John Muir once said, “Thousands of people who are tired and trembling with anxiety after living under the pressures of an overly advanced civilization, are beginning to discover that going to the mountains is a true home return, and that the outdoors is the place to go.” Is there a more precise explanation than this sentence? Living in the wild is simple, but we need careful preparation to be able to do it. But with the right knowledge, skills and equipment, you'll be ready for the transition to start living in the great outdoors.
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Part 1 of 4: Getting Ready to Step Beyond the Boundaries
Step 1. Determine the set of things needed for your chosen outdoor environment
The skills you need to live in minuscule Alaska are certainly very different from those you need to live in the jungles of mainland Europe, or in the Sahara Desert. You can start by thinking about the following:
- What months or seasons are the easiest and most appropriate time for you to start living there?
- How many supplies do you need to prepare to get started?
- Will you have access to a return to civilization? How far is it? Will this distance change your situation?
- Do you have the skills needed to survive the soil/climate conditions in your chosen location?
- Will you need time for your body to adapt? (for example, to deal with extreme weather.)
Step 2. Practice home survival techniques before you really need them
It all depends on where you're going, but chances are that you need to be in good shape, so you need to start exercising now. You will also need to master the basic techniques for backpacking. Write down all the skills you need, and don't forget the first aid kit!
Consider doing more extreme things, like eating insects and their larvae. This will train you to deal with difficult situations in the wild later
Step 3. Make a list of supplies
You will not be trapped in the forest for 3 days, but live and live there for a fairly long period of time. You can't carry a backpack that contains just a few sticks of healthy food and a sweater. The following is a list of basic supplies you will need to bring with you:
- Technical equipment (rope, knife, net, etc.)
- Special rifles or pistols (because ordinary pistols will freeze in cold temperatures and will require special handling)
- Lantern and flashlight (with oil and battery supplies)
- Dry foods (oats, beans, rice, coffee)
- Foodstuffs containing vitamin C (e.g., powdered orange juice)
- water filter
- Compass
- Blanket
- Lighters or matches, etc.
- Ax
- Flare gun, mirror, whistle, etc.
- Radio
- Carpentry tools and sewing tools
Step 4. Bring the right clothes
The three rules you need to remember are: cotton is not right, never recommend it to others, and cotton is always easy to damage. You need clothes with fabrics that stay warm even after they get soaked in water. You need clothes that won't break or tear easily. Although light and comfortable, cotton is not the right choice in this case. Fill your backpack with clothes designed for loggers, field researchers and commercial fishermen. Sure it will feel heavy, but these types of clothes will last longer.
- Remember, you can always remove the outer layers from your clothes when they are hot. After all, it's better to bring too many clothes than not enough clothes. If something happens, you'll have enough clothes on hand to keep you warm.
- Prepare a jacket and raincoat for the rain and snow. Most cases of hypothermia occur at temperatures above 4 degrees Celsius.
Step 5. You can also take certain training classes before you leave
Survival in the wild is not an easy thing. The best option is if you have been equipped with a special training before entering the battlefield against nature. Get in touch with your nearest nature-oriented organizations to design the right experience for you. The more you understand the experience, the easier it will be for you to face the reality later.
- Learn the characteristics and differences of poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac, as well as other poisonous plants (and avoid these plants). What's more, there are plants (for example, cow parsnip) that can make your skin too sensitive to light. This means, this plant will cause ulcers on your skin if exposed to sunlight. The best option is that you recognize the natural conditions in the location as well as the limits of your ability to deal with them.
- The most important thing is that you will be able to stay calm as long as you stay in that location. If you've been in that situation before, you'll know what to do and you can relax. If you are nervous and unsure, it is very likely that you will make a fatal mistake. Practicing yourself is the best way to avoid mistakes in the future.
Step 6. Put your belongings in a backpack that can meet all your needs while still being light and easy to carry
Living in the wild means you have to do a lot of exploration and exploration. You need a lot of supplies to meet the needs of where you live in the future, but you also need to determine what items you should pack so that you can easily carry them wherever you explore. Buy a special backpack for camping that is strong and complete and you can rely on whenever you go on an exploration trip in the wild.
