Survival

To keep yourself alive in the wilderness, you must have given some thought to the possibility before the situation comes up. Survival is 80 percent attitude, 10 percent equipment, and 10 percent skill and knowledge to use that equipment.

Survival is also a very personal thing. You are like no one else in the world. Survival may be seasonal, and definitely is geographical. Equip yourself for the three necessities no matter who you are, where you go or at what time of year. Shelter, Fire and Signal. Let's call them The Big Three.

Shelter

You must have shelter each night. This is a cardinal rule that you must keep in mind. You may consider your shelter to be the number one priority of life. You must have something that will completely protect your body. You have to protect it not only from the rain or snow that's going to come, but also from the wind that's going to blow it around. If you have nothing else going for you - no fire or food or anything - and you have totally adequate shelter, you're probably going to be alive when rescuers come to get you.

Your campsite should be chosen with care. Avoid avalanche or snowslide areas. Choose a site well protected from wind, if possible but also near a large clearing suitable for ground to air signaling. An overhanging rock shelf makes an ideal shelter. In timber country where snow is deep, removing the snow from under a spruce tree will provide a quickly available shelter. Branches at snow level form the roof or branches may be cut and placed around the edges.

A snow cave may be dug in the winter wherever snowdrifts of sufficient depth can be found. A one-man cave should be dug about 3'wide x 7'1ong and just high enough for comfort. Do not make it any larger than necessary. Snowcaves are difficult to dig without getting wet and therefore are less desirable than other forms of shelter. However, they do offer excellent insulation.

Be certain to maintain ventilation in your snow cave by making a hole in the roof. It is also advisable to arch the inside roof so water will run down the sides. The sleeping shelf should be a foot or more above the entrance and covered with boughs or a ground cloth. Water and dirt destroy the insulating properties of clothing. Water conducts heat away from the body 27 times faster than dry, still air.

A lean-to can be made in timbered terrain. Support is required for a ridge pole about three feet from the ground. Two upright poles or crotches in trees will provide the upright support. Limbs or branches are leaned (butt end up if they have foliage), against the ridge pole. Cross members inter-woven make the lean-to more secure and help make the shelter water resistant.

Thatch the roof with spruce or fir branches by placing the butt end toward the top. Complete the ends in the same manner. The lean-to may be improved by banking with snow or soil. A fire between the lean-to and a reflector made of logs, stones (not from a stream bed, they may explode when heated) or a space rescue "blanket" will warm the shelter.

With shelters, plan for the worst first. Conserve and build up all resources from the beginning before greater emergencies overtake you. In applying this theory to shelters, it is obvious that the probability of early rescus should be completely disregarded. You should build the most secure and comfortable sheIter that can be erected - one that will require little maintenance once it is constructed. The importance of doing the job well while you are able to do it cannot be overemphasised.

Clothing

Clothing is the shelter you wear around your body. Dress for the weather - remember it can and will change. Layers of clothing (shirts, vest, sweaters) are recommended. You put on a layer before you become chilled and take off a layer before, not after you become perspiration damp. No matter how you get wet, from outside climatic conditions or your own body perspiration; when you're wet you're wet, and when you're wet you are in trouble.

Good head gear is essential. You lose up to 45 percent of your heat around your head, neck and shoulders. Winter head gear should conserve heat, breathe and be water repellent. Summer head gear should ventilate and provide shade.

The body radiates heat readily from the head and extremities. The old saying, "If your feet are cold put your hat on" is good advice. Good headgear, footwear and gloves or mittens are absolute necessities to help conserve body heat. Keep clothing clean and dry.

Choice of footwear is critical. Choose hoots suitable for the terrain, weather and amount of walking to be done. Regardless of boot type, it is important to have a change of socks (wool recommended) to prevent dampness from perspiration condensation.

Sturdy leather hoots are excellent footwear. Waterproofing used on leather boots should permit the leather to breathe. When boots become wet, dry slowly and carefully. Walk boots dry if conditions permit. Leather-lined and insulated leather boots are extremely difficult to dry.

