What does survival mean to you?
I don't claim to be a survival expert but I did spend 2 years in the jungles of Panama while in the Army so I know a thing or two about survival. Mostly, survival is common sense but when people get into trouble they panic, their brains shuts down, and mistakes are made.
Regardless of the duration of your outing, you need a contingency plan just in case. Your survival tool could be something a simple as a mobile phone or it might be a day pack containing food and shelter for one or more nights. The key is understanding your surroundings and what potentially could go wrong and then be prepared for it.
I am not trying to turn you into Bear Grils or Survivorman and I am not expecting you to kill a cobra and cook it for dinner as they would, but you should always be ready for whatever the outdoors throws at you.
Here are some simple levels or readiness and what you will need.
Survival Aware
Survival aware means that you can ascertain the dangers of your outing. You do not necessarily have to carry a pack full of supplies to be at this state but you should understand your physical limitation and under no circumstances should you exceed them. As a desert hiker in Arizona, I see people every year get themselves into serious trouble or even die because they did not think to bring something as simple as water.
Being survival aware says that you are prepared to be gone all day even if you plan a simple two hour hike. Having plenty of water, some snacks, and a mobile phone are some of the things you should have with you.
On a recent hike in the Cave Creek Desert, I started to get cramps. I had plenty of water and salty snacks just in case but never the less the heat of the day crept up on me. A 6 mile hike that would normally take me an hour and a half took two and a half hours. Because I was carrying a lot more water than I would need, I was able to rest, hydrate, and get back to the car.
I simply refuse to have a dedicated page or explanation as to why you need plenty of water. If you do not know this little tit bit you should not be hiking or backpacking at all.
However, here are some things people do not know about water and hydration.
- You should plan on hydrating before starting the hike. If you are thirsty, you are already in the first stages of dehydration. This is not a situation you want to be in when you first start out.
- Do not freeze your water supply. While this will taste cool and refreshing, behind the scenes your body will have to heat that water to body temperature before it can process it. This burns calories, energy, and delays your body's ability to recover from dehydration.
- When using snow as a water source, you must first melt it before you can drink it. Eating snow will cause burns to your mouth and other issues.
Survival Ready
Survival ready is a big step from just being aware. To be survival ready you will need to be prepared for more than just a day trip. A hike that might take 6 to 8 hours could end up as an overnight for all sorts of reasons including injury or bad weather.
At this level you are going to need at a minimum the following in addition to what you need to be survival aware. These items should be able to fit in a small day pack or messenger bag.
A sturdy knife: I good knife is a must. You can split wood with it and many other uses. The knife should have a heavy back so that it can with stand pounding. A fixed blade is better for heavy use then a folding type but there are good folding knives that can take the punishment.
The ability to purify water: You can go three weeks with out food but you will not live three days without any water. There are several ways to go and it depends largely on how many people are with you. If you are solo I suggest you purchase one of the purifying water bottles as they are the easiest to operate. However, if you are with a group you will need something that can purify more water than that. In a pinch you can always use iodine pills or boil the water so long as you can make fire.
The ability to make fire: Fire can save you life in many ways and at the very least is a good moral lifter especially if you are by yourself. I suggest a fire starter. These work well in all conditions and will light a fire even when wet. You will want to test this at home before you take it out in the wild to be sure you can get it to work. Using a lighter or matches are ok but altitude and moisture can cause these to fail. Of course the number one reason to have fire it to stay warm. Even in the summer, night time temps can drop enough to cause hypothermia.
Shelter: If you are caught in a rain storm or worse, a shelter will be paramount. Try lighting a fire in the rain. Even with a flint style starter it would be tough if your tinder bundle is wet. This could be something as primitive as a space blanket but I recommend a rain fly or at the very least a small tarp.
The key here is not to take a 60 liter pack with you just for a day hike. Remember that you are hoping that you will never have to use it but just in case you need it, it is there.