Survival Secrets

Size Up Your Surroundings
If you're in an unknown area you will want to determine the pattern of the area. Get a feel for what is going on around you. Every environment, whether forest, jungle, or desert, has a rhythm or pattern. This rhythm or pattern includes animal and bird noises and movements and insect sounds. It may also include enemy traffic and civilian movements.
If you're in your neighborhood you probably already know what's around you, so this step will be an easy one!
Size Up Your Physical Condition
Sometimes in a survival situation you can get hurt, but your adrenaline is pumping so you don't really feel it. Always be sure to routinely check yourself over to make sure you are bleeding. n any climate, drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. If you are in a cold or wet climate, put on additional clothing to prevent hypothermia.
Size Up Your Equipment
Check to see what equipment you have and what condition it is in.

Now that you have sized up your situation, surroundings, physical condition, and equipment, you are ready to make your survival plan. In doing so, keep in mind your basic physical needs--water, food, and shelter.

You may panic and make a wrong move. This could be anything from driving and running out of gas in a rural area or putting yourself in a situation that could have been prevented had you thought it out and remained aware.

Always do things for a reason and never do them just to take action and do something. Consider all aspects of your situation before you make a decision. Make sure you have the right equipment, enough time, daylight, food, water, etc.

Always be prepared to move out quickly because you never know what can happen, especially in a survival situation. If you stick to only carrying things you need in an organized manner you will be much better off. No hair dryers or iPods.

Regardless of whether you're at home or in an unknown area, always, always, always keep a map handy. Spot your location on your map and be aware of the surrounding area or terrain. This is a basic principle you must always follow. Be sure that everyone in your group knows where they are. Always pay close attention to where you are going and where you currently are.

Determine where points of contact are as well as food, water or shelter. If you are in a more permanent location you may want to mark them on your map just in case something were to happen and someone who doesn't know the area is there to rescue you...use your imagination, anything is possible. Be prepared.

The greatest enemies in a survival situation are fear and panic. If uncontrolled, they can destroy your ability to make an intelligent decision. They may cause you to react to your feelings and imagination rather than to your situation. They can drain your energy and thereby cause other negative emotions. Previous survival and evasion training and self-confidence will enable you to vanquish fear
and panic.

It is important to educate yourself which will help overcome any panic attacks. If you know what to expect you can remain in control. Since most of us live in a urban environment I highly recommend The Urban Survival Guide as a reference.

In the United States, we have items available for all our needs. Many of these items are cheap to replace when damaged. Our easy come, easy go, easy-to-replace culture makes it unnecessary for us to improvise. This inexperience in improvisation can be an enemy in a survival situation. Learn to improvise. Take a tool designed for a specific purpose and see how many other uses you can make of it.

Learn to use natural objects around you for different needs. An example is using a rock for a hammer. No matter how complete a survival kit you have with you, it will run out or wear out after a while. Your imagination must take over when your kit wears out. To get a better idea of things you can use check out www.urbansurvivalguide.info.

All of us were born kicking and fighting to live, but we have become used to the soft life. We have become creatures of comfort. We dislike inconveniences and discomforts. What happens when we are faced with a survival situation with its stresses, inconveniences, and discomforts? This is when the will to live - placing a high value on living - is vital. The experience and knowledge you have gained through life will have a bearing on your will to live. Stubbornness, a refusal to give in to problems and obstacles that face you, will give you the mental and physical strength to endure.

The more you focus on the negative outcome that COULD happen the more likely you are to achieve it. Remember to stay positive and look at the situation as an adventure. Every survival situation is different and is a way to learn and experience a natural instinct you were born with. Survival.

In a survival situation you don't want to stick out or draw any unnecessary attention to yourself. The natives and animals of a region have adapted to their environment. To get a feel of the area, watch how the people go about their daily routine.

• When and what do they eat?


• When, where, and how do they get their food?


• When and where do they go for water?


• What time do they usually go to bed and get up?

These actions are important to you if you are trying to remain unknown or anonymous. Animal life in the area can also give you clues on how to survive. Animals also require food, water, and shelter. By watching them, you can find sources of water and food...that is, if you are in a more rural environment.

In an urban environment you will want to take note of the main roads and which directions people tend to travel most. You will also want to settle in an area where you blend in or fit in.

If in a friendly area, one way you can gain rapport with the natives is to show interest in their tools and how they get food and water. By studying the people, you learn to respect them, you often make valuable friends, and, most important, you learn how to adapt to their environment and increase your chances of survival.

Without training in basic skills for surviving and evading on the battlefield, your chances of living through a survival situation are slight. The best training I've found is the urban survival guide. If you're wanting to know more about adapting in an urban environment you will definitely want to check out that site.

Learn these basic skills now--not when you are headed in to the unknown. How you decide to equip yourself before any such event will impact on whether or not you survive. You must practice basic skills geared for your environment. For instance, if you are going to a desert, you need to know how to get water in the desert. If you are in an urban area, how will you get water if the water lines break and cannot be repaired for a while?

Practice basic survival skills during all training programs and exercises. Survival training reduces fear of the unknown and gives you self-confidence. It teaches you to live by your wits.