How to Survive in the Wild Alone

At its core, wilderness survival seems simple enough. After all, there are only four things you need; with food, water, shelter, and warmth, you can survive anything. However, actually obtaining and managing those four things can be a challenge.  You can make survival that much easier by doing your best to ensure that you have access to your own supply of water and food, as well as a tent and a blanket.

Even if you’re only planning on taking a short walk through the woods, it’s a smart idea to come prepared. If you find yourself caught unprepared, however, there are options. Read on to learn more.

Water

You can survive for around three days without water, but those three days won’t be pleasant. If you can find running water, that’s generally a safer option than non-moving water. If you can’t find a body of water at all, don’t panic. By digging a hole in the earth, water may collect in the hole you’ve dug. You can also press your shirt into dewy ground to soak up water and wring the water out into your mouth. When possible, you should always sanitize any water you collect. One of the most surefire methods of sanitation is by boiling water, which brings us to our next wilderness essential.

Heat

If you’re stranded without matches, starting a fire is difficult but not impossible. Methods like using a lens to concentrate sunlight are often much more successful than rubbing two sticks together. If you have glasses, ice, a magnifying glass, or even a condom filled with water, you can use it to focus a beam of light and potentially start a fire.

Starting a fire is not essential to survival, but it can make the process atfer and more comfortable. Keeping your body warm, however, is crucial to staying alive. Bury yourself in dirt to help insulate yourself, or stay protected in a well-built shelter.

Shelter

To build a functional shelter, look for  a fallen tree or large rock to serve as a backdrop. From there, you can prop tree branches, strips of bark, or other materials against your base. Even a primitive shelter is better than nothing, and can help you conserve warmth and stay out of bad weather.

Food

There’s plenty of food in the wilderness if you know how to find it. While catching animals is much harder than it seems, there are plenty of edible plants and roots. The simplest way to get the calories and protein you need is an unappealing one—bugs. Eating bugs can be the difference between starvation and survival!