Rubber pac-type boots with removable felt liners are excellent footwear, but felts are difficult to dry when perspiration soaks the outer layers of felt and the inside of the boot. Some prefer the nylon or leather-topped rubber pac with the removable felt liners. The leather-topped rubber pac is superior to the all-rubber pac, especially for walking, because of the breathing qualities of leather.

Gloves or mittens are a must even if weather is not cold. Gloves will prevent injury to the hands when breaking firewood or building a shelter. In extreme cold, mittens are superior to gloves.

Some type of rain gear should be carried. Remember, waterproof clothing does not breathe. A raincoat, water-repellent parka, or poncho should offer some ventilation and ease of movement. Movement should be kept at a minimum when wearing rain gear to lessen perspiration.

Fire

The ability to build a fire is paramount. No matter where you are, or no matter what your survival situation, you must be able to build a fire. You may consider fire to be the nnmber two priority of life.

There are five basic uses for a fire under survival conditions:

1. Warmth (warm your body, dry your clothes, cook your food, etc.)
2. Companionship (you are never really alone when you have a fire.)
3. Signaling (ground to air and ground to ground.)
4. Lighting (we are a light - oriented society).
5. Protection (it protects us against all those wild beasts that are not out there).

The fireplace location should be carefully selected. Do not build a fire under a tree as it may catch fire. Heat may also melt snow from the branches and make everything wet. If the fire must be built upon snow, construct a platform of green logs or stones.

Avoid wet, porous rocks as they may explode when heated. If the ground is dry, scrape down to bare dirt to avoid starting a grass or forest fire. Build the fire against a rock or wall of logs which will reflect heat into your shelter.

Most fuels cannot be started burning directly from a match. You will need some easily inflammable tinder such as small twigs, wood shavings, bark, dead pine needles, dry leaves, grass or tissue paper to get the fire going. Place the tinder in a low pyramid. Powder from a cartridge may help ignite the tinder.

For fuel, gather dry standing dead wood or dried dung. The inside of dead tree trunks or large branches may be dry even if the outside is wet. Have all materials (tinder, kindling, and fuel) on hand before attempting to light your fire.

Fire-Building

For fire-making, your first bit of flame capability should be plain old strike-anywhere kitchen matches. Weatherproof these by dipping them in paraffin, and store them in water proof containers. In addition to the matches, you should include two pads of #0000 steel wool. This can be ignited by applying a spark from any source, such as by touching it to the terminals of a nine-volt battery.

Candle wax may be rubbed into any piece of cloth to make a fire starter. Add to this a Metal Match or Magnesium Fire-starting Tool and you have the ability to start fire in a wide variety of ways.

Your ability to build a fire is made easier by - advance preparation. The individual who has given fire building some thought or has had to start a fire under adverse conditions is usually better prepared to meet an emgrgency.

In addition to carrying a visible fuel supply (Butane lighter metal match or wooden matches in a waterproof container) we recommend carrying tinder such as cotton balls, 0000 steel wool or sawdust saturated with paint thinner in a suitable container.

A candle may also aid as a fire starter and - provide heat and light. When using steel-wool or cotton balls, fluff the material, by pulling the strands apart gently. Both materials will ignite readily from a spark. Steel wool burns brightly after ignition if you blow gently upon it.

Both materials should be kept in a waterproof or water resistant container such as a sealable sandwich baggies. Saw-dust saturated with paint thinner may be carried in a plastic pill vial or a handy container may be fashioned out of spent 12 and 16 gauge plastic shotgun hulls.

Merely fill the 16-gauge hull with the saturated sawdust and cap it with the 12-gauge hull. Tape can be used to seal the joint. This device will enable you to start many fires with a match or spark. Although they may last longer we recommend you replenish the thinner and sawdust annually. We strongly recommend experlmentation with various methods and any firestarting materials before going into the field.

Useful Hints

Store kindling and fuel in as dry a place as possible. Don't waste matches by trying to start a poorly prepared fire base. Build a small fire and conserve fuel and energy. Stay away from waterproof windproof matches. They are a safety match requiring a striker.

If the striker gets wet (same as paper matchbook) you may wipe out your strike and then all the matches are useless. Always build your fire before it gets dark and be sure to gather 10 times the amount of fuel you think you will need.

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