing people to overlook the finer details of paddle techniques or rely on previous habits. Engaging in dry land training can be beneficial as it enables the development of correct stroke mechanics. By doing so, these techniques become ingrained in your muscle memory, ensuring their effectiveness when you return to the water.
PRACTICE POINTERS
A J-stroke has traditionally been a sign of a skilled canoeist. Can you effectively steer the canoe and maintain a straight path while paddling from the back? By using the J-stroke, your wrist twists to provide steering pressure as your top hand’s thumb moves downward. This action helps the paddle maintain its hold on the water, allowing for a seamless transition into the next stroke.
The performance of two strokes, the draw and cross-draw, is vital for a bow paddler on rivers. Contrary to popular belief, the bow paddler’s role is not merely to contribute strength and appearance. The cross-draw is a simple stroke that provides a significant advantage on rivers. However, bow paddlers who have not practiced this stroke often face difficulties when in the midst of river paddling. Moreover, the ability to execute a static draw or cross-draw effectively is not only valuable for rivers but also for navigating flat canoes such as those found in the Boundary Waters and Algonquin. It greatly enhances the ease of paddling.
When practicing canoe poling, there are two crucial steps that can be practiced on dry land to improve your technique. During the process of snubbing down the river, it is important to avoid getting your pole stuck on a cross-bow snub, as this can cause you to get clotheslined and thrown out of the boat.
If you are struggling while climbing the river, it is crucial to have a smooth and efficient pole recovery to properly position yourself for the next plant and push. By practicing the recoveries known as “pool queue” and “windmill” in your own backyard, you will be adequately equipped for your upcoming poling expedition.
