Outdoor/Bushcraft Tips
This section of our webpage is designed to provide Outdoors and Bushcraft Tips. For those who are not outdoors enthusiast, Bushcraft is simply the skills which matter when in the outdoors (bush), either planned trips or accidental ones. These tips are opinions and experiences we have either learned the hard way, read about, or learned from other outdoors enthusiast.
Tip #1
The Four Key Components of Survival are Fire, Water, Shelter, and Food. The resources you take with you into the wilderness will greatly influence your ability to successfully procure these four components, and your ability to survive and thrive. We recommend in any hiking pack addressing these four components in one way or another. This doesn't mean you need to fill your pack with a large volume of items; just small tools to help you procure these components.
Tip #2
When chosing an emergency shelter, the first rule is to "GET OFF THE GROUND". Getting off the ground accomplished several things. First, cold ground will suck your body heat away. Second, getting off the ground protects you from wildlife and bugs/insects.
Tip #3
When deciding a shelter location, first consider on the ground or in the ground. Generally, it is typically better to be off the ground versus on it. Having a shelter or platform off the ground keeps you away from the cold ground which takes body get away from you, keeps you away from bugs and creepy crawlers. There are always exceptions to include getting away from the heat or cold by building a shelter in the ground. We will discuss these options in future tips.
Tip #4
Water is an absolute necessity for life and you may be saying I know that. Did you know on average humans looses 1 liter of water by simply laying around. But in the wilderness when you are stranded, you will use more. Being in a hot and dry climate could raise your water loss dramatically. Next to treating yourself for injuries and emergency shelter, you must be in a hurry to find water; again in a hurry. You can survive longer without food but not water. Generally you have 3 days to survive without water.
Tip #5
Basic signs of dehydration include a headache, lack of urination, dark and strong smelling urine, and being lightheaded. Therefore, when stranded water is life so find it.
Tip #6
Drinking your own urine: myth or is it real?
If you are out of water and near death, you can drink your own urine as a last resort. Before you get grossed out, you need to read this and file it away. When in survival mode, you have to decide to live or die and throw away your traditional thoughts of what is disgusting or not. In 2003 a survivalist in Utah became trapped and drank his own urine which helped save his life.
Again if you do this to save your own life, the rule is simple; drink it quickly as soon as you urinate. Urine is 95% water and so long as you drink it immediately after expelling from your body, it’s safe. We also recommend a second pass only in dire circumstances because the waste product will be too concentrated for your kidneys to handle.