The Ultimate Survival Guide

  General Instructions A compass can be used for a variety of purposes, from determining which way is north to discovering hidden treasure or following an unmarked path through wilderness terrain. But you have to start small, so let's look at how the a compass is laid out. A compass has four cardinal points: north, south, east, and west. When reading a compass and giving directions to others, you should eliminate the words "right" and "left" from your vocabulary. Right and left are relative directions that change depending on where you are and which way you are facing, but the cardinal points remain constant. Northeast refers to the direction halfway between North and East, which is an intercardinal point. South-east, South-west, and Northwest are the other three intercardinal points. Finally, secondary intercardinal points are located halfway between each cardinal and intercardinal point. North-NorthEast, East-Northeast, East-Southeast, South-Southeast, and so ...

  What if you need to navigate or simply find your location without the assistance of GPS? A good compass is a common component of go-bags, but there is a bewildering array of options for those who simply want to cover the basics and be done with it. We like the Suunto A-30 for most people after 37 hours of research, including interviews with experienced field instructors. As with most survival equipment, the best compass in a survival situation is frequently "the one you have." If you're buying new, this guide will tell you what to look for and what to avoid when it comes to emergency preparedness. Many individuals will buy a compass, toss it in their bug out bag, and not use it again until a need arises, which may be different from what a devoted enthusiast would care about when selecting a compass for their weekend pastime. There are numerous add-ons and features available for compasses today, not all of which necessarily make for a better emergency tool. Some features...

You're halfway through a multi-day hike. The plan was to follow the trail, but you deviated from it. You're now at a loss. You make an unsuccessful attempt to return to the trail and end up spending the night in the backcountry. You've finished your water and are thirsty by the time you wake up in the morning. How long can you go without drinking water? According to the Rule of Threes, the average adult can go three days without water. Tell that to the few hikers who perish each year from dehydration on a day hike. The Rule of Threes is a guideline rather than a hard and fast rule. In brief, water is among your primary concerns in wilderness survival because you won't be able to survive without it for long. You were probably already aware of this. The simple fact that you require water is the easy part. The difficult part is locating the water. Consider the following water sources: Rain Rainwater is most likely cleaner than any water you'll find on the ground. You w...

  Setting traps to catch animals is one of the best ways to get food when you're out in the wilderness. When food is scarce and you're trying to survive, the last thing you want to do is burn a lot of calories. This is why traps are such an effective method of capturing wild game. Once the traps are set, you can simply sit back and wait for something to fall into them without wasting any calories. The key to success when using traps for wild game is to use a variety of traps; you can't rely on just one. You will frequently be required to set multiple traps in the hopes of catching just one animal. Traps, in general, only work if an animal happens to come across them, so if you want to increase your chances of success, you should set several traps in different areas. When looking for places to set your traps, look for evidence that animals have been there and frequent the area. Tracks and trails in the vegetation that animals use to get around are one of the best places to l...

One of the most important and fundamental survival skills to learn is how to make a fire. Fire keeps you warm, provides light to see in the dark, cooks your food, and boils water to make it safe to drink. This is why many survivalists advocate carrying multiple fire-making tools. There are never too many ways to start a fire. Lighters and matches are wonderful, but what if you lose them or they get wet? Knowing how to make fire may one day save your life. Proper tinder is one of the most important aspects of starting a fire. Many of these fire-starting techniques will be rendered ineffective if you do not begin with good tinder, as your fire must begin with a small spark or ember. Dry grasses, leaves, Milkweed pods, and Tinder Fungus are examples of good tinder because they are extremely dry and fine enough to start a fire from a single spark. Tinder can also be made ahead of time using charred cotton, also known as "char cloth," and cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly. Yo...