After reading countless survival stories there’s a handful of things that pop up consistently, things which make the difference between life and death. Here’s a few points to keep in mind that are applicable to every single survival situation, no matter where you are in the world or what kind of terrain you’re on, keeping these things in mind can save your life.
1) Tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back
This one is the basis for at least a quarter of all survival stories Ive read, with the important lesson of if no one knows you’re missing, then no one will be looking for you. So many people who go for a casual hike or a quick trip somewhere often have the mindset of “Ive done this a million times, I’ll be fiiiiiiiiiiiiine”.
When you’re going somewhere, don’t just tell someone where you’ll be and when you’ll be back, but also arrange check-in’s with someone. If your up a mountain somewhere and the person waiting for you to tell them you made it to the top OK doesn’t get your call, then help can be dispatched much sooner, and in many survival situation a few hours can make the difference to your life.
2) Don’t get over confident or push your luck
The story of Tommy Hendricks and Matthew Smith is a good example of this, as during their climb up a mountain they made a base camp and left their tent and sleeping bags there. The pair thought they could make a base camp and leave most of their heavy equipment behind, including their tent and sleeping bags, while they quickly nipped up to the summit as they were sure they could easily make it.
Of course they didn’t and both of them almost died after getting stranded with nothing to protect them from the weather, but the story has an important lesson. Even if you know for sure you can clear a certain distance, you don’t know for a fact that you wont slip and injure yourself or be trapped by a sudden change in weather. In the event that you get stuck you’ll be sorry you only brought that sports bottle of water with you as it “looked like enough”.
3) Bring enough supplies
Aron Ralston was the basis for the film “127 hours” in which he was stuck down a slot canyon with a boulder on his arm. He knew the area well and knew he’d easily make it out of there before dark, but he didn’t know for sure he wouldn’t have an accident and that’s exactly what happened. He was left in a cold rocky hole for 6 days with nothing more than a 350ml bottle of water and 2 burritos. A small water bottle and a pockets worth of Mexican food is NOT classed as packing the right amount of supplies.
Freeze dried and dehydrated food weigh very little, and rations such as survival blocks can keep you alive while taking up next to no space. There’s no excuse to not bring a few extra rations just in-case, and packing a couple days worth of emergency food on top of your normal supply can stop you from hitting that guy who isn’t looking on the back of the head with a rock so you can eat his leg.
4) Have a way to call rescue.
Recently there was a story about Amanda Eller who became lost in a Maui forest in Hawaii. She was a local to the island chain and knew the terrain well as she had lived there most her life. One day she went for a walk and decided to leave her phone in the car. She spent 17 days starving in the jungle when her ordeal could have ended in a few hours if she brought her phone.
If you’re going somewhere remote there’s numerous options for you, GPS trackers and emergency beacons can be expensive but can also save your life. Even something as basic as a whistle can send noise further than you can shout and could see you rescued were you otherwise would have perished. An example of someone who took note of this rule was Abby Sunderland who became stranded in the middle of the Indian ocean all by herself after her boat was wrecked by bad weather. She had numerous emergency beacons and radio equipment on board, and after getting stranded hundreds of miles from the nearest land, only had to wait a short time until rescue came for her.