What are the best Wilderness Survival tips?

"Best survival tips?" Have a plan BEFORE you go. Only deviate from the plan if you HAVE TO. Let people know where you'll be, how you plan getting there and when you plan on being back. 127 Hours is only a "good film" because the guy it happened to survived it.Most of the people in similar situations don't. Bring a recent map of the area and use it. Even if you don't need it. Bring a few more days of supplies than you'll need. Always bring a mirror, a whistle and something orange (few things in the wild are orange and it will make you easier spot by searchers) If you feel ill, pack it in and go home. There will always be another time. New places are nice. New places are unique. Don't go to new places alone. If a local tells you your plan is a bad idea, listen to them. Remember: If you get a bad feeling...go with it. Remember: You don't know everything. It might seem that way sometimes...but you don't. Act accordingly.

http://husky1.stmarys.ca/~khill/psychologyoflost.pdf by Kenneth Hill, a psychologist and member of the Halifax search and rescue team, showed that people who become disoriented, generally rely on a handful of methods to find their way back. These include route traveling (taking unknown paths), route sampling (trying out parts of different paths from a known intersection), and view enhancing by going to higher ground and backtracking. Some of the less effective methods include random traveling (following the path of least resistance) and direction traveling where the lost person is convinced safety lies in one particular direction, going cross country and often ignores paths and sometimes even railroad tracks, power lines and highways leading in the “wrong” direction. Another common reorienting strategy is using folk wisdom like “all streams lead to civilization”, which are again, no guarantee of success. Hill writes that if you follow this principle in Nova Scotia, you will more than likely end up in a remote and bug-infested swamp. The best strategy – even if it seems somewhat passive – is staying put, so long as you can reasonably expect a search to be organized on your behalf in the very near future. Sadly, very few people apply this method of getting out of the woods safely. In his review of over 800 lost person reports from Nova Scotia, Hill found only two cases of people who stayed-put. Full article: http://www.united-academics.org/magazine/mind-brain/walking-in-circles/

I would prioritize by starting with the mental and physical preparation. Always leave a flight plan with a loved one and never go into the woods without the essentials covering these areas: navigation, hydration, clothing, shelter and fire. One of the best survival experts out there: Peter Kummerfeldt is a wealth of knowledge on the subject. I would recommend checking out some of his stuff at http://outdoorsafe.comHe helped Colorado Parks and Wildlife produce a 10 Chapter Outdoor Survival series that can been seen here: He is all about no-nonsense practical advice. The two things that I have learned from Peter that have been most valuable for me are 1. His fire starting technique: cottonballs soaked in vasoline and a metal match (watch this demonstrated here: https://vimeo.com/35322992) 2. A 38 x 65", 4 mm thick bright orange or blue plastic bag. Cut a hole to breath out of and you have yourself good protection from the elements. With these items (Chlorine tablets, map & compass or gps, orange flagging tape, storm proof matches, signal mirror, etc) I can have the confidence that even if I get lost I can stay warm, hydrated and protected from the elements with a small kit that weighs no more than 5 pounds.

Exploring the wilderness can be one of the most rewarding experiences you could possibly have. There is always so much to see and admire, with different trees, plants, animals and environmental structures. But, whether you are out for a day trip or an extended stay, hiking through the wilderness can be quite hazardous, and it is essential that you have the right gear to help you survive should anything happen.I found a good little rule called “The Rule of Threes” from http://www.wildernesscollege.com/. It is pretty simple but allows you to focus on your basic needs when in a survival situation in the wild.Humans can survive for · 3 minutes without air, · 3 hours without a regulated body temperature (shelter), · 3 days without water, · 3 weeks without food. Prioritize your basic needs in the following order: first shelter, then water, and lastly food.Also during this tense situation, develop your survival mind set by remembering your SPEAR!To help keep you mind and body engaged in the situation you need to be systematically assessing, planning, and executing your basic survival skills to stay alive. This will greatly aid in avoiding panic and other negative states of mind.Would you know what to do if someone suddenly collapsed next to you?And would you be able to identify whether they have simply fainted or there is a more serious situation going on?There are many examples of good first aid guides but if you would like to check out my book below, i would love to see what you think and you get the following checklists and printouts for free!• Printable - At Home first aid printable Checklist• Printable - Car First Aid Kit Checklist• Printable - CPR Procedure for Adults• Printable - CPR Procedure for Children• Emergency Situation ChecklistsCheck out Survival Medicine: Your Guide to Survival Basics, First Aid and the Most Common Medical Issues Encountered In Survival Situationshttp://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B018VK98SKhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B018VK98SK