Pack your backpack before you leave, so you know how much it holds. Make sure you are familiar with the maximum packaging method but still allow you to carry it around. The ability to pack will be very useful, including in the wild
Step 7. Know how to send a signal
Again, this is largely determined by the equipment you have and the location where you are. However, there are some basic ideas that you may need to prepare:
- Know how to make a signal using fire
- Use mirrors or other objects that reflect light
- Send SOS signal, if possible
- Use emergency signaling devices such as ACR or SPOT
Part 2 of 4: Setting Up a Tent
Step 1. Choose a safe location for you to live in
Choose a location that is close to a water source but far enough from wild animals (which also tend to live close to a water source) and from tidal waves.
This location must be on a stable ground level. Avoid areas of debris, areas that are too rocky, or too close to water. All of these areas are susceptible to danger if you load them with other objects
Step 2. Turn on the fire
You need warm temperatures to stay comfortable in the outdoors. However, knowing how to start a fire is not enough. You have to know when and how to do it too. Here are some things you need to pay attention to:
- Start the fire in a location far enough away from valuables and food supplies, so things don't happen (including if wild animals come).
- When you cook food, don't use the fire as soon as you light it. Let the fire burn for a few moments first. You should start the fire long before you eat. During the process of starting and raising a fire, you are creating coals that ignite with charcoal, and these will light the flames. This flame is what you will be able to use to cook food to the perfect level of doneness.
- Look for pieces of birch branches to light a fire. These birch branches, wet or dry, are highly flammable and are an excellent choice for starting fires including in cold and wet locations.
- Burning hemlock tree branches can keep flies and mosquitoes away.
Step 3. Build a shelter for yourself
You can use a simple construction with a lean roof to build shelter easily, but it won't last long. For the first week or so, set up a temporary place where you can sleep. Then during the week, build some more permanent shelter. The longer you plan to stay in that location, the better quality shelter you will need to build.
You are strongly discouraged from lying down and sleeping on the ground without any mat. Always provide a base for the shelter you build, such as hemlock tree branches, leaves, or straw. If you don't use any mat with this kind of material, you will be very cold while sleeping on the ground
Step 4. Prioritize you always have access to water
You can survive without food for up to a month, but water is essential for your daily life. Look for a water source that you can rely on to meet your needs. If possible, store a sufficient amount of water so you don't have to walk back and forth every day.
Similarly, you can collect morning dew from grass and leaves using a clean cloth and squeeze it into a container. Maybe the water isn't very clean, but it's enough to keep you from becoming dehydrated
Part 3 of 4: Meeting Basic Needs
Step 1. Learn how to hunt, set traps and collect groceries
Indeed, this depends on the location you live in. Whatever method you will use to get food, learn it. Find all the available food sources: rivers with fish, air birds and land animals, and plants around your location. The more skills you master, the more capable you are of dealing with climate change or drought that may occur in those food sources.
- Don't eat anything if you're not sure it's edible. If possible, bring a guidebook on plant and animal food ingredients at your location.
- Have a good storage system. There may be people who will steal or loot your food supply.
Step 2. Make sure that your water is purified before drinking
Drinking purified water is very important, because many diseases can be transmitted through dirty water. You never know whether the fresh water you get is really clean or not (for example, there may be animal carcasses at a point lower than where you picked up the water), so you should always purify the water.
- The easiest way is to boil your water. Usually this will take about 10 minutes.
- Another way is to use iodine tablets (not the liquid iodine you can buy at pharmacies). Dissolve the iodine tablets according to the instructions for use attached to the package.
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The third way is to use a water filter. Make a filter using a bandana or other piece of cloth. Then use the tool to filter the dirty water. The minimum size of this filter slit is 1-2 microns. This means that particles that are 1-2 microns in size will still be able to pass through this filter. The smaller the gap in your filter, the better the quality, and the slower the water flows through it.
A filter that utilizes the force of gravity is the easiest option, if you can carry one. With this type of tool, you just need to pour water, wait for 1-2 hours while doing other things, then get the result in the form of clean water
Step 3. Separate clean water and dirty water in different containers
Take care not to let a drop of dirty water get into the clean water container. One drop can cause you to contract a deadly disease.
