THE MAIN BASIC RULES OF SURVIVAL

If unfortunately you have to face an extreme condition such as a natural disaster, an aircraft, naval or nuclear accident, an unexpected situation or a war, you need to remember the main rules of survival.

The key to survival is to adapt. In a situation of survival it is very difficult to plan because the environment tends to prevail. You must be flexible and take advantage of what you find.

In order of importance, the basics of survival are divided into FIVE RULES:

• WILL (The determination to live is the basis of survival and comes before all). Never give up the fight, never thinking that he had done everything possible, never give up, always think positive. The mental attitude has enormous weight on the mind and body. You must always keep fear under control because it doesn’t turn into panic. Often it is not the physical exhaustion that makes a man give in but the exhaustion psychological, the certainty of not succeeding or of not being up.
  

How long can a person survive in adverse conditions?

Non c’è una risposta comune. Ci sono persone che sono riuscite a salvarsi nelle situazioni più disperate. Ci sono diversi casi clamorosi di sopravvivenza estrema nella storia umana.

“On October 13, 1972 occurred the tragic plane crash on the Andes Mountains, which impressed and shocked the whole world: a plane carrying 45 people crashed at 3657 meters high against a volcano. 12 died in the impact, 5 the same day and 1 on the second day. After about 70 days were found and rescued. Only 16 people are escaped death, the group confessed that to survive ate the corpses of their comrades. “

Cases of extreme survival: LINK.

• SHELTER and FIRE (build a shelter but above start a fire, it’s crucial for survival and instills a sense of security).

Depending on where you are located you can build a shelter using what you find in the area, or you can take advantage of a natural shelter like a cave.

Light a fire is very useful to keep warm, cook food, boil water or boil the meat to kill bacteria, dry clothes, keep away predators and insects, making signaling, etc… in short, the fire serves a thousand things, also instills a sense of satisfaction and security that is essential for survival and to maintain high morale.

To light a fire there are many ways, look at this post: LINK.
How to build a shelter: LINK.

• SIGNALING (you have to stay calm and have trust in rescue teams. The rescue team can be facilitated by an efficient request for help). It is important not to leave the scene of the accident if you are sure that rescue will arrive.

Signaling methods: LINK.

Orientation: LINK.

• WATER (the human body is composed by 60% of water, and normally must assimilate from 2 to 3 litres of water per day). You must remember that in the presence of hot or humid climate or fatigue, the demand for water increases from 5 up to 8 litres per day. In situations of survival it is essential to drink at least 1 litre of water per day. Ration water and drink it in small sips, before drink wetting lips to make the most of every drop.

Methods to find and purify water: LINK.

• FOOD (you can survive to prolonged fasting for up to 40 days or more under resting conditions. The psychological collapse for lack of food can kill long before). Depending on the area where you are you can always eat something, if you knows where to look you can find food even in the desert!

If the survival situation is organized obviously you will be facilitated, as it will have the necessary tools in order to survive, you will have a target, and all the information to know about the area where you venture. But even during an organized adventure can happen unexpected and unfavorable situations. So it is always better to start physically and psychologically prepared and have the right equipment, the right clothes, the right training and knowledge of the area.

Never leave for a wilderness area without a map of the place and compass (in these times also a GPS, a smartphone or a satellite phone can make your life easier to orient yourself or call for help in the event that one of the group is badly injured or is coming into contact with plants or venomous animals).

Remember that the compass and the map are only useful if you know to properly use them.

Always bring a change of clothes, a first aid kit and a survival kit with matches, tablets to purify water, survival knife, kit for fishing, cordage, needle and thread, aluminum blanket, flashlight, hat , waterproof poncho, water bottle and others things that change depending on the area where you go.

The survival knife is an object that can never be lacking in the equipment for those leaving for a mission in the wilderness.

All the equipment should be crammed in a shoulder bag that mustn’t be neither too heavy nor uncomfortable for your back.

On sale you can find many backpacks for survival with strategic pockets, many compartments, waterproofs, demountable like those of the soldiers etc …