Simple. Follow the "Rule of Threes". This establishes your priorities. In reverse order, they are; You can live; Three weeks without food, Three days without water Three hours without shelter Three minutes without air Three seconds without hope. That's it, that's all you need. Everything else is details. Note, these are generalizations. and may or may not apply to your current situation. Also note, "Shelter" is anything that separates you from your environment, such as clothing/ For priority purposes, "Signal" is included with shelter, but, the knowledge of it fits in the 3 second rule. What does this mean practically? First thing, get your head screwed on straight. Don't do anything that will make things worse. ("When in fear or doubt, run in circles, scream and shout! - That will make things worse) Don't put a dirty rag over a bleed, take a few seconds and look for a clean one. Don't dring the dirty water because you're thirsty. Don't run away from the (whatever vehicle) and get lost, even if the body of your best friend is there. Stay put, and get your thoughts together. Don't light a fire in an extreme dry spell, or you'll quickly find yourself in danger of the three minute rule. (Superheated air is never fun to breath.) Then, once you're aware of the situation, have taken stock of what you have, and what you need, and can breath, then build or find shelter. That broken vehicle might work, or find better clothing, or build a lean-to, what ever. Then you get a fire going, or prepare a signal fire. Then you can look for (or make) clean water, then, and only then think about food. The fact of the matter, in most of North America, food is never an issue in a survival situation. You will be found in less than three days, especially if you told someone where you were going, and when you'll be back. You did tell someone, right? Take a good wilderness first aid class, (Will help with the three second and three minute rule.) and take some wilderness survival courses for your area (It's silly for you to learn Arctic survival if you live in the American south west desert.) - AND PRACTICE WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED! I can't tell you how many times I've found people in a bad situation because they thought they could just rub two sticks together. Nope, That doesn't work, But, With practice, I can show you 14 different ways to start a fire in a wilderness situation, and most of them only require what's around you - and practice. Nothing will solve the three second rule faster than being able to think - "Oh, yes, I've done this. No problem! Don't worry Sweetheart! I've got this!" Oh, and a few hints? Moss grows all around trees, but the north star is always north, (in the northern hemisphere)  and if you eat too many bugs, you'll get a sour stomach. Good water filters are worth their weight in platinum. Learn how to make a fire-bow.

One you understand it, the priority of survival is quite simple.  Meet your needs, and survival becomes thriving. You will need shelter, water, fire, and food.  Those first two are especially important.  Having shelter from the elements, and fresh drinking water, means you can survive for weeks. I would say the top tip is knowing how to produce a good shelter.  It does wonders to your morale, and really makes it easier to tackle the other priorities when you have a place to call "home".

The best way to be ready for a survival situation is with proper preparation. Obviously you don't know when an emergency or survival situation is coming, but you can be prepared for such a situation by making sure you always have the basics on hand. 72 hour kits (at a minimum) are a great place to start for your home. So is a "bail out bag". A bail out bag is just a bag that is pre-assembled with the basics so you can hit the road and have everything you need. A car emergency kit is also a terrific idea. An EDC kit (every day carry) kit is a kit that you carry with you at all times. Usually consists of a mixture of things you use every day for work or play, plus a personal survival kit (PSK). A PSK is a small basic kit that you should always have with you. It should be the core of each of the kits above yet be small enough that you can attach to your belt or throw a strap over your shoulder. It is the bread and butter of survival kits and contains only the essentials. Some people even keep enough food and water for several weeks, months or even years!

From a pure survivalism perspective, the absolute best tool is a communication device that will reach civilization. Satellite phone, cell phone and/ or radio. Everything else is secondary to getting rescued fast by calling for help. Note that I'm reading this as surviving an accidental immersion in the wilderness, not a planned trip through it. There is ambiguity in the question in that regard that allows that latitude. If the question is updated to remove that ambiguity, I will happily add some other answer.

One thing you can do if you are stuck out there in a jungle or somewhere with no water source at all is actually drink the fluid from a fresh elephant dung. Pretty disgusting but it could save your life. It's a last resort. There can be harmful bacteria in that water but if you have nothing else to drink, it can buy you some extra time! Also regarding elephants, they have poor eyesight and if an elephant flattens its ears and curls its trunk, it means the elephant is about to charge.- Water is so important because people can survive much longer without food but not too long without water. Generally it is said that a human being can survive an average of three to five days(it can vary) without the intake of water, assuming sea-level altitude, room temperature and favorable relative humidity but a human can survive for several weeks without food.- If you are in the jungle with no food and see an animal hunted by a lion (like raw zebra meat of a lion kill), to ascertain whether it is fresh and can be eaten is - the first sign is vultures- as they only eat fresh meat. Also look out for maggots or if the carcass smells rotten, then obviously it isn't safe to eat.- Avoid a pool of free-standing water, always try to drink from fast moving water.* This was based on the Discovery channel.