Picnics, hiking and romantic strolls in the wilderness are some of the most popular outdoor activities. While these activities are exciting and thrilling, most people do not realize that they can easily turn from fun into an attempt to staying alive. As you tend to move further away from civilization, the chances of getting lost in foreign places increase. Knowing how to survive in the wilderness is vital, as it will enable you to stay alive long enough to find help.

1. Controlling the situation

 
It takes more than just knowledge and survival skills to find your way back to civilization. People with no survival training have been known to survive such circumstances while others with training have been unable to. Your mental attitude is the key element to surviving. Survival skills are important but the will to do so is fundamental. If you keep your calm in such a situation, you can control the situation and make clear and smart decisions.

2. Assuring basic needs

 
To increase your chances of staying alive, the four main elements of survival, namely shelter, water, fire and food, come into play here. Shelter is the most important and exposure to harsh weather conditions is the main reason why people don’t make it. You should build a makeshift shelter that protects you from cold or extreme heat.

After shelter, water should be your next priority. You cannot stay alive for long without water, especially in hot areas. You will still need water even in cold areas for your body to function effectively. You can obtain it from plants or from a stream. Obtaining water from a stream will require you to boil it just in case of contamination. This brings about the necessity of fire.

You will need fire to keep yourself warm, boil water and cook food. You can make a fire by rubbing two dry woods together causing friction, which starts a fire. After making fire, the next item will be food. The wilderness contains an abundant source of food, which ranges from various plants to animals.

3. Protecting yourself

 
While in the wilderness, you might find yourself in several life threatening situations. Having a weapon with you goes a long way in increasing your survival chances. A fixed blade knife is one such weapon and it’s a valuable survival tool. Apart from self-defense, the knife comes in handy when you are obtaining and preparing food. It also gives you a sense of security, thus helping you to maintain your calm.

4. Navigating and signaling for help

 
Navigating through the wilderness and signaling for help is the final step in your effort to go back to civilization. Having a compass and a map will make the navigation easier but if you do not have, you can use other methods such as the sun and the stars to determine the direction. However, these will only give you a general direction and it will help more if you know the terrain. In case your navigation skills are not that good, you should maintain your position and signal for help.

Some of the ways you can signal for help include yelling, firing a weapon, using fire or smoke, using LED flashlights, using emergency whistle, radio signals for help and using reflective objects to reflect the sun. While signaling for help, you should be cautious not to attract unwanted attention especially if you are an area perceived to be hostile.

While the chances of getting lost in a place are very high, most people do not have the knowledge needed to survive. Learning how to survive in the wilderness is very important, as it will equip you with the necessary skills needed to stay alive out there.

Have you ever found yourself in a survival situation before? Share your experience and any further useful tips in the comment section below!