To re-sterilize your clean water container, boil it in boiling water for 10 minutes. Make sure that every part of the container is submerged in boiling water when you boil it
Step 4. Master how to deal with defecation
You will need a form of latrine at a point far enough from water sources, shelter, and food supplies. This latrine can be a hole in the ground, or a more permanent form such as a small room.
If you decide to build a small room or similar shape to serve as a toilet, be aware that in winter, your buttocks will get cold or even freeze when sitting on a wooden surface. Use styrofoam as a toilet base, to avoid such things
Step 5. Learn how to walk in a straight line
Knowing your direction is absolutely critical to your successful life in the great outdoors. Surprisingly, walking in a straight line is actually almost impossible, because humans tend to walk in curved directions and unconsciously form circles. The most basic way to avoid this is to draw a straight line from the signs you encounter along the way, which is called the "marking" and "backmarking" methods (turning around and making sure that certain signs are just behind the body). You).
You can use the trees, the moon or the sun to determine the direction. If you are the kind of person who can easily determine directions without the help of any tools, this should be easy for you
Step 6. Take pemmican (processed meats and animal fats, sometimes supplemented with vegetable ingredients, which have been dried and compacted to preserve them for a long time) wherever you go on this excursion
It contains dried meat and processed fat. Make your favorite menu at home in large enough portions for your trip for about 2 weeks to the nearest village. You won't regret doing this.
Pemmican requires no cooking at all, just drying, and if you put enough fat in it, it will last you longer than other types of food you're used to for survival. You can survive for months in any situation, including at home
Part 4 of 4: Living in the Wild for a Long Time
Step 1. Act as your own doctor
Living alone in nature means you have to be your own doctor. In fact, you have to be whatever you need to be. If you have a cut, it must be treated immediately to avoid infection. You need to have basic knowledge of first aid and be able to carry out the sterilization process to installing splints.
If you have a broken bone or something else that is quite serious, make sure that you can contact the parties needed for help, for example by using a radio, cell phone, or some other reliable communication system. Knowing that you can contact a source of help can save yourself the pressure of going wrong
Step 2. You can create your own garden
Since you'll be living alone for a while, why not try creating your own garden? This will be your own small farm, which will provide reliable food ingredients with very minimal effort, except in the early stages. The garden will also be a boost for you, as it can provide food and give you the opportunity to control your ability to survive.
Make sure that your garden is safe from wild animal attacks. Build a fence around the garden, use certain objects to scare the animals away, and “mark” your territory if necessary
Step 3. Prepare supplies for winter
If you decide to live in a location that usually experiences winter, you will need to have enough supplies to survive the winter. You will find it very difficult to find game, very difficult to walk, and even very difficult to stay warm. Therefore, during autumn, make sure that you prepare enough supplies.
- Have food supplies for the next few months, if possible.
- This also applies to firewood supplies. Stay in a shelter that can accommodate the flames inside, if possible.
- The water will freeze into ice during the winter. So you need to keep a supply of clean fresh water in your shelter as well.
Step 4. Elevate the position of your shelter hut
In conditions of very heavy snow or heavy rain, a makeshift hut will not be very useful. Build a cottage during the summer and fall so you can have a solid shelter that can protect you from various alien elements and wild animals. This cottage will feel more comfortable like home.
Find a way to position the latrine closer to your shelter, if possible. The latrine should be close to your cottage, but not inside (unless you don't mind the smell)
Step 5. Always have a source of vitamin C
You certainly don't want to experience scurvy. You're not a sailor living in the 1700s, so don't let your teeth soften and your body weaken. If you don't have a source of vitamin C like powdered orange juice, the base of rose petals can be used instead. It does taste a bit bad, but the benefits are real.
Your diet is very important to your efforts to survive. The more balanced your diet, the better the results. Try to eat every major food group, so you stay healthy and strong. Otherwise, there is a risk that your immune system will weaken and you will be susceptible to even the most trivial bacterial or viral infections
Step 6. Learn how to forecast the weather
For example, you run out of supplies and need to visit the nearest store which is a week's walk away. If you don't know how to predict the weather, you will start walking whenever you want. But if you can predict the weather, maybe you can predict a storm is coming and can wait a while for the weather to get better or just start running as soon as possible.
