Meridian News
Survival Basics: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe in the Great Outdoors
June 15, 2017

Adventure is calling! Whether you’re headed out for a hike, a hunt or a horseback ride, be sure to brush up on your survival skills before you head out into the great outdoors. This edition of TRIO focuses on three important basic survival skills that will benefit you in the event your next outdoor adventure goes awry.

  1. Know How to Build Shelter

From providing protection from the elements to protecting you from heat and water loss in extreme conditions, shelter is essential to your outdoor survival. If you’re stranded in an area that doesn’t have natural shelters like rock insets or caves, you’ll want to know how to build your own. One of the easiest shelters to create is the debris hut. This type of shelter is made by propping up a long branch and then weaving sticks and other branches together to form a covering. It’s important to familiarize yourself with multiple techniques and materials so you’ll be prepared to create protection from the resources that are available.

  1. Learn How to Start a Fire

Fire is one of the most critical elements of surviving in the outdoors. In addition to providing heat to keep you warm or flames to cook food, fire is critical in the water purification process. It can serve as a way to create rescue signals, repel insects and dry your wet clothes. Before you headed out on your adventure be sure you plan ahead and pack matches or a lighter in case of an emergency. There are several other ways you can spark a flame using items such as sticks, flat pieces of wood, flint, glass, batteries and steel wool, but some methods are easier than others. If you wear glasses, the lens-base method might be the most convenient. To start a fire, all you’ll need to do is create a nest out of dry grass or leaves, take off your glasses, angle the lenses toward the sun and focus the beam into a small area until the tinder catches fire. The important thing is to not wait until you need to start a fire to learn how to build one!

  1. Understand Basic First Aid and Beyond

While basic first aid skills include knowing how to help someone who is choking, bleeding, drowning or not breathing, there are also some lesser known survival basics that will come in handy for the outdoor enthusiast. Knowing how to identify and treat ailments like heat exhaustion, sunstroke and hypothermia could prove to be beneficial if you’re unexpectedly stranded in the wild. Bee stings are also a common issue with outdoor adventure. If you are stung by a bee, simply remove the stinger and apply a topical ointment. If you have ice or cold water, applying it will help bring any swelling down. Having a first aid kit with you whenever you’re exploring is essential. You never know when you or someone you run into will need it.

Interested in learning more about how to prepare for what could go wrong on an outdoor adventure? Join us for the upcoming Survival Basics and Medic First Aid and CPR class. Call 405.377.3333 with questions or get registered here. To find out about more courses like this sign up for our monthly e-newsletter. View all of our upcoming courses in our digital catalog.

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