Survival Skills Checklist

If you've just started thinking about learning to survive in worse case scenarios, then we'll share with you. The most essential survival skills checklist to ensure you've got the know-how to face almost everything.

Nothing is more important to survival in any situation than being able to have suitable drinking water. We as humans can survive weeks without food and live just fine in temporary shelters, but without water, we can expire in days. In extremely hot climates, we could die without water in a matter of hours.

Gravity, greenery, and ground. If you're in hilly terrain, the flow of water is always going to be downhill. Count on seeking out rivers, creeks, or streams where hills meet. If you can't spot any at first, be patient and listen as well as watch the animals around you. Animals will frequent areas with suitable drinking water. As a last resort, try digging a hole in damp soil to reveal groundwater. Groundwater, however, should remain a last resort.

Always be wary of standing water, as it could be packed with parasites and bacteria. The best bet is finding water that has a strong flow, and last but never least: boil it if you can, even if you find the clearest, cleanest looking water.

Second to finding water is the ability to create and keep a fire. Not only does a fire provide life-giving warmth in the cold, but it can purify water, cook food, ward off predators, cauterize wounds, signal for help, and use it to dry out your clothes which keeps hypothermia at bay.

Avoid wet wood as much as possible. The drier the wood, the easier it will burn. Start small, too. Small fibers of whatever it is you're going to try to burn will make it easier for the flames to catch. Don't bother trying to light anything medium to large-sized. While using matches, and lighters are great, and many water and weatherproof options are out there—make sure you've learned how to start a fire without these.

Last, but never least, learn how to build a temporary shelter. Protecting yourself from the elements, such as wind, snow, and rain will make your survivability lost in the woods or any climate much higher. What sort of shelters you can build will rely on your area. Some suggestions to learn are a lean-to, a Round Lodge (or teepee), or even a tarp hung over branches and weighed down by rocks for a temporary tent.

The main survival skills checklist that you should know and are most important:

• Finding water and cleaning water.
• Building and keeping a fire.
• Knowing how to build a temporary shelter.

With these as the backbone to your survival checklist, you're already well on your way to being ultimately prepared for worst-case scenarios.