This means you need to detect the apparent change in air pressure, recognize changes in cloud shape, and even pay attention to the smallest things like the direction of the smoke rising from the fire you're starting (e.g. swirling smoke isn't a good sign). In addition, the animals can also be a clue for you
Step 7. Realize that if you ever want to return to the city, you'll be in for a bit of a shock
If you have been neglecting money, status and routine office work for a long time, returning to normal life can feel like a frenzied revelry. For some, this can feel like compromising the principles of life. Carefully consider the options you have as logically as possible if you are making a transition.
Maybe you want to take small steps. Moving to the countryside or to a farm may be a better option than returning to the city, at least for now (after you've been out in the wild for a while). Avoid shock if you don't have to. Small changes are easier to make
Tips
- Do not attract the attention of wild animals with your actions. Do not leave any traces, especially pet food ingredients or smelly dirty socks and underwear around the shelter you are sheltering in, to avoid wild animals capable of sniffing out these odors even from a distance.
- Always have some form of weapon on hand to carry out the necessary attacks.
- Choose a spot that is close to, but not too close, to the water. Some people wake up to find themselves and their belongings submerged in a puddle. Make sure that you don't become one of them. Make sure that your cottage or tent is at a high enough level above the water level of the lake or river. Never camp on dry riverbeds.
- If you want others to find you, make a signal using fire. If possible, find copper material and add it to the flame. This will produce flames that are green in color and look different from the fires in forest fires. To generate a lot of smoke from the signal you're sending out, also add damp leaves and tree branches.
- Never lie down to sleep directly on the ground without a base. Use leaves as your bedding. This will prevent excessive loss of body heat while you sleep.
- When you decide to go out into the wild, make sure you tell someone where you're going. You never know what will happen and when you will need emergency help from others.
- Always have a lighter with you wherever you go. These can be flints, matches, or any other shaped object that you can easily use. That way, when you're away from the shelter hut, you can catch food and eat at that location right away, as you can light a fire from an out-of-oil lighter and a small cotton ball.
- Learn how to live in primitive times, as the American Indians did, for example. Master how to obtain food ingredients from nature to survive. These people have been doing it for over 10,000 years and across all seasons. Learn how to make a bow from the Osage or locus citrus plant. Get to know the trees and use the river bamboo plant to make arrows. Learn to make arrowheads out of flint, or obsidian or beer bottle shards you find on the side of the road. Make sure that you make use of every part of the animal you catch. Meet your own needs.
- Keep the essentials close at all times. Make sure that you always have a bottle of water, a box of matches, and a small amount of food on hand.
- When you go to the bathroom, make sure that you are at least 30 meters away from a water source. You certainly don't want to drink water contaminated with your own feces.
- Place the food supply in a position high enough for the bear to reach. To be on the safe side, smoke whatever meat you get, as this process will make it last longer. Moreover, most beasts were afraid of smoke, so only very large beasts would dare to approach.
- Try learning bushcraft (an outdoor survival skill), to prepare yourself for life in the wild.
Warning
- Don't sleep in the clothes you wore while cooking. The smell of cooking will stick to your clothes and body and attract bears and other animals.
- Don't eat anything that has a thick, milky-colored sap, except for dandelion and milkweed plants, which are both edible and can be enjoyed when cooked properly.
- Do not eat ferns, because some of them are poisonous. But if you are infected with intestinal bacteria, ferns can be consumed in small portions to eradicate the bacteria.
- Do not eat mushrooms, because on average 80% of them are poisonous. Don't eat mushrooms unless you really know the type.
- As you enter the forest, be prepared to face swarms of flying insects that will deliver painful attacks wherever you step. Watch out for sunrise and sunset times, as these are common times for these insects to start working.
- Consuming purified water with iodine tablets for about 5 weeks in a row can cause stomach upset. If you have iodine tablets for such a long period of time, you should try boiling the water as well.
- You must always remain calm and busy at the same time. By completing a series of tasks, your self-confidence will grow and this will increase your ability to survive.
- Black bears can be intimidated by loud noises. However, brown bears and ice bears are actually attracted to the sounds. The key is knowing the areas where they live.
- Do not touch any bushes that have red steam.
- Never approach kittens, especially bear cubs, jungle kittens and mountain lion cubs.
- Don't touch anything that has shiny leaves, and be careful of plants with three leaves.
